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Do you want to
get results? Learn the true causes of high cholesterol
Most
people think they know the causes of high cholesterol. Are you one of
them? You believe in moderation. You cut back on beef and pork. You
still have high cholesterol. Your doctor says your problem is
hereditary. He puts you on a statin drug. The truth is, the cause of
your high cholesterol is probably not hereditary. The cause is
moderation.
Moderation kills
People love the idea of
moderation. Moderation in many of our habits leads to
a
well-balanced life. But what about moderation in smoking? Or moderation
in heroin use? People who smoke or use heroin take great pleasure in
their use. But we don't believe in moderation in those activities. We
know cigarettes and heroin are addictive and do us harm.
Many
foods and beverages are also addictive and do us harm. But the food
industries hide the facts about these products with false advertising.
They want us to believe in moderation. The truth is, many
foods
are harmful and should not be part of our diet at all. They may give us
short term pleasure, but in the long term they cause disease and
disability.
Our list of high
cholesterol foods
is a real eye-opener for a lot of people. When you study the list, you
will clearly understand just one of the causes of high cholesterol.
What are the others?
Other causes of high cholesterol
- Saturated
animal fat:
All animal foods contain saturated fat. They usually
contain more than plants do, with a few exceptions. Saturated fat
raises blood
cholesterol levels even
more than dietary cholesterol does. Beef and pork are especially bad.
They are high in both
cholesterol and in saturated fat.
- Saturated
plant fat:
Some people think that saturated fat is only found in animal foods. Not
so. Every whole plant food (and every oil extracted from
plants) contains some
saturated fat. The more fat we eat, from any plant or animal, the more
saturated fat we take in.
This is one
reason why it makes no sense to eat olive oil or any other oil. Olive
oil
is 14% saturated fat. Every time you eat olive oil, you add a little
more saturated fat to your diet, and you raise your cholesterol level a
little bit more. Some vegans complain that they are doing everything
right but they still have high cholesterol. Olive oil could be the
reason.
Keep
your saturated fat intake as low as possible. Don't cook with oil.
Avoid fried foods and foods that contain oil. If you must eat
in
restaurants, tell the chef to prepare your food without oil.
A few plants contain large amounts of saturated fat. Beware of anything
made from coconut, palm oil, palm kernel oil, and palm fruit oil.
- Partially
hydrogenated oils:
These are man-made monsters that turn normal polyunsaturated fats into
weird, unnatural saturated fats. They damage our health even
more than do regular
saturated fats. The hydrogenation process creates trans fats. Trans
fats are one of the causes of high cholesterol. They cause many other
health
problems.
- Dairy
protein:
Casein, the main protein in dairy foods,
raises blood cholesterol. Skim milk and "fat free" cheeses are loaded
with casein. Many soy cheeses also contain casein to make them melt.
Most vegan cheese is highly processed and contains added oil. If you
crave vegan cheese, look for one based on raw nuts. Consider it a
special treat.
- Refined
grains:
Fiber is important because it helps to "escort" cholesterol out of the
body. Refined grains lack fiber. Eat your grains whole and intact.
Avoid anything made with white flour.
- Sugar
and other sweeteners:
Eat whole fruits most of the time instead of sugary treats. Sugar and
other sweeteners contain no fiber. Use fresh fruit or dried
fruit as sweeteners.
- A
sedentary lifestyle:
Lack of exercise is another of the causes
of high cholesterol. Being sedentary leads to weight gain. Extra body
fat raises cholesterol levels. Get up off the couch and go for a walk
every day. Read our tips about walking for weight loss
before you go.
- Heredity:
Heredity
does affect your cholesterol level a little bit. But the
condition
called hypercholesterolemia is
actually quite rare. In the 1980's in China, people ate mainly plants.
The average blood cholesterol level was 127. Cholesterol levels ranged
from 70 to
170.
Since
that time, the Chinese have added many animal foods to their diet.
Their cholesterol levels and obesity rates increase every year. The
Chinese can't use heredity as an excuse, and neither can other people.
We must take
responsibility
for our own health.
Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease
Our main focus is on weight loss. But we know that many
overweight and obese people also have high cholesterol. The
great thing
about a healthy vegan diet is that it will help you lose weight and
lower your cholesterol levels at the same time.
If you have high cholesterol and/or heart disease, we highly recommend
the book Prevent and
Reverse Heart Disease
by
Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr., M.D. He is a highly respected former
surgeon from the Cleveland Clinic.
Dr.
Esselstyn did a long term study with heart patients. His
subjects were so ill that other doctors had given up on them.
He put them all on a very low
fat vegan diet. Every patient who followed the diet got great
results.
Dr. Esselstyn actually reversed heart disease in these sick
people. He also states that anyone
can make themself
heart attack proof. To do this, you must:
- Keep your total blood
cholesterol below 150
OR
- Keep your LDL below 80
Impossible? Not at all. These are numbers like those of the Chinese in
the 1980's. Many vegans have similar levels. In his book, Dr.
Esselstyn explains
exactly how to get your numbers down that low. He describes in
detail all of the causes of high cholesterol. There are many delicious
recipes in the book too. This book could change your life.
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