I just HAD to put a link to this article by Dr. Mark Hyman MD for anyone out there with any kind of cholesterol concern. He talks about the real causes of high cholesterol, as well as whether it is actually something to be concerned about or not. One thing that I found worth pointing out is that the dangerous kind of high cholesterol comes from eating sugar, refined foods like white bread, and especially from high-fructose corn syrup, rather than fat. Not a surprise, really, when you realize that the worst damage comes from inflammation in your system--practically a certainty if you're regularly having high-fructose corn syrup, the highly-refined sweetener found in soda, most sweet drinks, and most processed foods.
Since many well-meaning but overworked doctors get much of their latest information from pharmaceutical representatives (who obviously have a product to sell!), they can sometimes come to conclusions that aren't always in your best interest. If you or anyone you know and care about are having cholesterol concerns or are taking cholesterol medication, please read this article!
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Thank you for bringing this up and pointing out this article! Almost everyone I know over 35 is on some sort of statin. When my doctor suggested it, I did a survey of the studies on the effectiveness of statins in preventing heart disease and lengthening life span and decided to take a pass, myself. The subjects of the studies didn't match my profile. Most of the ones I found were all studies done on people (mostly men) who had already had an episode of heart disease.
ReplyDeleteDr. Hyman does a great job of breaking down the need on whether or not to try to control cholesterol with drugs!
Glad you liked the article! I remember a few years ago hearing that there was a push on to get everybody on statins, just the way everybody is encouraged to take a multi-vitamin. It's really so outrageous!
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ReplyDeleteHey Julie,
ReplyDeleteMany thanks for the article!
I'm 34. One and a half year ago I had high cholesterols. Doctor said if I would be 50-60 years old, he would give me some drugs because it's too high. I frightened. I started a very simpe diet: no cookies, no burgers, no coke. I had natural fish oil + garlic capsules, started to exercise, and tried to reduce stress with meditation. Only three months later my cholesterols was totally normal.
Funny, one of my friends went in for a physical last week and his doctor brought up this very article! I've looked into the author's books and noticed that several had made it to the NYT bestseller list, so I've checked a couple of them out of the library. Fascinating stuff. Thanks for posting it!
ReplyDeleteJulie - I love your blog! I know I've said it before but it just keeps getting better. I have a question for you, my husband and I are lifting weights, and I wondered if I could work the same muscle groups everyday as long as I keep the weights at the same level, then go up when it gets too easy? What do you think? We're starting out low and slow and getting the routine down.
ReplyDeletePat, the typical weight training program won't have you doing the same muscle groups every day to allow the muscles time to regenerate and grow stronger between workouts. This is important and I do recommend it. However, if you are using VERY light weights, you could do it every day just for conditioning and movement. You'll get better results, though, if you use a little more weight and do different muscle groups every day. Twice a week per muscle group is pretty good if you're using enough weight.
ReplyDeletePeter, that's great news! But not too surprising--our bodies are amazingly efficient at fixing themselves as long as we don't get in the way with junk food and unhealthy habits.
ReplyDeleteKeep up the good way of life!