Taking care of your greatest Asset: Your Physical Health

panda

Well-known member
This is a sensitive topic for me ever since my father passed away July 12th, 2012. My father passed away at a young age of 65 from a sudden heart attack. I know that he was diabetic for sometime and had high cholestrol. Although he never shared with me his medical condition, I do remember seeing books on this shelf about how to reduce his cholestrol level and blood sugar levels. Unfortunately he didnt take care of his health like he should have which caused him to pass away at such a young age. You see, what good is it to be fabulously rich financially, but be spiritually, physically, and emotionally poor? What good is it if your networth is $10 million dollars, but you only have 6 months to live due to cancer? What I realize is that we come into this world with empty hands and we will also leave this world with empty hands. There is no dress rehearsal to life and we are all given just one life. We might as well do the best we can with the one precious life that is given to us all.

Although I am far from being a health expert, I will share with you guys what I do know. You need check for your blood sugar level (Hemogloblin A1C). The normal range is between 4.8% - 5.6%. If you are at 5.7% or above, you are now entering in the pre-diabetes stage and if you continue down this lifestyle and blood sugar % increases, your will enter into stage one diabetes. If you are at the pre-diabetes stages, try your best to make some drastic lifestyle changes by excercising more and eating healthier. Perhaps you choose to eat more fish and less red meat. Perhaps you choose not to eat at fast food restaurants as much and add more vegetables and fruits to your diet. Perhaps you start to hit the gym on a regular basis.

One of my good old college buddies who is a doctor, told me that medications can help reduce your bad cholestrol, but it is tougher to do for your blood sugar levels.

LDL is what is considered bad cholesterol and HDL is what is considered good cholesterol. A healthy level of HDL is above 50 and a healthy level LDL cholesterol is below 120. Below are the 15 food recommendation that will help you stay at a healthy LDL cholesterol level. Try to make it habit to measure your progress on your fat %, A1C ( blood sugar levels), and your bad cholestrol like LDLand Triglycerides.

Below are the top 15 food that will help you reduce your Bad cholestrol. If any health specialists on Talk Irvine can chime on providing us some good health advice, please feel free to comment.

1. Oats
If you're looking to lower your cholesterol, the key may be simply changing your morning meal. Switching up your breakfast to contain two servings of oats can lower LDL cholesterol (the bad kind) by 5.3% in only 6 weeks. An easy first step to improving your cholesterol is having a bowl of oatmeal or cold oat-based cereal like Cheerios for breakfast. It gives you 1 to 2 grams of soluble fiber. Add a banana or some strawberries for another half-gram. Current nutrition guidelines recommend getting 20 to 35 grams of fiber a day, with at least 5 to 10 grams coming from soluble fiber. (The average American gets about half that amount.)

2. Red wine
Scientists are giving us yet another reason to drink to our health. It turns out that high-fiber Tempranillo red grapes, used to make red wine like Rioja, may actually have a significant effect on cholesterol levels. A study conducted by the department of metabolism and nutrition at Universidad Complutense de Madrid in Spain found that when individuals consumed the same grape supplement found in red wine, their LDL levels decreased by 9%. In addition, those who had high cholesterol going into the study saw a 12% drop in LDL.

3. Salmon & fatty fish
Omega-3 fats are one of the natural health wonders of the world and have been shown to ward off heart disease, dementia, and many other diseases. Now these fatty acids can add yet another health benefit to their repertoire: lowering cholesterol. According to research from Loma Linda University, replacing saturated fats with omega-3s like those found in salmon, sardines, and herring can raise good cholesterol as much as 4%. (Here's everything you need to know about buying the healthiest fish possible.)

4. Nuts
If you're looking to lower cholesterol levels, research shows that you should get cracking! In a study published by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, people who noshed on 1.5 ounces of whole walnuts 6 days a week for 1 month lowered their total cholesterol by 5.4% and LDL cholesterol by 9.3%. Almonds and cashews are other good options. However, while nuts are heart healthy, they're also high in calories, so practice portion control?1.5 ounces is about a shot glass and a half. Use a shot glass to measure out your portion so you can see exactly how it looks. A bushel of studies shows that eating almonds, walnuts, peanuts, and other nuts is good for the heart. Eating 2 ounces of nuts a day can slightly lower LDL, on the order of 5%. Nuts have additional nutrients that protect the heart in other ways.

5. Tea
While tea has become well known for its cancer-fighting antioxidants, it is also a great defense against LDL cholesterol levels. According to research conducted with the USDA, black tea has been shown to reduce blood lipids by up to 10% in only 3 weeks. These findings were concluded in a larger study of how tea may also help reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. (Here's how to make the perfect cup of tea every time?and do it in style using this glass teapot with diffuser.)

6. Beans
Beans, beans?they really are good for your heart. Researchers at Arizona State University Polytechnic found that adding ? cup of beans to soup lowers total cholesterol, including LDL, by up to 8%. The key to this heart-healthy food is its abundance of fiber, which has been shown to slow the rate and amount of absorption of cholesterol in certain foods. Try black, kidney, or pinto beans; each supplies about one-third of your daily fiber needs.

7. Chocolate
Ah, the sweet side of a heart-healthy diet: This powerful antioxidant helps build HDL cholesterol levels. In a 2007 study published in AJCN, participants who were given cocoa powder had a 24% increase in HDL levels over 12 weeks, compared with a 5% increase in the control group. Remember to choose the dark or bittersweet kind (you can find it in these melt-in-your-mouth Organic Cacao Wafers). Compared to milk chocolate, it has more than 3 times as many antioxidants, which prevent blood platelets from sticking together and may even keep arteries unclogged.

8. Margarine
Switching to a margarine with plant sterols, such as Promise activ or Benecol, could help lower cholesterol. Plant sterols are compounds that reduce cholesterol absorption; a study published in AJCN found that women who had a higher plant sterol?based diet were able to lower total cholesterol by 3.5%.

9. Garlic
Aside from adding zing to almost any dish, garlic has been found to lower cholesterol, prevent blood clots, reduce blood pressure, and protect against infections. Now research finds that it helps stop artery-clogging plaque at its earliest stage by keeping cholesterol particles from sticking to artery walls. Try for two to four fresh cloves a day.

10. Olive Oil
Good news: This common cooking ingredient can help your health. Olive oil is full of heart-healthy monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), which lower LDL cholesterol?and have the welcome side effect of trimming belly fat. Use it to make your own salad dressings, marinate chicken and fish, or roast vegetables.

11. Spinach
This popular green contains lots of lutein, the sunshine-yellow pigment found in dark green leafy vegetables and egg yolks. Lutein already has a "golden" reputation for guarding against age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness. Now research suggests that just ? cup of a lutein-rich food daily also guards against heart attacks by helping artery walls "shrug off" cholesterol invaders that cause clogging. Look for bags of baby spinach leaves that you can use for salads or pop in the microwave for a quick side dish.

12. Avocado
Avocados are a great source of heart-healthy monounsaturated fat, a type of fat that may actually help raise HDL cholesterol while lowering LDL. And, more than any other fruit, this delectable food packs cholesterol-smashing beta-sitosterol, a beneficial plant-based fat that reduces the amount of cholesterol absorbed from food. Since avocados are a bit high in calories and fat (300 calories and 30 g fat per avocado), use them in moderation. (We suggest these 8 unique and insanely tasty avocado recipes.)

13. Barley and other whole grains. Like oats and oat bran, barley and other whole grains can help lower the risk of heart disease, mainly via the soluble fiber they deliver.

14. Apples, grapes, strawberries, citrus fruits. These fruits are rich in pectin, a type of soluble fiber that lowers LDL.

15. Soy. Eating soybeans and foods made from them, like tofu and soy milk, was once touted as a powerful way to lower cholesterol. Analyses show that the effect is more modest ? consuming 25 grams of soy protein a day (10 ounces of tofu or 2 1/2 cups of soy milk) can lower LDL by 5% to 6%.
 
Panda, I haven't had a chance to read this entire post yet but I just noticed the new addition in your signature. Now following you on Bigger Pockets.
 
There's a term called "heart attack proof".  If anyone is interested, check out "Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease" by Caldwell Esselstyn, MD. He's also featured in the documentary "Forks Over Knives" on Netflix which also has a great website.

Bottom line, cholesterol, which is probably the number 1 risk factor for heart disease, is only found in one place, animals. Thus if someone has high cholesterol and even heart disease, most people can reverse hyperlipidemia and even reverse heart disease (as shown on repeat coronary angiography) via a low vegetable oil, plant-based diet (no animal products).

Another great book "The China Study" by Campbell and Campbell.

 
too much non-sense.

for cholesterol there is very weak correlation between what you eat and what ends up in your body.
your body generates and regulate cholesterol as it is essential for our body to function.
genetics and your activity levels also play a big role.

the best fat source is from animals. vegetable oils either have low break down point (making them toxic at higher temperature) or the omega 6 to omega 3 ratio is too high, causing inflammation

jajji said:
There's a term called "heart attack proof".  If anyone is interested, check out "Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease" by Caldwell Esselstyn, MD. He's also featured in the documentary "Forks Over Knives" on Netflix which also has a great website.

Bottom line, cholesterol, which is probably the number 1 risk factor for heart disease, is only found in one place, animals. Thus if someone has high cholesterol and even heart disease, most people can reverse hyperlipidemia and even reverse heart disease (as shown on repeat coronary angiography) via a low vegetable oil, plant-based diet (no animal products).

Another great book "The China Study" by Campbell and Campbell.
 
The California Court Company said:
too much non-sense.

for cholesterol there is very weak correlation between what you eat and what ends up in your body.
your body generates and regulate cholesterol as it is essential for our body to function.
genetics and your activity levels also play a big role.

the best fat source is from animals. vegetable oils either have low break down point (making them toxic at higher temperature) or the omega 6 to omega 3 ratio is too high, causing inflammation.

How is it nonsense? It's actually very simple.

If it's non-sense, look at the data. Compare the before and after coronary angiograms. Explain the reversal in heart disease. Explain how people are able to reverse their hyperlipidemia simply via diet.



 
jajji said:
The California Court Company said:
too much non-sense.

for cholesterol there is very weak correlation between what you eat and what ends up in your body.
your body generates and regulate cholesterol as it is essential for our body to function.
genetics and your activity levels also play a big role.

the best fat source is from animals. vegetable oils either have low break down point (making them toxic at higher temperature) or the omega 6 to omega 3 ratio is too high, causing inflammation.

How is it nonsense? It's actually very simple.

If it's non-sense, look at the data. Compare the before and after coronary angiograms. Explain the reversal in heart disease. Explain how people are able to reverse their hyperlipidemia simply via diet.

It's not simple at all. Cutting cholesterol from your diet means that you are going to synthesize it in your own body (and most likely as LDL). You really need to lower your triglyceride count which means lowering your carbohydrate intake.
 
What's been most convincing is seeing it in my own life, and in other patients. People do this all the time. For example, if you look at the Weimar Institute up in Northern California, people are taught what to eat and what to avoid. It's the same approach: low vegetable oil, plant-based diet. They're leaving off their meds, reversing their diabetes and hyperlipidemia.

Look at the coronary angiograms done by Caldwell Esselstyn, MD. How do you explain the re-opening of the coronary arteries?

I highly recommend "Forks Over Knives" on Netflix, and "Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease" by Esselstyn. It's a good starting point.

The thing is, it is a simple solution, but not so simple to implement because not everyone wants to adopt this lifestyle.
 
Jajji,
Thank you for your insights and posts. I do have a Netflix account and will definitely watch "forks over knife" and "prevent and reverse heart disease."

The area of health is definitely an area I want to learn more about.

 
I had a mcdouble for breakfast this morning. 30 seconds in the microwave then three minutes of heaven
 
I agree with many of the concepts mentioned in Forks over Knives and also recommend Grain Brain by Dr. Perlmutter.

Another reminder within this topic is to plan ahead medically and financially. This means where to live when you can't provide for yourself anymore and the Medical POA so family can care for each other responsibly. Don't leave your family guessing about your wishes when grieving is involved too.
 
Forks over knives - the latest vegan nonsense dissected debunked and destroyed
http://anthonycolpo.com/forks-over-...an-nonsense-dissected-debunked-and-destroyed/
http://rawfoodsos.com/2011/09/22/forks-over-knives-is-the-science-legit-a-review-and-critique/


hilarious

"the low-protein rats died at an earlier age! No wonder they got less cancer - they didn't long enough to develop malignant tumours!"

"The rats were administered super-duper-mega-massive doses of aflatoxin, the ingestion of which would literally be impossible in real live humans. .........Except of course, for those capable of eating over 280,000 contaminated peanut butter sandwiches a day for four days straight."

"Monkeys on low protein diet surviving for 90 weeks or more show foci of preneoplastic lesions"

?Red blood cell total polyunsaturated fats, especially the n-6 fatty acids [you know, the ones found in abundance in plant food oils], were positively correlated with coronary heart disease and hypertensive heart disease?

"For whatever reason, in China, the animal-food-eaters are living longer than their more plant-based counterparts."


It is rather easy. eat less processed meat and food with added sugar,
enjoy a balanced diet made from whole foods, be that meat or vegetables or whole grains.

In summary, don't waste your time in watching Fork over Knives or reading the China Study book. They are garbage.
 
The California Court Company said:
It is rather easy. eat less processed meat and food with added sugar,
enjoy a balanced diet made from whole foods, be that meat or vegetables or whole grains.

In summary, don't waste your time in watching Fork over Knives or reading the China Study book. They are garbage.

Many people already eat this way when you ask them, yet heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States, stroke is 5th, and the complications of diabetes is seventh. The other problem with this diet is that you won't reverse these diseases.

With the plant-based, low vegetable oil diet, not only can these diseases be prevented, but also reversed. 50% of type 2 diabetics or hypertensives can get off of their meds in as little as three weeks. Three weeks! I've seen people do it, and it happens all the time at places like the Weimar Institute in Northern California or the Uchee Pines Center in Alabama. I also saw this occur at CHIP (chiphealth.com). Kaiser has recently caught on and has started a CHIP pilot program.

Regarding the scientific rebuttals of The China Study, any study whether it be this one, or The Framingham Heart Study, or the Iowa Women's Study, etc. can be dissected. (People often ask, "how do I know what study to trust"? The first thing to do is look and see who sponsors the study). In the case of a plant-based, low vegetable oil diet, what's been the most compelling evidence to me is seeing the results in actual real life people, for example, the re-opening of the coronary arteries on repeat angiogram in those that adopted a plant-based low vegetable oil diet, and how 50% of type 2 diabetics or hypertensives can get off of their meds in as little as three weeks etc. Forks Over Knives also has a testimonial section on their website.

The other advantage is GI protection. All animal products have zero fiber. So by avoiding animal products, by default you're getting lots of fiber in the diet. This is key in preventing diverticulitis, constipation, colon polyps, colon cancer etc.

Further resources:

1. "Reversing Diabetes" by Neal Barnard, MD
2. pcrm.org
3. chiphealth.com
4. drmcdougall.com
5. "Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease" Caldwell Esselstyn, MD
 
Jajji,
I am a believer in the plant-based, low vegetable oil diet that you are speaking of. I believe in natural form of healing through right dieting, not through medication. My father passed away due to the closed coronary arteries you mentioned. I guess there are three arteries that pump blood to the heart and all arteries were completely blocked that ended his life.

"With the plant-based, low vegetable oil diet, not only can these diseases be prevented, but also reversed. 50% of type 2 diabetics or hypertensives can get off of their meds in as little as three weeks. Three weeks!"



jajji said:
The California Court Company said:
It is rather easy. eat less processed meat and food with added sugar,
enjoy a balanced diet made from whole foods, be that meat or vegetables or whole grains.

In summary, don't waste your time in watching Fork over Knives or reading the China Study book. They are garbage.

Many people already eat this way when you ask them, yet heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States, stroke is 5th, and the complications of diabetes is seventh. The other problem with this diet is that you won't reverse these diseases.

I've seen people do it, and it happens all the time at places like the Weimar Institute in Northern California or the Uchee Pines Center in Alabama. I also saw this occur at CHIP (chiphealth.com). Kaiser has recently caught on and has started a CHIP pilot program.

Regarding the scientific rebuttals of The China Study, any study whether it be this one, or The Framingham Heart Study, or the Iowa Women's Study, etc. can be dissected. (People often ask, "how do I know what study to trust"? The first thing to do is look and see who sponsors the study). In the case of a plant-based, low vegetable oil diet, what's been the most compelling evidence to me is seeing the results in actual real life people, for example,  on repeat angiogram in those that adopted a plant-based low vegetable oil diet, and how 50% of type 2 diabetics or hypertensives can get off of their meds in as little as three weeks etc. Forks Over Knives also has a testimonial section on their website.

The other advantage is GI protection. All animal products have zero fiber. So by avoiding animal products, by default you're getting lots of fiber in the diet. This is key in preventing diverticulitis, constipation, colon polyps, colon cancer etc.

Further resources:

1. "Reversing Diabetes" by Neal Barnard, MD
2. pcrm.org
3. chiphealth.com
4. drmcdougall.com
5. "Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease" Caldwell Esselstyn, MD
v

Jajji, re-opening of the coronary arteries.
 
Panda said:
Jajji,
I am a believer in the plant-based, low vegetable oil diet that you are speaking of. I believe in natural form of healing through right dieting, not through medication. My father passed away due to the closed coronary arteries you mentioned. I guess there are three arteries that pump blood to the heart and all arteries were completely blocked that ended his life.

I'm sorry for your loss Panda. I also agree with what you said about what's the point in having a high net worth but be poor in health. So I'm very happy that you believe in the plant-based lifestyle! It's really the way to go.
 
Your genetics also have a large impact.  Back in 1967, Ethan Sims (medical researcher) performed an experiment at Vermont State Prison, recruiting a group of prisoners with minor offenses.  The deal was that they could eat as much as they want and, if they gained 25% in body weight, they get early release from prison

It was a good incentive, but what he found was that some subjects were consuming as much as 10,000 calories per day but still could not reach the weight gain target.  So if you ever wondered why some of your friends seem to be able to pig out daily and never put on weight, blame the parents.

While diet has an impact on your health, your genetics and the microbes in your guts (1) are factors that you have little control over.  You could eat healthy all your life and still drop dead at an early age.  But eating poorly will also likely make you drop dead even sooner.

Quoting my grandfather who lived to his 90's, you should eat delicious foods when your young (in moderation!), because when you're old, you can't eat anything.

(1)http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-35193414
 
it is pretty simple guys. Genetics aside, no one can dispute that obesity correlates with coronary problems. Traditional American diet, where you eat high carb + high fat can lead to obesity for some people. It is just more difficult to get obese with this Vegan diet and that's why it works.

In the contrary,  you can also have a very low carb diet and enjoy all the animal protein and fat and still come up with EVEN better cholesterol numbers than that Vegan diet - because fat and protein from animals are FAR superior than from plants.

here is how I rank them
Balanced diet with neutral daily calorie intake > very low carb diet (this is not for most people) > this vegan diet > high fat/high carb American (junk food) diet

Vegan diet is not the best diet because it is more difficult if not impossible to get the essential nutrients that your body needs (i.e. healthy Omega 3 fats like DHA/EHA, essential amino acids, calcium, iron, Vitamin D...etc)

 
The California Court Company said:
iVegan diet is not the best diet because it is more difficult if not impossible to get the essential nutrients that your body needs (i.e. healthy Omega 3 fats like DHA/EHA, essential amino acids, calcium, iron, Vitamin D...etc)

Absolutely true. Most people on a vegan diet also take a lot of supplements to account for these deficiencies in their diet.
 
Chart for a health weight range for men and women: small frame, median frame, large frame. For men, to determin your frame size, measure your wrist size. If the circumference of your wrist is less than 6 inches you are considered a small frame, 7 - 7.5 inches is considered a median, and 8 and larger is a large frame for men. As a male who is 5'8" with a medium frame, his healthy target weight should be between 145 - 157 lbs with a median weight target of 151 lbs.

WEIGHT.jpg


What was really eye opening for me here is that the United States is the 3rd most overweight country in the world. 73.9% of Americans are overweight which seems to be measured by a BMI greater than a 25 whereas in Asia, only 24.2% of the population are overweight. The average weight of a North American Male is 194.7 lbs and 164.7 lbs for Female. 

weight_stat.jpg

 
Some very interesting photos and charts based on percentage of fat. The average weight of a north american male is 194.7lb and 164.7lb for a female. The average South Korean male weighs 151.2 lbs and the average South korean female weighs 124.6 lbs. That is a difference of 40 pounds.  151.2 lbs is the median healthy weight range for a male with a medium frame standing at  5'8".

2P2Lwrg.jpg


2359200.jpg
 
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