Dear Subscriber: 

Don’t try to avoid certain foods because of guilt. Too often, denial itself becomes the goal. That game is no fun at all. And, if you’re like most people, it’s a game you won’t win.

Case in point: Think about the word “cholesterol”. Did you think about what you shouldn’t eat? Does your mind turn to a juicy steak, eggs or bacon with feelings of guilt?

The best use of food to improve your cholesterol involves neither denial nor guilt. Take a moment today to focus your intent on what you should eat and the feeling of good health you will get from it. Use this strategy and you will learn to think less about what you shouldn’t eat.

 * Improve Yourself by Eating Better *

Most sources tell you to avoid fat in favor of low-fat, vegetarian, or whole-grain artificial diets.1  But if you take a closer look, you’ll see the secret to reducing bad cholesterol isn’t avoiding fat. Studies show that if you combine the right nutritional elements you can reduce your bad cholesterol (LDL) as much, and in some cases more than statin drugs.2

Simply choose the right fats while maintaining healthy proteins. These are fats rich in omega-3 fatty acids and protein rich in essential amino-acids like arginine.  Avoidance of fat in favor of grains will increased your risk of heart disease. Why? Because diets that are high in grains promote high insulin levels.3  There are a number of studies that show a direct correlation between elevated insulin and heart disease.

* The Real Heart-Healthy Diet*

Choosing the right fats means eating more fish and the right kind of red meat. Fish is high in omega-3s. It also has a complete mixture of all the essential amino acids in a bio-available, rapidly absorbable protein. And yes, you can still eat red meat, even steak. But choose cuts of meat from grass-fed animals - that’s the key. Studies show grass fed beef has a higher content of omega-3 fatty acids than wild salmon. You can find a link to the grass-fed meats I buy for my own family on the links page of this website.

Also focusing on the positive, fiber lowers cholesterol. The “soluble” kind is best. Apples are one of the best sources. A study of 2,900 adults showed that soluble fiber lowered blood pressure and LDL. The people in the study also lost weight and had a slimmer waist-to-hip ratio.4

Finally, eat more nuts, especially almonds and walnuts. Not only are they high in protein, these two nuts have a perfect ratio of omega-3s, antioxidants and amino acids that alone lower LDL by as much as 30 to 50%.5

To Your Good Health,

Al Sears MD

1 Ornish D, Brown SE, Scherwitz LW. “Can lifestyle changes reverse coronary heart disease? Lancet. 1990; 336:129-133.

2 Nash, David T. M.D. “Dietary Therapy to Reduce Cardiovascular Disease: What Works, What Doesn’t” Consultant, November 2004.

3 From Dr. Sears ‘Your Six Week Anti-Aging Plan’ premium, no citation listed.

4 Ludwig DS, Pereira MA, Kroenke CH. Dietary fiber, weight gain and cardiovascular risk factors in young adults. JAMA. 1999;282:1539-1546

5 Jenkins DJA, Kendall CWC, Marchie A. “Dose response of almonds on coronary heart disease risk factors: blood lipids, oxidized low-density lipoproteins, etc.” Circulation 2002;106:1327-1332. Rose, Nunez I. A “Walnut diet improves endothelial function in hypercholesterolemic subjects” Circulation.2004; 109:1609-1614.