Cholesterol is found in some interesting and tasty places
It’s good to see some updated reports on cholesterol because it’s gotten a pretty scary reputation over the years and decades. There are people who stress out over the mere mention of the so-called “artery-clogging”gooey stuff. But take a quick look at some of the things cholesterol is found in and see if it really deserves its enemy-to-health status. (note: Removed a link to a government page because it’s no longer there)
Cholesterol is found in these? Uh-oh!
- Meat, poultry, fish”
- Milk and other dairy products”
- Plants, and”
- YOU
Did you catch that? Cholesterol, in varying levels, is found in just about everything you might choose to eat. And more importantly it’s found in YOU. Even if you somehow managed to avoid eating anything with cholesterol in it, your body would still contain cholesterol. Because your body makes cholesterol. Your liver produces cholesterol in order to balance things like Vitamin D, steroid hormones, and bile acids. When you eat foods that contain cholesterol, your liver produces less. When you eat foods that don’t contain cholesterol, your body produces more. And I’m a living, breathing example of how important this is to know.
Many years back a doctor told me my total cholesterol level of 200 was dangerously high. He gave me a diet guideline sheet that recommended eliminating foods that cholesterol is found in like red meats”in fact most meats, “fatty foods”such as oils, nuts, fried foods, and a host of other items. I did as he recommended. The next couple of years I had no red meats or the other foods on the list. The next time I had my cholesterol checked, it registered 232. Huh? Higher? How could that be?
So, I decided to become a vegetarian.
I cut out the rest of the meats. I still included fish and eggs, but just about any other animal product was off my list. The good news”I love most fruits and vegetables. And I ate them at most every meal. The bad news”my next cholesterol test showed a result of 268. Guess what happened then?
My primary care physician said I’d need to take statin drugs. He prescribed Baycol. And after a month on the drug I noticed a steep decline in my health. My wife said I looked like I was dying. So, I stopped taking the drug, found a chiropractor who was also a naturopath. And you’ll never guess what he told me. Well, maybe you will guess. First”he asked me about the foods my grandparents ate for breakfast. I told him “bacon, eggs, and toast”. He asked, “Why don’t you eat that, too?”And I told him how that stuff was supposed to be bad for me. He asked, “How old were your grandparents when they died?”
“In their 80’s and 90’s,” I replied.
He said”
“Eat some bacon.”
I love bacon. So, I could have hugged him right then, if I was the hugging type. And as soon as I left his office, my wife and I went out for a delicious bacon cheeseburger. I’ve been eating red meat, enjoying coconut oil, real butter, and other “no-no”foods ever since. I’ve enjoyed all kinds of foods that cholesterol is found in. And my cholesterol numbers have gone down significantly.
So here are three things I’d like you to take with you today and always”
- Eating cholesterol and saturated fat isn’t the the root cause of higher cholesterol levels in the blood.
- High cholesterol in the blood isn’t the cause of heart disease.
- Statin drugs don’t save lives in healthy people without heart disease.
And a couple more things about statin drugs. They don’t save the lives of healthy people without heart disease. And they can even take lives. A few months after I stopped taking Baycol, I received a letter informing me I could take part in a class-action suit against the makers of that statin drug. Because it had actually killed some people and made a lot of other people very ill.
Need I say more?
Please note”I’m not a doctor, a naturopath, or a medical practitioner, or health and wellness expert of any kind. And I’m only sharing my story and some information. Inform yourself with more than the typical FDA or governmental “health guidelines.”Then, you’ll discover how cholesterol is found in just about everything. And you’ll realize the wonderful symbiotic design between us and our foods.
And that design is on purpose. Not by accident. You and I were wonderfully made by the one, true, living, loving God of all creation. He wants you to be happy and healthy. But more importantly, He wants you to live forever…with Him, in Heaven. So, it’s even more important to your health to choose life. Sure, eat well and move around more. But choose life. Eternal life. And remember…
There IS a Rhyme and Reason to life because…God made you.
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