1. Aim to reduce all processed carbs in your diet. If it’s white, refined or comes out of box-throw it out! I am talking about those chippy, snacky, addictive carbs that you can’t stop eating after the first bite. Aim for a diet that is low glycemic, high fiber and omega-3 rich.
- Eating tip: Replace crackers and pretzels or popcorn with a handful of dry roasted almonds.
2. Cut back on meat and switch to grass fed, pasture raised, no hormones added lean protein sources whenever possible. Why grass-fed? The unnatural living conditions of animals in the modern meat industry prevent these animals from getting normal exercise and they are fed a diet of grains instead of grasses. This makes for an obese animal with the wrong kind of fat. This meat has an unnatural and unhealthy concentration of Omega-6 fatty acids that cause heart disease. Pasture raised animals allowed to eat their native diets of grass have:
- 2 to 10 times more omega-3s than grain-fed meats which have a high Omega-6 ratio
- 2 to 4 times more CLA– (conjugated linolenic acid) – a fatty acid that helps us burn more fat.
- More Vitamin E, Iron, CoQ10, Zinc and Carotenoids than grain fed meats
Eating tip: Try grass fed beef, lamb, bison, wild meats like elk, venison or boar available from Sprouts, Whole Foods & Trader Joe’s
3. Fish Oils: Aim for 700-1000 mg of omega-3 fats (just add the EPA and DHA levels listed on the label). Take this amount at least 2-3 times a day for a total of 1400-2000 mg/day. There are too many benefits to name, including a significant reduction in serum triglycerides. We highly recommend Thorne Super EPA because it provides 700 mg of EPA and DHA per gel cap at a good price.
- Supplement tip: We recommend you purchase a pharmaceutical grade of fish oils to ensure a pure product free of heavy metals and a higher level of EPA and DHA per capsule. Those looking to source their own ingredients for their supplements might want to use Capsule Supplies products and empty capsules to use as the basis. If you don’t like to swallow fish pills, then take a tip from Jeanne. Use 2-3 tsps a day of atCarlson’s, Nordic Natural or DFH Lemon Flavored Liquid Omega Marine oil
4. Increase Fiber: So many studies have proven the cholesterol-lowering properties of soluble fibers found in oatmeal, chia seeds pectin found in apples and lectins and beans.
Eating tip: We recommend you add the following daily to increase soluble fiber. Add 1 Tbsp of chia or ground flax seeds to your smoothies, salads or yogurt. For a boost of 8 grams of fiber/day, we recommend to our clients, 1 scoop of Medi-bulk or Paleofiber 10 minutes before meals with a glass of water to improve satiety. This way you feel more full on less food and have more fiber available to bind the cholesterol found in your foods.
5. Use a natural statin like red yeast rice. A comprehensive review of 93 randomized trials including nearly 10,000 patients has demonstrated that red yeast rice reduced total cholesterol, LDL, triglycerides, and increased HDL-cholesterol. Studies have shown that red yeast rice extracts are well tolerated and effective in lowering LDL in patients with statin intolerance.
- Supplement tip: We recommend 1000-1200 mg at night for best results. Because red yeast rice can actually stop the production of cholesterol and CoQ10, you want to include CoQ-10 in your supplements.
References:
- 1. Brown L, Rosner B, Willett WW, Sacks FM. Cholesterol-lowering effects of dietary fiber: a meta-analysis. Am J ClinNutr 1999 Jan.;69(1):30-42.
- 2. Fallon, S. and Mary Enig. “Dangers of Statin Drugs: What You Haven’t Been Told About Popular Cholesterol-Lowering Medicines,” The Weston A. Price Foundation.