Two 'Foods' You Should NEVER Ever Eat: Trans Fats and Interesterified Fats

For women with heart disease, eating too many artery-clogging trans fats, or the lesser-known interesterified fats, may increase their risk of dying suddenly from cardiac arrest.

Trans fats, found largely in commercially prepared baked and fried foods, have become notorious in recent years because they not only raise "bad" LDL cholesterol, but also lower levels of heart-healthy HDL cholesterol.  High trans-fat intake has been linked to coronary heart disease, in which fatty plaques build up in the heart arteries, sometimes leading to a heart attack.

In a new study published in the American Heart Journal, researchers found that among nearly 87,000 U.S. women followed for 26 years, trans fat intake was linked to an increased risk of sudden cardiac death among women who had underlying coronary heart disease. In this group, women who ate the most trans fats were three times more likely to die of cardiac arrest.

There’s plenty of confusion on the issue of cholesterol. I was also caught up in the nonsense. When I finished med school 25 years ago I was convinced your cholesterol could not be low enough.

So with a low-fat diet and plenty of exercise and oat bran (no drugs) I was able to get my cholesterol to a ridiculous level of 75. Yes you read that correctly -- my TOTAL cholesterol was a measly and pathetic 75 points. Fortunately, I later realized that it should be nearly three times as high as that to stay healthy, certainly no lower than 150.

The D*Action Project: How YOU Can Make a Difference and Spread the Word About Vitamin D

GrassrootsHealth has launched a worldwide public health campaign to solve the vitamin D deficiency epidemic in a year through a focus on testing and education with all individuals spreading the word.

And you are all invited to join in this campaign!

With Dr. Garland at the helm, The D*Action Project will be monitoring, for five years, the health outcomes of individuals who get their vitamin D levels to the levels of 40-60 ng/ml. I would highly recommend that you optimize your levels to the high end of this spectrum, as optimal vitamin D levels are 50-65 ng/ml, or 65-90 ng/ml if you are treating cancer.

Four foods you’ll want to include in your diet , and one to avoid

There are ways to maintain and even improve your brainpower. Healthy dietary choices can help clear away mental fog and improve your quick-thinking skills.

Here are four foods you’ll want to include in your diet, and one to avoid, to make the most of what you have.

Late fall bloomers: broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kale, collards, chard and bok choy.  The garden produce is nearing its end as the evenings get longer and the cooler weather wraps around us.  Stew simmers in the crockpot, so-o-o  very good for the body, all these vegetables containing vitamins, fiber, manganese and folic acid for healthy cells. 

Garden harvest meals continue as we pick from the late planting of beans and the second harvest of raspberries.  Baked apples and sweet winter pears fill the refrigerator.  Squash is getting stashed in the basement along with the not-quite-ripe tomatoes.

Why would anyone want to change to Raw Foods when they can take pleasure in eating sweet cake, cookies, ice cream, salty chips, or other fatty foods loaded with flavor? A healthier lifestyle and plenty of energy is the reason why.

Just what is a raw foods diet? It's eating uncooked and unprocessed foods as a large percentage of the diet. Most people prefer organic raw foods.

Morinda Citrifolia, popularly called Noni, was a lesser known fruit in the Americas but very popular in south Asia and the Pacific.

Many years ago, islanders from the South Pacific used the fruit, bark, leaves, and roots of the Noni for a varity of ailments, including such problems as joint discomfort and arthritis, depression and sleep-loss. It also was applied as a topical solution for irritations and bites. It is said that Polynesian Islanders first cultivated and domesticated the Noni tree over 2,000 years ago. Fresh Noni fruit smells very pungent, and is not an aroma one normally associates with fruit. The riper the fruit, the stronger the smell.

This is my story of dealing with arthritis. I hope you may find something in it to help you!

About twelve months ago I began having pain in my right hand.  Within a few weeks the pain, accompanied by stiffness and some swelling, had spread to my left hand and feet. 

After a few weeks of suffering I decided to call the doctor.  He ordered an Arthritis Profile, which means blood was drawn from me and tested.  The results were positive for Rheumatoid Arthritis.
 

In the United States, the idea that cholesterol is evil is very much ingrained in most people’s minds. But this is a very harmful myth that needs to be put to rest right now. As Ron Rosedale, MD, who is widely considered to be the leading anti-aging doctor in the United States, points out⁹:

“First and foremost, cholesterol is a vital component of every cell membrane on Earth. In other words, there is no life on Earth that can live without cholesterol. That will automatically tell you that, in of itself, it cannot be evil. In fact it is one of our best friends. We would not be here without it. No wonder lowering cholesterol too much increases one's risk of dying. Cholesterol also is a precursor to all of the steroid hormones. You cannot make estrogen, testosterone, cortisone, and a host of other vital hormones without cholesterol.”

Cholesterol is a soft, waxy substance found not only in your bloodstream but also in every cell in your body, where it helps to produce cell membranes, hormones, vitamin D and bile acids that help you to digest fat. Cholesterol also helps in the formation of memories and is vital for your neurological function.

Other “evidence” that cholesterol is good for you?

Consider the role of “good” HDL cholesterol. Essentially, HDL takes cholesterol from your body’s tissues and arteries, and brings it back to your liver, where most of your cholesterol is produced. If the purpose of this was to eliminate cholesterol from your body, it would make sense that the cholesterol would be shuttled back to your kidneys or intestines so your body could remove it.

Instead, it goes back to your liver.

Why?

Because your liver is going to reuse it.

“It is taking it back to your liver so that your liver can recycle it; put it back into other particles to be taken to tissues and cells that need it,” Dr. Rosedale says. “Your body is trying to make and conserve the cholesterol for the precise reason that it is so important, indeed vital, for health.”

Do You Really Have “High” Cholesterol?

Sally Fallon, the president of the Weston A. Price Foundation, and Mary Enig, Ph.D, an expert in lipid biochemistry, have gone so far as to call high cholesterol “an invented disease, a ‘problem’ that emerged when health professionals learned how to measure cholesterol levels in the blood.”¹⁰

And this explanation is spot on.

If you have increased levels of cholesterol, it is at least in part because of increased inflammation in your body. The cholesterol is there to do a job: help your body heal and repair.

Barbecues, picnics and family reunions are gatherings to enjoy and treasure. If you have diabetes, these events can pose special challenges. How can you stick with your meal plan, yet join in the celebration and have some fun? You can do it. If you choose wisely and watch how much you eat, you can have a delicious meal and feel good too. So, grab your plate and head for the buffet table.