Cholesterol. The truth is the crusade against cholesterol is misguided medicine which has caused more harm than good. But you already know that. Otherwise you wouldn’t be here learning about cholesterol, methylation, and all the other important factors of healthy living!
Cholesterol is not dangerous; it is the building block of every cell in your body. It builds your sex hormones and your stress hormones which keep you alive and strong. In fact, cholesterol is an antibiotic that is used by the body to remove dead bacteria from circulation.
Cholesterol issues come in two different flavors – high cholesterol and low cholesterol. These two different cholesterol problems require two different approaches.
On the one hand some people suffer from chronically elevated cholesterol levels. Total cholesterol levels of 250, 300 or even over 400 are common in my practice. People often have these high cholesterol numbers despite eating healthy and exercising. So what gives?
The answer is that high cholesterol has more to do with inflammation and infection than diet and exercise. Even the USDA recently removed its warning that high cholesterol foods are unhealthy. The reason is simple – eating cholesterol doesn’t cause an increase in cholesterol levels inside the body.
On the other hand, low cholesterol is a growing problem, esp. in people with adrenal fatigue and hypoglycemia. Total cholesterol below 160 mg/dl does not offer ANY health benefit. In fact, as I have shared in my recent videos, cholesterol below 150 puts us at risk for a myriad of diseases. There is definitely such a thing as not enough cholesterol!
Getting the right nutrition into the body can help remove excess cholesterol if elevated, and also increase cholesterol production if deficient. The supplements below provide targeted support for either high or low cholesterol – helping the body find its optimum balance in either situation.
Recommended Eating Habits for Optimum Cholesterol:
There are many popular diets today – paleo, GAPS, SCD, vegetarian, vegan, etc. I personally prefer a modified paleo diet – organic meat, vegetables, nuts/seeds, healthy fats, and small amounts of rice or gluten-free grains. But everyone is different and there is no single diet that works for everyone! Regardless of what type of diet a person chooses, to support healthy cholesterol levels three rules must be followed:
- Eat frequently throughout the day.
- Avoid excess fruits, sugars, and carbohydrates that spike blood sugar leading to crashes.
- Make sure to eat protein and healthy fats like coconut oil, olive oil and avocado with every meal.
If you want a good “paleo-style” diet to follow, I recommend you use this Modified Elimination Diet as your guide. I have made notes in red that I always share with patients in my office. You may view and print my notes and diet recommendations below:
High Cholesterol Supplement Protocol:
Cardio Essentials BP Support – 1 3x day w/ food; natural statin will block cholesterol absorption in the gut and help reduce formation in the liver without side effects of statins.†
CoQ10 Ubiquinol – 3 per day; 300mg of highly absorbable CoQ10; protects heart, brain and other tissue from inflammation. Necessary to support and protect mitochondria, esp. when taking red yeast rice and/or statin therapy.†
Stress Essentials Relax – 2 capsules 2x day; improves bile flow with Taurine, increases glutathione, and promotes a sense of calm by increasing the GABA/Glutamate ratio in the brain.†
Niacinamide 500 – 1 2x day w/ food; slow release niacin that can help reduce flushing. Safely and effectively reduces LDL levels, lowering total cholesterol.†
OmegaPure EPA:DHA 720 – 3 2x day w/ food; prevents cancer, stroke, and heart disease 13 different ways. Good for systemic health and helps raise HDL levels.†
Essential Multi – 1 2x day w/ food; excellent, cutting-edge multi-vitamin that contains high levels of antioxidants and offers methylation support along with a complete vitamin and mineral profile.†
UltraBiotic Daily –1 am, 1 pm away from food; A well-rounded, dairy-free probiotic capsule to help optimize your gut flora, get rid of yeast and pathogens while supporting digestion of vitamins and other nutrients.†
Low Cholesterol Supplement Protocol:
OmegaPure EPA-DHA 2400 Liquid – Take 1 tsp 5x per day. High quality, purified and concentrated Omega 3’s; one serving provides approx. 3 grams of Omega 3’s. Will help provide the fatty nutrition needed to produce healthy cholesterol.†
HCl Support – HCl stomach acid that will support the digestion and break down of your food. Take this product right at the end of the meal. To find out what dose is best for you, please see the HCl stomach acid instructions page.†
Pan 5X (formerly Azeo-Pangen Extra Strength) – pancreatic enzymes that will help you break down your food. Take 1 or 2 tablets five minutes before meals/shakes/snacks. Will improve digestion and absorption of nutrients.†
Stress Essentials Adrenal B1/B6 – Take 1 am w/ food, 1 noon w/ food. High doses of B1 and B6 and Vitamin C necessary to produce Coenzyme A (CoA), a key energy molecule; also helps with adrenal hormones and supports healthy response to stress and low blood sugar.†
Essential Multi – 1 2x day w/ food; excellent, cutting-edge multi-vitamin that contains high levels of antioxidants and offers methylation support along with a complete vitamin and mineral profile.†
UltraBiotic Daily –1 am, 1 pm away from food; A well-rounded, dairy-free probiotic capsule to help optimize your gut flora, get rid of yeast and pathogens while supporting digestion of vitamins and other nutrients.†
In addition to the supplements for Low Cholesterol, those individuals seeking to raise their cholesterol need to increase their intake of healthy fats and cholesterol. A typical cholesterol-raising diet may include 4-6 egg yolks per day, 1-2 avocados per day, fatty fish like salmon, fatty meat like grass-fed beef, as well as multiple servings of organic butter, coconut, palm, and olive oil. Even organic cheeses are encouraged as long as dairy is not an issue for food allergies.
Other foods that contain large amounts of cholesterol are lobster and shell-fish and may be consumed frequently. The idea is to increase the intake of healthy fats and cholesterol itself to aid in the body replenishing its depleted stores. Many people with low cholesterol have been “meal skippers” and have lived with discipline such that they have avoided these types of foods. Often a new way of looking at food is required.
Its important to realize the body NEEDS these healthy fats so you may feel like you are pigging out. But in fact you are helping your brain and your body recover to a higher level of function!
I recommend that my patients with high or low cholesterol issues use the nutrition listed above for 8 to 12 weeks. Typically results are seen in as little as 4 weeks,in a short period of time. However, due to the chronic nature of elevated cholesterol issues, it may take several weeks for the body to self-regulate and for changes to be seen. It would be prudent to retest cholesterol via a blood lipid panel after 8-12 weeks on this protocol.