Why the Body Ecology
Diet is Ideal to Lower Cholesterol LDL Levels and Raise HDL Levels
You've heard the hype: high cholesterol can put you at risk for heart disease
and stroke.
In fact, an estimated 141.8 million Americans have high cholesterol (above
200 mg/dL).1 So how can you lower your cholesterol
and decrease your risk for illness and disease?
If you are worried about your cholesterol levels, then raw onions
could help! The pungent vegetable can actually increase your HDL levels
(the "good" cholesterol).
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Good Cholesterol vs. Bad Cholesterol
First, you need to understand more about the different kinds of cholesterol.
- HDL (high density lipoprotein) is known as the "good"
cholesterol because it can remove cholesterol from your arteries and
take it back to your liver to be processed.2
- The higher your HDL levels, the lower your risk for heart disease.
- LDL (low density lipoprotein) is commonly called the "bad"
cholesterol and is a good indicator of your risk for fatal heart attacks,
stroke, and heart disease.3
Low LDL cholesterol levels are desirable to prevent disease.
In recent years, most doctors have emphasized lowering your LDL cholesterol
levels to reduce your risk for heart disease, but new research indicates
that HDL levels may be a better predictor of health.4
Body Ecology and Your Cholesterol
Fortunately, Body Ecology provides excellent ways to raise your HDL levels
AND lower your LDL levels.
Here are some great Body Ecology tips to raise your HDL levels:
Eat eggs! Contrary to popular belief, eggs do NOT raise the bad cholesterol
levels that contribute to heart disease.5
Body Ecology recommends eating eggs
to give your body essential nutrients and fatty acids.
Exercise regularly. Like all health educators today, Donna Gates,
the creator of the Body Ecology System of Health and Healing, is a proponent
of regular exercise because it stimulates digestion and elimination, increased
growth hormone and DHEA levels to keep us young and also reduces stress. Exercise
also helps raise your HDL levels! Find exercise that is enjoyable and do it
regularly. A fun and easy way to tone your muscles, stimulate immunity, clean
your lymph system and keep your heart healthy is
rebounding.
Get plenty of niacin. Niacin has been linked to improved HDL levels.
Pasture-fed
chicken is an excellent source of dietary niacin and provides excellent
lean protein. The Body Ecology grain-like seed, millet, is a good source of
niacin. Find out more about millet
nutrition.
Try raw onions. Research shows that half a raw onion per day can raise
your HDL levels. And did you know that onions are a prebiotic
(food for healthy microflora)?
But raising your HDL levels is not enough. You still need to keep
your LDL levels in a healthy range.
If you have elevated LDL cholesterol levels, try these methods to bring
your LDL down:
- Consume fermented
foods and drinks. A delicious feel-good fermented drink on the Body
Ecology program is milk kefir.
Kefir made from cow's milk is a good source of folic acid (goat's milk is
not.) Folic acid helps make choline in your body, a substance that dissolves
fat and cholesterol and is an important brain nutrient.
- Get plenty of Conjugated Linoleic Acid (or CLA). CLA
is an essential fatty acid that comes from animal products and can lower
your LDL cholesterol levels. Make sure that you choose high
quality meats from animals raised on organic green grass and follow
the 80/20
rule: 20% of your meal from animal protein and 80% from vegetables.
- Eat lots of raw vegetables and boost your fiber intake. Include
daikon radishes, raw vegetables, ginger and garlic in your diet. High fiber
diets not only enhance your digestion and help you lose weight, they can
also lower your LDL levels. Daikon radish (that looks like a large white
carrot) is very popular in the Japan because it helps digest fats and oils
protecting the health of your liver. You will also find it served to you
in Japanese restaurants. It is not a pretty "garnish," so be sure
to eat it all if your liver is important to you.
- Avoid processed foods. Breads, flours, grains, pastas, alcohol
and sugar can all contribute to elevated LDL levels. Body Ecology's system
for health and healing gives you plenty of ideas for meals that release
you from processed foods and cravings, so you can enjoy whole foods and
great health!
If you want to learn more ways to enhance your health, build immunity
and lower your cholesterol, then be sure to read the latest edition
of The
Body Ecology Diet.
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Cholesterol levels are just one indicator of your total health, and Body
Ecology can help you create overall wellness, while lowering the bad LDL cholesterol
levels.
Use these Body Ecology tips to bring your cholesterol into normal range,
lowering your risk for heart disease and boosting your overall immunity as
well!
Sources:
Cholesterol Statistics. American Heart Association.
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4506
2 HDL and LDL Cholesterol: What's bad and what's good? http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=180
3 High Cholesterol? The Top 12 Non-drug Ways to Increase Your HDL Levels,
SixWise.com.
http://www.sixwise.com/newsletters/05/07/13/high_cholesterol_the_top_12_non-drug_strategies_to_increase_your_hdl_levels.htm
4 High Cholesterol?
5 Warner, Jennifer. Eating Eggs Daily May Not Be Risky for Heart. WebMD News.
http://onhealth.webmd.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=55676
6 Strategies to Raise HDL Cholesterol Levels, MedicineWorld.org.
http://medicineworld.org/cancer/lead/9-2005/strategies-to-raise-hdl-cholesterol-levels.html
7 High Cholesterol?
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