Need to lower LDL

[moh2010]

Hi P.


I saw my doctor 6 weeks ago for a checkup. Blood pressure was 160/80. Sodium intake was high. I was eating 1 cup+ of cottage cheese every day and put salt on everything. I switched to Greek yogurt instead of cottage and reduced salt. I started hawthorn berry 6 weeks ago (2caps, 3x/day) and now blood pressure is now 130/80. Hawthorn berry is a great supplement!

I just received my blood works:

total test : 49.14 (8.69-29.00) nmol/L
shbg : 23.8 (14.5-48.4) nmol/L
free test : 32.0+ (6.0-22.0) nmol/L

*** need to reduce testosterone to 150mg instead of 200mg/week.


RBC is 10-15% above normal
*** need to reduce test...

AST/ALT 10-15% above normal (nothing alarming)

thyroid is normal (mid range)

Cholesterol: 5.05 (3.20-4.60) nmol/L
Triglycerides: 0.95 (0.60-2.30) nmol/L
HDL : 1.14 (0.90-1.6) nmol/L
LDL: 3.47 (1.70-3.00) nmol/L
Total cholesterol: 4.4 (0.0-5.0)

My doc asked me to be more careful with my nutrition. I already eat healthy. Red meat choices are horse or bison only. Fish oil every day (4g, 1200mg EPA). Omega-3 eggs only (4 a day). Healthy fat in every meals.

What can I do? I rather take natural supplements only. I heard tamox is harsh on your liver.

I want to be as healthy as possible before starting my bulk cycle.

[Mr Ontario]

http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/the-benefits-of-apple-cider-vinegar/

[moh2010]

http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/the-benefits-of-apple-cider-vinegar/

thx man! I already have this at home and had no idea it could it cholesterol!

P, why 10mg of tamox could reduce LDL?

[Praetorian]

Tamox helps keep HDL levels up it doesnt help much with lowering LDL. To lower LDL increase fiber intake and plant sterols as well as fish oil.

As well...sodium is not necessarily a problem...the problem is not enough water intake and too high carbohydrate intake. If you lower carbs, water retention will drop and with increased water intake sodium wont matter because any excess will be flushed out due to increased diuresis. Remember AAS cause an increase in sodium retention thus water intake needs to increase accordingly.
P

Benefits of increased fiber:
It has been shown that the inclusion of soluble fiber from psyllium can dramatically reduce the risk of heart disease by suppressing cholesterol synthesis in the liver and reducing blood levels of LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. And less LDL cholesterol means less atherogenic plaques in the blood vessels.

What most people do not know is that soluble fiber is also instrumental in any successful weightloss program. What? Fiber burns fat? Well, the beneficial bacteria of the colon have the ability to ferment soluble fiber. When this occurs, short chain fatty acids are liberated. These short chain fats can then enter the portal blood circulation and travel to the liver where they decrease the liver's output of glucose. Less circulating glucose means that less insulin is released; and lower insulin levels in the blood mean that less fat is stored.

Not to be forgotten, diets that include sources of insoluble fiber also have tremendous health and performance benefits. Insoluble fiber promotes regular bowel movements, removes toxic wastes from the colon, and prevents colon cancer by maintaining optimal pH's in the intestines. And when the colon is healthy and toxins are being efficiently removed from the body, muscle can be synthesized and repaired at maximal rates.

[moh2010]

Thx. I have benefiber at home (inulin). I drink 2 shakes a day (2scoop whey, 1 cup milk, 2 tbsp PB). Will 1 tbsp of inulin per shake be enough? (9g of fiber/tbsp)

oh i just answered my own question


Psyllium
Psyllium is the active ingredient in many of the leading fiber supplements. Made from the husk of a seed, it contains a large amount of soluble fiber. Psyllium dissolves during the digestive process and is absorbed into the bloodstream, where it lowers total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels.


Inulin
Inulin is an insoluble fiber derived from chicory seeds. When consumed, it passes through the stomach undissolved and into the intestinal tract. Inulin feeds the intestinal bacteria, improving the function and health of the bowels. Inulin also has a positive effect in reducing the body's triglyceride count.


Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/103267-types-fiber-supplements/#ixzz1bqd7UYVI

[Praetorian]

30g fibre min per day is recommended...9g is very insufficient.
P

[Delt King]

You're going to have to increase Benefiber SLOWLY...you take in 30grams of that per day and you'll have terrible gas pain. start small and work your way up. Take a look at ground flax seed as well as All Bran Buds cereal.


Thx. I have benefiber at home (inulin). I drink 2 shakes a day (2scoop whey, 1 cup milk, 2 tbsp PB). Will 1 tbsp of inulin per shake be enough? (9g of fiber/tbsp)

oh i just answered my own question


Psyllium
Psyllium is the active ingredient in many of the leading fiber supplements. Made from the husk of a seed, it contains a large amount of soluble fiber. Psyllium dissolves during the digestive process and is absorbed into the bloodstream, where it lowers total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels.


Inulin
Inulin is an insoluble fiber derived from chicory seeds. When consumed, it passes through the stomach undissolved and into the intestinal tract. Inulin feeds the intestinal bacteria, improving the function and health of the bowels. Inulin also has a positive effect in reducing the body's triglyceride count.


Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/103267-types-fiber-supplements/#ixzz1bqd7UYVI

[#8]

omega 3 supplements also help reduce LDL.

[Sean Summers]

Niacin

[moh2010]

omega 3 supplements also help reduce LDL.

Im already taking high concentrated fish oil year long.

[moh2010]

Niacin

This what I was thinking, but time-released. Regular niacin make me flush too much. Just uncomfortable and everyone laugh at me because they think I have a massive sunburn.

Red yeast rice is supposed to help, but Health Canada banned this supplement. Apparently, it can cause bad side-effects. But it's bullshit, just like L-carnitine. They made a study with 2.4g and 1.2g daily and both groups had a drop of 20-25% on the LDL. Look great, but you can't get from bb.com. Can't ship to Canada.
.
http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/now/niacin.html

[moh2010]

You're going to have to increase Benefiber SLOWLY...you take in 30grams of that per day and you'll have terrible gas pain. start small and work your way up. Take a look at ground flax seed as well as All Bran Buds cereal.

From my researches, inulin doesnt do anything to LDL, but help tri-glyceride. Did it worked for you?

[Delt King]

Cholesterol and lipids
A series of animal studies demonstrate that inulin -type fructans affect the metabolism of lipids primarily by decreasing triglyceridaemia because of a reduction in the number of plasma VLDL particles. The human data largely confirm the animal experiments. They demonstrate a reduction in trigycerides and a decrease in cholesterol. Inulin appears thus eligible for an enhanced function claim related to normalization of blood lipids.

Effect of oral inulin fiber administration on lipid profile and insulin sensitivity in subjects with obesity and dyslipidemia
Rev Med Chil. 2003
A clinical trial, double blind, randomized with placebo was carried out in 12 obese patients with high triglyceride and cholesterol levels. The subjects were randomized to receive 7 g/day of inulin or placebo in the morning, during 4 weeks. Oral inulin administration reduced total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, VLDL and trygliceride levels in dyslipidemic and obese subjects, without modifications in the insulin sensitivity.

The increase of fiber intake (3 g of inulin) from an enriched cookie reduced LDL cholesterol levels in obese patients.


Nutr Hosp. 2010; Randomized clinical trial with a inulin enriched cookie on risk cardiovascular factor in obese patients. de Luis DA, de la Fuente B, Izaola O, Conde R, Gutiérrez S, Morillo M. Instituto de Endocrinología y Nutrición, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Valladolid, Simancas, Valladolid,

[moh2010]

Cholesterol and lipids
A series of animal studies demonstrate that inulin -type fructans affect the metabolism of lipids primarily by decreasing triglyceridaemia because of a reduction in the number of plasma VLDL particles. The human data largely confirm the animal experiments. They demonstrate a reduction in trigycerides and a decrease in cholesterol. Inulin appears thus eligible for an enhanced function claim related to normalization of blood lipids.

Effect of oral inulin fiber administration on lipid profile and insulin sensitivity in subjects with obesity and dyslipidemia
Rev Med Chil. 2003
A clinical trial, double blind, randomized with placebo was carried out in 12 obese patients with high triglyceride and cholesterol levels. The subjects were randomized to receive 7 g/day of inulin or placebo in the morning, during 4 weeks. Oral inulin administration reduced total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, VLDL and trygliceride levels in dyslipidemic and obese subjects, without modifications in the insulin sensitivity.

The increase of fiber intake (3 g of inulin) from an enriched cookie reduced LDL cholesterol levels in obese patients.


Nutr Hosp. 2010; Randomized clinical trial with a inulin enriched cookie on risk cardiovascular factor in obese patients. de Luis DA, de la Fuente B, Izaola O, Conde R, Gutiérrez S, Morillo M. Instituto de Endocrinología y Nutrición, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Valladolid, Simancas, Valladolid,

Thanks man. I already have benefiber at home. I starting 10g twice a day and will work my way up. I already eat carbs rich in fibers (Ezekiel, sweet potatoes, beans...)

[Sean Summers]

You need the flush to make it work so just take it when you're not around anyone else.

[Delt King]

Thanks man. I already have benefiber at home. I starting 10g twice a day and will work my way up. I already eat carbs rich in fibers (Ezekiel, sweet potatoes, beans...)

Honestly try 5 grams twice a day to start. then if you're ok with that then increase it to 10 grams twice. the GI distress is the only neg side effect to this stuff.

[Praetorian]

I prefer golden ground flax seed...very easy on the system and you can start with a higher amount...benefibre doesnt do much for me...i find its too irritating.
P

[Delt King]

I prefer golden ground flax seed...very easy on the system and you can start with a higher amount...benefibre doesnt do much for me...i find its too irritating.
P Agreed! going to get some more today.

[cog]

You need the flush to make it work so just take it when you're not around anyone else.

Are we actually talking about the difference between niacin and niacinamide?

[moh2010]

Are we actually talking about the difference between niacin and niacinamide?

Yeah Niacinamide doesn't work for cholesterol. Only Niacin will do the job. But I think I heard that time-released Niacin will work as much. But no or less flush as the tab release the vitamin slowly.

But now Sean told me you need to flush to have results. I'm looking for a solution that I can use for a long time. Fibers seem easier to use for me. Any difference in term of cholesterol reductions with Flax, inulin or Psyllium? Or all you need is insoluble fibers?

[Delt King]

Personally my goal is 10 to 15 grams soluble and 40grams plus of insoluble. Colon cancer runs in my family..(Dad and grandfather) so i am very careful now.

[cog]

Yeah Niacinamide doesn't work for cholesterol. Only Niacin will do the job. But I think I heard that time-released Niacin will work as much. But no or less flush as the tab release the vitamin slowly.

But now Sean told me you need to flush to have results. I'm looking for a solution that I can use for a long time. Fibers seem easier to use for me. Any difference in term of cholesterol reductions with Flax, inulin or Psyllium? Or all you need is insoluble fibers?

I will let the experts answer the fiber question,but for me the niacin flush becomes less noticeable with time.

[moh2010]

I will let the experts answer the fiber question,but for me the niacin flush becomes less noticeable with time.

I used 1.5g of niacin ED(3x500mg/day) and It worked. Cholesterol went down after 6 weeks. I flushed a little bit less, but still very annoying.

[moh2010]

Vitamin C lowers cholesterol levels and that 1,000 mg for four weeks can decrease LDL cholesterol by 16 percent while preventing the free radical oxidation of LDL, another risk factor for heart disease and that high blood levels of vitamin C are associated with increases of desirable HDL cholesterol. Vitamin C prevents microcirculatory changes induced by cholesterol in the smallest blood vessels while lowering blood pressure, decreasing total cholesterol, lowering LDL, raising HDL, allowing blood vessels to relax, controlling free-radical activity and damage while reducing the risk of blood clots.

http://www.vitamincfoundation.org/cardio.html

[Mr Ontario]

Well it can't hurt you. Has a entire host of benefits using this stuff :)


thx man! I already have this at home and had no idea it could it cholesterol!

P, why 10mg of tamox could reduce LDL?

[Praetorian]

Vitamin C lowers cholesterol levels and that 1,000 mg for four weeks can decrease LDL cholesterol by 16 percent while preventing the free radical oxidation of LDL, another risk factor for heart disease and that high blood levels of vitamin C are associated with increases of desirable HDL cholesterol. Vitamin C prevents microcirculatory changes induced by cholesterol in the smallest blood vessels while lowering blood pressure, decreasing total cholesterol, lowering LDL, raising HDL, allowing blood vessels to relax, controlling free-radical activity and damage while reducing the risk of blood clots.

http://www.vitamincfoundation.org/cardio.html

What is your diet like? Sounds like you are not eating enough saturated fat and probably too many carbs.
P

[moh2010]

At the moment, I'm just maintaining. training 3x a week. So calories are not high:

meal 1
4 omega-3 eggs
2 ezekiel bread + real fruit jam
1/2 cup plain greek yogourt
1 cup Orange Juice (not from concentrated)
2 caps of high concentrated fish oil
2 caps of hawtorn berry

meal 2
1 scoop whey
1 cup 1% milk
1 banana
2 tbsp PB
One multi vitamin

Meal 3
7oz chicken/turkey or fish
1 cup brown rice with beans
1 cup veggies
1 tbsp olive oil
1000mg vit C
2 caps of hawthorn berry

Meal4
1 scoop whey
1 cup 1% milk
1 banana
2 tbsp PB

Meal 5
7oz red meat(horse or bison) or salmon/trout
1 cup brown rice with beans
Salad
2 caps of hawthorn berry
2 caps of high concentrated fish oil

Meal 6
2 slices of ezekiel bread
2 tbsp light mayo+can of tuna
400mg of magnesium citrate

That's it

I want to start a bulking phase really soon, so I need to fix my LDL asap. Blood pressure is fixed. I reduced Sodium and added hawthorn berry. I'll be training 4 times a week. 1g test/600mg eq,

[Praetorian]

I would suggest having wild salmon instead of the horse or bison...higher in fats...replace the light mayo with regular mayo, use whole milk not 1% and raw if you can find it, eliminate the OJ not good...have an orange or grapefruit instead, have 5 whole eggs for meal 1 instead of 4.

Remember staurated fat is required for cholesterol and will correct HDL and LDL levels. You NEED cholesterol to be healthy and to function optimally....saturated fats do NOT raise cholesterol levels....SUGAR does...eliminate all white flour and sugar from your diet...lower starchy carbs...in fact if maintaining you dont need ANY pasta, rice, bread, etc...stick to beans, veggies, fruits, nuts etc...just add more fat for calories and dont try to eat all essential fats keep saturated in your diet.
P

PS there is more than 1 kind of LDL...it is not all bad

Find and watch the documentary "Fathead" it will change your life!

[moh2010]

I would suggest having wild salmon instead of the horse or bison...higher in fats...replace the light mayo with regular mayo, use whole milk not 1% and raw if you can find it, eliminate the OJ not good...have an orange or grapefruit instead, have 5 whole eggs for meal 1 instead of 4.

Remember staurated fat is required for cholesterol and will correct HDL and LDL levels. You NEED cholesterol to be healthy and to function optimally....saturated fats do NOT raise cholesterol levels....SUGAR does...eliminate all white flour and sugar from your diet...lower starchy carbs...in fact if maintaining you dont need ANY pasta, rice, bread, etc...stick to beans, veggies, fruits, nuts etc...just add more fat for calories and dont try to eat all essential fats keep saturated in your diet.
P

PS there is more than 1 kind of LDL...it is not all bad

Find and watch the documentary "Fathead" it will change your life!

Thanks man. I appreciated it. I'm starting my diet tomorrow morning. I frontloaded test and EQ since 10 days. I'm ready to train hard. Back tomorrow =Heavy deadlifts!!

What's better? 10mg of dbol 3 times a day or 25mg of drol twice a day? I have some leftovers and looking for a little boost before test decanoate and eq kick in... Just for 3-4weeks. What do you think?

[Praetorian]

I dont like orals period...they kill appetite and are too toxic on the body...but if you are going to use up what you have left then use them at week five of the cycle when test is fully kickin...the synergistic effect i smuch more pronounced...i would prefer the drol over the dbol...but either will work fine.
P

[scumbag]

I just had my physical a couple weeks ago and I came out with the same situation. High cholesterol, minus the high blood pressure. So my doctor put me on 40mgs of Lipitor a day and a 1400 cal/day diet. I was gonna ask the same question but this thread already answered it.
I am highly suspect of my doctor cause when I stared asking questions in regards to diet and natural supplements, he was quick to show me the door. I have to go back in 3 weeks for some blood work to see if the drug is working. Thanks for the info.

[moh2010]

I just had my physical a couple weeks ago and I came out with the same situation. High cholesterol, minus the high blood pressure. So my doctor put me on 40mgs of Lipitor a day and a 1400 cal/day diet. I was gonna ask the same question but this thread already answered it.
I am highly suspect of my doctor cause when I stared asking questions in regards to diet and natural supplements, he was quick to show me the door. I have to go back in 3 weeks for some blood work to see if the drug is working. Thanks for the info.

I hope you are not eating 1400calories lol.

Listen to this movie starting at 54min

http://ganjavideo.com/fat-head-2009_11336.html

[Prisoner#22]

geez. am I was wondering when somebody was going to metion Lipitor. Forget all this diet crap. lets be honest, who follows such a strict regimen at all times? gimme a break. If you have high cholestoral, and have a family history of it, you should seriously be on lipitor or crestor. Actually if you are on a long cycle, adding Lipitor in as an extra ancillary is a really, really good idea!

[cog]

I just had my physical a couple weeks ago and I came out with the same situation. High cholesterol, minus the high blood pressure. So my doctor put me on 40mgs of Lipitor a day and a 1400 cal/day diet. I was gonna ask the same question but this thread already answered it.
I am highly suspect of my doctor cause when I stared asking questions in regards to diet and natural supplements, he was quick to show me the door. I have to go back in 3 weeks for some blood work to see if the drug is working. Thanks for the info.

Prescribing niacin doesn't make any drug companies money.Anybody have recent studies on niacin?

[Praetorian]

geez. am I was wondering when somebody was going to metion Lipitor. Forget all this diet crap. lets be honest, who follows such a strict regimen at all times? gimme a break. If you have high cholestoral, and have a family history of it, you should seriously be on lipitor or crestor. Actually if you are on a long cycle, adding Lipitor in as an extra ancillary is a really, really good idea!

Treating the symptom with a pharmaceutical does not eliminate the root cause...this is the basic problem that has plagued western medicine for many years...their solution to everything is take a pill...why worry about prevention. For every study that shows those high cholesterol get heart disease there is one that shows those with low cholesterol also get heart disease...there is no correlation...google lipid hypothesis.
P

Ssome interesting thoughts...below is the link...

By Michael R Eades M.D.

The lipid hypothesis of heart disease is, as Dickens wrote of Scrooge’s partner, Jacob Marley, dead as a doornail, yet, like Marley’s ghost, it continues to haunt us. Why? Because the idea that cholesterol causes heart disease–the lipid hypothesis–has been so frequently repeated for so many years that doctors have forgotten that it is only a hypothesis, not a fact.

In simplistic terms the lipid hypothesis is as follows:
a) cholesterol and/or fat in the diet leads to cholesterol and/or fat in the blood;
b) cholesterol and/or fat in the blood causes plaque formation in the arteries and, consequently, heart disease; and, therefore
c) cholesterol and/or fat in the diet causes heart disease.

Sounds simple enough, but problem is there is no hard science behind it. There is a bit of weak, but not fully convincing science that purports to prove a. Less science yet that proves b. Yet we’re all to believe a leads to b and, therefore, causes c.


One scientifically verified fact disproves the whole lot: only about half the people who have heart attacks have elevated cholesterol levels.

Let’s look at the above statement, which is absolutely true, in view of how we determine the causes of other diseases. We know that the measles virus causes measles–there is no doubt about it. Doctors can find the evidence of measles virus infection in anyone who has measles; and there is no instance that I’m aware of in which an individual is teeming with the measles virus, yet doesn’t ultimately manifest the symptoms of measles.

If half the time that people were diagnosed with measles they were found to have no evidence of the measles virus, and half the time they were swarming with an infection of measles virus yet never developed measles, would we still say that the measles virus caused measles? I don’t think so. Infectious disease specialists starting with Dr. Koch, the German physician who derived the eponymous postulates that define an infective disease back in the nineteenth century, have specific criteria to determine whether a specific bacteria or virus causes a specific disease.

Not so with those wedded to the lipid hypothesis as is apparent from an article from the Science section of last Tuesday’s New York Times.

The gist of the article is thus: a 51 year old male has had cholesterol levels that have hovered at around 300 mg/dl for the past couple of decades. A physician had persuaded this man to take Lipitor (a “statin”? drug) in the past, but he had experienced side effects and stopped it. Since that time all his physicians had been after him to go on some kind of “statin”? drug to get his cholesterol down. In his latest blood test, his cholesterol levels zoomed up to 380 mg/dl, so he finally agreed to go on a “statin”? if his doctor could give him some kind of objective evidence that his “arteries were actually clogging.”? His physician sent him for an Ultrafast CT scan of the heart, an X-ray type of test that can actually see the coronary arteries and determine the degree of calcification in those arteries. The more calcification, the worse the disease. After the radiologist examined the scan he declared the guy free of coronary arteries disease with his arteries clean as a whistle. (You can see pictures of his scan in the article along with pictures of diseases arteries.)

You would think that his clean arteries would have his physicians saying something along the lines of, “Well, you’re one of the lucky ones, so we’ll just watch and maybe re-evaluate a little later on.”?

Right?

Nope.

His doctor said:

“I still want you on a statin. And Burt [the radiologist] agrees. You got lucky. But you still shouldn’t walk around with those numbers.”

Remember, doctors are supposed to treat diseases not numbers. Pharmaceutical companies have succeeded in persuading most physicians that the lipid hypothesis is a fact, and that numbers should be treated. If Lipitor and other “statin”? drugs were innocuous, this zeal to treat numbers would just be an expensive chimera. But these drugs are far from innocuous. Take a look at the book Lipitor, Thief of Memory: Statin Drugs and the Misguided War on Cholesterol by Duane Graveline, M.D.

Not only can Lipitor steal your memory, it can do in your liver and cause a lot of other problems as well. Side effects of drugs are tolerable when the drug in question treats a disease, but elevated numbers are not a disease. Beware.

http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/uncategorized/the-lipid-hypothesis/

[cog]

Looks like this subject matter needs a lot more investigation.

[scumbag]

I know that the doctor jumped the gun with the lipitor, but I do have family history of high cholesterol. I am doing my part by really watching my diet and researching more natural ways to manage this. It is the fact that I like working out that gives me hell cause I gotta substitute good wholesome red meat with a lot of fish and veal. I get get great results from beef and its a shame I cant eat it as often as I like.

[scumbag]

I will fo sho read up more on this topic. This forum gives me greater insight then anything else. Thanks for the info P.
Treating the symptom with a pharmaceutical does not eliminate the root cause...this is the basic problem that has plagued western medicine for many years...their solution to everything is take a pill...why worry about prevention. For every study that shows those high cholesterol get heart disease there is one that shows those with low cholesterol also get heart disease...there is no correlation...google lipid hypothesis.
P

Ssome interesting thoughts...below is the link...

By Michael R Eades M.D.

The lipid hypothesis of heart disease is, as Dickens wrote of Scrooge’s partner, Jacob Marley, dead as a doornail, yet, like Marley’s ghost, it continues to haunt us. Why? Because the idea that cholesterol causes heart disease–the lipid hypothesis–has been so frequently repeated for so many years that doctors have forgotten that it is only a hypothesis, not a fact.

In simplistic terms the lipid hypothesis is as follows:
a) cholesterol and/or fat in the diet leads to cholesterol and/or fat in the blood;
b) cholesterol and/or fat in the blood causes plaque formation in the arteries and, consequently, heart disease; and, therefore
c) cholesterol and/or fat in the diet causes heart disease.

Sounds simple enough, but problem is there is no hard science behind it. There is a bit of weak, but not fully convincing science that purports to prove a. Less science yet that proves b. Yet we’re all to believe a leads to b and, therefore, causes c.


One scientifically verified fact disproves the whole lot: only about half the people who have heart attacks have elevated cholesterol levels.

Let’s look at the above statement, which is absolutely true, in view of how we determine the causes of other diseases. We know that the measles virus causes measles–there is no doubt about it. Doctors can find the evidence of measles virus infection in anyone who has measles; and there is no instance that I’m aware of in which an individual is teeming with the measles virus, yet doesn’t ultimately manifest the symptoms of measles.

If half the time that people were diagnosed with measles they were found to have no evidence of the measles virus, and half the time they were swarming with an infection of measles virus yet never developed measles, would we still say that the measles virus caused measles? I don’t think so. Infectious disease specialists starting with Dr. Koch, the German physician who derived the eponymous postulates that define an infective disease back in the nineteenth century, have specific criteria to determine whether a specific bacteria or virus causes a specific disease.

Not so with those wedded to the lipid hypothesis as is apparent from an article from the Science section of last Tuesday’s New York Times.

The gist of the article is thus: a 51 year old male has had cholesterol levels that have hovered at around 300 mg/dl for the past couple of decades. A physician had persuaded this man to take Lipitor (a “statin”? drug) in the past, but he had experienced side effects and stopped it. Since that time all his physicians had been after him to go on some kind of “statin”? drug to get his cholesterol down. In his latest blood test, his cholesterol levels zoomed up to 380 mg/dl, so he finally agreed to go on a “statin”? if his doctor could give him some kind of objective evidence that his “arteries were actually clogging.”? His physician sent him for an Ultrafast CT scan of the heart, an X-ray type of test that can actually see the coronary arteries and determine the degree of calcification in those arteries. The more calcification, the worse the disease. After the radiologist examined the scan he declared the guy free of coronary arteries disease with his arteries clean as a whistle. (You can see pictures of his scan in the article along with pictures of diseases arteries.)

You would think that his clean arteries would have his physicians saying something along the lines of, “Well, you’re one of the lucky ones, so we’ll just watch and maybe re-evaluate a little later on.”?

Right?

Nope.

His doctor said:

“I still want you on a statin. And Burt [the radiologist] agrees. You got lucky. But you still shouldn’t walk around with those numbers.”

Remember, doctors are supposed to treat diseases not numbers. Pharmaceutical companies have succeeded in persuading most physicians that the lipid hypothesis is a fact, and that numbers should be treated. If Lipitor and other “statin”? drugs were innocuous, this zeal to treat numbers would just be an expensive chimera. But these drugs are far from innocuous. Take a look at the book Lipitor, Thief of Memory: Statin Drugs and the Misguided War on Cholesterol by Duane Graveline, M.D.

Not only can Lipitor steal your memory, it can do in your liver and cause a lot of other problems as well. Side effects of drugs are tolerable when the drug in question treats a disease, but elevated numbers are not a disease. Beware.

http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/uncategorized/the-lipid-hypothesis/

[Prisoner#22]

Treating the symptom with a pharmaceutical does not eliminate the root cause...this is the basic problem that has plagued western medicine for many years...their solution to everything is take a pill...why worry about prevention. For every study that shows those high cholesterol get heart disease there is one that shows those with low cholesterol also get heart disease...there is no correlation...google lipid hypothesis.
P

[/url]

Thanks, but I'm not interested in reading some quotes from a quack Doctor. Im now working in cardiology and I'll tell you Lipitor is the standard of care period. Not only does it lower cholesterol, it lowers inflamation in the arteries affected. Its one of the top 5 break-throughs in the treatment of CAD today!!!

Instead of recomending Tamoxafin to people all the time as a way to control cholesterol while on cycle, why not Lipitor? If it really was as bad as you say it is, it would have been taken off the market by now.

[Praetorian]

Thanks, but I'm not interested in reading some quotes from a quack Doctor. Im now working in cardiology and I'll tell you Lipitor is the standard of care period. Not only does it lower cholesterol, it lowers inflamation in the arteries affected. Its one of the top 5 break-throughs in the treatment of CAD today!!!

Instead of recomending Tamoxafin to people all the time as a way to control cholesterol while on cycle, why not Lipitor? If it really was as bad as you say it is, it would have been taken off the market by now.


There are many pharmaceuticals on the market with nasty side effects...lipitor is just one of many...not saying it is the worst by far it is not but it is illogical to believe that big pharma will remove anything off the market due to negative sides when it is going to mean billions...simply look at anti depressant drugs that have been the rage in the last few years. It is not simply one Dr exposing the myth of the lipid hypothesis it is many and ignoring the facts because thats what we have been told for decades isnt logical. Tamoxifen is used to keep HDL up on a cycle not to control LDL...it is what many GP's working with athletes on aas prescribe...it wasnt my original idea...i was just reiterating what they have been doing for some time. It is the same reason many choose to avoid arimidex because it drives HDL down.The problem with Lipitor and many pharmaceuticals is that they do not address the root cause of the problem...they alleviate symptoms...again this goes back the same issue of reaction instead of prevention. Its funny how the Drs that support the lipid hypothesis are brilliant but the ones that dont are quacks when they still cannot show any supporting evidence.
P

[Praetorian]

Something interesting when it comes to medical studies...observational vs clinical??


http://www.youtube.com/user/FatHeadMovie#p/a/u/0/y1RXvBveht0

What if bad fat was actually good for you?

http://www.menshealth.com/health/saturated-fat

P

[moh2010]

Something interesting when it comes to medical studies...observational vs clinical??


http://www.youtube.com/user/FatHeadMovie#p/a/u/0/y1RXvBveht0

What if bad fat was actually good for you?

http://www.menshealth.com/health/saturated-fat

P

I removed all grains from my diet. I feel much better. Sweet/red potatoes, rice and beans are my carbs choices...


Ben Pakulski think the same way. He's having carbs pre, during and post workout only. The rest of the day, he have proteins, fats and traces of carbs. He have a refeed day and a cheat meal in the middle of the week. Interesting... Do you think it's a good plan to gain muscles and decrease inflammation?

[Praetorian]

Definitely...Ben works with Charles Poliquin who believes you do not need many carbs to build muscle.
P

[Vitamin S]

p doesn't grains and wheat products only cause inflammation in people who are gluten allergic like celieac disease? and even if it does wont the healthy fats allow that to be balanced out by reducing the inflamation allowing one to have more carb choices and increasing fiber thru foods rahter than supplemnts?

[Praetorian]

Gluten is only one issue inflammation is cause by higher sugar levels in the blood...completely separate issues...omega 3's wont alleviate this...nor will fibre. Limiting carbs to what is necessary and not over eating them as well as picking specific non allergenic ones is a better way of doing things. We really dont need grains whole or not in our diet.
P

[Vitamin S]

p,

assuming one does just that how would they get their fiber then. i think fiber should be from whole foods, we really shouldn't need to take fiber in a pill form? how did they do it in the olden days, can u get your daily intake of fiber if u eliminate grains and wheat?

[#8]

psyllium fibre husks are an excellent source of fibre, and its fairly cheap at bulk barn. also has been proven to lower LDL not to mention give you epic poos if you load it up for the first few days.

[Delt King]

psyllium fibre husks are an excellent source of fibre, and its fairly cheap at bulk barn. also has been proven to lower LDL not to mention give you epic poos if you load it up for the first few days.

I also use psyllium husk but combine it with ground flax seed.

[moh2010]

I also use psyllium husk but combine it with ground flax seed.

I started using ground flax seed instead of benefiber. 1kg is 7$ at walmart. I'm taking 90g everyday (3x30g). 30g of flax=10g of fibers. Is it normal to have lots of flax traces in my stools? Just wondering if my body process it properly...

[Delt King]

I started using ground flax seed instead of benefiber. 1kg is 7$ at walmart. I'm taking 90g everyday (3x30g). 30g of flax=10g of fibers. Is it normal to have lots of flax traces in my stools? Just wondering if my body process it properly...

Yes it s normal because it doesn't get processed in your body. It creates bulk and pulls all the crap out of you so to speak.

[moh2010]

Yes it s normal because it doesn't get processed in your body. It creates bulk and pulls all the crap out of you so to speak.

great. thanks!

[Praetorian]

I also use psyllium husk but combine it with ground flax seed.

Same here works great...you also get plenty of fibre from fruit and veggies.
P

[Vitamin S]

http://www.nutracleanse.biz/

what do u think about this product, the ingredients are on the bottom right of the page?

[Thorgrim]

Thanks, but I'm not interested in reading some quotes from a quack Doctor. Im now working in cardiology and I'll tell you Lipitor is the standard of care period. Not only does it lower cholesterol, it lowers inflamation in the arteries affected. Its one of the top 5 break-throughs in the treatment of CAD today!!!


Using Lipitor to control high cholesterol is like stopping everyday at the gas station to fill a leaky tire. You aren't solving the problem.

Plus I'm not even convinced that high cholesterol is a problem unless it is in the presence of high inflammation as well.

[Praetorian]

http://www.nutracleanse.biz/

what do u think about this product, the ingredients are on the bottom right of the page?

Unnecessary if you are eating well and getting plenty of fibre.
P

Cleanses are the latest fad for the hollywood crowd to lose weight in a short period....unfortunately its just water and waste.

[Prisoner#22]

With the benifits of Lipitor, we really should all be on it. Only a small percentage of the population has liver issues, and for most users, muscle aches are not an issue. Its simply that good of a drug. I'm sure it would have prevented some of the deaths weve had in the bodybuilding comunity as of late, if it was more widely in use. It is very cardiovascularly protective.

[cog]

With the benifits of Lipitor, we really should all be on it. Only a small percentage of the population has liver issues, and for most users, muscle aches are not an issue. Its simply that good of a drug. I'm sure it would have prevented some of the deaths weve had in the bodybuilding comunity as of late, if it was more widely in use. It is very cardiovascularly protective.

What other possible side effects appear to be possible in healthy subjects?

[Thorgrim]

With the benifits of Lipitor, we really should all be on it. Only a small percentage of the population has liver issues, and for most users, muscle aches are not an issue. Its simply that good of a drug. I'm sure it would have prevented some of the deaths weve had in the bodybuilding comunity as of late, if it was more widely in use. It is very cardiovascularly protective.

So what are they putting in the cool-aid they give you at medical school these days?

[natenator]

So what are they putting in the cool-aid they give you at medical school these days?

He's a nurse, not a med student but have anymore ignorant comments for us today?

[moh2010]

Hey! Quick update!

I added more saturated fat in my diet. Butter from grass fed cow, coconut oil and 30g of fiber from flax meal. I feel so much better. I'm on cycle right now (30mg of dbol, 1g of test and 600mg of EQ). Usually when I'm on, my blood pressure is around 160. It's a 135! Thanks for hawthorn berry. I'm taking it since 2-3months and my blood pressure is normal since then.

I did not reduce carbs. I'm still eating 50g of proteins, 25-30g of fats and 45-50g of carbs in every meals. I just removed all grains (ezekiel, oatmeal, cereals...). Sweet potatoes, fruits and rice only

[Praetorian]

Hey! Quick update!

I added more saturated fat in my diet. Butter from grass fed cow, coconut oil and 30g of fiber from flax meal. I feel so much better. I'm on cycle right now (30mg of dbol, 1g of test and 600mg of EQ). Usually when I'm on, my blood pressure is around 160. It's a 135! Thanks for hawthorn berry. I'm taking it since 2-3months and my blood pressure is normal since then.

I did not reduce carbs. I'm still eating 50g of proteins, 25-30g of fats and 45-50g of carbs in every meals. I just removed all grains (ezekiel, oatmeal, cereals...). Sweet potatoes, fruits and rice only

That is still quite a few carbs...i would suggest dropping the rice...try to hit 30g carbs each meal.
P

[cog]

A question for Prae.Do you feel reducing his carbs would lower his BP further?

[Prisoner#22]

Using Lipitor to control high cholesterol is like stopping everyday at the gas station to fill a leaky tire. You aren't solving the problem.

Plus I'm not even convinced that high cholesterol is a problem unless it is in the presence of high inflammation as well.

You will have inflamation period. Plaques are laid down in the arteries, and cause inflamation. Thats what they do. Think of what happens when you have an in-grown hair. A foreign toxic substance that causes inflamation. Thats what plague formation causes. Some plaques are more unstable than others. When a plaque finally does lesion thats when serious problems occur.

Lipitor not only reduces plaque formation, it reduces the inflamation in the lining of the vessels effected.

enough said.

You can take all the crap you can think of but Lipitor is the gold standard.

Yes, Lipitor is prescribed, along side teaching of healthy diet, exercise, stress, and smoking cessation. It's not a magic pill but in comparison to all the other stuff, the specialists in the field agree Lipitor is by far and away the most effective, and is the standard of care.

[Delt King]

You will have inflamation period. Plaques are laid down in the arteries, and cause inflamation. Thats what they do. Think of what happens when you have an in-grown hair. A foreign toxic substance that causes inflamation. Thats what plague formation causes. Some plaques are more unstable than others. When a plaque finally does lesion thats when serious problems occur.

Lipitor not only reduces plaque formation, it reduces the inflamation in the lining of the vessels effected.

enough said.

You can take all the crap you can think of but Lipitor is the gold standard.

Yes, Lipitor is prescribed, along side teaching of healthy diet, exercise, stress, and smoking cessation. It's not a magic pill but in comparison to all the other stuff, the specialists in the field agree Lipitor is by far and away the most effective, and is the standard of care.

And that's been the standard lipid theory view.
Now the argument arises because many (including me) believe that high ldl Cholesterol isn t an issue unless it's in the presence of inflammation and Plaque is directly related to inflammation which is caused by food choices such as (wheat) and insulin sensitivity. The idea is then control inflammation not take something to lower it afterwards.

[Thorgrim]

You will have inflamation period. Plaques are laid down in the arteries, and cause inflamation. Thats what they do. Think of what happens when you have an in-grown hair. A foreign toxic substance that causes inflamation. Thats what plague formation causes. Some plaques are more unstable than others. When a plaque finally does lesion thats when serious problems occur.

Lipitor not only reduces plaque formation, it reduces the inflamation in the lining of the vessels effected.

enough said.

You can take all the crap you can think of but Lipitor is the gold standard.

Yes, Lipitor is prescribed, along side teaching of healthy diet, exercise, stress, and smoking cessation. It's not a magic pill but in comparison to all the other stuff, the specialists in the field agree Lipitor is by far and away the most effective, and is the standard of care.

I don't take any crap for cholesterol. I don't even worry about it. I just eat a diet that does not cause high levels of inflammation in the body. The body makes the amount of cholesterol it needs to function properly.

I also believe that the side effects of statin drugs are understated by the companies that make them. Of course it would be in their best interests to do so. They are in the business of selling a product to make money.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090223221430.htm

Yeon-Kyun Shin, a biophysics professor in the department of biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology, says the results of his study show that drugs that inhibit the liver from making cholesterol may also keep the brain from making cholesterol, which is vital to efficient brain function.

http://www.discount-vitamins-herbs.net/statin_side-effects.htm

n his 2002 petition to the FDA to mandate a warning be included in the package inserts of all statin drugs, Dr. Whitaker recommended the following text: "Warning: HMG CoA reductase inhibitors (statin drugs) block the endogenous biosynthesis of an essential cofactor, coenzyme Q10, required for energy production. A deficiency of coenzyme Q10 is associated with impairment of myocardial function, with liver dysfunction and with myopathies (including cardiomyopathy and congestive heart failure). All patients taking HMG CoA reductase inhibitors should therefore be advised to take 100 to 200 mg per day of supplemental coenzyme Q10."8

Don't discount this last source of information just because it is from a website that is selling vitamins. The article is well researched including text from the patents the drug companies filed themselves and if you can't believe what the patents say then you can't believe anything else the drug companies say about the safety or effectiveness of their products.


Patent #4,929,437, also filed by Merck & Co describes the benefit of CoenzymeQ10 supplementation in the prevention of liver disease.

“In its application to the counteraction of liver damage (caused by statin drugs) and, in particular, elevated transaminase levels, the present invention (CoenzymeQ10 supplementation in combination with the statin drug) is accordingly to be understood as providing for the avoidance of liver damage and elevated transaminase levels where this may otherwise occur as well as the amelioration of said damage and elevated transaminase. The term counteracting is accordingly to be understood as connecting both a precautionary or prophylactic as well as curative or treatmental function.”

So lipitor could cause brain impairment (which at a basic level makes sense since the brain contains large quantities of cholesterol and has the ability to manufacture cholesterol). Plus it could cause heart failure (instead of heart attack)and liver damage due to decreased cellular energy production in the heart and liver. That is what the muscle cramping in some people is from.

I think I will stay away from Lipitor and other statin drugs.

[Praetorian]

And that's been the standard lipid theory view.
Now the argument arises because many (including me) believe that high ldl Cholesterol isn t an issue unless it's in the presence of inflammation and Plaque is directly related to inflammation which is caused by food choices such as (wheat) and insulin sensitivity. The idea is then control inflammation not take something to lower it afterwards.

Agreed!
P

[#8]

That science for smart people vid showed lipitor making a difference in 3 men out of 100 over 10 years. Significant findings? Hardly.

[Praetorian]

A question for Prae.Do you feel reducing his carbs would lower his BP further?

If they are causing excessive water retention then yes.
P

[Praetorian]

Here is a great article...
P


The Mountain Dog Diet - A healthier way to getting lean or add muscle...or both!


Several months ago I sat in front of a nurse at my place of work after she received my report on my cholesterol, triglyceride levels, and blood pressure. I work at a Bank, and it's pretty cool that they offer free cholesterol screening and all kinds of other nice benefits. Anyways, she looked very puzzled. She was comparing my results from 2 years prior, to my most recent results. She finally blurted out "what did you do to improve this profile so much." My answer nearly floored her.

Well Nancy, I started:
1. Cooking in virgin coconut oil, and grass-fed butter
2. I also switched out all the store bought grain fed beef I was consuming with grass fed beef I procure from a local farmer. I eat 8oz every single day.
3. I switched out my $.99 a dozen eggs with true organic free range eggs, and eat 6 of these whole every single day.
4. Lastly (and probably most importantly), I reduced refined sugars in my diet and foods that contain excessive levels of Omega 6 Polyunsaturated fats (bye bye Tostitos - dang corn oil), as I believe those things create arterial inflammation resulting in increased cholesterol levels (cholesterol is an anti-oxidant and repair agent in your body).

I knew what her next question would be, "but isn't all that saturated fat bad?" I said well you tell me, my cholesterol went from 212 down to 167. My HDL went up 11 points (something I struggled with for years), and my LDL and Triglyceride levels were at the bottom end of the range. Even my blood pressure was a startling 104/70. She finally asked if I had any reading material I recommended, as these concepts were not taught to her in her days of studying health and nutrition.

So why do I mention that story. Well the diet that I recommend usually freaks people out initially, but it's rooted in sound science and facts, and not influenced by flawed studies funded by companies with ulterior motives. Most people have always heard and believe in the "Lipid Hypothesis." This is the outdated theory that saturated fat and cholesterol intake increases cholesterol levels in the blood, which increase your chance of heart disease. This theory is simply not true, as long as the saturates are of a certain type, and the cholesterol is not oxidized. You have to accept that to fully embrace the Mountain Dog diet.

Continued from Newsletter

I have formulated this diet based on a few things.
1. Mentorship with Dr Eric Serrano. Eric is revered in the athletic community as a top expert in training, nutrition, rehabilitation, and many other things. Eric has been a big influence on me, and a great mentor.

2. The teachings of the Weston A Price Foundation. A fantastic resource for correct nutritional information can be found at the Weston A Price foundation's website www.westonaprice.org. It's a non-profit organization with no hidden agendas, and one of the most brilliant Lipid Experts in the country, Mary Enig, has written numerous articles we could all benefit from on it. If you go to this website and spend a few hours on it, you will thank me for recommending it. I will be referencing this site many times over in this article.

3. Personal experience. I have competed in 30 bodybuilding contests (that I remember), won 13 of them, and placed in 6 of 9 pro qualifying national level events. Experience is a great teacher, and you have to know when to make adjustments in diets, and what to do, for the best results. As solid as the Mountain Dog diet is, it can still only take you to a certain point. Only experience can get you past that.

What is so different about this diet compared to standard fat reduction and competitive bodybuilding diets in general? Number one, this diet will improve your health. You may find that your cholesterol levels improve, your joints feel better, your skin looks better, you don't feel as lethargic, or many many other nice side effects that go along with eating this way. You will see and become a believer. Will this diet enable you to gain 20 lbs of muscle you otherwise wouldn't have been able to gain, clearly no, but the increased focus on fat soluble vitamins will help with gains through better endocrine function. Remember, the theme here is health, and making better choices regardless of whether you are trying to gain muscle or lose fat.

The approach itself is a nutrient driven approach, which emphasizes the following key concepts:
1. The best food comes from animals that have been fed their natural diet
2. Correct ratio of fats with a special emphasis on saturated fats
3. Fat soluble vitamins and their role in endocrine function
4. Keeping your liver healthy
5. Supplements to manage glucose disposal

There are actually MANY other key concepts such as carb intake/sources and rotations, veggie and fruit consumption, how to incorporate cardio, what spices and condiments can do for your metabolism, etc. but for the sake of this conversation I am limiting it to these 5.

Many of the foods and practices I recommend are in fact not new. Many years ago they were used by some of the more popular bodybuilders, but in today's world of bodybuilding, the ideas are long forgotten. I highly recommend a book called "Muscle, Smoke and Mirrors" by Randy Roach. He dives deeply into the diets of some of the legends like Armand Tanny, Vince Gironda, John Grimek, and Tony Sansone. You will see some similarities with what they ate, and what I am recommending, such as raw milk, liver, and copious amounts of whole eggs.

For the purposes of this article I am going to cover the approach at a high level, to introduce you to all the concepts, rather than only focusing on a few of them.

#1 The best food comes from animals that have been fed their natural diet

Remember the old saying you are what you eat? It's not true! You are what you eat has eaten!!! Here is a sample of a few of the mainstays in this diet and a little about why.
Grass Fed Beef - This type of beef is from cows that have been fed their normal diet consisting of grass. The only exception would be in winter where hay, root vegetables, and silage are ok. Cows are termed ruminant animals, and have a really cool chamber in their stomach called a Rumen. Think of it as a big fermentation vat. This chamber is one of 4 chambers in the stomach, that turns grass into high quality protein, and ensures a great Omega 3 to 6 ratio. This is all dependent on the PH of the rumen.

I cannot recommend "normal" store bought grain fed beef as these cows have been fed grain, and grain feeding depletes all of the things in the fat that make it healthy and magical - namely a perfect balance of Omega 3 to Omega 6 fats, and CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid). The unhealthy Omega 3 to 6 ratio that is heavily skewed toward Omega 6 is very inflammatory to your body, and is thought to increase chances of heart disease and overall bodily inflammation. The PH of the rumen is heavily affected by grain, greatly increasing acidity, thus completely throwing off Omega 3, CLA, and other levels.

In case you are wondering what exactly happens to the cow fed their unnatural diet, eatwild.com states "when fed an unnatural diet of grain, acidosis can result and lead to a condition called "rumenitis," which is an inflammation of the wall of the rumen. Rumenitis then leads to liver abscesses as the rumen wall becomes ulcerated, bacteria are able to pass through the walls and enter the bloodstream. Ultimately, the bacteria are transported to the liver where they cause abscesses. From 15 to 30 percent of feedlot cattle have liver abscesses, hence the need for antibiotics and such." Not pretty.

Going back to Omega-3s, they are most abundant in seafood, but they are also found in animals raised on pasture, usually there is anywhere from 2-6 times more Omega 3's in grass fed meats. The reason is simple. Omega-3s are formed in the chloroplasts of green leaves and algae. It's interesting to me that sixty percent of the fatty acids in grass are actually omega-3s. Some of the more hard-core farmers I have spent time and talked to believe in basically eating nothing but grass fed beef and vegetables due to the fact that you can source all your nutrients from the chloroplast in the leaf. For ultimate longevity, maybe they are right??

I have been asked about cows that have been "finished" on grain. When cattle are taken off omega-3 rich grass and shipped to a feedlot to be fattened on omega-3 poor grain, they begin losing their store of this beneficial fat as one would suspect. Each day that an animal spends in the feedlot, its supply of omega-3 is diminished. There are some great graphical representations and more detailed info on this process on the very informative website eatwild.com that I referenced above.

This food is the number #1 component of the diet, and doesn't come out at all, even pre-contest.
If you want a great source go to the US Wellness Meat website at grasslandbeef.com

Free Range Eggs - Chickens that have been free to roam around, and feast on their natural diet of bugs, insects, and grass lay the highest quality eggs. I am a staunch believer in natural sources of fat soluble vitamins and you will get 4-6 times more Vitamin D from a free range egg, as the hens get more sunlight. You also get 3 times more Vitamin E. In addition, free range eggs give you twice the Omega 3's (although I have seen as much as 20 times more Omega 3), and 7 times more beta carotene. This data was a result of the 2007 Mother Earth News egg testing project. You can read more about this at motherearthnews.com There are many many more benefits to free range eggs, as this is only a few. As with the grass fed beef, whole free range eggs never come out of your diet, even pre-contest for those looking to reach the absolute lowest levels of bodyfat.

Wild Caught Salmon - Perhaps no food is better at supplying healthy Omega 3s then wild caught salmon. These salmon have been fed their natural diet of tiny shrimp like creatures called Krill, which not only gives them their lovely reddish orange color, it also gives them the big dose of Omega 3 that we all desire. Be careful when you are shopping to not pick up "Farm-Raised" Salmon. These Salmon have been enclosed in pens and fed a very unnatural diet of corn meal, soy, and even chicken feces pellets. They aren't even orange until artificial dyes and colors are added, they are grey.

There are several different types of wild caught Alaskan salmon for you to choose from. Sockeye Salmon, Chinook/King Salmon, and other varieties, plus you can get the Sockeye or Pink Salmon canned. These are all good, as long as they are wild-caught. You will get around 2.5 - 3 grams of Omega 3 per 7oz.

Raw Grass Fed Dairy - The same things that applied to grass fed beef, applies to grass fed dairy. You get more CLA, and Omega 3s. The Journal of Dairy Science did a study in 1999 on CLA in grass fed dairy, and found that it contains 500% more CLA then cows fed grain.
Although this selection comes out the final 16 weeks before a contest (my only exception is 1 tbsp of Grass-Fed butter daily), it's an absolutely great way to add lean muscle in the off-season. I really don't like to take it out pre-contest, but I do because experience has taught me dairy does seem to cause most to hold a layer of water under their skin, which isn't optimal for physique display. The ironic thing is that this is a good result of your skin being healthier! Also notice I said RAW in addition to grass-fed. The nutritional value milk plummets due to pasteurization (Vitamin A is completely destroyed), and the proteins become more difficult to digest often creating strong immune system responses and allergies. The Weston A Price Foundation has a sister website called realmilk.com that is excellent in explaining the benefits of raw milk.

I do want to point out that I do not support consumption of pasteurized dairy you find in most stores at any time, and also that dairy is not necessary, or required. You will get plenty of Omega 3's from your Salmon, Vitamin D from your eggs, Vitamin A from Beef and some occasional Liver especially, and calcium and minerals from green leafy veggies. I wrestled around with this one for a while, but after having tried raw milk myself for an extended period of time, and seeing what it has done for many others in terms of their well-being, and lean muscle gains,. I think I would be remiss not adding this. The truth is that I look at raw milk as a very good supplement!


#2 Correct balance of fats with a special emphasis on Saturated Fats

Most diets in the bodybuilding world, even those that are termed "high-fat", do not advise the use of saturated fats outside of what normally occurs in the peanut butter, nuts, avocadoes, etc that are typically recommended. I think this is a mistake. Saturated fats play an enormous role our in our health and well being. Here are just a few of many reasons to NOT avoid saturated fat:

Saturated fats make up 50% of our cell membranes! They give cells the correct amount of rigidity to allow "messages" in and out.
Saturates allow the body to use and retain Omega 3's better!
They make our immune systems better (see butter and coconut oil!)
A few specific types of saturates are the best food for the heart. The fat around the heart is highly saturated.
So what are the best sources for saturated fats in the Mountain Dog Diet?

1) Animal fats - Grass fed ground beef contains not only the correct ration of Omega 3 to Omega 6 ( 1 to 1 or close to it), and CLA, it has the saturated fat you need. Grass fed beef tends to have about 1/2 the saturated fat that grain-fed beef has. Leaner cuts like sirloin are ok, but remember, the magic is in the fat. That doesn't mean you should eat all Ribeyes, just not to fear the fat, and there will be less of it in grass fed. It helps with fat soluble vitamin uptake (which we will get into later in this article). There is a fantastic book called Nutrition and Physical Degeneration written by Dr Weston A Price that talks in detail about the dietary habits of many non industrialized tribes/populations. If you read this book, you clearly see what Dr Price's research showed in terms on health and well-being, and the importance of animal fats. There was also a gentleman named Dr. George Mann who studied a tribe in Africa called the Masai. The tribe had no heart disease of any kind. Their diets consisted of meat, blood, whole milk, and up to 1.5 pounds of butter a day. He is known for a quote that I think is great. He said "the Lipid Hypothesis is the greatest scam in the history of medicine."

2) Virgin Coconut Oil - Coconut oil does a number of very good things for someone attempting to get lean. 95% of the fat in coconut oil is saturated, of which about half is Lauric Acid. The fat is a special type of fat (Medium chain triglyceride) that is easily converted to energy by your liver. There are numerous studies out there that corroborate this. Dr Serrano has been using Coconut Oil for endurance athletes too, mixed with slower burning carbs for immediate and sustained energy. I have also seen some claims that I am still researching in terms of your body's increased ability to burn long chain fats, when these MCT's are taken in. Most of these studies are taking place at McGill University in Canada. If this were true, it would be another reason to add this fat into your diet when bodyfat loss is a primary goal. There is another side of coconut oil too that shouldn't be forgotten and it relates to general health. It is loaded (more than any other food source) with Lauric acid. This is a fat that is extremely anti-viral and antimicrobial. Lauric acid converts to its active form Monolaurin (much like T-4 converting to active T-3 in your body for those of you who have studied thyroid function). Monolaurin is currently being given to HIV patients is showing much promise. You can see some of the research at lauric.org. It is also found heavily in breast milk, which is a reason why babies who are breast feed seem to have stronger immune systems. The best thing about Lauric acid in food - it's in a big dose, in my favorite snack food - Jennie's Macaroons! I love these tasty treats. You can order these on Amazon.com. They come in packs of 6.

3) Grass Fed Butter - The most frustrating thing to me about having conversations regarding butter is the notion that the fat in butter causes heart disease. The reality is that butter IS HEART HEALTHY! It contains a perfect ratio of Omega 3 to 6. The saturated fats are generally short and medium chain for quick and easy digestion and for protection against infection. Lecithin is also a natural component of butter that assists in the proper assimilation and metabolization of cholesterol and other fats. Butter also has this thing called "Wulzen Factor" in it. Researcher Rosalind Wulzen discovered that this substance protects humans and animals from calcification of the joints-degenerative arthritis. I could go on and on about butter, just know that a little everyday is good for you.

What about polyunsaturated fats (Omega 3,6, Alpha Linolenic Acid)? If you are thinking these are essential, and you have to get them from your diet, you are correct. The amount needed I think gets overblown sometimes though. You will get plenty from your diet in the form of Salmon, and also some extra in your beef and dairy due to those sources being grass fed. Mary Enig recommends that your diet contain 1.5% of it's calories in the form of polyunsaturates. Her recommendations are in line with other top lipid experts in the world. This is the same recommendation I use.

If you are taking flax, chia, or other grain type forms of Alpha Linolenic Acid - remember this, your body can only convert a very small amount of it to its usable form in the body of DHA. The DHA/EPA Omega 3 institute estimates that only 12% of ALA converts to DHA and presents studies backing up their data in its website dhaomega3.org. I do not recommend these grain type Polys due to that fact. You are better off getting it naturally in the foods described above. Under no circumstance would I recommend consuming polys high in Omega 6's such as corn oil, cottonseed oil, regular safflower oil, etc. due to their inflammatory affect within your body.

How about monosaturated fats? Are they healthy? Yes they are. Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Macadamia Nut Oil are two great oils to cook with to give you this fat. The polyphenols in them provide a strong anti-oxidant for the body as well. I love using Olive Oil for 2 things mainly - it helps to raise HDL levels, and it is great to assist in quality weight gain for those trying to put on weight. It is a great choice as a salad dressing mixed with a little Balsamic Vinegar. Another great choice is Macadamia Nut Oil. It is very stable for cooking (up to around 425 degrees Fahrenheit), and you get a massive dose of healthy monsaturates. Around 85% of the oil is monosaturated. You get to a point where you don't want to keep increasing athletes levels of protein due to general digestive stress, and you don't want to raise carbs to astronomical levels just due to the pancreatic stress involved....so the remedy, add some good ole Olive Oil or Macadamia nut oil. I tried using coconut oil for this purpose, but as I suspected, it burns so fast and easy, it didn't really help with quality weight gain in the athletes. I would still use it year round for its antimicrobial and anti-viral properties though, but I steer more toward the monsaturates in the off-season. It is important to realize that you need to mix things up a bit, and not have the exact same oil all the time.

As far as food sources go, butter actually has a good dose of Palmitoleic acid in it, which is very antimicrobial and is a healthy monosaturate. The fat in butter has more monosaturated fat then you would think, about 30% actually. I include grass fed butter in my diets for this, and many many other reasons. There are also many nuts that contain healthy monosaturated fat such as cashews, macadamia nuts, etc. Over the past few years I have gotten away from adding nuts to diets, not because of any concerns related to health, but because people can't practice portion control with them. It is impossible for most to sit down and only eat 1/4 cup (1 serving) of cashews. I am likely to eat an entire pound in a day if I buy a bag.

All in all - you need some of all these fats to function optimally, whether your body can make them or not, and I recommend 30-35% of your calories come from fat. Around 25% of that should be from saturated, 1.5-3% from polys/Omega 3 and 6, and the remaining 7-8.5% from monos during contest season. As you get into more of an off-season mode, the ratio favors monsaturates a little more heavily but does not eliminate Saturates or polys, as that would not be wise.

#3 Fat soluble vitamins and their role in endocrine function

The biggest pet peeve I have with low fat diets is the fact that they don't take into account the need to properly assimilate fat soluble vitamins. If you don't think this is important, think again. Fat soluble vitamins include A, D, E, and K. I hear people say all the time; well I got shredded eating low fat. I do not dispute that you can get ripped eating low fat. I have done it to the point I couldn't get a reading with a skin fold caliper. I know it can be done. The issue is long term health. These vitamins are so important to your endocrine systems. Performance enhancing type drugs can cover these deficiencies up short term - but when these athletes don't have the muscle building, protein sparing effects of these drugs, and their endocrine systems have received no support from their diet...look out. In addition, there are many studies that show low fat and low cholesterol diets long term create more depression, suicidal tendencies,etc. These are well documented in Lancet journals.

Here are some of the things that these vitamins do:

Vitamin A
This vitamin is extremely important, so much so that your liver can store it for a while. It helps with protein and mineral metabolism. It helps to ensure proper thyroid function, and it helps in the production of sex hormones. Those things are all critically important (or should be) to athletes.

Also it gets depleted from strenuous exercise which a few of us engage in. Grass-fed butter, and egg yolks are my favorite day to day source, with an occasional 1/2 lb of Beef Liver to augment levels. Don't fall for the vegetarian belief that you can get plenty of Vitamin A in carrots (and other veggies). The Vitamin A in those foods is really not Vitamin A, it is a carotene, often referred to as Provitamin A. True vitamin A, or retinol, is found in foods like cod liver oil, butterfat from cows grazing on pasture, liver, and fish (especially shellfish). Your body has to convert the carotenes to retinol, and it only does that well in the presence of fat. Fat stimulates bile salts, which help with the conversion. So you better add some butter to your veggies if want even a prayer of getting enough Vitamin A on a vegan diet. Actually, grass fed butter is the most easily absorbed food source for Vitamin A, hence why I put it in diets (well, one of many reasons).

Vitamin D
This vitamin (actually it's more of Pro-hormone), unlike Vitamin A, can't be stored in our livers for very long. We need a more continual supply of it. A very compelling reason for a bodybuilder or athlete to ensure a good intake of this vitamin is the fact that it greatly affects healthy insulin function. It also helps maintain a healthy nervous system, which again is extremely important if you train extremely hard. Good food sources include whole eggs, sardines, mackerel, herring, shrimp, butter, and oysters. It's hard for me to eat Salmon every single day, so sometimes I opt for a shrimp stir-fry for lunch and throw in some Trueprotein Fish Oil for my DHA. The absolute best source of vitamin D is Cod Liver Oil. When using this, I usually get the fermented kind sold on greenpastures.org. They make a great product also where they combine this with high Vitamin Butter Oil, so you have plenty of options with this vitamin as well. I also recommend you get your Vitamin D levels tested. There are many autoimmune disorders thought to be caused by low Vitamin D levels. I have a good friend who has Crohns disease, and they watch his Vitamin D very closely to keep it in normal range. The test you want to have order is called a 25 (OH) D test.

Vitamin E
This vitamin is a very strong antioxidant and good for maintaining cardiovascular health. Good food sources include green leafy veggies, liver, egg yolks, and my favorite - wheat germ. I love sprinkling wheat germ into shakes, on yogurts, and in oatmeal. Grass fed beef is also a great source for this vitamin.

Vitamin K
This vitamin is important for blood clotting, and is also real important in maintaining proper bone density. Good food sources include leafy green veggies, liver, and cabbage type veggies. I like spinach for this. One of my favorite pre-contest meals is a 6 egg omelet stuffed with spinach!

#4 Keeping your liver healthy

When I first started visiting Dr Serrano, he used to always palpate my liver, and he focused very on blood work results, liver enzyme counts being one of the most important. He continually stressed the importance of healthy liver function not only in terms of general health, but in terms of fat burning. Your liver is a very key organ that takes a beating cleansing our systems of toxins, metabolizing proteins, etc. If it is stressed out, you can't burn fat as efficiently. It can also get to the point rather easily, where it can't break down aldosterone, which leads to excess water retention. Every single day your liver actually produces a quart of bile that emulsifies and absorbs fats. Your gall bladder (providing you still have one), then stores this until it is needed. Your liver does many other important things as well such as converting glucose, fructose, and galactose into glycogen, which it stores. If you are partaking in a lower carb type of diet your liver will convert the stored glycogen into glucose and then release it into your bloodstream, then when out of glycogen, it will convert fat and protein for energy. I don't like it when someone is converting their protein into glycogen (it's hard to tell when, usually they start getting more sore, weaker, and their muscles have a "flatter" appearance - but I try not to let people get to this level of depletion. I would much rather see someone get additional energy from Coconut Oil, as it is so easy to turn into energy - doesn't even require bile salts, or do a carb up day consisting of only lean proteins and carbs - no fats for this. Fats slow the entry of sugar into you bloodstream. Normally that is good, but not in this case.

Anyways, your liver is pretty dang tough, and can even do some regeneration of damaged cells. Despite this, I like to use a few supplements to help (Liv 52, Alpha Lipoic Acid, and Milk Thistle). This combination is rotated to product optimal results. There also food sources that I incorporate into diets to help your liver and gall bladder, such as real lemon juice (not from concentrate - helps with bile formation) real cranberry juice (not from concentrate - helps dilute and expel waste), and Apple Cider Vinegar.
Of course the saturated fats that I recommended above also help. Saturates protect the liver from toxins!

#5 Supplements to manage glucose disposal

Certainly this is not a new concept, we have read a bazillion studies touting that glucose disposal agents help to enhance nutrient uptake into cells by increasing the efficiency of insulin. In other words, they help us achieve normal blood sugar levels/readings.
If you have a more stable blood glucose level, this will result in more efficient use of body fat for fuel. High levels of insulin obviously lead to greater fat storage. Compounds like GDAs that help remove glucose from the bloodstream, will lower insulin levels, and help us burn fat and lose weight.

The most popular one is probably Alpha Lipoic Acid (or the rALA version). This is an extremely good supplement you would be wise to use year round. It also helps regenerate liver tissue, and recycles antioxidants in your body. Also Chromium is important and is often deficient in our diets, especially if we drink diet sodas with aspartame. They leech this out of our system. Chromium also does a nice job managing glucose.

The other benefit of GDAs is a better cholesterol profile. Many of us believe (and there are many studies to back it up) that increased intake of refined sugars is what is causing cholesterol readings to get out of whack. Cholesterol is a very healthy substance that acts as a repairer in your body, and when it sees the inflammation caused by sugars, the levels increase so that it can fight the inflammation directly. Dr Serrano recommended I try Chromium as an adjunct with my carb meals to help with my profile, and it did improve my readings more so than other popular supplements that tout lowering cholesterol. So you get a double benefit here, you get leaner because glucose is more properly managed, and you get better cholesterol readings, as the GDAs will slow down the inflammation created by sugar.

Well, that's the high level of the Mountain Dog diet, nothing earth shattering - but very effective. I hope there are some things that got you thinking about your food selections! It is a diet that improves health and well-being, which is very important to me. It is also a great way to get ripped, or gain lean muscle depending on how you manipulate the calories and macronutrients.

I hope you enjoyed this article, and I would once again like to thank my friend and mentor Eric Serrano for going so deep into this stuff with me over the last 10 years.

Thank you for always answering all my dumb questions, and taking the time to ensure I actually understand what you are talking about you crazy SOB.

Regards,
John Meadows