Cholesterol, Fats & Oil: Healthy Or Harmful?

Cholesterol is synonymous with fats and oil that are believed to be the major cause of cardiovascular disease and clogged arteries.

But this is not exactly true because cholesterol is vital to health and long life. It is a major component in the production of cell membranes, giving them energy.

There are good and bad types of cholesterol: HDL (high-density lipoprotein) is the good type that protects against heart attack, stroke, angina, and other cardiovascular complications; LDL (low-density lipoprotein) is the bad type that contributes to atherosclerosis (plaque development and hardening of the arteries).

As there are HDL and LDL types of cholesterol, there are also good and bad fats in foods. The good fats in foods are: virgin coconut oil, olive oil, avocados, and walnuts (these actually improve cholesterol levels in the blood, significantly reducing the risk that the heart will suddenly stop).

As to bad fats, there are now two villains instead of just one: saturated fats (meat, butter and ice cream--all champion artery-cloggers) and trans fats (found primarily in processed foods, such as margarine, whole milk, cooking oil, and many commercially baked or fried foods).

Cardiologist and chelation specialist, Dr. Arturo Estuita, tells us that "...in medicine, fats and oil are the same: fats are solid; oil is liquid at room temperature." He emphasizes the importance of remembering the following:

• Avoid margarine. This oil, derived from plants, is transformed to semi-solid fat by the process of hydrogenation, and the product--hydrogenated fat--may cause atherosclerosis, allergy and cancer.
• Use coconut oil in cooking. It is heat-resistant and can be used a few times for cooking without the danger of turning into trans fat.
• Use olive oil liberally in salads. If used in cooking, do not re-use as it may easily form trans fat.
• Avoid fried foods from fast food restaurants because of the possibility of having trans fat from re-used cooking oil.
• Avoid animal fat. It contains arachedonic acid which is converted to prostaglandin A2, the cause of artery obstruction. Prostaglandin A2 is a potent constrictor of arteries that thickens the blood and may cause inflammation, contributing to the narrowing of the opening (lumen) of the arteries.
• Avoid cholesterol lowering medicine (ref: Newman, et al, JAMA 1996. "Carcinogenocity of Cholesterol Lowering Drugs"). It is best to neutralize by orthomolecular therapy the bad cholesterol which are HDL3 and oxidized LDL. It is not good to lower numerically total cholesterol. The cells need cholesterol--the higher the good cholesterol, the better.
• Avoid rancid oil or fried food. It contains oxidized oil which is unhealthy. Rancid oil is formed when oil (especially polyunsaturated oil, like olive oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, and corn oil) is exposed to air for a prolonged period.

The Eyes: Our Precious Possssion, Part 2

Eyes and Diet. The eyes are affected by diet as any part of the body. Fed by the bloodstream, it depends upon that for its general state of health. A person with a toxic condition of the body is bound to find that his eyes suffer. It is essential that the body must be kept clean and free of poison.

The best way to maintain good healthy eyes is be eating bulk foods--fruits, vegetables and whole grain products--which relieves constipation and cleans the digestive system without using purgatives. With constipation under control, one of the main causes of dull eyes and hardening lenses is eradicated.

Bulk foods are not the only ones necessary for good eye health, but also those containing vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, C, E, selenium, zinc and antioxidants. Excellent sources of these nutrients are the following: Vegetables--broccoli, carrots, kale, spinach, lettuce, celery, watercress, cabbage, pumpkins, turnips, yellow squash, sweet potatoes, red pepper; Fruits--avocado, apple, apricots, banana, pineapple, mango, prunes, papaya, guava; Nuts--almonds, walnuts, pistachios; Herbs: lutein, eyebright, bilberry.

In addition to vitamins and nutrients, which a well-planned diet yields, using supplements in convenient and easy-to-take capsules is a highly desirable form of health insurance.

Eye Exercises. Sit, keeping the spine straight, open your eyes, and do the following exercises without moving your head:

1) Look up to the ceiling, then down to the floor.
2) Look to the right side, then to the left side.
3) Look up to the right corner (diagonally) and then down to the left corner.
4) Look up to the left corner (diagonally) and then down to the right corner.
5) Roll the eyes clockwise.
6) Roll the eyes counter-clockwise.

7) Palm the eyes, sitting in a relaxed position with elbows comfortably on a table or cushion, and lightly cover the closed eyelids with your palms. To get good results from this
exercise, your head should not be bent forward. Your neck and spine must be straight
and relaxed so that there is no strain on your nerves or muscles. Use a pillow on a low
table to elevate your elbow.

Palming is an excellent method for relaxation. It is particularly beneficial to persons
whose work requires a great deal of reading and computer work. There are thousands of nerve centers within the palm of the hand, and it is quite likely that the old masters of the East had practised palming to increase magnetic forces to heal the body. Palm for ten
minutes at a time--and while doing so--breathe deeply. Afterwards, you will feel relaxed and rested.

Blink gently and close your eyes after doing each of the above exercises.

Develop the habit of frequent blinking when reading, working
or watching a movie or television.

The Eyes: Our Precious Possession, Part 1

We have only one pair of eyes to last us a lifetime. That's why we have to take very good care of these two precious "jewels."

The eyes are not only as important as the other organs of the body but more so because they are our windows to the outside world; without the eyes, we will see nothing but darkness.

To keep the eyes healthy, they require a regular supply of blood and nutrients, as well as exercise, sleep and rest. When the eyes are overused, we feel discomfort, pain, headache, and heaviness. These are the eyes' way of telling us to give them rest.

Studies show that accommodation--the ability of the eyes' lens to focus on objects at different distances--varies with the person's age. As the person grows older, the ability of the eyes to accommodate decreases because of chemical and physical changes in the lens and muscles.

At the age of 20, the eyes' power of accommodating itself to focus on a near object is 30% less than it was when the individual was ten. At 30, the ability is 50% reduced from that of ten, and from then on, the reduction becomes greater.

Upon reaching age 40, your eyes' accommodation is two-thirds of what it was at 30, and at 45, it is reduced to half. Thus it is said that a person's age may be judged by the condition of the eyes, the elasticity of the lens, and the power of accommodation to changing distances.

Many eye problems are caused by eyestrain, and symptoms may vary: pain in or around the eyes, headaches which increase in intensity when the eyes are used for close work, fatigue, dizziness, nausea, twitching facial muscles, or migraine may all be the symptoms of a strain on the eyes.

The eyes also serve as the barometer of the body's general state of health: if the body is
diseased, the condition is naturally shown in the blood that reaches the eyes, which appear dull or get strained if there is general toxemia.

By looking at a person's eyes, we can discover the ways he feels. If the eyes are bright and clear, there is little chance that he is feeling poorly. But if the eyes look heavy, yellow or bloodshot, the person is unwell--perhaps not so ill as to have to go to bed, but suffering from some toxic state which is indicated by the eyes.

(Part 2, which will discuss nutrients and exercises for the eyes, will appear next posting)

Stress Diseases Affect Health, Part 3

We cannot just do much to alter external events that raise our stress levels, like occupational or work stress, family problems, financial difficulties, and relationship complications. But we can change the way we react or deal with them. Some problems will be more disturbing to us than to others, depending on our personality and personal circumstances.

Actually, we can manage stress, either positively or negatively. Exercise is positive; smoking is not. There are, however, stressors beyond our control, such as death in the family, separation, divorce, or losing one's job. In such cases, it's our attitude that can solve these problems. Instead of being overwhelmed by them, we can choose our action by standing for hope and optimism.

Take the example of a housewife whose husband had left her for another woman. She might feel unloved and worthless, but this is a negative reaction that only adds to her miseries. The better option is to examine her failed marriage and the reason her husband abandoned her.

Here are some thoughts to consider about stress:

• Stress is inevitable, even normal, so long as it does not overwhelm us.
• Stress is not necessarily bad as our ability to cope with it.
• What is stressful for one person may not necessarily be to another.
• It is not what happens to us from the outside--which we have no full control--but how we react to such a stressor that can affect us negatively.

Ten health tips to help us overcome stress:

• Eat a balanced and nutritious diet.
• Take a vitamin-mineral-antioxidant supplement.
• Drink enough pure water (aim for 10-12 glasses of water daily).
• Exercise regularly (walking, aerobics, yoga, stretching, etc.).
• Breathe deeply (to relax).
• Sunbath (before 8:30 am, but not more than 10 minutes to prevent overexposure to the sun's harmful ultraviolet rays).
• Listen to relaxing music.
• Read (spiritual, inspirational or motivational books).
• Sleep (8 hours every night to lessen stress).
• Laugh (remember: "Laughter is the best medicine.").
  

Stress Diseases Affect Health, Part 2

We have seen how our emotions can cause bodily symptoms. A person who is worried may get a headache.

Fright may cause the heart to palpitate. Unpleasant thoughts may cause the stomach to turn over and even induce vomiting. Anxiety is known to cause frequent urination and induce diarrhea.

Although bodily symptoms usually predominate in stress diseases, underlying cause is really mental, acting through the emotions. It is known that toxic goiter commonly follows some emotional upset in young women; it may also occur in men because of excessive worry.

A feature of the disease is the way the symptoms periodically come and go. The patient is always worse during times of stress but almost certain to be free from symptoms when relaxed.

Nonrenal hypertension (high blood pressure which is not due to kidney disease) is a frequent complaint of modern civilization, its exact cause is said by doctors to be unknown. What is known, however, is that the arteries are surrounded by a network of nerves. These nerves, working automatically, can cause the arteries to dilate or contract.

When a person suddenly springs out of bed, the arteries in the legs must contract slightly; otherwise, the blood in the body would drain suddenly down to the legs away from the brain, causing the person to faint. He can be revived by raising his legs above the level of the head.

The effect of anger, worry and anxiety is easy to picture. The whole arterial system of the body is slightly contracted because of the nervous tension that is generated. As the arteries are narrowed down, the blood pressure goes up.

It can be seen that in all stress diseases, the real cause is the nervous tension that is developed as a result of fear, worry, anxiety and other negative emotions. And the most damaging effect of stress is aging--and consequently, a shorter life span.

Medical studies fully recognize the importance of rest and relaxation in countering stress diseases. Patients are advised to take it easy, relax, and stop worrying. By not worrying about the future, one can develop a calm and philosophical state of mind.

(In next week's posting, we shall offer suggestions on how to further reduce and minimize stress)

Stress Diseases Affect Health, Part 1

The term "stress diseases" is applied to conditions which show bodily symptoms originating from the nervous and parasympathetic systems.

Diseases like toxic goiter (hyperthyroidism/thyrotoxicosis), high blood pressure (nonrenal hypertension) and duodenal ulcer belong to this group.

When life was less stressful, such diseases were rare. But with the rush and hurry of modern life they have become more common.

Unfortunately, stress diseases attack the most useful members of society: the intelligent, ambitious and hard-working ones. Those who are placid and less ambitious seldom suffer. Thus we find people living closest to nature, such as primitive savages, completely free from these complaints. Nature, it seems, takes a heavy toll among those who disobey her laws; the occurrence of these diseases is more prevalent in developed and industrialized countries.

Those who combine hard work with considerable responsibility and anxiety are potential victims of the stress diseases. We find executives, doctors and other professionals suffering from duodenal ulcer. Irregular working hours and hurried meals combine to produce that state of anxiety and nervous tension which leads to eventual breakdown.

Nobody can digest and enjoy a meal if he is worried and upset. Is it any wonder that a state of constant worry and anxiety can cause digestive disorders that may lead to duodenal ulcer?

Competition is intense in modern society and a person must strive hard to make a difference in a highly competitive environment. If he is fortunate enough to succeed, he must fight harder to stay on top. There is the constant fear that somebody might displace him. At the start, there are frustrations confronting him and anxieties to overcome. Then let us not forget that the worst enemy is--you guess it--himself.

For financial reasons, marriage may not be possible until the professional is ready to support a family. Often he may be embittered by lack of worldly success, sometimes even the envy of those who have gotten on better than himself adds to his unhappiness.

(In the next posting, we will address the relationship between mental-emotional stresses and bodily disorders, commonly known as "psychosomatic diseases")

Cardiovascular Chelation

"Chelation is the intravenous administering of amino acid and nutrients to declog the circulatory system," said veteran cardiologist Arturo Estuita, M.D., a pioneer (since 1964) of Cardiovascular Chelation in the Philippines, whom I interviewed in his clinic two weeks ago.

Dr. Estuita explained: "Chelation Therapy is an integrative, safe and scientific method of declogging blocked arteries without surgery. It is a cheaper and more effective alternative to Heart Bypass and Angioplasty; it is non-surgical and therefore non-invasive; it involves the intake of natural micro-nutrients as chelating agents in the declogging process. Together with a healthy lifestyle (no smoking, healthy diet, exercise), Chelation not only treats cardiovascular disorders but also improves general health such as blood circulation, reduced arthritis, and increased stamina."

Compared with Bypass and Angioplasty (which has a higher rate of recurrence), Chelation Therapy fares much better. Dr. Estuita said that with 30 Chelation Therapy sessions (or "infusion"), 98.5% of patients recover from blockages from the leg, 93.5% in the heart (the ones with partial blocks) and 85.90% for blockages in the brain, with 60 infusions.

An interesting information that many of us may not know is that Chelation declogs the whole 75 kilometers of arteries, while a heart bypass surgery only deals with a few centimeters; it directly deals with the fatty plaques and calcium clogging the arteries, flushing them out through the urine.

"Arteriosclerosis (a thickening and loss of elasticity of the walls of the arteries) is systemic and generalized. If you get a heart attack, it just means that it manifested itself ahead of the rest of the system. It's like an old house with old plumbing. Just because one of the pipes gets rusty today does not mean the rest of the system isn't rusty as well. It only means that the damage is more advanced in that part. Sometimes the stroke happens before a heart attack, but in reality, the plaque is already all over the system. This is where Chelation comes in--it will take out the blockage wherever it may be.

"Chelation Therapy is holistic, in a sense that all risk factors or causes are taken out. Even the stress caused by bitterness, anger, and resentment against people, is addressed. If you harbor a grudge, it's hard to get better (if ever you get better at all). We don't just tell them to change their lifestyle in terms of eating and exercise, but we deal with their emotions as well.

"Another benefit in Chelation is your biological age goes down by at least ten years. It's a great anti-aging treatment that deals with your internal system. If you combine this with external treatments (cosmetic, plastic surgery, and other skin treatments), then you'll be really young-- both in how you feel inside and how you look," concluded Dr. Estuita.

TIDBIT: Do you know that Chelation can reverse diabetes? Yes, seventy-five percent of Dr. Estuita's diabetes patients get reversed, although people do not go to the clinic for diabetes treatment but to address its complications.

(The Estuita Medical Preventive Cardiology Clinic is located at 1986 Taft Avenue, Pasay City, Philippines; email: artestuita@yahoo.com)