💊Is High Cholesterol Really The Problem?
Recipe: Kickin’ “Egg” Salad Sandwich
Hey 7410 Style Family,
Well, yes, high cholesterol levels are a problem. But I used to think that high cholesterol was the main problem. I thought that fat in the form of cholesterol built up on the walls of my arteries, then could break off and cause a stroke or heart attack. Wrong! ✖️ (feel free to add a loud, obnoxious buzzer sound here)
Our bodies need cholesterol to build and repair tissues, produce hormones, create bile and help with vitamin D production. But the liver produces all the cholesterol we need. In our attempt to eat more protein or satisfy our brain’s cravings, we humans do eat some foods, like eggs or pastries, that are rich in dietary cholesterol.
Some people happen to be more vulnerable to dietary cholesterol. Whether you are or not, foods high in trans fat (think hydrogenated oils or partially hydrogenated vegetable oil) and saturated fat are fats that can raise cholesterol for everyone. High cholesterol levels can lead to metabolic syndrome, heart disease, stroke, and heart attack.
But have we gotten to the actual problem yet? The human body is a complex system of many smaller systems, such as the circulatory, endocrine, and digestive systems. Think of it as a large orchestra, not a machine. It is a complex structure that is interconnected and must work together to make music, or in the case of humans, healthfulness and well-being.
You can imagine that the stroke/heart attack process is more complicated than just high cholesterol levels. It starts with injury to the inner lining of the artery. White blood cells get involved. Then, cholesterol, a waxy substance but not fat, among other materials, including fat, are collected at the injury site. This plaque collection can rupture and trigger blood clots. The blood clots or plaque pieces could block an artery that results in a stroke or heart attack.
Anyway, you’re looking out for your health, so you go to the doctor for your physical. Oh, you find out you have high cholesterol levels, so the doctor prescribes a statin. Statins decrease your LDL, or low-density lipoprotein, cholesterol and triglycerides by interfering with your liver. It blocks the HMG CoA reductase (HMGR), an enzyme needed to make cholesterol. After 70 years of studying the mechanisms of HMGR and improvements in molecular biology, researchers have realized:
The mechanism of HMGR, a four-electron oxidoreductase, has been uncovered to be unique and far more complex than originally thought. The reaction contains multiple chemical steps, coupled to large- scale domain motions of the homodimeric enzyme.
Surprising, I know. Our bodies are making, changing and destroying complex chemicals all the time. There are so many variations and complexities that it’s impossible to count them all. So, despite barely understanding the consequences of blocking HMGR, statins are prescribed like, well, statins.
Statins are the most prescribed drug in the U.S. And, according to Amro Matyori et al, statin prescriptions “increased from 461 million to 818 million” worldwide with an increase from “31 million in 2008-2009 to 92 million in 2018-2019” in the U.S. That’s a 197% increase. Wow. Candy wishes it could be that popular.
Great, we have the best drug that helps with high cholesterol. No problem, right? Yet, statins don’t cure high cholesterol. It only blocks the liver from making an enzyme. Nothing else has changed, least of all the food that we put in our mouths, how much we exercise and sleep, whether we smoke, and how we deal with all the stress we’re under.
We insist on eating foods that do not promote healthfulness and well-being. That includes ultra-processed foods that are high in refined grains, and way too much refined sugar, salt, and fat. Restaurants and fast-food outlets often use trans fats to deep fry foods. Trans fats can also be found in baked goods like pie crusts, biscuits, frozen pizza and cookies. For all the protein that meat contains, it comes with fat, but no fiber, antioxidants or phytonutrients that could actually help lower cholesterol levels. Not to worry, a statin is ready to “help”.
Does Meat Sabotage Weight Loss?
Check out this 7410 Style video if you can’t lose weight: Is Your Weight Loss Stuck at the Same Weight? Eat Healthy to Lose Weight! Explore the connection between meat and weight gain with a surprise about chicken.
What if instead of fixing symptoms, we focused on healthfulness and well-being. For my family and me, that means a lifestyle that supports vigor and vitality, feeling full of energy, being able to flourish psychologically and balance negative and positive emotions, being able to take care of myself and others, and contributing to a better world.
What are your healthfulness and well-being goals?
Researchers describe a vision and offer benchmarks for improving the health and well-being of all people in the U.S. in this report: Practice Full Report: Promoting Health and Well-being in Healthy People 2030 - PMC (nih.gov). Scan through it if you haven’t decided on your healthfulness and well-being goals yet.
As you examine your goals, you may find that the way you’re living now will not help you meet your goals. Ours didn’t. We had to transform our lifestyle. We started eating foods that supported our healthfulness, not just because our brains wanted more. We gave up added refined sugar, fried foods, bakery goods, chips, white rice and white bread, along with all animal-based foods, including cheese and ice cream. We started exercising for our health and stress reduction, not just because an exercise was fun. We prioritize sleep every day now.
It wasn’t an easy journey, this series of hundreds of choices each day. At the same time, our bodies and brains adapted quickly. So, it’s been a lot easier than we expected. Choose your vitality. Choose your healthfulness. Choose your wellness. Once choice at a time.
Wishing you the best,
Rhonda
P.S. You can catch up on past newsletters at the 7410 Expanded website.
👩🍳In the Kitchen: Kickin’ “Egg” Salad Sandwich
You might be missing eggs as part of a whole foods, plant-based (WFPB) lifestyle. Not to worry! Tofu, packed with calcium and protein, to the rescue. Okay, I’m sure it doesn’t really taste like eggs. The benefit of a WFPB lifestyle is that you forget the taste of eggs, and anything that comes close to eggs tastes like eggs to your brain. The crumbled extra firm tofu even has the same consistency as scrambled egg whites. Your mouth is already watering, right?
Ingredients
• 14 oz. extra firm tofu • 1 teaspoon sea salt, divided • 1 ripe avocado, pitted • 2 tablespoons lemon juice • 2 teaspoon Dijon mustard • ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ground • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper • ½ cup diced jalapeño pepper (for the kick) • Toasted sourdough bread • ½ cup green onion, chopped
Instructions
• Place the tofu on a clean kitchen towel and sprinkle with half the salt. Let it sit for about five minutes then pat dry. • Place the avocado, lemon juice, mustard, garlic powder, and black pepper in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Place in a mixing bowl. • Crumble the tofu until it’s about the size of scrambled bits of eggs and add it into the bowl. Fold together with the avocado mixture, then add in the jalapeño pepper. Add more salt, pepper or garlic powder to taste. • Scoop the mixture onto the toasted bread and sprinkle chopped green onions on top.