A friend quit taking Lipitor after a week when he got the shakes. Lipitor is a popular anti-cholesterol drug in a category called statins that reduce the liver’s ability to make cholesterol. The treatment is controversial because of bad side-effects, including possible liver damage. Using Lipitor requires regular liver-function checks. If you are currently taking Lipitor (AKA … ) and you stop the drug, there may be a rebound effect dumping cholesterol into the blood. Work with your physician to gradually reduce the dose, while adding an anti-cholesterol diet and herbs that reduce inflammation in blood vessels and the uptake of dietary fat in the body. Since health problems come in bunches, let’s consider foods and herbs that reduce cholesterol and help prevent diabetes.
According to traditional Asian health traditions, if digestion is stressed from a diet of refined sugar, white flour, alcohol or other low-value foods, we become overweight and develop blood sugar problems. Think of bad cholesterol as a build-up of dietary gunk stuck to blood vessels. Usually fruits and vegetables are recommended for reducing cholesterol.
Diabetes
If you have diabetes–or someone in your immediate family has it–avoid eating sugar, all fruits, and even sweet vegetables like carrots and beets. Use Stevia (slimming) extract in your tea or cooking as a sweetener. It reduces blood sugar and protects the pancreas. Gymnema sylvestre is an herbal pill sold in healthfood stores that reduces your cravings for sweets and supports the health of your pancreas. You know your pancreas needs help if your face is swollen with water and you crave sweets and/or alcohol.
Tea
Tea reduces our uptake of dietary fat. That’s why drinking tea is more slimming than coffee. That’s why tea protects the heart. Tea is also diuretic. Diuretic drugs are often the first line of defence against hypertension. You do yourself a favor by switching from coffee to any tea white, green, red, oolong or black tea. African red bush rooibos tea is also useful because it is high in antioxidants without caffeine. Avoid decaf. teas because the processing uses toxic chemicals. Co2 processing is a very expensive way to decaffeinate beverages. Few companies use it.
Healthy Oils
Manufacturers push certain butter substitutes, but listening to my nurse friends about how they are made is not encouraging. I would avoid them. Steam your veggies and pour on one of the following oils for flavor. They all reduce cholesterol, hypertension, and protect the heart because they are high in Omega 3, 6 oils. Dr. Jerry Cott, a researcher for the NIH, also believes that omega oils help to protect against bi-polar depression. That’s better than butter!
These oils can be used with lemon or apple cider vinegar as a salad dressing. Keep your oils in the refrig. and throw them out if they develop an odor.
• Canola oil
• Flax Seed oil
• Hemp seed oil
• Olive oil
Red Bell Peppers
Add them to salads, sandwiches or soups. Dr. Andrew Weil praises this mild-tasting pepper for its anticholesterol benefits. Here is a quick recipe using salmon another ingredient high in Omega oils.
Steamed Salmon
1 organic salmon steak
2 scallions cut into 2 inch pieces
1 red bell pepper sliced
1 can of stewed tomatoes
In a ceramic coated pot, pour in a little liquid from organic stewed tomatoes. Slice the scallions into the bottom of the pan. Put the salmon on top of the scallions. Slice red pepper on top of the fish. Put on the lid and steam this for 10 – 15 minutes depending on how cooked you want the salmon. Serve immediately. Tender and tasty.
Tree Ear Fungi and Nuts
Tree ears are black, crinkly dried fungi used as an ingredient in Chinese hot and sour soup. They are used throughout Asia in soups and cooked dishes. It is a blood thinner that, according to research quoted by Andrew Weil, works like Coumadin without side-effects. Tree ear (wood ear, cloud ear) is available in Chinese groceries and online. Here is how I cook it:
Soak a handful of dried tree ears in water until the pieces are soft. With a scissor cut off and discard the tough wooden parts. When ready to cook, cut pieces of the tree ear with your scissor to cook for at least 15 minutes with oatmeal, soup, pasta or sauces. If you need to, cook it separately in water until it is softer 10 – 15 minutes than add the tree ear to your steamed light cooking.
Potato & Fungi
Small red potatoes
Dried Tree ears
Fresh dill herb sliced
Blanched walnuts
Healthy oil and apple cider vinegar
Soak the tree ears and cut them into shapely slices.
Cook the slices in water until tender.
Steam sliced white potato in a minimum amount of water until done.
Toss the cooked tree ears and steamed potato with fresh dill and walnuts. Blanched means pouring hot water onto food. You can pour on hot tea or potato-cooking water to wash the nuts.
Add a little flax seed or canola oil and apple cider vinegar for flavor.
Himalaya Herbs for Reducing Cholesterol
My favorite East Indian herbal pills for reducing cholesterol are Shuddha Guggulu and Abana. I buy them at a good price in NYC at Butala Emporium a large store in little India on E. 28th street between Madison and Lexington.
Guggul is a purifying form of tree sap like myrrh that reduces body fat, cholesterol, and helps to dissolve tumors. In India it is a prime cholesterol regulator for chunky people who like to eat cookies and fried snacks.
People over 30, living and working under stress, smokers, and people who are overweight ought to consider using a product that does more than reduce cholesterol. Abana protects the heart, vitality, and longevity. Take 1 -2 pills with your morning tea.
Very good info, thank you very much!
Well, I quit smoking February 8th of this year after 30 years. My doc told me if my cholesterol doesn’t go down in 6 months I have to go on “lowering cholesterel drugs”,
and my Dad has diabetes.
I have gained a little weight as a result of quitting smoking but I will take this info to
heart. Thanks again!!!
-Pat
I think it’s always a good idea to stop smoking! I have given people acupuncture treatments to stop smoking. The results vary. For many people 1 -5 treatments are enough. It depends on how big a problem it is. If you continue with a good diet and add some of the following, it will be easier for you to detoxify and overcome withdrawal symptoms.
Health Concerns makes Ease Plus pills to help overcome withdrawal–
nervousness, insomnia, distress, headaches, gastric acidity and ulcers, hiccuupping and belching problems and other withdrawal problems from quitting tobacco, drugs and medications.
The pills contain calcium carbonate, a liver cleanser bupleurum, ginseng for energy, ginger, pinella and skullcap for digestion, cinnamon -good for diabetes, rhubarb a laxative and jurinea root for digestion.
I mention this formula because it is well put together. There may be others that work well, but you get the idea. The formula improves digestion, cleansing and calming.
Add more vegetables, salads, and the diet in the above article. Get some soothing massage.
I also like mushrooms to soothe and moisturize the skin. Currently I am cooking tremella (white fungus) and Coriolus – turkey tail mushroom. Very moistening and refreshing for the skin and soothing for digestion. If you moisten lungs and skin that also improves diabetes.
best, Letha
Dear Letha:
Ny Couvier is my childhood friend and always says you helped her. I am in my 70s and take high blood pressure pills, chlorestrol pills also.
How can I get rid of chlorestrol medication? I also want to know when I am upside my system goes out of wack? I am not eating large amounts of food in fact I eat a tablespoon of everything.
Please help and advise me.
Thank you,
Margaret Babe Laccitelli
It is interesting to hear about research about cholesterol. It is always changing. Some researchers think it about diet and stress, others think it is caused by inflammation in blood vessels. Some one recently reported that it was calcium that seeped out of bones as we age and clog the blood vessels.
Here is a simple answer that is easy to do and has good results.
Raw Tienchi gingseng powder can be take as a tea. It reduces inflammation and cholesterol. It reduces bruises and chest pains too. You can buy a small bottle of RAW tienchi not steamed tienchi. The Raw tienchi comes in a green and white labeled bottle in chinatown.
Add 1/4 tsp. to a cup of water and drink it hot or cold as a tea. It can also be added to cook with soup stocks.
That will not disrupt any diet restrictions you may have. You should feel cooler, more relaxed and have reduced cholesterol eventually.
It is a good remedy for long term use.
best, L.
Dear Letha,
My boyfriend and I are both vegetarians, we don’t eat candy (hardly ever, anyway), we eat plenty of fresh veggies and fruits, whole grains (no white bread)… and yet we just got results back saying we both have high cholesterol and they recommended Lipitor for both of us. I am trying to do everything natural so I won’t take Lipitor.
I read somewhere online that there is a chance that if you do not consume enough cholesterol your body will make more of it. Is that true? I’ve looked at everything we’ve been eating, and the only thing with any cholesterol is cheese, and we don’t eat that much. We also eat ice cream occasionally (rarely), but I doubt that is enough to throw our cholesterol out of wack. My family has no problem with diabetes (his family does) and my family eats a lot of meat. How could I have high cholesterol?
I read something else that says if you consume a lot of soy products it can irritate hyperthyroidism and cause your cholesterol to go up. I do have an abnormally large thyroid.
I started taking Hawthorn for it’s anti-cholesterol effects. Is there anything I should know about it?
Thank you!
Sallie
Well done!
Very good site! Thanks!
Your are Great. And so is your site! Awesome content. Good job guys!
Your are Great. And so is your site! Awesome content. Good job guys!
this sit is really helpfull, thanks
I am glad to read this post. As a female, smoking is more harmful to me than it is for men.
About smoking –It’s really rough. More women die today of heart trouble than breast cancer. Smoking really messes up circulation.