Rebecca

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Say the word “high cholesterol” and discover how common it is that someone you know or even yourself is on a statin drug such as Lipitor, Pravachol, Zocar, and Bayco. Why? Cholesterol drugs equate to big bucks for pharmaceutical companies. Beware though as these seemingly innocuous drugs come with side effects such as muscle pain and weakness, neuropathy, and memory loss. Statin drugs shut off the production of CoQ10 by the liver, which is involved in the energy production of every cell, even the heart muscle. Bayco was removed from the market because several people died from several muscle disease caused by the drug.

Isn’t there an easier and healthier way to keep cholesterol levels balanced? Yes, but let’s first dispel the myth around what cholesterol is and isn’t.

Cholesterol is not a bad word and essential for you to function. Cholesterol is a group of lipids (fats) that is made by the liver. It is found in every cell of the body. The body uses cholesterol in the production of cell membranes, which allows cell communication to function properly; the precursor for the sex hormones; required for the formation of bile salts that help fat digestion; and for producing vitamin D. Your body makes 80% of cholesterol and the rest comes from your diet (eggs, meat, butter, cheese).

What do the numbers on your blood work actually mean? Total cholesterol being over 200 doesn’t mean your clogging arteries and should run to be on a statin drug. The wake up call would be when not only when your total cholesterol is too high, but also when LDL and triglycerides are elevated, and your cholesterol ratio is above normal range. Having all of the values off is a sign of oxidized cholesterol. Cholesterol that has been damaged by free radical stress is called oxidized cholesterol and will stick to the linings of your blood vessels, which over time will clog arteries. Where are the free radical reactions coming from? Stress overload, lack of exercise, lack of sleep, candida overgrowth, and a poor diet (refined carbohydrates, trans fats, and sugar).

Tips on how to balance out and maintain healthy cholesterol levels:

• Exercise – cardiovascular exercise for 30 minutes four to five times a week.
• Eat a healthy diet – lean proteins (fish, turkey, chicken), raw nuts/seeds, vegetables, particularly dark leafy greens. Stay off alcohol, sugars, hydrogenated fats, and refined carbohydrates.
• Get 6 to 8 hours of quality sleep.
• If blood work results are all out of balance do Ann’s 90-Day Candida cure program and take NSI Red Yeast Rice + CoQ10 with No-Flush Niacin from vitacost.com

Important: If you are on a statin drug add in CoQ10 200 mg once a day from Jarrow on vitacost.com to replenish what the drug is depleting.