I am totally all for taking care of our bodies in ways that are glorifying to the Lord, respecting the temples that the Holy Spirit dwells within, not abusing our bodies in various ways such as through too much of this or that, not engaging in toxic activities, not adopting addictions and idolizing food, exercise, our shapes or what not. I believe that the Lord desires for every one of His creations to do the best they can health-wise, with what they know. And this is why I am beginning to get a tad irritated with the rise in Christian holistic practitioners (hold on, yes I am one, but just hear me out first) who are using the Bible to gain fame and recognition through their latest and greatest “eat this not that” books and practices. Yes, the Bible is full of sound wisdom on healing herbs and foods (such as hyssop for cleansing, milk and honey, yeast-free bread, olives and pomegranates, not too much wine, only vegetables for ten days, etc.). However, it is also filled with verses that talk about not idolizing food, all foods are declared clean (in the NT), and well, my personal favorite declaration - physical healing through confessing our sins to one another! I don’t intend to write a book on why we should not use the Bible any more to tell us how to eat. But I do want to convey that I personally don’t feel that all of these new nutrition books that are using the Bible to make profit or to scare people into cleansing or to follow a certain diet, or to give up this or that for good is very honoring to God. His grace, mercy, unconditional love and healing power is what we should be focusing on – not on wondering if this food that I’m about to put into my mouth is a no-no in the Bible.
Yup, they sure are!.... Chicken feet! And here's why I eat them. Bone Broth!... A Traditional, Incredibly Cheap, Delicious Superfood! Traditional cultures the world over have included bone broth in their daily diets, but in our fast paced society today the art of making good bone broth has been largely forgotten, and the numerous health benefits sacrificed. Since becoming more and more familiar and enchanted with the diets of ancient cultures and how our ancestors maintained their health by way of common sense rather than the news and Barnes ‘n Nobles, creating bone broths on a regular basis has become joyous and second nature to me. Not only is it delicious and nourishing, but homemade broth (especially with a few chicken feet thrown in) is full of the amino acids necessary for collagen production; proline, glycine and hydroxyproline. There is a wide array of healthy ways to create your bone broths, and variety is definitely the spice of life, but there are a few ingredients that my broths always contain - chicken feet, apple cider vinegar and sea salt. It’s the chicken feet that adds the “umph” of gelatin, collagen and trace minerals, which are so essential for a broth. Collagen is Made From Amino Acids in Bone and Cartilage Collagen is the single most abundant protein in the animal kingdom. Made from proline, glycine and hydroxyproline these amino acids are abundant in the cartilage, bone and the skin of animals and fish. Biochemically, there are several different types of collagen which appear in different types of tissue from bone, tendon and ligament to mucous membranes throughout the body including the intestinal tract and the cornea of the eye. In order for the body to make collagen from these basic building blocks, the amino acids have to be hydroxylated– simply put, water is added. With one exception, all types of collagen are triple helixes, which makes them very strong fibers. Type IV can be a flatter shape depending upon the sequence of amino acids in its formation. All of these processes require vitamin C as an enzyme cofactor. That is why the disease scurvy — a deficiency of vitamin C will affect all collagen tissue whether it is in the skin, bones, joints or gums. The wrinkled skin of people who are long time smokers reflects the deficiency of vitamin C and it’s effect on collagen as smoking breaks vitamin C down. Gelatin is Made From Collagen Gelatin is derived from collagen. It is the protein portion of collagen. Commercially it is used for a variety of ways in the food, pharmaceutical and even the paper industry. Gelatin may be obtained as a processed food item for use in home cooking. The most obvious place to get collagen and gelatin — so necessary for human bone, joint and membrane health — is from the bones, joint and skin tissue of animals. Learning how to make homemade stock is critical for good health. It can be included at least once a day as a small bowl or cup of broth or it can be made in to a more complex soup or gravy. Once you get over the learning curve it is simple. Three Frugal Ways to Improve Bone and Joint Health as well as Intestinal Membrane Health 1 — Chicken stock made from a whole, pastured, organic chicken that includes the bones, skin, feet (and even the head if you can get it) into a crock-pot with vegetables, apple cider vinegar, sea salt and water, simmering overnight on low. 2 — Beef or lamb bones can be used — preferable knucklebones and marrow bones. Bones are cheaply and easily obtained from your local farmer or butcher. 3 — Fish stock can be made from one large fish carcass. A fish carcass is cheaply and easily obtained from the fish monger. You can get all three recipes from Sally Fallon-Morell for chicken stock, beef stock and fish stock here. The difference between a stock and a broth is that the stock is made with the bones as well as vegetables and meat while the broth is only made with the meat and vegetables. Stock or bone broth make the most nutrient dense broths as they are filled with collagen and gelatin as well as minerals which are easier to absorb and made even easier to absorb if some fat is added to the broth in the form of cream. These bone broths are essential for people recovering from leaky gut or intestinal dysbiosis and play a large role in the GAPS diet. If you don’t have access to chicken feet you may add some high quality gelatin to the broth. Kelp is a sea vegetable, containing the most minerals of any food in the world. It is abundantly rich in vitamins, amino acids and fiber, and is even found to have seven to ten times the mineral content of familiar vegetables such as broccoli. No food gives you higher amounts of iodine, the mineral that helps your thyroid regulate metabolism and keep you at a healthy weight. Kelp also helps carry radioactive substances and heavy metals safely out of your body. Uses: - Shake powdered kelp granules on your food (eggs, meat, veggies, etc.) in place of salt and you’ll take in 60% less sodium chloride. - Add dried kelp to soups and stews for the added minerals and nutrients. - Soak dried kelp with your beans to tenderize them and make them more digestible. - Snack on dried kelp between meals to curb hunger and speed up your metabolism, bringing you some extra energy to get you through the day. - Toss kelp granules into your homemade quiche. - Soak dried kelp in water for 15 minutes and add to quinoa and add to chickpeas Cholesterol is often misunderstood. For most, the slightest mention of “cholesterol” strikes fear and disgust.
But do you even know what it is or what it does for your body? If your answer was “not so much”, then this guide will attempt to clear things up for you, and give you a thorough understanding of Cholesterol, so that you can make better dietary and lifestyle decisions—decisions based on fact and free of conjecture. I present to you: THE TRUTH ABOUT CHOLESTEROL So what is cholesterol, really? If you said… That thing that’s in egg yolks that I’m not supposed to eat a lot of. …then you’d only be half right. The scientific definition: Cholesterol is a sterol (or modified steroid), and an essential structural component of animal cell membranes that is required to establish proper membrane permeability and fluidity. Which is to say that it’s a waxy, fat-like compound that is transported in the blood plasma of all animals. It’s primary function is to build and maintain cell membranes (the outer layer), but it also: — decides which molecules can enter the cell and which can’t — has major involvement in the production of sex hormones — is essential for the production of hormones released by the adrenal glands — aids in the production of bile — converts sunlight into Vitamin D. — is important for the metabolism of fat soluble vitamins, including vitamins A, D, E, and K — insulates nerve fibers Pretty impressive steroid, isn’t it? That’s why our bodies make about 85% of the cholesterol currently coursing through your blood stream. Your liver kicks out about 1,000 milligrams of cholesterol a day! The rest of it (the other 15%) comes from dietary sources, mainly foods high in animal fat like cheese, egg yolk, beef, pork, chicken, fish and shrimp. Most ingested cholesterol is poorly absorbed, and the body also compensates for any unneeded cholesterol by lowering cholesterol synthesis. This means that dietary cholesterol intake has almost no effect on total cholesterol levels! This is a point of confusion for many people. We’re often told to heavily consider moderating our consumption of foods that are high in cholesterol, when the truth is, most cholesterol is endogenous (originate from within us) and highly regulated by the body. Let’s discuss this further. THE GREAT DEBATE: BLOOD CHOLESTEROL VS. DIETARY CHOLESTEROL When you go to your doctor to measure your cholesterol levels, he’s actually measuring the amount of cholesterol circulating in your blood (your blood cholesterol level). So if our bodies create and regulate cholesterol levels, what’s the big fuss about dietary cholesterol consumption? It’s that extra 15%. If you naturally have high cholesterol, then that little extra can push you over the edge. This is why the American Heart Association recommends that we limit our average daily cholesterol intake to 300 milligrams. Cholesterol is carried in the blood by molecules called lipoproteins. These carrier molecules are important because cholesterol cannot dissolve in water (nor blood), so they need these little “taxi” proteins to move them from the liver to the cells and back again. It is the oversimplification of the movement of these “taxi” proteins that have spawned names like “good” an “bad” cholesterol. CHOLESTEROL: THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE NEUTRAL Let’s take a closer look at these lipoproteins and their function in our blood stream: LDL (low density lipoprotein): “Bad” cholesterol. LDLs are the major cholesterol carriers in the blood. If too much cholesterol is present in a cell, then the liver reduces the number of LDL receptors. This means that more LDLs become present in the blood, and they can do whacky things like depositing cholesterol on artery walls, forming plaque. Too much cholesterol (more than the body needs), means more LDL (“bad” cholesterol) running amok in your blood stream, which means more plaque in your arteries, which could increase your risk of arterial diseases. HDL (high density lipoprotein): “Good” cholesterol. HDL does the opposite of LDL—it moves the cholesterol from the cells and back to the liver. Experts say that the more HDL you have in your blood stream, the less likely your risk of arterial diseases. Think of HDLs like drain cleaner that you pour in your sink, but instead of removing all that dried toothpaste and cat hair, it’s removing the nasty stuff collected on your artery walls. Triglycerides: This is the official name for the chemical form that fat exists in your body—present in blood plasma. Triglycerides, in association with cholesterol, form the plasma lipids (blood fat). The triglycerides in our blood come from the fat present in our food, or are made in the body from other energy sources, like carbs. Calories we eat but don’t use for energy, are converted into triglycerides and stored in fat cells. When our body needs energy but you haven’t eaten since last night’s steak dinner, then these triglycerides are released from your fat cells and used as energy. THE TRUTH ABOUT HIGH CHOLESTEROL (AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT!) So are you feeling pretty confident that you know everything there is to know about cholesterol? Are you less worried now about your 5-steak-per-day diet, knowing that dietary cholesterol intake isn’t as scary as “they” would have you believe? But what is this? You came back from your doctor and he said that your have “high cholesterol”? What does that even mean, you ask?! Well, before we get into “high” cholesterol, let us see what the NHS (National Health Service) has to say about “normal” cholesterol levels. The following is a list of cholesterol levels and how most doctors would categorize them (in mg/dl (milligrams/deciliter): High cholesterol = higher than 240 mg/dL Borderline-high = 200 to 239 mg/dL Best = 200 mg/dL and below So if your doctor came back and said that your cholesterol is at 247mg/dL, then you have “high” cholesterol. But while he may be quick to tell you to cut out the eggs and take a few capsules a day of Lipitor, consider this: There are no conclusive studies that can effectively link “high” cholesterol with heart disease. So it’s very likely that you can take the drugs and lower your cholesterol, but still be in danger of getting heart disease. The inverse is also true, you can have high cholesterol and not ever fall prey to a heart attack. Cardiologist Stephen Sinatra, M.D., says that the primary cause of heart disease isn’t cholesterol, but inflammation: “Small injuries to the vascular wall—which can be caused by anything from high blood pressure to toxins—cause oxidized (damaged) LDL particles take up residence in the area. The immune system responds by sending inflammatory cytokines to the “rescue,” eventually resulting in plaque and an increased risk for heart disease.” Here are some other, more natural, less pharmaceutical ways to fight off heart disease. (If you incorporate these action items into your daily life, you may realize that you don’t ever have to worry about cholesterol ever…EVER.) Eat an anti-inflammatory diet. (Ahem, Paleo, ahem.) Reduce intake of grains, starches, processed sugars and omega-6 fatty acids (to ZERO if possible. It’s possible.). Chill out. (A Health Coach can help you with this!) Get off your booty and move it! Put down the cigars. Supplement with antioxidants, vitamin C, Coenzyme Q10, omega-3 fatty acids, and my latest fave – trace minerals. So if there were no inflammation, then the arteries would be free and clear. Food for thought. CHOLESTEROL AND THE PALEO DIET The majority of people that begin eating a Paleo diet, see their blood lipids improve, there have been tests that show a significant minority of people see their LDL levels rise. This has led to some speculation that the age-old idea that eating a diet high in animal fats will negatively effect cholesterol levels. Before allowing these tests to color what we have already learned about cholesterol, let’s go over what happens when you eat a Paleo diet and how this may effect your blood cholesterol: Micronutrient deficiency: If you’re new to Paleo and have not been eating a wide variety of foods, it’s quite possible that you’re deficient in a few key micronutrients. Consult with a Paleo nutritionist or search the Internet for Paleo diets proven to be rich in the essential micronutrients that will help proper cholesterol production and movement. Weight loss: When you go Paleo, you often lose weight by burning body fat rather than lean muscle mass. That means that during this weight loss phase, your body is releasing thousands of calories worth of fat into your blood stream as triglycerides and free fatty acids. This will definitely increase the temporary amount of LDLs in your blood stream, but check again when your weight stabilizes and you’ll find that everything is back to normal. More activity than carbs: If you’re running a full triathlon every morning without giving your body the proper amount of carbs (glucose) to sustain that level of activity, your body conserves what glucose is available. In order to preserve the little glucose available, the T3 thyroid hormone is reduced. And lowered T3 can lead to lowered LDL receptors, which means more of those “bad” cholesterol taxis are cruising through your blood stream, and showing up on your doctor’s blood cholesterol chart. If you’re new to the Paleo diet, please be aware of the above and how they effect your cholesterol before you go freaking out. Just be prepared. WRAPPING IT ALL UP Okay, let’s take a break. Breath in and out. Stretch. We’re now at the end of our comprehensive look at cholesterol. Hopefully, here’s what you’ve learned: - Cholesterol is not some deadly poison, but a natural substance vital to the cells and lives of all mammals. - “Bad” cholesterol and “Good” cholesterol are just names given to lipoproteins that move cholesterol away from and towards your liver, respectively. - High cholesterol and heart disease have not been proven to be directly correlated. - Your body produces more than four times more cholesterol than you eat. - LDLs may increase during the beginning phase of a Paleo diet but will often stabilize as your body adapts. - The risk of heart disease can be lowered by eating an anti-inflammatory diet, exercising, reducing levels of stress, not smoking, and taking supplements. I hope that reading this guide will help you make more informed decisions about what you put into your body and what you do with it! Go get ‘em! |
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