The Truth About High Cholesterol: what does it really mean?

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in our culture, which is attributed to hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol) in many cases.  One of the most common pharmaceutical prescriptions in our culture is for cholesterol lowering medication, which is for the treatment of hyperlipidemia.

Many allopathic practitioners recommend that any man over the age of 45 and woman over the age of 55 undergo screening to check for elevated cholesterol, because it is such a common occurrence.  It seems fairly harmless to undergo preventative diagnostic testing to determine risk factors for heart disease, but what we don’t consider is that, often times,  a high cholesterol reading will result in a patient receiving a prescription for a medication, such as Lipitor or Crestor.  These medications are to be used FOR THE REST OF THE PATIENT’S LIFE.

I wonder if the patients taking these medications truly understand what it means to have high cholesterol or how these drugs are actually working in their bodies.

What is Cholesterol?

On a very basic level, cholesterol could be described as fatty building blocks in the body.  Cholesterol plays a huge role in the cell repair process, as well as the construction and of vital body tissues.  When the body is in a state of overloaded toxicity, the body creates a fatty layer around it’s cells, constructed partially out of cholesterol.  It is associated with many normal functions of the human body.  In other words, it is meant to be there and is NEEDED by the body, to perform many normal physiological functions.  The questions is; what does it mean when there is a higher level than what’s required for these normal functions?

There are two types of cholesterol in the human body

LDL – low density lipoprotein (known by the modern medical profession, in laymen’s terms, as bad cholesterol).  This is the type of cholesterol which can build up on your artery walls, due to a high concentration of lipids (fats) in the blood and thereby increase risk for heart disease.

HDL – high density lipoprotein (known by the modern medical profession, in laymen’s terms, as good cholesterol)  This is the type of cholesterol which moderates the amount of LDL in your body.  The LDL builds up and the HDL carries it away.

When your doctor performs a cholesterol test, it is to determine the levels of LDL and HDL in the body.

So might a person’s LDL be elevated in the first place?  There can be many physiologically functional reasons.  For example, cholesterol is often elevated during times of hormone fluctuation, so elevated LDL levels can often be found in women of menopausal age (this is due to a completely normal physiological process).

Pathologically speaking, LDL can be elevated when the body is producing it as a protective mechanism in response to exposure to substances which are toxic to the body, such a unhealthy food choices or cigarette smoking.  When the body becomes overloaded with harmful substances, the LDL creates a fatty “shield” around the cells to protect them.  Unfortunately, if this high level cannot be moderated by the HDL in the body, that is, disposed of in an efficient manner, it can result in this build-up of fatty deposits on the interior or the arteries.  This leads to inefficient blood flow in the body, which can cause heart disease (most commonly, myocardial infarction – heart attack)

It is important to obtain proper perspective when considering these facts.

Let’s use the fire engine analogy.  When there is a fire in your neighbourhood, fire engines race to the scene to extinguish it.  Similarly, when the body is overloaded with toxicity, LDL levels are elevated due to the body’s protective response system (fatty cell shields).  While the fire engines are racing to the scene, they set off huge alarm bells and sirens, so people know there is a fire.  Elevated LDL could be seen as a fire engine alarm bell – it’s a warning sign.

Now, the people living in the neighbourhood get very upset when these fire engines make loud noises at 3am and wake everyone.  So how do we solve this?  Could we just take away the fire engines to solve the problem? Cholesterol lowering drugs are, in my opinion, as silly as taking away the fire engines to solve noise problem, which is actually caused by the fire, not the fire trucks themselves.  The fire is still there and will get much worse, eventually, because the root cause of the problem has not been solved.  If a patient takes medications such as Lipitor or Crestor, it will lower the LDL but it won’t solve the problem elevating the LDL in the first place.  It may, in fact, create more problems because these drugs are, in fact, inhibiting the body’s defence against harmful substances.  This may be why recent studies have shown that cholesterol lowering medications have been linked to increased risk for heart disease. (see www.pubmed.com for studies on this subject)

So what can one do if he or she has high cholesterol?  First of all, don’t accept a prescription for antihyperlipidemic medication right away.  Take a look at your life.  Are you eating well all the time?  Are you getting enough exercise?  Are you taking enough time to resolve stress?  If not, change!  Make the change forever.  Get help and guidance from an integrative health practitioner, nutritionist, lifestyle coach, etc.

What if you are already on antihyperlipidemic medication?  Read all about what you are doing.  www.lipitor.com is a good place to start.  Make sure you are fully aware of the mechanisms of action and side effects of these drugs (which are fairly extreme)  Speak to your doctor about steps you can take to come off of the medication properly and make sure you are doing all you can to live well, eat well, sleep well, exercise, de-stress, etc.  Seek help, do your research, make informed decisions.

Remember that you and only you are responsible for the state of your health.  It’s up to you to live the best life you can!

Healthcare is NOT free: Weighing the Costs

This morning, I engaged a discussion with a colleague who had recently paid a visit to the fracture department at Mount Sinai hospital, due to a broken limb.  He told me about a conversation he overheard through the fabric walls of the clinic.

The doctor said “Well we could do an arthroscopy to go in and clean out your knee to see if the pain will subside or we could just do a total knee replacement.  To be honest, I don’t know if the first option will really do much.  I think the knee replacement would be the best option for relief of your pain”.

My colleague and I wondered if this man had tried other options such as massage, acupuncture, physiotherapy, yoga, stretching therapy, osteopathy, shiatsu massage, herbal medicine, etc.  We discussed the notion that surgery should only be done as a last resort, as a life saving measure and that patients should make an effort to use less invasive procedures to help with their pain, before they resort to going under the knife.

Then he reminded me: “people choose western medicine and surgery because it is free”

My reaction was: “but it isn’t free”!

When people make medical decisions based on the fact that their chosen procedure is covered by OHIP, they may be not be directly paying out of pocket for the medical care, but they are paying.  OHIP is payed for by EVERYONE!  We pay with our hard earned dollars for people to undergo procedures which may or may not be necessary.

When making medical decisions, it is important to research all of the costs involved, direct or not.

The cost for a knee replacement is around $20 000.  This includes the surgery itself, anaesthetic, hospital stay and post operative rehabilitation.  The alarming thing is that many times, this procedure is done and it doesn’t even work.  Some patients end up in far more pain after the surgery than they ever were before.  The recovery is long (at least six weeks) and excruciatingly painful.

Let’s look at the cost of treating knee pain with alternative options:

For the purpose of this exercise, we will assume that the patient is having a knee replacement due to Rheumatoid Arthritis, an inflammatory condition.

Treatment with Chinese Medicine:
Acupuncture and Herbs for a six month treatment protocol which would include weekly acupuncture treatments and herbal remedies.
Acupuncture + Herbs per month = $240.00 + $80.00
6 Month protocol = $1,920.00

Nutritional Counselling with Holistic Nutritionist:
(as many Rheumatic conditions are related to diet)
6 Month protocol (including initial consultation, 7-10 day follow-up and twice-monthly follow-up appointments) = $910.00

Osteopathy:
Six Month protocol of weekly sessions ($120.00 per session) = $2,880.00

Registered Massage Therapy:
Six Month protocol of weekly sessions (100.00 per session) = $2,400.00

Personal Training and Exercise Coaching:
Six Month protocol of weekly sessions ($80.00 per session) = $1,920

Total of all services = $10,030

Now, I realize that it is not feasible for the average, working class person to pay for all of these treatments, I am merely trying to illustrate the theoretical cost of alternative medicine versus surgery.  If a patient wholeheartedly committed to just one of the above protocols, there would likely be a substantial difference in his or her quality of life.

This issue also provokes thought in regards to our culture’s desire for instant gratification.  We want what we want, when we want it.  There is little to no consideration of how our choices will affect us later in life or affect the whole or affect future generations.

If many people committed to using alternative therapies as their main medicine and only resorted to surgery in life threatening situations or as a last resort, there would be a substantially lower burden on our healthcare system and therefore a lower cost to taxpayers.  The benefit of this choice is not instantly obvious in our bank accounts but it will have huge returns in our own future and in the futures of our later generations.

There is also an element of personal responsibility that people are forced to take on, when using alternative therapies.  Most alternative practitioners will not claim that their modality will cure all of what ails their prospective clients (if they do, seek a second opinion!).  They will inform the patient that there is personal work to be done, over and above their commitment to the recommended protocol, such as diet and lifestyle changes, geographical relocation or psychological counselling.  Many patients are not willing to make these changes.  They want to continue to do what they’re doing and hope that someone, their doctor, will come along and fix them.

A Person with Rheumatoid Arthritis cannot expect to eat poorly, live a sedentary lifestyle AND have a pain-free existence without some pretty extreme interventions (such as surgery) and even then, there are no guarantees of success.

People who have been presented with surgery, as an option, in a non-life threatening situation, should ask themselves

What is the true cost of the suggested medical intervention?

Are there less invasive, less costly therapies?

Am I really doing all I can do, personally, to live a healthful life?

The answers to these questions provide a very important perspective; one which should be considered when making medical decisions.

Common is not Synonymous with Normal

I had this friend in college.  She was the queen of the post nasal drip.  Her nose was always running!  She was consistently replenishing the supply of facial tissue she kept in her purse, car, pocket, etc so she could be prepared to catch the drip on the end of her nose at a moment’s notice.  I asked her one day “did you know that noses aren’t supposed to drip all the time”? Her reply was “I don’t know, I’m just used to it”.

That attitude is the answer to so many little aches and pains we experience on a day to day basis.  They are, culturally, so common or we are just so used to them being around that we begin to see them as a normal part of physiology.  I have met so many women who believe it is a normal part life to have premenstrual syndrome or painful periods.  This is simply not true!  Painful periods are representative of underlying pathology.  This pathology may not, yet, be medically significant, but it does exist and should be treated, rather than disregarded.

It has become acceptable to go through life with everyday aches and pains, which we just place into the “part of life” category.  We believe that aging is automatically accompanied by pain, fatigue and substantial loss of physiological function.  I hear statements such as “it sucks being a woman” because we automatically assume that it means we have to spend a week of every month is discomfort for the majority of our adult lives!

We are not meant to live our lives in discomfort!  Pain is the body’s way of signaling that something is wrong.  Don’t ignore it!  We should be aiming to feel vibrant, full of life and pain free for our whole lives!   Everyone gets sick from time to time, this is an inevitable part of life.  But sensation of illness should be experienced for a relatively, fractionally, small period of time, compared to the rest of our days, which should be spent enjoying our bodies.

So how do we reach this seemingly impossible goal?  It’s very simple.  Live a life aimed at preventing disease.  Follow the suggestions I have provided over the last few weeks in my blog and you will be well on your way.

Eat well

Get enough sleep

Take quiet time for yourself

Minimize toxicity

Moderate your stress levels

Move your body daily through exercise

If you feel pain or discomfort, don’t accept it and definitely don’t mask it with medication!  Find natural modalities of treatment such as Chinese Medicine to treat these minor upsets before they become major pathologies.

Make your body and your health  your number one priority

You and only you can make the choice to live your life pain free and feeling well!  Make the choice to live the life of a healthful person.  It’s momentous in that once you change one area of your life and start to feel well, you will want to live healthfully in all aspects of your life!  Life is short, so let’s make sure we feel well enough to enjoy it!

Guest Appearance: Why Finding Inner-Peace is Overrated

I am very fortunate to have so many inspirational people in my life.  I have met (and have come to know and love) so many practitioners who are passionately dedicated to pushing the evolution of medicine.  One practitioner in particular, has had and continues to have a huge influence on my work.

 

Darren Austin Hall is a Toronto based Chinese Medicine Practitioner, who has recently written an e-book called Why Finding inner Peace Is Overrated.  I have included an exerpt from the short book, but please feel free to follow the link to his website to read the remaining pages.  On the website, you can also find more about Darren himself, as well as a collection of his brilliant writing on medicine, spirituality and life.

Please read and ponder the following piece of writing (this is just an intro, the rest in on Darren’s website).  It conveys what is, in my opinion, a very important message.  You feeback is always welcome and appreciated.  Also, feel free to contact Darren.  His information can be found on his website.

http://www.innertraditionshealing.com/

 

 

Why Finding Inner-Peace is Overrated

Finding inner-peace is one of the big ideas touted by spiritualists and new agers alike and yet in my own work in spirituality I find the notion to be misleading when it is put forth as one of our ultimate goals. Though I have attained much more peace in my life since devoting myself to spiritual work, I’ve also discovered much more turbulence as far as engaging the growing responsibilities that comes when one seriously decides to evolve their consciousness beyond egoic identity and renounce living selfishly unto themselves. In the ancient worldview of Taoism, we find an embracing of the only constant in life, change, and for anyone who has truly worked to transform themselves in the alchemy of spiritual work one knows that change is not always peaceful. In fact, often peace is not about transforming at all but finding enough comfort in where one is at now, even if where they are is not a morally good place. Unconditional love frequently pops up in new age healing at this juncture to comfort people who have messed up their lives and are in pain. The notion that engendering inner-peace through unconditionally loving them, assuaging them in good vibes, will inspire them to change their lives is suspect at best. In healing, cure is often generated only when a patient decides to change who they are, who they want to become and/or what they’re going to do about it. We aren’t cured by staying the same and our overwhelming defensiveness to do so and remain stagnant in a fortified identity is the very reason we often find ourselves dealing with pathology to begin with…

 
Please read on:

http://www.innertraditionshealing.com/media.html

 

 

The Composite vs Amalgam Debate

Before I began my journey into the world of alternative health care, I had my first career in dentistry.  I still practice part time as a dental hygienist in Toronto and I’ve noticed myself having the same conversation over and over again with patients when they find out I’m a practitioner of alternative medicine.  They want to know what I think of amalgam (silver) fillings.

There are many dentisits practicing as “holisitic dentists”.  Their main selling point is that Mercury is harmful and that we should all remove our amalgam fillings and replace them with composite resin (white) fillings.  And many people bite (parodon the pun) at this bait.  I see patients who have had fillings replaced in almost every tooth in their mouth.  That’s a lot of time in the chair, a lot of anaesthetic and a lot of fees from the dentist.  So is it really necessary?  Is it really the most healthful course of action?

When my patients ask me these quetions, I tell them I’ll provide them with my professional opinion and encourage them to do the reasearch and decide what they believe.

This post is my professional opinion.  It is intended to be only an assistance in your decision making path.  Just as with my own patients, when making this type of decision, I encourage you to do your own research.  Learn as much as you can.  Talk to others with similar experiences.  Read studies to support both sides of the argument.  Get a second and even third opinion.  Ask many questions.  Be sure you are truly making an informed decision.

Firstly, what is the difference between composite (white) fillings and amalgam (silver fillings)?  Composite resin fillings are, very basically, a plasic – made of various chemical compounds.  Amalgam fillings are made up of a blend of metals.  Dental amalgam consists roughly as a 50/50 mix of mercury and an alloy powder, usually composed of silver, zinc and/or palladium.

Important Considerations

The first obvious factor in deciding is aesthetics.  Obviously, if the patient is having a front tooth filled, the choice will be composite resin.  Also, some people prioritize aesthetics over anything else and prefer not to have metal showing in their mouth.  For the purpose of this information today, let us assume that the patient is having posterior (back) fillings done and that their primary focus is not aesthetics, but all of the other factors to consider.

Longevity: Amalgam wins by a landslide on this front.  In my clinical experience, I have observed that amalgam fillings can last up to four or five times longer than composite resins.  I have seen patients with fifty year old fillings in their teeth, which are still going strong.  On the other hand, a composite resin may last five to ten years if properly maintained, but is not uncommon to see composite resins break down after two to three years.  At this point, they need to be replaced.  This involves re-anaesthetizing the patient, preparing (drilling) the tooth and filling it with fresh material.

Toxicity: Most people are, at least, aware that there is potential for toxicity with the use of mercury.  In terms of studies, many have been done but very few have actually been able to prove the hypothesized risks.  In my opinion, the more important questions is; how toxic is mercury, relatively speaking, in comparison to composite?  There are two important considerations when asking this question.  Firstly, it is important to recognize that, contained in composite fillings, are many potentially dangerous compounds.  (I’m sure everyone remembers the Summer 2008 BPA – bisphenol A (Nalgene water bottle) controversy).  At that time, it was also discovered that many composite resins contained BPA.  Although many manufacturers have ommitted BPA from their composite ingredient list now, there are, still, many other questionable chemicals in the mix.

The other important factor to consider, as mentioned above, is longevity.  If a person acquires an amalgam filling and it lasts for years, they may acquire a certain level of toxicity along with it, but the filling will last for a few decades – perhaps the patient’s entire life.  If that same person chose composite resin instead, the filling may last 5 year (10 if the person is lucky).  At that point, the filling will need to be replaced.  Not only is the patient being exposed to the toxicity of another filling placement (which is when most of the chemical exposire takes place), he or she is also being exposed to a dose of anaesthetic as well as the stress of having a dental procedure - multiply this by sereral times over the course of the patient’s life.

I’m sure it’s easy to conclude, at this point, that I am in support of using dental amalgam for primary (original) fillings.  Although, the decision is completely up to the patient.  If the patient does the research and is able to make an imformed decision and still chooses composite, I completely respect their decision.

Do I support the replacement of amalgam fillings with composite resins from a prophylactic perspective?  Absolutely not!  Why fix something if it isn’t broken? (especially if, when you do the reaserch, you discover that amalgam may not be more or less toxic than composite resin to begin with)

When I have finished providing the patient with the above information, I remind them of the least toxic option of all of them: Prevention.  The majority of my patients only brush once per day (and do a poor job of it) and, even more shockingly, most people don’t floss daily (many people don’t floss at all!)  I encourage my patients to focus on preventing new cavities and maintaining the integrity of the existing restorations rather than worrying about toxicity related to amalgam exposure.  How about toxicity related to sugar consumption? (which obviously affects the teeth)  How about smoking cessation?  All of these factors are important to consider.

In conclusion, as with almost every other blog post, I would encourage patients to realise that there is no existing answer which is applicable to everybody.  Do the research.  Be informed.  Ask quesitons.  Make the decision which is right for you.

Supplementation? – Prevention series: part five

In my practice, I have always been cautious of recommending nutritional and therapeautic supplements to my patients.  Firstly, it’s not within my scope of practice as a Chinese Medicine practitioner – I am only allowed to prescribe Chinese Herbs.  Secondly, I do not believe they are effective in most cases.  Lastly, I believe it’s a “magic bullet” appraoch to what really should, for the most part, be solved diet and lifestyle changes.  Most of our daily requirements of vitamins and minerals which are necessary for healthy body function, can be obtained by the food we eat.  This approach requires careful planning and mindfulness in terms of what we eat – although, this is something we should all be prioritizing and striving for anyway.

Prioritization of convenience and avoidance of real life changes aside, some supplements can actually be quite dangerous.  These dangers are, surprisingly, not localized to the more obscure and rare supplements.  Even taking some of the most common, seemingly harmless supplements can be risky.  Keep in mind that these supplements are routinely prescribed by doctors, nutritionists and other practitioners.  Some of these supplements are recommended for consumption by EVERYONE, regardless of existence of pathology.

Any woman over the age of fifty or who has an increased risk for osteoporosis is instructed to take a calcium supplement.  A study came out in the summer of this year (July 2010) which concluded that supplementation of calcium could increase the risk of myocardial infarction (heart attack) by up to 30%.  There was also evidence of increased risk of stroke – but much less.  The study also concluded that this risk was limited to the increased consumption of calcium in supplement form, not in dietary form.  Interesting.  Even more interestingly, in a commentary, John Cleland of the University of Hull in Britain and colleagues point out that — regardless of possible impacts on heart attack rates — calcium supplements are probably not very efficient in reducing fractures in any case.

This discovery brings up many important questions, in my mind.

First of all, why are these supplements being promoted as safe and NECESSARY?  Do the promoters of these products truly have our health and our best interests at hand, or are they prioritizing something else entirely?  (Their own profits, perhaps?)

Secondly, what should we do instead of taking supplements?

As the study stated, the risks are only involved with increasing calcium consumption in supplement form, not from our diets.  So what can we eat?
Here are some suggestions:

- leafy green vegetables (kale, spinach, collard greens, dandelions greens, turnip greens, beet greens, just to name a few)
- salmon and sardines (even better if you eat the bones)
- almonds
- sesame seeds
- beans
- amaranth (a very small and delicious whole grain)
- blackstrap molasses

I’m sure you will note that I have not included dairy products on my list of recommended foods.  This is for many reasons (the anti-milk debate is another blog entry entirely!)  On the subject of calcium alone, dairy products may be a rich source but they are not an effective source.  It is extremely difficult for the body to absorb calcium in that form.  In order for calcium absorption to take place, the body requires an acidic environment (so eat your leafy greens with a little vinegar on top!).  Dairy products are basic in nature and therefore neutralize acid in the body and prevent proper absorption.

For more information on the above mentioned study, visit this link

Besides the obvious motivation to change our views on priority of proper diet and appropriate lifestyle, studies such as this one bring up other important ponderings.  As questioned before, why are these products being promoted as safe/effective/necessary?  Who is in charge of allowing these products to be prescribed before the safety and efficacy are truly tested and discovered?  The answer is, someone who doesn’t have your best interests at heart.  The only one who can truly look out for your health is you.  Ask questions.  Do your research.  Be prepared to make changes and be to uncomfortable and inconvenienced on your journey to health.  Share your new-found knowledge with others!  Spread the word! Choose change, evolution, health for yourself and health for the whole!

Being an Informed Patient – Prevention Series: Part Four

I often have the same exchange with my patients.  Something along the lines of  “You’ve changed my life” or “Thank-you for healing my <insert various sign or symptom here>”.  My answer to this is always “I’m just gave to tools and knowledge to guide you in the right direction.  It’s you who has healed your body through the work that you’ve done”.  One of my favourite examples of the other side of this is “I can give you all the acupuncture and herbs in the world but if you don’t quit smoking, you are never going to get rid of your chest pain”

What I wish to emphasize here is that professional practitioners – alternative and mainstream alike – can merely provide direction and tools to shift your physiology, but it is, ultimately, you and only you who can foster true, lasting healing.  You must live your life in a healthful way in order to maximize your treatments and achieve lasting results.

That being said, it is important to know what you’re getting from your healthcare provider.  I have met many patients who are taking quite a large collection of pharmaceutical medications, some of which, they have been on for years.  I am often surprised to hear that they have no idea what most of them are for.  Beyond the obvious safety issues and lack of true informed consent, how are these patients supposed to do their part on their own if they don’t know what they’re being treated for?

Alternative and mainstream medicine are constantly evolving.  There are daily announcements of the latest and greatest therapies.  This leaves us with so many options to choose from when selecting an appropriate treatment.  Is so important to be well versed in the condition you are experiencing so you can ask the right questions of your doctor/practitioner to make sure your treatment is the best option for you.  In the age of the internet, there is an abundance of information available to us.  This means that we are more than capable of becoming familiar with whichever pathology we are experiencing and therefore understand the treatments which may be offered, be it surgery or acupuncture, herbal medicine or dietary therapy.

You and only you are responsible for your health and wellbeing.  Don’t accept therapy just because it is a doctor or practitioner offering it to you.
Do your research.
Be informed.
Take an active role in making decisions which affect your health!