Ross Walter Nutritionist and Naturopath health articles and blog - Ross Walter Nutritionist & Naturopath

Eggs are good for you! Eggs do not raise your cholesterol!

2/4/2019

A little while back, the humble egg was demonised and many people were warned off eating them because they (shock, horror!) contained cholesterol and FATS! As a result, many people still have issues or an aversion to eating eggs because they believe they are unhealthy or cause weight gain or other health issues. But is this belief actually true?! Read on...

Back in the 1970s and 1980s, there were plenty of health warnings about not eating foods which contained fats or cholesterol, as it was believed that fats and cholesterol caused heart disease. This theory was quickly disproven, and shown to be the result of very poor research at the time. Many recent scientific studies proves that fats can be good for you (even saturated fats!), as they do not cause heart disease (yes, especially saturated fats and cholesterol!) or weight gain or diabetes or other chronic health conditions. It seems that old beliefs are hard to change in some people, despite all the recent scientific evidence! I have written several articles on heart disease, saturated fats and cholesterol in the past, so have a look for those below.

But back to the eggs... can they be good for you? Absolutely yes! BUT they have to be the right type of eggs, stored properly and even cooked properly for you to get the best benefits! The best quality eggs will be high in protein, and contain healthy anti-inflammatory omega-3 fats, the same as those found in fish, which is why they are good for you!

The best eggs - are certified organic, fresh (they completely sink when submerged in water), and are from free-range chickens who have access to the sun and grass OUTSIDE!

What to avoid - cracked or old eggs (which float or partly float when submerged), those from chickens fed on grains (as these contain less or no omega-3 oils, but a lot of inflammatory omega-6 oils, and not to mention antibiotics and possible hormones added into their feed), or caged eggs from battery operation chickens (inside in cramped and tiny cages which stresses and weakens them).

Cooking eggs should be done carefully to not overcook them (especially the yolk!). Omega-3 oils are quite intolerant to heat for long periods, but still shouldn't be overcooked. Eggs should be poached or lightly boiled so the yolks are still runny for the best benefits! Eggs are also a great source of proteins, and many other vitamins and minerals.

So it is safe to eat eggs regularly! What are your favourite ways to eat eggs?

"We got it wrong on cholesterol" say nutrition experts

27/8/2018

At a major nutrition conference in Switzerland in June 2018, many of the world's top nutritionists, scientists and doctors presented many historical and recent published studies, to look at the recommended food guidelines around the world, how they came to be, and what can be done to improve them based on more recent research, in the light of the current epidemics of obesity, heart disease and other chronic diseases.

The food guidelines in most large developed countries were designed with the idea to reduce the growing rate of heart disease back in the 1980s. Their advice was to reduce saturated fat in the diet, reduce cholesterol-rich foods (and blood cholesterol levels), reduce salt, but also increase plant seed oils and whole grains. This on the whole seemed to make sense on one level, but even back then the nutrition science community wasn't in agreement.

The ONE major study which caused a change in belief of nutrition and later the development of the food guidelines was a paper known as the "7 countries study" in the late 1950s by Dr Ancel Keys, an epidemiologist, and creator of the K-rations used in the armed services. His study showed that there was a link between saturated fat (and cholesterol) intake and heart disease, and based on his study, he lobbied and pressured the medical authorities to believe that cholesterol was the major cause of heart disease which was not the opinion at the time. And so it became the "low fat, low cholesterol era".

It didn't work did it? The rates of heart disease and other chronic disease shot up, to epidemic proportions all around the world which we see today.

Why? Because Dr Keys actually studied the heart disease rates and diets (only on paper, not real health results) of people from 22 countries, but he only published the data on 7 countries which actually matched his perceived opinion (i.e. reporting bias). When the data from the other "missing" 15 countries was later analysed by other scientists, they found that they did not come up with the same findings as the 7 which were reported. In fact, when all of the data was analysed together, there was NO correlation between cholesterol and heart disease at all! Sadly this misrepresentation of data in scientific studies continues to this day, which makes it difficult for you (and me!) to sort out the truth from the BS!

And this is confirmed in many more recent and quality studies, which show that high blood cholesterol levels are NOT associated with an increased risk of heart disease at all! In fact the OPPOSITE is the case - low cholesterol levels (especially seen in those taking cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins) actually increase the risk of heart disease. Other studies show that 50-75% of people who have had heart attacks do NOT have high cholesterol levels, but "normal" levels! So there must be something else which is causing this epidemic of heart disease!

And we know what this is! More on this in the next article.

Coming back to the recent Swiss nutrition conference... the general consensus of the nutrition experts there was that "we got it wrong on saturated fat and cholesterol with respect to heart disease". They admitted it! Which is a massive step in turning around this epidemic we have.

Now we need the government nutrition bodies to realise the truth too. No more covering their backsides or hiding the truth, so that they don't get sued. They can't hide the truth any longer. We know what's really going on, and we know why - they have made a lot of money deceiving people and making them sicker to sell more pharmaceuticals and useless medical procedures.

Let's hope that the admission by leading experts that "we got it wrong" on cholesterol and saturated fat will be the start of a major change in nutrition advice!

always read product labels before you buy!

21/1/2018

In the past couple of days I have been asked about a few different food products, to advise if they are actually ok, healthy or legitimate. Sadly none of them were...

By law, packaged food products must display an ingredients list (in decreasing order of weight), nutritional panel, and products are limited in what they can claim as healh benefits of those foods.

In the past days or so I've reviewed a "diet" jelly product, only to find it contains 4 known additives (artificial sweeteners and colours) which have been proven to cause cancer and are banned in many countries, and other additives which can cause intolerances or allergies, hyperactivity in children, weight gain, diabetes, and other symptoms and conditions. Or bottled water, from China?! How on earth does this stuff actually get approved for sale?

Another product being widely marketed at the moment is a "cholesterol-lowering" breakfast cereal, claiming to reduce your cholesterol by 9%! Why? All of the quality independent research in the last 10+ years on cholesterol proves that having high cholesterol levels does NOT cause heart disease! In fact, the same research shows that the lower you cholesterol level is, the HIGHER your risk of death by heart disease. Our bodies NEED lots of cholesterol - without it you can't make your male or female hormones, you can't make vitamin D for good immune health or to reduce inflammation, and you can't make the walls of hundreds of millions of new cells every day to replace old or worn out cells. Your energy production will suffer, as will your brain function, heart function, and much more, without good cholesterol levels. A 9% drop in cholesterol isn't actually going to do much anyway, despite their hype. For example, a total cholesterol level of 5.0 will only be lowered by 0.45, or a level of 6 will be reduced to 5.46 - not really an amount to get excited about.

The marketing of the cholesterol lowering cereal is a bit dubious or misleading at best, when you read the fine print on the box or their website... which says: "2g of plant sterols daily lowers cholesterol within 4 weeks as part of a healthy diet low in saturated fat and sugar"! The key words here are "as part of a healthy diet low in sugar", as simply lowering your sugar intake on its own will lower your cholesterol! Having a healthy diet without any grain products will also lower cholesterol, but weetbix on its own (without other dietary changes) will actually increase bad cholesterol!

Dubious and toxic ingredients are not only found in your "food" products, but other products you use on a daily basis too - household cleaning products, shampoos, toothpastes, washing powders/liquids, and many, many more.

Hence it pays to read and understand the ingredients in all of your products which you might eat, use or be exposed to. For your foods, I use a free app on my phone called "Food Additives", or for chemicals in personal hygiene or cleaning products, a free app called "Think Dirty". There are other similar ones around. I highly recommend using such products and checking product labels BEFORE you buy them in the supermarket!

The more you are familiar with the chemicals which you put on and in your body, and avoid them, the better your health (and that of your family) will be! Or better yet, just buy more fresh, real, whole foods, which don't come with product labels - vegies, fruit, quality grass-fed meats and healthy fats!

What is MTHFR?

19/1/2018

What is MTHFR?! No, it isn't an acronym for something very rude, but for Methylene-TetraHydroFolate Reductase, which is a bit of a mouthful, so MTHFR is much easier!

MTHFR is a human gene, which codes for the production of an enzyme of the same name. The MTHFR enzyme is important for chemical reactions in the body involving vitamin B9 (also called "folate"). The enzyme converts the folate in your food (mainly in plant based foods) into the active form of folate which your body can then use.

Folate is important for many purposes - the synthesis of DNA and the production of new cells, for "methylation" reactions (such as turning on and off gene expression), for metabolising amino acids from proteins (for hormone and neurotransmitter production), for the production of red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets, to turn off inflammation, for energy production, for critical detoxification functions, and many more functions.

The MTHFR gene and enzyme are especially important because mutations of this gene can have significant impacts on your health. Depending on which mutation of this gene you may have, of which there are 34 different ones, there are 2 main variants which can be tested for, because of their importance in your body.

Depending on the type of MTHFR mutation you may have, it can mean a 20% loss of function, or 40% or even up to a 70% loss of function to the MTHFR enzyme activity. This means that all of the uses of folate can be severely compromised. One of the biggest impacts of a MTHFR mutation is regarding detoxification of chemicals from the body. If your body cannot detoxify environmental toxins efficiently, this can cause a lot of chronic physical and mental health issues.

"Folic Acid", which is an artificially synthesised form of folate found in many vitamin and mineral supplements, is not the same thing as the natural folate. It doesn't have the same effects at all. But most importantly, IF you have the a MTHFR genetic mutation, you MUST NOT be taking any supplement with folic acid in it. Because your body cannot metabolise folic acid properly, folate levels in your blood and body can build up and reach toxic levels, and also inhibit the metabolism of natural folate. Some studies and researchers have suggested that even people without any MTHFR mutation should still avoid all supplements with folic acid in them. There are other forms of folate in supplements which are safer and more effective!

MTHFR mutations are common in people who have heart disease, glaucoma, many psychiatric or mental health conditions, some types of cancers, high levels of inflammation, infertility and recurrent miscarriages, autism spectrum disorders, and many other chronic health issues which don't seem to go away no matter what you do for them. If you suspect you may have a MTHFR mutation due to chronic health issues, you can get tested for this.

Testing for the MTHFR mutation can easily be done with a simple blood test. This test costs just $90, but can be very useful in helping you to achieve your health goals! If you have (or someone you know has) health issues which don't seem to be improving, despite being on a good treatment plan, then a MTHFR genetic mutation can often be the cause of this. Testing for the mutation can give peace of mind and the effects of the mutation can be greatly reduced as there are additional steps in a treatment plan which you may need to include. Please contact me or the clinic to arrange a MTHFR test!

More LOW FAT GUIDELINES PROVEN WRONG

29/10/2017

I love looking at how nutrition affects your health, in positive healthy ways as well as the negative effects of some foods or nutrients. Heart disease is, well... close to my heart, as it runs in my family. Despite the "heart health" food guidelines of low fat, and low salt over the past few decades, heart disease is still the largest killer of men and women in Western countries. Have the government food guidelines since the 1970s caused this? I say it has...

A very recent new study was published in The Lancet (one of the world's most prestigious medical journals) on 29th Aug 2017, finding that a higher intake of carbohydrates was associated with a higher risk of earlier death, whereas a higher intake of healthy fats, including saturated fat, actually reduced the risks and incidences of heart disease and other conditions.

The study was admittedly not of a high quality, being based on questionnaires about food intake (carbs vs proteins vs fats), body measurements, lifestyle choices, medicines, and medical history including cardiovascular events (heart attacks, stroke, and other symptoms) and other non-heart related conditions. As such, there is an element of possible inaccuracies about what people may answer in the questionnaires compared to their truth. But the number of people investigated was high - over 135,000 adults from 35-70 years, from low, middle and high income groups in many countries on five continents. Respondents were followed up at 3, 6 and 9 years later, with repeated measurements and questionnaires to assess changes, nutrition, health, deaths and other factors.

People in some countries obtained most of their energy from a very high carbohydrate intake, even up to 70% or more, which is higher than Australia's food guidelines of 45%-65% carbohydrate intake, and certainly higher than what I see in my clients at 50-60% carbohydrate intake. Another issue with the study is that there was no differentiation between "good" carbohydrates of vegetables and fruit, compared to the "bad" carbs of sugar, grain products, alcohol etc. This is a huge flaw in the study, as some people in rural Asian countries eating mostly a plant-based diet with some animal protein and healthy fats (and thus being very healthy) are being seen the same as people in modern Western towns eating a truckload of sugar, bread and alcohol, with massive grain-fed steaks.

Another flaw of the study was the implied assumption that all people from many different countries, cultures, and ethnicities, are somehow all the same and should eat exactly the same foods! Different ethnicities have different genetics, and as such, have different nutritional needs due to different biochemical and metabolic physiologies.

While the attention-grabbing news headlines of the study suggests that eating more carbs and less fats contributes to increased heart disease and death, or that eating more healthy fats leads to less heart disease, the truth (in this study at least) wasn't so exciting.

Some of the findings were:
- Higher carbohydrate intake was linked to increased risk of mortality
- Higher carbohydrate intake was NOT linked to an increased risk of heart disease
- Total fat intake was associated with lower risk of mortality
- Higher saturated fat intake was associated with a lower risk of stroke, but not other heart disease conditions.

Another interesting result from the study was that a higher animal protein intake was associated with a lower risk of mortality, but no association was found with regard to plant protein.

The study concluded with: "Global dietary guidelines should be reconsidered in light of these findings.". No, they shouldn't! As much as I would love to see the dietary guidelines changed, away from their current food industry sponsored/biased advice, to more current scientific evidence as seen in many other better quality published studies, the guidelines shouldn't be changed based on this poor quality and flawed study!

What is my message from this study? Ignore the sensationalist news headlines or articles for this study, as it doesn't tell the full story! There are much better studies showing the association between eating "bad" refined/processed carbs and heart disease, or saturated fat intake not being associated with heart disease.

And for the best nutrition and health advice, see your Nutritionist or Naturopath, who can tailor a nutrition plan specifically for you, taking into account your health history and your health goals!

new research shows artificial sweeteners cause weight gain

18/7/2017

I have written and warned people before about the dangers of some artificial sweeteners (see my other articles below or on my Facebook page), but some new research has been published which again confirms some of the major dangers of these chemicals (Azad et al., 2017).

This new study, published today (17th July 2017), reviewed 37 other studies on over 400,000 people and up to a 10-year follow-up. The study focused on artificial sweeteners such as aspartame and sucralose, usually found in diet soft drinks and cordials, and weight loss shakes or protein powders, to name just a few products they are in. The study also looked at studies on stevioside (Stevia extract).

Some of the findings included that the artificial sweeteners can:

1) have adverse effects on glucose metabolism
2) affect your gut microbiome (digestive bacteria) by acting as an antibiotic
3) affect appetite control by stimulating appetite and preventing fullness after a meal, so you eat more and put on more weight
4) increase fat stores, thus contributing to obesity
5) increase the risk of various heart disease symptoms, including high blood pressure, stroke, and other heart-related events
6) increase the risk of type 2 diabetes.

The study concluded to say that they found "the consumption of non-nutritive sweeteners was NOT associated with weight loss", and that "the evidence does not clearly support the intended benefits of non-nutritive sweeteners for weight management", and "routine consumption of non-nutritive sweeteners may be associated with a long-term increase in weight and elevated risk of cardiometabolic disease".

This study highlights the importance of checking your product labels for these chemicals - aspartame (E951), sucralose (E955), and stevioside (E960), and avoiding these products. Install an additive app on your smart phone so you can check the additive numbers while you are shopping!

If you feel you need to use artificial sweeteners to lose weight, then you are not focusing on the causes of weight gain, and you can be making your weight worse.

If your weight is an issue, I can help by identifying all the causes of your weight gain, and resolving those to help you to achieve a healthy weight! This can be done with personalised consultations, or our weight loss program.

Please contact me for more information.

Is salt good or bad for your health?

28/5/2017

For decades we have been told that salt is bad for us, will give us heart disease and will kill us. We are told it is as bad as smoking, not exercising, or eating saturated fat or cholesterol. The latter has been thoroughly disproven as a cause of heart disease, so is salt just another example of poor science which is actually us more harm? Read on!

"Salt" comes in many types, but the main health complaints are about "sodium chloride" or "table salt". The alleged issue with salt is that is causes high blood pressure which puts undue strain on your heart and blood vessels, leading to kidney damage, heart disease and heart attacks.

Sodium levels in your body can be affected by many factors including intake of potassium and calcium (deficiencies of these can cause higher sodium levels), water intake, amount of exercise undertaken, alcohol intake, and other factors.

Blood pressure on the other hand can be affected by many factors also, including stress, nutrient intake (and deficiencies), weight gain, genetics, age, metabolic hormones, blood sugar levels, and other causes.

Hence salt intake is only one of many possible causes of high sodium levels and blood pressure!

However, in many published studies high blood pressure isn't caused by salt, but salt may exacerbate pre-existing high blood pressure symptoms or heart issues, or in those with diabetes or kidney conditions. Over 80% of people with normal blood pressure do not show any signs of high blood pressure from increasing their salt intake. Even those with high blood pressure, 75% are not sensitive to salt! In fact, having very low sodium levels is likely to kill you much quicker than having higher sodium levels or even high blood pressure.

Other issues with "table salt" include that is also contain various fillers including MSG (a known neurotoxin), anti-caking chemicals, aluminium (another neurotoxin), and in "iodised salt", iodine, which is needed in the diet but can lead to excessive iodine causing thyroid problems. Table salt is added to many processed and packaged foods such as breads, cakes, biscuits, crackers, sauces, and many more foods as it can act as a preservative so the food can last longer.

The fact is that we NEED salt in our diets as our bodies use the components of salt - sodium, chloride, potassium, magnesium, calcium, and over 60 or more other trace minerals. We need salt for all of our body functions, including for our brain and nervous system, bone health, pH balance, energy production, digestion and even needed for good heart and muscle activity! Table salt does not contain these additional minerals which are essential for good health, or which can negate the issues of just having just sodium and chloride.

Too little salt (or having deficiencies of the minerals in salt) can lead to insulin resistance, increased fat storage, diabetes, low energy, reduced libido, infertility, poor bone health, poor nervous system function and reduced muscle function including weakness and cramps.

Another major cause of heart disease (other than the disproven saturated fat and cholesterol myths) is actually a high intake of sugar and foods which break down into sugar. This causes inflammation of the blood vessels, insulin resistance, weight gain, diabetes, kidney damage, and high blood pressure and cholesterol levels - most of the symptoms being blamed on salt!

Which types of salt are good for you? Most unrefined sea salt is good, but I'd recommend either Celtic sea salt or Himalayan pink salt, because they contain so many other beneficial trace minerals!
Adding these good salts to food is a healthier option, however you shouldn't need to add salt to every meal. If you crave salty foods, there are other causes to this than just lacking salt - you may be deficient in some nutrients which the salt is providing in small amounts. If you are frequently craving salt, then you should see your friendly Naturopath (me!) to investigate which minerals you may be deficient in, and how to correct this with your diet or supplementation.

So don't worry about salt, providing you are having enough of the good stuff! However if you do have high blood pressure, I can help to identify the causes and improve your overall health!

is fruit as bad as sugar for your health?

22/9/2016

We hear frequently that processed sugar is bad for us, causing everything from acne to weight gain! The truth is that sugar is a lot worse than that! It can also cause diabetes, heart disease, liver disease, cancer and many other chronic health conditions.

Does this also apply to the sugar found in fruit? Lets find out!

The fruit sugar is called fructose, which is different to the glucose found in vegetables. These different types of sugars are absorbed and used differently i...n the body. The good news is that the fibre in fresh and whole fruit slows down the absorption of fructose! So it would be hard to overdose on fresh whole fruit! Although this may not be ideal to do if you have diabetes, cancer or heart disease.

Fresh, whole fruit provides an abundance of vitamins, minerals, fibre, antioxidants, and many phytonutrients to improve your health. The best fruits are those that are organic, in season, and locally grown - for the highest nutrient content.

In small amounts, up to 60% of fructose is converted to glucose to be used for energy by the body's cells, and any excess is stored as fat. However in concentrated forms of fructose like dried fruit, soft drinks, fruit juices, and corn syrup, honey, maple and agave syrups, fructose is converted by the liver directly into fat.

High intakes of concentrated fructose has been shown in research to increase blood sugar and cholesterol more than other types of sugars, causing weight gain, fatty liver, and inflammation of the blood vessels, leading to diabetes and heart disease and many other health conditions.

For your future health and prevention of health conditions, stick to fresh whole fruit regularly in your diet, but avoid the concentrated forms of fructose as these will make your health worse.

Type 2 diabetes - preventable and reversible

15/7/2016

This week is National Diabetes Week, to help raise awareness of this range of chronic conditions and hopefully prevent more people from being diagnosed with diabetes.

The most common form is type 2 diabetes is completely preventable and reversible, without the need for any medication or insulin. Recent research confirms this, as I have also seen with clients.
Unfortunately the diabetes foundations, charities or awareness groups are still recommending the wrong advice for prevention and treatments for diabetes, despite the mountain of evidence of more effective options.
Type 2 diabetes is a result of poor dietary and lifestyle choices, partly because of poor advice from the government food guidelines on what you should eat and the media. In type 2, the body becomes resistant to the effects of the hormone insulin, which regulates blood sugar levels (amongst many other things). This leads to high blood sugar levels which is toxic and inflammatory to the body, causing weight gain, nerve damage, then high blood pressure, which in turn causes eye damage, kidney damage, poor circulation and healing (and eventual amputation of limbs) and death if untreated. Other hormones and other factors play a part in the development and progression of diabetes too.
The medical approach to treatment is to reduce calories or kJ intake especially saturated fat, with exercise and medications. There's some major problems with this approach - 1) medications do not address the cause of the problem, and 2) reducing overall kJ or saturated fat will do next to nothing for reversing the condition, and may likely make your health worse...
Why? Because type 2 diabetes is a condition of an abnormal insulin response. What causes an insulin response? Carbohydrates and proteins. Not fats, and certainly not saturated fats. Carbohydrates cause the highest insulin effects in the body, in particular sugary foods and drinks, fruit juices, whole grain products (whole grains, breakfast cereals, pasta, bread and other bakery products), dairy (high in sugar), and alcoholic drinks. Many of these foods we are told are "healthy" in the government food guidelines - whole grain products, fruit juice, and dairy! The government food advice is causing this current epidemic of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and other chronic health conditions.
Reducing unhealthy carbohydrates such as those above will reduce the insulin response, reduce high blood sugar levels to normal, reduce weight, reduce blood pressure and stop the other signs and symptoms of diabetes.
Of course there is more to preventing and reversing diabetes than just reducing unhealthy carbohydrates, but that's where I can help as a Nutritionist and Naturopath! I can help with personalised nutritional and lifestyle advice, for the easiest and most effective results!

more new science shows cholesterol is not the enemy!

18/6/2016

I have written about cholesterol and heart health before (see other articles below), and how the media, government sources and medical profession are still telling you that cholesterol is bad for you and that it increases your risk of heart disease. But the scientific research on cholesterol over the past 20+ years shows the opposite!

Let's get some background info... cholesterol is allegedly bad because it is found in the walls of blood vessels, which over time can lead to blockages, clots and heart attacks. Then there's the allegedly "good" HDL cholesterol, and the "bad" LDL cholesterol.

In reality however, cholesterol is cholesterol - there are no good and bad types! Cholesterol is a protein for transporting fats around in the blood. Cholesterol is needed in the body to make new cells, help digest our food, make all of our sex hormones, and other essential hormones without which we would die. A reduced cholesterol intake (cholesterol is only found in animal foods) causes your body will make all the cholesterol it needs every day anyway. However if you eat a diet high in cholesterol-rich foods, your body will need to make less for what it needs. Cholesterol is also needed for healthy cell walls and a better response to body hormones. The smaller "good" HDL actually pick up accumulated fat molecules out of atherosclerotic plaques in blood vessels to take it to the liver or other organs for reuse. The larger "bad" LDL carry fat molecules to the cells for use in energy production, making of hormones, making new cells and more uses. LDL is therefore not bad at all - it's all good!

All of this information was backed up again today (16th June 2016) with a new published paper in one of the most prestigious medical journals - the British Medical Journal - reviewing many other studies done on high LDL cholesterol levels (the "bad" one) in relation to it increasing the risk of death in older people (over 60 years). This paper reviewed 19 other studies done on over 68,000 people and found that high LDL cholesterol was NOT associated with an increased risk of death from any cause or heart disease. In fact 92% of the participants showed a REDUCED risk of death with a higher cholesterol level! These conclusions confirm many other research articles I've read on the subject recently.

The analogy of cholesterol is of a fireman at the scene of a fire. While the fireman is found at the fire, it isn't the cause of the fire! Cholesterol is found in narrowed or blocked blood vessels (ie, atherosclerosis) but it is not the cause of the problem. Chronic (long-term) inflammation causes damage to the lining of blood vessels, and cholesterol is deposited on the damaged walls to protect the blood vessels. Continued inflammation, from a poor nutrient intake of too much sugar and processed carbohydrates including whole grains, high intake of oxidised fats, not enough antioxidant foods, high blood sugar, toxins and other factors are just some of the causes of inflammation of blood vessels, and therefore the cause of atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease and heart disease.

Only by looking at the causes of inflammation and heart disease and resolving the causes can the risk of heart disease be reduced or eliminated. Statin medications (prescribed to reduce cholesterol) don't fix the cause (they just hide the symptoms) and actually make your health worse. Another study done in 2013, also in the BMJ, it was found that simply adopting a Mediterranean diet is 3 times more powerful at reducing your risk of death from heart disease than taking a statin!

My family has a history of heart disease and dying too young. I don't want the same for you and your family because of the misinformation or dangerous advice about low fat diets and cholesterol. That's why I'd like to help you and your family to reduce your risk of heart disease with advice that is based on recent and independent scientifically proven research.

If you think your blood pressure or cholesterol levels are high or if you have a family history of heart disease, there is a lot that can be done for prevention or treatment with a Naturopathic consultation to find the cause and treat the cause, not the effects.

the cholesterol and heart disease myth

28/2/2016

I see too many clients in my clinic who are worried about their cholesterol levels, particularly as they get older. There is much confusion and misinformation about this topic, so here are some facts based on recent research:

1) Cholesterol is a compound found in animal products - eggs, meats, and dairy. Our bodies naturally make cholesterol - so even being a vegetarian or vegan, you will make more cholesterol than a meat-eater because your body needs it for many purposes!
2) Cholesterol is NOT linked to a diet high in saturated fats as was once believed! Nor is a diet high in cholesterol responsible for your high blood cholesterol! This is because the body makes enough cholesterol for what it needs. If you eat less cholesterol, your body makes more & vice versa.
3) The reason why cholesterol is perceived as unhealthy is because it is found in plaques in blood vessels, which restrict the blood flow and over time can block the flow, causing pain, cell death, stroke or heart attacks. In truth, the analogy of cholesterol is that it is like a fireman at the scene of a fire. Yes cholesterol is found in arterial plaques, but it is NOT the cause of them! (read what does cause them below...)
4) There is no such thing as "good" cholesterol and "bad" cholesterol. Cholesterol is cholesterol and it's all good! Also, over 50% of people who have had heart attacks or heart disease do not have high cholesterol levels! So there is something else other than cholesterol that causes heart disease in most people.
5) Heart disease risk has been shown in research to not be increased by saturated fat intake! Saturated fat, despite popular belief, actually protects the heart! Reducing fat in the diet in research studies did not reduce the risk of heart disease.
6) The US Department of Agriculture and Health and Human Services changed the US dietary guidelines on the intake of cholesterol in foods in 2015, stating that "cholesterol is not a nutrient of concern", based on recent research.
7) Cholesterol is an essential substance without which we would not be alive! We actually need cholesterol in our bodies for making our hormones, making the walls of hundreds of millions of new cells each day, carrying fat-soluble nutrients around in the blood to all cells, making bile which helps us digest fats in the diet. With low cholesterol, many health problems occur.
8) If that's not enough evidence against cholesterol being a baddy, a 2011 study on over 52,000 people with a followup period of 10 years, found that the higher your cholesterol was, the longer you lived! What?!

So if it's not dietary sources of cholesterol which causes high blood cholesterol and plaques, then what does?! This might shock you...

High cholesterol and arterial plaques are more caused by a combination of factors:
1) A diet high in sugar, fruit juice, whole grains and bakery products (because they are highly processed carbohydrates)
2) A diet high in trans fat, from processed foods, margarine and fried foods
3) A diet high in oxidised vegetable oils (when vegetable oils are heated)
4) A diet low in vegetables, fibre and antioxidants
5) And having a sedentary lifestyle (ie, not much exercise or movement).

Eating a "low fat" diet because you are worried about saturated fats and cholesterol is unfounded and is not based on quality or recent scientific research. It doesn't help to improve your health because "low fat" diets or foods cause insulin resistance, or effectively, diabetes, and unhealthy blood cholesterol levels, which is what you are wanting to avoid.

Unfortunately if your total cholesterol over about 7 then your GP will probably recommend or prescribe a statin medication to stop or prevent your body from making cholesterol. Because we actually make cholesterol naturally every day for many purposes, having less cholesterol results in a LOT of unhealthy side-effects, including low energy, poor memory and concentration, muscle and joint pains, headaches, nausea, liver damage, increased blood sugar (ie diabetes).

In a recent study in the prestigious British Medical Journal, it was found that simply adopting a Mediterranean diet is 3 times more powerful at reducing your risk of death from heart disease than taking a statin! Imagine just changing your diet to improve your health, and it being more effective than a prescription medication! The Mediterranean diet includes a moderate amount of animal products, healthy fats (olive oil, non-lean meats), and this was found to be 30% better in reducing cardiovascular issues than a low-fat diet, as well as preventing plaques and high blood pressure!
I am not suggesting that you should stop taking your statin medication, but by working with your GP, and myself to improve your diet and lifestyle, you may find that you need to take less medications and have a greater quality of life!

The best medicine for heart health as well as for your whole body is to prevent or reduce the causes of cardiovascular issues, with a holistic (whole body) treatment plan - which is what I do!

How times have changed on fat and cholesterol research

18/1/2016

I have written previously about how low fat diets actually cause more negative health issues than they are supposed to prevent (see other articles below) and even more recent scientific research backs this up.

Unfortunately the old paradigm of low fat and low cholesterol foods are healthy and reduce the risk of heart disease was based on shonky observational studies (by reviewing peoples' diet diaries) done in the 1950s to come up with their conclusions, and not by any clinical studies done in the laboratory to prove that dietary fat actually causes the issues in peoples' bodies. Hence we have had 50 or more years of misinformation and conflicting advice by those who want to stick to the old low fat paradigm (Doctors, Dietitians and many personal trainers), and those (like me) who look at more current clinical research studies which shows that low fat and low cholesterol diets are not recommended because of the health risks they cause.

So what does actually cause heart disease, high cholesterol and atherosclerosis (thickening and hardening of arterial walls that lead to blockages, clots and strokes)?

According to recent research, it's trans-fat (from processed and fried foods and margarine), SUGAR and WHOLE GRAINS which are the main culprits in heart disease and arterial damage, and not healthy fats, especially not saturated fats, which appeared to have a protective effect on the heart! Saturated fats (such as in butter and coconut oil) increase your "good" HDL cholesterol, but trans-fat, sugars and grains do the reverse - they increase your bad "LDL" cholesterol and lower your "good" HDL cholesterol.

In addition, fructose (the sugar found in fruit) has also been implicated in obesity and heart disease - in the concentrated and processed forms of fructose such as sugary foods, soft drinks, and fruit juices. However fresh whole fruit is fine as it doesn't have the same effect.

A diet high in sugars and grains leads to obesity, which causes insulin resistance and diabetes, which in turn causes high blood pressure, and in turn this causes heart disease, kidney problems, eye diseases and lowered eyesight, poor circulation and further heart damage in a vicious cycle - and leading to death.

There are many other negative issues with sugars and grains too, such as causing cancer, gastrointestinal issues, depression and mood swings, liver issues and causing or exacerbating many other health conditions.

So if you are wanting to improve your health, please come and see me for a personalised nutrition plan and treatment plan to reverse any health conditions you may have, and to improve your health and make you feel a lot better!

new Australian food star ratings - a joke!

11/10/2015

The new health star rating system for Australian food products is a joke, or it would be funny if it weren't so serious!

The health stars are supposed to show you which foods are healthier - the more stars, with 5 being the maximum, the better... allegedly! The star rating is mainly based on the amounts of sugar, saturated fats, salt and fibre in foods.

The health star system was funded by the government, in partnership with the food industry (which would be a conflict of interest, like sugar manufacturers telling you that sugar is good because it's natural)... The doctor's association (AMA) was also involved, even though they have no training in nutrition or the effects of food on the body! And retailer associations were also involved in the system - why? what do they know about what's healthy or not?!

I agree that foods high in sugar are given low rating, because sugar causes weight gain, diabetes, dental issues, and inflammation, which is the cause of most chronic health conditions including cancer. This is why a lot of popular breakfast cereals only got 1-2 out of 5 star ratings, because of their high sugar and salt content, such as Nutri-grain, frosties, fruit loops, and crunchy nut corn flakes and many more.

However, the most interesting ratings occur in foods with fats, with all-natural and healthy butter only receiving a 1/2-1-star rating, and highly processed, chemical-laden, inflammation-causing, trans-fat filled margarine getting a whopping 5-star rating! How is this possible? Apart from the industry bias already mentioned, it's because they are still using pre-1960s dodgy research that said saturated fat causes heart disease when what was actually found as the cause was trans-fat! Hence anyone who says that saturated fats should be avoided hasn't read the much more recent research (as I have) which says the opposite - that saturated fats reduce inflammation, reduce body fat, and protect the heart, amongst many other benefits! However the saturated fat found in meats depends on what the animal actually ate - grain-fed animals will have a high content of inflammatory omega-6 fats (which cause weight gain and heart disease), while grass-fed animals will be high in omega-3 fats, the same healthy fats found in fish!

My qualified recommendation is to ignore the new food star ratings, and certainly don't base your choice of options from this ridiculous system, as it doesn't accurately identify healthy foods from junk foods. Remember that the best and healthiest foods you eat do not actually have labels or star ratings - vegetables, fruits, grass-fed meats and healthy fats/oils such as olive oil (not for cooking), coconut oil and butter!

The Facts on fats!

6/3/2015

The message regarding which fats/oils in our diets are good or otherwise is still being incorrectly given by the media and often by those who really should be more informed of current scientific research - your doctors, dieticians and health standards organisations!

I can show this in just a couple of examples of recent research:

1) In a 2010 study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition – A 5-23 year follow-up of 347,747 people, concluded that: “An intake of saturated fat was not associated with an increased risk of Coronary Heart Disease, stroke, or Cardio Vascular Disease”. (ie, Saturated fat does NOT cause heart disease)

2) In a very recent study in 2014 in the Annals of Internal Medicine – covered a review of 32 studies on 530,525 participants, concluded that: “the evidence does not support cardiovascular guidelines that encourage high consumption of polyunsaturated fatty acids and low consumption of saturated fats”. (ie, low consumption of saturated fat is NOT healthy, and a higher consumption of polyunsaturated fat (ie in vegetable oils) is also NOT healthy)

3) In a 2013 study published in the prestigious British Medical Journal – which was a review of many studies on saturated fat, concluded that:
- A reduction of saturated fat INCREASES cardiovascular disease,
- Saturated fat is actually cardioprotective (protects the heart!),
- Saturated fat reduces inflammation,
- In a study of different groups of people eating 90% fat, 90% protein or 90% carbs, the largest weight loss was in the fat-consuming group!
- Low fat diets cause insulin resistance (ie pre-diabetes), and unhealthy blood cholesterol levels, leading to increased heart disease.

So why are these studies (and many more that confirm this) completely the opposite of what the general public are being told? Basically poor science combined with great marketing, greed for money, or scientists wanting fame and fortune? Or maybe other reasons...

So what does actually cause heart disease, if it's not saturated fat? Many research studies have confirmed that the following are the main causes of heart disease:
1) trans fat - in processed foods, margarine and bakery products,
2) sugar, grains and other processed carbohydrates (which break down into sugar in the body),
3) certain fats and oils (mainly vegetable oils) which are used for cooking when they shouldn't be, as they become oxidised and turn rancid or toxic when heated,
4) environmental or other factors such as stress, inflammation, and more...

There are many things you can do to reduce your risk of heart disease, and I'd like to help, if you would like more information or assistance on this topic.