Cholesterol

Cholesterol is essential for your survival. Your body demands it as a raw ingredient to make steroids and hormones, bile, and vitamin D, amongst other things. When you take a medication to deliberately lower cholesterol, you’re inadvertently lowering your steroids, hormone production, bile and vitamin D. That’s not going to end well for you. So how did an essential compound become villainized? It’s a case of mistaken identity…

 

High cholesterol has become a common health concern in today’s western society, but what you don’t realize is that it’s actually a problem with insulin resistance.

 

Insulin is a Messenger molecule that literally tells your body to stop burning fats for fuel, because there’s an abundance of carbohydrates that needs to be utilized first from your diet. The result is that fat-burning grinds to a halt, leading to an accumulation of fats in your bloodstream that eventually show up as high cholesterol and weight gain especially around the mid section. Insulin is also responsible for converting carbs to fats, and storing them in your body, further compounding the problem!

 

The story doesn’t end there. I want to educate you on what cholesterol really is, the key markers to watch in your tests, and 12 steps to reverse high cholesterol naturally.

 

Cholesterol levels can tell you a lot about your health. But before diving into the numbers, it's important to understand that not all cholesterol is bad. LDL cholesterol is considered “bad” cholesterol, while HDL is considered “good” cholesterol. LDL cholesterol molecules come in a range of sizes. Triglycerides are a type of fat that is found in your blood. High triglycerides indicate smaller sized LDL molecules. Smaller molecules get into your blood easier, making LDL cholesterol more dangerous the smaller it becomes.

 

Here’s the stats:

• Slightly elevated LDL with low triglycerides is a positive sign, often considered a longevity marker.
• On the flip side, high LDL and high triglycerides is a chronic illness marker, signaling potential long-term health issues.
• Higher HDL is a positive sign.

 

A cholesterol cause for concern is directly related to your triglycerides, which indicate insulin resistance when elevated because it means your body has stopped burning fat for fuel and it’s been left to accumulate in your blood.

 

Interestingly, back in the 1980s, the normal threshold for LDL was 200 mg/dL. Today, however, John Hopkins Hospital has set the bar at 100 mg/dL or less, but many experts argue this may be too low to support the body’s healthy steroid production. For the purposes of this post, you can consider “slightly elevated LDL” as a longevity marker to be between 100 and 200 mg/dl.

 

Meanwhile, HDL (the “good” cholesterol) should ideally be above 60 mg/dL. HDL helps carry cholesterol out of your arteries and is a strong indicator of heart health.

 

You can calculate your level of insulin resistance by analyzing your lipid profile too! Take your triglyceride value and divide it by your HDL value.

TG/HDL

 

Score Values:

< 1 = Very Healthy

1.5 = Healthy

2+ = You have an insulin problem

3+ = You have a bigger problem!

 

Did you know that low vitamin D can contribute to elevated LDL? Your body needs cholesterol to synthesize vitamin D, but it also needs sunlight to activate the process. A recent study showed that 42% of Americans have a clinical vitamin D deficiency, rising to 63% of the Hispanic population and 82% of African-Americans. Globally the stats sit around 50% of the global population are vitamin D deficient. I can tell you that if you’re not getting 20 minutes of sun baking in every day, then you’re likely deficient in vitamin D.

 

Vitamin D is necessary for healthy steroid production too. Without enough vitamin D, your body struggles to utilize the raw ingredient LDL cholesterol, leaving LDL levels elevated simply because you’re not using it!

 

Moreover, low vitamin D drives up insulin, exacerbating the problem yet again. The Diabetics Association of America states on their website that low vitamin D is a leading cause of diabetes, which is the end stage of insulin resistance.

 

Low vitamin D also elevates cortisol the stress hormone, which triggers your liver to release more glucose into your blood as your body prepares for a fight or flight stress response. If your muscles aren’t using this extra glucose due to a lack of physical stress, your body produces even more insulin to deal with the excess. It’s a vicious cycle that can raise cholesterol levels significantly because insulin is rising unchecked. Insulin tells your body to stop using fats from your diet as fuel remember, which means they’re left to accumulate inside of you. Stop blaming healthy fats, it’s not their fault.

It’s no secret that stress plays a major role in your health, and elevated cortisol can wreak havoc on your cholesterol levels. Chronic stress raises insulin, which in turn raises cholesterol. If you suspect this could be affecting you, getting your cortisol levels checked might be a good step toward understanding your cholesterol profile better.

 

Interestingly, 80% of the cholesterol your body uses to make steroid-based hormones is LDL. So, if your cholesterol is elevated, it may be also be due to hormonal imbalances not utilizing cholesterol rather than your diet alone. Low steroid and hormone levels can raise LDL without affecting triglycerides. Meanwhile, insulin resistance tends to spike triglycerides as well. That’s how you can read the results of your lipid profile and determine the root cause of elevated cholesterol.

 

Cholesterol’s secondary function is an antacid. LDL acts as an intracellular antacid, while HDL works extracellularly. Many environmental toxins and waste by-products from cell metabolism are acidic compounds your body has to naturally detoxify. When these acids accumulate in the interstitial spaces outside of your cells, it’s called inflammation. HDL can be used to buffer those acids so they don’t damage your cells. When the acids accumulate inside the cell it’s called intracellular acidosis, and your body uses LDL to buffer the acids inside the cell. When cells are damaged internally, they become abnormal cells, aka cancerous cells.

 

Keeping inflammation in check is crucial to lowering unhealthy cholesterol levels, which is why testing your C-reactive protein (CRP) levels for inflammation markers can provide further insights into your health. If inflammation is high, then you’ll have elevated cholesterol as well.

 

If you’ve been diagnosed with high cholesterol, there’s good news! You don’t have to rely on medications with harmful side effects.

 

The first thing you have to do is understand your test results. If you have elevated LDL combined with elevated triglycerides then you have to take action. Here’s how you can begin reversing high cholesterol naturally:

The ketogenic diet is highly effective at normalizing blood sugar levels. By focusing on healthy fats, moderate protein, and very low carbs, your body will begin to burn fat for energy again as insulin levels diminish, helping to reduce cholesterol levels in the process. Consume a ketogenic diet until you resolve any cholesterol and insulin resistance issues. Make sure to include grass-fed beef, butter, tallow and lamb. Avoid grain fed animal products. Also use high quality pasture raised eggs. I get mine from a regenerative farm that has just 250 birds per hectare. They’re free to roam and consume worms, bugs and grass the way God designed them to eat.

 

Incorporate foods known for their anti-inflammatory properties, such as ginger, turmeric, green tea, berries and garlic. Some studies have actually shown garlic has the ability to directly lower LDL levels, so add it raw to your meals.

 

Oxidized LDL is the dangerous type of cholesterol that builds up on arterial walls. By incorporating antioxidants into your health routine you can neutralize oxidants before they can negatively impact your health. There are a ton of other benefits too, but for now let’s just focus on the cholesterol lowering effects and anti inflammatory properties of antioxidants. Supplements like NAC, glutathione, and plant-based vitamin C are great choices. (Ps. I’ll be launching my own certified organic NAC, Glutathione and Plant C in just a couple of weeks time!!)

 

Chronic stress is a major factor in high cholesterol. My supplement, Alleviate, is designed to help lower stress and normalize cortisol levels. Another powerful stress-buster is activating the vagus nerve through singing and humming. Interestingly, this activation can also be found in worship and prayer. Studies show that worship can stimulate the vagus nerve, promoting relaxation and lowering cortisol, so spend 15 minutes a day singing praise and worship to God.

 

Adding vitamin D to your daily regimen is key to regulating hormone production and helping your body make better use of LDL cholesterol. Vitamin D is anti-inflammatory and will support your body’s ability to balance cholesterol naturally. A great vitamin D supplement will contain vitamin k2 to aid absorption, and a little calcium, combined with a therapeutic dose of 5000IU’s. I have a great one here:

 

My Resveratrol supplement is made with organic resveratrol from the Japanese Knotweed tree. It’s God’s answer to lowering cholesterol. Resveratrol has been shown to mimic the effects of statin drugs, without the side effects. It’s a gift from God for maintaining heart health, plus it’s got some great anti aging properties as well!

 

If you’re struggling with insulin resistance, berberine is a potent, natural supplement that works similarly to the pharmaceutical drug metformin, helping to lower insulin and normalize cholesterol. Consider it God’s natural solution to normalizing insulin.

 

Your muscles are glucose disposal units. Resistance training of any kind, whether it’s with weights or your own body weight, is the perfect solution to burn through glucose and lower insulin levels.

 

Omega-3s, found in fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, sardines, flaxseed, and walnuts, can reduce triglycerides and help lower overall cholesterol levels. They are also anti-inflammatory and support heart health.

 

Trans fats, found in many processed foods, snacks, and fried items, raise LDL cholesterol and lower HDL cholesterol, making them particularly harmful. Even small amounts of trans fats can have a big impact on cholesterol levels. Avoiding processed, packaged foods and focusing on whole, natural foods is key to reducing trans fat consumption.

 

I absolutely do not advocate for throwing away your medication! Put in the effort, follow the above guidelines, get blood tests to confirm the program is effective and work with your doctor to safely wean yourself off medication.

 

Genes greatly affect the way you uniquely process cholesterol, triglycerides, insulin, carbohydrates, how exercise influences you, vitamins and minerals including vitamin D, hormone production, and so much more. By getting your genes tested you can discover powerful insights into your health that will last a lifetime because your genes don’t change, BUT you can absolutely change the trajectory of your future with that knowledge. I am proud to offer the world’s most comprehensive AND affordable Nutrigenomics report, right here:

 

  

Cholesterol may seem complex, but it doesn’t have to be a lifelong issue. By understanding the root causes - the overconsumption of carbohydrates, insulin resistance, stress, inflammation, and hormonal imbalances - you can take proactive steps to improve your health. Implementing dietary changes, managing stress, and supporting your body with natural supplements can have profound effects on your cholesterol levels and overall vitality.

 

Someone you know is suffering unwanted side effects of statin drugs. By sharing this post you have the opportunity to be a beacon of hope for them. And if you’ve naturally reversed high cholesterol, then please drop your testimony in the comments so we can witness for others who need to hear this message.

 

I pray healing, great health, and restored vitality over you, in the Mighty name of Jesus. God bless!