Dr. Malone - I remember, in my much younger days looking at the corruption in our world and feeling so small and alone. One of the great ironies of life is that through this hideous travesty called COVID, we have come to find you and the stellar humans like you, Pierre Kory, Paul Marik, Aseem Malhotra, Tess Laurie, Bonnie Ann Cox, Jessica Rose, A Midwestern Doctor, Bobby Kennedy. I am so inspired by all of you.
A wise man once said, “I truly believe we are at a pivotal time, where the work that each of us puts in can make an immense impact on the future course of this world.”
I, for one, am inspired to act upon that advice.
Thank you. I am eternally both grateful and indebted to you folks - for saving me from despair. ☺️
Robert, for your meals that are organised for you such as at conferences or functional dinners, advise the organisers that you have dietary restrictions. I operate 2 restaurants and a conference centre and deal with special dietary requirements all the time.
For example, you could do a simple 'I need a Keto diet meal with a total calorie count under 800 (or whatever)'. For Europe you'd still get all the meat and cream, just without the starch and large portions. You don't need to be Keto to say you're on a Keto Diet - it's just a shorthand to the chef. You can get three courses, so you're socially normal, but you're not killing yourself trying to fit in. with others (who are just trying to fit in too!).
Obviously, Jill can use this technique as well.
It's up to you about what you want to do regarding the alcohol. It can have a lot more calories than the meals. If you're not embarrassed to say to your host(s) that for your drinks you'll be having sparkling water, perhaps with a non-sugar red cordial, then tell them that is what you need. To some extent, by writing this essay you've tried to tell them that, so now just follow through!
Good chefs who are worth their stars, will have no problem creating a delicious 3-course 800 calorie meal for you.
One simple tip with canapés, eat the protein and fat, ditch the cracker and bread.
My friend was just telling me yesterday that she does a thirty- six hour fast. She is trying to regulate her sugar or glycemic number. She said it made her feel better.
Very interesting information. I personally would not do an extended fast as I am prone to muscle wasting. I have found that an herbal supplement is very helpful in establishing an intermittent fasting regimen. Gymnestra sylvestrii There is quite a bit of research being done and it is being used to assist diabetics since it's most notable effect is stabilization of blood sugar levels.
I would add a suggestion to the fasting aspect. I have done many long fasts, 5+days, not just water though. I always get a massage and either enema or colonic irrigation. (This is for extended fasts.) Caffeine can be hard on your system when not eating. Good Going!
Thank you so much for sharing this part of your personal story. I'm with you! It's only been recently, after 50 plus years of struggling, that I've started to get a handle on how to create actual healthy change for myself. I've also begun to understand more about why it's been so hard for me to "choose" wisely around food. Instead of feeling ashamed and weak, I now understand that I just can't handle certain foods, (sugars, etc...) and that I can be more of an ally with my own body instead of fighting against my own best interests and hurting myself. I already have appreciated you for your wisdom and courage the past few years, but this is a whole other level of kinship I feel for you. It helps to hear that you share some of the same challenges and I am so happy for your success in gaining health.
Exactly! We are clawing our way out of some really difficult years and need some slack on these things. I started setting 7 hours a day for eating, which really comes down to 2 meals a day, and fasting with high water intake the rest of the day. Maximum Autophagy is the goal while also dropping the extra pounds accumulated through the pandemic. We will get there. Just good information and patience. Bless you and Dr. Jill for helping all of us to endure with a bit more class than we would have otherwise had. Ha ha!
Good article and comments. But, many people try to avoid sugar and end up consuming large amounts of artificial sweeteners sucralose saccharin etc which looks like might cause bad health effects when consumed for long periods, years... Even Stevia is a problem potentially because it is cut or diluted with maltodextrin. Beware of artificial sweeteners when you remove natural sucrose sugar. I believe artificial sweeteners are causing heart problems and altering your gut resulting in diabetes, depression and other issues in some people.
To be sure, avoiding excessive sugar and artificial sweeteners would be best. In my opinion artificial sweeteners are the lesser of two evils. Granted that some of the sweeteners have health risk especially aspartame, to the best of my knowledge, no one claims hundreds of thousands of people are sickened or killed by artificial sweeteners.
I read your earlier post by Dr. Maryanne Demasi and the mostly ineffective statin drugs pushed by doctors on treating cholesterol and heart desease. It seems doctors always push drugs to cure eating problems. In todays America I could see her thorough extensive study being censored by big pharma’s overbearing control on network tv, and social media, due to advertising money. SAD... On a lighter note I do like blueberries and strawberries on mmmmmm Belgian waffles, sorry for my addiction. J.Goodrich
I always keep in mind that doctors prescribe drugs partly for transference of liability. Once prescribed, the responsibility for the condition transfers from the doctor to the pharmaceutical company who have deeper pockets if something goes wrong.
Yes, and I've read (probalby in Kendrick) that in some circumstances, if a doctor fails to recommend a standard treatment (e.g. for certain cholesterol or blood pressure level) that alone puts him at risk of civil and possible criminal penalty.
I couldn't post on Dr. Demasi's article as I am not a subscriber however I hope you don't mind me using your comment to post the following. I was trying to get my wife off of her Statin drug crestor. Her Doctor brushed me off a couple of times (my wife has me come in with her).
He finally told me why he prescibes statins. When he first started his practice he found that when someone came to him after a heart attack he would tell them to get their affairs in order as they were unlikely to survive a second. After prescribing statin drugs he noticed that patients were surviving multiple heart attacks and strokes. So based on the evidence he kept prescribing statin drugs. I am not in favor of statins but I though his reasoning was informative.
I have not dug into finding alternates to statins as my wife is sticking with crestor for the moment.
Statistically, women with higher cholesterol levels, live longer and are less likely to develop dementia. There are NO statin studies that show benefits in longevity in women. Cholesterol is essential for hormones and brain function.
I second Carolyn's comment!!! There is zero evidence of a link between elevated cholesterol and heart disease in women! The highest quartile of cholesterol levels LIVE THE LONGEST! Cholesterol is vital for immune function and curing infections. Low cholesterol= much more likely to die from infectious diseases AND cancers.
Statins cause brain shrinkage, dementia, neurological damage including peripheral neuropathy, and permanent muscle damage. They are ZERO upside and ALL downside, except for Big Pharma's billions of $!
Carnivor diet or Keto Carnivoir. You tube Dr. Ken Berry if you really want off Statin drugs. Dr. Pradip Jamnadas, MD also good source. Bottom line is only individuals can control their health in the end. Covid proved just how useless the US Medical Establishment Establishment is by denying early treatment and killing patients with ventilators and Remdisiver. If your doctor brushes you off get another doctor that is not a pharmaceutical employee. They do exist. FLCCC.NET to source some.
The medical profession did itself no favors during the pandemic but it, at least, exposed many of their self- deceits and conceits. Biggest problem - they practice political medicine, which is politics not medicine. Add to it the idiotic focus on race and the toxic brew is complete. Any surprise that a profession that once robotically embraced bleeding and mercury treatment will, lemming-like embrace treating disease with symptom blocking drugs rather than attack the root cause?
Was it the statin that helped them survive? Or the care they received when they had the second attack or stroke, which most likely has improved over time and may have coincided with the emergence of statins. And could they have avoided the second event if they changed their eating and exercise habits? Why are they having second events if the statins help?
I didn't take it any further with my wife's doc. My wife is settled on taking Crestor for now and I didn't want to use up more of the doc's time. It is always a challenge to get all our questions in before the end of the doctor visit. I thought that if I could convince her to look at alternative methods then we would dig in and research the best alternatives to statins (exercise, dietary, suppliments, etc).
Statins are more effective in secondary prevention (for those who've had heart attack, etc.) But even there, the absolute benefit is very small (in my opinion.) According to Kendrick and probably others, whatever benefits Statin class drugs give is NOT due to their lowering LDL or trigycerides, but some other (good) side effect. Evidence supporting that claim is that earlier non-statin drugs were known to lower "cholesterol" but they did not improve cardiovascular outcomes, deaths, etc.
I've had fantastic success with a "balance keto diet". Meaning not going pure carnivore, but simply eliminating grains and sugars. So I eat as much as I want, but its meats, fish, veggies, salads. And the weight just keeps melting away and I feel better and better! down close to 30 lbs and eating like a pig!
The best suggestion I might offer is time restricted eating. Never eat anything after 7 pm. Do utilize your daily calorie window to a lesser amount of hours on the clock.
Let's use for an example between 10 am to 7 pm. Food intake at the crack of dawn is great for winter lumberjacks style occupations that can burn 6000 calories a day. So that needs a constant replacement value so a tank full at first axe swing is maxxed.
90% of working folks do not need a break-fast. But you do need water, period! There is still nutrient values left over from yesterdays food intake waiting to go. You have programmed yourself to think you must be starving after sleeping. Simply not true. I have worked my trade in midtown Manhattan in NY City. The one thing that I found horribly strange was the restaurant's were packed Mon-Fri with more diners between 9pm to 11 pm. Not 4/5/6/ pm.
Big meals and a few pre-dinner cocktails, maybe desert, then home and off to bed.
More than 3/4 were way over weight as easily noted.
So just for one moment pretend the brain and the stomach have a phone line to each other. A human subject has had 3 beers (500 cal) and most of a large pizza beginning at 9pm. (possibly as much as 5000 cal)
The subject is now home and reclines horizontally for sleep. (No gravity to aid good digestive progress and you burn cals to digest that much food more quickly) The body may even heat up as result) you lose rem sleep over this. The stomach gets on the phone and calls the brain and asks sharply, what the hell do you want me to do with all this caloric intake? ARGH! You're not doing a dam thing! To which the brain replies, well you've been doing a great job of warehousing it for the past 30 or more years.
Just keep doing that. It may come in handy some day when you get really hungry!!
Ok Brain....anyone ever tell you you have a lot of really dumb ideas? In humor we trust. Rand
Adding insult to injury...in your given example, the body prioritizes metabolizing the alcohol. Until it's gone, it won't even get around to the sugars, which is the second priority.
Roger That Houston!!! Lucky for me there were all these drunks in my life to clearly illustrate what NOT TO DO in my mine. Not had a drop since 2008. When I was awarded sole physical custody of 3 minor children. I got three great kids out of the deal. Mom got her freedom to drink irresponsibly in her leisure. Now dementia has reared it's ugly head on her
Keto Carnivore has been successful for me and my wife. OMAD or two meals a day within 6 hour window. Then 18 hour fast daily. It only works if you actually do it.. I am down 55 pounds in 10 months and never hungry. I can see where traveling would be harder from a peer pressure point of view but Keto carnivore does work for most people I know. Eliminating sugar and starch foods which convert to sugar. Alcoholic beverages are definitely not on the menu.
Love that you are highlighting the need for healthy and appropriate eating and exercise. I want to share what I’ve learned with the hope that it will be useful to some here.
I’ve found that most over-do the exercise (overcompensate) portion instead of devising a well- considered approach that takes into account age, bone structure, flexibility, and timing of exercise with regard to intermittent fasting schedules.
I’m closing in on 70 and maintain a BMI of 18.1-- I’m not skinny. I am “small boned” without osteoporosis.
The parameters provided by the CDC and NIH do not take into account age or bone structure.
I highly recommend intermittent fasting, no sugar or alcohol, gluten-free, limited fruits, and morning TaiChi along with after dinner “race-walking”. The breathing, balance, and prolonged isometric exercise Tai Chi requires and provides has been the cornerstone of my routine.
Late 60’s here. Lots of small meals for me throughout the day. No gluten, probably too much sugar, high quality supplements, D3-K2, Quercetin, Zinc (Zelenko inspired), Berberine, Melatonin. Organic Fruits And Veggies. Lots of wild caught fish. Walk 50 miles per week. Avoiding Toxic People maybe the healthiest thing I do.
Consider attending the Metabolic Health Summit in Florida in January 2024. I went to this summit back in 2022 when it was held in Santa Barbara, California. Here's a blog I wrote about one of the presentations at 2022 MHS regarding health and severe outcomes made by an Emergency Doctor chief at a hospital in Toronto that you might find interesting:
Drs Malone, thank you for the reminder! Dr. Robert - I have been asking myself "why am I craving sweets???" for the past 2 weeks. That was when I started my healthy eating (again) and kicked the chocolate and "nutrition" bars out of my house. Good to see I'm not alone in this struggle and thank you for the analysis and guidelines!!!
Of course with the caution for those who may be prone to sugar or other food cravings since I started a keto-ish diet in late 2022, I only infrequently desire sugary foods. I do rarely eat "normal" junk, but routinely use sugar substitutes (e.g. diet soda, etc.) Sugar-free products are quite good (e.g. Russel Stover sugar-free chocolates) for special treat. At home, it's easy to make simple desserts. Want a sweet treat? I've made odd but (nearly) always edible treats. One experiment was bacon grease, some cocoa powder and sweetener (Erythritol). Downside: a bit gritty texture (sugar and similar won't dissolve in fat.) Also melts at room temperature. You can easily make more normal sweets and cakes too. Just sub ingredients.
Sixty-three is young! "As a man thiketh, so it shall be." i will be 90 next birthday...and I don't think old. I have more energy than I had in my twenties...and my brain works far better. In 1961 I started following an R.D.- author who advocated high protein...and I became fat and lethargic; constantly experiencing colds and sore throats. In 1976, I came across information that not only saved my life, but changed it. I develped a tumor from a nutritonal doctor's advice...and a book came into my hands that provided information that helped me get rid of the tumor by eliminating a food that the nutritonist had put me on. The book I came across was written by Dr. N.W. Walker who had written 10 books on nutrition...and he was over 100. I met people who knew him for years and had seen his Baptismal Certificate. He was far older than people thought. He must have had reasons for hiding his age. He never said... how old he was... he called himself "ageless." Anyway, his information changed my life. Age is a matter of relativity...it is all relative to what you know!
I use the two meals a day approach, and keto. It really works well. Getting rid of fast carbs got rid of the cravings which helps a lot. Now if I could find a way to stop buying dark chocolate I'd be all set.
I quit buying the Hersheys dark chocolate with almond nuggets about three years ago. Every once in a while I dig out 16 morsels from a 4 lb bag of Nestley's TollHouse with a use by Sept 2020 date. I get hard up just like others do. I just check, there is less than a cup of them left.
Been so long since I bought them I forgot what they were called. Special Dark! Wrapped individually, about 1 inch long. The store also sold large bars of them. The best....
I'm currently "doing" Atkins, which recommends three meals and two smaller snacks a day. Probalby there is no single best way to do a diet. Many options exist, and you should tailor them to what works best for you. And that's the acid test -- does it work for you?
Death by medicine is moving up into first place if we don’t stop the mRNA injections now! Lifestyle issues with our dominance of consuming factory processed foods is compounding the issue. Need to reinvent our treatment protocols to include prevention and reversal of disease states!
“The only way I can control simple carbs effectively is to avoid them at all costs. Unfortunately, my sugar/simple carb cravings take the form of “drug seeking behavior”, and I have to not indulge or frankly, I binge.”
Yup, same here. Strange as it seems, the best reset for me -- the approach that absolutely kills even a flicker of desire for sugary crap -- is 100% meat (and eggs).
After about 2-3 weeks of carnivore, i can stare down a plate of donuts and not blink.
Then I add the foods back that I want and all remains well. But overall, variety is not helpful, for me it’s hurtful. Staying within a relatively narrow range of animal foods + select plants requires the least effort and in turn, the least ansiosi and best results.
Aseem Malhotra explains it well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5e7luO4E1vA. I have tried to educate friends who take statins but they either chuckle or become angry. Also, In a book published in 2000, "The Heart Revolution," the author, who was a cardiologist, said there is some evidence that statins weaken the heart muscle.
Not sure about weakening the heart muscle but when I took the prescribed statins to reduce cholesterol from 227, the muscle cramping and joint pain was excruciating. Ditched the statins and went on diet and supplement of citrus bergamot and probiotic (sadly Optibac has discontinued). Got cholesterol down to 161. Dr. Demasi's new study on statins is illuminating Very much hyped. They may have some value in reducing LDLs But since the side effects are intolerable for me, will try a different path. Niacin and whey protein?
I took a statin for nearly 3 years. In fairness to the drug, I did not experience any side effects that I noted. And they really do alter "cholesterol." But eventually I got curious as to just how efficacious they were. You know, reducing the risks of heart attacks, stroke, etc.? So I read. I read "crackpot" literature. Then I looked up some studies. And you know what? Statins really do have some benefits. But they are very small. Especially for those with no history of cardiovascular issues, they basically are of no benefit. I mean, it was annoying yet somewhat amusing -- once one learns to read between the lines, even pharma's studies usually show very little benefit to the drug. And that is rendered even more titillating when you consider that everyone involved, from the funding the research, to the allegedly independent scientists investigating, to the journals that publish the research, all have glaring conflicts of interest and it's in everyone's interest to spin the data to put the product in the best possible light. Sometimes they've been caught in outright fraud, although hiding adverse evidence is more the norm. It does (or should) raise a red flag, for instance, when an outside investigative group is refused access to trial data, as has happened, including in some major statin studies. None of that means that all data are hogwash or that no treatment is effective or safe. What it DOES mean, at least to me, is that once the scales have fallen from one's eyes, it should make one suspicious of anything your doctor claims. It's sad to say, but to the extent possible, do your own due diligence. Some treatments are effective; many are little better than a sugar pill. Some are downright hazardous if not dangerous. Choose wisely.
And that doesn't even include the risk of adverse effects, as well as the costs of the drug, the required tests and office visits. In my opinion, they are perhaps the most lucrative example of a treatment that offers very little added value to the patient. That, sadly, is a "symptom" of many treatments pitched by the medical-industrial complex. Buyer beware.
That's horrible. Well, the whole point of Dr. McCully's book is that B vitamins suppress homocysteine levels and that is the substance that damages your heart. Cholesterol becomes a problem when the levels of homocysteine are too high. I assume you take a B complex? My cholesterol went down after I started taking the complex (I also stopped eating potato chips). I have also read that there are tests to measure whether your cholesterol molecules are large or small, if they are large they aren't all that injurious because they can't get into the arteries. Too bad doctors never tell us any of this. By the way. most people who have heart attacks have normal cholesterol levels. Go figure.
Totally relate, we have made the same health journey over the last five years. We have an integrative medicine doctor now, and use Berberine (natural mimetic for Metformin), Red Yeast Rice Extract, Amla and Emu Oil to help reduce LDL (in lieu of ineffective statins), and a slew of proven basics like A-D-K, Zinc, Turmeric, B complex, Green Tea, Etc. Also experimenting with Rapamycin + grapefruit juice, which safely increases autophagy and suppresses mTOR. Our bodies are designed to start slowly winding down when we pass reproductive age and become a burden to the tribe. My hope is we'll eventually have a proactive health care system that can offer prescriptive, wholesome diets, tailored for individuals based on blood, genetic and gut biome testing. Lots of inflammation starts with an unhealthy gut biome. My red pill moment was reading Food Fix by Mark Hyman and RFK's exposé on Fauci, and understanding the connection between Big Pharma, Big Food and Big Ag. Regulatory capture defined.
Good luck to everyone working toward ultra healthy senior status. Remember, it's healthspan, not lifespan!
Dr. Malone - I remember, in my much younger days looking at the corruption in our world and feeling so small and alone. One of the great ironies of life is that through this hideous travesty called COVID, we have come to find you and the stellar humans like you, Pierre Kory, Paul Marik, Aseem Malhotra, Tess Laurie, Bonnie Ann Cox, Jessica Rose, A Midwestern Doctor, Bobby Kennedy. I am so inspired by all of you.
A wise man once said, “I truly believe we are at a pivotal time, where the work that each of us puts in can make an immense impact on the future course of this world.”
I, for one, am inspired to act upon that advice.
Thank you. I am eternally both grateful and indebted to you folks - for saving me from despair. ☺️
This is right on target.
My only additional comment is we fast 36 hours a week.
Dinner on Saturday is our last food of the week.
No food - only water tea coffee and an electrolyte drink on Sunday.
Breakfast ( break fast) Monday morning
I am very ketotic by Monday morning. Ketosis suppresses hunger by the way.
Interestingly, I am not hungry Monday morning, feel physically great and mentally more clear than any other time of the week
Doing this, and eating only 2 meals a day is how I lost 40 lbs and have kept most of it off
Thank you Paul - Jill and I may give this a go and see how it works for us.
Robert, for your meals that are organised for you such as at conferences or functional dinners, advise the organisers that you have dietary restrictions. I operate 2 restaurants and a conference centre and deal with special dietary requirements all the time.
For example, you could do a simple 'I need a Keto diet meal with a total calorie count under 800 (or whatever)'. For Europe you'd still get all the meat and cream, just without the starch and large portions. You don't need to be Keto to say you're on a Keto Diet - it's just a shorthand to the chef. You can get three courses, so you're socially normal, but you're not killing yourself trying to fit in. with others (who are just trying to fit in too!).
Obviously, Jill can use this technique as well.
It's up to you about what you want to do regarding the alcohol. It can have a lot more calories than the meals. If you're not embarrassed to say to your host(s) that for your drinks you'll be having sparkling water, perhaps with a non-sugar red cordial, then tell them that is what you need. To some extent, by writing this essay you've tried to tell them that, so now just follow through!
Good chefs who are worth their stars, will have no problem creating a delicious 3-course 800 calorie meal for you.
One simple tip with canapés, eat the protein and fat, ditch the cracker and bread.
Good going.
My friend was just telling me yesterday that she does a thirty- six hour fast. She is trying to regulate her sugar or glycemic number. She said it made her feel better.
Very interesting information. I personally would not do an extended fast as I am prone to muscle wasting. I have found that an herbal supplement is very helpful in establishing an intermittent fasting regimen. Gymnestra sylvestrii There is quite a bit of research being done and it is being used to assist diabetics since it's most notable effect is stabilization of blood sugar levels.
I would add a suggestion to the fasting aspect. I have done many long fasts, 5+days, not just water though. I always get a massage and either enema or colonic irrigation. (This is for extended fasts.) Caffeine can be hard on your system when not eating. Good Going!
We often eat 2 meals a day. Have not done a 36h fast but did when I was younger...
Thank you so much for sharing this part of your personal story. I'm with you! It's only been recently, after 50 plus years of struggling, that I've started to get a handle on how to create actual healthy change for myself. I've also begun to understand more about why it's been so hard for me to "choose" wisely around food. Instead of feeling ashamed and weak, I now understand that I just can't handle certain foods, (sugars, etc...) and that I can be more of an ally with my own body instead of fighting against my own best interests and hurting myself. I already have appreciated you for your wisdom and courage the past few years, but this is a whole other level of kinship I feel for you. It helps to hear that you share some of the same challenges and I am so happy for your success in gaining health.
Thank you - it means being vulnerable a lot of people, but I think it is important. Too many people are ashamed - and more shame is not needed here.
Exactly! We are clawing our way out of some really difficult years and need some slack on these things. I started setting 7 hours a day for eating, which really comes down to 2 meals a day, and fasting with high water intake the rest of the day. Maximum Autophagy is the goal while also dropping the extra pounds accumulated through the pandemic. We will get there. Just good information and patience. Bless you and Dr. Jill for helping all of us to endure with a bit more class than we would have otherwise had. Ha ha!
Good article and comments. But, many people try to avoid sugar and end up consuming large amounts of artificial sweeteners sucralose saccharin etc which looks like might cause bad health effects when consumed for long periods, years... Even Stevia is a problem potentially because it is cut or diluted with maltodextrin. Beware of artificial sweeteners when you remove natural sucrose sugar. I believe artificial sweeteners are causing heart problems and altering your gut resulting in diabetes, depression and other issues in some people.
To be sure, avoiding excessive sugar and artificial sweeteners would be best. In my opinion artificial sweeteners are the lesser of two evils. Granted that some of the sweeteners have health risk especially aspartame, to the best of my knowledge, no one claims hundreds of thousands of people are sickened or killed by artificial sweeteners.
I read your earlier post by Dr. Maryanne Demasi and the mostly ineffective statin drugs pushed by doctors on treating cholesterol and heart desease. It seems doctors always push drugs to cure eating problems. In todays America I could see her thorough extensive study being censored by big pharma’s overbearing control on network tv, and social media, due to advertising money. SAD... On a lighter note I do like blueberries and strawberries on mmmmmm Belgian waffles, sorry for my addiction. J.Goodrich
I always keep in mind that doctors prescribe drugs partly for transference of liability. Once prescribed, the responsibility for the condition transfers from the doctor to the pharmaceutical company who have deeper pockets if something goes wrong.
Yes, and I've read (probalby in Kendrick) that in some circumstances, if a doctor fails to recommend a standard treatment (e.g. for certain cholesterol or blood pressure level) that alone puts him at risk of civil and possible criminal penalty.
https://raypeatforum.com/community/threads/anti-thiamine-factors.43679/ has an article and discussion. Blueberries are included. Blueberries, among some other foods, contain polyphenols which interfere with absorption or digestion of thiamine. FYI.
I couldn't post on Dr. Demasi's article as I am not a subscriber however I hope you don't mind me using your comment to post the following. I was trying to get my wife off of her Statin drug crestor. Her Doctor brushed me off a couple of times (my wife has me come in with her).
He finally told me why he prescibes statins. When he first started his practice he found that when someone came to him after a heart attack he would tell them to get their affairs in order as they were unlikely to survive a second. After prescribing statin drugs he noticed that patients were surviving multiple heart attacks and strokes. So based on the evidence he kept prescribing statin drugs. I am not in favor of statins but I though his reasoning was informative.
I have not dug into finding alternates to statins as my wife is sticking with crestor for the moment.
Statistically, women with higher cholesterol levels, live longer and are less likely to develop dementia. There are NO statin studies that show benefits in longevity in women. Cholesterol is essential for hormones and brain function.
I knew a woman who was 90, healthy, and had a cholesterol count of 400.
Thank you!
I second Carolyn's comment!!! There is zero evidence of a link between elevated cholesterol and heart disease in women! The highest quartile of cholesterol levels LIVE THE LONGEST! Cholesterol is vital for immune function and curing infections. Low cholesterol= much more likely to die from infectious diseases AND cancers.
Statins cause brain shrinkage, dementia, neurological damage including peripheral neuropathy, and permanent muscle damage. They are ZERO upside and ALL downside, except for Big Pharma's billions of $!
Carnivor diet or Keto Carnivoir. You tube Dr. Ken Berry if you really want off Statin drugs. Dr. Pradip Jamnadas, MD also good source. Bottom line is only individuals can control their health in the end. Covid proved just how useless the US Medical Establishment Establishment is by denying early treatment and killing patients with ventilators and Remdisiver. If your doctor brushes you off get another doctor that is not a pharmaceutical employee. They do exist. FLCCC.NET to source some.
The medical profession did itself no favors during the pandemic but it, at least, exposed many of their self- deceits and conceits. Biggest problem - they practice political medicine, which is politics not medicine. Add to it the idiotic focus on race and the toxic brew is complete. Any surprise that a profession that once robotically embraced bleeding and mercury treatment will, lemming-like embrace treating disease with symptom blocking drugs rather than attack the root cause?
Was it the statin that helped them survive? Or the care they received when they had the second attack or stroke, which most likely has improved over time and may have coincided with the emergence of statins. And could they have avoided the second event if they changed their eating and exercise habits? Why are they having second events if the statins help?
I didn't take it any further with my wife's doc. My wife is settled on taking Crestor for now and I didn't want to use up more of the doc's time. It is always a challenge to get all our questions in before the end of the doctor visit. I thought that if I could convince her to look at alternative methods then we would dig in and research the best alternatives to statins (exercise, dietary, suppliments, etc).
One way or another get her OFF the damn stuff!!!!
Cholesterol is GOOD for her. The entire issue is one gigantic money-making scam!!!
Yes. agree!
You have to make these decisions based on your own research. Doctors can be pompous asses, or are controlled by the corporation that employs them.
You did all of the right things - asked questions and gave your wife her freedom of choice. Kudos. I hope that she does well.
Statins are more effective in secondary prevention (for those who've had heart attack, etc.) But even there, the absolute benefit is very small (in my opinion.) According to Kendrick and probably others, whatever benefits Statin class drugs give is NOT due to their lowering LDL or trigycerides, but some other (good) side effect. Evidence supporting that claim is that earlier non-statin drugs were known to lower "cholesterol" but they did not improve cardiovascular outcomes, deaths, etc.
I've had fantastic success with a "balance keto diet". Meaning not going pure carnivore, but simply eliminating grains and sugars. So I eat as much as I want, but its meats, fish, veggies, salads. And the weight just keeps melting away and I feel better and better! down close to 30 lbs and eating like a pig!
This is pretty much what Jill and I do when we are home.
The best suggestion I might offer is time restricted eating. Never eat anything after 7 pm. Do utilize your daily calorie window to a lesser amount of hours on the clock.
Let's use for an example between 10 am to 7 pm. Food intake at the crack of dawn is great for winter lumberjacks style occupations that can burn 6000 calories a day. So that needs a constant replacement value so a tank full at first axe swing is maxxed.
90% of working folks do not need a break-fast. But you do need water, period! There is still nutrient values left over from yesterdays food intake waiting to go. You have programmed yourself to think you must be starving after sleeping. Simply not true. I have worked my trade in midtown Manhattan in NY City. The one thing that I found horribly strange was the restaurant's were packed Mon-Fri with more diners between 9pm to 11 pm. Not 4/5/6/ pm.
Big meals and a few pre-dinner cocktails, maybe desert, then home and off to bed.
More than 3/4 were way over weight as easily noted.
So just for one moment pretend the brain and the stomach have a phone line to each other. A human subject has had 3 beers (500 cal) and most of a large pizza beginning at 9pm. (possibly as much as 5000 cal)
The subject is now home and reclines horizontally for sleep. (No gravity to aid good digestive progress and you burn cals to digest that much food more quickly) The body may even heat up as result) you lose rem sleep over this. The stomach gets on the phone and calls the brain and asks sharply, what the hell do you want me to do with all this caloric intake? ARGH! You're not doing a dam thing! To which the brain replies, well you've been doing a great job of warehousing it for the past 30 or more years.
Just keep doing that. It may come in handy some day when you get really hungry!!
Ok Brain....anyone ever tell you you have a lot of really dumb ideas? In humor we trust. Rand
Adding insult to injury...in your given example, the body prioritizes metabolizing the alcohol. Until it's gone, it won't even get around to the sugars, which is the second priority.
Roger That Houston!!! Lucky for me there were all these drunks in my life to clearly illustrate what NOT TO DO in my mine. Not had a drop since 2008. When I was awarded sole physical custody of 3 minor children. I got three great kids out of the deal. Mom got her freedom to drink irresponsibly in her leisure. Now dementia has reared it's ugly head on her
I 'm the happiest guy every day!
Keto Carnivore has been successful for me and my wife. OMAD or two meals a day within 6 hour window. Then 18 hour fast daily. It only works if you actually do it.. I am down 55 pounds in 10 months and never hungry. I can see where traveling would be harder from a peer pressure point of view but Keto carnivore does work for most people I know. Eliminating sugar and starch foods which convert to sugar. Alcoholic beverages are definitely not on the menu.
“Putting myself on a schedule of intermittent fasting (two meals a day).
Cooking only what I should eat to control eating too much (portion control).
Eat a small portion and then wait, let it settle, before eating any more.
Eating enough protein.
Not eating many simple carbs and sugars (almost a keto diet).
Making sure I routinely get outside, with some sort of exercise, even if it is just walking
Getting myself away from the computer and cell phone.”
That sounds like hard work! Just take some ozempic! Er, weekly, for life… Big Pharma is our friend!
Seriously though bless you for taking initiative on this, and for spreading the word, it isn’t easy but it is worth it! Good luck!
My own ozempic expose coming up next week here:
Gaty.substack.com
I look forward to reading it.
Thank you!
As promised : )
https://gaty.substack.com/p/the-picture-of-dorian-gray-is-not
Love that you are highlighting the need for healthy and appropriate eating and exercise. I want to share what I’ve learned with the hope that it will be useful to some here.
I’ve found that most over-do the exercise (overcompensate) portion instead of devising a well- considered approach that takes into account age, bone structure, flexibility, and timing of exercise with regard to intermittent fasting schedules.
I’m closing in on 70 and maintain a BMI of 18.1-- I’m not skinny. I am “small boned” without osteoporosis.
The parameters provided by the CDC and NIH do not take into account age or bone structure.
I highly recommend intermittent fasting, no sugar or alcohol, gluten-free, limited fruits, and morning TaiChi along with after dinner “race-walking”. The breathing, balance, and prolonged isometric exercise Tai Chi requires and provides has been the cornerstone of my routine.
Late 60’s here. Lots of small meals for me throughout the day. No gluten, probably too much sugar, high quality supplements, D3-K2, Quercetin, Zinc (Zelenko inspired), Berberine, Melatonin. Organic Fruits And Veggies. Lots of wild caught fish. Walk 50 miles per week. Avoiding Toxic People maybe the healthiest thing I do.
Consider attending the Metabolic Health Summit in Florida in January 2024. I went to this summit back in 2022 when it was held in Santa Barbara, California. Here's a blog I wrote about one of the presentations at 2022 MHS regarding health and severe outcomes made by an Emergency Doctor chief at a hospital in Toronto that you might find interesting:
https://beyondspin.wordpress.com/2022/05/15/metabolic-health-the-icu/
In this blog, I include a number of other hyperlinks to some of the other blogs I wrote related to this topic.
Drs Malone, thank you for the reminder! Dr. Robert - I have been asking myself "why am I craving sweets???" for the past 2 weeks. That was when I started my healthy eating (again) and kicked the chocolate and "nutrition" bars out of my house. Good to see I'm not alone in this struggle and thank you for the analysis and guidelines!!!
I’ve found that sugar is addictive. It takes me three sugar-free weeks to stop craving it.
Of course with the caution for those who may be prone to sugar or other food cravings since I started a keto-ish diet in late 2022, I only infrequently desire sugary foods. I do rarely eat "normal" junk, but routinely use sugar substitutes (e.g. diet soda, etc.) Sugar-free products are quite good (e.g. Russel Stover sugar-free chocolates) for special treat. At home, it's easy to make simple desserts. Want a sweet treat? I've made odd but (nearly) always edible treats. One experiment was bacon grease, some cocoa powder and sweetener (Erythritol). Downside: a bit gritty texture (sugar and similar won't dissolve in fat.) Also melts at room temperature. You can easily make more normal sweets and cakes too. Just sub ingredients.
Sixty-three is young! "As a man thiketh, so it shall be." i will be 90 next birthday...and I don't think old. I have more energy than I had in my twenties...and my brain works far better. In 1961 I started following an R.D.- author who advocated high protein...and I became fat and lethargic; constantly experiencing colds and sore throats. In 1976, I came across information that not only saved my life, but changed it. I develped a tumor from a nutritonal doctor's advice...and a book came into my hands that provided information that helped me get rid of the tumor by eliminating a food that the nutritonist had put me on. The book I came across was written by Dr. N.W. Walker who had written 10 books on nutrition...and he was over 100. I met people who knew him for years and had seen his Baptismal Certificate. He was far older than people thought. He must have had reasons for hiding his age. He never said... how old he was... he called himself "ageless." Anyway, his information changed my life. Age is a matter of relativity...it is all relative to what you know!
I use the two meals a day approach, and keto. It really works well. Getting rid of fast carbs got rid of the cravings which helps a lot. Now if I could find a way to stop buying dark chocolate I'd be all set.
Buy dark chocolate that is over 80% cacao. Usually there are no added flavors or nuts. It is strong enough that only a little bit satisfies.
I eat the 86% dark and I love it! Good for me too! WIN WIN! 💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻
YAY, Me too!
Greg, it is not the buying of dark chocolate but the eating of it. Although one does lead to the other.
LOl. But if I buy it, assuredly I will eventually go on to eat it.
I quit buying the Hersheys dark chocolate with almond nuggets about three years ago. Every once in a while I dig out 16 morsels from a 4 lb bag of Nestley's TollHouse with a use by Sept 2020 date. I get hard up just like others do. I just check, there is less than a cup of them left.
Our store sells Hershy Special Dark morsels. Those are addictive.
Been so long since I bought them I forgot what they were called. Special Dark! Wrapped individually, about 1 inch long. The store also sold large bars of them. The best....
I'm currently "doing" Atkins, which recommends three meals and two smaller snacks a day. Probalby there is no single best way to do a diet. Many options exist, and you should tailor them to what works best for you. And that's the acid test -- does it work for you?
Death by medicine is moving up into first place if we don’t stop the mRNA injections now! Lifestyle issues with our dominance of consuming factory processed foods is compounding the issue. Need to reinvent our treatment protocols to include prevention and reversal of disease states!
“The only way I can control simple carbs effectively is to avoid them at all costs. Unfortunately, my sugar/simple carb cravings take the form of “drug seeking behavior”, and I have to not indulge or frankly, I binge.”
Yup, same here. Strange as it seems, the best reset for me -- the approach that absolutely kills even a flicker of desire for sugary crap -- is 100% meat (and eggs).
After about 2-3 weeks of carnivore, i can stare down a plate of donuts and not blink.
Then I add the foods back that I want and all remains well. But overall, variety is not helpful, for me it’s hurtful. Staying within a relatively narrow range of animal foods + select plants requires the least effort and in turn, the least ansiosi and best results.
Good luck everyone! Sugar is a bitch
*the least anguish and best results
Aseem Malhotra explains it well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5e7luO4E1vA. I have tried to educate friends who take statins but they either chuckle or become angry. Also, In a book published in 2000, "The Heart Revolution," the author, who was a cardiologist, said there is some evidence that statins weaken the heart muscle.
Not sure about weakening the heart muscle but when I took the prescribed statins to reduce cholesterol from 227, the muscle cramping and joint pain was excruciating. Ditched the statins and went on diet and supplement of citrus bergamot and probiotic (sadly Optibac has discontinued). Got cholesterol down to 161. Dr. Demasi's new study on statins is illuminating Very much hyped. They may have some value in reducing LDLs But since the side effects are intolerable for me, will try a different path. Niacin and whey protein?
I took a statin for nearly 3 years. In fairness to the drug, I did not experience any side effects that I noted. And they really do alter "cholesterol." But eventually I got curious as to just how efficacious they were. You know, reducing the risks of heart attacks, stroke, etc.? So I read. I read "crackpot" literature. Then I looked up some studies. And you know what? Statins really do have some benefits. But they are very small. Especially for those with no history of cardiovascular issues, they basically are of no benefit. I mean, it was annoying yet somewhat amusing -- once one learns to read between the lines, even pharma's studies usually show very little benefit to the drug. And that is rendered even more titillating when you consider that everyone involved, from the funding the research, to the allegedly independent scientists investigating, to the journals that publish the research, all have glaring conflicts of interest and it's in everyone's interest to spin the data to put the product in the best possible light. Sometimes they've been caught in outright fraud, although hiding adverse evidence is more the norm. It does (or should) raise a red flag, for instance, when an outside investigative group is refused access to trial data, as has happened, including in some major statin studies. None of that means that all data are hogwash or that no treatment is effective or safe. What it DOES mean, at least to me, is that once the scales have fallen from one's eyes, it should make one suspicious of anything your doctor claims. It's sad to say, but to the extent possible, do your own due diligence. Some treatments are effective; many are little better than a sugar pill. Some are downright hazardous if not dangerous. Choose wisely.
And that doesn't even include the risk of adverse effects, as well as the costs of the drug, the required tests and office visits. In my opinion, they are perhaps the most lucrative example of a treatment that offers very little added value to the patient. That, sadly, is a "symptom" of many treatments pitched by the medical-industrial complex. Buyer beware.
That's horrible. Well, the whole point of Dr. McCully's book is that B vitamins suppress homocysteine levels and that is the substance that damages your heart. Cholesterol becomes a problem when the levels of homocysteine are too high. I assume you take a B complex? My cholesterol went down after I started taking the complex (I also stopped eating potato chips). I have also read that there are tests to measure whether your cholesterol molecules are large or small, if they are large they aren't all that injurious because they can't get into the arteries. Too bad doctors never tell us any of this. By the way. most people who have heart attacks have normal cholesterol levels. Go figure.
Totally relate, we have made the same health journey over the last five years. We have an integrative medicine doctor now, and use Berberine (natural mimetic for Metformin), Red Yeast Rice Extract, Amla and Emu Oil to help reduce LDL (in lieu of ineffective statins), and a slew of proven basics like A-D-K, Zinc, Turmeric, B complex, Green Tea, Etc. Also experimenting with Rapamycin + grapefruit juice, which safely increases autophagy and suppresses mTOR. Our bodies are designed to start slowly winding down when we pass reproductive age and become a burden to the tribe. My hope is we'll eventually have a proactive health care system that can offer prescriptive, wholesome diets, tailored for individuals based on blood, genetic and gut biome testing. Lots of inflammation starts with an unhealthy gut biome. My red pill moment was reading Food Fix by Mark Hyman and RFK's exposé on Fauci, and understanding the connection between Big Pharma, Big Food and Big Ag. Regulatory capture defined.
Good luck to everyone working toward ultra healthy senior status. Remember, it's healthspan, not lifespan!