For decades, my cholesterol levels have been higher than the recommended levels. I always considered this as part of my DNA because my parents and all of my siblings deal with the same issue. From the time I received my first set of blood tests showing elevated levels of cholesterol, allopathic doctors gave me the same advice over and over “eat more fiber and less fat”. It was like they had no other advice on how to help me. Not once did any of my PCPs asked to see a daily food diary. They had no idea how much fiber and fat I was eating, but never failed to provide the same advice. You can imagine how frustrating this was to me, which probably added to the disfunction of my system.
Over the past 8 years, I’ve added the guidance of naturopaths to help me find the path to my optimal health. Some were a bit too extreme for me – requiring me to make too many changes to my eating and supplement regime. Like with my PCPs, I felt some naturopaths were giving me the advice that works for them. I believe we are all unique, and I wanted to work with someone who saw me as such as well.
Throughout my journey, I’ve taken significant breaks in my search for the solution to my challenge, but my resolve never disappeared. I always stayed opened learning and trying new ideas. This year, my path crossed with a naturopath I’ve known for years. I felt I was ready to get back to work and explore new ideas. The results were nothing like I expected. After about 2 months of working together, my lab results got worse. She suggested a new combination of supplements to help my body process the cholesterol more effectively. I redid my blood tests a few months later, and no change. The feeling of despair started to creep in again. Seeing how frustrated my doctor was, I was willing to give it one more shot before moving on to another path.
I continued to do my own research because deep down I believe we know our bodies best. Our health is impacted by a number of factors such as our genetic makeup, the food we eat, the amount and type of exercise we do, and how we deal with stress. I couldn’t change my genes and I’ve always been an avid exerciser. Diet and stress were my two areas of focus.
Dealing with stress
Stress is a leading cause of inflammation in our bodies. Stress is impossible to avoid, but we can take control of how we deal with it. I became intentional about incorporating stress relief techniques more regularly into life. Meditation and journaling became daily practices, instead of sporadic activities. Before bed, I started doing yoga to relax my mind and body. I stopped looking at the news feeds and instead when I needed a mental break, I started watching YouTube videos that made me feel good. I saw an improvement in my sleep habits very quickly. Eight to ten hours of sleep each night is essential to helping our mind, body, and emotions heal each day.
Diet
I learned that grains contribute to inflammation in our bodies. I learned that the whole grains my doctors had recommended I eat more of, were probably hurting me more than helping. I knew the negative impact of refined sugars (including many natural sugars) and had already taken steps to eliminate them from my diet. My next step was to eliminate grains. It wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. I found ways to still have some of the things I love – like pizza (yay) by making a crust out of garbanzo bean flour. Without grains, my body started to change – for the better. I saw my stomach losing the excess bulge I had my whole life. I saw an improvement in my allergies (I have a lot of them). I lost the urge to binge eat and my appetite was in control.
The best news was I saw a big improvement in my cholesterol levels. The greatest lesson I learned was persistence matters when it comes to your health. Keep looking for what your body needs; what makes it happy. Look at the key factors of health that you have control over – stress, diet/nutrition, exercise, and sleep. Keep experimenting to find what your body needs to help it work more optimally and heal its diseases. Remember, your body has been created to heal itself. When you cut yourself, the skin knows how to grow and restore. Your body can heal many of the health issues we are dealing with if we provide it with the right ingredients to enable it to work at its best.
Don’t give up; don’t give in to doctors who are recommending pharmaceutical medications. Be persistent and keep working to help your body work like it was made to.