December 4, 2001    High Cholesterol


GREETINGS AND SALUTATIONS from Arnold's Way!

Clock strikes one
 All is well
Marching to war, across the desert sand
 Soldiers of menace, children of play
It was the third of September when diagnosis needed to be done
Another life loss, another child is born
 Keeping healthy, who's to blame?


We begin the words.  We strike the drum.  There are patterns being formed that dared to be said.  There are visions that need to be shared.  There is an anger that beats in one's soul.  Who is beginning to understand why sickness strikes 98.5% of all Americas?  We look at the words of the medical journals.  We read the many books, week after week, topic after topic.  All diseases.  All preventable.  All should never have happened.  So on this premise we at Arnold's Way, meaning I, continue not for the glory but for the right to share truth, as I see it, as I see our beautiful bodies see it. Each one of us was given that gift of life, a perfect circle with no flaws, no mistakes, a continuum harmonious joy of unequivocal success.  So I sit down at the table, gather the books, and begin this week's topic on high cholesterol.

It was a local newspaper report on health that so-called "got my goat."  It stated, "Keep cholesterol at a healthy level."

And we begin reading the language.  We see those big words like lipoprotein and trigylcerides.  These words seem impressive.  I sit in silence.  The article flows freely; one sentences leads into another.  If it were only true then we would not feel the anger, the pent-up rage, the insidious rankle of disbelief, the false hope for the 36 million Americans now suffering from this so-called disease.  By the way, that statistic of 36 million suffers is three times the amount suffering just 8 years ago.  Are these numbers that are growing at exponential rates signs of what's ahead for Americans?  We continue reading the article that states, "Help minimize your risk for heart disease by having your cholesterol tested at age 20." Is that our hope?  To have a test?  Then what?  These are the latest medical reports.  Is there another option?  The words want to fly out like fine tuned bullets that take hold, grab, and bring some sense to those 36 million Americans who are on medications.  As stated in Nutrition for Living, "Cholesterol is found only in products of animal origin."  Period.  Why wasn't this mentioned in the latest medical report?  Nutrition for Living further states, "Your own body produces more cholesterol than you need." End of story.  End of high cholesterol.  End of 36 million Americans taking medication.  The question is whom do we believe?  We think of the latest research.  The HDLs have to be so low, the LDL so high, and the triglycerides another number.  These are medical words geared for those unwilling to listen to what truth is.  In Food for Life, by Neal Barnard, M.D., he clearly states, "Animal products contain two ingredients that drive your cholesterol level up - cholesterol and saturated fat."  It's that simple.  You don't need a medical expert to tell you.

We study what the average cholesterol should be in order to be healthy.  We study what the doctor recommends for dietary choices.  An advertisement in a medical office features a food guide that recommends up to 50 ounces of meat, poultry, fish per day.  That's the recommendation.  We read, we study, we compare notes.  In Food for Life it states, "There are 100 mg of cholesterol in 4 ounces of beef, chicken, half an egg, or 3 cups of milk." So we follow the doctor's recommendation, and what clearly happens is that 200 mg per day is reached day in and day out.  Food for Life pleads its case by providing one fact after another.  Does anybody really care?  Is this information really necessary, or are facts to be frowned upon, laughed at, and tossed in the nearest trash?

As a people we must understand that our health, appearance, youth, and vitality depends on getting off these animal products; it does make a difference.  We read the facts in Food for Life.  Chicken and beef have the same cholesterol level, which is an astounding 25 mg per ounce.  However, the story goes much deeper than that.  The story includes the slow death of a country as it kills and eats a defenseless animal.  "The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated."  (Gandhi)

Is there an unfolding of tragedy in epidemic proportion?  Can there be any justification for killing an animal, let alone eating it.  I close my eyes and see the brown and white cow standing idly in the green grass.  It's happy, carefree.  The sun shines on its coat.  The tree stands nearby.  It's a picture perfect setting.  Everyone stands still.  Billy and Bobby look innocently at their pets for they know naught what lies in their future. They all dance wildly and majestically for the day stands still.  There is no death, no mass killing, no reason for life to be taken, no reason for high cholesterol if these cows were looked upon as creatures of God not steaks on a table.

I close my eyes and think of that romantic scene.  I forget the horror, the laser gun, the machete, the knives, the blood gushing.  I try not to think of how Billy and Bobby would feel when their pets are going to be taken away from them.

What will be the words of condolence from their friends?  They were butchered, stabbed, and eaten, not by just anyone, but by their friends, neighbors, cousins, parents, all who partake in the gluttonous manner.  They voice the same language.  It's the protein we need, so we need the cow's meat.  The figures of heart medication have tripled in 8 years, while the doctors, medical experts, espouse medication as the way, along with dietary lifestyle, for lowering cholesterol.

Do we forget Dr. Neal Barnard's statement, "Do not be discouraged if the American Heart Association diet or a similar chicken and fish diet did not do much for you."  These words go on haunting us through the hollowness of time.  Heard but not seen, I search frantically for emotional realities that strike fear in our heart.  I search for something that would enable one to understand the truth of what exactly is happening in our country.  I want we as a people to grasp why our S.A.D. destroys not builds, sickens not makes healthy, sedates not empowers.  For what we eat becomes what we think.  The chemicals and the saturated fat do nothing good for our bodies.  Doug Graham, D.C. remarks in Nutrition and Athletic Performance, "Heated fats have several properties that make them a poor choice for athletes.  In order to make use of them for fuel, they would have to be reheated inside the body until they reached the liquid state.  This usually requires a temperature that exceeds 300 degrees."  This last statement, if truth be known, is a statement that stands tall and illustrious.  For words are small in its implication.  Every disease, I don't care what disease it is, stems from that saturated fat staying in our body, unable to leave, since our body's temperature only reaches 98.6 degrees.  In other words, by taking the medical route, as reinforced by the National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institutes, it is OK to eat the 5 oz of animal products and ignore Billy and Bobby's plea for justice.

We continue reading the advertised food groups from in the doctor's office. We see the milk, the yogurt, the cheese, the fat, the oils, the frozen yogurt, the tea, the coffee, and, let's not to forget the last column, the fruit and vegetables.  Finally, they were mentioned.  It's almost like they are an afterthought.

So we study this chart.  Incidentally, it was supplied by Pfizer Drug Company, makers of lipitor, which is used for lowering cholesterol.  Hmmm, is there a hidden message here?  It's similar to the milk and dairy industries that supply the school system with charts, pictures, studies, plus Got Milk ads.  Hmmm, are there any connections?  In God's Way to Ultimate Health it states, "Leading sources of saturated fat and cholesterol in the American diet are meat, poultry, and dairy products."

Now I have a statistic that is heart wrenching, disgusting, and eye opening to all those who are not already aware of this fact.  God's Way talks about how fast food is loaded with hormones such as the chicken that our children are eating, the beef products that our children are eating, and the pork that our children are eating.  Furthermore, they describe a relationship between those hormones and the decrease in age of the onset of puberty. "The average age of puberty from 1950, which was 16-17 years old, today, 50 years later, because of the invention of fast food, is now between 10-11 years old. One pediatrician reported recently that a large numbers of girls as young as 7, 8, and 9 years old are now menstruating."  Is there a connection?

We read Pfizer's chart.  We think of the medical advice. We read the statistics as reported in Realties for the Nineties.  Here is an excerpt. "The main location of cholesterol is animal flesh.  A lean portion amount of cholesterol is in an average egg, which has 275 mg.  The rise in blood cholesterol from consuming 1 egg per day is 12%."  These facts are mind boggling to me.  I study Pfizer's chart, and it says it's OK to eat the lean potion, to drink the milk, to eat the cheese.  In fact, it recommends having two or more servings per day.  We study the newspaper advice on cholesterol, which suggests keeping a healthy level of "total cholesterol less that 200mg."  We read the statistics on this so-called healthy level.  "The chance of a male dying from heart disease if his blood cholesterol is 210/dl is greater than 50%."  These are realities of life.  These are figures that can't be argued with.  I say if your doctor gives you advice on a dietary change that you have a 50% chance of dying.  I say change doctors, for cholesterol is a killer.  Saturated fat is a killer.  The reason being, "a temperature that exceeds 300 degrees" is needed to break down these saturated fats.  We are beginning to open our eyes.

We walk with continuous joy in the park.  We stroll in solemn solace down the aisles in the supermarket.  We visit the local schools and see the outcome of a generation of fast food.  We say hello to somebody.  Anybody. The results that we see don't need statistical data.  The results are in the people's faces.  The results are in the average girth of our populace.  The results are in the vitality of our youth; a shocking 90% cannot pass the minimum physical fitness test.  The results are in our populace; the average person has a 98.5% change dying of a major disease.  The results are in our elderly population; there are major concerns in Medicare costs and health. To those who want to continue as they are, do so without resignation, without complaint.  Do so without empowerment without our body's designed right for excellence in health to the day of death.

We study those who did not want to be a statistic, those who empowered themselves, those who were sick and tired of being sick and tired.  Elwin Nichols had his first heart attack and a quadruple bypass surgery in 1982. In June 1992 he had a second heart attack.  He was told there was not much hope.  Elwin was continuing his standard American diet.  He was a candidate for death.  His doctors said, "There was not much hope."  That was July 2, 1993.  Elwin had no choice but to change his ways.  As recommended by Hallelujah Acres, "He quit eating meat and dairy products, added a lot of fresh raw fruits to his diet, began consuming three or four glasses of carrot juices, three teaspoons of barely green everyday, and started walking."  That, my friends, is our medication. That, my friends, is the secret of long health and happiness.  We cannot put dead food in our system and be healthy.  Change was seen within 5 months, not years.  In the medical profession there is no cure just hope.  Thirty-six million Americans are living like this.  Elwin's weight went from 195lbs down to 162 lbs, and his cholesterol, which ranged from 250-300, went down to 143 by Oct 23, 1993.

Is there a mystery out there?  The answers have been around for years. Unfortunately there is no money to be made by the pharmaceutical industry. An article in the Journal of the American Medical Association states, "A vegetarian diet can prevent 97% of our coronary occlusion."

This is the information that should be handed out by the medical experts. This is the information that should be provided by your local newspaper regarding how to keep your cholesterol levels healthy.  As stated in Realities for the Nineties, "The cholesterol found in all grains, legumes, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds is none.  Zero."  What does it take for the average consumer to understand these facts?

Hi, my name is Arnold.  I write these newsletters week after week, month after month.  I am obsessed, literally and figuratively, with the role of diet and exercise as the main ingredients for recovery of health in ourselves, in our towns, in our country.  I am trying to find the right words to use to eloquently describe the possibilities for excellence at all times.

It's a Thursday morning around 7:30am.  This article has to be finished within the hour.  It's Thanksgiving.  Everything has to be ready.  There are seven people in our family.  I am 95-100% raw, my wife is 50-70% raw, one daughter is 50-60% raw, and three other children are somewhat aware of their dietary choices but would rather not think about it.  In addition, there is my grandson who eats 50% raw depending on who is feeding him.  So our dinner will be 80% raw, 20% cooked.  We are having turkey.  My wife made it, but she won't eat it.  I, being who I am, stayed up late Tuesday night, Wednesday night, and all day today so that after I finish writing this up I will be able to make raw food dishes.

What is the point?  I am relentless.  There is a truth that has to be shared.  I will do whatever it takes to share that truth.  Those who understand this statement will understand that no task it too great, no task is too small.  The health of ourselves, the health of our family, the health of our nation, greatly depends on people like myself, on people like yourself, who understand this information and then share with people like myself, like yourself, who refuse to eat the saturated fats.  Many times in a day like today we are placed in a position of going against traditional forces of cultural acceptance.  To all those I salute you for keeping your truth for it has to be heard, shared, and accepted.

I thank you for your time
  Arnold

References:
God's Way to Ultimate Health by Dr. George H. Malkamus
Realties for the Nineties
Diet for a New American by John Robbins
Nutrition for Living by Janet L. Christian, Janet L. Greger
Food for Life by Neal Barnard, M.D.
Nutrition for Athletic Performance by Douglas N. Graham, D.C.
Food for though:  Choose your low cholesterol heart health Diet by Pfizer US Pharmaceuticals
"Keep Cholesterol at a health level: by Joseph C. Kraynak, M.D., FACC
Miracle of Fasting by Paul Bragg

--------------------------------------------------------------
Upcoming events at Arnold's Way

Arnold's Way now has a website!  www.arnoldsway.com.  You can register to receive these newsletters online.  Also check out past newsletters including PMS, ADHD, Smallpox, Heart disease, Antibiotics, incontinence, Colon cancer, depression, and much, much more!

Arnold's Way is now selling raw veggie burgers and veggie/nut steaks.  Come check them out!  The raw food options are changing daily.  Stop by to check out the new cuisine at Arnold's Way!

Arnold's Way presents: 2nd Tuesday Raw Lecture Series December 11: Jim Willis will be talking about losing weight.  He lost 44 pounds in 2 months.  He looks like he is right out of Hollywood!  Tuesday, December 11 at Arnold's Way Cafe.

Matt Goodman, physical fitness extraordinaire, will share information on how to cultivate limitless energy and body healing mechanisms on Saturday December 15th from 11-12 at Arnold's Way.

Raw food vacation with yoga and body work plus plenty to eat at Ricketts Glen, PA!!  More information coming.  Weekend in April.  Stay tuned!  $20 deposit to hold your spot!

Holiday Dinner at Arnold's Way Cafe!  Guest chef Georgia!  Featuring a raw nourishing dinner including salad, stuffed red peppers, pies, cookies.  $25. You must register by December 18th.  Saturday December 22nd at 6pm.  Call Arnold at 215-483-2266.

Arnold gives a breakfast lecture on raw food and healing every Saturday morning at the store from 8: 15 to 9:45.  It's free and there's free breakfast.  Please pre-register.

On the last Saturday of every month, Arnold gives a free raw food preparation course from 8:15 to 9:45 at the store.  Learn how to make pizza, chili, pies, soups, cookies and more in 7 minutes or less.  Please call Arnold to register at 215-483-2266.

There's a raw food Pot Luck dinner on the last Wednesday of the month at the store beginning at 6pm.  Bring a raw food dish or pay $7. Pre-registration required or it will be cancelled.

Greenwood has 2 pot luck dinners each month, on the second and fourth Saturdays, from 2-5 p.m.  Call Tom for more info at (610) 623-5656.

Loreta Vainius is sponsoring a Living Food support group.  (610) 648-0241