February 2, 2009 / by Steve / 4 Comments / Filed under Fitness & Training
The current healthcare industrial complex takes a two-pronged approach to preventing and treating coronary artery disease:
1) Lower LDL cholesterol levels through diet changes and statin usage
2) Raise HDL cholesterol levels through “cardio” activities
While some of this has merit (especially the diet change part), much of it fails to address the real culprit in the development of atherosclerosis – namely, systemic inflammation.
Without getting too technical, coronary artery disease is largely an inflammatory process that results from irritation, injury, and reinjury to the inside of the blood vessels. And these “injury sites” happen to provide the ideal surface area for the formation of atheromas, or “plaques.”
The common misconception is that these plaques are cholesterol deposits. While it is true that these plaques consist largely of cholesterol and fatty acids, they don’t start out that way. They first make their appearance as “fatty streaks” which are largely accumulations of white blood cells known as macrophages. These macrophages are present as a result of arterial inflammation, mostly the result of oxidized low-density lipoprotein (LDL) molecules attaching to these injury sites.
The key takeaway here is that the “low fat diet + statin” formula focuses primarily on lowering LDL levels – not on reducing or eliminating systemic inflammation.
And systemic inflammation can be triggered by a number of factors other than the amount of LDL cholesterol in one’s diet:
- Chronic low-level stress
- Sleep deprivation
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Obesity
- Smoking and tobacco usage
- Excessive levels of aerobic training (<— quite ironic, isn’t it?)
- Gluten (i.e. grains)
- Hydrogenated oils (i.e. artificial fats)
- Highly processed meats
- High fructose corn syrup
- Dairy products
- Periodontal disease (usually triggered by a high-sugar diet)
Bottom line, while conventional medicine is on the right track with regards to dietary modification, there are a lot of half-truths in their recommendations. And very little focus is placed upon the role of systemic inflammation – which is the ultimate cause of coronary artery disease.
February 2, 2009 / by srhernan / Make A Comment / Filed under Fitness & Training
Take a look at this image:
Mark Sisson was “kind” enough to post it on his site, but it’s really something you should see for yourself. This is mechanically separated meat that’s used to make a variety of processed “meat product” foods.
Bottom line, whenever you eat a hot dog, a chicken mcnugget, or your favorite lunchmeat, odds are you are consuming this “edible meat tissue.” In addition, you’re consuming any chemicals, colorings, or preservatives that were dumped into this meat monstrosity to make it more appealing for human consumption.
The key is, do your own “hunting” and get your animal source protein (a.k.a. meat) in its most intact and unprocessed form. Buy whole carcasses if you can and avoid anything that’s been heavily processed.
Remember, humans did quite well for thousands of years without any “potted meat product.”
February 1, 2009 / by srhernan / Make A Comment / Filed under Swim Reports
I almost missed out on the festivities this morning. I hadn’t heard from anyone, so I wasn’t sure if the area was swimmable. I opted to take a chance and check it out solo as the air temperature was reading a record high of 34F. I made a mad dash out to Ladder #1 in my I-GO car and was quite elated to find the area mostly free of ice. Chris was out at Ladder #1, and there was only a thin skin of ice crowding around the base. However, the rest of the swim area was free and clear.
Chris and I suited up and entered the lake. The sun had risen, and it was absolutely brilliant in the cloudless sky. The water was crystal clear and, believe it or not, quite tolerable even at the just-above-freezing level of 33F. I believe the lack of wind coupled with abundant sunshine had a lot to do with that.
We swam down to the 1/8 mile mark at which point the area became iced over once again. So we did some laps back and forth and then horsed around in the area just beyond Ladder #1. The Ochoas had come out for a group run, so we had an ample fan base this time around. FYI, the Ochoas indicated that they will be bringing out the portable grill next Saturday morning (the 7th) for our long awaited Ladder #1 Winter Cookout. So come on out!
First sunrise of February (and it’s a beauty!)
The author warming up in the snow
Chris on ice
