Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Swiss Chard Greens

This is one of my go to meals when I want a healthy warm meal:) It's super delicious and just as nutritious!  There are the usual greens I add, but add as much or many more as you'd like.

Ingredients
  • Swiss Chard
  • Kale
  • Cabbage
  • 1 Zucchini
  • 1 Red Onion
  • spring onions
  • 2 stalks of celery
  • 1 tomato
  • mushrooms (adds protein)
  • Organic Olive oil
  • Garlic paste
  • fresh ginger
  • garlic powder
  • onion powder
  • cayenne pepper
  • black mustard seeds (freshly stone grind)
  • cumin seeds (freshly stone grind)

Recipe
Put a tiny bit of olive oil in a pan on medium heat (never high).  Toast the slightly ground cumin and black mustard seeds for a minute of 2, then add the chopped up red onion and spring onions. Saute for a couple minutes then add the mushrooms in the middle of the pan. Sprinkle some garlic and onion powder and some cayenne powder over the mushrooms and saute.  After a couple minutes add the tomato in the middle with the fresh ginger and garlic, and mix in. 

Move all the ingredients in the pan to the edges and add in the zucchini, celery and swiss chard stalks. Add these veggies that talk longer to cook in before the greens, that go last. You can sprinkle more garlic and onion powder during the stage to flavor all the ingredients (this helps because this recipe calls for no salt:)

After mixing them in for a couple minutes add the greens into the middle of the pan, and sprinkle some more garlic and onion powder, then pour just enough organic vegetable broth (low sodium) into the pan and cover, to let the greens slightly steam. You want to preserve as much of the nutrients as you can, so don't overcook. You can turn down the heat slightly to low as well and steam it for a bit longer. Test the veggies diligently to make sure you turn off the burner as soon as it's ready. 

Garnish with some chopped up pecans and enjoy!  The pecans add amazing flavor and texture to the dish as a full meal for me. And yo won't feel guilty for having a second helping;)

It's great to have as a side dish, a whole meal or mixed with quinoa.

 All ingredients...including spices below
 Saute the ground cumin and mustard seeds in a little big of olive oil for a couple minutes then add the onions
  Shift the onions to the edges to the pan then add the mushrooms and sprinkle some garlic and onion powder ontop
 After a few minutes move the ingredients to the edges of the pan again and add the tomatoes, garlic paste and ginger
Chop up all greens...they wither down so it always looks like too much before actually cooking it
 Add the zucchini, celery and swiss chard stalks first, because they take longer to cook than the leafy greens
 Season greens with more garlic and onion powder over greens and add just enough vegetable broth to steam veggies.
 Mix all ingredients together
 Then cover and let greens steam on low heat
 Be sure not to over cook...keep tasting the veggies to turn off the burner as soon as it's ready
Garnish veggies with chopped up pecans. Enjoy!

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Gluten/Dairy Free Brownies

Yesterday my little niece celebrated her 3rd Birthday, and I had previously asked here what she wanted for her birthday and all she kept saying was brownies!  And since I had the whole day to spend with her we made a healthier version of classic brownies together:) I remember as a kid my mum was known for her incredible brownies! Kids in my class couldn't wait until I had a birthday so I could bring some brownies to share with the class...a wonderful memory.  So I'm happy to bring the brownie back into my diet as a special treat!

Nothing beats a warm brownie just out of the oven! And I'm happy to say this healthier version is Just as yummy as any regular version!

Ingredients
  • All Natural Pamela's Wheat-Free & Gluten Free Chocolate Brownie Mix
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/3 cup heaping unsweetened applesauce
  • 2 tbs Spectrum dairy-free organic shortening
  • 1 tbs raw cacao butter
  • 1 large egg
  • Dairy-free Gluten Free organic Chocolate dream chocolate chips

Recipe
Put the dry brownie mix into a bowl and add the melted butter substitute, apple sauce, water and mix well with a wooden spoon. Then mix in the egg, until all mixed together, don't over-mix the batter.  I then scooped out the remaining melted butter substitute from the glass bowl with my finger and used it to greese an 8x8 inch glass baking dish. 
Put the brownie mix into the pan and bake it on 350 F. for 20-30 minutes. 

I first had the brownies on the second to bottom rack in the oven, and after the recommended 18 minutes of baking only the outer inch was near done. So I put it back in for 7 more minutes moving the rack to the middle of the oven and after the 30 minutes it was just right to my liking. Slightly soft in the middle, but the toothpick came out clean:) Just some gooiness from the melted chocolate chunks inside. 

I then topped it with some chocolate chips in a shape of a heart for some added yumminess and love.

 All Ingredients
 The brownie mix had little chocolate chunks in it (dairy and Gluten free)
 I added a handful of additional dairy free gluten free chocolate chips (that looked black/white before melting)
 I added chocolate chips to make a heart, and filled in the spaces...they quickly melted on the hot brownies so some chips look darker than the melted lighter ones.
 Wasn't the smartest idea to stick candles in a still warm batch of brownies...but it was already past my niece's nap time and I promised her a piece before she went to sleep! So had to scoop out 3 little pools of wax :p Good thing she only turned 3!
We all had a piece while it was still warm...it was ooey and gooey and oo soo good, with lots of melted chocolate in the middle. Next time I won't bother adding the 3 tbs of the organic veggie butter & cocoa butter, and just go all with the applesauce because it was super rich and moist. I was first worried about it being dry, so I added a couple tbs of butter alternative where the recipe suggested many ways of using the brownie mix, one being a butter version (6 Tbs of butter and 1/3 cup oil) another being oil free (only 1/2 cup of apple sauce) so I combined the 2 and added just alil butter alternative (3 tbs total) and 1/3 cup of apple sauce, but for a healthier version I really don't think it needs any oil with the added chocolate chips so I will definitely go with the no oil version:)



More on the ingredients
These rich chocolate morsels are a baker’s dream come true! Crafted from select cocoa beans and processed in one of the few facilities in the world that can guarantee producing chocolate that’s free of all traces of dairy and gluten, they’re an all-natural treat that’s both creamy and delicious. 


Ingredients- Molasses and Honey; Brown Rice Flour; Natural Process Cocoa Powder; White Rice Flour; Tapioca Starch; Sweet Rice Flour; Potato Starch; Gluten-free Natural Flavor (contains corn derivative); Sea Salt; Xanthan Gum; Baking Soda.
Spectrum Organic Shortening with Butter Flavor is a better choice than mass market shortening brands because it’s never hydrogenated which means it has 0g trans fat. It is also dairy Free.
Ingredients- Mechanically pressed organic palm oil, natural butter flavor (non-dairy), annatto and turmeric for color.

Monday, November 28, 2011

Take control of your health

America: In 10 Years You'll All Be Fat

article from takepart.com 

If you're reading this story anywhere in the good ol' U.S. of A, chances are by the end of the decade you're gonna be fat. 

Sorry, we hate to be the ones to tell you. But according to new research, released Wednesday by Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine, that's the sad, corn-syrup-soaked truth. Our country is fat, and getting much, much fatter. 
The new projections show that in 2020 the overwhelming majority of Americans will be overweight or obese, and more than half will be suffering from diabetes or pre-diabetic conditions. 

Based on previous trends from health and nutrition surveys conducted between 1998 and 2008, the Northwestern team concluded that 83 percent of men and 72 percent of women will be overweight or obese in 2020. That's up from 72 percent of men and 63 percent of women who fit that bill today. 
As bad as those numbers sound, the real-life American Horror Story is found in the numbers projecting our near-certain diabetic future:
"We've been dealing with the obesity trend for the past three decades, but the impact we project on blood sugar is a true shock,” said Donald Lloyd-Jones, MD, chair and associate professor of preventive medicine at the Feinberg School of Medicine, a physician at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and senior author of the study. “Those are some really scary numbers. When blood sugar goes up like that, all of the complications of diabetes come into play."
By 2020, 77 percent of men and 53 percent of women will either be diabetic or pre-diabetic, pushing health spending through the roof, and opening them up to a host of other medical complications, like impaired vision, kidney damage—even the loss of a foot.
So, can anything be done (aside from dumping all our stock in bikini companies)? Yup. Find out how you can Raise Your Hand to Stop Diabetes, or check out TakePart's guide to making an impact during American Diabetes Month. Need more ideas? Head over to First Lady Michelle Obama's "Let's Move" campaign and check out her 5 Simple Steps to Success for healthier living.

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Lentil Pumpkin soup


Ingredients
  • 2 cups sprouted lentils
  • 1 large red onion
  • 2 carrots
  • 2 stalks of celery
  • 1 large sweet potato
  • 8 cups of vegetable broth (low sodium)
  • cayenne
  • garlic
  • ginger
  • dried sweet basil 
  • 1 can pure 100% pumpkin puree
  • Himalayan salt
Recipe
I used a slow cooker and a stove for this soup.  I planned to only use a slow cooker but it wasn't ready in time. I chopped up all ingredients and put it all in the slow cooker pot and set it on high for 3hrs.  I then poured the contents into a large soup pot and simmered for about 15 minutes until veggies were tender enough. Then heat stir in the can of pumpkin until all warm.
The first night I ate the soup whole and chunky.  Then the next day I heated the soup and blended it into a very fluffy bisque. Both delicious, and super nutritious:)

 All Ingredients
Chop up and combine all ingredients in slow cooker on high for 3 hrs...
then 20 more minutes simmered on the stove until vegetables are at desired tenderness 
Soup with added pumpkin puree
Soup blended into a light bisque

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Airplane Body Scanners

TSA refuses to fulfill promise to conduct independent safety investigation of naked body scanners

Not even a month after promising to conduct a legitimate, independent study on the safety of the illegal naked body scanners used in airports across the US, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Administrator John Pistole is now saying that such a measure is unnecessary, and that it may not happen after all.

ProPublica reports that, despite myriad evidence that the privacy-invading machines can emit high levels of deadly ionizing radiation, Pistole has presented more rehashed Department of Homeland Security (DHS) data as "evidence" that the machines are safe -- and he is actually purporting that this biased data is sufficient to verify the machines' safety.

"My strong belief is those types of machines are still completely safe," said Pistole at a recent hearing of the US Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. "If the determination is that this IG (inspector general) study is not sufficient, then I will look at still yet another additional study."

Unfortunately for Pistole and his cronies at DHS and TSA, having a "strong belief" about something does not make it true. And Pistole's repeated avoidance of allowing a real investigation into the safety of naked body scanners clearly shows that he and his corrupt agency have something to hide from the public.

Pistole's use of the words "still yet another additional study" basically insinuates that existing studies have already verified the safety of backscatter naked body scanners -- but they definitely have not. In fact, the supposed "safety data" that the TSA has been relying on to assert the safety of the machines was exposed as fraudulent earlier this year (http://www.naturalnews.com/032425_airport_scanners_radiation.html).

Not only was the data flawed, but the study was conducted in secret by unnamed scientists, and by the company that makes the machines, Rapiscan Systems. The safety tests also did not even involve the actual machines used at airports -- they involved phony "mock-up" machines made of random spare parts at the company's manufacturing unit.

That Pistole would even suggest that existing "safety" studies conducted in this manner are legitimate is an insult to the intelligence of every American. And yet millions of Americans continue to comply with TSA's unconstitutional use of these deadly machines, and willfully subject their bodies to blasts of carcinogenic ionizing radiation every day.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.propublica.org/article/tsa-puts-off-safety-study-of-x-ray-body-scanners

Friday, November 25, 2011

Sweet Potato Casserole

Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day! 

 

 My contribution to the Thanksgiving meal this year was Sweet Potato Casserole.  As mentioned before, I love sweet potatoes! Because it was a family event I made 2 versions...a healthy version, and a healthier version. What differed was the butter (healthier version used an organic butter substitute for non-dairy), the sugar (brown sugar for the healthy version, palm sugar for the healthier version), and lastly the topping (marshmallows and pecans for the healthier version).

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes (about 2 large)
  • 1 eggs, lightly beaten with a fork
  • 2 tablespoons Spectrum all vegetable butter flavor shortening non-hydrogenated...made from palm oil (2nd dish used sweet cream butter)
  • 2 tablespoons coconut crystals (2nd dish used packed dark brown sugar)
  • 1/2 teaspoon Himalayan salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans and a sprinkle of coconut crystals (2nd dish small marshmallows)

Recipe

Peal and cut the sweet potatoes into small pieces and boil them for about 20 minutes or until soft.  

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 

Put the sweet potatoes into a dish to blend with a hand blender. 
Blend the the potatoes until smooth. Add the egg, butter (or alternative), brown sugar (or coconut crystals) salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and pepper to taste. Blend the mixture until smooth.

Butter an 8 by 8-inch Casserole. I used a square glass pan for the healthier version and a large pie casserole for the 2nd dish. Pour the sweet potato mixture into the pan and sprinkle the top with the pecans. Bake for 30 minutes. If you use marshmallows, add them on after 10 minutes to bake them with the marshmallows for the last 10 minutes. Since mine needed to be reheated I waited to put the marshmallows on during the reheating of both dishes for 10 minutes at 350.  Serve immediately.
 All Ingredients for 2 dishes
 Each dish used 2 large sweet potatoes weight about 2 1/2 lbs for each dish

 Boil sweet potatoes for 20 minutes or until soft
 Ingredients for healthier dish
 2nd dish (uses brown sugar, marshmallows and sweet butter...so not non-dairy)
 All ingredients for 2nd dish...ready to be blended together
 Blend until smooth
 Place in baking dish- 2nd dish before baking
 Healthier version baked for 30minutes topped with pecans and a pinch more of coconut crystals
 2nd dish baked for 30 minutes, then another 10 minutes to warm up after adding marshmallows, given them a perfect light brown color!

Bananas

I'm bananas for bananas! And I'm nuts for nuts...but that's for a different blog

I have at least 1/2 a banana daily, whether it's in my morning smoothie, or chocolate chia breakfast.  It adds sweetness, creaminess, and a frozen banana makes an amazing healthy dairy free ice-cream!

Next time you enjoy a banana, consider some of these facts:

1. Hands and Fingers

Bananas do not grow on trees. The banana plant is classified as an arborescent (tree-like) perennial herb and the banana itself is actually considered a berry. The correct name for bunch of bananas is a hand of bananas; a single banana is a finger.


2. Heart Health

One banana contains 467mg of potassium, providing powerful protection to the cardiovascular system. Regular consumption of the potassium-packed fruit helps guard against high blood pressure, atherosclerosis and stroke.


3. Bones

Although bananas do not contain high amounts of calcium, they do supply the body with an abundance of fructooligosaccharide, a prebiotic substance (one which encourages probiotics, the friendly bacteria in the digestive system). As fructooligosaccharides ferment in the digestive tract, they enhance the body's ability to absorb calcium.


4. Energy and Mood Balancing

Another benefit to bananas high potassium content derives from that mineral's role as an energy-supplying electrolyte. Since bananas also contain tryptophan, serotonin and norepinephrine, they help prevent depression while encouraging feelings of well-being and relaxation. In addition, the vitamin B6 in bananas helps protect against sleeplessness, mood swings and irritability.


5. Vision

Bananas, combined with the African herb orinol, have been used to treat cataracts in Nigeria. They also share with other fruits the ability to prevent macular degeneration, the leading cause of vision loss in adults. According to a study published in the Archives of Opthmalogy in 2004, people who eat 3 servings of fruit per day are statistically unlike to develop the vision-diminishing disease.


6. Better Digestion

Bananas suppress acid in the digestive tract, alleviating heartburn and helping guard against ulcers. Since bananas contain pectin, a soluble fiber, they aid in the elimination process, helping prevent constipation.


7. Baby Food

Since they are easily digested, bananas are a perfect food for babies just beginning to move to solid foods.

8. HIV Protection

The Journal of Biological Chemistry in March 2010 published a study which revealed the healing potential of BanLec, a lectin protein in bananas. Researchers found that this protein which binds to sugars can also bind to HIV-infected cells, enveloping them and preventing their replication and transmission.


8. Clones

Due to modern shipping practices, this tropical yellow berry born of a herb seems so ubiquitous that most consumers take it for granted. However, the banana's constant availability could end soon. Nearly all the bananas sold in stores are cloned from just one variety, the Cavendish banana plant, originally native to Southeast Asia. This means disease could potentially wipe out the cloned plants in one fell swoop. Next time you peel and eat a banana, take the time to savor its flavor and texture, so if this fruit disappears, you can tell future generations about the healthy snack encased in yellow flesh.

That potential disappearance does not derive from science fiction speculation. Botanists say it is likely to happen in the next 20 years and in fact it already has happened. At the beginning of the last century, the dominant banana species was the Gros Michel, also a cloned species, which was wiped out by fungus. The Gros Michel was preferred over the Cavendish because it was larger and had a longer shelf life, and, according to old-timer recollections, better-tasting. The Cavendish replaced the Gros Michel after the latter species decimation because, of the over 1,000 varieties of bananas in the world, most do not have an appealing taste. There are the less sweet plantains, and also a variety called Goldfinger which has an apple-like taste.

9. Save the peels

Even the peels of this fruit are useful. Apply the inside of a banana peel to pimples to naturally dry out these skin blemishes. Also, banana peels make a wonderful fertilizer, particularly for roses.

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Dairy-free Deviled Egg

 Dairy Free Deviled Egg

Ingredients

  • egg, brought to room temperature
  • small pot of water
  • raw cashew mock-mayo (soaked cashew blended with almond milk to a smooth paste)
  • garlic powder
  • onion powder
  • cayenne 
  • pepper
  • salt (optional)


Recipe

Alternative Method of boiling egg from yesterday's blog
You first want to bring the egg to room temperature, you can take them out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before you plan to use it.  If you forget to take your eggs out of the refrigerator, you can warm them up very quickly by placing them in a bowl full of warm water (not hot) for 5 or 10 minutes.  

Bring the water to a boil before adding the egg.  Make sure there is just enough water to cover the egg. Add the egg gently to the boiling water and cover. Start timer for 4 minutes.  When the timer goes off turn the heat off and let sit with lid still shut for 2 minutes. Leave in pot a minute or 2 longer if you prefer a firmer yoke than pictured below.  With 2 minutes the whites will fully cook and the yoke will slightly firm around the while just enough to separate the 2...which is exactly what I want. Place the egg in a bowl of ice water as soon as the cooking process is complete.  


Then mix about 1-2 teaspoons of the raw cashew paste (dairy free mayo alternative) with some garlic powder, onion powder and any other spices you like in your deviled egg. Mix well and use a plastic bag with the corner snipped off to squirt half the filling into each half of the egg. Dust a sprinkle of paprika and pepper on each piece and enjoy!

 After boiling the egg and ice bathing it, it should peal perfectly
 The center will be creamy yet firm enough around its edges to scoop out for deviled eggs
 Mix the mock-mayo and spices in a bowl...then add to egg whites
Dust with paprika & pepper, and your delicious devilish eggs are ready to eat! I made mine a happy deviled egg by giving it a complimentary raw cashew smile (from the bowl of cashew's I'm soaking for tonight's creamy coconut quinoa dish!)

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Perfect soft center hard boiled egg

With a lot of tinkering I figured out how to make the perfect hard boiled egg with a soft center ^_^  The soft center maintains the nutrients of the yoke. The yoke is healthiest raw! So this is the next best thing. Not to mention they're delicious! I very highly recommend buying organic free-range eggs...or better yet, fresh organic eggs from a trusted local farmer. (a recent news example of why I make this high recommendation-  Undercover video shot by the animal rights group Mercy for Animals and provided to ABC News appears to show unsanitary conditions and repeated acts of animal cruelty at a major American egg farm.

Ingredients
  • as many eggs as desired
  • cold water
  • bowl of ice water
  • pepper for seasoning (salt too if you desire)

Recipe

In a small pot, add your eggs and add cool water just enough to cover the eggs. Heat on high to bring to a boil.  As soon as it starts boiling turn off the stove immediately and cover pot. Let stand for 4 minutes, then immediately scoop out eggs and gently put the eggs in the bowl of ice water. Let sit for a couple minutes. At this point you can them peal the eggs.  The shell shouldn't give you any problem pealing off. If it does, try adding a little vinegar to the boiling water (I haven't needed to do this).

Another method of pealing it is to lightly tap both sides (top and bottom) of the egg on the counter to crack, then lightly (extremely lightly...especially if you are doing a soft centered egg) roll the egg in your palm on the counter.  The peal should come off very easily at this point. Make sure your egg is thoroughly cooled before attempting this or it may fall apart with too much pressure. 

Cut your egg in half and the center should be nice and creamy while the whites of the egg should be fully cooked and firm:) Enjoy with a sprinkle of your favorite seasonings.  I love it with a sprinkle of pepper, Himalayan salt (ground fine), garlic powder and onion powder. 
 Bring water to a boil...then turn off burner and cover for 4 minutes
 Give the eggs an ice bath immediately after the 4 minutes are up
 Eggs should peal easily
Fully peal the egg and make sure all shell pieces are off...rinse if needed
 The center should be nice and creamy...and all the whites should be fully cooked

Sprinkle with some pepper (and salt if you'd like) and enjoy!


Look for tomorrow's blog with an alternative version of boiling the egg...along with a dairy free deviled egg:)
A little more Info about Eggs
When I eat eggs primarily for health reasons, I actually eat them raw. I stir them up in a berry smoothie and no one could ever tell they are there! They don't give the smoothie any texture Or taste, in spite of what one may think, so it shouldn't be as off putting as it is to most people. 

The reason I try get the yoke as uncooked as possible is that the process of cooking eggs destroy the very goodness that our bodies so desperately need as the nature of proteins and fats is altered when exposed to heat. When cooked, the egg protein changes its chemical shape; it is often this process that can be the cause of allergies. Generally when eating raw eggs, any incidence of egg allergy will disappear.

The sulphur amino acids help to keep you young, raw eggs also contain an abundance of other vital substances including protein, essential fatty acids along with niacin, riboflavin, biotin, choline, vitamins A, D and E, magnesium, potassium, phosphorous, manganese, iron, iodine, copper, zinc and sulphur. Egg yolks are one of the few foods that contain vitamin D. And before you toss the egg yolks, make note they are also a good source of carotenoids which help to protect against macular degeneration of the eye as well as choline which is important for brain health.

Poisoning from salmonella has been exaggerated in the past. A study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2002 indicated that only 2.3 million, of the 69 billion eggs produced annually, are contaminated with salmonella. In other words 0.003% or 1 in every 30,000 eggs. The bulk of these come from battery chicken eggs and chickens kept in unhealthy conditions - only sick chickens lay salmonella contaminated eggs. If only healthy chicken eggs (organic and free range ideally) are consumed, then far less than one in 30,000 eggs are contaminated. This is why I highly recommend buying eggs from organic sources, and free range. 

Another concern is cholesterol, and here's something very interesting about that. There is no danger from the cholesterol build up since 2/3 of cholesterol in the body is produced by the liver. The amount of cholesterol consumed in the diet does not relate to the amount of cholesterol deposited. Many studies have shown that the cholesterol in eggs does not raise cholesterol level in the body. Furthermore, eggs contain Lecithin, a valuable nutrient that helps the body to process fats and cholesterol.

Here are the facts on Cholesterol!  
Click on the blue numbers if you want references to the scientific literature
 1  Cholesterol is not a deadly poison, but a substance vital to the cells of all mammals. There are no such things as good or bad cholesterol, but mental stress, physical activity and change of body weight may influence the level of blood cholesterol. A high cholesterol is not dangerous by itself, but may reflect an unhealthy condition, or it may be totally innocent.
 2  A high blood cholesterol is said to promote atherosclerosis and thus also coronary heart disease. But many studies have shown that people whose blood cholesterol is low become just as atherosclerotic as people whose cholesterol is high.
 3  Your body produces three to four times more cholesterol than you eat. The production of cholesterol increases when you eat little cholesterol and decreases when you eat much. This explains why the ”prudent” diet cannot lower cholesterol more than on average a few per cent.
 4  There is no evidence that too much animal fat and cholesterol in the diet promotes atherosclerosis or heart attacks. For instance, more than twenty studies have shown that people who have had a heart attack haven't eaten more fat of any kind than other people, and degree of atherosclerosis at autopsy is unrelated with the diet.
 5  The only effective way to lower cholesterol is with drugs, but neither heart mortality or total mortality have been improved with drugs the effect of which is cholesterol-lowering only. On the contrary, these drugs are dangerous to your health and may shorten your life.
 6  The new cholesterol-lowering drugs, the statins, do prevent cardio-vascular disease, but this is due to other mechanisms than cholesterol-lowering. Unfortunately, they also stimulate cancer in rodents, disturb the functions of the muscles, the heart and the brain and pregnant women taking statins may give birth to children with malformations more severe than those seen after thalidomide.
 7  Many of these facts have been presented in scientific journals and books for decades but are rarely told to the public by the proponents of the diet-heart idea. 
 8  The reason why laymen, doctors and most scientists have been misled is because opposing and disagreeing results are systematically ignored or misquoted in the scientific press.  
 9 The Benefits Of High Cholesterol