Some people call circuit training a shortcut to fitness. It burns up to 30% more fat than a typical workout, while rapidly elevating fitness levels. If you're a runner and you mix in circuit training, you'll find an improvement in your long distance times.
Many people ask me if I do weight training. I don't. My Shaolin Circuit Training DVDs are the main workout I do on a daily basis. These DVDs are designed for fit busy people who want results fast. Combining push ups with punches while keeping the heart rate elevated means the muscle are being constantly challenged. If you're pushed for time then you'll achieve more from circuit training than any other type of exercise.
Shaolin Circuit Training combines cardio and strength training into 9 tough interval circuits.The level of intensity depends on how hard you push yourself but you should be working at an uncomfortable level of exertion the entire time. How many punches can you do in round one? How many kicks can you do in round five? How about the final round? It's a good idea to make a note of this so you can track your improvement.
Alternate between the Circuit Training Volume 1 and 2 on different days so you're focusing on building the strength of your arms or legs and improving the skill of your punches and kicks. I recommend you alternate these two DVDs twice a week and then,if your doing 5 or 6 workouts a week, do any volume from Shaolin Bootcamp or Shaolin Workout. If you've more time then you don't need to follow the Qigong at the end of the DVD but can do your favourite Qigong followed with the Instant Health Massage. And remember, even though you're out of breath, it's still the breath of Qi. Training in Shaolin means everything we do is a meditation. Even circuit training.
Shaolin Circuit Training is not suitable for beginners.
Let's kick off this post with a quote from a 2001 review paper (1):
Increased variety in the food supply may contribute to the development and maintenance of obesity. Thirty-nine studies examining dietary variety, energy intake, and body composition are reviewed. Animal and human studies show that food consumption increases when there is more variety in a meal or diet and that greater dietary variety is associated with increased body weight and fat.
This may seem counterintuitive, since variety in the diet is generally seen as a good thing. In some ways, it is a good thing, however in this post we'll see that it can have a downside. Read more »
My training day usually starts with either a 10 or 12k jog or interval running, sprinting 800 meters then resting for 800 meters and doing this 4 times or varying my runs like I show in my youtube video. I then do some circuit training, the same as on my DVD though I mix the punches and kicks together. I think it's important to sweat when you're training, only this is true training. In the afternoon I do bag work, and pad work if there's someone at the temple to hold pads. I finish off with Iron Shirt Qigong and combine Iron Shirt conditioning with Instant Health Massage using a metal brush.
Can the average person hack Shaolin training?
Shaolin is for everybody. Of course the average person doesn't have 4 hours a day to train but a lot can be accomplished in one hour five days a week. This is enough to be healthy and fit. If you're not close to a school and train from my DVDs then you need to make a program. The best DVDs for fitness are the Bootcamp and Circuit TrainingDVDs but you need a level of fitness before you can embark on them. Like all things, take one step at a time. Most people have no desire to do hard Qigong but they have a desire to have more energy and increase their longevity so they do Eight Treasures.
You've talked about the Shaolin Monk's diet in another post, but how important is diet to you?
The more you do Shaolin martial arts, the more you tune into your body and the harder it is to eat badly. If you're craving unhealthy food, don't worry about it, start working out the Shaolin way and the cravings will go away of their own accord. Before I train I eat a lot of noodle and vegetable with some meat then a banana, which is a great thing to eat before training as it helps to keep sugar levels up. We don't use ovens in China but something new I've discovered in the West is roasted sweet potato. Very healthy and a better carbohydrate than potato. I eat fruit and nuts through out the day. I tend to cook two days food in advance so when I come home and I'm hungry my food is already prepared.
How focused are you on Buddhism and Zen meditation?
I'm a simple person. I feel that many Western people read too many books and this makes their mind complicated. My master gave me one sutra, The Hui Neng Sutra, and he told me not to sit in meditation but to make training my meditation. Zen is about experience, not knowledge. When people do kung fu or Qigong forms, they get a taste of this Zen experience and then there are no questions. The important thing is not to look outside, but work with where we are and what we have here and now. There's no need to go to the temple, the temple is right here and now Shifu Yan Lei teaches a graded path in Shaolin Kung Fu and Qigong, click here for more information.
Michael Moss is a Pulitzer prize-winning journalist who has made a career writing about the US food system. In his latest book, Salt, Sugar, Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us, he attempts to explain how the processed food industry has been so successful at increasing its control over US "stomach share". Although the book doesn't focus on the obesity epidemic, the relevance is obvious. Salt, Sugar, Fat is required reading for anyone who wants to understand why obesity is becoming more common in the US and throughout the world.
If you missed us at Go Green in the City, never fear: Healthy World Cafe will be open for a delicious, locally sourced lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 24 at First Moravian Church, 39 N. Duke St., downtown York.
Our spring vegetable quiche returns for lunch April 24!
April's Menu:
-- Cardamom applesauce
-- Chicken, rice & spring greens soup
-- Pork, beef & bean chili
-- Oriental sandwich with Asian-inspired coleslaw
-- Tossed salad with Green Goddess dressing
-- Spring vegetable quiche
-- Dried fruit and oatmeal cookies
Of course, our offerings are always based on whatever is available from our farmer friends, so also stay tuned for updates!
At Healthy World Cafe, we always feature our "eat what you want, pay how you can" philosophy. The ability to pay should never be a barrier to accessing delicious, unprocessed, healthy food. Take out orders are available by e-mailing your selections (by 10 a.m. April 24) to healthyworldcafe(at)gmail(dot)com.
Interested in volunteering for food prep or serving? Sign up through VolunteerSpot for our April lunch or other upcoming events.
And don't forget our switch to volunteer shifts for Wednesday's lunches: In order to better respect our volunteers' time, we'll be splitting the Wednesday lunch into two volunteer shifts: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and noon to 3 p.m. Feel free, of course, to sign up for both shifts, if you wish.
If you can't volunteer for an exact shift, hey, we understand that, too! We love that you're still eager to help out when you can. We would just ask that, after signing up through VolunteerSpot, that you'd send a quick email to sarah.e.chain(at)gmail(dot)com and let us know when to expect you. That makes it easier for us to plan out volunteer duties.
Ever since the end of my last Whole 30 that ended in late January, I have been struggling. I am in a state of push-pull between my desire to be healthy and my desire for cookies :) In all seriousness, I am undermining my healthy ways with sugar. I can’t seem to stop. I go back and forth about trying doing another Whole 30 (even my language is equivocating!) Part of me is resentful that all that I am doing right is just not enough. The logical part of me knows that it takes work to succeed. I need to get over it. But everytime I start to resolve to take on another month of strict Paleo, I rebel against the restriction. This inner battle has left me treading water and getting nowhere.
Although I’m trying not to make this about my weight, I have noticed that my clothes are fitting more snuggly and I’m just not feeling fabulous right now. Working out helps. I’ve stuck with The Smarter Science of Slim workouts (two short but intense workouts a week) for the most part, missing a couple here and there for travel or work conflicts. The times I did miss my workouts were the lowest in terms of how I was feeling about myself so I know those are an absolute must not only for my physical wellbeing, but mental health as well.
Moving forward, in terms of food, I’m going to focus on what I do want to be including as opposed to just thinking about what I “can’t” have. Yes, sugar is going resolutely into the “no” category but I’m keeping my Stevia and sugar free baking like the recipes available on Maria’s Blog. I also want to try these Chocolate Chip Cookies using Stevia (I seem to need CCCs in my life). I’m aware that those foods aren’t the most nutrient dense and that they’re a crutch. But the idea of having them as an option makes my toddler brain calm down – tantrum averted.
Additionally, I’m focusing on incorporating some healing foods like bone broth and kombucha, both of which I make at home and drink at least once a day. I also add some Great Lakes Kosher Gelatinto whatever I can – mixed into hot tea or made into gummies. Gelatin, prevalent in the broth and as a supplement, is very healing to the gut and is great for supporting joint health. It’s also awesome for your hair and nails. Another addition that makes a big difference for me is magnesium. I take Natural Calm stirred into hot water in the evening (it can make you sleepy). Many people are deficient and it’s needed for hundreds of bodily functions. I somehow stopped taking it for awhile and saw an uptick in my sugar cravings – I can’t swear that it’s related, but I am guessing that it is. Taking it also helps the muscle soreness I get after my workouts. This is going back on the daily plan. Lastly, having a substantial breakfast including at least 30 grams of protein (equal to about 3 eggs) is essential for starting the day off right and keeping my hunger in check for the rest of the day.
So that’s the non-plan plan for now. I will do my best to keep the emphasis on taking the best care of myself that I can as opposed to sinking to the dieting mentality that only serves to derail me. How are you doing with your healthy living plans? Any tips you can share?
Folks loved our menu of soup, salad, quiche and more at last year's event!
Warmer temperatures have Healthy World Cafe thinking spring -- and, of course, all the wonderful, local produce that comes along with the change in seasons!
We're very excited to announce we'll be at Go Green in the City on Saturday, April 20, set up along the first block of North Beaver Street in downtown York to sell our yummy, locally sourced food. As always, we'll operate under our model of "pay how you can." The ability to pay should never be a barrier to accessing delicious, unprocessed, healthy food.
And don't forget to mark your calendars for our monthly lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 24 at First Moravian Church. Check back soon for a menu!
Go Green in the City: -- 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Thursday, Apri 18 -- Food prep for Go Green in the City. Meet at First Moravian Church (FMC), 39 N. Duke St., York. We'll also be putting together seed packets to distribute at our spring events -- a good activity for younger folks or those less inclined in the kitchen! -- 5 to 10 p.m. Friday, April 19 -- Transportation of food and serving items from FMC to YorKitchen in Central Market York, plus food prep at YorKitchen. Meet at FMC. -- 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 20 -- Serving at Go Green in the City along the first block of North Beaver Street. Meet at YorKitchen. This day will be split into two shifts: 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., and noon to 4 p.m. If you can't work a full shift (say, you can be there 10 to 3, but not as early as 8), please email sarah.e.chain(at)gmail(dot)com and let us know when to expect you!
April's lunch: -- 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Monday, April 22 -- Food prep at First Moravian Church (FMC), 39 N. Duke St., York. We'll also be putting together seed packets to distribute at our spring events -- a good activity for younger folks or those less inclined in the kitchen! -- 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 23 -- Food prep at FMC. We'll also be putting together seed packets to distribute at our spring events. -- 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, April 24 -- Food prep and serving at FMC. We're now splitting our lunch days into two volunteer shifts to better respect our volunteers' time: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and noon to 3 p.m. Feel free to sign up for both, if you wish. If you can't work a full shift (say, you can be there 10 to 2, but not as early as 9), please email sarah.e.chain(at)gmail(dot)com and let us know when to expect you!
May advisory group meeting -- 6:30 p.m. Monday, May 6, Friends Meeting House, 135 W. Philadelphia St., York. All welcome! We'll be talking about plans for our annual Market to Table event and assigning tasks for those available to help.
Recently two meta-analysis papers were published addressing the findings from population studies of the association between egg intake and the risk of cardiovascular disease.12 Unfortunately the authors of these two review papers reached contradictory conclusions regarding the dangers of egg intake which is likely to lead to unnecessary public confusion. The authors of the most recent meta-analysis paper reviewed studies on coronary heart disease, heart failure, diabetes and all cardiovascular diseases (CVD) combined and concluded:
Our study suggests that there is a dose-response positive association between egg consumption and the risk of CVD and diabetes.
In contrast to this conclusion, the authors of the earlier meta-analysis paper limited their review to studies that specifically addressed coronary heart disease and stroke and concluded:
Higher consumption of eggs (up to one egg per day) is not associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease or stroke. The increased risk of coronary heart disease among diabetic patients and reduced risk of hemorrhagic stroke associated with higher egg consumption in subgroup analyses warrant further studies.
The second meta-analysis paper is problematic in part because the authors failed to consider the relevant findings from dozens of rigorously controlled feeding experiments on humans and thousands of experiments on animals, including nonhuman primates that strongly support the recommendations to limit the intake of eggs and cholesterol [reviewed previously]. This paper is also problematic in part because the authors failed to consider many other relevant findings from prospective cohort studies which suggest that egg and cholesterol intake increases the risk of coronary heart disease, diabetes, heart failure, cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality.
Firstly, the association between egg intake and the risk of cardiovascular disease is meaningless without considering suitable substitutes for eggs. As a lower intake of eggs implies a higher intake of other foods in order to maintain caloric balance, the effect that egg intake has on coronary heart disease depends on which foods eggs are substituted for. For example, data from the Nurses’ Health Study, one of the largest studies included in these meta-analyses suggested that replacing one serving of nuts, but not red meat and dairy with one serving of eggs per day is associated with a significantly increased risk of coronary heart disease.3 The authors of both meta-analyses failed to address this factor despite the fact that the importance of evaluating suitable food alternatives has been strongly emphasized by many prominent diet-heart researchers.4 The findings from these meta-analyses should therefore be interpreted with caution as eggs may have been primarily compared to processed foods and other animal foods which make up the majority of caloric intake in developed nations.45
Eggs, Cholesterol and Diabetics
The authors of the most recent meta-analysis paper found that among diabetics, frequent egg intake was associated with a 83% increased risk of cardiovascular disease, whereas the authors of the earlier meta-analysis paper found that frequent intake was associated with a 54% increased risk of coronary heart disease. The authors of the most recent meta-analysis paper excluded one, while the authors of the earlier meta-analysis paper excluded two additional cohort studies that found that among diabetics, high compared to low intake of eggs was associated with an approximately five-fold increased risk of cardiovascular disease.67 These additional studies had they been addressed by these authors would have potentially strengthened the association between egg intake and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease in diabetics.
The authors of the most recent meta-analysis found that frequent egg intake was associated with a 68% increased risk of type II diabetes, a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. However, the authors of the earlier meta-analysis largely failed to address this evidence. A literature search I performed produced papers from 5 separate prospective cohort studies addressing egg intake and the risk of developing type II diabetes, including two additional studies that were not addressed in both meta-analyses papers.891011 In addition, I also found one additional cohort study addressing egg intake and the risk of developing gestational diabetes.12 All except one smaller cohort found a statistically significant association after adjusting for potential confounders. These cohorts also found suggestive evidence that the increased risk persisted regardless of whether eggs were consumed in the presence of a higher or lower carbohydrate diet, and that the association was even stronger when repeated measurements of egg intake were considered.9 In addition, these cohorts also found suggestive evidence that the increased risk could partly be explained by the dietary cholesterol and protein content of eggs, and that substituting eggs with carbohydrate-rich foods, especially fiber-rich bread and cereals significantly decreases the risk of developing type II diabetes.891112
In the one cohort that did not find a statistically significant association, average egg intake was relatively low and there was suggestive evidence of an increased risk when a follow-up measurement of egg intake was used to update exposure overtime.10 In addition to these findings, a paper from the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study also found suggestive evidence that egg intake is associated with an increased risk of type II diabetes.13 Furthermore, papers from an additional 5 cohort studies found that dietary cholesterol was associated with a significantly increased risk of developing either type II diabetes or gestational diabetes.141516
Overall findings from 12 prospective cohort studies with 265,675 participants and 14,497 cases of type II diabetes and gestational diabetes strongly implies that egg and cholesterol intake are significant risk factors in the development of diabetes. In addition to the findings from cohort studies, 4 cross-sectional studies found that egg or cholesterol intake was associated with between a nearly two-fold and greater than four-fold increased risk of developing type II diabetes and gestational diabetes.12171819 Also consistent with these findings, in the Adventist Health Study 2 it was observed that vegans had a lower risk of developing type II diabetes compared to lacto-ovo vegetarians, and especially non-vegetarians.20
One cohort included in these meta-analyses that used repeated egg intake measurements to update exposure over time found that in diabetics, intake of at least 7 eggs compared to less than 1 egg per week was associated with a two-fold increased risk of all-cause mortality, whereas another cohort that did not use repeated measurements found suggestive evidence of a 30% increased risk of all-cause mortality.2122 The authors of the first study stated:
…among male physicians with diabetes, any egg consumption is associated with a greater risk of all-cause mortality, and there was suggestive evidence for a greater risk of MI [heart attack] and stroke.
An additional study found that in diabetics, an increment of one egg per day was associated with a greater than three-fold increased risk of all-cause mortality.6
According to the International Diabetes Federation, globally approximately 183 million people, or half of those who have diabetes have not been diagnosed. Even in high-income countries about one-third of people with diabetes have not been diagnosed.23 Given this data and the data that egg and cholesterol intake is associated with a significantly increased risk of developing diabetes, and that in diabetics egg intake is associated with a significantly increased risk of coronary heart disease, cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality, there is likely a significantly greater number of people at risk than suggested by the authors of these recent meta-analyses.
Eggs, Cholesterol and Non-Diabetics
The Nurses’ Health Study found that an increment of cholesterol equivalent to one medium size egg per day was associated with a 17% increased risk of all-cause mortality, consistent with the findings from several other studies.242526 Another study included in these meta-analyses found that in non-diabetics, intake of at least 7 eggs compared to less than 1 egg per week was associated with a 22% increased risk of all-cause mortality.21 Also, another cohort from Japan found that frequent egg intake was associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality in women, consistent with the findings from the Adventists Mortality Study.2728 In addition, a cohort of elderly found suggestive evidence that egg intake was associated with a significantly increased risk of all-cause mortality, and that substituting eggs with fruits, vegetables and grains significantly decreases risk.29
The authors of the most recent meta-analysis paper found that in largely non-diabetic populations that frequent egg intake was associated with 19% increased risk of cardiovascular disease compared to all other sources of calories combined, which is predominantly processed foods and other animal foods. The authors of the earlier meta-analysis that did not reach this conclusion suggested that their findings are relevant for total cardiovascular disease but failed to address the findings from prospective cohort studies regarding the risk for heart failure. For example, two cohort studies which were included in the most recent meta-analyses found that intake of at least 7 eggs compared to less than 1 egg per week was associated with an approximately 30% increased risk of heart failure.3031
Another potential important finding that has contributed to the knowledge of the dangers of eggs are the results from studies that were carried out on populations with a low habitual cholesterol intake, such as vegetarian populations. The authors of the most recent meta-analysis paper excluded one, while the authors of the earlier meta-analysis paper excluded two cohort studies that were carried out on largely vegetarian populations. Frequent consumption of eggs was associated with a more than 2.5 increased risk of fatal coronary heart disease in the Oxford Vegetarian Study and also an increased risk in females in the Adventists Mortality Study.2832 The characteristics of the participants in these studies differ from that of most other studies, not only because of the their lower habitual intake of dietary cholesterol, but also because of their lower rates of obesity and typically healthier overall diet. Therefore separately analyzing egg intake in this subgroup of the population may be of significant importance. The authors of a paper from the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study cited in these meta-analyses described the potential importance of addressing egg intake in people with very low habitual cholesterol intake and how their study may have been inadequate to test this hypothesis: 33
One potential alternative explanation for the null finding is that background dietary cholesterol may be so high in the usual Western diet that adding somewhat more has little further effect on blood cholesterol. In a randomized trial, Sacks et al found that adding 1 egg per day to the usual diet of 17 lactovegetarians whose habitual cholesterol intake was very low (97 mg/d) significantly increased LDL cholesterol level by 12%. In our analyses, differences in non-egg cholesterol intake did not appear to be an explanation for the null association between egg consumption and risk of CHD. However, we cannot exclude the possibility that egg consumption may increase the risk among participants with very low background cholesterol intake.
As it is well documented that cholesterol intake has a much greater effect of raising serum cholesterol when baseline intake is very low, this may in part explain why egg and cholesterol intake was more strongly associated with coronary heart disease in studies on largely vegetarian populations.3435 Another explanation for a possibly stronger association in vegetarian populations is that egg intake may have a greater effect in leaner people, and it has been well documented that vegetarians are generally leaner than their omnivorous counterparts [reviewed previously]. This hypothesis is supported by several dietary experiments which found that dietary cholesterol had a greater effect of raising serum cholesterol among leaner compared to overweight participants.3637 This hypothesis is also supported by the findings from the Chicago Western Electric Study which found that while dietary cholesterol was associated with a significantly increased risk of coronary heart disease in lean men over and above the adverse effects it has on serum cholesterol, increased intake had little appreciable effect on men with a greater BMI and body fatness.38 Another explanation for these findings is that vegetarians may choose healthier substitutes for eggs, such as nuts which was associated with a significantly lower risk of coronary heart disease compared to eggs in the Nurses’ Health Study.3
It was found in a sub-analysis based on 4 cohorts included in the earlier meta-analyses that egg intake was associated with an 18% non-significant increased risk of fatal coronary heart disease. The addition of the mortality findings from the two largely vegetarian cohorts that were excluded from this meta-analysis would have likely strengthened this association.2832 This suggests that similar to saturated fat intake, egg intake may increase the risk of fatal coronary heart disease more than non-fatal coronary heart disease [reviewed previously]. The lack of a significant association likely reflects the fact that eggs were not compared to healthy foods, and also likely due to misclassification of participants into ranges of usual dietary intake as the result of measurement error [reviewed previously].
In the video below Dr. Michael Gregor addresses recent research on choline when consumed from eggs and other animal foods and the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer.
Carnitine, Choline, Cancer and Cholesterol: The TMAO Connection
Egg Intake and Stroke
In regards to a sub-group analysis of 5 cohort studies, the authors of the earlier meta-analysis suggested that egg intake was associated with a lower risk of hemorrhagic stroke. The authors suggested that the inverse association between egg intake and hemorrhagic stroke is supported by findings of an inverse association between serum cholesterol and hemorrhagic stroke in several cohort studies. However, in the largest cohort study the authors cited, the inverse association was confined to participants with elevated blood pressure.39 A similar interaction between blood pressure and serum cholesterol and hemorrhagic stroke was observed in much larger cohort studies in both Asian and Western populations that the authors of this meta-analysis conveniently failed to cite.4041 In a meta-analysis of 61 cohort studies it was found that among participants with near optimal systolic blood pressure (<125 mmHg), lower serum cholesterol was actually associated with a significantly lower risk of hemorrhagic, ischemic and total stroke mortality [reviewed previously]. Furthermore, most mammalian species have very low LDL levels (mean value of 42 mg/dl in 18 species), and there is very scant evidence that these animals are at high risk of having a stroke.42
This data demonstrates that continued emphasis should be placed on lowering both LDL cholesterol and blood pressure which have been proven in hundreds of randomized controlled trials to lower not only the risk of cardiovascular disease, but also all-cause mortality.4344 Increasing the intake of eggs after achieving a near optimal blood pressure is unlikely to reduce the risk of hemorrhagic stroke and will likely increase the risk of dying of any cause.
Unwarranted Mediocre Health Recommendations
The conclusions of the earlier meta-analysis are misleading and inconsistent with the body of literature. What is more concerning is that these findings will likely be used in marketing campaigns to confuse the general population, of which the great majority are already at risk of cardiovascular disease. The most recent meta-analysis paper while being overall informative and more clearly demonstrating the dangers of eggs for both diabetics and non-diabetics, the authors still failed to address many important findings that have been addressed in this series of posts. A greater emphasis on the effects of replacing eggs with other suitable foods is required, and the available evidence suggests a significant benefit of replacing eggs with whole plant foods, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains and nuts.31129 As Spence and colleagues pointed out in regards to recent controversy surrounding dietary cholesterol and eggs:45
…the only ones who could eat egg yolk regularly with impunity would be those who expect to die prematurely from nonvascular causes.
Since the breakthrough led by Nikolai Anichkov a century ago, the feeding of cholesterol, and to an extent, dietary fat have been recognized as the sine qua nons for the dietary modification of experimental atherosclerosis, and have been used in thousands of experiments to successfully accelerate the development of atherosclerosis in mammalian, avian and fish species, not only of herbivorous, but also omnivorous and carnivorous nature.1234567891011 This includes the promotion of experimental atherosclerosis in over one dozen different species of nonhuman primates- New World monkeys, Old World monkeys, and great apes including the closest living relative to humans, the chimpanzee (Fig. 1).2312131415161718192021 The atherosclerotic lesions induced by cholesterol feeding, including in the form of fresh eggs yolks in many opportunistic omnivores, such as various species of nonhuman primates, birds and pigs have been shown to closely resemble the disease in humans.1234222324
Figure 1. Aortic atherosclerosis of a chimpanzee which died of a heart attack after long-term feeding of a diet rich in cholesterol and artery-clogging saturated fat
It has also been observed that the long-term feeding of cholesterol and saturated fat has resulted in heart attacks, sudden death, development of gangrene, softening on the bones and numerous other serious complications in nonhuman primates.2325262728 For example, it has been shown that when diets rich in cholesterol and saturated fat are fed to monkeys of the genus Macaca, including the rhesus monkey and the crab-eating macaque, they experience heart attacks at approximately the same rate as high-risk populations living in developed nations.3
In species that are unlike humans, very resistant to dietary induced elevations in LDL cholesterol, such as the order of the carnivora, unless LDL-receptor deficient breeds are used atherosclerosis is typically induced by raising serum (blood) cholesterol with a diet with very large amounts of dietary cholesterol, and either containing thiouracil or deficient in essential fatty acids.91029 As noted by Steinberg:30
The point is very clearly made: the arteries of virtually every animal species are susceptible to this disease if only the blood cholesterol level can be raised enough and maintained high enough a long enough period of time.
Long-term feeding of cholesterol in relatively small amounts has actually been shown to induce atherosclerosis in rabbits, chickens, pigeons and monkeys despite only small or insignificant increases in serum cholesterol.1413 Armstrong and colleagues conducted an experiment ‘designed to demonstrate a null point of the effect of dietary cholesterol on the arterial intima’, by comparing a group of rhesus monkeys fed a cholesterol-free diet with a group fed cholesterol equivalent to that found in only half of a small egg in the average human diet of 2,000 calories per day (43µg/kcal). However, even when fed in very small amounts dietary cholesterol still had a significant adverse effect on these monkeys arteries after a period of only 18 months (Fig. 2).13 Armstrong and colleagues concluded:
No null point for the effect of dietary cholesterol on arterial intima was found even at an intake level far below that conventionally used for the induction of experimental atherosclerosis in the nonhuman primate. The intimal changes found in response to very low cholesterol intake imply that subtle qualitative alterations in lipoproteins are of critical importance to our understanding of lesion induction.
Figure 2. Subclavian artery from a rhesus monkey fed very small amounts of dietary cholesterol (43µg/kcal). Sudanophilia (black area) is intense in the area of major intimal thickening
It has also been demonstrated that the cessation of a cholesterol-rich diet and the subsequent lowering of serum cholesterol results in the regression of atherosclerosis in various mammalian and avian species, including herbivores, omnivores, carnivores and nonhuman primates.31 In one experiment Armstrong and colleagues induced severe atherosclerosis in rhesus monkeys by feeding a diet with 40% of calories from egg yolks for 17 months. The egg yolks were then removed from the monkeys diet and replaced with a cholesterol-free diet with either 40% of calories from corn oil or low-fat chow with 77% calories from sugar for three years, resulting in a reduction of serum cholesterol to <140 mg/dl and a marked regression of atherosclerosis.3233
In a recently published study, Spence and colleagues observed that egg yolk consumption was associated with carotid plaque in high-risk patients.34 These findings should not come as a surprise considering the evidence accumulated from thousands of animal experiments over the last 100 years, which have demonstrated that the feeding of cholesterol and saturated fat accelerates the development of atherosclerosis in virtually every vertebrate that has been sufficiently challenged. These lines of evidence have been neglected by the egg industry and promoters of cholesterol laden diets (ie. Paleo, Primal and low-carb) who have attempted to discredit this study without considering the relevant evidence. As noted by Stamler:35
To neglect this fact in a review about humans is to imply that the Darwinian foundation of biomedical research is invalid and/or that there is a body of substantial contrary evidence in humans. Neither is the case.
These findings from Spence and colleagues are not only supported by the findings from animal experiments, but also by numerous previous human studies that found a positive association between dietary cholesterol and the severity of atherosclerosis.36373839
In the video below Dr. Michael Greger addresses the completely unethical measures that the egg industry resorted to in order to confuse the general public about these findings from Spence and colleagues, including attempts to bribe researchers.
Eggs vs. Cigarettes in Atherosclerosis
In the video below Plant Positive addresses various critiques of Spence and colleagues findings, as well as other relevant research on dietary cholesterol.
Cholesterol Confusion 6 Dietary Cholesterol (And the Magic Egg)
Eggs, Cholesterol and Xanthomatosis
In addition to developing atherosclerosis and gangrene, the feeding of egg yolks and cholesterol to various species of nonhuman primates has also resulted in the development of xanthomatosis, a condition where deposits of cholesterol develop underneath the skin and is associated with chronically elevated serum cholesterol.1840414243 This condition has been shown to be cured in nonhuman primates upon the cessation of a cholesterol-rich diet.41 A case report found that a 30-year-old woman with a healthy body weight who had been following a carbohydrate restricted diet for three and a half years had developed xanthomas on her hands and a chronically elevated serum cholesterol level of 940 mg/dl.44 The composition of the woman’s diet was reported as follows:
Each day she had consumed eight to 12 eggs, one or two lean steaks or half a small chicken and, half to one litre of milk. Sometimes some cottage cheese or tomatoes enriched the menu and, on rare occasions, fruit. She completely avoided butter, bread, potatoes, rice, noodles, alcohol, or any other food or beverage containing carbohydrate. The daily cholesterol intake, which was mainly derived from the egg yolks, was about 3500 mg. The total calorie intake was about 8-4 MJ (2000 kcal) (35 % protein, 55 % fat, and 10 % carbohydrates, polyunsaturated fat:saturated fat (P:S) ratio=0 26).
The woman was advised to change her diet, and in particular to stop eating eggs. After 16 days her serum cholesterol dropped to 750 mg/dl, and after several years dropped to 188 mg/dl and the lipid deposits on her skin had cleared up. This woman’s diet induced xanthomas and chronically elevated cholesterol resemble the characteristics of people with homozygous familial hypercholesteromia, a rare genetic disorder that results in chronically elevated concentrations of predominantly large LDL cholesterol particles.45 People with this disorder are short lived and often experience heart attacks during childhood.46 Such unfavorable risk factors would normally be of great concern to any responsible physician. However, despite the overwhelming evidence of the danger of elevated serum total and LDL cholesterol,304748 including for women,4950 Sally Fallon and Mary Enig, the founders of the Weston A. Price Foundation claim that ‘For women, there is no greater risk for heart disease, even at levels as high as 1000 mg/d’.51 It is clear that this organization has little concern for the wellbeing of people.
Eggs, Cholesterol and Serum Lipids
It has been well established in rigorously controlled feeding experiments that adding dietary cholesterol to a diet that is low in cholesterol can significantly raise serum cholesterol in humans.52 An addition of 200 mg cholesterol per day to a cholesterol-free diet has been shown to raise serum cholesterol by as much as 20%.53 This may be largely explained by the strong evidence that dietary cholesterol down-regulates the LDL receptor.54 However, as Hopkins addressed in a meta-analysis of rigorously controlled feeding experiments, there exists a ceiling effect at which adding additional dietary cholesterol to a diet already rich in cholesterol has little appreciable effect on serum cholesterol (Fig. 3). Therefore, the fact that numerous studies carried out on populations with a relatively high baseline cholesterol intake failed to find a significant association between cholesterol intake and serum cholesterol does not negate the evidence that lowering intake to near zero will significantly lower serum cholesterol.
Figure 3. Effects of added dietary cholesterol on serum total cholesterol at different baseline levels of intake
Several controlled experiments have found that overweight compared to lean people, and insulin resistant compared to insulin sensitive people are less responsive to dietary cholesterol.5556 This likely explains why researchers who have financial or personal connections with the egg industry have specifically selected overweight and insulin resistant participants with a modestly high baseline dietary cholesterol intake for controlled trials, as it can be pre-empted that this subgroup of the population will show little response when egg intake is increased.
It has been demonstrated in multiple meta-analyses of rigorously controlled feeding experiments that dietary cholesterol, including that from eggs yolks does have a modest adverse effect on the LDL:HDL cholesterol ratio.5758 Furthermore, unlike for LDL cholesterol, there is limited causal evidence that simply raising HDL will lower the risk of coronary heart disease. For example, a meta-analysis of 108 randomized controlled trials found that while lowering LDL cholesterol significantly decreased the risk of coronary heart disease and all-cause mortality, modifying HDL had little appreciable effect after controlling for LDL cholesterol.47 In addition, a recent meta-analysis of mendelian randomization studies found that while genetically modified LDL significantly influenced the risk of coronary heart disease, genetically modified HDL had little appreciable influence.59 This evidence together with the evidence that dietary cholesterol adversely influences both concentrations of LDL as well as the LDL:HDL ratio, especially in healthy people reinforces the recommendations to limit egg and cholesterol intake.
Another contributor to confusion caused by studies typically influenced by the egg industry is the suggestion that dietary cholesterol does not increase the number of LDL particles, or only increases the concentration of large LDL particles, which is considered by some to be less atherogenic. However, as elaborated by Plant Positive, several studies not influenced by the egg industry have found that cholesterol intake does increase the total number of LDL particles in healthy people.6061 In addition, a systematic review found that higher LDL particle number, but not other LDL subfractions was consistently associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular disease, independent of other lipid measurements.62 The National Lipid Association Expert Panel recently concluded that ‘All lipoprotein particles in the LDL fraction are atherogenic, independent of size’, and was unable to identify any patient subgroups in which LDL subfraction measurements are recommended. In specific, the panel provided the following evidence for these conclusions:63
Studies have linked large LDL particles to atherosclerosis in nonhuman primates, in patients with familial hypercholesterolemia (who have an elevated concentration of predominantly large LDL particles), in participants of the population-based MESA study, in normolipidemic men with CHD, and among patients after MI [heart attack] in the Cholesterol And Recurrent Events (CARE) study... Many studies document links between small dense LDL particles and atherosclerotic CVD. However, these statistical associations between small, dense LDL and CV [cardiovascular] outcomes are either significantly attenuated or abolished when the analyses are adjusted for the overall number of circulating LDL particles (LDL-P) either by adjustment for Apo B levels or by adjustment for nuclear magnetic resonance-derived LDL-P... To date, there is no evidence that the shift in LDL subfractions directly translates into change in disease progression or improved outcome.
More recently a meta-analysis of mendelian randomization studies with over 312,000 individuals found that inheriting any of nine studied genetic variants that modify lifelong LDL cholesterol concentrations, but not any other known risk factors predicted a 55% lower risk of coronary heart disease for each mmol/l (38.7 mg/dl) lower LDL cholesterol.48 Despite having significantly different effects on LDL particle sizes, all of the nine studied genetic variants predicted essentially the same decrease in coronary heart disease per unit lower LDL cholesterol, including the gene responsible for familial hypercholesterolemia which elevates predominantly large LDL particles.45 Therefore there is convincing evidence that large LDL particles promote atherosclerosis.
The elevation of LDL cholesterol is not the only adverse effect that increased intake of eggs and cholesterol confers. As Spence and colleagues also pointed out in regards to recent controversy surrounding dietary cholesterol:4064
Focusing on fasting serum cholesterol levels misses the bulk of the problem. Even though serum cholesterol rises very little after a meal, dietary cholesterol increases the susceptibility of LDL-C to oxidation, vascular inflammation, oxidative stress, and postprandial hyperlipemia and potentiates the harmful effects of saturated fat, impairs endothelial function, and increases cardiovascular events.
Classical Observations
Multiple international studies based on data from the World Health Organization have found the mean per capita dietary cholesterol levels are consistently associated with the rates of coronary heart disease mortality.3965 This includes a large study of 40 countries.66 Similarly, it was found in the 25 year follow-up of the Seven Countries Study that dietary cholesterol was associated with a significantly increased risk of coronary heart disease across the 16 cohorts.67
In a review of the literature, Uffe Ravnskov, the spokesperson for The International Network of Cholesterol Skeptics reviewed 15 of the earliest prospective (longitudinal) cohort studies and inappropriately concluded that ‘Overall, longitudinal studies within population have found no difference between the diet of coronary patients and others’.68 Fourteen of these studies measured cholesterol intake, of which for the Chicago Western Electric Study Ravnskov inappropriately cited data from an earlier follow-up that found no association rather than the longer follow-up which found a significant association. Among the remaining thirteen studies, the participants who developed coronary heart disease actually had on average 13 mg/day greater intake of cholesterol for someone consuming on average 2,000 calories a day.
Considering the probable degree of measurement error dietary intake and the fact that these studies were carried out in largely homogenous populations where most people had similar diets, only relatively small differences in dietary composition would have been expected between participants with and without heart disease even if diet does play a major role in heart disease [reviewed previously]. Furthermore, Ravnskov failed to mention that four of the largest studies that he cited, including the Chicago Western Electric Study found on average that 200 mg/1,000 calories higher intake of cholesterol was associated with a 30% increased risk of coronary heart disease over and above the adverse effects it has on serum cholesterol.64
The next post in this series will focus on findings from more recent prospective cohort studies that addressed the intake eggs and cholesterol and the risk of coronary heart disease, diabetes, heart failure, cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality. Many of these important findings have gone unaddressed in recent reviews of the literature.
The aim of the physical training we do at the Shaolin Temple is to lead us to Zen.In our hectic lives, our minds become hectic and the best way to cut the circle of thought is through Shaolin Kung Fu and Qigong.
Before you start to play my DVD or follow my book, take a couple of breaths and tell yourself to let go. Let go of your name, and who you think you are, and what's occupying your mind. Letting go is itself belief.
Your body is wise. When it was a baby, it knew how much milk it needed to drink and how much sleep it needed in order to grow. When you train, don't do anything, let the training train you.
My latest DVDs are an at home workout which is as close to having me as a personal trainer as possible. I didn't shoot them in a beautiful location in China because I wanted to demonstrate that wherever you are, whatever situation you are in, that is the perfect place to practice.
Whenever I feel worried or under pressure I go and workout. This doesn't mean I'm not taking care of my worries but I know that a worried mind cannot think clearly. If I'm very worried than I will do circuit training so that my body is challenged to the limit. I finish off with some Qigong and I'm centered again. My energy flowing freely like water and no longer blocked by my discouraging thoughts.
Letting go is underrated.Only when we let go can things come to us. A closed hand receives nothing. A worried mind is like a person running a hundred miles but it not amounting to one step, an Urban Warrior covers a thousand miles with one step.
I make my DVDs in the hope you can access this awakened mind. I hope that through hard training you can learn to rest deeply. Whether you use one of my DVDs or all of them, the practice is the same; keep it calm, steady and sincere.