Low cholesterol associated with liver cancer

This study was published in the British Medical Journal 1993 Apr 3;306(6882):890-4

Study title and authors:

Prolonged infection with hepatitis B virus and association between low blood cholesterol concentration and liver cancer.

Chen Z, Keech A, Collins R, Slavin B, Chen J, Campbell TC, Peto R.

Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Radcliffe Infirmary.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8490412

Hepatitis can be caused by viruses that primarily attack the liver cells, such as hepatitis B. About one fifth of the patients with chronic hepatitis B are at risk of developing cirrhosis or cancer of the liver

The study examined 1,556 apparently healthy men aged 35-64 years to determine whether prolonged infection with hepatitis B virus is associated with a lower blood cholesterol concentration. 238 (15%) of the men were positive for hepatitis B surface antigen, indicating that they were chronic carriers.

The study found:
(a) Cholesterol levels were 4.2% lower among carriers (that is, positive for hepatitis B surface antigen) than among non-carriers.
(b) Chronic hepatitis B virus infection, which usually starts in early childhood in China, seems to lead not only to a greatly increased risk of death from liver disease but also to a somewhat lower cholesterol levels in adulthood.

The study found that lower cholesterol levels lead to risk of death from liver cancer or from other chronic liver diseases.

Low cholesterol levels lead to increased cancer and death rates

This study was published in the British Medical Journal 1980 Feb 2;280(6210):285-7

Study title and authors:

Cholesterol and mortality in New Zealand Maoris.

Beaglehole R, Foulkes MA, Prior IA, Eyles EF.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7357343

The relationship between cholesterol levels and mortality was studied over 11 years in 630 New Zealand Maoris aged 25-74.

The study found:
(a) Men with lower cholesterol had an 130% increased risk of death compared to men with higher cholesterol.
(b) Women with lower cholesterol had a 90% increased risk of death compared to women with higher cholesterol.
(c) Those with lower cholesterol also had an increased risk of cancer and "other" causes of death.

The results of this study provide evidence for the harmful effects of low cholesterol levels.

As saturated fat and cholesterol increase in the diet, then rates of heart attack and death decrease

This study was published in Arteriosclerosis 1989 Jan-Feb;9(1):129-35

Study title and authors:
Test of effect of lipid lowering by diet on cardiovascular risk. The Minnesota Coronary Survey.

Frantz ID Jr, Dawson EA, Ashman PL, Gatewood LC, Bartsch GE, Kuba K, Brewer ER.
Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis 55455.

This study can be accessed at: http://atvb.ahajournals.org/content/9/1/129.long

This study compared the effects of 2 diets cholesterol levels and the incidence of heart attacks, sudden deaths, and all-cause mortality. The trial included 9,057 men and women.

The diets were either:

(i) 39% fat control diet (18% saturated fat, 5% polyunsaturated fat, 16% monounsaturated fat, 446 mg dietary cholesterol per day) (High saturated fat, high cholesterol diet)

(ii) 38% fat treatment diet (9% saturated fat, 15% polyunsaturated fat, 14% monounsaturated fat, 166 mg dietary cholesterol per day) (Low saturated fat, low cholesterol diet)

The study found:

(a) Cholesterol levels remained similar on the high saturated fat, high cholesterol diet.

(b) Cholesterol levels fell by 16% on the low saturated fat, low cholesterol diet.

(c) Those on the low saturated fat, low cholesterol diet had a 5% increased risk of of heart attack and sudden death compared to those on the high saturated fat, high cholesterol diet.

(d) Those on the low saturated fat, low cholesterol diet had a 6% increase in death rates compared to those on the high saturated fat, high cholesterol diet.

This study reveals that as animal fat and animal protein increase in the diet, then rates of heart attack and death decrease.

 



Chocolate Granola Bars (Grain Free)

I came across this recipe for Paleo-friendly granola bars and promptly pinned it to my Grain Free Treats Board. That was not enough for me, though, so I set about making my own version. I decided to use my beloved Grade B Maple syrup instead of honey and I used up most of the random bits of nuts we had in the house, but still was a little short of the amounts in the original recipe. As a result, I added some cashew butter to the liquid ingredients and it turned out great! I also wound up substituting mini chocolate chips for the dried fruit (didn’t have any) and they melted when I added the hot liquid portion to the dry ingredients. Should have seen that one coming. But the happy accident just turned these into a delicious chocolate version that was a hit with me and the Cute Man. I think I could even have cut down on the maple syrup since the chocolate added quite a bit of sugar, too. Maybe next time I’ll actually get some raisins OR still use the chips but save them until the very end and press them into the top, forming a chocolate chip layer on top.

I’ve been trying to get more coconut oil into my diet (it’s good for you!) and it works really well in this recipe. The taste melds well with the other ingredients and it acts as a good binder, since it solidifies at room temperature. I still plan to keep these in the fridge – they tend to go all gooey if the temp is even slightly above room temperature. All in all, I’m really glad to have these on hand. They’re great for a quick breakfast of afternoon snack.

Chocolate Granola Bars (Grain Free)

Adapted from Joyful Abode

2.5 cups assorted nuts and seeds
1 cup dried fruit or mini chocolate chips
2 cups shredded coconut
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup maple syrup (can omit or use less, especially if using chips)
1/2 cup cashew or almond butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Use your food processor to pulse 1 cup of the nuts into a rough chop and put them in a medium sized bowl. Pulse the other 1.5 cups of nuts and seeds more finely and add to the bowl. Add your fruit or chocolate chips and the dried coconut. In a saucepan over medium-low heat, combine oil, maple syrup, cashew or almond butter, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon. Cook until the mixture bubbles, then pour over the nut mixture. Stir to combine completely. Press your mixture into a parchment-lined pan. Cool 2-3 hours (or in the fridge or freezer for less time), then remove from the pan and cut into bars.

Fix It With Massage

Babies need to be held and touched, when we become adults, we still hold and touch each other, whether that's hugging goodbye to a friend or shaking hands with a business partner.

When our body is tired, we want to be massaged. When we go to the spa, we step into the Jacuzzi to help our muscles relax. The need for touch and massage is instinctive. Massage is one of the oldest healing practices.

The Shaolin Temple has a long tradition of self-massage, using the bamboo Instant Health Massage Brush and progressing to the heavier metal brush. Shaolin disciples train as much as Olympic athletes but we don't have an army of massage therapists or physiotherapists, self-massage along with Qigong is the only thing we use to reduce the risk of injury and keep us fighting fit. 

The Qigong massage doesn't fit any types of massage that are given person to person, for example: sports, acupressure or deep tissue. It combines all of the above and even more, the end aim is to use the vibrations of the brush to penetrate and detoxify the bone. By doing this massage we feel empowered because we are taking charge of our health.

Because the self-massage is convenient and cheap - it's only the cost of a brush -  you can do it on a daily basis or at least a few times a week. The more you do, the more effective your massage will be.

When you do this massage,  don't be afraid to use power. You will feel a little pain but not too much. Each day you use it, your massage will get stronger and stronger. The aim of the massage is to keep the Qi and blood flowing properly, open the meridian channels, reduce any muscle tension,  detoxify the body, increase the immune system, and open the joints. 

In the UK, we don't have much sunshine and especially in winter, the cold can be a problem for people's joints especially when they get older.  Doing the Instant Health massage can help to reduce this problem.

The signs that you are doing the self-massage correctly is that your body skin will be incredibly soft. You will feel energized when you have done this massage. You will sleep better at night and have more energy throughout the day. You will get colds less often and you will feel stronger. 

I teach how to do this massage in all of my Qigong DVDs apart from Volume 1 and also in my book Instant Health: The Shaolin Qigong Workout For Longevity.

The massage equipment is available from my website.

Delicious Orange Chicken

This is a winner! I discovered this gem of a recipe on Holly's meal plan. As soon as I saw it, I just had to have it. Like, now. It took me a few days to make it back to the store to get the ingredients, but I managed to get it done. I'm so happy Holly followed up with me to let me know to add some honey to the sauce. It was essential! The finished product was better than ANY takeout I ever had (and thought I missed). Making the sauce with the juice of a couple fresh oranges plus their zest had the finished product singing with flavor. I always wondered why Orange Chicken was even called that. It never really seemed to taste anything like orange – more like a non-spicy version of General Tso’s. But this? This tasted orang-y in the best possible way. And it was just slightly spicy, enough to give it a kick but not too much (we’re not really spicy-hot people, at least when it comes to food!)

I served it up with some frozen broccoli that I first nuked, then finished up in the pan I used to brown the chicken (after I added the chicken to the sauce). I flavored it with some butter, chicken stock, and a splash of wheat-free soy sauce. Yum! The Cute Man added some of his favorite brown rice to the mix, but otherwise enjoyed this creation immensely, as I did. He declared it the best of my (often not-quite-successful) Chinese Food take-out recreation attempts. The whole bowl was finished off with some chopped scallions. They added a nice crunch.

If I ever get it together, I’m going to make a huge batch of this and freeze up some portions. Having this kind of thing on hand and ready would be awesome on a Friday night. It used to be that was the night we ordered takeout/delivery (Chinese or pizza). I now mostly cook something simple but I long for those lazy nights when I didn’t have to think about dinner once a week. And the flavor of Chinese food really takes me back there. Yum!

Activate Your Environment To Support Your Goals

It's a good idea to have some small things in your home to remind you that you need to train. Whenever I travel, I always wear a Jade Buddha amulet. This isn't just for good luck, this also reminds me to be peaceful. If something difficult happens, I tell myself to calm myself down. I also carry a small Buddha with me. Before any important decision, I meditate for twenty minutes to clear my mind.

I also take my Instant Health Massage Brush with me, and a skipping rope in case I can't find a place to run then I can find a small park to skip for half an hour. This means, I never have an excuse not to train. 

In my office I have a Jade Energy Stone and a  Wooden Star Palm Massager in front of my computer. When I work at the computer a lot, I stop and use this to massage my hands for a while.

These are all powerful things to remind myself to have a positive mental outlook and to keep training. These positive things I surround myself with, make me feel that I'm not even training, this is just my routine, this is part of my life.

Different things inspire different people, think about what inspires you. Can you see it every day? Small changes in our environment can help us to activate our health and fitness goals and make them real. Research has shown that even simple things like using a smaller plate helps us to eat less. 

If you're environment isn't positive then change it so it is.  Make sure that your environment is supporting and not hindering your goals.