Strong Medicine September 2008- Eric Serrano MD

Cooking with the Right Oils

I am a culinary student enjoying the journey of cooking great foods with age old traditions.

However, I know there are many benefits of eating a diet full or organic fruits and vegetables, grass fed meats, and whole foods. The quality of the food we eat and cook is not something that is discussed in school.

What I am not completely clear on is -- what are the BEST OILS & FATS 
to use when cooking. It is commonly believed that canola oil and corn oil are the best neutral oils to cook with and I am not sure about that.

What do you suggest for cooking, marinating, and salad dressings? I  believe that oils and fats for cooking will differ from those used without cooking....?


I hope I see you in NY in your own restaurant as a master chef, because I think you are going to be awesome.

To answer your question, it depends on what you want to achieve.

Besides canola and corn oil, which you should not use to cook because they become rancid when heated, peanut oil is another neutral oil, but it must be only used with medium temperatures otherwise it will become rancid.

A good alternative is coconut oil; it is neutral, stable at high temperatures and has a great consistency, but it must be organic and minimally processed. Olive oil is perfect for temperatures that are low to medium, but it is not neutral tasting, as you know, but great for enhancing the flavor of certain plates.

If you are going to cook at low heat and want a distinct flavor, I would also suggest butter, because it has a great taste and it will not turn rancid.

Be sure that your sources of fats are always organic; this is one of the few times that I would not consume any thing but organic. Fats are storage warehouses in the body of the animal or plants and when they can't clean those toxins out of the system, the toxins are put away in the fat cells.  Always make sure that you also use minimally processed and cold pressed oils when possible; they have more flavor and are softer to the palate.

Eczema problems

My three year old has eczema. The doctor put her on creams that only made the situation worse. I was told that fish oil would help. I put it in her juice, but she didn't like the taste. Then someone suggested flax oil. I have been using that with good results. Recently I read an article stating that flax oil causes cancer. Is this true?

I have two questions.

Was your baby breast fed?

Did you take fish oils during your pregnancy?

The fish oils might help if she has an omega 3 deficiency, but what if she has a GLA deficiency or a monounsaturated polyunsaturated imbalance?

Flax seed doesn't cause cancer, but any polyunsaturated fat might increase the chances if it comes from canola or corn oil. If you are getting good results with the flax oil then continue it, but I would also stop dairy for a while and add GLA to make sure it is completely gone.  The Alpha Omega has a great balance of molecularly distilled fish oils in addition to GLA.  However the capsules might be too big for someone her age. You might have to open up the caps and put the contents in apple sauce. There are many omega 3 supplementation options out there and you will get what you pay for, beware as many brands contain high toxin levels because manufacturers will not pay the high price of filtration.  The presence of toxins poses many problems and is common especially in brands that offer for example 500 caps at $15 per bottle.  At that cost there is no way they can get the right raw materials. 

More Eczema Problems

I would like to know what nutritional and supplement recommendations you would have for someone with eczema. My husband has been suffering with it off and on for years and I have suggested to him many times that it could be his diet but he is skeptical.

You are right, and he is way wrong (like usual - women are always right)! Diet is the most important factor on the skin. The skin is the window to your health; the worse your skin is, the worse your health is. Of course, this is in addition to your gastrointestinal system.

The first thing I recommend to anybody with eczema is to find out what the person is allergic to, by doing an elimination diet or getting tested for allergies. I also start the patient on vinegar, and it could be balsamic or apple cider, one teaspoon three times per day, and if these two do not work I add probiotics. Contact Scott@infinityfitness.com for details.

The Alpha Omega can help in many ways. 

Janet if I were your husband I would definitely listen to you. By the way, the top three foods that you need to start with [for an elimination diet] are WHEAT, DAIRY and EGGS, and just in case, peanuts as well.

Best Protein Powder Options?

Dr. Serrano

I like to consume protein several times per day, but find it hard to sit down for all of my meals.  I have tried some protein powders in the past, but all made my stomach upset at some point or caused fatigue.  Any suggestions?

Yes- I have run into this for years and over a couple years of research I figured out that many of the common ingredients used in protein powders just do not agree with a large percentage of the population.  Symptoms can be fatigue, bloating, stomach upset and more, if you are experiencing these sings then you can also bet that the body is not absorbing the ingredients very well.  Poor digestion has a negative residual impact that can cause consistent bloating if material builds up.  This makes it hard to absorb anything you consume which can negative impact your health and performance.

The Get Lean Protein Protein contains ingredients which may be hypoallergenic and this is especially important for those who are allergic to soy and milk based proteins which make up a majority of the protein products available on the market.  I prefer that people eat real food whenever possible, but understand that a times a quick protein drink is the best alternative.  Get Lean Protein has 0 sugar and the carb content is primarily dietary fiber which is very important as it helps with protein uptake, gut function and to keep you feeling satisfied.  I put together a special blend of pea and rice protein due to their special properties.  Colostrum and L Glycine help with body composition, energy and performance. So far the feedback has been very good since the Get Lean was released in mid July, I was not surprised as for several months the trials were all positive with my patients in the office. 

What to eat before training 

What is an easily digestible food source I can consume before training?  I have a hard time keeping anything down if I eat within a couple hours before training, but then I end of tired and hungry while I am working out and performance drops.

Good question and this has been an issue I have solved for patients over many years.  You want something that is easily digestible, but also a combination of ingredients that will help with performance and body comp improvements.  This is a difficult balance, but over the past couple years I have finally found a combo that meets the needs of all of my patients.

60 minutes before training take 6 scoops of Get Lean Protein assuming you are an adult male as this is the first flight of nutrients to optimize the body for training.  30 min before take 100% MR and Muscle Synthesis and this will force the body to use more stored fat as fuel during exercise while providing an alternative energy source/building blocks for muscles during training.  When doing this over the past several months my patients saw big increases in muscle mass, reductions in body fat and improved performance.  Not a single complaint about stomach upset or fatigue which is common with many protein combinations.

Immediately following training take the 100% MR and Muscle Synthesis which start a hormonal and muscular repair sequence to nearly eliminate muscle soreness the following day.  This accelerated rate of recovery is very important as the harder you push the training, the greater the emphasis must be on recovery to avoid over training.

30 min following the post workout amino loading take the get lean again which is done to ensure the raw materials within the 100% MR and Muscle Synthesis can be fully utilized before introducing any other items that can distract this important process. Remember timing is everything!

Raising Testosterone Levels with Proper Diet

I've been eating grass- fed beef as much as I can for the past couple years versus the corn-fed variety.

Being in my early 40's, I was wondering if there is any research about grass-fed beef and benefits to men from a hormone basis? Does it do anything for the testosterone level or the HGH levels?

 
Yes, I have information in meat and hormones but it was done with conventional meat. Meat with conventional source increases insulin levels, testosterone levels and nothing in growth hormone.

Now I want to make sure that you understand that monounsaturated fats increase testosterone. Weight lifting also increases testosterone and aerobics decreases them. GH is not affected by meat, but it might increase GH if consumed without carbohydrates.

I want you to understand that the increase in insulin was done in diabetics and with non organic meat, although I think in a "normal person" it will not increase insulin, but it will increase your testosterone levels. If I wanted to increase my testosterone levels I would do these things:

1-lift weights, include high volume low rest between sets
2-increase your fat intake, especially saturated and monounsaturated fats and decrease polyunsaturated fats.  3-use butter instead of canola oil or corn oil
4-use fat loading days in combination with workout days and also include carbohydrate loading days.  This is a complex topic and appropriate plans need to be made to fit your specific needs.  Contact scott@infinityfitness.com for a customized plan using these techniques.
5-decrease aerobics
6-load with fish oils- The Alpha Omega I have designed is excellent as an essential fat source.  Minimize flax oil consumption.
7-decrease sugar intake

What are Normal Testosterone Levels?

I am  72 year old man and I would like to find out the proper testosterone level for a man my age.

I loved your question, straight and to the point! Ranges in medicine are not black and white, because they do not take into consideration variables such as biochemical individuality.

Everyone is different as to what is the optimal range for them.  So to answer your question, I will give you the values used in the laboratory. But, they don't matter if you have symptoms of low testosterone such as: a lowered sex drive, prostate problems, impotence, heart problems, depression or decreased stamina. If you have some or all of the above
symptoms, your levels may be low even though they are within the normal values.

240 to 800 -1000 ng/dl is the normal range for the total testosterone, and free testosterone should be 8 to 25 pg/ml.

George, if your levels are on the low side of the ranges, and you have the symptoms, then you may still have low levels for you. Remember these numbers are just averages and not individual numbers.

Cholesterol levels with a high protein diet?

I have a question about the current article regarding the high-protein diet and the impact on cholesterol levels.

I am 53 years old, 145 pounds, moderately active but not an athlete. My total cholesterol is back down around 170 now, but in the past it was up to 245+/- on the hi-pro diet (two separate diet cycles), which included good amounts of grass fed ground beef. I nearly always avoid carbs such as sweets (and I never consume sugared soft drinks) and avoid breads, but do have rice, pasta, some crackers, etc.

I watch fat but don't heavily restrict it. One would think that I didn't need to go on the hi-pro diet. But I was doing this for fitness and for stabilizing my carb cravings, which I do have to fight, and so that I would feel less hungry between meals while at work.


You do not have a low carbohydrate diet because you still consume simple carbohydrates, so your cholesterol will not go down. If your cholesterol is that high then you must look at a number of factors:

1-Amount of cheese or milk? You did not address this.
2-You think you eat low carbohydrate but in reality you do not eat low carbohydrate diet.
3-Mixing the diet that you have without limiting your carbs and eating fats it will always show with high cholesterol, that by the way is meaningless, unless you look at triglycerides, HDL, LDL and VLDL
4-It doesn't matter how active you are exercise really doesn't do a thing to your cholesterol, but to the triglycerides
5-Obviously when your cholesterol was 175, you were using a different approach, and the real question is what were you doing when your cholesterol was 175 and how were you feeling?

Do one set of Cholesterol ranges fit for everyone?

I switched to grass-fed beef last year and have eaten this meat exclusively. Because of food sensitivities I cannot eat fish, most pasteurized dairy and wheat.

My daily diet consists of coconut milk and coconut oil, grass fed beef and chicken, eggs, raw nuts, some butter, a little swiss cheese and lots of fresh vegetables and some fruit. The only grain I can tolerate is rice. I eat no processed or pre-packaged food and no sodas of any kind. Because of this diet, my cholesterol recently tested at the following:

Total cholesterol: 284
HDLC: 90
Triglyceride: 91
Low Density Lipoprotein: 176
Very Low Density Lipoprotein: 18
Hemolysis Index: Normal
My other blood results are all in the normal to excellent range.

I am 51 years old, female and post menopausal. My weight is stable -- not skinny -- but stocky and muscular. I have no medical conditions, and I take no prescription medicine.

My doctor told me that my good cholesterol cancels out my bad cholesterol, however, my total cholesterol is high and he would like to see it lower.

In the past, I have tried the low-fat/no-fat type of eating and found it very difficult to maintain my energy level and clarity of mind. Also, my weight would fluctuate. My hair would get dry and my skin would be rough, and I'd get skin rashes. I cannot tolerate a lot of whole grain foods so I would end up feeling hungry and unsatisfied throughout a busy day.

Right now I feel great, take daily exercise and have lots of energy. However, I feel under constant assault by the current low cholesterol fad and wonder if I'm doing something wrong.

Would you please advise me on my total cholesterol profile?

What are your thoughts about today's idea of "one size fits all" cholesterol numbers for everyone?


Thank you for your detailed letter.

Yes, your numbers are fantastic and I agree with your physician about the HDL and LDL. Your diet is actually very good, but I hope you are taking Omega 3 oils such Alpha Omega which I formulated because you are not consuming enough essential fats in your diet and you require greater amounts than the one provided by grass-fed beef.

Joan there is the reason why your cholesterol is "high" relating to menopause and your body is reading that certain hormones are low such as estrogen and progesterone, so I am sure at one point in time you were having hot flashes or other symptoms related to menopause, and as you remember those hormones, estrogen and progesterone, come from cholesterol; consequently, the body will make extra cholesterol so it can manufacture more cholesterol derived hormones, but in your case it is not doing it, so it keeps making extra cholesterol.

Joan to fix this problem, which I think is not a major problem because laboratory values are just guidelines and not a diagnosis I would check your thyroid, estrogen, progesterone, DHEA and if you are under stress, I will check your cortisol levels, which will show most of them low to borderline low and that will explain why your cholesterol is 284.

Joan you must also consume raw nuts as another source of good dietary fat

Strategies or Continued Fat Loss

I've been eating grass-fed meats, raw dairy, high omega-3 eggs from a local farmer, and organic produce for almost 4 years now. I am a 46-year old woman who is covered with cellulite from my shoulders to my knees and need to loose approximately 20 pounds. I'm 5'8", and currently weigh 176 Lbs. and take no meds. I don't eat tons of grains or fruits. Mostly sprouted bread and one chocolate chip cookie after dinner. I eat more eggs, raw cheese and beef or chicken than anything else. Protein and fat keep my blood sugar balanced so that's what I eat.

Until just recently, I spent 9 years caring for my invalid mom who had lots of serious health issues, so sleep and stress were huge issues for me. Now, I have a chance to be more physically active with way less stress and better sleep. I'm doing 1/2 hour yoga most days, 45-minute spinning video several days a week, some surfing and leisurely bike riding.

Before I started on grass-fed foods, I had lost 50 pounds quite rapidly due to Wellbutrin & Weight-Watchers. My hair was falling out and my nails breaking, so even though I was eating and felt full, obviously my body was starving. I figured some of the weight I gained was due to my body hoarding in case of another "famine" but I thought after 4 years of eating plenty of healthy foods, it might have recovered by now.

How active do I need to be to get this cellulite off and get back to a decent weight? Do I need to something different with my meals? I usually eat 3 meals with snacks. I really appreciate any help you can give me!!! I don't want to waste time doing all the "wrong" things. Life's too short.

I want to wish you the best, because I am going through the same situation and I know how hard it is to take care of a parent. You are an incredible person, and I hope I get to meet you personally some day.  Taking care of your mom puts your life on hold and it is extremely difficult to keep up with your own health.

I also want to say congratulations on your weight loss, impressive, and a great job you must continue. I don't have enough data to give you an exercise program.
You are 46 years old and based on what you are telling me you were obese in the past and having a very stressful life due to your mom, causing the problems you are having now. You are going to think that I am crazy but the best way to lose your weight, is not only eating right but also lifting weights and doing Interval cardio routines. HIIT is high intensity interval training but again I don't have enough information to make any recommendations right now so I am going to give you some guidelines to help you lose more weight, and I am going to give you two phone numbers of trainers that can create lifting programs for a person like you.
 

You are going to have a long life, because you are an incredible person with a humongous drive. I am also assuming because you stated you surf and spin that you are in descent shape and I am going to base those guidelines on that:

1-Before you start your exercise program, please get your blood checked for Thyroid deficiency, including TSH, T4, T3, insulin, lipid screen, cbc, DHEA, hormones, vitamin D, B12 and folate, zinc and selenium, Hgb1Ac, and lead and mercury, due to your symptoms.

2-start lifting weights- I strongly encourage you to seek out professional help in this area.  Scott offers a consultation service which takes care of every detail.

3-use your spinning to do Interval Training

4-rotate fruits, never consume fruit juices

5-Use a low carb diet but start loading with a carbo load day or a dietary fat load day.

6-Rotate all food sources especially proteins

7-Supplement with 100% MR , Muscle Synthesis and Alpha Omega to assist with fat loss, recovery from exercise and performance.

8- No cheeses for now; unless it is part of a dietary fat load

9- No sweets-

10- Consume water and no soda or juices of any kind.  Teas are ok if unsweetened.

Thank you and good luck.

Eating Refined Foods Causes Pain

For the past 6 months whenever I eat breads, pastas, etc. my fingers get very sore and as soon as I stop eating them the soreness goes away - I have experimented with this several times and the outcome is always the same. I definitely do well on a high protein diet, however, my last blood work showed that within a year, my cholesterol went from 160 to 195 and trig. from 43 to 76.
 

I always tell my patients listen to your body because it knows best. Your body is telling you that you may have Celiac disease and if you continue this routine of eating the wheat sources, you are going to develop arthritis. I would immediately stop eating any wheat, start taking molecularly distilled Omega 3 fish oils that also contain GLA and CLA.  Alpha Omega  contains the ingredients I just mentioned in the correct ratios and has worked very well for others in the same situation as you.   As a matter of full disclosure I formulated the Alpha Omega and do benefit from the related sales.    The molecular distillation is done to remove toxins and is very important for many reasons to ensure proper utilization of the raw materials.
 

Seminars

Dr. Serrano I have seen video clips from several of your seminars and it they are great, what can I expect at the one you are doing in June?

I have an agenda based on new research and interesting topics that the hosts propose, but I leave a majority of the seminar open for questions which can take me in many different directions.  I know that most of the people who attend the seminars are not just looking for basics, but innovative protocols and facts that they can take with them and put to good use.  Over the years trainers who have attended present cases of tough clients and ask me how I would approach fixing problems and this enables me to lay out all of the details; explaining why I do certain things.

Training has become a large focus of the seminars in addition to nutrition, supplementation, injury rehab, etc.  I like to demonstrate new techniques and take people form the audience to explain how I would treat an injury.  At a recent seminar I picked someone from the audience who was having tremendous shoulder pain and dysfunction.  I spent 30 minutes treating him and then built a rehab program that I was able to demonstrate right then and there.

If you plan on attending please email Scott@infinityfitness.com for details and please send questions or topics you would like covered at the seminar. 

Nutrition Tactics to Correct Injuries

Dr. Serrano

I dislocated my right elbow a couple weeks ago. It was a complete dislocation with no fractures. A reduction was done in the ER. I was in a half cast for 2 weeks and I will now start physical therapy. I was told that the elbow was one of the stiffest joints, but I was still surprised to find I had little motion with my arm. I am fortunate to have access to qrass-fed meats, but I wonder if there are certain foods or supplements that would help with the healing of my arm. Any advice you could give me would be appreciated.

Actually the elbow is three joints in one, so it must be treated with a lot of therapy. The elbow flexes, extends, rotates or circumducts, so when you rehab it you must do all these movements. I do not know what dislocated your elbow and how, although I will like to know because that gives me an idea which part of the elbow you dislocated (the olecranon or the radial head? ) because it involves ligaments.

Your question about supplementation is very easy to answer:

1-pancreatic enzymes
2- Alpha Omega which is a filtrated fish oil that also contains CLA, GLA, Lethicin and Vitamin E
3-MSM, with glucosamine and chrondoitine
4-chicken collagen or any type of collagen with vitamin C

Please let me know what kind of injury it was, and I will give you the rehab exercises.

By the way, eat a lot of grass-fed, very important for joint integrity.
 

                         High Cholesterol and Bp?
Hi Dr. Serrano,

My husband has medically controlled high cholesterol and blood pressure and a calcified aortic valve (possibly from rheumatic fever as a child) that frequently causes chest pressure and shortness of breath.  I know that grass-fed beef has omega 3 and CLA, but it also has a concentrated amount of saturated fat.  Should my husband eat this food in moderation, and, if so, how much or how often is common for guys who are almost 60 with his condition? 

He eats very little meat and dairy, choosing soy products instead because this was such a scare for him.  His digestion has improved and his numbers are good.

Eat organic grass fed beef, because as I have mentioned in previous articles, it is not the fat, but the source of the fat.  If he is getting saturated fats from bad sources, then he is going to get toxins in it. Go for the organic grass fed red meat, but again, the key question is how is he feeling? If he is feeling good with high energy levels, then there is nothing to worry about. If he is feeling low energy levels, then we may need to look at other parts of his diet.

In addition I wouldn't use soy at all because the estrogenic and insulinogenic properties.

Hormone free milk?

Dear Dr. Serrano,

Could you explain the difference between grass-fed hormone free milk and hormone free milk?

Hormone free milk . . . wow, tricky, tricky. The industry is always trying to make some money the easy way, this one doesn't mean it is organic, is just means that the cows they used are in a building eating grain and chemicals but are not getting hormones, and I hate them for that; however, it is marketing.

Grass fed hormone free milk means that the cows are eating grass and grazing like they are supposed to be and not in "prison", they are healthier and have better distribution of fats and proteins than the above.

IT ALSO MEANS THAT CHEMICALS, TOXINS ARE NOT FED TO THE ANIMAL, AND BY THE SAME TOKEN YOU ARE NOT CONSUMING ALL OF THE ABOVE.

Target Heart Rate for Fat Loss?

Those who are looking to increase endurance performance also see a big improvement when amino loading with 100% MR and Muscle Synthesis, I thought I would mention this since it is related more closely to the cardio format.  Even you crazy people who pedal on those spinning bikes will do very well. 

Blood Type Diet?

Dear Dr. Serrano,

I've been hearing about all of the wonderful health benefits of CLA from eating grass-fed beef, especially the organ meats like liver.  I'm a blood-type A which says to stay away from red meat, would grass-fed beef liver be okay lightly cooked or should I stick with chicken liver?  Is chicken liver as beneficial since it doesn't have the CLA that grass-fed beef does?
 
Thank you for your time,

I used the blood type diet, but it only works about 33% of the time. The diet doesn't take into consideration many things like sex, height, activity levels and etc.

The body requires red meat for two reasons,  iron and vitamin B12. The best source is red meat period. When humans used to live in the non supermarket time they were forced to hunt, because agriculture was not available either, and some days the humans eat a lot, and other days none, because they have to hunt it, and they will pick fruits, nuts etc from the floor, as they hunt, that is why I believe every body should eat meat, and I don't like vegetarians either, they are scarier than any thing else.

Seriously, liver has RNA, DNA, proteins and a lot of good stuff that is why the male king lion eats the liver first then the rest of the group can eat the rest of the carcass, liver is a super high concentrate of vitamins, minerals, and proteins that everybody should eat, but from organic sources, because it is the filter of the toxins in the body. 

Meat Controversy in my house!

I live in North Palm Beach, FL.  I am a young mom of two preteens and have a die-hard, meat-eating husband. We are in a whirlwind of disagreement since I just spent a week in a "raw food" health institute in West Palm Beach where I learned the "detriments" of meat eating which leads to degeneration, as they taught. We ate vegan raw food the entire time there, and my friend dropped 50 points in her cholesterol in 3 weeks. She also became somewhat anemic....... I personally had no adverse effects, and lost 5 lbs in one week. I weigh 110 and am 5'6", so that was a lot for me.

 In light of learning of all the recommendations leading to avoiding read meat for consumption, as well as ethical reasons, I started to eat vegetarian when I came home from the stay. So, I have been eating vegan these past two months, with no problems, and my family is very upset. They don't want to join me. This has gone on for two months now. I found U.S. Wellness Meats and read about the farm, grass fed beef, etc, and now am awaiting an order of meat from John, who spoke with me recently. I'm grateful he has healthier food than conventional beef! I figured that if my beautiful family insists upon eating meat, I will at least get them healthy meat. But I still feel as though I am buying them clogged arteries and high cholesterol. Can you tell me how this may be wrong? Can proper omegas and CLA's be gotten from Fish Oil?

Where in all this does cholesterol and heart disease come in?  Why does the book "The China Study" have such great implication and strong, researched argument against meat eating if it is really safe? Who is right? What gives???

I would like to know the truth and eat what is healthy! I truly appreciate your help! Thanks for your time!

I  am very familiar with the Raw Institute, even though I have not been there myself. I will try to answer your questions without letting you know I dislike the vegan diet.

Your friend losing 50 points of cholesterol doesn't mean a thing. Cholesterol is the most important antioxidant in the body but it is great selling point for the pharmaceutical industry. Cholesterol is the mother of 90% of your hormones and also it is in every cell in your body. Do you know that your body makes 60% of your cholesterol? Did you know that your without the water, is almost all fat?
Did you know that if your cholesterol is less than 155 after 55 or 60 the chances of dying of cancer or suicide increase by 3000%?

Cholesterol lowering doesn't mean a thing unless you have extreme numbers and that is your body telling you something is going on in your body. Did you know that if your cholesterol is high, it may mean that your hormones are low, and because it has to produce more hormones it has to dump more cholesterol into the blood so it can make the hormones necessary to be alive? Did you know that normal cholesterol levels 10 years ago were 250 and now the doctors want to lower that number to 150?

If the body was really made to only eat vegetables, which I can tell you it is not, then we wouldn't make a hormone or an enzyme called elastin. Only carnivores produce this enzyme hormone, and guess what, humans do. Now if you go back to prehistoric era, you have never seen a man building a garden, but there is plenty of evidence they used to kill or cut so they could eat. The reason they needed meat and skin was to protect themselves from the elements and other animals. Agriculture didn't exist until the Egyptians took over the world. They could feed people in one place due to agriculture, but before that time we were mostly nomads, meaning we moved with the food and the seasons. Yes, we ate vegetables, fruits and nuts, but we never stopped hunting to grow vegetables. The best way to really follow vegetarians, is by following a culture that is pure vegetarian, and we still haven't found one, and the closest one is the people from India and they are not pure vegans.

Your body requires B12, vitamin D and other natural sources of necessary or essential nutrients that are provided by meat or fish, and sorry, but vegetables will not give you any of those nutrients. Also where are you going to get the fat that you require to be alive? I would like to know how much energy, and sex drive you feel in 6 months, please let us know.

The problem is the quality of the meat, and not the meat itself, if I give poison to my meat, what do you think you are eating? If you find a dead animal that was poisoned with a lethal dose and you eat it, you are going to get sick, this of course is an extreme but that is what we are doing with our children when we eat the commercially grown meats and nonorganic vegetables. Also where are your vegetables coming from, are they from a hydro farm, are they fresh, who picked the vegetables, what type of soil was used, did they use artificial fertilizers, and who touched them before you ate them?

we have to eat meat, fish and eggs to promote survival, if not you will get sick, trust me on this one.

Yes you can get adequate omega 3 intake and CLA when taking the Alpha Omega, I prefer that some omega 3 come from the diet as well.  Grassfed beef is an excellent source of omega 3 as are many fish.  Look closely most Essential fatty acid combinations do not include enough CLA to be a factor.
 

Meat consumption and cholesterol?

I know you are a busy man and have probably had similar questions like mine, but mine is specific to the needs of my husband. His doctors have been trying to put him on a statin for years now.  Both of us are trying to avoid these drugs as we feel uncomfortable with the possible side effects.

My husband's recent blood work showed his triglycerides at 102, his total cholesterol at 198, his HDL at 43 (which is up from last years reading by 6 points), his LDL at 135 (same as last years) and his homocysteine is at 7.0 which went down from 11.3 from last years tests.  His chol/hdl radio is 4:6.

We have changed his diet and deleted breads, pastas, sugars and most grains, increased his fruit and vegetables, added grassfed beef to his diet along with lean sources of natural protein.  Also, he is walking almost everyday and taking supplements such as a multivitamin, cod liver oil, a supplement to manage his homocysteine levels which includes folic acid, some B vitamins and TMG, L-Carnitine, Vitamin E, Vitamin C, CoQ10 and alpha lipoic acid.  We try to eat organic and if he does consume dairy it is in the form of organic yogurt.

The main question here is can my husband safely eat grassfed beef products in regard to his cholesterol health and is there anything you would suggest he do differently?

Great question, and I am going to be blunt . . . no way, no way will I prescribed statins to your husband for a cholesterol of only 198. What other risk factors does he have? Hypertension, blood sugars, obesity, family history? Plus the big question is, how he feels; is he feeling sick, tired, depressed? If the answer is no, then I would do this:

1-eliminate cheeses or dairy products, that will lower it more, but he doesn't need to lower his cholesterol
2-to change his ratio, just use chromiun pycolinate 400 to 600mcgs per day
3- continue with your great diet.

Dr. Serrano

High Cholesterol

I recently went for blood work that showed I had elevated total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. Is there any reason to be concerned about eating grass fed beef and butter and also raw milk? I am 53 and going through menopause. My HDL is good.

You did not give me your exact numbers; consequently, I cannot give you any recommendations. My criteria are very different than most doctors. Usually when your LDL is high it can be due to a high consumption of cheeses or diary products combined with a lot of carbohydrates and low Chromium. Because of the above and without looking at your numbers, I wouldn't stop beef but I would stop dairy.

Comparing Essential Fatty Acid Products

DR. Serrano there are many fish oil products on the market with more epa and dha per capsule than yours, what makes your alpha omega so much better than all of the others? Peter San Francisco

Solutions for Cravings

Dr. Serrano for years I have had cravings, mostly for junk food like pizza, cup cakes you name it.  On many occasions I give in which is why I am over weight.  What can I do to prevent cravings?  Is there a supplement I can take to make this go away?  My husband has the same problem, but I seem to have it much worse around my cycle.  How much of this is mental?  Sherry  Tacoma

Please submit questions for Dr. Serrano by emailing scott@infinityfitness.com  The questions should not be of a medical nature requesting specific advice for conditions.  He will answer questions as quickly as possible based on availability of

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