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You
Can Live Longer With "The Clever Diet"
by Charles H. Clever
How youthful their complexion
is! I think, whenever I see either of two middle-aged women in
this community. They are aging gracefully with faces free of wrinkles and
skin like an adolescent. My curiosity led me to inquire of their diets.
No magic hormone treatments, mud packs, skin burns, or face lifts--these
ladies have, quite by accident, excluded certain foods common in our culture
that science knows will damage every part of your body--if a doctor examined
their internal organs, they would also be healthy.
What I have learned from study
and experience may actually enhance the quality of your life, too.
These little-known principles are
free, easy to apply, and are backed
by sound scientific evidence. It is a proven fact that certain
popular foods actually destroy our circulatory system. Altered molecules
actively rip up the linings of our blood veins, capillaries, and organ
tissue. Heart attacks are fatal and that is why they get more publicity,
but damage is
not limited to that organ.
Over fifteen years ago a professor
of nutrition spoke to our class about a certain scientific experiment.
It sounded interesting and I obtained photocopies from his office for deeper
study. The results heavily conflicted with what we were then being taught.
Its details are firmly imbedded in my psyche, and by applying principles
of that study, and simple logic, I have been rewarded with exceptionally
clean coronary arteries--that means my other organs are healthy, too.
As you read, keep in mind that even if you are older, applying the principles
you are learning will normalize aging. Some existing damage may reverse
and this could very well increase your total health, because good blood
circulation actually lowers ones risk of cancer and slows vital organ degeneration.
| The history, technical description, scientific
advances, and photo of my heart's blood flow follows. These important
facts will increase your understanding and strengthen compliance; but
that
can be read later. For now, to see how easy it is to remove the
most dangerous foods from your diet, advance to the paragraph: "You Must
Be 'Label Smart'". After reading it, return here and continue the
study (Select here to advance). |
The Research Begins
The clinical study began over 50 years
ago when a researcher raised chickens and added pure cholesterol to their
feed to determine if dietary cholesterol caused atherosclerosis. At maturity
the chickens were sacrificed and their arteries examined--they showed
no damage. The experiment was duplicated and the second group had
extensive
damage to their circulatory system. The results were published
even though the different outcomes were a mystery.
Knowledge has increased, and about
thirty years later a prominent university decided to conduct a similar
experiment. They believed that the second chickens were fed cholesterol
that had aged during storage and developed damaging free radicals.
In this study, monkeys were chosen
because their diets approximate ours; in addition, rabbits never eat cholesterol,
so their un-scarred artery walls provided "virgin" tissue for this experiment.
Cholesterol was fed or injected intravenously in about 1/200th part of
human serum levels, and the specimens were sacrificed and examined between
24 and 48 hours of ingestion. The microscopist was given a strict criteria
on how much damage constituted cell-death; and he did not know which tissue
sample was the no-cholesterol control, or had contacted the old or new
cholesterol.
The study showed no damage
to the no-cholesterol control or veins contacting the fresh cholesterol,
but the oxidized (old) cholesterol samples experienced
extensive
lacerations and cholesterol products were visibly clinging
to the traumatized endothelium
(inner lining of the blood vessel).
Fibrin (blood clots) attempted to repair the damage and was seen forming
over the injured areas. Microscope slides showed vascular endothelium that
resembled a B-52 bombing zone--all this from just one ingestion.
Foods common in the American diet
were then placed in contact with cultured human aorta tissue and the destructive
properties of each food classified according to the degree of tissue mortality.
Damage-causing foods included aged animal fats; several types of cheeses
such as provolone and Parmesan; and powdered eggs found in an infant formula,
pancakes and custard mixes. Sharp cheeses proved toxic while fresh
varieties did not oxidize and cause damage until after a one-week exposure
to room temperatures. Keep that point in mind--unrefrigerated cholesterol
in the presence of oxygen becomes toxic very rapidly; but, depending on
the duration and temperature, more slowly under refrigeration.
Applying These Principles--The Clever Diet
The multi-page study convinced me! I have a history
of heart disease on both my father's and mother's side (see note
1 below). In college nutrition class we learned that the average
American's coronary arteries are about 60 percent obstructed at age 65.
For each risk factor, that 60 percent obstruction occurs about ten years
earlier. With my familial risks, sedative employment with irregular
sleep, high-fat diet and heavy smoking, I should have had greater than
60 percent obstruction at age 35--I was over half-way to a fatal heart
attack. Today, at retirement age, I should be suffering from angina
(chest pain), be debilitated, or dead from damaged heart muscle; instead,
I am attending funerals of friends and relatives in my age group or younger.
For fifteen years I have carefully
read labels and eliminated oxidized cholesterol from my diet. In
addition, I rejected popular dietary guidelines and continued to
eat between eight to 12 fresh eggs each week, and used fresh cheeses, which
are about 30 percent fat (see note 2 below--high risk and heart patients
should not do this). Wanting to know if the scientific study was
valid, I was, in affect, making myself a human laboratory specimen.
Meanwhile, no cheese crackers, chips, curls, puffs; Roquefort
or blue cheese salad dressings; or anything with "old" animal fats, whole
powdered eggs, or aged (sharp) or dried cheese, were allowed in my diet.
I knew that oxidized components develop "free radicals", and like a weed-eater,
they would cut and tear my artery lining. The smaller fat molecule in homogenized
milk can lodge in artery walls, so that was discontinued, with tobacco
(a proven killer); alcoholic beverages, and flesh foods--eliminating meat
is known to lower ones cancer risk.
"A beer a day keeps the doctor away!"
Don't be fooled--you don't need it! Pathologists now classify alcohol as
a toxin. It actually agglutinates the blood and adversely effects every
cell in the body. Alcohol is a solvent and emulsifies cell walls--that
is how it kills bacteria. In one medical procedures it is injected into
the heart to eliminate abnormal tissue. Senior citizens should not even
drink one glass a day--it further enlarges the heart's left ventricle,
establishing an irregular heart rhythm. A smaller percentage of a wine-drinking
French population die of heart attacks because an abnormal number dies
of cancers of the pancreas and intestines. We know the apparent protection-factor
in some alcoholic beverages is not the alcohol, but flavonoids. They tend
to neutralize harmful oxides of fats, cholesterol, and fat-related compounds,
and are reported to keep the blood thin and lower the risk of heart disease
and cancer. These are also found in black tea, fruits and vegetables, chocolate,
mulberries, peanuts, etc. Grape juice is not as effective as wine because
the flavonoids leach from the skins during processing; so, to get the benefit,
eat the grapes whole, and buy non-alcohol wines. If you are high risk,
you doctor may advise you to take one-half of an aspirin every day--this
thins the blood and does not have the tissue-emulsifying effects of alcohol.
In developed countries heart disease
is the number one killer, followed by cancer. This is also true in
my family--they die from heart disease, and if they smoked, then cancer
may kill them first. They died, not of old age, but from improper health
practices. This was not true of my grandfather; he was a retired dentist,
and practiced good living habits to the best of his education. Eating quality
foods like whole grain cereals and breads, he remained active and lived
to 95. Grandpa was not as knowledgeable as we are today, and could have
lived well past 100. That is my goal--I want to live my life to its fullest,
and
this is my goal for you, too. That is why this chapter is published
on the Internet free (www.clever-diet.org)! But it is not
within the scope of this chapter to discuss what Tish and I have done,
for example, to have bone density measurements that match that of young
adults. Preventing osteoporosis is just one essential part in our longevity
quest. It takes an entire book to discuss all aspects of complete health,
but this chapter is the most important--we are discussing America's
number
one killer, heart disease, and one of several reasons for organ
degeneration, so let us learn the outcome of my self-conducted experiment
consuming "fresh" cholesterol while excluding the "old."
The Outcome
I knew any old artery deposits should
still be present, and if these became worse, the occlusions could increase
to a risky 95 percent or greater. For safety reasons I took anticoagulants
during
this 15-year experiment, gradually increasing the doses as the years progressed--this
was to protect against clot formation and cardiac infarction. Meanwhile,
I watched for symptoms of angina (chest pain with exertion) that would
tell me to stop the "test-diet." I had devised a plan before, and
researched chelation therapy and considered adopting an "extreme" total-vegetarian
diet to reverse any damages; all this planning proved unnecessary. To study
the results after 15 years of this selective diet, I submitted to
cardiac work-ups that included a carotid artery ultrasound and angiogram
at my expense.
The results even amazed me! This "senior-citizen" had absolutely no
blockages; in fact, my arteries were as clean as that of an adolescent.
The doctor's thorough examination revealed no damage and any "old" deposits
were not visible. This is remarkable because my artery walls should be
scarred and have occlusions from many years of heavy smoking and other
abuses (tobacco smoke is another oxidized compound).
Late-stage
atherosclerosis can lead to the death of blood vessels--this is called
atheronecrosis. Artery mortality is not limited to coronary arteries, but
can effect every system in your body because harmful components enter the
blood through the digestive organs; they then pass through the portal system
to the liver, then to the heart, lungs, and on to other organs. Adverse
effects of atheronecrosis may range from dementia to diabetes. Your optometrist
can easily view plaque formations in your eye's retina--how important it
is to maintain an uncompromised circulatory system. An optometrist recently
gave me a positive report and, after I read the smallest line on his chart,
said to my wife and I: "No one is supposed to read that!" He then asked:
"What do you eat?"--and classified me with vision corrected to 20/15.
Scientific Understanding is Increasing
Astounded by the positive results, I headed
for the college library to see what advances science has made in the fifteen
years since I started this experiment. "Certainly we are more knowledgeable
today", I thought. Well, yes! And no! To avoid censure, physicians
usually teach popular theories, so do not expect the majority to advocate
eliminating these foods; but knowledge is progressive and science has now
learned more about oxidized cholesterol.
In addition to oxidized components
traumatizing arteries and capillaries, it has been demonstrated that LDL
cholesterol must be oxidized before it can cling to artery walls (Quinn,
et. al.,
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United
States of America, Vol. 84, No. 9. (May 1, 1987), pp. 2995-2998).
This explains why the previous studies showed oxidized cholesterol clinging
to the damaged endothelium while "fresh" cholesterol did not adhere. We
have been told for decades that eggs are high in cholesterol and cause
atherosclerosis, yet now we know "fresh" cholesterol does not 'stick.'"
This phenomenon caused one group to probe deeper into dietary cholesterol,
as reported in an article published in the American Journal of the
American Medical Association (April, 1999). Dr. Meir Stampfer emphasized
that subjects eating seven to 14 fresh eggs a week had
no
higher heart attacks than those consuming less than one.
Many medical teams are now studying
the possible protective effect of vitamins and antioxidants. In one study,
antioxidant vitamin E therapy has demonstrated a small protective effect
against atherosclerosis; other antioxidants did not prove significantly
beneficial (Speaker: J. F. Keaney, Jr., MD, Boston Univ. School of Medicine,
American Heart Association 71st Sessions, Nov. 8-11, 1998). They know oxidation
"aging" of cholesterol and fat-related compounds eventually occurs within
your arteries; apparently vitamin E retarded these mutations.
Out With the Old, In With the New
You may happen to be an individual
whose liver causes an abnormally high cholesterol level. A method to help
protect your system is to accelerate the turnover of cholesterol in the
blood stream. This occurs naturally in people with diets high in vegetables
and fruits--they tend to have a lower risk-factor. Research has identified
pectin, a water-soluble fiber, as a magic wand to achieve this "turnover."
A constituent of many foods, pectin is used in making jelly. It is found
high in many fruits and vegetables, and especially high in oat bran and
the skins of apples. Pectin changes the digestive process to retard the
digestion of oil. Your system senses this and increases the flow of liver
bile in an attempt to emulsify more oil; then the liver reacts by removing
cholesterol from the blood to manufacture more bile. This "out with the
old and in with the new" process increases the turnover of cholesterol
and may help eliminate the "old" before it oxidizes. Be careful, though,
some beneficial oil-soluble vitamins may remain undigested, too, so do
not go to extremes with an "oatmeal diet" (see note 3 below). Another factor
effecting cholesterol levels is dietary fats and oils. These are precursors
that your liver uses to make (synthesize) cholesterol. To help keep your
cholesterol level from elevating, and reduce a corresponding irritation
to the entire digestive tract, even liquid vegetable oils should
not
be used in large quantities.
Change is Slow, but Important
Why do most health care workers remain silent
on the damaging affects of "aged" fat molecules in the diet?
Probably because we were not taught this in our anatomy/physiology or nutrition
classes. This encourages confusion on the risks associated with eating
oxidized components? Research science knows about harmful oxides,
and this encouraged "the doctor study", where physicians took antioxidant
vitamin "A" for ten years. There was no remarkable results, but they
were not required to stop eating oxidized cholesterol.
There is no cholesterol
in extreme no-animal-product diets. When adhered to, they have proven very
successful in reversing heart disease; so, for the past 30 years research
has tended to follow, you might say, an "Eastern monk diet" which also
requires one to "train for a marathon." Businessman Nathan Pritican pioneered
this ordeal in the 1960's, and Dean Ornish of Harvard University
has modified and revived an interest in this field. These diets usually
require
total vegetarianism--nothing from animal origin,
and few people have the fortitude to adopt and maintain that regimen for
any length of time. Obviously, new diets must be taught to provide something
we can easily adapt to. Heraclltus once said: "There is nothing
permanent except change." This field merits additional research--we
need to explore new avenues and modify existing theories.
Your health
is important and proper education is justified; manufacturers would
meet consumer demand for healthier foods, and the long-term benefits justified
by lower medical costs and healthier lives; heart disease could very well
cease to be America's number one killer.
You Must Be "Label Smart"
By studying scientific advances and personally
applying them, I know that proper nutrition is important, and the greatest
benefit results from completely eliminating oxidized foods from the
diet. That way your liver is not overwhelmed trying to eliminate
these damaging components. If your diet permits, use liquid
cooking oil in moderation. People on a low-fat diet need oils that are
called "essentials." Your liver lacks the enzymes to make these, so corn
and soybean oil is better than monounsaturates, like canola and olive oil).
To properly eliminate oxidized fats,
you must be "label smart"--use only
fresh cookies, cakes
or other baked pastries, and only if they do
not contain
powdered
egg yokes or animal fats (Lard proved toxic after being used
in cooking for one week and during un-refrigerated storage--"Eat no manner
of fat..."--Leviticus 7:23 (see note 4). This precaution also applies to
prepared mixes--If they require eggs, do not buy the ones that contain powdered
eggs or animal fats.
I also
avoid boxed macaroni, scalloped potatoes, or similar
convenience foods with packets of powdered cheese--they are risky; as is
aged
or sharp cheese (I use the white cheeses from skimmed milk, like
cottage cheese and ricotta; the fresher varieties like mozzarella on pizza,
and American, longhorn, Colby and Jack.). For salad dressing, use something
other than blue or Roquefort; and buy Parmesan cheese from your health
food store that is similar to some fat-free brands--they do not contain
mutated cholesterol (You may have different needs, so add these foods and
fresh eggs to your diet only as instructed by your physician; see the caution
and note 5 below. Also, I limit cheese consumption to less than one pound
per week. Cheese has chemicals and salt that may elevate blood pressure;
also, high salt intake is suspect in cataract formation).
That was easy, wasn't it?
Scientists may speak of things like "oxides of short chain fatty acids",
but to keep it simple just remember, NO OLD CHOLESTEROL! Cholesterol content
is high in egg yokes, animal fats, and most cheeses. After sitting on the
shelf for about one week, or "aged" under refrigeration, it changes into
something that should never enter your mouth.
A Word of Caution
Before closing, I must call your attention
to one more important fact: Heart disease is nothing to play with.
Eighty percent of its victims do not display the characteristic warning
of chest pressure with pain radiating down the left arm, and fifty-five
percent die without knowing they were at risk--their first attack was fatal.
For the survivors of cardiac arrest, chances are they had defibrillation
within five minutes of onset; restoring necessary circulation stopped brain
damage and increased their survival rate. Once you have deposits in your
arteries other components in the blood can cling to them; in fact, one
diagnostic procedure detects calcium within the plaque formations.
A high-risk friend of mine did not understand this and had a fatal heart
attack while trying to loose weight on the popular "protein diet", which
consisted of hard boiled eggs and cheese--be careful! Says Francisco
Lopez-Jimenez, MD, a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs researcher,
at the American Heart Association's 73rd Scientific Session: "People at
risk [with heart disease,] are four times more likely
than
others to suffer a heart attack soon after eating a big meal."
This study involved almost 1,000 patients at 45 different hospitals, and
they still do not know for certain why eating triggers the attack.
So, use caution! I am not advocating that you abandon good logic or your
doctor's instructions. Do not start a diet high in "fresh" cholesterol
by eating eggs, cheese, or fats--it could be fatal; instead, remove
oxidized components (this includes cigarette smoke) from your life,
and work in harmony with your doctor's advice--he is trained in good nutrition.
Physicians are more interested in your health than you are. A doctor's
responsibility is very stressing--they want all their patients to improve,
and grieve with family members when one dies. God only knows how often
they wished they could outlaw tobacco and "spoon feed" clients, because
patient non-compliance is one of their biggest problems.
You Can Live Longer
Having said all this, I will end by mentioning
that YOU are the one to make prudent decisions concerning your future--it
is your life! Studies show that centenarians, about 70,000 in the United
States, tend to have practiced good health throughout their lives (George
Burns did not inhale--his cigar was a stage prop; cancer increases proportionally
with the quantity and depth of smoke inhalation.). You must take control
of your well-being by applying principles of good health, like a proper
balanced diet and moderate exercise. This will increase your mental and
physical well-being, and reduce the pain, inconvenience, and cost of a
debilitated future. Then you will discover that by making wise choices,
you can live longer.
You are invited to read my book, The
Wise Shall Understand, free on the Internet. It reveals
the secret "key" necessary to "open" the encoded messages in Daniel 12
that were "closed until the end of the days" (verses 4 and 9).
Daniel 12 has special information to help you
understand the Bible and "last-day" events. Learn why Daniel 12 was
"sealed until the end of the days" by accessing: www.revelado.org.
The Table of Contents and Appendix is at the bottom and you may leave comments
for me to read in the guest book. As time permits, I will answer reasonable
questions if you include your e-mail address.
1. My genetic makeup keeps serum
cholesterol levels higher than normal--it is still over 200. It is interesting
to note that free-radical research has centered on a "tablet" solution.
For example, 10,000 doctors took vitamin "A", an antioxidant, for ten years.
That study did not show a reduction in heart disease. How much easier it
would have been to eliminate "aged" cholesterol from the diet--that is,
powdered eggs, aged cheeses, and stored animal fats. This is easily done
in a society where fresh eggs are readily available, cheese is made rapidly
with rennin, a bovine enzyme; and consumer demand has promoted vegetable
oil use in many products.
2. Being educated in, and required to teach patients,
the popular heart disease diet intimidated me to eliminate eggs from my
table. Instead, they were continued providing they were obtained from healthy
hens. Many health-food stores and supermarkets sell eggs from chickens
fed a vegetarian diet (Eggs should be eaten in quantities recommended by
your physician). A study at Loma Linda University found leukemia viruses
in over 60% of California eggs sampled. Read labels at your feed
store and see how difficult it is to buy lay mash anywhere that is un-fortified
with animal fat and meat. To avoid pathogens, purchase eggs from a source
that does not use chicken feed containing animal byproducts.
3. Pectin is also available at
some health food stores in capsule form. It binds with calcium in the stomach,
which in turn binds with liver bile, making it inert; therefore, it should
be taken with a "fatty" meal before digestion is complete. Do not
use pectin in large quantities to avoid the risk of losing oil-soluble
vitamins. It may be wise to take a one-a-day multi-vitamins/mineral supplement
between meals, say one-hour before eating, when there is no pectin
in the stomach to hinder its absorption.
4. The management at Mexican-food and other
restaurants want your business and will often say they cook with vegetable
oils when, in fact, they are using cheaper animal fats or fat/oil blends.
It is important for you to know, so be certain to inquire. If they cook
with vegetable oil, they will be more than happy to show you its container.
Also, they usually use the safer milder cheeses because they are more economical
than sharp varieties, but do not be afraid to inquire.
5. Disclaimer: You should apply the principles
outlined in You Can Live Longer wisely and under the supervision
of your doctor. Eliminating oxidized foods should prove very beneficial,
but we do not recommend that you add any foods to your diet that you are
allergic to, or that your doctor does not recommend. Should you ever try
vegetarianism, eliminate flesh foods cautiously, making certain that
your meals are augmented with other nutritious foods to ensure a proper
and balanced diet.
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