Am young, had breast cancer, have high cholesterol--help!

[Guest guest]

Good for you, Selenea!

I applaud you taking an involved approach to your own health care! I worked as

a nurse in an OB/GYN practice for several years; we had one patient who was

participating in a Tamoxifen study for Emory University. It was my

understanding that the results of the study were as mixed as your research

shows. You swap one problem (breast ca) for another (uterine ca).

You mentioned going organic and no sugar, but have you researched the role that

satured fat has in improving your health and cholesterol, if it's the right kind

of fat? Check out the recommended reading list on the W. Price Foundation site.

http://www.westonaprice.org/book_reviews/book_reviews.html

Good luck with your research and your health!

Rebekah

[Guest guest]

Dear Selenea,

Congrats on your recovery from cancer and welcome to the list!

Before you take your doctor's advice regarding your cholesterol

levels, be sure to do some research on your own (as you did regarding

lipitor and the like--good for you!)

Some places to start:

http://www.westonaprice.org/know_your_fats/fats_phony.html

http://www.ravnskov.nu/cholesterol.htm

It may seem very strange if you are new to the ideas of Weston Price

and Sally Fallon, but you actually want to be eating a diet rich in

saturated fat and plenty of cholesterol. Supremely healthy humans

have been eating high fat diets for thousands of years to great

effect. The trick is sourcing good fats, as most fats available to us

at the grocery store ARE harmful. You should find local sources of

raw milk, cream, and butter from GRASSFED cows, GRASSFED beef and lamb

(notice the pattern!), high quality coconut oil (available online),

wild caught fish free of mercury (Alaskan salmon is great), eggs from

pastured chickens (yolks should be a deep yellow or orange color).

HTH,

[Guest guest]

Hi Selena,

My cholesterol is 272. I have absolutely no angst over this number.

Cholesterol is not your enemy as much as the medical establishment would

like us to believe that. Here's a great email that Christie Kieth posted to

another list recently:

" In Framingham, Massachusetts, the more saturated fat one ate, the more

cholesterol one ate, the lower people's serum cholesterol. We found that

people who ate the most cholesterol, ate the most saturate fat, ate the most

calories weighed the least, and were the most physically active. " (

Castelli, MD, Director of the Framingham Study, one of the largest medical

studies ever done on the effects of fat and cholesterol on the heart)

" If you believe that you can ward off death from heart disease by altering

the amount of cholesterol in your blood, whether by diet or by drugs, you

are following a regime that still has no basis in fact. Rather, you as a

consumer have been taken in by certain commercial interests and health

groups who are more interested in your money than your life " (

Pinckney, MD, Former Co-editor of the Journal of the Medical Association,

the most prestigious medical journal in the world)

" The diet-heart idea (the notion that saturated fats and cholesterol cause

heart disease) is the greatest scientific deception of our times. This idea

has been repeatedly shown to be wrong, and yet, for complicated reasons of

pride, profit and prejudice, the hypothesis continues to be exploited by

scientists, fund-raising enterprises, food companies and even governmental

agencies. The public is being deceived by the greatest health scam of the

century. " ( Mann, MD, Professor of Medicine and Biochemistry at

Vanderbilt University, Tennessee and co-director of the Framingham Heart

Study)

" The idea that saturated fats cause heart disease is completely wrong, but

the statement has been published so many times over the last three decades

that it is very difficult to convince people otherwise unless they are

willing to take the time to read and learn what all the economic and

political factors were that produced the anti-saturated-fat agenda " (

Enig, International expert in the field of lipid biochemistry, President of

land Nutritionists organization)

" Whatever causes coronary heart disease, it is not because of a high intake

of saturated fat and cholesterol. " ( Gurr, PhD, Renowned lipid

chemist)

More:

" Cholesterol Skeptics and the Bad News About Statin Drugs, " ann Napoli,

Center for Medical Consumers

http://www.medicalconsumers.org/pages/cholesterol_skeptics.html

" The Cholesterol Myths, " Uffe Ravnskov, MD, PhD

http://www.ravnskov.nu/cholesterol.htm

" Studies of Dietary Fat and Heart Disease. " Ravnskov U, Allan C, Atrens D,

Enig MG, Groves B, Kaufman J, Kroneld R, Rosch PJ, Rosenman R, Werkö L,

Nielsen JV, Wilske J, Worm N. Science 2002; 295:1464-1465.

http://www.ravnskov.nu/cholskept.links.responsetoGrundy.htm

" The Soft Science of Dietary Fat, " Taubes, Science Magazine (winner of

the National Assoc. of Science Writers, Inc. 2001 Science in Society

Journalism Award for best magazine article; he also wrote " What if it's all

been a big, fat lie? " which is on the Atkins Center website at

http://atkins.com/Archive/2003/1/20-542932.html)

http://nasw.org/mem-maint/awards/01Taubesarticle1.html

" Cholesterol does not cause coronary heart disease and statins don't work by

lowering lipids. The role of inflammation and stress, " Rosch; MD, FACP,

Clinical Professor of Medicine and Psychiatry, New York Medical College,

President, The American Institute of Stress, Honorary Vice President,

International Stress Management Association.

http://www.thincs.org/WAPF2003.htm#paul

Suze Fisher

Lapdog Design, Inc.

Web Design & Development

http://members.bellatlantic.net/~vze3shjg

Weston A. Price Foundation Chapter Leader, Mid Coast Maine

http://www.westonaprice.org

----------------------------

“The diet-heart idea (the idea that saturated fats and cholesterol cause

heart disease) is the greatest scientific deception of our times.” --

Mann, MD, former Professor of Medicine and Biochemistry at Vanderbilt

University, Tennessee; heart disease researcher.

The International Network of Cholesterol Skeptics

<http://www.thincs.org>

----------------------------

>

[Guest guest]

First of all I want to point out what a moron I am, because only an idiot would

spell

her own name wrong! As usual, I type way too fast for my own good My real

name

is actually Selena, and not Selenea.

, thank you so much for your reply. I actually have been eating a diet

that you

outlined for about 3 months now, which is why I was a little concerned about my

high

cholesterol. But, as Suze pointed out, I probably shouldn't worry about the

number

(which did freak me out at first) so much as my overall health and what I put

into my

mouth (ahem, food-wise, that is).

Here is my food intake break-down (in general, since I don't keep track or

measure). By the way, all of the food I eat is organic. On a typical day I will

eat:

FATS & OILS: couple tablespoons good quality coconut oil (I cook with this

usually),

couple tablespoons raw butter, every once in a while sesame oil or omega

essential

oil

FRUITS & VEGGIES: 2-3 servings fruit (usually banana, grapefruit, apple,

strawberries or frozen mixed berries), small handful raisins; 6-9 servings raw

or

lightly steamed veggies (usually brocolli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts,

lettuce,

mushrooms, onions (is that a veg?), radish, tomato, squash, yam)

MEAT/POULTRY/EGGS: 2 eggs, maybe a cup of grass-fed ground beef or wild

shrimps/prawns, can of tuna

NUTS & SEEDS: handful of sesame seeds, brazil nuts, almonds (that's a handful

total

of a mixture of all of these), 2 tablespoons flax seeds (ground, of course)

GRAINS: sometimes 2 cups of soaked oats (as in oatmeal), maybe one or two pieces

of sprouted whole grain bread, cup of brown rice

DAIRY: 1-2 cups raw whole milk, several tablespoons raw cream

BEVERAGES: 8 cups bottled water (I know, I know! I need to get a water filter

soon!), 1

cup organic green tea

And I think that about covers it! My best friend , who is now the B.C.

(Canada)

Chapter Leader of WAPF (and often posts here), opened my eyes to the Weston A.

Price school of eating, for which I am eternally grateful but still learning!

and Suze, thank you for the web links. I shall check them out!

Oh! Something I just learned last night may explain the high cholesterol.

Menopausal

and post-menopausal women are particularly at risk for high cholesterol. As I

mentioned in my original post, I was menopausal for 2 1/2 years until I took

myself

off tamoxifen a couple months ago. So that probably helps explain that, at least

in

part. I'm so furious at my MD who didn't even take that into consideration, that

drug-

happy excuse for a healthcare practicioner...

> Dear Selenea,

>

> Congrats on your recovery from cancer and welcome to the list!

>

> Before you take your doctor's advice regarding your cholesterol

> levels, be sure to do some research on your own (as you did regarding

> lipitor and the like--good for you!)

>

> Some places to start:

>

> http://www.westonaprice.org/know_your_fats/fats_phony.html

> http://www.ravnskov.nu/cholesterol.htm

>

> It may seem very strange if you are new to the ideas of Weston Price

> and Sally Fallon, but you actually want to be eating a diet rich in

> saturated fat and plenty of cholesterol. Supremely healthy humans

> have been eating high fat diets for thousands of years to great

> effect. The trick is sourcing good fats, as most fats available to us

> at the grocery store ARE harmful. You should find local sources of

> raw milk, cream, and butter from GRASSFED cows, GRASSFED beef and lamb

> (notice the pattern!), high quality coconut oil (available online),

> wild caught fish free of mercury (Alaskan salmon is great), eggs from

> pastured chickens (yolks should be a deep yellow or orange color).

>

> HTH,

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Selena,

Bravo! Keep on learning. Let's try to keep you off the drugs. ;-)

I had these additional thoughts: the broccoli, cawliflower, and

brussels sprouts are all cruciferous--and goitrogenous veggies. If

you cook them before eating, that is supposed to help reduce their

goitrogenous effect. If you eat too much of them raw, that could

suppress your thyroid.

I'm wondering about your thyroid health. I understand that

optimizing the thyroid can help reduce cholesterol. A low thyroid is

also associated with cancer. Have you done any reading about thyroid

issues? I think this is a good site:

http://www.wilsonsthyroidsyndrome.com .

Our glands are so interdependent. Since you've been on the Tamoxifen

and other hormone-manipulating substances, perhaps that's caused

problems for your thyroid and/or adrenals.

I hate to bring up things that might not be an issue. We don't want

you to worry too much! I'm glad you're feeling so good.

[Guest guest]

<<Anyway, in the last 3 or 4 months I've gone completely organic, cut out

sugar and

processed foods, take cod liver oil and many other natural supplements, and

excercise daily. I'm feeling pretty damn good (bye-bye menopause! Well,

until I'm

50...), but today my doctor phoned to tell me my cholesterol is too high! I

don't

understand. The numbers are: total: 290/ LDL: 201/ HDL:77. She wants me to

" go on >>

Hmm, what a coincidence. I listen to the radio on the drive home from work.

Tonight on the " Tom o " broadcast he had a Dr. Rosedale on (he does

have a book) he described high cholesterol as good in that it is repairing

damage. The thing is to figure out where the damage is coming from. The main

culprit being sugar.

Kathy A.

[Guest guest]

> Selena, if I were you, given that you live in Canada (a very northern

> latitude so not much sun), I would get a " 25-hydroxyvitamin D " blood

> test (if you havent already).

, thanks for the links! However, I'm not sure where you got that I live in

Canada

(I'm from Canada, but moved four years ago). I live in Los Angeles and get

plenty of

sunshine exposure (with sunscreen, of course, though very occasionally and for a

short period of time I go without, to further absorb the D in sun). Also, for

the last 6

months or so (after the cancer) I have been taking Nordic Naturals CLO every

single

day.

But knowledge is still power, so I will definitely read up from those links you

sent me!

Selena

[Guest guest]

--- selenat2004 <selenat2004@...> wrote:

> Oh! Something I just learned last night may explain

> the high cholesterol. Menopausal

> and post-menopausal women are particularly at risk

> for high cholesterol. As I

> mentioned in my original post, I was menopausal for

> 2 1/2 years until I took myself

> off tamoxifen a couple months ago.

Hi Selena

I know a lady on another list who has been concerned

about her cholesterol levels. However, Dr Barry

Groves put her mind at rest by pointing out to her

that in older women (ie menopausal and p-m) a higher

cholesterol level helps protect against disease,

including heart disease. This was in a personal

message to her, but you may be able to find the

information on his website:

www.second-opinions.co.uk (the site is well worth a

read anyways)

Jo

___________________________________________________________ALL-NEW

Messenger - all new features - even more fun! http://uk.messenger.

[Guest guest]

>>>I live in Los Angeles and get plenty of sunshine exposure (with sunscreen, of

course, though very occasionally and for a short period of time I go without, to

further absorb the D in sun). Also, for the last 6 months or so (after the

cancer) I have been taking Nordic Naturals CLO every single day.

But knowledge is still power, so I will definitely read up from those links you

sent me!

Selena<<<

Hi Selena,

You might like to include in your reading this previous thread about sunscreens:

/message/51770

Especially the links in this one:

/message/51797

Cheers,

Tas'.

[Guest guest]

> Dr Barry

> Groves put her mind at rest by pointing out to her

> that in older women (ie menopausal and p-m) a higher

> cholesterol level helps protect against disease,

> including heart disease.

Joanne, thanks for the note. I've read that about cholesterol, but I'm only 33,

so I

don't think I qualify as an older woman! My menopause was induced because of

the

cancer.

Selena

[Guest guest]

--- selenat2004 <selenat2004@...> wrote:

> Joanne, thanks for the note. I've read that about

> cholesterol, but I'm only 33, so I

> don't think I qualify as an older woman! My

> menopause was induced because of the

> cancer.

Selena

Cholesterol protects women at that time of life - if

you have been through the menopause, even if

artificially induced, then your body could have

produced the cholesterol as a protective measure as a

result. It probably doesn't realise you're not

actually older! It's just a possible reason why your

cholesterol is high.

JO

___________________________________________________________ALL-NEW

Messenger - all new features - even more fun! http://uk.messenger.

[Guest guest]

> Cholesterol protects women at that time of life - if

> you have been through the menopause, even if

> artificially induced, then your body could have

> produced the cholesterol as a protective measure as a

> result. It probably doesn't realise you're not

> actually older! It's just a possible reason why your

> cholesterol is high.

>

> JO

Makes sense, Jo! Thanks for the insight!

Selena

[Guest guest]

> Sunscreen blocks the vitamin D rays so you need to eliminate that if

you want to produce vitamin D via your skin. 10-20 minutes is all

that;s needed for caucasians. NEVER burn!

>

I hope you don't mind me jumping in, chumola ('chumola' is how Selena

and I refer to each other. We met in grade 8 (~ 1984).

Selena has very fair skin which tends to burn easily. When we'd go to

the beach, no matter how much sunscreen she'd put on, she would

usually end up burning and then peeling. This was in Vancouver, B.C.

Canada.

She would also suffer from SAD in the winter here. She didn't know it

at the time, but looking back (and me looking back, too) that seems to

be what was happening. Since moving to California, she hasn't suffered

from SAD. As much as I miss her and wish that we lived in the same

city, I know that she's better off in a sunnier place.

As she continues with the fantastic changes to her diet (CLO, coconut

oil, raw dairy from grass-fed animals, pastured meat, organic

vegetables and fruits, etc. etc) perhaps her skin will be more

protected. But if a person is as fair as she is (due to her heritage.

She can fill you in on that, perhaps), then is it possible that she

could never acheive the protection from the sun that some of the

people on this list have? Also, could her previous more-than-likely

vitamin D deficiency (while growing up) be a contributing factor for

her breast cancer?

Apparently, the vitamin levels in Carlson's oil are sometimes not as

high as the label indicates. Perhaps someone has more information

about this. I know that Dr. Mercola endorses Carlson, whereas some

people on this list prefer other brands (Blue Ice, for example).

~

[Guest guest]

I'm sorry, ? who? Not that nut in Vancouver who stalked me so much

I

had to flee my homeland? :) KIDDING! (I know she knows that, but I had to

add this

so others wouldn't think I was serious)

Good questions chum. Thanks for being my brain. Has anyone heard of Vitamin D

deficiency contributing to breast cancer? I got the big C when I was 29 after a

lifetime

of " healthy " (haha) low-fat (more like low-nutrient) eating and regular

exercise. For all

intents and purposes I was considered healthy by mainstream doctors. No cancer

history in my family either. Though I am " cured " (cross fingers, toes and eyes)

for

now, I have this insatiable need to figure out why, or rather how, I got cancer

in the

first place.

Also, I now take Nordic Naturals CLO, but I have been reading different opinions

of

different CLOs. Does anyone have any further opinions about what CLOs are better

for someone in my sitch (silly talk for situation)?

--- In , " C. Adler " <wapriceisright@y...>

wrote:

>

> > Sunscreen blocks the vitamin D rays so you need to eliminate that if

> you want to produce vitamin D via your skin. 10-20 minutes is all

> that;s needed for caucasians. NEVER burn!

> >

>

> I hope you don't mind me jumping in, chumola ('chumola' is how Selena

> and I refer to each other. We met in grade 8 (~ 1984).

>

> Selena has very fair skin which tends to burn easily. When we'd go to

> the beach, no matter how much sunscreen she'd put on, she would

> usually end up burning and then peeling. This was in Vancouver, B.C.

> Canada.

>

> She would also suffer from SAD in the winter here. She didn't know it

> at the time, but looking back (and me looking back, too) that seems to

> be what was happening. Since moving to California, she hasn't suffered

> from SAD. As much as I miss her and wish that we lived in the same

> city, I know that she's better off in a sunnier place.

>

> As she continues with the fantastic changes to her diet (CLO, coconut

> oil, raw dairy from grass-fed animals, pastured meat, organic

> vegetables and fruits, etc. etc) perhaps her skin will be more

> protected. But if a person is as fair as she is (due to her heritage.

> She can fill you in on that, perhaps), then is it possible that she

> could never acheive the protection from the sun that some of the

> people on this list have? Also, could her previous more-than-likely

> vitamin D deficiency (while growing up) be a contributing factor for

> her breast cancer?

>

> Apparently, the vitamin levels in Carlson's oil are sometimes not as

> high as the label indicates. Perhaps someone has more information

> about this. I know that Dr. Mercola endorses Carlson, whereas some

> people on this list prefer other brands (Blue Ice, for example).

>

> ~

[Guest guest]

> Has anyone heard of Vitamin D

> deficiency contributing to breast cancer? I got the big C when I

was 29 after a lifetime

> of " healthy " (haha) low-fat (more like low-nutrient) eating and

regular exercise. For all

> intents and purposes I was considered healthy by mainstream

doctors. No cancer

> history in my family either. Though I am " cured " (cross fingers,

toes and eyes) for

> now, I have this insatiable need to figure out why, or rather how,

I got cancer in the

> first place.

I would expect that to have something to do with it. Here's a very

nice article about vitamin D:

http://www.beyonddiscovery.org/content/view.txt.asp?a=414

It makes the point that vitamin D, when applied to certain cancer

cells, caused them to re-differentiate and stop being cancer. Woohoo!

[Guest guest]

> <selenat2004@y...> wrote:

> > Has anyone heard of Vitamin D

> > deficiency contributing to breast cancer?

>

> I would expect that to have something to do with it. Here's a very

> nice article about vitamin D:

>

> http://www.beyonddiscovery.org/content/view.txt.asp?a=414

>

> It makes the point that vitamin D, when applied to certain cancer

> cells, caused them to re-differentiate and stop being cancer. Woohoo!

>

>

Thanks for the link ! Too bad that " the amount of vitamin D hormone needed

to

stop the runaway growth of tumors and cancers has so far proved too toxic for

human use " but the article was interesting nonetheless. Especially of interest

to me

was the part that said " vitamin D can be produced in the body through a

photosynthetic reaction when the skin is exposed to sunlight. The resulting

substance is only a precursor, however, which must then undergo two

transformations--first in the liver and then in the kidney--to become the

biologically

active substance the body uses. " This is interesting to me because when I was

eleven

severe kidney problems (basically my right kidney had shrunken so much it was

useless, causing me pain, and causing me to urinate blood) led to the removal of

the

kidney, and I wonder now if that was one (of many I'm sure) contributing factors

to

my getting breast cancer later on.

All the more reason to be grateful to my chum for opening my eyes and my

mind to the WAP and NT way of eating. I feel like I'm really doing something

active

and beneficial for my health to (hopefully) prevent a recurrence.

Selena

[Guest guest]

>when I was eleven severe kidney problems (basically my right kidney

had shrunken so much it was useless, causing me pain, and causing me

to urinate blood) led to the removal of the kidney, and I wonder now

if that was one (of many I'm sure) contributing factors to my getting

breast cancer later on.

>

You should show everyone your scar - it's really impressive!

I'm wondering about your kidney problems, too. Does anyone know

anything about this? Also, despite what you read about one kidney

being just fine, could it compromise one's health?

I remember how, in high school, Selena was able to get out of P.E. if

we were doing contact sports because of the risk to her remaining kidney.

~

[Guest guest]

>>>...Also, despite what you read about one kidney being just fine, could it

compromise one's health?<<<

I'm sure it must - we wouldn't have two to start with if we only really needed

one. We may be able to survive quite adequately with one, but I'm sure we

wouldn't be able to achieve optimal good health.

Cheers,

Tas'.