This just in, WebMD just reported that Crestor is the #1 best selling drug in America – 23,700,000 prescriptions per year! That is almost 8% of the America’s population.
This is the dark side of capitalism in action. Make hundreds of millions of dollars selling people addictive, delicious, fiber-less, nutrition-less, snack foods, then make billions of dollars selling them drugs like Crestor in an attempt to keep them from getting heart attacks from all the junk food. You can hear big pharma cheer every time another top-grossing junk food is invented.
I’m young and strong, this doesnt concern me!
Wrong! An important note to the teens and twenty-somthing year olds reading this, high cholesterol is not an “old peoples” problem. If you don’t get your act together NOW then YOU will be one of those on Crestor even though you are “healthy and strong”. Strong does NOT mean healthy! Please read “Are you healthy“. Many men these days focus on getting BIG and don’t seem to care how much fat they have to add to gain their muscle. The high sat fat, high calorie, low fiber nutrition used by many of these folks to pack on the pounds puts them at risk for high cholesterol and heart disease. In my opinion, an example of this is the GOMAD (gallon of milk a day) + SS (Starting Strength) program. Lots of whole milk, cheese, pizza, and fried foods? – Thats the SC (Starting Crestor) nutritional program!
Reducing cholesterol without drugs
If most people eat healthy and exercise regularly then their cholesterol will be in normal ranges, its that simple. There is a very small percentage that genetically are prone to high cholesterol even when their nutrition, bodyweight and exercise is spot on. For these few people medication is a great option, for the vast majority of people though, lifestyle changes can get their cholesterol in range *without* drugs. How?
- Exercise daily, weights are fine but you still need to do daily cardio too
- Lower your fat consumption, especially saturated fat. Pass on the fried foods from now on.
- Eat more fiber, lots more … and not by using Metamucil! Whole grains and vegetables! Oatmeal instead of frosted coated chocolate bombs for breakfast.
- Eat fish with omega-III fatty acids like salmon. Fish on fridays is a great idea!
- Eat a few nuts for snacks, no need to go overboard though, a small handful once a day is fine.
- Lower your bodyfat! Eat a little less and exercise a bit more.
- Drink green tea!
- If you smoke, stop.
- A glass of red wine a day … if there is no alcoholism in your family.
If you dont believe me then check out what WebMD’s suggestions for reducing cholesterol and the Mayo clinc’s top 5 foods to reduce cholesterol, and the lifestyle changes that the Mayo clinic suggests to reduce cholesterol.