Sometimes it feels like our world is falling completely apart. We just don’t feel like we were born to succeed. We look around and wonder if anyone else feels like this big of a mess. Our money is scarce, our house unkempt, our health not looking too good and our relationships going down the drain. So we can’t help but think:

“What the hell is wrong with me!?”

But you mustn’t feel so bad; It’s not all your fault!

It’s the Consumerism Sabotage

Since a young age, you had your googly eyes wide open as you were out and about processing as much information as possible and figuring out how life worked. Everything you experienced in your home, at school, or anywhere you were until this day has served as the main guidance for you to arrive where you are now.

So where did it all go wrong?

Think of yourself as a computer system. It started with our system (us) suffering a series of virus attacks (brainwashing).

Related: How to Be Happy

For example, TV commercials told us that if we want to look beautiful, we must have their brand of clothing, that the most attractive folks would buy this line of fragrance, or even that their magic pills can make you thin in very little time.

Imagine our system didn’t have an anti-virus (awareness). As a result, the virus would seep in and reprogram your system to add new files (new watches, clothing, jewelry, etc.) at random times on its own (impulse purchases).

Now imagine what happens when you keep ignoring the signs that you need an antivirus (debt, having too much stuff, etc.). You keep making impulse buys until your life collapses under the chaos.

It’s time to install the antivirus before that happens. What’s the best antivirus? Minimalism.

The What, Why and How of Minimalism

What is minimalism?

As I interviewed my friend Matthew Romanchick about minimalism, he gave me what I found to be the best definition yet: “Removing the stuff that sucks you dry in favor of the things that bring you life.”
So that includes removing material things, people, and old thought patterns from your life that suck you dry instead of making you a better person (This doesn’t include friends that give you constructive criticism you may not want to hear every once in a while).

Why should we become minimalists?

Consumerism is reaching new heights, and it’s a serious thing. It has become normal to spend money you don´t have, on things you don´t need. According to nerdwallet.com’s 2016 statistics report, the average household owed $137,063 in debts including credit cards, mortgage, auto loans, etc. and the worst news is that after you are in debt, it continues to cost you money to stay in debt. $1,292 per year to be exact – that is the cost of yearly interest for credit card debt alone. As a result of this, more and more people are becoming homeless and depressed in the US. In a single night in 2016 there were 549,928 people experiencing homelessness. Minimalism is the perfect way to combat this craze and help bring peace and fulfillment to people´s lives.

How can minimalism help bring peace and fulfillment?

By reducing your consumption to what is essential, your life is filled with peace. Minimalism will give you the money, time, and freedom to breathe and enjoy a low maintenance, stress-free and abundant life, instead of falling into the false illusion that one day you will have all the material things you need to finally be happy.

Here is how it works

Minimalizing equals having less — Fewer responsibilities, less debt, less guilt, less stress and less wish to buy.
Minimalizing, however, also equals having more — More savings, a more clear conscience, a more pleasant night’s sleep, and a more joyful and intentional life which in turn equals to a happier life.

Recommended: Detox Cheap and Easy Without Fasting – Recipes Included

Does this mean a minimalist’s life is easy? Well, I can guarantee you that it´s simpler and more efficient than most!
I take pride in getting ready in 15 minutes and looking great for the day ahead of me. But imagine that all of the sudden you could have more time for reading books or being with friends, more mental clarity to accomplish your daily goals, having renewed confidence to give dating another shot, or for some, rekindling that romance with your loved one. Imagine looking at your bank account and realizing you have the money saved up for going on trips or investing on something just for you. Minimalizing makes all of this and so much more possible!

Now if you are wondering when is the best time to start this process, I have a straightforward technique to determine that. But first, we must figure out what we need to minimalize most.

What you can minimalize

This list is to give you a better idea of where you can start.
Make sure you prepare your own personal list of what you want to get rid of or adapt to serve you better.

• Your home – Check out my article on these revolutionizing traveling tiny homes. Are they amazing or what? TINY HOMES — THE BIGGEST LIFE HACK
• Spending – Here are some awesome saving challenges for you to fill up that bank account. 5 Money Saving Challenges to Try
• Relationships/People – ” Show me your friends and I will show you your future.” That about sums it up.
• Harmful thought patterns – When did feeling guilty for something you did 12 years ago solve anything? Think instead how you can make things better today. Other examples of harmful thought patterns that limit your success are fear, anxiety, feelings of unworthiness, etc.
• Wardrobe – Create your own unique capsule wardrobe and improve your life by 1000%. It’s a minimalist trend you´ll love!  How to Build A Capsule Wardrobe [Gold Zipper]
• Shoes – Do you really need 20 pairs of shoes for one pair of feet?
• Memory box – Take pictures of the things and store on a hard drive instead. They will last you forever and save space.
• Make-up – Did you know the average woman spends $200k on make-up in the span of a lifetime? You could buy five amazing tiny homes with that money. How crazy is that?
• Cars – Imagine how much more gas, money, and health you would save by bike riding or walking down to the market to get those two things you need?

When was the last time you went out to dinner with family or friends? At that table, you can say with almost complete certainty that at least one of them had high LDL cholesterol, high triglycerides, or both.

Sorry to ruin your dinner, but we cannot ignore the fact that:

• Nearly 1 in every 3 Americans have high LDL cholesterol.
• Almost 1 in every 3 Americans have above normal triglyceride levels.

Why does this matter? Because both high LDL and triglyceride levels are risk factors for the leading cause of death in the world — heart disease.

There is, however, plenty of good news that is hiding behind these disheartening statistics. To find the silver lining, we need a deeper understanding of triglycerides, cholesterol, and heart disease.

Related: Triglycerides – Optimize The Most Important Biomarker That Most Doctors Ignore

What’s The Deal With Cholesterol, Triglycerides, and Heart Disease?

At first glance, they seem like entirely different entities.

Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that occurs naturally in all parts of the body. It floats around the blood bringing essential nutrients like fat-soluble vitamins and fatty acids to cells and get cleaned up by LDL receptors in the liver when the job is done.

Triglycerides, on the other hand, are the most energy dense molecule that provides our cells with energy and is stored in fat cells when we have enough energy.

Heart disease is the culmination of cell damage, inflammation, and plaque buildup that occurs in the blood vessels. This disease process can lead to a heart attack, chest pain (angina), or stroke.

How could cholesterol, triglycerides, and heart disease possibly be related? They don’t seem to have anything in common (yet). Let’s look a bit closer at what happens when things go wrong to find out how they are linked.

Related: Lower Cholesterol and Prevent Heart Disease Without Drugs

The Intimate Link Between Triglycerides, Cholesterol, and Heart Disease

Heart disease is a complex issue with many causes, but we do know one of the mechanisms that causes the damage, inflammation, and plaque build up that is characteristic of heart disease. This mechanism begins with a form of LDL cholesterol, which is called small, dense LDL, that can easily be damaged and cause harm to the cells that make up the blood vessels.

In response to the harm that the damaged LDL particles cause, the immune system activates and inflammation levels increase. The inflammation increases the chance that more small, dense LDL particles become damaged and destroy even more cells that line the blood vessels.

To prevent the damage from getting out of hand, the immune system neutralizes the damaged LDL particles and turns them into plaque. This mechanism of heart disease explains why high LDL and chronic inflammation increase the likelihood of heart disease, but what about triglycerides?

Let’s look at what happened before the small, dense LDL particles started circulating in the blood. As the LDL was being formed, one important factor determined which form of LDL it became — triglycerides. In fact, studies have confirmed that high triglycerides lead to the creation of more atherogenic LDL particles.

To sum up all of this complex biochemistry in one sentence: high triglyceride levels lead to the creation of more potentially atherogenic LDL cholesterol, which increases the risk of heart disease significantly.

Luckily, you can lower your triglycerides and optimize your cholesterol levels in one foul swoop by following these 13 simple suggestions.

13 Ways to Lower Your Triglycerides Naturally

1. Remove All Refined Sugars From Your Diet

Studies have found that each additional daily serving of sugar-sweetened beverages is associated with a 2.25 mg/dL increase in triglyceride levels, as well as increases in insulin resistance, LDL cholesterol, and systolic blood pressure and a decrease in HDL cholesterol.

Luckily, the exact opposite is true as well. When you remove all sugar-sweetened beverages from your diet, you will improve your cholesterol and triglyceride levels significantly. If you take it one step further and remove all added sugar from your diet, you will be on the fast track to good health.

Related: Healthy Alternative Sugars and More

2. Focus On Weight Loss

For those who are overweight or obese, a weight loss of 5% to 10% usually results in a 20% decrease in triglycerides, a 15% reduction in LDL-C, and an 8% to 10% increase in HDL-C. That is a win-win-win-win situation for your health.

One of the quickest ways to lose weight is by eliminating all processed foods from your diet and replacing it with whole foods. Have delicious detox cranberry lemonade instead of fruit juice or soda. Instead of fast food for lunch, make this surprisingly delicious salad

3. Stop Drinking Alcohol

Based on the data from many studies on alcohol consumption and triglycerides, it is estimated that the ingestion of 1 oz of alcohol per day corresponds to a 5% to 10% higher triglyceride concentration than found in nondrinkers. If you have high triglycerides, it is best to abstain from alcohol completely.

4. Eliminate All Trans Fats

Trans fatty acids are found in all partially and fully hydrogenated oils. They consistently cause significant increases in triglycerides and atherogenic LDL cholesterol levels, which increases cardiovascular disease risk dramatically. Stick to natural fats from nuts, olives, avocado, coconut, fish, meat, and dairy.

5.Establish a Sleep Schedule

One way to improve cholesterol, triglycerides, and energy levels at the same time is by prioritizing sleep. Make sure you are sleeping at around the same time every night and getting enough sleep (7-9 hours).

If you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, turn off all lights and electronics at-least 30 minutes before bedtime and meditate. By doing this, you will increase melatonin and decrease stress levels, making it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep throughout the night. Follow the same meditation and sleep schedule every week to wake up feeling more refreshed and healthier each morning.

6. Eat More Fiber

In seven studies that compared high fiber diets and low fiber diets, triglyceride levels decreased by 8% in the high-fiber groups. The same pattern emerges even when the high fiber diet contains many more carbohydrates than a moderate-carbohydrate low-fiber diet.

What does this mean for you? Eat more high-fiber plant foods like vegetables and your body will thank you.

Related: Start Eating Like That and Start Eating Like This – Your Guide to Homeostasis Through Diet

7. Exercise

Many studies have found that the most active people have the lowest fasting triglyceride levels. For example, men who jogged for 10 miles a week had a 20% lower fasting triglyceride level than sedentary men, while men with even higher activity levels (>20 miles of jogging weekly) had the lowest mean fasting triglyceride level (~86 mg/dL).

The good news is that if you are not a fan of jogging, you can get results from walking as well. Studies on overweight people with higher triglyceride levels experienced triglyceride reductions (of about 26%) after walking at a brisk pace for 12 miles each week. To get these results, all you have to do is walk for about 30 minutes at a brisk pace every day.

Not a fan of walking either? Bring an audiobook or podcast with you to make it more enjoyable.

8. Include Nuts In Your Diet

Nuts provide a concentrated dose of fiber and healthy fats, which work together to lower blood triglycerides and improve cholesterol.

An analysis of 61 studies on the effects that nuts have on our health showed that each serving of tree nuts decreased triglycerides by 2.2 mg/dL. Other epidemiological studies found that you will get the greatest health benefits if you consume between 3–7 servings of nuts per week.

9. Increase Your Omega 3 Intake

Studies have found that consuming around 4 g of marine-derived omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids per day can decrease triglyceride concentrations by 25% to 30%. Because of these findings, the American Heart Association recommends getting 2 to 4 g of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) plus docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) per day for people with high triglycerides. This recommendation can be met by taking a fish oil supplement or eating 2 to 4 3-ounce servings of wild caught (not farm-raised) sardines or salmon.

Another important thing to mention is that there is a particular reason why “marine-derived” omega 3s are mentioned, rather than other types of “plant-derived” omega 3s. This is because non–marine-based omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids from foods like walnuts, canola oil, and flaxseeds have not demonstrated a consistent reduction in triglycerides like marine-derived DHA and EPA.

Related: How to Reverse Fatty Liver Disease (With Diet Plan)

10. Supplement With Niacin

This natural B vitamin has been shown to reduce triglycerides by 20-50% and increase “healthy” HDL cholesterol levels. However, it is important to take niacin as a part of a natural b-complex supplement for best results.

Related: Mental Health, Physical Health & B Vitamins – Nature’s Valium

11. Eat More Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCTs)

Yes, you read that correctly. To improve cholesterol and triglyceride levels, you should consume more triglycerides. But make sure they are the medium-chain kind of triglyceride.

MCTs are different from the long chain triglycerides that we commonly find in dairy and meat because MCTs skip the normal process of fat digestion and go straight to the liver. In the liver, the MCTs are often converted into ketones for fuel.

For this reason, many studies have found MCTs to increase weight loss when compared to other healthy fats like olive oil. MCTs also have been found to decrease triglycerides more than olive oil as well.

Coconut oil is the best natural source of MCTs (and despite the bad press, it provides us with many health benefits). However, if you need an unmistakable energy boost that will improve your health more rapidly, then supplement with pure MCT oil. Use it as the oil for your salad dressings or blend it into your smoothies.

12. Use More Garlic

Garlic has potent anti-inflammatory properties that can help improve cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Garlic extract’s triglyceride and cholesterol-lowering effects continue to be confirmed in several animal studies.

13. Supplement With Curcumin

Curcumin is an anti-inflammatory compound that is found in turmeric. It has been found to have many powerful effects on the body from improving brain health to relieving chronic pain.

One of turmeric’s benefits is blood triglyceride reduction. In fact, A 2012 study found that a low dose of curcumin can cause a significant drop in blood triglycerides.

Putting It All Together

Improving triglyceride and cholesterol levels is simple. By doing so, you can prevent and reverse heart disease.

For the best results:

• Eliminate all processed foods to improve health and increase fat loss.
• Implement a sleep schedule and improve sleep quality.
• Exercise for at least 30 minutes a day.
• Supplement with marine-derived omega 3s, curcumin, niacin, and/or garlic extract.
• Eat more MCTs from coconut oil or an MCT oil supplement.
• Avoid alcohol, trans fats, and added sugar.

Recommended Reading:

• Start Eating Like That and Start Eating Like This – Your Guide to Homeostasis Through Diet
• Lower Cholesterol and Prevent Heart Disease Without Drugs
• How to Detoxify and Heal the Lymphatic System
• Holistic Guide to Healing the Endocrine System and Balancing Our Hormones
• Candida, Gut Flora, Allergies, and Disease

Sources:

• Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics – At-a-Glance — Heart
• Triglycerides and Cardiovascular Risk — NCBI
• Triglycerides and Cardiovascular Disease: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association — Circulation
• Effects of a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet on VLDL-triglyceride assembly, production, and clearance — NCBI
• Modification of low density lipoprotein by endothelial cells involves lipid peroxidation and degradation of low density lipoprotein phospholipids — NCBI
• Cholesterol metabolism — University of Waterloo
• Dietary Guidelines to Treat and Prevent Atherosclerosis — PCRM
• 13 Simple Ways to Lower Your Triglycerides — Healthline
• Plasma Triglyceride Level is a Risk Factor for Cardiovascular Disease Independent of High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Level: A Metaanalysis of Population-Based Prospective Studies — Sage Journals
• Fish oil – how does it reduce plasma triglycerides? — NCBI
• Mediterranean Diet 101: A Meal Plan and Beginner’s Guide — Healthline
• Changes in Serum TSH and Free T4 during Human Sleep Restriction — NCBI
• Mechanism of Action of Niacin — NCBI
• Overfeeding with medium-chain triglyceride diet results in diminished deposition of fat. — The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
• Medium Chain Triglyceride Oil Consumption as Part of a Weight Loss Diet Does Not Lead to an Adverse Metabolic Profile When Compared to Olive Oil — NCBI
• Association of nut consumption with total and cause-specific mortality. — NCBI

How Excess Carbon Dioxide Diminishes Nutrients in Plants

Our food system has become a game of Jenga, and we’re running out of blocks to pull from the bottom. Disease and challenging growing conditions threaten popular foods like coffee, chocolate, bananas, and wheat. Bees, nature’s perfect pollinator, are stressed and disappearing rapidly. Plants are also less nutritious, thanks to climate change.

Climate change leads to more carbon dioxide in the environment. Plants enjoy the extra food, growing more quickly, but they are unable to sustain that growth. Too much carbon dioxide affects the amount of macro and micronutrients that in plants. What we eat contain fewer nutrients than ever before due to their “junk food” diet. Do we need to put plants on a low-carb diet?

The Deets

Scientists know that foods are less nutritious than they used to be but previously attributed that discrepancy to modern agriculture’s preference for higher yield crop varieties. Irakli Loladze, a mathematician studying the effect of CO2 on pants for 15 years, finds that climate change has an equal or greater effect on plant health and nutrition content.

Every leaf and every grass blade on earth makes more and more sugars as CO2 levels keep rising…We are witnessing the greatest injection of carbohydrates into the biosphere in human history―[an] injection that dilutes other nutrients in our food supply.”

How diluted are we talking here? A 2017 research paper estimated that by 2050, many of the staple crops we rely on like rice, wheat, barley, and potatoes will lose 7.6%, 7.8%, 14.1%, and 6.4%, of their protein, respectively. This is devastating news for countries that rely on those crops for protein. Eighteen countries could lose more than five percent of their dietary protein, and 148.4 million people will also be at risk.

Plants are also losing many of the essential micronutrients we need. One in three people is deficient in zinc. The concentration of calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc, iron, and other minerals in the food we eat has by 8% because of rising carbon dioxide. Scientists and climate deniers alike agree the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere is still growing. Will we be able to counter the effects that has on the food we eat?

No Easy Solutions, No Quick Fixes

Farming takes time, and results from changes are not always apparent. A new crop takes 15 to 20 years to arrive in stores. Other potential fixes like mass scale composting or reducing carbon dioxide in the air are also time-consuming processes. The well-being of the food we eat and our food system are deteriorating in a world where fewer people have the resources to produce their own food. Are we at the point where we are unable to stay healthy through food alone? Only time will tell…yet it’s the biggest unknown in this entire equation.

Recommended:

• Healthy Sugar Alternatives & More
• Start Eating Like That and Start Eating Like This – Your Guide to Homeostasis Through Diet

Sources:

• The Great Nutrient Collapse – Politico
• Climate Change is Making Plants More Nutritious – Grubstreet
• Estimated Effects of Future Atmospheric CO2 Concentrations on Protein Intake and the Risk of Protein Deficiency by Country and Region – Environ Health Aspects
• Hidden shift of the ionome of plants exposed to elevated CO2 depletes minerals at the base of human nutrition – ELife

Hey, just wanted to let you know that your triglycerides are probably a bit high. Three out of every ten people in the United States have above normal triglyceride levels.

This sounds like the beginning of a drug commercial, but don’t worry — this problem has a simple and natural solution.

However, before we find the solution, we must properly identify the problem.

The Problem With High Triglyceride Levels

In the shadow of our cholesterol numbers are our — often overlooked — triglyceride levels. Your doctor may tell you that “your triglycerides are a little high,” but what does this really mean? Does it really matter?

Must Read: How to Detoxify and Heal the Lymphatic System

First, let’s clear up what having “high triglycerides” actually means. According to the American Heart Association, here is how our triglyceride levels are categorized:

You won’t experience any symptoms if you have borderline-high or high triglycerides, which is why many doctors will just shrug it off. However, it is important to know that triglyceride levels that are even just “a little high” are associated with:

Heart Disease

Studies suggest that high triglyceride levels impair cholesterol levels, increasing the amount of atherogenic (plaque forming) cholesterol particles in the blood.

Obesity

Obesity and high triglyceride levels are intimately linked. One study found that approximately 80% of people who are obese or overweight had triglyceride levels ≥150 mg/dL.

Metabolic Syndrome

The prevalence of triglyceride levels ≥150 mg/dL is nearly twice as high in people who have metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is a condition that is commonly diagnosed when the person has high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist, and abnormal cholesterol levels.

Excess Visceral Fat (fat around the organs)

Excess body fat is associated with elevated triglyceride levels, but visceral fat is a greater contributor than subcutaneous fat (fat that is found under the skin rather than near vital organs).

Type 2 Diabetes

Around 35% of people with type 2 diabetes have high fasting triglyceride levels. This suggests that blood sugar and triglyceride levels are intimately linked (more on that later).

Hypothyroidism

When the levels of thyroid hormone are low, cholesterol and triglycerides stay in the blood for a longer period of time, which increases the likelihood of heart disease and fatty plaque build-up in the arteries.

Kidney Disease

Triglyceride levels of >200 mg/dL are present in about half of those with chronic kidney disease, which is commonly caused by diabetes and high blood pressure.

All of this seems worrisome at first — especially if you have high triglycerides — but there is some good news. Actually, it’s great news.

Knowing what conditions high triglyceride levels are associated with provides us with important clues. Clues that give us a clearer picture of what causes high triglyceride levels and how to optimize them. First, let’s figure out what they are.

Related: Lower Cholesterol and Prevent Heart Disease Without Drugs

What Are Triglycerides?

Triglycerides are the most potent fuel source that is stored in your body. They are so energy-dense that stored that these molecules can keep the body running for about a month.

Where exactly are triglycerides stored in your body? Well, you already know. You just call it “fat” instead of “stored triglycerides.”

Yes, that’s right — triglycerides are those things that are being stored in your fat cells. While we are fasting, restricting carbohydrates, or limiting calories, these triglycerides are liberated from our fat cells to provide us with energy. This process is what helps us lose fat and reduce our triglyceride levels. However, one big problem arises if we live in westernized societies — there is an overabundance of processed food at all times.

Why Do You Have High Triglycerides?

If you are reading this right now, you probably live in an area where many different varieties of food are always available. In this abundant food environment, it is easy for our emotional and instinctual desires to override all logical sense, so most of us end up eating more calories and sugar than we actually need.

In response to the massive influx in calories, the cells become stuffed with so much energy that they reject the signal to take in more energy that they receive from insulin (an energy storage hormone that is stimulated the most by carbohydrate consumption). This is otherwise known as insulin resistance, and it causes a cascade of hormonal changes that increase blood sugar and triglyceride levels. On top of that, sugar consumption (especially the consumption of fructose) stimulates the creation of fat in the liver.

What all of this means is that eating excess calories increases your triglyceride levels and eating too much sugar increases your triglyceride levels even more, especially if that sugar is mostly composed of fructose.

Hold on. What about the fat?

After all, we are talking about triglycerides — a type of fat. How could I talk about calories and sugar and neglect to mention fat as a contributor to high triglyceride levels as well? Well, there is a good reason for that.

Related: Start Eating Like That and Start Eating Like This – Your Guide to Homeostasis Through Diet

Carbs Raise Triglycerides The Most

It would only make sense for dietary fat to increase triglycerides more than carbs, but the science shows us that just the opposite is true.

In one study, people with high triglycerides and normal triglycerides were put on a 15% fat, whole-food diet after eating a high-fat diet (35%). After only one meal of the low-fat diet, their triglyceride levels were elevated for higher and longer than during the high-fat diet.

By the end of the diet the low-fat group’s fasting triglyceride concentrations increased by 60% and the production of atherogenic LDL cholesterol increased as well. This occurred in people with normal and high triglycerides in response to a whole-food based low-fat diet. (Imagine what would happen if the diet contained more simple sugars!)

So, What Is The Best Triglyceride Lowering Diet?

Let’s start by comparing two ends of the dietary spectrum — Low-carb versus low-fat.

A recent meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials found significantly greater reductions in triglyceride levels on the low-carb diet. This meta-analysis of the literature confirms what we discovered above.

Eat more carbohydrates and less fat, and you’ll increase your triglyceride levels. Eat fewer carbs and more fat, and the opposite will occur. In fact, researchers found that for every 5% decrease in total fat, triglyceride level was predicted to increase by 6% and HDL cholesterol (the “good” cholesterol) to decrease by 2.2%. More specifically, for every 1% isoenergetic replacement with saturated fat, monounsaturated fat, and polyunsaturated fat, there was a reduction in triglycerides by 1.9 mg/dL, 1.7 mg/dL, and 2.3 mg/dL, respectively.

These findings suggest that replacing all carbohydrates with fat will get your triglycerides to optimal levels the quickest. However, when we look closer at the research, a different pattern emerges.

Which is Better? The Low-Carb Diet vs. The Mediterranean Diet

In a randomized controlled trial, the effects of a Mediterranean-style weight-loss diet were compared with a low-carbohydrate diet. After six months, triglyceride levels were reduced the most in the low-carb diet group. However, after 12 months, the Mediterranean-style diet showed similar reductions in triglycerides as the low carbohydrate diet.

These results show us that there may be a limit to how much restricting your carbohydrates can reduce triglycerides. So, instead of counting your carbs, it may be best to follow the eating principle that both the low-carbohydrate and Mediterranean diets follow: eliminate the crap and eat more whole foods.

Related: The Way We Used To Eat – The Real Paleo Diet

The Most Important Crap to Eliminate to Optimize Your Triglycerides

Avoid these triglyceride train wrecks, to ensure optimal triglyceride levels:

1. Alcohol

Based on the data from many studies on alcohol consumption and triglycerides, it is estimated that the ingestion of 1 oz of alcohol per day corresponds to a 5% to 10% higher triglyceride concentration than found in nondrinkers. If you have high triglycerides or if you want to have flawless triglyceride levels, it is best to abstain from alcohol completely.

2. Trans Fats

Trans fatty acids are found in all partially and fully hydrogenated oils. They consistently cause significant increases in triglycerides and atherogenic LDL cholesterol levels, which increases cardiovascular disease risk dramatically. Stick to natural fats from nuts, olives, avocado, fish, meat, and dairy.

3. Added Sugar

Studies have found that each additional daily serving of sugar-sweetened beverages is associated with a 2.25 mg/dL increase in triglyceride levels, as well as increases in insulin resistance, LDL cholesterol, and systolic blood pressure and a decrease in HDL cholesterol. It is best to avoid sugar completely and most of your carbohydrates from vegetables, legumes, and nuts for best results.

Related: Healthy Alternative Sugars and More

The Takeaway — The Best Triglyceride Lowering Diet

By cutting out all processed foods and eating a whole food diet, you will naturally cut down on the carbs, calories, and sugars. This way of eating will lower your triglycerides and improve your health dramatically.

To get you started, follow these guidelines:

• Every meal should consist primarily of local, beyond organic, or bio-dynamic vegetables.
• “Garnish” each meal with high-quality fish, meat, eggs, or dairy.
• Order from U.S. Wellness Meats,White Oak Pastures, Polyface Farms , Vital Choice, and Udder Milk to get the healthiest animal products for you, the environment, and the animals.
• Have a handful of nuts, seeds, and/or berries with each meal.
• Don’t eat any sugar-sweetened beverages, added sugars, processed meat, refined grains, refined oils, hydregonated fats, and other highly processed foods.
• Limit your alcohol intake.
• Follow the suggestions for lowering triglycerides and cholesterol in this article.

However, even if you implement the triglyceride lowering diet flawlessly, you can only verify if it worked by getting a blood test.

How To Know If Your Triglyceride Levels Are Optimal

All you have to do is set up an appointment with your doctor to get a standard blood lipid panel test done. Ask your doctor to print the results for you, and track your progress at after appointment.

Where do you fall in these categories?

Aim for optimal triglyceride levels, but don’t forget about cholesterol and blood sugar levels as well.

To see if you have healthier cholesterol levels, check your total-to-HDL cholesterol ratio. A ratio between 3 and 4 indicates that you have healthy cholesterol levels. Your fasting blood sugar levels should be below 100 mg/dl for optimal health.

It is also important to take note of your posture before you get your blood drawn. For example, different positions, like sitting, standing, and laying down, can cause triglycerides to vary significantly. Because of this, the American Heart Association recommends that you sit for at least 5 minutes in the same position each time you get your blood drawn to minimize variability in triglyceride measurements.

After you implement our suggestions, please comment with your results to inspire others to take their health into their own hands.

Recommended Reading:

• 13 Scientifically-Proven Ways to Optimize Your Triglyceride and Cholesterol Levels Naturally
• Triglycerides in Junk Food are the Chemical Equivalent of ‘Hard Drugs’ for the Brain
• Lower Cholesterol and Prevent Heart Disease Without Drugs
• 80% Raw Food Diet
• Agave Nectar – Is it Healthy?

Sources:

• Long-term effects of a ketogenic diet in obese patients — NCBI
• Effect of 6-month adherence to a very low carbohydrate diet program — Science Direct
• A Low-Carbohydrate, Ketogenic Diet versus a Low-Fat Diet To Treat Obesity and Hyperlipidemia: A Randomized, Controlled Trial — Annals of Internal Medicine
• Triglycerides and Cardiovascular Risk — NCBI
• Lower Cholesterol and Prevent Heart Disease Without Drugs — Organic Lifestyle Magazine
• Triglycerides and Cardiovascular Disease: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association — Circulation
• Effects of a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet on VLDL-triglyceride assembly, production, and clearance — NCBI
• Modification of low density lipoprotein by endothelial cells involves lipid peroxidation and degradation of low density lipoprotein phospholipids — NCBI
• The Total-to-HDL Cholesterol Ratio — What Does It Mean? — Chris Masterjohn PhD
• Effects of Thyroid Dysfunction on Lipid Profile— NCBI
• Cholesterol metabolism — University of Waterloo
• The Central Role of Thyroid Hormone in Governing LDL Receptor Activity and the Risk of Heart Disease — Chris Masterjohn PhD
• Dietary Guidelines to Treat and Prevent Atherosclerosis — PCRM
• 13 Simple Ways to Lower Your Triglycerides — Healthline
• Plasma Triglyceride Level is a Risk Factor for Cardiovascular Disease Independent of High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Level: A Metaanalysis of Population-Based Prospective Studies — Sage Journals
• Fish oil – how does it reduce plasma triglycerides? — NCBI
• Mediterranean Diet 101: A Meal Plan and Beginner’s Guide — Healthline
• Changes in Serum TSH and Free T4 during Human Sleep Restriction — NCBI
• Mechanism of Action of Niacin — NCBI
• Overfeeding with medium-chain triglyceride diet results in diminished deposition of fat. — The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
• Medium Chain Triglyceride Oil Consumption as Part of a Weight Loss Diet Does Not Lead to an Adverse Metabolic Profile When Compared to Olive Oil — NCBI
• Association of nut consumption with total and cause-specific mortality. — NCBI

There have been rumblings from farmers dealing with the damage caused by herbicide dicamba for quite some time now, and (legal) shots have now been fired. On Monday, a complaint against Monsanto, BASF, and DuPont was filed in Southern Illinois on behalf of Brian Warren, owner of Warren Farms in Broughton, IL. Filed by an attorney from Classaction.com, Rene Rocha, the lawsuit alleges that dicamba was deceptively marketed as “low-volatility”, a claim that the 2,242 farmers currently dealing with crops ruined by the herbicide would dispute.

Related: Monsanto’s Glyphosate, Fatty Liver Disease Link Proven – Published, Peer-reviewed, Scrutinized Study

Dicamba has been touted as a replacement for glyphosate, whose effectiveness is dwindling as glyphosate-resistant, “super weeds” like Palmer amaranth become more common. For a new product launch, companies commission their own tests and share them with regulatory agencies. Conversations with scientists responsible for initial safety tests run by Monsanto have revealed that the company specifically did not allow them to test their new version of dicamba for volatility. The Environmental Protection Agency allowed to company to release the herbicide anyway.

Currently, more than 3 million acres of crops have been damaged by dicamba drift. States with substantial acreage devoted to growing soybeans, like Iowa, are experiencing record numbers of complaints from farmers. According to Scott Partridge, Monsanto’s vice-president of global strategy, as much as three-fourths of the problems occurring with dicamba application are caused by operator error. This actually makes sense.  The insert that accompanies XtendiMax seems more suited for a meteorologist, with instructions like “If fog is not present, inversions can also be identified by the movement of smoke from a ground source or an aircraft smoke generator…” and a chart designed to inform farmers of the ideal wind speed to apply the product during (3 and 10 miles an hour).

Related: Understanding and Detoxifying Genetically Modified Foods

Where is the Recourse?

If your neighbors have applied the product incorrectly (and they likely have: check out these instructions!), you don’t have much recourse. Insurance companies are unlikely to find in your favor, and Monsanto has made it clear where they feel the blame lies. In fact, the damage caused by dicamba is likely to be a good thing for Monsanto. Farmers hoping to avoid a repeat of this year’s devastated crops could end up purchasing dicamba-resistant crops.

So we arrive back at the newly filed lawsuit. Farmers like Brian Warren who sue frequently lose, or spend so much money and time in court with biotech companies that a win ends up costing more than the initial loss. At this point, many farmers will have to write off this year’s crops and make a big decision about next year. They can purchase dicamba-resistant seeds and grow the demand for a product that isn’t safe and doesn’t behave as promised or they can potentially lose their livelihood. What kind of choice is that?

Sources:

• Monsanto Sued for Allegedly Killing Farmers’ Crops – ClassAction.com
• Iowa Farmers Make Record Number of Pesticide Misuse Claims – Des Moines Register
• Farmers Say It’s Nearly Impossible to Follow Monsanto’s Dicamba Directions – Modern Farmer
• PCBs, Roundup, and Dicamba – Monsanto’s Current Problems – Organic Lifestyle Magazine
• Monsanto Prevented Key Independent Testing of Herbicide – St. Louis Post-Dispatch

In the movies, we often see a lot of scenes depicting a woman or a man waking up from bed with little to no piece of clothing at all. Aside from being eye candy and the thoughts of being sexy, sleeping naked or having anything barely on has a lot of benefits and has a lot of scientific studies backing it up.

Sleeping naked brings a lot of benefits to people. It’s a surprising fact that only 8% of individuals sleep this way and reap the benefits that come along. Before we delve further into the amazing benefits of sleeping in your birthday suit, here are two unhealthy facts that most people aren’t aware of when it comes to sleeping with your clothes.

Sleeping with a Brassiere for Women

Although there’s no scientific evidence to support that wearing bras to sleep causes breast cancer for females, there are still a lot more reasons not to wear it during rest, especially for extended periods. For one, a tight bra can impede the circulation of blood and can cause pain in the torso.

Another reason why going to bed with a bra is a bad choice is because it can cause hyperpigmentation. An increased level of melanin causes this condition. Melanin is a pigment which is responsible for the color of a person’s skin. Ill-fitting bras can rub against the skin which can cause irritation and damage to the skin.

Sleeping with Tight Boxers or Fit Underwear for Men

Whenever men wear tight boxers, they are unknowingly increasing the temperature in their private parts. When the temperature increases, the testicles produce dead sperm cells. More scientifically, these sperm cells have more fragmented DNA than those who wear nothing to sleep at all.

These practices often don’t get a lot of attention from a lot of individuals. Some may feel comfortable sleeping with clothes but they don’t know the negative side effects it can have on them.

Now that we get the idea of how terrible sleeping is with a lot of clothes on, here are the benefits of sleeping without any piece of garment. 

Functioning Becomes Much Better When Waking Up Naked

While sleeping, the brain quietly removes toxins present within the body. These toxins come as a byproduct of neural processes which get left behind when a person is awake. This cleaning process begins when an individual begins to enter into a deep sleep. Whenever someone fails to achieve a good rest, the toxins in the neural passages are left behind.

These toxins are like clutter which hinder the signals that the brain sends to specific parts of the body. This situation is the reason why some people feel slow or tired when they don’t get adequate sleep. The mind begins to slow down, in effect, slowing other functions such as problem-solving, cognitive abilities, understanding, creativity, etc.

A good way to raise the quality of sleep you get is by lowering your skin temperature without altering the surrounding temperature around. A study by researchers at the University of Amsterdam found out that lowering one’s internal temperature increases the body’s ability to filter out toxins.

Being Naked Regulates the Temperature and Cortisol Levels

Although cortisol has a lot of positive effects on the body, it also has a lot of adverse reactions as well. Sleeping overheated or having to rest with a lot of clothes on can cause the body to raise its temperature, elevating cortisol levels. When there is an excess of cortisol in the body, many of its negative effects begin to appear.

Lengthier wound healing, immunosuppression, and high blood pressure are just a few of the things that happen to the body when there are elevated levels of cortisol present. Sleeping naked is a good practice if you want to avoid elevating cortisol levels in your body.

Sleeping Naked Makes You Feel Confident

Sleeping naked can make you feel confident. It wakes you up feeling fresh and reinvigorated. This fact is another reason why a lot of movies depict their actors and actresses naked when waking up from sleep. This scene presents the person playing the role as an active presence in the film to the audience watching.  

The Importance of Skin to Skin Contact

There’s a reason why it’s called a “Birthday Suit.” An important practice that doctors and nurses do is they let naked newborn babies latch on their mother, hence, skin to skin contact. The reason for this practice is that it helps infants “thermoregulate” or slowly adapt to the right temperature. Latching on also creates a bond between mother and baby.

When we eventually have relationships, sleeping together becomes an inevitable part of a person’s life. Sleeping naked creates a warm feeling that enables couples to have a stronger relationship. Cuddling allows the body to release Oxytocin, the hormone responsible for a sense of well-being in the body.

Sleeping Naked is Good for the Skin

Sleeping without clothes allows the body to breathe at night. Clothes cover most of the body during the day, and sleeping naked is a good way to let air through your private parts, armpits, groin, and other areas in the body where air and sunlight don’t get to shine. Since air can freely pass through, this allows lesser chances of catching skin disease.

Takeaway

It is indeed a surprising fact that only 8% of people sleep naked. Sleeping naked has a lot of benefits that may astonish some individuals. For example, sleeping naked can make you more active during the waking hours. Sleeping without clothes, believe it or not, can make your immunity to diseases and infections much higher than the average person.

The benefits of sleeping naked mentioned above are just a few examples. People should try sleeping without clothes on, to acquire the advantages of a well-earned rest.

Related Reading:

• Insomnia – A Comprehensive Look with Natural Remedies
• Start Eating Like That and Start Eating Like This – Your Guide to Homeostasis Through Diet
• How to Detoxify and Heal the Lymphatic System
• Holistic Guide to Healing the Endocrine System and Balancing Our Hormones

Sources:

• Sleeping In a Bra – Huffington Post
• Cortisol – Wikipedia

We’ve always been told fish is a nutritious choice, a good source of lean protein and healthy fats. But is it still a good choice today? Whether we choose cooked fish or sushi in a restaurant, we buy our fish at the market, or we hook a worm and catch our own, it may not be healthy or safe to eat. And if we bought it, we may be a victim of seafood fraud.

Fishy Bait and Switch Schemes

Seafood fraud is serious business. Oceana has found that, on average, 1 in 5 samples of seafood is mislabeled at every sector of the supply chain. In other words, there is a 1 in 5 chance that the fish you buy at a restaurant or market may not be what you thought you were buying. Chances are, it may not be what they thought they were buying, either.

Oceana reports, “Asian catfish, hake, and escolar were the three types of fish most commonly substituted. Specifically, farmed Asian catfish was sold as 18 different types of higher-value fish.”

This isn’t just a scam that affects your pocketbook; it may affect your health. “More than half (58 percent) of the samples substituted for other seafood posed a species-specific health risk to consumers, meaning that consumers could be eating fish that could make them sick.”

In April 2017, George Washington University published their findings from testing the fish from 6 popular Washington D.C. restaurants. They discovered 1 in 3 samples were not what they claimed to be.

Fish substitution is not only a racket to sell a lower priced fish at a higher price, it is also a means to sell illegally caught endangered fish.

Related: 5 Tons of GM Fish Sold for Human Consumption (And only the producer knows where they are)

Radioactive Fish

Yes, you can find articles claiming that we are being poisoned by radioactive fish, but the sources are… questionable. But then again, can we trust the FDA when they say we are not in danger? The following is a response to a direct inquiry.

“To date, FDA has no evidence that radionuclides are present in the U.S. food supply at levels that would pose a public health concern. This is true for both FDA-regulated food products imported from Japan and U.S. domestic food products, including seafood caught off the coast of the United States. Consequently, FDA is not advising consumers to alter their consumption of specific foods imported from Japan or domestically produced foods, including seafood. FDA continues to closely monitor the situation at and around the Fukushima Dai-ichi facility, as it has since the start of the incident and will coordinate with other Federal and state agencies as necessary, standing ready to take action if needed, to ensure the safety of food in the U.S. marketplace.”

So we are eating radioactive fish, but the contamination is at such a low level we don’t need to worry? Ah, okay…

Old McDonald Had a Farm…

Think of everything you’ve ever read or seen about the horrors of factory farming with pigs, chickens, and cows and imagine it’s worse for fish – much worse. Half of the fish consumed today are raised in aquafarms under horrific conditions of extreme overcrowding and filth. Some fish are genetically modified to accelerate growth. Hormones are injected to change reproduction. Antibiotics are added to the water in some countries. Fish that normally eat plants are fed fish and fish oils.

There is a high mortality rate among farm-raised fish. A high percentage of the fish are deaf or blind. Parasitic infestations are common. PETA reports, “Sea lice, for example, eat at the fish, causing their scales to fall off and creating large sores. In severely crowded conditions, these parasites often eat down to the bone on fish’s faces, resulting in what is sometimes called a “death crown.”

So, we are not only looking at genetic modification, disease, hormones, antibiotics, filth, starvation, genetically modified feed, and inhumane treatment, we also color fish. Salmon have artificial coloring added to their feed that changes the color of their flesh. Farm raised salmon are not naturally pink. They are gray. Chemicals are added to their feed to cause their flesh to turn pink. So we are also ingesting those chemicals when we eat farm-raised salmon. Bon appétit!

Related: Genetically Modified Salmon Is On Its Way To Your Store

The Mercurial Rise and More

The level of mercury in fish remains a serious health concern. We are warned to avoid certain fish. Scientific American lists the following as carrying “proportionately large mercury burden.”

• bluefin tuna
• walleye
• king mackerel
• marlin
• bluefish
• shark
• swordfish
• wild sturgeon
• opah
• bigeye tuna

Other fish that are “Also of concern, but to a slightly lesser extent” are:

• orange roughy
• Chilean sea bass
• blue crab
• lingcod
• Spanish mackerel
• spotted seatrout
• wahoo
• grouper
• snapper
• halibut
• tile fish
• rock fish
• sable fish
• blackfin, albacore, and yellowfin tuna.

Top level predators in the fish world accumulate mercury due to longevity and a constant diet of smaller, mercury laden fish. Concentrations in fish can be 1-10 million times higher than the mercury concentration in the water.

The Environmental Defense Fund tells us, “The problem of mercury-contaminated fish is widespread. According to the EPA’s National Listing of Fish Advisories:

• Mercury advisories increased 95% between 2003 and 2010 (from 2,362 to 4,598). This is largely due to greater monitoring, not necessarily greater pollution.
• All 50 states currently issue mercury advisories.
• As of 2010, almost 18 million lake acres and approximately 1.4 million river miles were covered by some type of consumption advisory.
• Currently, 28 states have statewide mercury advisories in freshwater lakes or rivers, and 19 states have statewide advisories for mercury in their coastal waters.”

Related: Top 5 Foods that Detox Heavy Metals and Toxins – With Protocol

The EPA says, “The 2011 total of 4,821 advisories covers 42% of the Nation’s total lake acreage and 36% of the nation’s total river miles.” But the EPA tells us mercury is not the only contaminant causing concern. “Ninety–four percent of all advisories in effect in 2011 involved five bioaccumulative chemical contaminants: mercury, PCBs, chlordane, dioxins, and DDT.” Remember these facts are 6 years old. How much worse is it now?

What Fish Should We Eat?

If you choose to eat fish, which fish should you choose? Clearly, this should be a simple question with an agreed upon list – but it isn’t. If you search through article after article on the Internet, zeroing in on trusted sources, you will still find widely varying lists. Although it is common knowledge that tuna is high in mercury, you will find tuna on many of these lists along with shellfish (the scavengers of the sea), and varieties of farm raised fish.

The most agreed upon healthy choices are:

• Alaskan salmon (wild caught)
• Cod
• Mackerel (though Spanish Mackerel is on the “also of concern” list)
• Sardines
• Herring

We advise taking the time to research. Fish is not the same from one store to another. Look into the sustainability and health issues with each source.

Also: Seafood & Mercury – What’s Safe To Eat & What’s Not

Pollution is the Key

We can hook that worm or cast the perfect fly to catch a fish from a crystal clear lake or flowing stream. But we’d better check the local advisories before we eat it. There’s a good chance we’ll be advised to limit how much we eat or to avoid feeding our catch to pregnant women, small children, or the elderly.

It’s a no brainer. If we continue to pollute the water, we continue to pollute the fish. Although you’d never know it based on our current behavior, our oceans are not a dumping ground. If we continue to burn fossil fuels, we will continue to pump mercury into the air. Mercury will fall to the ground to contaminate the earth and our water. If we continue to use toxic chemicals that run off into our waterways, they will come back to us full circle through our food chain.

We have choices to make. Let’s make the right ones. For now? Be careful of the fish you choose to eat.

Recommended Reading:

• Still, Have Candida? How Mercury Fillings Cause Candida Overgrowth
• Wild Caught? Maybe Not – Salmon Sold to You May Have Been Farm-Raised
• How To Detoxify and Heal From Vaccinations – For Adults and Children

Sources:

• Deceptive Dishes: Seafood Swaps Found Worldwide – Oceana
• Why the Fish You Order Isn’t Always What You Get – Time
• The Lingering Effects of Fukushima on Fish – Time
• Aquafarming- PETA
• Here’s why your farmed salmon has color added to it – Quartz
• Mercury in seafood – Environmental Defense Fund
• National Listing of Fish Advisories General Fact Sheet 2011 – EPA