Don’t just take my word for it. Probably the most famous dietary guru of all
time was Dr. Robert Atkins. Dr. Atkins promoted a highprotein/ very-high-
fat/very-low-carb diet for decades. He was ridiculed for it, with critics claiming
that a diet high in saturated fat would dangerously raise cholesterol levels. They
were wrong.
His diet had other problems, but Dr. Atkins was smarter than his critics. Dr.
Atkins clearly and smartly understood that his diet would not only promote
weight loss, but would also dramatically lower cholesterol. The amount of total
fat on the Atkins Diet is approximately 60 percent of total calories, and the
saturated fat level is a whopping 20 percent, or twice the amount of saturated fat
recommended by the American Heart Association. The amount of carbohydrates
allowed on the Atkins Diet is minuscule— no more than a few grams in the
initial stage. (On Atkins, you limit carbs even from vegetables and fruits.)
Countless recent research studies have indicated that the Atkins Diet is indeed
superior to the American Heart Association’s low-fat diet in lowering cholesterol
and even to the Mediterranean diet.
Surprised? I’ll bet you are, since you’ve always been told that saturated fats
raise cholesterol. However, repeat the same studies without sugar and refined
carbs, and you’ll get the exact opposite results. I found that out 10 years ago
based on my observations of cholesterol levels in patients who were following
the Atkins Diet—long before all these studies exonerated this doctor.
Dr. Atkins was definitely on the right track to go against the low-fat advice,
but not necessarily right about how his diet can mess up hormones. In other
words, it’s not the eggs; it’s the potatoes and orange juice, my friends, that you
should worry about. It’s not the burger and cheese; it’s the soda and white bread.
Sugar and refined carbs cause more negative cholesterol abnormalities than any
amount of saturated fat or cholesterolrich products you can possibly eat. Yet we
are still told that a low-fat diet is the best way to lower cholesterol!
Don’t get me wrong. By no means am I advising you to follow a
highprotein/very-low-carb diet filled with bacon and sausages that mess up your
hormones or increase your risk for cancer. The point I’m making is that a
cholesterol profile is more favorable on a highfat diet (even when high in
saturated fat) than a low-fat diet. The Perfect 10 Diet will help you achieve even
better cholesterol levels with its balance in all food groups and with its diversity
in good fat choices.
- Highly Sensitive C-Reactive Protein (hs-CRP)
Inflammation is part of your body’s response to injury and disease. However,