percent! Another study compared policosanol against a popular statin drug. Those given policosanol
lowered their bad cholesterol by an average of 19.3 percent, versus just 15.6 percent for the statin
subjects. Most importantly, policosanol improved the most crucial ratio, total cholesterol to good
cholesterol, by 24.4 percent, while the statin drug only improved it by 15.9 percent. Just chewing on
organic lemon rind once daily may be enough to balance cholesterol.
Nuts pack a powerful nutritional punch. They contain monounsaturated fats which help lower low-
density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and may raise high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol when
substituted for saturated fats in the diet. Several major studies have found that eating nuts significantly
reduces the risk of coronary heart disease by 25-50% in both men and women. One of these studies, the
Nurses' Health Study, also found that regularly eating nuts reduces the chance of developing type 2
diabetes by 21-27%. Besides monounsaturated fats, nuts are rich in vitamins, minerals, and other
substances that are beneficial to your health. For example, walnuts contain a type of omega-3 fat similar
to fish oil, and almonds contain calcium and vitamin E. Nuts are also good sources of digestible protein
and beneficial fiber. Research shows that people who eat nuts tend to weigh less than those who don't eat
nuts, despite the fact they are calorie dense (160-200 calories per oz). Nut eaters may follow a healthier
diet (lower in animal proteins and junk foods) than people who abstain from nuts, and those who are
overweight may shun nuts because of their high-calorie content. Richer foods like nuts require more
energy to digest, so more calories may be used in the digestion process.
Food is still by far the best medicine for most ailments plaguing the human body. If used wisely and
prepared carefully before its consumption, food can create miraculous cures of the most common
diseases. I have discussed a number of such healing foods and herbs in Chapter 7. When choosing the
right healing foods for you, please refer to the food lists shown in Chapter 6. Foods that harmonize with
one's body type have the most healing properties, whereas foods that aren't in harmony may actually
interfere with the body's own effort to restore health and vitality.
Overcoming Heart Disease—Two Encouraging Stories
Over the years I have seen hundreds of patients with "heart" conditions that, in fact, were not heart
conditions at all. Most people actually had simple indigestion, causing strong sensations of pain in the
chest and stomach. Their stomachs were usually hard and swollen, filled with pockets of gas exerting
great pressure on the diaphragm and heart. Trapped gas and "heartburn" more often than not are behind
the false alarm of a heart condition. Other patients, however, did have serious heart trouble, in addition to
suffering chronic indigestion, or, as I see it, because of it. George, age 64, was one of them.
George had received medical treatment for thirty years for what his cardiologist called "progressive
heart disease." During the same period, he had been on a large variety of drugs to relieve the symptoms.
One of them was an anti-hypertensive drug. The drug's diuretic effects helped to drain excess fluids from
his body, but also caused severe cellular dehydration and damaged his kidneys and liver. Other side
effects included impotence, increase of angina pain, stomach upset, eye pains, muscle weakness,
depression, and nightmares.
Despite taking these drugs regularly, he was advised to undergo a bypass operation since several of his
heart arteries were almost completely blocked. A few years after the operation, at age 62, his "new"
coronary arteries also showed strong signs of damage, causing chest pain and severe tiredness. His heart
was no longer able to perform sufficiently well and he was informed that, as a last resort, only a heart
replacement could prolong his life. That when I saw George for the first time. He said this to me: "I feel
more dead than alive. My energy level is only a fraction of what it used to be. There is not much I can do