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The Portfolio Diet: Lower Cholesterol Without Statin Drugs?

Find out whether the Portfolio Diet can help you lower cholesterol naturally through diet  … without Statin drugs.

Could dramatically lowering your cholesterol simply be a matter of eating the right combination of foods?

Dr. David J.A. Jenkins thinks so.  And if his research is right, it might actually be possible to cut cholesterol significantly just by eating the right foods, in the right combinations.

Jenkins, a nutrition and metabolism expert at the University of Toronto and the “Father” of the gylycemic index, calls it the “The Portfolio Diet” and the concept is actually quite straightforward: By combining a variety of foods that have been shown to lower cholesterol on their own, it may be possible to lower serum cholesterol naturally without resorting to prescription statin drugs.   

Besides having profound public health consequences, this approach to eating and cholesterol control also promises to lower the cost of treating high cholesterol, potentially saving millions in prescription drug costs and health issues that arise from the side-effects of prescription statin drugs.

The Portfolio Diet: The Sum Is Greater Than The Parts?

For more than a decade, researchers have known that certain foods like oatmeal and soy can help lower blood cholesterol levels. However, until recently these foods have been viewed more or less independently of each other.

Dr. Jenkins decided to take a look at how combining a variety of foods that have been shown to reduce cholesterol might collectively work together, providing more bang for your buck.  

Jenkins’ study took a look at forty-six healthy, middle-aged adults who had high cholesterol. The subjects were divided into three groups:

1.  One group was placed on a whole-grain and low-fat dairy diet that was low in saturated fats;
2.  The second group followed the same diet, but also took a lovastatin, a cholesterol-reducing statin drug;
3.  The third group ate a diet high in plant sterols, ”sticky” fiber, soy and almonds.   

All groups experienced a reduction in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), and not surprisingly, the statin group experienced the most dramatic drop — a 30.9 percent reduction.

However, what did surprise researchers was the reductions seen in the porfolio diet group, which experienced a 28.9 percent reduction in fasting blood cholesterol levels, making it nearly as effective at cutting cholesterol as prescription statin drugs.

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Oatmeal, Oats & Oat Bran | Healthy Food of the Day

Learn How Including Oats, Oatmeal and Oat Bran In Your Diet Can Help You Lose Weight and Have a Healthier Heart

When it comes to healthy fitness foods, oatmeal and oats are the undisputed champions of whole grains.

Inexpensive, loaded with healthy soluble fiber, and incredibly versatile as an ingredient in everything from meat loaf to protein shakes, oats and oatmeal are a staple in the diet of nearly every bodybuilder, fitness model, athlete or healthy person.

But what makes this humble grain that usually found its way into horse and cattle feed such a nutritional powerhouse? And what if you don’t like eating oatmeal? Can you still get the benefits without the mush?

Believe it or not, oats don’t have to be served hot in bowl with cinnamon and raisins. I said this grain was versatile, remember. Read on to find out why you need to include oats in your diet, if you already aren’t.  And if a bowl of oatmeal isn’t doing it for you, we’ll look at some alternative ways of preparing them that can let you have your oats and eat them too.

A (Very) Brief History of Oats

Oats are the harvested seeds of the common oat plant (Avena Sativa).

As I mentioned earlier, oats have historically been used as an inexpensive source of feed for horses and livestock. However, humans have been eating oats as well for centuries, especially in Northern Europe, where the cool, wet weather is perfect for growing oats. The Scottish, in particular, have made oats a staple of their national diet – even lending their name to a particular form of oats known as “Scottish Oats” or “Scottish Oatmeal” (more on this later.)
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Baked Blue Corn Chips with Flaxseed from Garden of Eatin | Healthy Snack of the Day

Looking for a healthy alternative to traditional corn chips? Check out these tasty organic blue corn tortilla chips that include … flaxseed! 

Okay, despite trying to stay away from processed grains, it’s hard to resist eating tortilla chips every now and then.

In the past,  most health-conscious people reserved corn chips for ”cheat days” or special occasions. Loaded with high-glycemic carbs, fat and sodium, corn chips generally aren’t considered a “health food.”

However, with the new crop of baked chips that have hit the market over the past few years, it’s become possible to find corn chips that not only taste good, but can be part of a healthy diet.

That doesn’t mean all baked corn chips are created equal, or even taste particularly good. I’ve had plenty of baked corn and potato chips that ranked only slightly above paperboard on the taste and texture scale. And many baked chips are simply too fragile to hold up to a thick dip.

Garden of Eatin Baked Blue Corn Chips: Finally A Healthy Corn Chip!

So imagine my surprise when I took a chance on a new brand of baked corn chips and discovered probably the tastiest non-fried tortilla chip that ever found its way to a bowl of fresh salsa: Garden of Eatin Baked Blue Corn Chips Tortilla Chips.

There are a couple of things I really like about these corn chips.

First, they are certified USDA organic. While that alone wouldn’t make up for a bad tasting baked chip, it’s definitely a plus (I especially like the fact that they are made without any genetically-engineered grains.)

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