Hello Everyone,
I hope you are keeping well. In this article, I will discuss a hot topic: How to lower your cholesterol.
Let’s dive in…
What Is Cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a fatty, waxy substance produced in the liver. We also get a small amount (roughly 20%) of cholesterol from foods such as meat, fish, eggs, and dairy.
Cholesterol is an essential substance in the body with several different roles:
Forms the basic building block for hormones like cortisol, progesterone, estrogen, and testosterone.
Reacts with sunlight on the skin to create vitamin D.
Provides structure to every single cell membrane in the body.
Used to repair damaged tissues in the body.
Helps create bile in the liver to aid fat digestion.
There are 2 main types of cholesterol: HDL (high-density lipoprotein) and LDL (low-density lipoprotein).
The HDL form is often called “good” cholesterol and the LDL “bad” but this is too simplistic. The truth is we need the right levels of both types of cholesterol.
What Causes High Cholesterol?
When a doctor says you have high cholesterol, it is important to clarify exactly what they mean.
You might have high levels of HDL and normal levels of LDL, high levels of both, or high levels of LDL and low HDL. The ratio between the two types is important – you need to know what you are dealing with.
High cholesterol can be caused by:
Familial hypercholesterolemia: This is an inherited condition that causes elevated cholesterol.
Chronic inflammation: Inflammation causes internal damage to cells and tissues. Your body has to produce more cholesterol to help deal with this.
Stress: Cortisol, your main stress hormone, is manufactured from cholesterol. The more stressed you are, the more cortisol you have to make so the higher your cholesterol.
Underactive thyroid: Low thyroid function can slow cholesterol clearance through the liver and bowel.
Menopause: Hormonal changes during menopause lead to an overall increase in cholesterol in menopausal women (Currie & Williams, 2008).
There are no symptoms of high cholesterol, so prevention is critical.
Is High Cholesterol Dangerous?
High cholesterol does not usually occur on its own. It is a symptom of an underlying cause, like chronic inflammation, underactive thyroid, or diabetes. It is important to explore what else is happening in the body so you can deal with all the issues, not just high cholesterol.
Your doctor will most likely check your cholesterol alongside triglyceride levels. Triglycerides are how your body stores fats. If you have high LDL, low HDL, and high triglycerides, you are at risk of cardiovascular problems like heart disease, atherosclerosis, and stroke. And what is the common thread amongst all these conditions? Chronic inflammation!
In this study by Tsoupras et al. (2018), the authors note that:
‘The cause of chronic diseases is chronic and unresolved inflammation… Instead of cholesterol, targeting and treatment of inflammation will lower the side effects of chronic disorders.’
Can Anti-Inflammatory Foods Reduce Cholesterol?
Research shows that soluble fiber from foods such as oats, vegetables, and certain fruits can lower cholesterol (Ghavami et al, 2023). But these are not the only foods that are helpful; many more foods have anti-inflammatory properties and nutrients to support cholesterol balance.
This is why I created Eat Burn Sleep. I have done all the research and meal planning for you so you can step straight into your anti-inflammatory lifestyle and enjoy your best health.
There are many wonderful foods to choose from in our program! We have hundreds of recipes for breakfasts, lunches, evening meals, snacks, and drinks. Each meal includes key nutrients that tackle inflammation and support energy, immunity, gut health, heart health, hormone balance, and more.
If you are taking medication for high cholesterol, I recommend you speak to your doctor before making any diet and lifestyle changes. A combination of treatments can be more effective than a single one, and you might need to take a lower dose of medication. We frequently hear from members at Eat Burn Sleep that medical professionals want to know what lifestyle they are following because of their remission success!
If you want to optimize your cholesterol levels, I suggest you start with the 6-week reset. There are meal plans and food lists to guide you through the diet, alongside movement videos and guided relaxation sessions to support your physical and mental well-being.
What do our Members say?
We get amazing feedback and reviews from our Members every day. This is what EBS Member Jill says about her experience:
“Following Yalda’s low inflammation lifestyle has changed everything for me. My CBCs come back showing no cholesterol issues, I don’t have active arthritis anymore, I rarely have eczema flare-ups and I’ve lost almost 40lbs over the past 2 years of following Eat Burn Sleep.”
And Mona:
“I started the Eat Burn Sleep lifestyle in March 2020, and in June, I went for a blood test.
My cholesterol last year in June 2019 was 247, this year it went down to 233. I was so excited and more motivated.
This is the first time in years my cholesterol went down.
Usually, my cholesterol will increase every year and I refuse to take medication. I also have a very high family history of stroke, diabetes, and heart attack. I got so tired of other diets and decided to change my lifestyle, nothing worked for me in the past.
This lifestyle worked. I feel better and more energetic. Thank you Yalda!”
Are you inspired to make changes to your cholesterol? Find out more about our membership options now.You might also enjoy:Why Am I Always Hungry?Best Exercise to Lose Belly FatDoes Cortisol Cause Weight Gain?
Yours, in health,
Yalda x
Yalda Alaoui is a qualified Naturopathic Nutritionist (with a foundation in Biomedicine) who studied with the College of Naturopathic Medicine in London. She has spent over a decade performing groundbreaking research in chronic inflammation and gut health.
Hello Everyone,
I am often asked about the signs of inflammation and how to tell if it’s a problem. But honestly, chronic inflammation will express itself differently for each of us! This is because we have a unique genetic makeup that influences our health.
However, there are some common signs of inflammation to look out for, some of which will surprise you.
This is not an exhaustive list, but I hope it gives you an idea of how many different ways chronic inflammation can appear in your body.
Should I Be Tested For Inflammation?
In some cases, your doctor or healthcare practitioner may run blood or stool tests to check for inflammatory markers. The most commonly tested marker in your blood is CRP – C-Reactive protein. Elevated levels of CRP indicate acute inflammation in your system.
However, CRP levels do not give the whole picture and you can still have chronic inflammation even if your levels are within the normal range.
What Causes Chronic Inflammation?
It’s easy to get attached to the name of a disease and what medicines you can take to deal with it rather than thinking about the underlying cause. So many people get rid of their health issues on the Eat Burn Sleep program because it deals with the underlying cause.
When we talk about chronic inflammation we are looking at two main underlying causes: diet and lifestyle.
Yes, genetics play a role too. But even if you carry a genetic predisposition for an inflammatory condition, it is your diet and lifestyle that switches on those genes.
Diet, Lifestyle, and Chronic Inflammation
Diet is a major underlying cause of chronic inflammation because of the number of Ultra Processed Foods and Drinks (UPFDs) available now. These foods and drinks are high in refined sugars, industrially processed oils, artificial sweeteners, additives, and emulsifiers. They lack fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
They aren’t real food; they are the products of a chemistry lab! And we as humans are not designed to thrive on such things.
Lifestyle is the other major underlying cause. We have become reliant on smartphones and screens that disrupt our sleep. Millions of people are dealing with high levels of stress. And we move our bodies far less than we need to.
A sedentary lifestyle is strongly linked with chronic inflammation and is known to increase your risk of developing serious conditions like cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The same goes for stress too. Ongoing stress disturbs gut health, immunity, brain function, and cellular repair, opening the door to weight gain and chronic inflammation.
Eat Burn Sleep – The Power of an Anti-Inflammatory Lifestyle
Living a low-inflammation lifestyle protects you from disease and helps you recover from illness and surgery more efficiently.
The Eat Burn Sleep approach is more than just an anti-inflammatory diet. It is a complete 360-degree platform of inflammation-reducing tools.
The program includes:
Food plans
Recipes
Guided meditations
Movement videos
Health masterclasses, and more.
It is a program that works. We have countless testimonials from EBS members who have had an inflammatory condition, followed the program, and then returned to see their doctor who is astounded at the results.
Take Natasa, who saw incredible results after only 3 weeks on the program:
“Since joining the platform 3 weeks ago, I have lost 3kg, and my bloating is gone.
I have bilateral patellofemoral osteoarthritis (severe pain in both knees) and the pain is now much less. I feel like I can finally start doing movement videos that previously I couldn’t do because of my knee pain. Also, all your recipes are so tasty.
Thank you so much.”
I am passionate about helping people live healthier, happier lives, so you can imagine how it feels when testimonials like this come in!
How does the program work?
I always suggest that people start with the 6-week Reset. This is designed to optimize your gut microbiota and liver function. It takes just 42 days to feel incredible before you carry your anti-inflammatory lifestyle forward with all the tools that you need.
The program is all about moderation and enjoying life – not deprivation and restriction. It’s about damage limitation, not perfection! With the health education Eat Burn Sleep provides, people make better choices for themselves and their families – promoting healthier lives for all ages.
Want to find out more? Enjoy a sneak peek into the program and find out more about our membership options now.
You might also like:How Does Sleep Help With Inflammation?Heart Health: Do You Have a Heart-healthy Lifestyle?Recovering From CancerWith love,Yalda x
Yalda Alaoui is a qualified Naturopathic Nutritionist (with a foundation in Biomedicine) who studied with the College of Naturopathic Medicine in London. She has spent over a decade performing groundbreaking research in chronic inflammation and gut health.
When you hear the word “stress” do you think it’s good or bad? I believe most people think of stress as bad. And this makes sense, given that we talk about feeling stressed when we’re tense, angry, and frustrated. But what a lot of people don’t know is that there are different types of stress. So, is stress always bad for your health or are there some benefits?
Good Stress Vs. Bad Stress
It was Dr Hans Selye who first identified the negative effects of bad stress on the body. He identified 3 distinct stages of stress (Tan and Yip, 2018):
1. The alarm stage: Your initial response to a stressful situation.
2. Resistance phase: Your body attempts to adapt to being under stress by maintaining elevated levels of stress hormones.
3. Exhaustion: You exceed your capacity to cope with the stress and reach burnout.
Many of the clients I see for executive nutrition coaching are in the resistance phase or the exhaustion phase. They have been under a great deal of negative stress for a long time and simply don’t have the resources to keep going anymore.
However, at the other end of the scale is eustress or good stress. This is the kind of short-term stress that provides a sense of achievement, growth, or fulfillment.
Eustress is the buzz you get when you achieve something significant and challenging like completing a new work project or mastering a new skill. Regular bouts of positive stress keep you alert, motivated, and interested in life.
Stress, Immunity, and Inflammation
Stress hormones like cortisol interact with your immune system and inflammatory processes.
In the short term, positive stress can help to keep your immune system working efficiently. The “fight or flight” response that kicks in when we encounter stress is designed to help us survive. Small amounts of short-term stress prime the immune response and help you fight invading pathogens effectively (Dhabhar, 2014). And the little bit of oxidative stress that occurs during this response is dealt with before it causes too much inflammatory damage.
Problems arise when stress becomes negative and long-lasting. Scientists estimate that 75-90% of human diseases are linked to stress, with stress-induced inflammation being the root cause of many of these conditions (Liu, 2017).
Chronic stress can increase your risk of:
We all respond to stress differently and have a unique capacity to cope. What feels like negative stress for one person may be a positive thrill for another, and vice versa.
In general, though, good stress starts to become harmful when it is prolonged and you don’t give yourself the right resources to cope with it. The resources we need to manage long-term stress are rest, good quality sleep, regular daily movement, relaxation, and of course, the right kinds of foods.
How to Stop Bad Stress From Ruining Your Health
If you’re dealing with ongoing stress, it is important to pay attention to these resources.
Here on the EBS platform, we have all the resources you need to prevent the negative effects of stress:
Movement videos help you stay fit, strong, and active without intensely stressing your body.
Guided meditations to help you relax, rest, and get a good night’s sleep.
Health Masterclasses that offer support for specific conditions.
Videos explaining key health concepts and nutrition trends.
Meal plans, food lists, and recipes are designed to nourish your energy levels, mental well-being, hormone health, and resilience to stress.
Following a holistic anti-inflammatory lifestyle like the Eat Burn Sleep approach is the best option for building resilience to stress. Our members see fantastic results with their health and feel empowered by the wealth of information available on the platform.
This is what EBS Member Mahget has to say:
I follow your EBS platform, and if anyone is undecided, jump in.
Just do it.
I read all labels now, and when you think something is too good to be true, it usually is, especially when the ingredients list ends with emulsifiers, gums, and all the things that cause inflammation. We tend to trust people in white coats or athletes, but clearly, they are being paid to support something that is not good for us.
The Eat Burn Sleep platform educates us on what is good and what is not.
Thank you, Yalda, your EBS approach is spot on.
You’ve probably heard of cortisol, the main stress hormone, but do you know how it affects your body? This powerful chemical messenger influences everything from digestion and mental health to sleep and immunity. But does cortisol cause weight gain? And how can you best manage this?
What Cortisol Does to Your Body
Cortisol is released from your adrenal glands whenever you are under stress. The stress we encounter nowadays is very different from what we experienced millions of years ago. Back then, it was woolly mammoths and saber-toothed tigers giving us stress! Now, we feel stressed out by busy traffic, credit card debt, and an overflowing inbox.
However, the effect of stress on the body is the same. Your adrenal glands release adrenaline and cortisol, and you move into the “fight, flight, or freeze” response, which is part of the sympathetic nervous system.
Cortisol has several main actions:
Raises blood sugar levels by breaking down sugar stores in the liver and muscles.
Breaks down fatty acids and proteins for energy.
Raises blood pressure.
Diverts blood away from the digestive system so that more blood and oxygen are available to large muscles in the limbs to help you fight or flee from the source of stress.
In the short term, these actions help you deal with an immediate danger. However, modern forms of stress are chronic and not easily dealt with. Instead, your body remains in a state of near-permanent fight or flight, with chronically elevated cortisol levels.
Does Cortisol Cause Weight Gain?
One of the key signs of dysregulated cortisol levels is weight gain around the belly area. This is because cortisol promotes the growth and differentiation of fat cells. Visceral fat cells that lie deep within your abdominal cavity are much more sensitive to cortisol than fat cells that lie just beneath the skin (Duclos et al, 2012). So, higher cortisol levels encourage the fat cells in your belly and abdomen to grow much larger.
Chronically elevated cortisol also interferes with the delicate balance of thyroid hormone activity. Thyroid hormones regulate your metabolism and play an important role in weight management. Thyroid dysregulation can lead to weight gain and difficulty losing weight.
To get rid of cortisol-induced weight gain, you need to work on your diet and lifestyle. Just changing your diet alone will not be enough if you continue to feel stressed by work, family, finances, or other factors. You probably can’t make these problems disappear – most of us have to live with a certain degree of stress! – but you can change how you respond to them.
The Eat Burn Sleep program will help you build resilience to stress and achieve a healthy weight balance.
The meal plans, recipes, and food lists are designed to support blood sugar regulation and hormone health. These foods help you avoid blood sugar crashes (another form of stress!) and provide a balance of protein, fat, and the right kinds of carbohydrate to keep you energized between meals.
Our meditation guides for morning and night help you switch from the sympathetic nervous system into the parasympathetic response. This side of your nervous system promotes healing and repair and the release of calming mood chemicals.
Plus, our workout sessions help you stay strong and flexible without stressing your system and triggering more cortisol. It is important to keep active but exercising too intensely is another form of stress that must be avoided.
This is what EBS member Sharon has to say about our program:
I feel the best in years, with a flat tummy and much less with bloating. I try to follow the program as much as possible and when socializing, I enjoy a few treats, then get back on the green food list.
I’m slimmer around my middle and have a lot of energy. My joints feel so much better. I can tell I have less inflammation in my body.
The workouts are great, and because they are short, I can always fit them into my day.
I will be subscribing for another year in May, thanks Yalda for all your work, in helping yourself, you are now helping so many people.
Would you like to experience the same benefits as Sharon?
Now is the time to take control of stress, lose weight, and strengthen your resilience. Check out what’s on offer in our membership options here and begin your journey to optimum health.
You might also like to tune into these podcast episodes:
Using Sounds to Calm Your MindUnstressable
And dive into these articles:
Heart Health: Do You Have a Heart Healthy Lifestyle?Depression, Anxiety, and Gut Health
Wishing you peace and calm,
Yalda x
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Reboot and Revive
Hello Everyone,
I hope you are keeping well. In this article, I will discuss a hot topic: How to lower your cholesterol.
Let’s dive in…
If you want to optimize your cholesterol levels, I suggest you start with the 6-week reset. There are meal plans and food lists to guide you through the diet, alongside movement videos and guided relaxation sessions to support your physical and mental well-being.
Hello Everyone,
I am often asked about the signs of inflammation and how to tell if it’s a problem. But honestly, chronic inflammation will express itself differently for each of us! This is because we have a unique genetic makeup that influences our health.
However, there are some common signs of inflammation to look out for, some of which will surprise you.
When you hear the word “stress” do you think it’s good or bad? I believe most people think of stress as bad. And this makes sense, given that we talk about feeling stressed when we’re tense, angry, and frustrated. But what a lot of people don’t know is that there are different types of stress. So, is stress always bad for your health or are there some benefits?
Following a holistic anti-inflammatory lifestyle like the Eat Burn Sleep approach is the best option for building resilience to stress. Our 
You’ve probably heard of cortisol, the main stress hormone, but do you know how it affects your body? This powerful chemical messenger influences everything from digestion and mental health to sleep and immunity. But does cortisol cause weight gain? And how can you best manage this?