Only on The Walters Post

These are my own thoughts from what I’ve seen and lived through. I’m sharing them to spark some thinking and honest conversation, not because I have all the answers.

You know, somewhere along the line, cholesterol got painted as the villain. Turn on the TV or open a magazine, and you would think it is the root of all evil, blamed for heart attacks, strokes, and everything in between. But the more I have looked into it, and the more I have listened to folks who are not just pushing pills or fear, the more I have come to believe there is no such thing as bad cholesterol or good cholesterol. There is just cholesterol, and we need it.

I learned this the hard way. Years ago, I was told things would only get better if I started taking one of those cholesterol-lowering drugs. At the time, I believed what they told me. “Precautionary measures, George, it’s in your best interest.” But was it?

Now in saying that, it did lower my cholesterol, that much was true, but not without a cost. After a short while, every bone in my body ached. I could not even lift my arms over my head. That pain was constant, so I started looking into it myself and sure enough, all those symptoms I was feeling were listed right there as side effects of the drug I was on. Once I saw that, I spoke with my doctor, and he said it was up to me if I wanted to stop. That was all I needed to hear. I took myself off the drug and, little by little, things started to get better.

What sticks with me most from that time is how, right from the beginning, something deep inside me told me it was wrong. My gut, my body, and my mind were trying to warn me. And still, I pushed those feelings aside and trusted what I was told. Looking back, I know now I should have listened to myself. Over the years, I’ve been lucky to learn from some pretty sharp and insightful people since then. These days, I listen to the instructions that come from within, and I don’t question them.

With cholesterol still on my mind, I asked myself what I could do to really support my health. That is when I learned that cholesterol is the raw material the body uses, with the help of sunshine on our skin, to make vitamin D. That made sense to me. So I decided to do what felt right. I started getting outside more, soaking up the sunshine, staying active, and feeding my body the best food I could find. I let Nature take the lead. And it worked.

I was not always sure how to explain this clearly to others. I had started to write something myself, but then a friend of mine, a smart doctor who does not follow the crowd, sent me an article he wrote. After reading it, I thought this says it better than I ever could. So I asked if I could include it in one of my books. He agreed without hesitation.

What Allan wrote made sense to me, and I think it might to you too. It is written in plain English, and it does not try to sell you anything. It just lays out the truth as he sees it, and I happen to agree with him.

So here it is, from Allan himself. Have a read, and next time someone tells you to fear your cholesterol, maybe give this another look and think it over for yourself.

“Bad” Cholesterol: The Unknown Heart Healer
by Allan Lawry
Originally published in HANS e-News,

If you think that “bad” or “high” cholesterol contributes to heart disease, you have been deceived by those marketing a mythical disease.

The so-called “bad” or LDL cholesterol is actually part of a natural healing process designed for repairing damaged arteries in your body. This damage is usually caused by inflammation and oxidation. Oxidation causes nicks and cuts on the inside walls of the arteries and leads to inflammation, much like a cut on the outside of your skin. This then sets into motion the body’s healing process. LDL cholesterol has many roles, and one of them is to help heal by forming a waxy “scab” over these cuts. That scab, often called plaque, protects the arterial wall and gives it time to heal from within, while still allowing blood to flow.

It is up to us to supply our bodies with the right ingredients for healing and to build healthy arteries that last a lifetime.

The myths about cholesterol need to be cleared up. Many studies show that people with high cholesterol live longer and suffer fewer heart problems than those with low cholesterol. Other research shows that eating fatty foods high in cholesterol has little or no effect on blood cholesterol levels.

As Dr. Ron Rosedale puts it, “There is only one cholesterol. There is no such thing as good or bad cholesterol.” LDL and HDL are not cholesterol, they are lipoproteins — transport vehicles for cholesterol, which the body needs.

Years ago, mainstream medicine noticed that people with heart disease had higher LDL levels. From that, they guessed that LDL must be the problem. But what they missed was that LDL shows up to patch the damage. It is the body’s attempt to heal, not harm.

It has since come to light that some of the researchers pushing to lower LDL were funded by the same companies making cholesterol-lowering drugs. In fact, over the past few decades, the so-called “safe” cholesterol levels have been lowered several times, not based on new science, but based on the financial interest of drugmakers.

Dr. Uffe Ravnskov, a respected cholesterol researcher, was once asked if lowering cholesterol through diet, drugs, or therapy made sense. He answered, “Absolutely not. This kind of treatment is meaningless, costly, and has transformed millions of healthy people into patients.”

Statins — the most common class of cholesterol-lowering drugs — have become a $29 billion global industry. They work by blocking an enzyme in the liver that makes cholesterol. But lowering cholesterol this way goes against what years of research now shows. It is not in your best interest to lower your cholesterol.

Cholesterol is essential for life. It helps transport fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E, and K. It supports the brain, builds hormones, and plays a key role in the immune system and healing.

If you want to protect yourself from cardiovascular disease, the focus should be on lowering inflammation and oxidation. This means avoiding refined carbs, processed oils, and artificial sweeteners. Instead, eat natural foods, get regular exercise, spend time outdoors, and get plenty of sunshine for natural vitamin D. You can also ask your doctor to test for inflammation markers like C-reactive protein, homocysteine, insulin, and blood acidity.

Research shows the fats we should be avoiding are not from eggs or butter, but from processed and overheated oils — margarine, vegetable oils, trans fats, and anything fried. These oxidized fats create free radicals in the body, which lead to inflammation, oxidation, and eventually, damage to the arteries. That is the real cause of heart disease.

So the next time you hear an ad telling you to lower your cholesterol, take a step back and think about who is really benefiting. Your health is more important than their marketing.

I wish you all the best in your search for better health.

Until the next time: Keep Your Minds Open & Your Stories Alive. GW

Only on The Walters Post

These are my own thoughts from what I’ve seen and lived through. I’m sharing them to spark some thinking and honest conversation, not because I have all the answers.

By GW

It really does make you wonder, doesn’t it? All this modern medicine, all these pills for everything under the sun, and yet more folks seem sick and tired than ever before. If you ask me, maybe we’re not missing some miracle cure. Maybe we just forgot how to live with nature instead of trying to outrun it.

Back when I was younger, and definitely in my parents’ time here in Ontario, we didn’t run off to the doctor for every little thing. Truth is, most folks couldn’t even afford to if they wanted to. You got a cut, you cleaned it. Got a cold, you rested. There were broths and teas, homemade salves, and a whole lot of common sense. It wasn’t perfect, no, but folks were stronger, and they sure didn’t depend on pills to get through the day.

Now it feels like the first thing we do is reach for medicine. You’ve got an ache, there’s a pill for that. Can’t sleep, there’s another one. And then there’s the pill to handle the side effects from the first two. It just keeps going.

Now, I’m not saying all medicine is bad. There’s good stuff out there that has helped a lot of people. But it’s gotten out of hand. You know, our bodies know how to heal if we let it. The thing is it just needs time, rest, and the right fuel. Instead, we throw chemicals at every symptom and wonder why we’re still not feeling right.

And it’s not just the medicine. These days, we scrub everything down with disinfectants, trying to kill off every last germ. We’ve got soaps, sprays, hand gels, even wipes for wiping the wipes. Some folks won’t even touch a doorknob without a tissue. But our bodies were never meant to be kept in a bubble. A bit of dirt never hurt, in fact, it helped build our strength. Over-cleaning everything, especially our skin and homes, throws off our natural balance. The same goes for what we’re using on the land. You drive down the road and smell the sprays drifting through the air, weed killers, bug killers, brush control. It’s everywhere. And it’s not just outside. Those chemicals get into our food, our water, and into us.

The worst part is, nobody’s asking what caused the problem in the first place anymore. It’s all about covering it up, masking it, keeping the machine running. But our bodies aren’t machines. They’re living systems. And like any good system, if you overwhelm it long enough, it will start to break down.

I really believe we’d be better off if we brought some of the old ways back. Growing your own food, eating what’s in season, moving your body every day. Not at a gym, but doing something real. Getting outside, chopping wood, walking fence lines, or just being part of the land. Sleeping when you’re tired. Letting your immune system do what it was built to do without stepping in to stop it at every turn. Getting out in the sun for Vitamin D3, very important, And giving your body the space to sort itself out now and then.

It’s not complicated. It’s just honest, and it’s the way folks lived for generations before all this modern noise/medicine showed up.

So maybe it’s time to slow down. Pay attention to what we’re eating, what we’re thinking, and what we’re trusting to heal us. Not everything needs a label or a prescription. Sometimes, what we need most is already right here, in the soil, in the kitchen, or just in giving ourselves a little more care, the way the old folks did.

Just something that’s been on my mind.

Until the next time: Keep Your Minds Open & Your Stories Alive. GW

Only On The Walters Post

These are my own thoughts from what I’ve seen and lived through. I’m sharing them to spark some thinking and honest conversation, not because I have all the answers.

Every so often, I see another headline telling us to stop eating meat. Last week it was chicken. Before that, beef. And you know what? I’m not buying it.

Humans are meat eaters. Always have been. You don’t need to dig too far into our history to see that. Meat gave us strength, helped build strong bodies, and it still does. But not all meat is the same–and that’s the part a lot of folks miss.

It’s not about if we should eat beef or chicken. It’s about what kind we’re eating and how we’re cooking it.

Most of the problems come from meat that’s been pumped full of chemicals, raised in factories, and cooked until it’s blackened on a grill or fried to death in a pan. That’s not the same as a cut of grass-fed beef from a local farm or a free-range chicken roasted slowly with herbs and a little care.

I’m not here to tell anyone what to do, but I’ll say this: If you’re going to eat meat, get the good kind. Grass-fed, pasture-raised, hormone-free. Know your farmer if you can. And don’t burn it to a crisp. Simple cooking goes a long way.

Meat itself isn’t the enemy. The real trouble started when we stopped caring where our food came from. We used to raise it ourselves or know the folks who did. Now, most people just grab whatever’s wrapped in plastic, no questions asked.

I say it’s time we got back to basics. Eat real food. Cook it right. And trust your gut, not every new study that pops up on your phone. But hey—if you still feel like grabbing that burger from McDee’s on the way home, just make sure you chase it down with a walk around the block, and a promise to do better tomorrow. Balance, right?

Until the next time: Keep Your Minds Open & Your Stories Alive. GW

Only On The Walters Post

These are my own thoughts from what I’ve seen and lived through. I’m sharing them to spark some thinking and honest conversation, not because I have all the answers.

I’ve been around farming most of my life, and I’ve learned to trust my gut when something doesn’t sit right. These days, I look at the way chickens are being raised for food, and I can’t help but feel something’s off.

Most chickens raised for meat today are grown to full size in just 35 to 45 days. That’s not natural. It used to take several months for a chicken to grow to a good weight. But now, they’ve been bred and fed in a way that makes them balloon up in record time. It’s not from hormones—Canada banned those in poultry back in the 1960s—but that doesn’t mean it’s all safe and sound.

These birds are raised indoors in massive barns, under artificial lights, with little room to move. Their feed is loaded with protein, additives, and supplements to speed up growth. The birds barely move, so all their energy goes into building meat, mostly in the breast. Some can hardly walk by the time they’re sent to slaughter. That’s how fast they grow.

They call it efficient. I call it concerning.

When an animal grows that fast, it changes the meat. Today’s chicken is softer, often full of water, and not as tasty as it used to be. The fat content is higher, and the muscle tissue breaks down easily. There’s something not quite right about that. And while they say the antibiotics are regulated, we all know what can happen when rules are bent or rushed in a big system.

I don’t believe food raised in a stressful, unnatural way can be good for us. Fast-grown meat might fill our plates, but what is it doing to our bodies over time? People today are dealing with more allergies, gut issues, and strange health problems than ever before. Could it be from eating food that’s been messed with too much?

You won’t hear this from the big companies. But the more I learn, the more I believe we’ve traded quality for speed and profits. And that never ends well.

If you want better meat, talk to your local farmers. Look for chickens that have been raised the old way—on pasture, with time to grow. It costs more, yes, but you’ll know what you’re eating. You’ll taste the difference too.

In the end, we are what we eat. And I don’t want to build my health out of birds that couldn’t even stand on their own legs.

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Until the next time: Keep Your Minds Open & Your Stories Alive. GW