The silent killer

The only thing constant is change. So why not embrace this?
Somehow we’ve told ourselves that change is hard and that change takes a long time. This is a myth. Change only takes an instant to decide.
Robert Downey Jr. was introduced to drugs by his father at the age of 6 years old. He stated, “When my dad and I would do drugs together, it was like him trying to express his love for me in the only way he knew how.” After years of substance abuse, and its associated consequences including more time in prison, he said on the Oprah Winfrey show,
“I said, ‘You know what? I don’t think I can continue doing this.’ And I reached out for help, and I ran with it. You can reach out for help in kind of a half-assed way and you’ll get it and you won’t take advantage of it. It’s not that difficult to overcome these seemingly ghastly problems … what’s hard is to decide to do it.”
Making a commitment to change is the first and vital step in any transformation.  Our experience of change is dependent on how we choose to think and react to it.
Will you choose to react to change out of fear or curiosity?
The antidote to fear is faith. Change takes faith. Faith in the possibility of a better future. What is possible if you choose to change? Can you believe in the possibility for change?
Change takes courage. Courage to move out of the seemingly comfort zone (some might say mind numbing zone) of the known into the unknown. Courage to act and to be different.
Again, this takes faith.
Last but not least, I believe it takes forgiveness. Forgiving yourself and others.
Feeling depressed, anxious, or restless? Could this be a signal for much needed change? You can stay stuck in the comfort zone and do nothing, or you can dig deep and make a conscious decision to change.
All growth happens just outside your comfort zone. You can stay in the warm water of the frog from my last blogpost and be boiled (bored?) to death, or you can take the leap towards the life of your wildest dreams.
I quoted the Dalai Lama in my book, Savvy Secrets, Eat, Think & Thrive:
Seven Steps to Optimal Health:

muscle! Also, statins have never been proven to be effective for women, nor with anyone who has not already had a heart attack. There are many good books and publications on the risks of statins.  Let me know if you want to know more on this extensive subject.

It is true that too much cholesterol, especially the LDL and Lp(a) and especially oxidized cholesterol, is not good for you. Cholesterol is an inflammatory marker. The liver makes cholesterol and sends cholesterol to the source of inflammation, which most likely are inflamed arteries due to too much stress and/or sugar and alcohol in the diet.

I offer functional medicine testing for a living. I recently wanted to try out Dr. Mark Hymans Function Health Labs which confirmed my elevated cholesterol markers. I was also pleased to note that, according to my labs, my biological age is 14 years younger than my current age. This is good news for someone who offers a Live Young with Lisa program!  Given my higher risk markers for cardiovascular disease, and my ongoing stressed immune system, I decided to go a step further and get a CIMT test. This is a non-invasive ultrasound that looks inside the lining of the coronary arteries. These are the arteries leading up to the brain.  This test showed my biological age of being over 80 and a high risk for stroke and cardiovascular disease.  Not good for me or my business!

I work with clients all over the world of all ages with autoimmune diseases in my Vanishing Vitiligo Program. I am also finding young men and women with elevated cholesterol and inflamed arteries. This is because atherosclerosis is ALSO an autoimmune disease!  Like all autoimmune diseases, there is not just one trigger. There are multiple triggers, like diet, heavy metals, mold, environmental toxins and plain old out-of-control stress.

My colleague and physician who ran my CIMT test, texted me late at night telling me to come see her in her office. YIKES, not a good sign.

My first reaction was, “Why me? Why now?! I am not overweight, I eat extremely well, I exercise, play competitive tennis, teach yoga and practice what I preach….”

The truth is, I have been burning my candle at both ends. I work long hours sitting behind a computer. I worry about my family, friends and clients. I have not been testing my blood pressure (which can also run very freaky high), I haven’t been taking my supplements and I haven’t been prioritizing my yoga, time with friends and time for myself.

This is very common with most passionate entrepreneurs. 

The GOOD news is that after getting really serious with a targeted supplement program for the last couple of months, more yoga and strength training and addressing toxins and my hidden stressors, I played a competitive game of tennis yesterday and my blood pressure before and after was 121/80 and 117/78. Woohoo! This is something to celebrate.

It is important to keep track of our markers. We can’t improve something if we don’t measure it. This keeps us vulnerable to that silent killer. It’s important to shed light into the darkness, so the healing can begin.

You’ve heard me say this before, if we do three things consistently, we can heal and repair from even the scariest diagnoses.