Hi Todd,

Ron Hoggan has written an interesting article about cholesterol:

http://www.panix.com/~donwiss/hoggan/icam1.txt

Also in Adelle Davis' book, Let's Get Well, Chapter 5 - Those 'Cholesterol'
Problems, she says, 'Adequate protein causes the blood cholesterol to fall
provided it is not obtained from well-marbled steaks or roasts...'
Marbling is caused by grains.
She says, 'Cholesterol is merely the innocent little pig who got stuck in
the barn door.'

Re: ketosis
>Four weeks is the most I've been able
>to tolerate.

It was recently pointed out to me that cold weather could be a factor that
combined with ketosis would help stabilize the cholesterol as well as
extreme physical exercise. Witness the Inuit who eat mostly meat/fish in
winter and Louis and Clark et al who travelled vast distances in cold weather.

>there are very few foods that make me feel
>bad in any very clearly detectable way.

some people have celiac disease (example) all their lives and don't know it
either.

>I have had my cholesterol tested many times, and the results are
>quite consistent.

(To lower cholesterol, Ms Davis recommends magnesium, iodine, lecithin,
yeast, raw whole milk, the supplements A, D, E and the B vitamins as well
as her antistress formula.
I'll send it to you if you like.)

>  I lost weight readily on the Zone,
>despite eating moderate amounts of grains in the process.

In the case of celiac disease sometimes grains cause quick weight loss.
There are obese and skinny celiacs.

>  In addition, I don't think gluten represents a
>challenge for a *cow's* disgestive system,

Apparently they are finding that e-coli and mad cow disease can be caused
by gluten. That is one of the reasons why cows are fed so many antibiotics.

Research suggests grain as source of E.coli problem in beef cattle
graphic September 11, 1998
Web posted at: 5:43 p.m. EDT (1743 GMT)
 >From CNN Food & Health Correspondent Linda Ciampa
(CNN) -- Simply feeding beef cattle hay instead of grain could go a long
way in reducing dangerous E. coli outbreaks, according to new research.
Agriculture Department studies at Cornell University have found that cows
fed hay had far less E. coli bacteria in their digestive tracts.
"Our studies indicate the difference between the grain-fed animals and
hay-fed animals could be as much as a million fold in the number of
acid-resistant E.coli," said USDA microbiologist James Russell.
Beef cattle are often fed diets made up of grain rather then hay to fatten
them quickly and create more tender beef.
But some of the grain passes undigested into the animal's intestines and
produces acid that creates a prime environment for E. coli. Acid-resistant
E. coli can survive and cause terrible stomach problems when ingested by
people.
RELATED VIDEO
CNN Food & Health Correspondent Linda Ciampa reports on the Cornell
research findings
Real 28K 56K
Windows Media 28K 56K
In the Cornell experiment, E. coli that did grow in cows fed hay were
easily killed by chemicals that mimic stomach acid. The study found feeding
cows hay for just five days before slaughter is enough to relieve the acid
problem.
"This looks to be a relatively inexpensive, potentially important
intervention that farmers can do; hay is lot cheaper than oats," said
Robert Buchanan of the Food and Drug Association and lead scientist for the
Clinton administration's food safety initiative.
The National Cattlemen's Association said the new finding "may be a
significant tool in reducing the risk of E. coli."
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports the dangerous strain
of E. coli, E. coli 0157, sickens up to 20,000 people in the United States
each year and kills several hundred. <<<<

All the best,
Susan