Posts Tagged ‘Lower Cholesterol’

Diet Better Than Drugs For Cholesterol

Sunday, August 2nd, 2009

Almonds, soya beans and fish are all good sources of the essential fatty acids that our bodies need to keep cholesterol levels in our blood at acceptable levels. Even though cholesterol has been given a bad name in the press and the medical profession, you actually need a certain amount of cholesterol in you body as it is essential to many important bodily functions. Like free radicals, which are also needed in the body, it is the over production of cholesterol which can cause problems.

The new cholesterol lowering drugs, the statins, do prevent cardiovascular disease, but this is due to other mechanisms than cholesterol lowering. Unfortunately, they also stimulate cancer in rodents, disturb the functions of the muscles, the heart and the brain and pregnant women taking statins may give birth to children with malformations more severe than those seen after thalidomide.

Your body produces three to four times more cholesterol than you eat. The production of cholesterol increases when you eat little cholesterol and decreases when you eat much. This explains why the prudent diet cannot lower cholesterol more than on average a few per cent.

Cholesterol is a type of fat (lipid) that is found in your blood. It is important because high levels of cholesterol in your blood increase your risk of developing coronary heart disease (CHD one of the most common causes of death and disability in Europe, North America and Australia.

In the UK, about a quarter of deaths in men and one in five deaths in women under the age of 75 years are now caused by CHD, with another 13 to 14 per cent resulting from other related conditions affecting the heart and blood vessels. High rates of CHD occur particularly in the developed world, where lifestyle and dietary factors play important contributory roles. Within Europe, the incidence of CHD is higher in northern than in Mediterranean countries, and this difference is thought to be the result of dietary factors. The incidence of CHD rose after the Second World War, but is now falling in the UK. However, rates are now rising in developing countries, such as Singapore, Malaysia and eastern Europe.

Excesses of cholesterol in some people is actually a genetic disposition and not due to diet. But whether the excess is due to a diet of high cholesterols and saturated fats or a genetic factor, essential fatty acids in the form of omega 3

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Julian Hall of Davidel – The Natural Health Care Company – providers of herbal medicine, herbalife and other natural health products

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The Mediterranean Diet: What The Greeks Know About Healthy Cuisine

Saturday, August 1st, 2009

Is there a painless way to lower cholesterol and lose weight? Can you eat your way there? Oh sure, you might say; but wait, consider the merits of the Mediterranean Diet. Virgin olive oil may be the perfect replacement for butter and margarine.

The Mediterranean Diet: What the Greeks Know about healthy cuisine

“If you have health, you probably will be happy, and if you have health and happiness, you have all the wealth you need, even if it is not all you want.” — Elbert Hubbard.

There are so many approaches to optimum wellness. Infomercials tell us about a variety of diet plans from pills and native plants to the benefits of liquid diets over conventional weight loss methods. What should you believe?

One of the clarion calls of caution is the old adage, “If it’s too good to be true – it probably is.”

The Mediterranean Diet relies solely on age old wisdom. Present research verification demonstrates that one man’s daily meal is another man’s trip to optimum wellness.

In Greece, certain symptoms of heart disease are among the lowest in the world. It would seem that the largest body of current scientific research indicates that a diet high in fruits and veggies along with routine consumption of whole grains, legumes, fish, low fat dairy products, olive oil and nuts provide long term and protective health benefits.

With the Mediterranean diet you will find that optimal health is even more important than the accompanying weight loss. What native Greek’s have intuitively known for centuries has now been linked to scientific data that shows adherence to common Mediterranean diet practices may result in a reduction in heart disease, increased life expectancy and reduced risk of some cancers. The health benefits of olive oil have long been realized in Greece.

The term “Mediterranean Diet” truly is a generic term because the diet in Greece remains varied. You will find influences from North Africa and Italy in many Greek dishes, however the island of Crete has proven a veritable treasure trove of health research. Residents of Crete have one of the lowest heart disease risks in the world.

Interestingly, western culture is looking into the health benefits found in countries like Greece, but many of the younger population in Greece are seeking out western cuisine. The trend has proven somewhat antithetical to the wellness experienced by older Greeks. While parents are consuming melons, stuffed tomatoes, salads and yogurt, the younger Greek generation are consuming cookies, hamburgers, French fries, pizza and pop. The result is an increase in obesity among Greek’s youth culture – researchers expect to see an accompanying rise in heart disease in the years to come.

With the Mediterranean diet, butter is replaced with the health benefits of olive oil, fast food lunches are replaced by a variety of fresh vegetables – snacks of chocolate and colas are replaced by fresh fruit and nuts.

Perhaps the reason you don’t hear as much about the Mediterranean diet as you might other weight loss plans is that there is no special pill to buy, no special formula to drink and no 12-step meal plan to purchase.

The Mediterranean diet works because common sense prevails in eating choices and a rise in HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol) is an indicator they are doing something right. The health benefits of olive oil cannot be overstated and traditional Greek cooking utilizes garden fresh produce and extra virgin olive oil. In tandem, this common sense approach continues to see a lower incidence of heart disease and colon cancer along with an increase in life expectancy and a decrease in overall weight.

James Zeller writes for gourmet gift related websites such as www.cruets.com . Here is a selection of balamic vinegar gifts that he found, and a creative collection of kitchen gourmet gifts www.cruets.com.

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5 Healthy Benefits of Following a Mediterranean Diet Plan

Friday, July 31st, 2009

The Mediterranean diet has been around for centuries, but if you don’t live in countries where this diet is prevalent such as Greece or Italy, you may not realize the many benefits of eating healthy foods “Mediterranean” style. According to studies, the Mediterranean diet encourages healthy weight loss and helps to reduce risks of many life-threatening diseases. Below are five of the top benefits of following this diet.

1. Fast Weight Loss

One of the key benefits of the Mediterranean diet is fast weight loss. This is not from the results of a diet pill or a crash starvation diet, but from healthy, portion-controlled eating. Weight loss rates will vary, but some have reported losing an average of 10 pounds per month. Delicious diet recipes are often provided when following the Mediterranean diet that help to speed up the weight loss process without depriving you of much needed vitamins and nutrients. Losing weight alone can offer many health benefits.

2. Good Heart Health

The delicious diet recipes provided while following a Mediterranean diet are all designed to promote good heart health. The Mediterranean diet consists of healthy doses of olive oil, fruits and vegetables, and oily fish. With some participants, a moderate amount of wine is consumed with meals. All these help to lower cholesterol and keep the blood flow to the heart at a normal level, thus, reducing the risk of heart disease tremendously.

3. Lower Cancer Risks

Having too many toxins in the body can cause some types of cancer, such as breast cancer. Eating the types of healthy foods promoted in the Mediterranean diet such as fruits and vegetables will lower the amount of toxins in the body because these foods are natural antioxidants.

4. Prevent Gallstones

Those who have fallen victim to gall stones realize how painful they can be. With around 639,000 people being hospitalized per year with gallstones, many studies are being conducted to help find a cause and cure. The Mediterranean diet is rich in nuts, vegetable oil, and fish. Though gallstones are not always diet-related, consuming these foods can help to reduce the risk of gall stones or eliminate them altogether for some according to recent studies.

5. Lower Blood Pressure

The healthy foods in a Mediterranean diet can also work to lower and regulate blood pressure. Blood cholesterol levels can return to normal when eating less fatty foods and salt, and more healthy vitamins and minerals. Cooking procedures on a Mediterranean diet usually involve roasting or grilling rather than frying, so more nutrients are retained in the food during preparation, and there is much less fat consumption.

These are only a few of the benefits. The Mediterranean diet also offers many other benefits such as reducing the risks of blood clotting, diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome, and other life-threatening diseases. Don’t deprive yourself. Start eating delicious diet recipes on the Mediterranean diet for healthy weight loss today.

Chris Robertson is an author of Majon International, one of the worlds MOST popular internet marketing companies. For tips/information, click here: Mediterranean diet
Visit Majon’s Health and Beauty directory.

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Lower Cholesterol With Supplements And Eliminating Some Items From Your Diet

Thursday, July 30th, 2009

Take niacin – carefully

Remember as one of the B vitamins, it is proven effective for lowering LDL and raising HDL. It is also one of the cheapest drugs available for lowering cholesterol. But, without medical supervision it may not be totally safe. A dose high enough to lower cholesterol can cause extremely high blood sugar or liver damage.

Take vitamin E

Studies indicate that vitamin E may have a positive impact on lowering cholesterol when taken in fairly large quantities – up to 800 IU per day. This is more than you can get from your diet alone. Larger amounts do not seem to cause any harm. Further studies showed that even amounts of just 25 IU per day helps in preventing LDL from sticking to blood vessel walls. That amount is only slightly higher than the recommended daily amount (RDA) of 12 to 15 IU. It’s interesting to note that even that small amount has an impact on preventing that hardening of the arteries.

Take Calcium

One study indicates that when 56 people took a calcium carbonate supplement, their total cholesterol went down 4 percent and their HDL increased 4 percent. That was taking a dosage of 400 milligrams of calcium three times a day with no harmful effects reported. That does refer to calcium carbonate.

Take a multivitamin – it can’t hurt

While you are building your calcium and vitamin E intake, remember the old standby, vitamin C. It is the number one immune system booster and also drives up HDL. A study of people who took more than 60 milligrams of vitamin C per day (60 milligrams is the RDA) had highest LDL levels.

Fill up on fiber

Remember several years back when oat bran was the latest craze for lowering cholesterol? Later studies arrived at inconsistent results, but the medical community does agree that soluble fiber, the kind found in oat bran, does help lower LDL and raise HDL. As little as three grams per day of fiber from oat bran or oatmeal can be effective. There are 7.2 grams of soluble fiber per 100 grams of dry oat bran and five grams of soluble fiber per 100 grams of dry oatmeal. There are other sources of fiber as well such as barley, beans, peas and many other vegetables. Corn fiber is also good for reducing LDL, lowering it by as much as 5 percent in a recent study. Researchers used 20 grams of corn fiber a day. That would be a bit difficult for the average user when you take into account that one serving of corn has three grams of corn fiber. But, every little bit does make a difference. Pectin, which is found in fruits like apples and prunes, reduces cholesterol even better than oat bran, as does psyllium which is the fiber you find in many breakfast cereals and bulk laxatives.

Reduce sugar intake

Many people don’t realize that sugar affects cholesterol and definitely affects triglycerides. Sugar stimulates insulin production, which in turn increases triglycerides. Men in particular, seem to be sensitive to this effect from sugar. The mineral chromium which helps to stabilize blood sugar, can also raise the level of HDL. 100 mcg of chromium three times daily can help to improve your cholesterol levels.

Eliminate alcohol

The jury is still out and the different schools of thought are still at odds regarding the benefit or lack of benefit to consuming alcohol. This suggestion has nothing to do with our previous discuss on red wine. A moderate amount may be helpful. The problem is that to one person a moderate amount might be a glass of wine with their meal, while to another it might be a half bottle of Scotch! Anything above the arbitrary “moderate” amount elevates serum cholesterol triglycerides and your uric acid levels as well as potentially increasing blood pressure all of which promote heart disease. So, the best bet would be to eliminate it totally.

Exercise regularly

There is positive evidence that exercise can lower LDL cholesterol and boost HDL cholesterol. Both aerobic exercise such as walking, jogging, swimming, bicycling and cross country skiing and strength training like lifting weights or using weight machines all promote the improvement of cholesterol levels. An analysis of 11 studies on weight training showed that this exercise lowered LDL by 13 percent and raised HDL by 5 percent. If you lift weights, use light to moderate weights and do many repetitions.
Eliminate caffeine

We Americans definitely have a love affair with our coffee! People who drink large amounts of caffeine (more than 6 cups a day) are far more prone to elevated cholesterol. That connection does not hold for tea drinkers. Limit your coffee intake to no more than one cup a day and eliminate caffeinated sodas entirely.

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Gregg Hall is a business consultant and author for many online and offline businesses and lives in Navarre Florida with his 16 year old son. For the diet products you need to help you lower cholesterol go to www.shop4diets.com

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10 Easy Tips to Eat Your Way to Lower Cholesterol This Month

Wednesday, July 29th, 2009

So you have high cholesterol and need to lower it? That is no surprise considering how many people have high cholesterol these days. To help lower your cholesterol, here are 10 tips you can get started with today.

As with anything health related, diet and exercise are the two crucial components. What you eat is critical to lowering your cholesterol levels, so that is what is included here.

One thing you should know is the difference between LDL and HDL cholesterol. Simply think of HDL as “healthy” and LDL as “lousy.” HDL can actually help carry cholesterol out of your blood vessels while LDL allows it to deposit inside your artery walls.

The good news is that you can change your cholesterol for the better. Here is how to do just that:

1. Have a nice sandwich on whole wheat bread or a pita with some lean turkey and lots of fresh veggies. Skip the hot dogs, bologna, and salami, and hold the Mayo. All of those are highly processed and filled with fat and cholesterol.

2. Fish, like salmon, is good. Look for wild red salmon varieties, which are very high in Omega-3 fatty acids (good fat.) Also, flax seed is a good source of Omega-3s.

3. Avoid Trans fats! Not only do they raise the lousy LDL cholesterol, they can also lower your HDL levels! Stay away from foods like margarine, shortening, and processed foods containing partially hydrogenated soybean oil.

4. Go ahead, go nuts! Look for walnuts mainly but also try almonds, macadamia nuts, cashews, and pecans. Nuts are high in fat, but it’s the good kind. (Also, use natural peanut butter instead of the normal kind which contains unhealthy Trans fats.)

5. Limit desserts and try to eat only the healthier ones like angel food cake, graham crackers, Jell-O, and fat-free frozen yogurt.

6. Eat foods that are high in fiber. Examples include whole wheat bread, oatmeal, fruits, vegetables, beans, and some cereals. (Look for the boxes that say “may help lower cholesterol.”)

7. Use the grill. If you’re going to have steak or burgers, grill them at home and use lean meat. This practice avoids the grease, is fun, and the meat tastes great.

8. Find a new salad dressing. Most of them are full of Trans fats and cholesterol. Olive oil is good, and maybe add vinegar or lemon juice. Also, skip the bacon bits, croutons, and egg yolks.

9. Go overboard on fruits and vegetables. They contain no cholesterol and they have lots of nutrients like antioxidants.

Here are some examples: green peas, broccoli, cauliflower, apples, oranges, mangos, papaya, pineapple, tomato, garlic, onions, spinach, water chestnuts, bananas, apricots, blueberries, and kiwi.

10. Avoid fast food like french fries and anything else from the deep fryer. Those foods will raise your cholesterol like crazy, so stay away from the burger joints if you can.

11. Bonus tip: Use spices like pepper and oregano to add flavor to your dishes. They are a healthy alternative to other toppings like Mayo.

That was easy, wasn’t it? Just make some of these changes and get plenty of exercise like walking, jogging, swimming, or playing basketball. You will have lower cholesterol in no time!

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More information on cholesterol is available at www.healthandfinesse.com

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