Lower Cholesterol - Quick Facts and Tips

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Love your food and enjoy your lifestyle, suddenly you realise your need to lower your cholesterol level. This is definitely not rare in today’s modern society. Do not wait until you found this out in the hard way. Check your cholesterol level now.

Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance called sterols that is essential to our human cells. We need cholesterol to make vitamin D, hormones, cell membranes and bile salts. It is essential to our development of the brain function. The liver is responsible to produce most of the cholesterol the body needs, with the remaining sourced from dietary intake.

Lipoproteins in our body carries the cholesterol, and there are two main types known as the high density lipoprotein (HDL) and the low density lipoprotein (LDL). Low density lipoprotein is the one which carries the cholesterol from liver to the body, where high level lipoprotein does the reverse. Hence, the lower density cholesterol often referenced as “bad cholesterol”, and high level lipoprotein as “good cholesterol”.

If you have not been tested your cholesterol level, it will be a good idea to include this check in your next visit to your doctor. It is a simple blood test. Understand your cholesterol level periodically. there is certainly benefit to your overall health. The cholesterol level test result consists of your total cholesterol level, triglycerides, high density and low density lipoprotein cholesterol level. This will give your doctor an overall picture of your health. The best total cholesterol reading is 200 mg/dl with a limit between 200 mg/dl to 239 mg/dl. Medical experts predict you are at risk of having heart disease if you have a total of 240mg/dl above cholesterol readings.

High cholesterol level increases your risk of coronary heart disease. With the excessive cholesterol circulating our body, deposits of cholesterol will form the plagues in our artery walls, hence narrowing the blood flow. In worst case, it can block the blood flood to your heart which ends you up with coronary heart disease.

There are a number of factors which will affect your cholesterol level. This includes your diet, eating habits, body weight, body shape, level of exercise, age, agenda and family history. Dietary change is usually the first thing to lower the cholesterol level. Saturated and trans fats are the most important ones to avoid. Saturated fats are mainly animal fats and can be found in seafood, whole-milk diary products like cheese, meat and poultry skin. Other fats such as monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats are helpful to reduce the LDL level. These fats are found in fish and nuts. In addition, soluble fibre like oats has the same effect of reducing the cholesterol level. Increased level of HDL has a protective effect for coronary heart disease.

Medical research shows that exercise reduces the risk of coronary heart disease. It is because exercise improves the lipoprotein profile. The research shows that it is the amount of exercise which is important. It does not matter you exercise extremely hard with high energy, or just general energy consumption exercise. The most critical factor is the amount, you need to exercise in the maximum duration you can. Consult your doctor to ensure the level of exercise is suitable to your health condition. So, get started whether you have high cholesterol or not. Exercise will definitely improve your health.

Why is it that some people can eat all the ice cream and fatty foods they want without increasing their cholesterol or gaining weight, whereas others have to watch their diets so closely? The answer is in our genes. Although it is known that our genes can be influenced by a number of different factors, including our environment, diet, lifestyle, education and personal and family experiences, this doesn’t apply to how our bodies respond to cholesterol. Indeed, no matter what our lifestyle, it seems our genes play an overriding role in our cholesterol response. Some people have to be careful about their diets, while others have much more freedom in their dietary choices. The take home message remains the same – we might not be able to change our genes but we can certainly modify our lifestyle.

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5 Tips For the Non-Photographer Photographer

There is a lot you can do to fake a great picture. If you have the eye of a photographer it is easier than if you don’t, but here are a few pointers for the passionately inclined.

1. A good Camera – If you have the money, a good camera is one that can make all the difference. Some of my favorite are the Canon D series and Nikon D series. You are a better photographer with a tool like this in your belt. If you don’t have a camera like this, then you have to rely more on your eye to get the picture that you want. It is possible, but you have to love the cameras that have a mind of their own.

2. Be Creative – The stand alone tripod shots are ok, but don’t really cut it when you are trying to get amazing shots. Take the camera in hand, take weird angle shots of the people, or scenery in question and you’ll be happier with your final product. The best shots I have taken, are when the people are candid and unaware, and when I did something or took something I didnt even mean to.

3. Lighting – The most important part of taking a picture is the lighting. If you dont have good lighting, the picture won’t look good. If you have too much lighting the image will get saturated and washed out. Where is the median? In your eye. Find a place with subtle tones of light. The more natural the better. Find areas with dimmed, muted light for cool shadows and creative shots. speaking of shadows… they can ruin a picture. Look for shadows everywhere. If there is a shadow of you in the picture, congratulations. You just committed a photographer felony.

4. Placement – Taking a shot off to the side or with a lot of white space, can be cool. But the best shots (especially if you are being hired to take them) are the ones that strategically place the elements well. Think of a sunset without the sun. It can be good, in the right setting, but one that is taken with the beaming rays of the sun flying away from the lens can be epic.

5. People – I like to take pictures of pretty boxes, and nicely decorated room. However, shots of wedding pictures and candid pictures with people in it, make the photo ten times better. Homework: Aim your lens at a beautiful scenery or room, or sanctuary, then watch as nature interacts with it. People, animals, etc… You will be amazed at the depth and perception it ads to your photo.

I hope a few of these tips help you on your quest to become a great photographer. I am not an architect with the lens, but like you, love taking photos and being in them. Practice on family and friends and you will become more confident in your picture taking. Good Luck and keep on clicking.

Brooke is an amateur Seattle wedding photographer and loves wedding photography and giving people information about it.

[Via http://beatrizumadgebea.wordpress.com]

National Nutrition Month - Tackling the Myth of the Food Guide Pyramid

March is National Nutrition Month.  It is an event sponsored by the American Dietetic Association in an effort to raise awareness about nutrition.  The idea of a National Nutritional Month is a good one, however, the ADA still insists that low fat is a must.  Let’s have a look at the paradox of the food guide pyramid and why it is actually an unhealthy way to eat.

Above is the most recent food guide pyramid from the government.  They have changed the way it looks in order to try and keep up with recent research.  No longer do you see the grains at the “base” of the pyramid as you did in the old one.  Now you see it on the left and as the first “step” which still suggests it should be the largest part of your nutritional day.  From the governmental website www.mypyramid.gov you can find their suggestions regarding each category in the pyramid.  Let’s start with grains.

They recommend that half, only half, of your grain serving be whole.  The other half?  I guess it’s o.k. to get that from simple and refined grains.  They recommend eating breads and pastas every day to maintain health simply because they are low fat.  What they fail to inform the public is that these kinds of foods cause massive amounts of insulin to be released and over time this causes obesity and diabetes.  I can’t tell you how many patients I have that want to lose weight and all they eat are “low fat” carbohydrates.

Their information on vegetables and fruits is actually o.k.  It’s not that hard to say ‘eat more.’  The one exception to their fruit recommendations that I have is that they say to eat fruit any way you can get it including canned or dried.  Canned fruits are often in a sugary syrup to maintain flavor and this is extremely high in terms of glycemic load.  Sugar is sugar and just because it comes from a fruit doesn’t mean it’s healthy.  Dried fruit is acceptable once in a while, but drying a fruit raises its glycemic load.  The information is only a little misleading in this area of the pyramid.

If you look at the new pyramid you can see a small yellow sliver in there somewhere.  It is so small that it does not have a correlating category listed at the bottom.  This is supposed to be your entire serving of oils for the day?  This is a major problem.  The healthy oils such as olive oil, coconut oil, nuts, seeds and fish are unbelievably good for your health.  They promote heart health, reduce inflammation, provide a great source of healthy energy and increasing them reduces the carbohydrate intake one consumes. Primitive cultures have been using fats for thousands of years as a source of energy and nutrition.  These cultures, while few and far between now, are not the ones that have the epidemics of heart disease, diabetes and obesity that Western cultures do.  The difference is the amount of carbohydrate that Western cultures consume on a daily basis.  The problem with the current food guide is that all people see is that fat is bad.  It’s so bad it fact that it barely deserves a place in the pyramid.  That’s what the diagram suggests anyway.

The next section is also very misleading.  This section is entitled simply milk.  If milk is going to be consumed it should be raw.  Pasteurization destroys any health benefits outside of the calcium that one might get from milk.  They also recommend you drink skim milk which just makes the sugars in the milk more of a problem.  Milk is also highly allergenic.  There are many people that are allergic to casein, the protein in milk.  It is especially bad for children.  The protein in milk has been linked to increases in the number of kids with diabetes and autism. Asking America to drink more milk could be a worse idea.  If you’re going to consume milk, make sure it is raw and whole.  That is the only way to benefit from milk.  It should still be a small portion of what you have in a day.

The next section is meats and beans.  This section is also o.k. with one exception.  They still can’t get away from the the fact that they want you to go low fat.  They stress lean meats in this section.  While lean meats are good, don’t shy away from cuts of meat with a little more fat in them.  Go ahead and have that steak.  The benefits of the fats in the cut far outweigh any negative.  This steak only becomes problematic when you combine it with steak fries. Keep the carbohydrate count low and the fats and oils from your steak only help you.

The food guide pyramid is designed on flawed data and therefore is flawed itself.  All fats are not bad, as this pyramid suggests.  There are many fats that are actually very good for you, but you’d never know it looking at the schematic they have designed.  It places entirely too much emphasis on carbohydrates which are known to contribute to inflammation, diabetes and obesity.  To make this more appropriate the healthy fats must be emphasized more and carbohydrates much less.

[Via http://thevreelandclinic.wordpress.com]

What can you do with your large cholesterol

Bioflavonoids are utilized extensively inside the treatment of athletic injuries because they relieve soreness, bumps, and bruises. In addition they lessen pain located inside the legs or across the back again, and decrease signs or symptoms linked with prolonged bleeding and low serum calcium. Bioflavonoids act synergistically with vitamin C to safeguard and preserve the structure of capillaries. Furthermore, bioflavonoids have an antibacterial effect and market circulation, stimulate bile creation, decrease cholestrerol levels levels, and treat and keep cataracts. When used with vitamin C, bioflavonoids also lessen the signs or symptoms of oral herpes.

Visit reduce cholesterol

National focus has been on teaching the importance of reducing levels of HDL cholesterol. Now the focus is on the increase in LDL levels as well. When it comes to heart health in the last ten years, doctors have warned of the negative effects of high cholesterol is in the heart. However, recently, physicians began warning of the risks of neglecting the fact of maintaining a healthy LDL level.The is, we must maintain balance when it comes to our health. Maintenance requires conscious effort. Every day, we must ensure that we are eating healthy, staying active and resting when necessary. If necessary, keep a journal. In the paper, the outline of each food you eat and how much and how long each activity took place and then sleep at least six hours nightly.The with body care is a well-run vehicle. We must take precautions to assure we keep this vehicle running properly. We sometimes tend to take more care of our car we make of our body. Modern living has meant that our bodies suffer from neglect. It is imperative that we keep our bodies like we do with other important areas. There are foods and activities that we enjoy every day that will help prevent high cholesterol, however, to maintain healthy levels of LDL cholesterol. Implement some of the foods and practices to maintain their health following: cashews, pecans, almonds or macadamia nuts NutsEating is essential to maintaining a good level of LDL cholesterol and decreasing HDL levels. Nuts provide good fats that the body needs to maintain a healthy heart. Take a handful of nuts and sprinkle on a salad green. Add cashews to rice dishes. Mix a few strawberries, blueberries and dried fruit in your yogurt for breakfast impressive. After a few days, you will begin to experiment with different ways to add nuts to other dishes. There's nothing like taking a handful of gum. Enjoy the crisis. It's amazing how easy it is to add some nuts to your daily diet without hampering the taste, but actually improve the taste and texture of your dishes.Jumping Ropet minutes of jumping rope is worth a half-hour walk. Not just jumping rope increase in heart rate increases and decreases levels of LDL cholesterol HDL. Do you remember as a kid jumping rope to the tune of a potato, two potato, three potato, four? Amazing how easy it is to remember the old days when playing the games of our childhood. Our children and grandchildren will have a lack of capacity we have to do the things they find so easy.Drink WineItalians drinking Red wine with every meal. The reason: the wine contains natural antioxidants. Drinking no more than a glass of red wine a day, your body maintains a level of good cholesterol HDL, besides helping the heart. Remember though, wine is healthy when consumed in moderation. Eating onion OnionsThe amazing! Not only is the brain food onion, onions are recommended in the maintenance of LDL and lower HDL cholesterol levels in your body. Only half of this fascinating plant and is on pace for an incredible increase in good health. Add the onion to scrambled eggs, saute onion and eat on the liver. Check out the myriad ways of preparing and eating onions in Processed Foods www.allrecipes.com.Limit how much money you can save IntakeIt incredible addition to improving their health in preparing dishes at home and use the remains of sandwiches and fried foods. We've become a society of fast food. Fast food has made our bodies to go into traumatic shock. The body is not made to process the foods processed. Take a pinch of our parents. Ate course on earth. No running to the store to buy goods can and processed foods. What began as a little comfort has become a monster. It's OK to eat some processed foods in moderation. However, eating too much has caused health problems we are experiencing a lot today.Eat of FishSalmon, tuna, anchovies, are even higher in omega. Omega fats are good fats necessary for proper maintenance of our bodies. Try to add salmon to your salad green. On the night of pizza, add a few anchovies on the pizza. Tilapia is a fascinating fish, grown raised. A few minor changes can result in a healthier IntakeThrow far body.Decrease Carbohydrates macaroni, potatoes, rice, French potatoes, sugar, egg yolks and organ foods. However, the actions of your fridge and pantry with vegetables. Fresh frozen or canned. All are fine. Try baking, broiling, grilling instead of frying. Reducing the carbohydrates in the diet can increase LDL cholesterol levels and dramatically reduce your HDL level. JuiceOrange Drink orange juice is known to increase LDL levels in individuals with documented as high as 21%. The time to eat at least one glass a day, the flavonoids in orange juice have resulted in surprisingly SmokingNow results.Stop tax snuff has increased, the desire to quit smoking has become more attractive than ever. Furthermore, as an alternative, which will help increase HDL levels in percent.Practicing seven habits of good nutrition and increased activity level may result in your body changing for the better.

Visit how to lower cholesterol naturally

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Fat and why we need it

I’ll admit I’ve gotten 100 times better than where I was at the lowest point in my disorder, but the hardest part of my day is allowing myself to eat fat.  I do eat a fair amount, I know that its good for me, it’s just eating enough to meet what would be a healthy percentage, even though I know I’m getting it from healthy sources.

Unfortunately, dietary “fat” and the description of being “fat” are the same word.  One of the things I have developed as coping mechanism is to call Dietary fat a different word– like “wholesomeness”.  That way I can say, “I need to add some wholesomeness to this meal” and it will frame to myself as being healthy, which it is.

Here is some information about why we need fats in our diets.  Fats (or lipids) have a major role to play in the functioning of the human body. Fats:

• Waterproof the skin
• Insulate the body
• Provide an energy store
• Build cell membranes
• Are a major component of many hormones
• Maintain some of the major systems within the body

Added to this, the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K cannot be absorbed without the presence of fat in our system.

Cholesterol

Arguably the best known fat is cholesterol. Many people are concerned about cholesterol levels but know little about the role cholesterol plays in the body.

Cholesterol has many useful functions in the body. Cholesterol:

• is a steroid – the most abundant steroid in the body. From cholesterol a number of other steroid hormones are created, including progesterone, oestrogen and testosterone
• acts in the liver to produce bile acids, which are needed for the digestion of fat in the gut
• is essential for the creation of cell membranes
• is essential in the manufacture of vitamin D

I have also become a believer that its not saturated fats that are the cause for heart disease and obesity in our society (although too much of anything isn’t good.) Think about what our grandparents and great-grandparents ate growing up:  Breakfast was bacon and eggs, probably cooked in real butter, with oatmeal.  For the most part, this isn’t the generation suffering from the obesity epidemic.  Look at a typical breakfast now: Pop Tarts, trans-fat containing muffins, pastries, processed meats, margarines, etc.  Although margarine can be trans-fat free now, just compare the ingredients to that of butter: like a million things I can’t pronounce, vs. “Cream and milk.”

Here is some information on this:

eating more saturated fat lowers the risk for heart disease. That’s what a recent Harvard University study found: People who had the highest saturated fat intake also had the least plaque buildup on their artery walls. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition described the findings as an “American Paradox.”    

In the Stanford University study that made recent headlines, women on the “fatty” Atkins diet ended up with the healthiest cholesterol levels and the best blood pressure readings, compared to those on other diets, notably the famous Ornish low-fat diet.

Here are a few bullet-points summarizing the current research on saturated fats.

–We typically eat more than a dozen kinds of saturated fat. Some have zero effect on cholesterol. Some raise bad (LDL) cholesterol, but all of them raise good (HDL) cholesterol to a greater extent. That’s a net gain in heart health.

–The nation’s top health organizations have for decades called saturated fat one of the main culprits for diet-related diseases, including obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Problem is, this blame stems from research that is now seen as incomplete. For instance, a famous 1953 study took data from six countries, overlooking 16 countries whose numbers provide contradictory evidence. (Like France, for instance, or native cultures in Africa and Canada where high amounts of fat and saturated fat are eaten but heart disease is practically unknown.)

–Since the 1970s, American men have decreased their saturated fat intake by 14 percent and increased their carbohydrate intake by 23 percent–yet rates of obesity and heart disease are increasing. You might say that carbohydrates make people fat, which leads to heart disease. Or that more carbohydrates you eat, the greater your risk for a heart attack.

        

–But these simple numbers only suggest a cause. To prove something, you need a controlled experiment. There have been many such clinical trials, and not one has shown has shown that cutting back on saturated fat reduces heart disease risk.

–When you look at the effect of saturated fat on health, you must also look at the intake of carbohydrates. Many studies have shown that if you replace carbs with fat, your triglycerides levels go down and your good cholesterol goes up. And your bad (LDL) cholesterol particles get bigger, which means they’re less harmful.

–Here’s a paradox for you: A high saturated fat intake decreases blood levels of saturated fat. How can this be? Here’s how: The saturated fat in your blood comes from both the food you eat and from your liver, which produces saturated fat. The more carbs you eat, the higher your insulin levels climb, which signals your liver to produce saturated fat. If you go on a low-carb diet, your insulin levels drop, and so does production of saturated fat.

–A bonus: with low insulin levels, your body can burn more fat for energy, decreasing your sat-fat levels even more.

When it comes down to it, do I practice what I preach?  Yes and no.  I’d love to, but I’m scared because for so many years I have been told fat was bad.  But in reflecting on that, look where that wound me up at one point….at an in-patient eating disorder clinic.  So what harm could it do to increase good sources of fat and continue to avoid highly processed carbs?  (Remember though, healthy, complex carbs are great for you.)

This leads into my next post…

Be strong, be fearless, stay Feerless.

[Via http://feerlessfood.wordpress.com]

Paleo, CrossFit and Cholesterol

Chet sent this email yesterday with results from his latest physical.  The results really speak for themselves, but it goes to show CrossFit and Paleo do work for people.  Keep up the good work Chet!  Has anyone else had something along these lines happen with them?

I wanted to drop you a letter and share with the group my latest physical checkup.  1 year on Crossfit and 6 or so months on Paleo.  You can see that I was very close to having risk factors in 2009.  I was convinced in 2009 that I was a healthy eater, no fast food, not a lot of sweets, tons of vegetables, and Rice, Beans, and Grains.   A 28 point reduction in total cholesterol. – Chet

2/9/2009 2/9/2010 Change Goal Total Cholesterol 199 171 -28 <200 LDL 131 85 46 <130 Triglyceride 53 58 +5 <150 HDL 57 74 +17 >40

There is really a lot more to Cholesterol then the drug companies really want us to know about. Mark Sisson goes into some detail in his article ‘The Definitive Guide to Cholesterol’ The most interesting part was the distinction between large fluffy LDLs and smaller, dense LDL.

“… the smaller, dense LDL particles are the ones believed to be most involved in the process of inflammation that begins the atherosclerosis cascade. And wouldn’t you know it, but it’s a diet high in simple carbs that most readily promotes the formation of these small LDL particles! Unfortunately, this important distinction is probably something your doctor knows very little about…”

[Via http://nutrition.crossfiteastdecatur.com]

Good protein is difficult to find. There are lots of options, but I heard good things of this brand before I even bought … and I am glad I am. Price is great and the taste is better than the best protein I’ve tried. It tastes like a Thin Mint Chocolate Mint shake. Musclemilk want something better, but it is not pure whey protein product as is. Back to ON. It blends really well, you do not have too much protein shake your head swim.

[Via http://bestproteinpowder.wordpress.com]

Tight Target Control Prevents Diabetic Nephropathy in Asian Population With Type 2 Diabetes

Tight achievement of multiple targets, recommended by the American Diabetes Association (ADA), can delay diabetic nephropathy in Chinese with Type 2 diabetes.

The study, involving 1,290 type 2 diabetic patients with normoalbuminuria, revealed that patients who received intensified treatment and achieved the ADA goals (HbA1c of less than 7 percent, blood pressure of less than 130/80, LDL cholesterol of less than 100 mg/dL, and triglycerides of less than 150 mg/dL) were able to delay the onset of microalbuminuria. 

The researchers concluded that this multifactorial intervention should be started in patients with diabetes and normoalbuminuria.”

Tu ST. et.al.  Archives of Internal Medicine (01/25/10) Vol. 170, No. 2, P. 155

[Via http://healthreason.com]

This Week on the Liberation Wellness Hour - Pete Kennedy - Defending the Local Farmer

For Farmers and Consumers Defending the Right to Buy and Protecting the

Right to Sell Nutritious Food Directly from the Farm

The Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund is a 501 (c) (4) non-profit organization made up of farmers and consumers joining together and pooling resources to:

•     Protect the constitutional right of the nation’s family farms to provide processed and unprocessed farm foods directly to consumers through any legal means.

•     Protect the constitutional right of consumers to obtain unprocessed and processed farm foods directly from family farms.

•     Protect the nation’s family farms from harassment by federal, state, and local government interference with food production and on-farm food processing.

Special Time on Blogtalk Radio only – Wednesday Febuary 17th 1PM EST

The Liberation Wellness Hour Radio Show can be heard each week on Saturday at 12noon EST on

Liberty Works Radio Network, on BlogTalkRadio.com/LiberationWellness, and on Zubeo

The Shows Website is LiberationWellnessHour.com

[Via http://liberationwellnessblog.com]

Romantic Valentine's Day Spot

Valentine’s Day may be over, but for some romantic couples, they knew the perfect romantic spot to celebrate.

Happy V-Day, y'all come back now! - Courtesy flickr.com

Waffle House, a chain based in the southern part of the country, offers everything from t-bone steaks and eggs to grilled bacon Texas cheese steak melts.  If you think the perfect way to say “I love you,” is by raising your sweetie’s cholesterol count to unsafe levels, it was the perfect place to celebrate.

The restaurant went red for Valentine’s Day, ditching its usual black and gold motif and setting tables with red tablecloths.  The manager of the Moody, AL, said the tables would be set with candles, while the servers would be dressed in crisp, white shirts.  If you didn’t make your reservations early, you were probably going to be left out in the cold…and that means you probably had to settle for the local McDonalds.

Crisp white shirts, candles, and waffles…the perfect way to say “I love you.”

[Via http://saraspeaks.wordpress.com]

The Hidden Truth About "Reducing Your Cholesterol"

Heart.

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The Hidden Truth About “Reducing Your Cholesterol”

You may be surprised at the REAL causes of heart disease — and it’s NOT saturated fat or cholesterol

by Mike Geary, Certified Nutrition Specialist, Certified Personal Trainer

We all know that heart disease is one of the leading killers of people around the world, particularly highest in countries such as the US and Australia.

However, did you know that there are several medical studies worldwide that clearly show that higher cholesterol levels in the body actually increases longevity instead of decreasing it? Yes, you heard that right! People with high cholesterol have been statistically shown to live longer and healthier than people with low cholesterol in several studies. There are multiple references for this phenomenon in Shane Ellison’s controversial book, The Hidden Truth about Cholesterol Lowering Drugs, Dr. Uffe Ravnskov’s (MD, PhD) book entitled The Cholesterol Myths, as well as Sally Fallon and Mary Enig’s book, Nourishing Traditions.

So why in the world are the pharmaceutical and medical industry pushing for practically everyone on the planet to “lower their cholesterol”? Well, the first, and more innocent answer, is flawed medical studies from decades ago that have been accepted as fact and never fully analyzed for their validity. Another answer is that this practice of recommending that half of the damn planet takes a cholesterol lowering medication (currently, statins), regardless of whether they truly have any real risk for heart disease, creates insane multi-squillion dollar profits for the drug companies!

As a perfectly absurd example of how doctors have been wrongly influenced by the drug companies… a couple years ago, I was a perfectly healthy 28 yr old, in great shape, exercising daily, eating a balanced healthy diet full of antioxidants and quality nutrition, no smoking, and with no real risk factors for heart disease, and just because my cholesterol level has been consistently measured over 200 for my entire life, my doctor recommended I consider using a cholesterol lowering statin drug.

Consider how outlandish this scenario is! The drug companies have hypnotized doctors into prescribing unnecessary prescription drugs to healthy young people with perfectly normal cholesterol levels that just happen to be over this arbitrary number of 200 that they’ve come up with. Luckily, I refused to be a guinea pig and fork over my hard earned duckets for potentially dangerous drugs, and decided to start researching this whole cholesterol and heart disease connection myself. Consider also that my father, who is now 60 years old, has had cholesterol levels slightly over 200 his entire life also (just like me), yet he is perfectly healthy at his ripe age of 60.

High Cholesterol is NOT the Villain!

As time goes on and scientists continue to learn more about heart disease, it has become quite clear over the recent years that inflammation within the body (NOT cholesterol levels) is what causes plaque build up in the arteries and eventual heart disease. Inflammation can be caused by many personal factors such as stress, smoking, viruses, consumption of refined and/or hydrogenated fats (man-made trans fats), an imbalance of omega-6 polyunsaturated fats to omega-3 polyunsaturated fats in the diet, excess refined sugars in the diet, etc.

Here’s a quick and dirty of how it works in general. Cholesterol is a healing substance within the body (among many other important functions), and responds to arterial inflammation by getting deposited in combination with other substances, forming “plaque” as a healing agent on the artery lining.

Levels of inflammation in your body can be measured with what’s called a CRP test (c-reactive protein). The accuracy of this test still has room for improvement, as it can vary depending on the time of day and other factors, but it is a much better indication of heart disease risk than a cholesterol test (which is practically useless for determining heart disease risk).

Another more important test than cholesterol levels for heart disease risk is a test for serum homocysteine levels. The next time your doctor wants you to get blood cholesterol tests, request CRP and homocysteine tests instead. He/she should be well aware of the validity of these tests if they are up to date.

Basically, if you have significant internal inflammation, this plaque will be deposited as a healing agent regardless of whether you have high or low cholesterol. On the other hand, if you don’t have inflammation, high cholesterol levels just keep circulating without getting deposited on the artery linings. Therefore, it is more important to control inflammation rather than trying to lower your cholesterol.

Lowering your cholesterol doesn’t attack the root of the problem (what is actually causing the inflammation in you). Lowering your cholesterol does nothing except to make the drug companies rich, and possibly leave you with a whole assortment of possible negative side-effects.

The good news is that preventing heart disease is about living a healthy lifestyle, not about throwing down a drug pill everyday. Controlling your inflammation to prevent heart disease is as easy as reducing the stress in your life (try deep breathing exercises, Qigong, yoga, etc.), maintaining a healthy weight, eating a high-antioxidant, highly nutritious unprocessed diet (as recommended in my Truth about Six Pack Abs program), and avoiding smoking and other causes of heavy free radical production in the body.

I hope this article has given you some helpful info about the real causes of heart disease and not the propaganda that has been shoved down your throat for years, based on flawed medical studies from 40-50 years ago, making drug companies filthy rich.

If you or anyone you care about is currently taking statins, or if you just want to learn more about cholesterol and the scandal that is revolving currently around statin drugs, please see The Cholesterol Myths.

On a related topic, were you aware that there is also quite a controversy these days in the health industry over the fact that saturated fat is not necessarily bad for you, and can actually be downright good for you in some cases? I posted this article a few months ago, but thought I would mention this article again

http://www.truthaboutabs.com/cholesterol-myths.html

[Via http://ramanan50.wordpress.com]

Curcumin looks like a Winner against Diabetes and Breast Cancer

Curcumin is the active ingredient in the tumeric herb and has been used medicinally for thousands of years. Today studies continue to confirm the benefits of this amazing compound.

Researchers in the United States and Korea recently published a study which found  curcumin lowered blood glucose levels, cholesterol and triglycerides in diabetic mice after being supplemented with curcumin for just six weeks. No changes were observed in the the healthy non-diabetic mice. The researchers concluded: “These results suggest that curcumin seemed to be a potential glucose-lowering agent and antioxidant in type 2 diabetic db/db mice”.

A 2009 study released by the Department of Internal Medicine and Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Michigan observed that curcumin enhanced with piperine decreased the number of cancerous cells in breast tissue. Once again no changes or toxicity were observed in normal healthy cells.

“This shows that these compounds are not toxic to normal breast tissue,” researcher, Kakarala says. “Women at high risk of breast cancer right now can choose to take the drugs tamoxifen or raloxifene for prevention, but most women won’t take these drugs because there is too much toxicity. The concept that dietary compounds can help is attractive, and curcumin and piperine appear to have very low toxicity.”

Some products add piperine to boost the absorption of curcumin because curcumin typically has low bioavailability. Bioavailability is the extent to which a substance can be absorbed. How much you consume of a supplement is less important than how much you absorb.

Curcumin Extreme™ is a unique product formula containing a patented form of enhanced bioavailable and 100% natural curcumin called BCM-95® . BCM-95® is 6 times more readily absorbed than standard curcumin.

Curcumin Extreme™ promotes liver detoxification, healthy glutathione levels and normal cell regeneration. In addition, Curcumin Extreme™ contains broccoli seed extract known as another antioxidant that supports immune system function.

[Via http://engineeredforhealth.com]

Rapini/Broccoli Rabe

Rapini/Broccoli Rabe:

Nutritional Information

Rapini/Broccoli Rabe is low in calories and sodium, and has no fat or cholesterol. It has plenty of vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin K. Potassium, folic acid, fiber and the flavonoids found in the vegetable may help prevent the risk of stroke. Rapini/Broccoli Rabe also provides iron and calcium, and contains nutrients, compounds and phytochemicals that may have cancer-fighting benefits.

Good-quality Rapini/Broccoli Rabe will have bright-green leaves that are crisp, upright, not wilted, with relatively few opened buds. Avoid Rapini/Broccoli Rabe with leaves that are wilted or yellowing.

Rapini can be used in salads, soups,stews, chicken/veggie pies, etc. However, some people (myself included) find it rather bitter. But it is so healthy for you that you should at least give it a try. The Italians use this vegetable a great deal in their cooking. My grandmother used to put it in her lasagna.

You can find it in the produce section of your grocery store.

Have you tried Rapini?

If so what did you think?

[Via http://nutritionkey.wordpress.com]

Lowering blood pressure

In the modern age of caffeine and other stimulants, that we often use to improve our abilities in order to be more effective. Today, people often start with drinking coffee or other stimulants already at a relatively young age (high school or even earlier). Often, coffee does help in the beginning, but gradually most people notice that the same amount of coffee (or other stimulants) that they used to drink, doesn’t work quite as it did before. Because of that, the amount of caffeine is gradually increased with time, and sooner or later, many people reach relatively problematic levels, that can influence blood pressure. High blood pressure is by itself a high risk condition, and can also lead to various other diseases or even worse conditions. In more severe cases, even coronary failures can occur, which is one of the most common death causes in the world.

The risks of high blood pressure, that most stimulants present, can be lowered by using some of the very simple and natural herbal based cures that have been known for centuries, and can be prepared with no problem. One of the most common and most well known remedy for high blood pressure is garlic. Only 2-3 garlic cloves daily, can significantly reduce blood pressure when it is too high. There are many ways in which garlic can be prepared, but it is most advisable to eat it fresh, chopped into small pieces and added to other food. This will reduce the well known drawback of garlic – its intensive smell. If one still finds the smell too intensive, there are alternative ways of ingesting garlic, like buying capsules that are filled with garlic extract, which still has the medicinal properties that we want, but doesn’t have some of the compounds that are responsible for its smell. However, that way, one will probably have to spend more money, than by just using herbal remedies, in this case, garlic.

It is also important to mention that this is not the only benefit one can have by using garlic. It is also known to reduce cholesterol levels, and to boost up testosterone levels. Also, it has been reported that it has antiviral and antibacterial properties. So, by solving problematic high pressure, you may also end up improving your overall health concerning some other conditions as well.

[Via http://hotsexygirlspics.wordpress.com]

Tips on How to Choose Healthy Fats

You probably heard about good and bad fats and how they’re responsible for our health whether we choose to include fats in our diet or avoid them completely. Also, it’s not about the total amount of fat you eat, whether high or low, what really matters is the type of fat you eat. You should choose healthy fats, limit saturated fat, and avoid trans fat.

Here are few tips on how to choose healthy fats for your diet.

1. Use liquid plant oils for cooking

Plant-based oils, such as olive or canola are rich in healthy unsaturated fats. Besides cooking, try dressing up a salad with a bit of olive oil.

2. Get rid of the trans fat

You’ll find trans free food simply by reading label in the supermarket. Stay away from fried foods in restaurants, unless you know that they use trans free food.

3. Switch from butter to margarine

This is really simple. Instead of butter use soft tub margarine. Choose margarine that has zero grams of trans fat, and look at the ingredient list to make sure it does not contain partially hydrogenated oils.

4. Eat omega-3 fats at least once a week

Fatty fish, walnuts, eggs, kale and canola oil all provide omega-3 fatty acids, which are good fats, necessary for the organism.

5. Go lean on meat and milk

Beef, pork and lamb meat, as well as dairy products are high in saturated fat. Choose low-fat milk and  lean cuts of meat.

[Via http://livingjuice.wordpress.com]

RECIPES FOR DAIRY-FREE and GLUTEN-FREE COOKING

                                                                                                                           JAPANESE FOODS

The Japanese have a long and beautiful tradition of healthy and delicious foods. From cold water fish, such as tuna and salmon,  high in Omega-3’s, to rice (opt for whole grain when you can) and soy-based tofu, seaweed, vegetables, ginger and that oh-so-irresistable green Wasabi paste- a Japanese horseradish.  I love the diet!  They do not herald carb-heavy breads or crackers or cakes in their menus, as with American and European diets. And other than a nod to ice cream, with green tea or ginger sorbet, they pretty much exclude dairy products. 

So if you are going dairy and gluten free, this countries designer style foods are an easy transition, requiring little thought.  Here are a few suggestions. You can find the ingredients in the ethnic aisle of your supermarket, a specialty health food grocery, or an Asian market. You will get used to the terms and names of things, so don’t shy away!

                                                                                                                                   MISO SOUP

INGREDIENTS

4 cups water                                                                                      

4 shitake mushrooms, sliced 

1/2 oz. Bonito dried fish flakes/granules   

6 oz.(1 small box) firm tofu, cubed

1 tbsp Sake’ (optional, but nice)

4 tbsp miso paste, or shiromiso

1 tbsp Tamari wheat-free soy sauce 

 2 scallions, sliced fine

1 nori (seaweed) wrapper, cut in strips

2 tsp white sesame seeds, toasted

DIRECTIONS

Add water to a pan, heat, and add bonito fish flakes. Stir in sake, soy sauce, and salt to taste, if desired. Add cubed tofu and sliced mushrooms, allowing to simmer gently for about 3 minutes. Now add miso paste and stir until it has dissolved. Turn off heat, add the sliced scallions, and divide between four bowls. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of the toasted sesame seeds over each bowl, and serve!  Serves 4.

                                                                                                                       YAKITORI CHICKEN

2 chicken breasts, cut into 24 chunks

4 scallions, cut into 18 pieces

6 wooden skewers, soaked in water

1/2 cup yakitori marinade (see below)

DIRECTIONS

Soak the skewers in water for 20 minutes. This prevents burning! Meanwhile, make the marinade. Pre heat the broiler to high. Thread 4 chunks of  chicken and 3 pieces of scallion, alternately, onto each skewer. Brush the skewers with marinade, then cook under broiler for 4 minutes on each side, brushing again with yakitori when turning. Plate the skewers, sprinkling with the remaining marinade.  You may also choose to provide a small dipping dish of the yakitori sauce with each serving. Makes 6 skewers, for 2 or 3 servings, depending.

                                                                                                                                 YAKITORI SAUCE

 6 tbsp Tamari wheat-free soy sauce

 4 tbsp sake

 6 tbsp mirin (sweet rice vinegar)

 2 tbsp superfine sugar

Put soy sauce, mirin, sake and sugar in a small pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and continue to simmer for one minute. Remove pan from heat and cool. Reserve some of this sauce for drizzling over finished chicken. You may want to double the ingredients if you want to provide personal dipping sauces of Yakitori with each serving. 

                                                                                                                                       SUSHI ROLLS

Don’t be intimidated by the idea of rolling your own sushi!  I learned at home, with a friend, so the embarrassment of too large and loosely pressed rolls was spared me, and surpassed by the intoxicating flavor and taste of freshness. With practice, you just get better.  You will need a bamboo stick sushi rolling mat, and a wide wooden sushi rice spoon.  You can buy these affordably in sets in some specialty groceries or kitchen supply stores. Also, keep plastic wrap on hand for the inside out-rolls. Nori strips are those flat dark green sheets of pressed seaweed that are used to roll up your sushi. And if you can locate it, I prefer the tiny orange fish eggs, known as flying fish roe, for topping the cut pieces, or rolling the inside-out rolls in. This section begins with making sushi rice, then onto rolls. Compai!

                                                                                                                                            SUSHI RICE

1 1/2 cups sushi rice, or short to medium grain rice

2 tbsp rice vinegar

1 1/2 cups water  

1 tbsp sugar, 1/4 tsp salt combined

Rinse rice under cold water until the water runs clear. Strain, then place in pan with water (or use a rice cooker and follow directions). Cover pan and bring rice to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, let stand for another 15 minutes,  do not remove the lid!

Turn rice into a wide, flat-bottomed, non-metal bowl. Pour over the sushi rice seasoning (rice vinegar, sugar & salt, combined). Using quick, cutting strokes, cut the seasoning into the rice, fanning it as you work. You can do this in front of an actual fan, of hold the spoon up high and let the rice drop down into the bowl.  DO NOT STIR as this may break the grains. Keep cutting and fanning until the rice is room temperature and looks shiny.  Keep it covered with a cloth, and use immediately.  It is reccomended you do not refrigerate mixed sushi rice.

                                                                                                                                 PHILLY ROLL

Ingredients:

2 oz. fresh, sushi grade salmon, cut into  1/2 ” strips   

2 sheets nori (seaweed wrapper)

1  cup sushi rice  

@2 oz. Tofutti/dairy free cream cheese

Wasabi paste, soy sauce, pickled ginger, as garnish

 Directions:

Lay a sheet of  nori wrapper flat on top of your rolling mat. Divide the rice into 2 equal portions. Wet your hands, and spread one portion of rice over the nori, as evenly as you can. Re-wet your hands as often as needed. Leave a 1/2 inch border at the top edge, for sealing the roll.

Dip a finger into your wasabi paste, and drag it across the length of the rice/wrapper. Place a line of the sliced salmon strips, then another thin strip of the cream cheese above that.

Pick up the nearest edge of the rolling mat. Slowly roll the mat away from you, to wrap the nori over and around the fillings. Use light pressure, lifting the mat out of the way as you roll. Press the roll into the bare border of nori. To seal the roll, it helps to dip a finger in water, run it over the edge of the seaweed wrapper, roll and press to seal.

Transfer your roll onto a cutting board or smooth surface. Taking a very sharp knife, wet it under running water, shake off the excess, and cut the roll in half.  Wet again, if neccessary, between slices, and cut each half into 3 equal pieces. Repeat with the second half, for 6 pieces. Repeat, making another roll, cut into 6 more pieces.

Arrange your Philly salmon roll pieces on a plate (preferably a square, japanese style plate, for visual effect!). Serve with a shallow dipping dish of soy sauce, a dollop of wasabi paste, and a pinch of pickled ginger.  Enjoy!

                                                                                                                                     CALIFORNIA ROLL

Ingredients:

@ 1 cup sushi rice 

 2 nori sheets

1/2  avocado, sliced thin    

2 long slices cucumber, seedless

2 lengths of crab leg  or imitation crabmeat                                       

Flying fish roe or toasted white sesame seeds

Tamari wheat-free soy sauce, wasabi paste, pickled ginger

Directions:

Divide sushi rice in half.  Place a sheet of nori wrapper on top of your rolling mat. With wet fingers, spread half the rice evenly over the wrapper, leaving at least 1/2 inch border at the top. Dip a finger in wasabi paste, and drag it across the length of rice on the bottom of the roll.

Lay a line of avocado strips, followed by a strip of crabmeat, and thin strips of cucumber sticks, de-seeded.               

Pick up the nearest edge of the rolling mat, and slowly roll away from you, gently pressing as you wrap the nori around the filling.  Lift the mat  out of the way as you roll. Take a wet finger and run it across the end border of the nori, and finish rolling, pressing the edge against the finished roll to seal it.

Transfer the roll to a cutting board, seam side down, and cut in half with a very sharp, wet knife. Cut again, for four larger pieces. Turn onto a plate, flat side up, and spread the tops with flying fish roe or toasted sesame seeds. Transfer to a presentation platter, adding a dollop of wasabi, a fat pinch of pickled ginger, and serve soy sauce in shallow dipping bowls.

                                                                                                                                    INSIDE-OUT ROLLS

Inside out rolls reverse the ingredients of a sushi roll, with the green nori sheet being rolled up backwards and inside the roll, rice on the outside.  Lay down your nori sheet on the sushi mat, and spread with rice, as described above.  Now cover the rice with a sheet of plastic wrap.  Lift and flip the wrapper over, so that the plastic covered rice surface is now pressed against the mat, and the green nori wrapper is facing up.  Spread with a thin line of wasabi, and add your ingredients, as above.

 Now you begin to roll away from you, lifting the plastic covered mat away from you as you go.  Press the nori border into the rice as you finish, giving the roll one final gentle squeeze to hold its shape.  Pull up the remaining plastic to reveal your inside out roll.  Sprinkle sesame seeds over a wide plate, and roll the rice covered sushi roll in this, coating it with sesame. Transfer to a cutting board, and cut in half, then in half again, for four pieces.  Repeat, with the remaining ingredients, for another roll.  Plate these, and garnish with the usual dollop of green wasabi paste, pickled ginger, and serve with soy sauce.

[Via http://autismrox.wordpress.com]

Treat the Risk, Not the Cholesterol: Study Challenges Current Cholesterol Recommendations

Here’s a very important – maybe paradigm shifting - press release on a study that challenges the current, broad-based recommendations for people to lower their cholesterol. My highlights. – Ilene

Treat the Risk, Not the Cholesterol: Study Challenges Current Cholesterol Recommendations

ANN ARBOR, Mich., Jan. 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — A new study by the University of Michigan Medical School and VA Ann Arbor Health System challenges the medical thinking that the lower the cholesterol, the better.

Tailoring treatment to a patient’s overall heart attack risk, by considering all their risk factors, such as age, family history, and smoking status, was more effective, and used fewer high-dose statins, than current strategies to drive down cholesterol to a certain target, according to the U-M study.

While study authors support the use of cholesterol-lowering statins, they conclude that patients and their doctors should consider all the factors that put them at risk for heart attack and strokes.

The findings will be released online Monday ahead of print in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

"We’ve been worrying too much about people’s cholesterol level and not enough about their overall risk of heart disease," says Rodney A. Hayward, M.D., director of the Veterans Affairs Center for Health Services Research and Development and a professor of internal medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School.

The National Cholesterol Education Program recommends harmful LDL cholesterol levels should be less than 130 for most people. High risk patients should be pushed even lower — to less than 70.

The U-M study took a different approach, called tailored treatment, which uses a person’s risk factors and mathematical models to calculate the expected benefit of treatment, by considering:

  –  A person’s risk of a heart attack or stroke without treatment;

  –  How much a statin decreases the risk; and

  –  Potential harms from the treatment

"These are the three factors that determine the net benefit of a treatment. Our fixation on just one factor, LDL cholesterol, is leading us to often treat the wrong people," Hayward says.

In the recent study, U-M physicians who worked with Yale University School of Medicine used data from statin trials that included Americans ages 30-75 with no history of heart attack.

Study authors evaluated the benefit of five years of treatment that was tailored, on coronary artery disease risk factors such as age, family history, diabetes, high blood pressure, smoking status, and recently CRP, C-reactive protein.

The tailored approach was more efficient (more benefit per person treated) and prevented substantially more heart attacks, strokes and cardiovascular deaths than the currently recommended treat-to-target approaches.

The tailored strategy treated fewer individuals with high-dose statins and saved 500,000 more quality-adjusted life years.

"The bottom line message — knowing your overall heart attack risk is more important than knowing your cholesterol level," Hayward says. "If your overall risk is elevated, you should probably be on a statin regardless of what your cholesterol is and if your risk is very high, should probably be on a high dose of statin," the U-M physician says.

"However, if your LDL cholesterol is high, but your overall cardiac risk is low, taking a statin does not make sense for you," Hayward says. "If your cholesterol is your only risk factor and you’re younger, you should work on diet and exercise." 

Research has increasingly emerged questioning the value of cholesterol targets and which of statins mechanisms is most important to preventing cardiac events. Cholesterol-lowering drugs work by blocking a key enzyme linked with LDL cholesterol production, but they initiate other changes in the body.

"Statins also affect inflammation on the inside of our blood vessels which is often what causes heart attacks and strokes — it’s not just a matter of cholesterol alone," he says.  

Additional authors: Harlan M. Krumholz, M.D., Yale University School of Medicine, and Donna M. Zulman, M.D., Justin W. Timbie, Ph.D., and Sandeep Vijan, M.D, all of the VA Center for Health Services Research and Development, VA Ann Arbor Health Care System.

Funding: VA Health Services Research and Development Service’s Quality Enhancement Research Initiative and the Measurement Core of the Michigan Diabetes Research & Training Center of the National Institutes of Health.

 

Resources: University of Michigan Medical School http://www.med.umich.edu/medschool/ VA Center for Health Services Research and Development http://www.annarbor.hsrd.research.va.gov/ VA Ann Arbor Health System http://www.annarbor.va.gov/ National Cholesterol Education Program http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/about/ncep/index.htm

This news release was issued on behalf of Newswise(TM). For more information, visit http://www.newswise.com/.  

Source: University of Michigan Health System

 

[Via http://philsbackupsite.wordpress.com]

Prevalence of Abnormal Lipids in 12-19 Year Olds

This is not good.

Prevalence of Abnormal Lipid Levels Among Youths — United States, 1999–2006

In 1999–2006, 20.3% of youths aged 12–19 years had abnormal lipids. A total of 32% were overweight or obese, making them eligible for lipid screening under American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) guidelines based solely on their BMI.

[Via http://underwritingsolutionsllc.com]

Lighten Your Load 2010

     Today was the first day of the weigh-in for everyone participating in Ripon Medical Center’s “2010 Lighten Your Load & Focus on Wellness Program“.

     When I arrived at the out-patient side of the hospital, there were already several people there before me. The hospital had set up a table greeting those participating in the program and had those of us competing (if you could even call this a competition) fill out some more consent forms before we headed back to get weighed and measured.

     After finishing the paperwork, I picked up some more info on the classes that would be offered during this 13-week program and then headed with the volunteer to the back. They checked my blood pressure first: 156/80 with a pulse rate of: 54. I then proceeded to the next room, where they measured my height: 75″ (6′3″ – I think I shrunk an inch somewhere…who knows.) and my weight: 404 pounds. Finally, I was led to the room where they drew a vial of blood for a lipid panel (cholesterol check) – results of which I will probably not get back for a couple of more weeks.

ABOUT 1 Yr Ago:

     TOTAL CHOLESTEROL          = 198   (ideal under 200)

     LDL (bad) CHOLESTEROL    = 110   (ideal under 130)

     HDL (good) CHOLESTEROL = 39     (ideal under 40)

     TRIGLYCERIDE LEVELS =      243   (ideal under 150)

     BLOOD SUGAR (fasting) =        106   (ideal under 70 to 99)

     Then they took us for a tour of the Rehabilitation/Work Out facility we have access to. I look forward to getting this program started and my life turned around.

[Via http://surrenderedvictory.wordpress.com]

Fish, Cholesterol and Children asking lots of Questions

What a strange combination. Fortunately there is no combination between these topics.

I just came across very interesting input from these 3 areas during the last 2 weeks.

And indeed, this input can be perfectly transferred into the App-World for iPhone and iPod.

The content will receive some enrichment using the functionality of both devices.

I am already discussing with the (let’s call them) “Content Owners”. And fortunately I was able to raise their interest.

[Via http://mobileresources.wordpress.com]