cholesterol articles

Pomegranates

2010-03-22T20:03:00.000+02:00

Pomegranates are a fruit high in antioxidants. Pomegranates are a great source of the antioxidant polyphenols which help to fight off free radicals in our bodies. Eating pomegranates or pomegranate juice helps reduce cellular damage. Pomegranate juice is seen to be the most powerful beverage you can drink due to its high antioxidant and vitamin content. Pomegranates may help lower LDL cholesterol and increase HDL cholesterol. Consuming pomegranates has been helpful in slowing down the cholesterol oxidation process, a process that causes atherosclerosis and increases risk of heart disease. Any consumption of pomegranates or pomegranate juice will give antioxidant benefits. This article states that “pomegranate juice each day may keep the cardiologist away.”

To read more: http://www.hhnews.com/pomegranate.htm

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Herbs To Lower Your Cholesterol

2010-03-22T12:54:00.000+02:00

Image : http://www.flickr.com

Hyperlipidemia or high cholesterol is a condition developed when the levels of cholesterol in the blood become too high. Heart diseases, heart attacks and strokes have a higher risk of occurring with high levels of LDL cholesterol. Atherosclerosis is a hardening of the arteries caused by the LDL levels narrowing the arteries. LDL cholesterol affects the lining of blood vessels and by building up in the arteries walls. Lowering cholesterol levels becomes imperative in this case.

A natural and effective method to lower your cholesterol levels is through cholesterol lowering herbs. These herbs can, in most of the cases provide the desired results. Vitamin B3 – also known as Niacin – is effective when it comes to lowering cholesterol levels because it reduces LDL cholesterol by 10 to 20 percent but it also increases HDL cholesterol by 15 to 30 percent and it dramatically reduces lipoprotein.

Artichoke leafs

Artichoke leaf is another herb that helps lower cholesterol levels. This herb works by limiting the synthesis of cholesterol in the body. Artichokes are also known to contain cynarin that supposedly increases bile production in the liver and speeds the flow of bile from the gallbladder, which together increases the excretion of cholesterol.

Plant stanols and sterols

Plant stanols and sterols are naturally occurring substances that are found in some plants. Stanols can also be found in dietary supplements or are added to margarine, dressings and orange juice. Plant stanols help reduce cholesterol – it has been shown through recent researches. Plant stanols are similar in structure to cholesterol and help when it comes to block absorption of cholesterol from the intestines.

Garlic

In order to maintain a healthy balance with vitamins, one must keep in mind that herbs are as well as a good diet to keep the arteries smooth as well as clear. The ultimate herb that lowers cholesterol is garlic. Its antioxidant activity protects LDL cholesterol from oxidation

Guggul

Guggul is a herb that comes from India and is a cholesterol lowering herb which has been the basis of Ayurvedic medicine for over two thousand years to control cholesterol through its active ingredient guggusterone. Guggusterone helps increase the rate at which the liver takes up and breaks down LDL cholesterol from the blood.

Soy products

As a substitute for meat, one can consume soy products because of their cholesterol lowering properties, and they also enhance liver metabolism of LDL cholesterol.

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

Welcome to the Natural Health Resource

2010-03-19T20:44:00.000+02:00

The Natural Health Resource has been created to educate and enlighten those interested in learning more about all natural ways to maintain and enhance a healthy lifestyle. In recent history our society has been bombarded with a non-stop stream of marketing from big pharmaceutical companies with one goal in mind. To cloud both practitioners and consumers minds into thinking that the only way to better or maintain health and wellness is with a pharmaceutical. The truth of the matter is that there are countless other quality products available on the market, many of which are over the counter supplements that do have substantial benefits with much less likelihood of side effects. You might be thinking if these alternative medicines are so great then why haven’t I heard much about them? The main reason that there isn’t as much info on natural remedies is simple. Money. For example, the number one selling pharmaceutical in the United States is Lipitor. This is an effective agent at reducing cholesterol. If you don’t take Lipitor, I’m sure you’re familiar with the name. In 2007 this blockbuster drug accounted for over 12 billion dollars in sales. That’s just one drug! Last year, combined sales in the dietary supplement industry only reached a total of $13 billion, according to the Nutrition Business Journal. So where does all that Big Pharma money go? It goes towards expensive FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approval, commercials, large scale clinical tests, huge sales forces, physician practice lunches, loads of free samples, etc. So why doesn’t Big Pharma make dietary supplements if they can be just as effective? Well some pharmaceutical companies are actually beginning to enter the dietary supplement industry but it’s definitely not their focus. The most important thing in the pharmaceutical world is patents. It’s near impossible to get a patent on most supplement ingredients. Why spend hundreds of thousands of dollars performing double-blind studies on an ingredient like vitamin D that you can’t patent? The bottom line is that if Big Pharma can’t receive a patent on a particular health solution then they have no desire to allocate large amounts of money to prove it’s effectiveness.

This blog was not created to jab at pharmaceutical companies. For the most part they’re products are effective. As for side effects, we’ll save that for a future post. The purpose of this blog is to shed light on all natural alternatives that are proven to be safe and effective. Our featured author is a cardiologist by the name of Dr. M. H. Chaudhry M.D., F.A.C.P. He has been practicing cardiology for over 35 years and recommends both pharmaceuticals and dietary supplements on a case by case basis. He is in the minority in regards to practitioners but is part of a growing movement towards the understanding and acceptance of natural alternative medicines. Whether you are well versed in alternative medicine or have yet to be exposed. We invite you to subscribe to this blog and look forward to your input.

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Health – Statin Drugs, CoQ10 and Your Health – Are You Healthier Taking Statin Drugs?

2010-03-12T20:25:00.000+02:00

The New England Journal of Medicine reported recently, that at least 250,000 heart attacks last year could have been prevented by controlling inflammation. These 250,000 heart attacks represent 20% of the total 1,250,000 heart attacks. Half of the total heart attacks occurred in people with normal cholesterol levels. You have the same risk of heart attack with high cholesterol compared to people with normal levels of cholesterol. Maybe cholesterol is not the correct indicator or marker of your heart health? The New England Journal of Medicine stated that controlling inflammation might be a better way to prevent cardiovascular events.

Statin drugs sold under a variety of names including Lipitor (atorvastatin), Zocor (simvastatin), Mevacor (lovastatin) and Pravachol (pravastatin) are prescribed to lower cholesterol and supposedly to reduce the risk of heart disease. Statin drugs block your body’s production of cholesterol by inhibiting the enzyme HMG-CoA reductase. By inhibiting this enzyme, your body’s production of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is also blocked. CoQ10 is the key to energy production in every cell in your body. Your heart uses more energy than any other organ, and has a higher concentration of CoQ10. Statin drugs block this enzyme. If you are taking statin drugs and have a concern, please consult your doctor about adding a CoQ10 supplement. Interestingly enough, there are two United State Patents (4,933,165 and 4,929,437) filed in 1990 by one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world that added CoQ10 to their statin drug. To my knowledge, this statin drug with a CoQ10 supplement has never been released to the public.

CoQ10 supplements are not affected by statin drugs. The best reference book that I’ve found on CoQ10 was written by Dr. Emile Bliznakov wrote “The Miracle Nutrient Coenzyme Q10” in 1998. CoQ10 supplements do not prevent any of the current side effects caused by statin drugs, although some researchers believe that muscle and joint pain might be reduced with CoQ10 supplementation. If you have muscle and joint pain from taking statin drugs, check with your doctor before adding CoQ10 supplements to your diet.

There are some things you can do to reduce cholesterol without taking statin drugs. Avoid trans-fats, refined sugars, reduced-fat milks and powdered milk products. Supplements that should be considered are: cod liver oil, evening primrose and borage or black currant oil. Eat plenty of saturated fats and foods high in copper. Use coconut oil and coconut products. I personally mix coconut oil and olive oil (half and half) for frying foods.

Statin drugs block your body’s production of cholesterol and CoQ10. Additionally, statin drugs block dolichols which target proteins based on your DNA’s instruction. Blocking dolichols can lead to your cells responding chaotically because of dolichol deficiency. The immediate precursor of cholesterol is squalene. Researchers have found that squalene inhibits blood vessels formation in tumors.

CoQ10 supplements can be found with the name ubiquinone or ubiquinol. Ubiquinone is the primary commercially available CoQ10 supplement being sold in stores and over the Internet. If the label of the CoQ10 bottle doesn’t specifically stated ubiquinone or ubiquinol, it is most likely ubiquinone. Ubiquinone is the oxidized form of CoQ10. You body will convert ubiquinone to ubiquinol.

Ubiquinol is difficult to synthesize and a method was found about three years ago that makes it commercially profitable to sell today – and at a higher price than ubiquinone. Ubiquinol is the reduced form of CoQ10 – it is not oxidized. As such, ubiquinol is the antioxidant form of CoQ10 which neutralizes free radical damage. Not all of the ubiquinone you ingest is converted to ubiquinol. Approximately 90% of ubiquinone is converted to ubiquinol in healthy young people. As you age, your body makes less CoQ10 and converts less ubiquinone to ubiquinol. Therefore, if you are older and have a choice, take ubiquinol. I have read some articles that state ubiquinol is six to eight times more effective compared to ubiquinone in those people over 50 years of age.

I always read every label and accompanying document for any prescription, non-prescription and food supplement that I take. I want to know it will do for me. Last year my dermatologist gave me a prescription for a fungal infection on both my large toes. I bought the medicine and read all the paperwork and decided that I didn’t want to take any chances with the side effects. I chose a natural alternative solution that worked fine and eliminated the problem. Check all labels before using – even if your doctor prescribed it for you. You are responsible for your health!

Choices have consequences. Your Prosperity Professor, Red O’Laughlin

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Eating Like a Caveman

2010-03-10T20:40:00.000+02:00

You may have heard of something called the paleo diet, the idea being that to live healthy, humans should probably eat what their bodies evolved to eat. Cavemen did not eat Lucky Charms, Pop Tarts, Hot Pockets, or even bread. Recently, I’ve been reading stuff over at Free The Animal, a blog by Richard Nikoley, who went paleo three years ago and lost 60 pounds since. He avoids eating grains, vegetable oils, and the products derived from them. He also avoids grain-fed meat. He does not avoid all carbs and does not intentionally avoid any kind of animal fat. He maintains that a good paleo diet can be zero-carb or can include lots of starchy vegetables.

What I like about him is that he is not at all dogmatic about it. He does not care much to argue what exactly humans were eating in the Paleolithic era, as some paleo folks do, rather he uses the likely Paleolithic diet as a foundation and goes from there looking into scientific research. For example, humans have probably been eating wheat for a while, maybe we’ve adapted to it.

I’ve understood for some time that eating carbohydrates causes your pancreas to produce insulin which causes your body to store fat, while eating excess fat causes your body to simply burn it off. In other words, low-carb is good for weight lots and low-fat isn’t. However, we are told that avoiding cholesterol and fat, saturated fat in particular, is necessary for good heart health. Richard links to a lot of science showing this to be nonsense. First off, the cholesterol problem is more complicated than good (HDL) and bad (LDL). Second, your body produces almost all of the cholesterol in your blood. Eating more or less has basically no effect.

I want to eat like he does. The two difficulties I see would be finding and affording meat that is not grain-fed and avoiding wheat. Still, even if I just move partly toward this diet, my health should improve.

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

Top 10 Reasons to Manage Stress

2010-03-10T03:38:00.000+02:00

1. Stress can cause you to ‘numb out’ and become insensitive. This is a natural survival instinct in an emotionally painful environment and could cause you to become an ineffective customer service representative or an insensitive manager. (David Lee, Training Scene)

2. Stress can stifle your creativity and innovation in the workplace due to the high physiological and psychological effects it can have on you. It causes your thought process to narrow and could make it harder for you to excel at thinking out of the box. (David Lee, Training Scene).This can be detrimental to your job security because in today’s harsh economic environment, “innovation is the best source of competitive advantage” according to Professor Larry Smith at the University of Waterloo.

3. Stress can cause accidents because your mind is often occupied elsewhere creating what David Lee author of “Managing Employee Stress and Safety” calls ‘tunnel vision’.

4. Stress can cause conflicts between you and your co-workers. In fact it could potentially lead to violence. According to the “Attitudes In The American Workplace VI” Gallup Poll in 2000: 14% of respondents had felt like striking a coworker in the past year, but didn’t; 25% have felt like screaming or shouting because of job stress, 10% are concerned about an individual at work they fear could become violent.

5. Stress is can make you less productive as it might cause you to miss work, quit or change jobs. Northwest National Life reported in 1993 that one million absences each day in the workplace are stress-related and it is estimated that 40% of worker turnover is due to job stress.

6. Stress can cause memory loss. The renowned brain researcher, Robert M. Sapolsky, has shown that sustained stress can damage the hippocampus, the part of the limbic brain which is central to learning and memory. The culprit is Cortisol a hormone secreted from the adrenal glands during stress.

7. Stress can affect your problem solving abilities. In a study done by Thomas D’Zurilla and F.Collette Sheedy in 1990, they measured specific components of the problem-solving process (e.g., problem orientation, problem-solving skills). The results of the analysis showed that general problem-solving ability was negatively affected even years later when the stress/problems have disappeared.

8. Stress can cause weight gain. Too much cortisol can slow your metabolism, causing more weight gain than normal. You may also experience more cravings as the hormones released during stress cause carbohydrate cravings by lowering levels of serotonin, the calming hormone (Psychology Today, August 2007).

9. Stress can elevate your cholesterol levels. Studies of medical students near exam time and accountants during tax season showed significant increases in cholesterol levels during stressful events, when there was little or no change in diet. (Rosenman, 1993)

10. Stress can increase your risk of stroke even 50 years down the line. In a study of 556 veterans of WWII, the rate of stroke among those who had been prisoners of war was eight times higher than among those not captured. (Page and Brass, Yale Medical, 2001).

Co-written by Sumayya Sattar

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

Tomatoes!

2010-03-03T12:46:00.000+02:00

Scientists are suggesting that tomato lovers may be more likely to reduce the risk of serious disease. Lycopene, an anti oxidant which gives tomatoes their lovely rich red color, helps remove free radicals from the body. Free radicals are unstable oxygen molecules and have been implicated in cancer and other serious diseases.

Professor Michael Avirim of the Rambam Medical Center in Haifa, Israel who is testing lycopene in clinical trials says, ‘ In its natural form, lycopene is an excellent anti oxidant that helps to prevent formation of oxidized LDL, the ‘bad’ cholesterol in blood, which contributes to the build up of plaque that narrows, stiffens and constricts arteries and can lead to heart attacks. When this natural extract was added to cancer cell cultures, the lycopene inhibited their growth. Lycopene is the most potent nutritional antioxidant found to date.

Another study compared men who have a heart attack with the same number of healthy men and found that those with high levels of lycopene appeared to reduce their risk of heart diseases by 50%. The study’s coordinator, Lenore Kohlmeier, professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the university of North Carolina, said, ‘Based on our findings, and other research, lycopene can be an excellent antioxidant, we recommend that people eat tomato based cooked foods.

Several recent studies have shown that a diet rich in tomatoes and tomato products is strongly linked to a reduced risk of certain cancers. In a six year study of 48,000 male professionals, Dr Edward Giovannucci and colleagues at Harvard Medical School found that consuming tomatoes and tomato based products between five to seven serving a week was associated with a reduced risk of prostate cancer of 21% to 34%.

Another study published in the International Journal of Cancer said that lycopene appears to protect against cancer of the mouth, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, colon and rectum. Researchers at the University of Illinois report that women with the highest lycopene levels had a five fold lower risk of developing precancerous signs of cervical cancer than women with lowest lycopene levels.

The human body does not produce lycopene alone and therefore relies on a consumption of tomatoes and tomato based products for this anti oxidant. Nutritionists and other health professionals have long advocated the cancer preventative benefits of a diet high in fruits and vegetables.

Lycopene: Just The Facts

Research by Dr. Joseph Levy and colleagues from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel, may have identified the unique mechanism through which lycopene protects against cancer which is by activating cancer-preventive phase II enzymes.

Lycopene is an open-chain unsaturated carotenoid that imparts red color to tomatoes.

Lycopene is a proven anti-oxidant that may lower the risk of certain diseases including cancer and heart disease.

In the body, lycopene is deposited in the liver, lungs, prostate gland, colon and skin. Its concentration in body tissues tends to be higher than all other carotenoids.

Epidemiological studies have shown that high intake of lycopene-containing vegetables is inversely associated with the incidence of certain types of cancer. For example, habitual intake of tomato products has been found to decrease the risk of cancer of the digestive tract among Italians.

In one six-year study by Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Public Health, the diets of more than 47,000 men were studied. Of 46 fruits and vegetables evaluated, only the tomato products (which contain large quantities of lycopene) showed a measurable relationship to reduce prostate cancer risk. As consumption of tomato products increased, levels of lycopene in the blood increased, and the risk for prostate cancer decreased. The study also showed that the heat processing of tomatoes and tomato products increases Lycopene bioavailability.

Ongoing research suggests that lycopene can reduce the risk of macular degenerative disease, serum lipid oxidation and cancers of the lung, bladder, cervix and skin.

The Wholefood Farmacy’s Farmacy Gourmet V-6 Creamy Tomato Soup is quick and easy taking only a minute to prepare. Handcrafted using the finest whole food ingredients, our V-6 Tomato Soup is made from Tomatoes, Brown Rice, Soy Beans, Oats, Onions, Dill Weed & Stardust Pure Salt. If you haven’t tasted it, you don’t know what you’re missing.

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

Physical exercise for your health

2010-02-26T20:03:00.000+02:00

All the news about trans fat are related to how negative it can be for you personally and your entire body. There's an improve of awareness on small fat eating habits, minimal ldl cholesterol food, the risk of cardiovascular system ailment and other fat related health problems, all these drives persons to consider if their trans fat is decreased enough. The issue is how minimal is decreased adequate ? Is there a flip side to incredibly minimal cholesterol degree within the body?

Visit lowering cholesterol naturally

Go to the park or local playground and you will see children with a great time. These children are exercise and running perfectly in the world, except perhaps if they have some dirt in his eyes. Children are the keys to a healthy exercise routine and embedded in them from an early age, without even knowing it. Adults can follow the strategies that keep children healthy more fun and active exercise routine that eventually will stop feeling like a complete task. Take exercise tips from the perspective of a child to do an exercise routine of the fun part of the day instead of a hum drum routine should do. We rarely see children playing in the park miserably as if it were a task, and with these simple lessons for children, exercise routine that r no longer seems a task well. Have fun with exercise and fitness is very important to maintain a consistent routine going and happy. Play: Children love to play and also adults. This is the playing time which makes the exercise seem like a game and not a liability. Follow the children and make the daily workout of a game by setting goals and trying your hardest to achieve. Laugh: Laughter is sometimes the best cure for a boring exercise routine. Incorporate a series of fun times in your daily routine to spice it up a bit. Laughter is commonly shared by children and not just t reduce your blood pressure and increase your energy, it also just feels good. Jump and Run: Try to jump as you can have as a child. Skip is very similar to running, but much more fun. You can run if you want too … Either way everything is better than a slow walk. Not just jumping and running increase your heart rate, but also gets you to where you need to go faster. Skip is particularly fun because it reminds the child of laughter and fun. Friends: Exercise with friends whenever possible. A friend will make the workout seem to go much faster, be more fun, and you can even get a good laugh out of it. Follow the instructions of the children and spend as much time "playing" with your friends as you can. This book is a great motivator, and keep the exercise interesting. Try Try Try: Think of your childhood when his father told him you could do anything in the world if you just put your mind to it … Now think of something fun and silly and do it! Incorporate fun, strange activities in their daily routines, although not think I can do … try anyway. Try and keep trying, because the more you try the better you get! Leave the house: a workout routine can quickly become a nightmare if done within the walls of a house again and again. The nature and timing of outdoor activities alone change a workout routine and make it more interesting. Children are constantly asking if they can play outside, and this activity must be followed by adults. A bit of fresh air, playing outside with children for a great workout!

Visit lower cholesterol naturally

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Fish Oil: Why you should be taking it!

2010-02-24T20:34:00.000+02:00

Fish oil: What is it? Who needs it? How much should I be taking?

Odds are if you haven’t already heard of it, you’ll be hearing much more about fish oil in the near future! This is something I recommend to all of my patients because it really is a great all-around nourishing and preventative supplement and in terms of preserving your health, it will save you a lot of trouble down the line. With February being Heart Health Month I feel it’s my personal duty to clue you in to the wonders that fish oil has to offer!

An astounding body of evidence has been emerging over the last few decades supporting that fish oil, high in omega-3 fatty acids, is one of the best things you can be taking to improve your health.

Oils are found in every single cell of our body and exist as components of our cell membranes, backbones to our crucial hormones, moisturizers for our skin, and even lining the nerve cells allowing our brains to think clearly and deliver messages to the rest of our body. By ensuring the oils composing these structures are of high quality, this improves the overall efficiency and health of the body as a whole.

Here is a short list of what fish oil can do:

Improving heart function and decreasing LDL cholesterol
Reducing inflammation
Supporting brain health and mental focus
Supporting positive mood & emotional well-being
Healthy immune system function
Enhances appearance and moisturization of skin and hair
Promotes optimal fat metabolism and hormone synthesis

Fish oil can be obtained from adding fish to your diet, but these powerful essential fatty acids are most effective by taking a fish oil supplement. An effective supplement will specify the levels of EPA (eicosopentanoic acid) and DHA (docosahexanoic acid) which are the active omega-3 components of the fish oil, and the combined amount of EPA and DHA should be somewhere between 1000-3000mg per day.

So whether you’re suffering from high cholesterol, hypertension, depression, pain, dry hair and skin, menstrual abnormalities, decreased concentration, or even just looking for health prevention in general, fish oil has a lot to offer and is one of the best investments you can make in your health!

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

So....it's porridge for me!

2010-02-22T12:46:00.000+02:00

Since finding out that my cholesterol level is 8, not a good number to be, I have been reading up on what to do about getting it lower.

I have found out that porridge oats are an excellent thing to eat if you have high cholesterol, as the soluble fibre and beta-glucans helps get rid of the nasty cholesterol stuff in your blood stream.

In the course of trawling the internet, I came across this amazing site that tells you all you ever need to know about oats, how much is grown, how long we have been eating them and why you should add them to your diet.

http://bit.ly/cUY9G9

So, I will now start each day with a bowl of porridge oats and see if they can help me get from a level of 8 to one of 5 which is much more healthy

[Via http://40again.wordpress.com]

MMS, nouvelles de février 2010

2010-02-19T12:47:00.000+02:00

Voici le dernier message de MMS France pour le mois de février 2010. Et profitez de la boutique en ligne pour commander vos bouteilles de MMS. Bonjour à toutes et à tous les supporteurs Francophones du MMS ! En ces mois froids nous remercions Jim Humble de nous avoir fait connaître le MMS car nous ne souffrons plus de grippes et autres rhumes ou angines grâce au petites doses quotidiennes de MMS que nous prenons. Je rappelle qu’une dose de maintenance de 4 à 6 gouttes permet au système immunitaire de répondre efficacement à toutes les attaques microbiennes. Ce mois-ci je viens encore de traduire et d’ajouter un témoignage d’une personne guérie du diabète, pouvant arrêter complètement la prise d’insuline, après seulement 3 semaines de prises de MMS ! Quand on sait que des millions de gens souffrent du diabète, avec des conséquences douloureuses, on espère que tout le monde connaisse bientôt le MMS. http://lemineralmiracle.com/maladies_diabetes_mineral_miracle.html Ce mois-ci nous avons aussi vu plusieurs témoignages de personnes âgées qui ont arrêté d’utiliser leur canne après quelques prises de MMS … Merci encore Jim pour ce produit miracle ! Et cette femme paralysée pendant 8 ans, qui retrouve la mobilité grâce au MMS, encore un miracle, et c’est aussi dans la mise à jour de Février sur http://lemineralmiracle.com J’attends des nouvelles de Jim et de sa Fondation concernant les stages de formation en Anglais dans les Caraibes, car je souhaite y assister pour vous informer au mieux sur toutes les utilisations du MMS, et la sortie de son nouveau livre que je me suis aussi proposé de traduire gratuitement. Je vous tiendrai au courant ! Je vous souhaite à toutes et à tous une bonne santé et une bonne humeur pour passer ces mois frisquets. Faites passer l’info miraculeuse autour de vous … Merci et bonne chance, Jules Trésor.

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Bariatric Surgery can be Safer than Living with Obesity

2010-02-19T04:33:00.000+02:00

Today, obesity is considered a public health problem due to ist prevalence, costs and health effects on Western societies. While some individuals manage to fight obesity through changing their life styles and eating habits, some put their hope into baratric (weight loss) surgy to battle the problem.

While a baratric, or gastric, surgery is a severe treatment containing many risks. A Geisinger physician now warns that the real danger may actually be a life of obesity. Christopher Still, D.O., and director of The Geisinger Center for Nutrition and Weight Management states “There are risks associated with bariatric surgery, as there are with any surgical procedure, but the risks associated with the procedure may pale in comparison to the health complications that can be caused by obesity.”

Obesity can lead to a variety of complications including diabetes, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, liver disease, heart disease and sleep apnea. Many patients considering bariatric surgery often suffers from at least one of these conditions.

“Some obesity-related conditions can be fatal, and others require chronic medication and treatment. With the help of bariatric surgery, medical complications caused by obesity can be eliminated, and patients can enjoy a much healthier life”, Dr. Still said.

A Bariatric sugery (weight loss surgery) can also lead to some complications and is only recommended for severely obese people (BMI over 40) who have failed to loose weight with other pharmacological dietary treatments. However, the long-term weight loss and decreased overall mortality rate justifies surgery for some people.

A gastric surgery eliminates medical complications and help many patients feel more in control of their lives. After surgery, many patients can perform daily tasks that they were unable to accomplish before. For many, a bariatric surgery leads the way to healthier habits.

Comment below or on our Facebook Page!

Dr. Christopher Still at Gesinger Health System

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Why Valentine's Day Just May Be The Healthiest Day Of The Year!

2010-02-10T20:17:00.000+02:00

By Christy Valentine, MD

Many people eagerly await Valentine’s Day, and for good reason! Whether you are with a loved one, family or friends various Valentine’s Day traditions can benefit your body, mind and spirit. And for these scientific reasons, it might just be the healthiest day of the year.

It’s all about the Flavonoids

According to the Cleveland Clinic, flavonoids are found in plants. They have been identified as compounds that help repair the plant from environmental damages. Flavonoids can also be found in a wide variety of food and drinks. When we ingest foods rich in flavonoids, it is believed they also help protect us against our own environmental toxins such as pollutants from factories, cars, and the dreaded cigarette.

The benefits don’t end there. Flavonoids also have been found to have a positive effect on heart health and may help reduce platelet activation. Platelet activation plays a key role in the development of heart attacks and stroke. Anything that we can do to ward off these crippling and deadly disease processes lead to a better more enjoyable quality of life.

Chocolate has been identified as one such food! Actually, not all chocolate has jumped from the naughty to the nice list. The cocoa from which chocolate is made is rich in flavonoids. However, through the processing and getting rid of that strong cocoa taste, many of the benefits are lost. Dark chocolate which retains a little of the bitter cocoa flavor contains the highest amount of flavonoids. So although milk chocolate may have a sweeter taste and may be preferred over the dark chocolate, the health benefits aren’t the same. Even with this new “good for you” label, moderation is always key. Having a couple of small pieces of dark chocolate every-so-often may no longer be a bad idea. What you would want to avoid are candies like large milk chocolate covered marshmallows or a caramel mound of delight. Even if you sprinkle a little dark chocolate on top, the risk would definitely outweigh the benefit! So maybe this year buy your sweetheart a small box of DARK chocolate.

A Special Dinner with a Special Someone

Another tradition which contributes to Valentine’s Day possibly being the healthiest holiday is that special dinner. Many couples like to splurge on a “nice meal” which often consists of a lean filet or may be even a fish or seafood entree. Lean meats are excellent sources of protein and iron which are both important for maintaining strong muscles, adequate levels of oxygen carrying red blood cells, and overall healthy body functioning.

Fish and seafood are low in saturated fat which may make them more heart healthy. Some believe adding a variety of fish to the diet is a benefit because then you limit overexposure to toxins which may be present in any one particular species. Also, some fatty fish are very high in omega-3 fatty acids which make them a heart healthy option as they are known to improve blood pressure, decrease inflammation, and improve memory.

Red Red Wine

Enjoying a glass of red wine with your Valentine’s Day meal can also continue the trend of a heart healthy day! We have long heard that one glass of red wine would not hurt us. Although the green light for a glass of their favorite Malbec may be enough for some, it still leaves the question what makes RED wine so special?

Well the flavonoids present in chocolate are a form of a larger group of antioxidants called polyphenols. The two main forms of polyphenols are flavonoids and nonflavonoids. Red wine contains both forms. Studies have found that alcohol can increase your good cholesterol and protect arteries. All alcohol can have this benefit but red wine is special because the nonflavonoids are found in the grape skin. Since red wine is fermented longer than white wine for example, it has more of the nonflavonoids than its white wine counterpart. So it IS okay to have a glass of WHITE wine with your fish or seafood during your Valentine’s Day meal. You just won’t get as much of the heart healthy antioxidants. And remember moderation…only one glass.

To maximize the protection that red wine provides, as well as achieve anti-aging benefits with the best resveratrol available, try Shaklee’s Vivix, the Cellular Anti-Aging tonic.

Love and Marriage

As a day dedicated to celebrating love, it is no wonder that Valentine’s Day can also impact a person’s emotional well being! We as social beings thrive when we feel an intimate connection to another and the intimacy shared between a couple can lead to the release of endorphins. Endorphins are our body’s natural “feel good” hormone. They have actions in the body like opiates and result in pain relief. Exercise, stress and intimate contact can result in the release of our endorphins. A release of endorphins can intensify the overall wellness experienced by a couple on this very healthy holiday. Perhaps this is why Valentine’s Day has to be one of THE most popular days for a mate to pop the question or for a couple to get married.

The aroma of fresh flowers can help you and your loved one enjoy mental relaxation. Typically roses are the flowers of choice but lavender would also work. The tranquil environment you create may allow both of you to truly enjoy each others company and forget the troubles of the world on this special day. Reducing stress and maintaining low anxiety levels lead to an inner peace which facilitates a more fulfilling home and work life. When you feel good this shines through. You can become a parent better able to guide your family, a more productive employee or business person, and a more active individual!

The key to maximizing your Valentine’s Day health benefits is to incorporate these traditions throughout the year. Eating well, spending time with loved ones and focusing on a healthy lifestyle should be an everyday occurrence or at least a daily goal. This very special day can then transform into a very special life!

http://globalhealthnwealth.myshaklee.com/us/en/whynow_rx4health.html

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

Demystifying Some Vegan Staples

2010-02-04T00:40:00.000+02:00

Extra firm? Silken? Nutritional yeast? Miso? Tahini?

At first, it might sound erotic. Then, maybe like you’re treating a miserable skin condition.

But alas, these are wonderful terms commonly found in the vernacular and cookbooks of vegetarians and vegans everywhere. I’ll share what I know about some of the vegan go-to items like these and offer some ideas about how to use them.

Soy Milk – This is a milk derived from soybeans. The most pervasive brand, it seems, is Silk. I’ve loved the light chocolate Silk, but have found that the taste can be inconsistent. Sometimes it’s terrific and sometimes it’s just okay. I’ve been using my local grocery store brand lately (Wegman’s) and love it.

I baked whole wheat bread yesterday and altered the original recipe by using reduced fat soy milk. The bread turned out AWESOME. I use soy milk when I cook to replace milk or cream in recipes. No one has ever noticed a difference.

Most significant to me is that it’s been a great help with my cholesterol. There is research to support my experience. There is also information that challenges the value of soy; so while I’m a big fan, I’d encourage you to read up and be an informed consumer.

Almond Milk – I love it in my coffee. I use it interchangeably with soy milk when I’m cooking, but it’s more expensive, so soy’s usually my go-to in those cases. But I also love the unsweetened vanilla variety on my oatmeal. Blue Diamond brand really is my favorite. I’ve tried the others….

Tofu – This is a soft, cheese-looking soybean curd. It’s made by curdling hot soymilk with a coagulent (Source: Soyfoods.com). It comes in difference consistencies, from extra-firm to silken. I’ve used the extra-firm to make Smoky Miso Tofu Sandwiches and Sweet and Sour Tofu (both Vegan Yum-Yum) and the silken to make smoothies and sauces. You don’t want to eat this right out of the package. Good recipes can guide even the most reluctant cooks to great tofu success. The downside to using the firm tofus is that you need to plan ahead about 20-30 minutes before you start cooking to drain and press it. This isn’t difficult at all, but you do need to think ahead a little bit. To press, all you have to do is wrap it in a couple of paper towels, and then a clean dish towel, set it on a plate, put another plate on top and weigh it down with a few cans of stuff. The point is to push most of the moisture out.

Tofutti Cream Cheese – I don’t miss the regular stuff and this is so much better for you! I’m looking forward to my bagel for breakfast tomorrow.

Earth Balance – This butter-replacement is vegan and tastes terrific. My kids love it. We don’t miss butter at all. (Hint: The “whipped” variety is our preference.)

Nutritional Yeast – In the natural foods section of my store, I can buy this in bulk and it’s cheap. This is not a rising yeast. Don’t bake with it! It’s loaded with protein and B vitamins. It has a cheesy-ish flavor and is a nice add-in for sauces when you want a tangy, complex flavor. I’m new to it and I really like it!

Ground Flaxseeds – You should definitely have this in your pantry. They work as omega-3s in your diet (2 Tbsp a day) and can work as an egg substitute in cooking things like pancakes when mixed well with water (1 Tbsp mixed with 3 Tbsp water = 1 egg). I also mix them in with my oatmeals, breads, even cookies and smoothies. Pulling them out happens easily on a daily basis.

Tahini – This is a paste made from sesame seeds. The most common use is in hummus (though I make hummus without it, too) or as a falafel topping, but it’s used in lots of recipes that I’ve found.

Miso – This is a fermented paste of soybeans and grains. I just used this for the first time last week in making a marinade for my tofu slices. Here’s a great site with a couple of recipes and a great history: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6190769

Cashews – These aren’t intimidating, but they’re used a lot in cooking. I made an amazing tomato sauce last night with cashews and they make a terrific Alfredo sauce–great comfort food with none of the guilt. Here’s the recipe: http://veganyumyum.com/index.php?s=hurry+up+alfredo&searchbutton=Go%21.

Seitan and Tempeh – My next step is to venture into these…. “Fake meats” have been a little scary for me (though we have done Boca Burgers:o)

Ultimately, a great cookbook will be the best impetus for you to wade into these foodstuffs. Let me know if you have more specific questions or have an ingredient that you’re curious about!

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

Reader Comment: A Child's Chest Pain

2010-02-03T20:07:00.000+02:00

A reader recently commented on the SW101 post Will My Child Have A Heart Attack with a disturbing letter about her child. It has now been granted its own blog. I have written my own comments in throughout the letter in red italics to make me appear extra important and potentially infallible.

***************************

Thank you for that article. My typically healthy 6 year old daughter has been complaining of chest pain, burning on the left side of the neck and feeling her heart “in her throat” as she says. This is not a big deal. Kids say this stuff all the time. It goes along with the ubiquitous ”Tummy ache”, “I’m full”, “My eyes hurt”, “I need a drink of water”, and “Where’s my bear you can’t expect me to sleep in such harsh conditions so until you find my bear I’m going to sit here and attempt to poop my pants in protest so start lookin’ quick, POPS.”

She says it goes too fast and she gets dizzy and has actually passed out several times while doing minimal activity. This IS a big deal. Kids don’t do this…ever. True loss of consciousness in a 6 year old kid has a genuine cause. In the elderly, things like autonomic instability lead to syncopal episodes (pass out when they stand up). Add 90 years to your kid’s life, and your letter wouldn’t have won itself a full blog post.

I have taken her to several Dr’s, only to be told “kids don’t have heart attacks”. I agree. Kids don’t. Adolescents do, however. And young adults in their early 20’s do too. I’m at my wit’s end with this and worry over it constantly. You’re right to be. The hair is starting to stand up on the back of my neck over this one.

She had bloodwork to check her cholesterol about 14 months ago and it was high. Genetics..ding! ding! ding! That, or you’ve set her up with a continuous Big Mac infusion pump through her sleeping hours.

She recently had it checked again and it was 259. That’s worse than mine…and I’m 37 spending most of my time with my butt glued to a chair while I hover like an anxious hen over my blog. Her sister (age 10) had a cholesterol level of 126. Luck of the draw, kid. I’d see the bet and raise it if I were her. They eat virtually the same thing and my 6 year old is only 40 lbs, so she isn’t overweight. Another sign of a genetic component…which makes this just fantastically unfair.

This is now starting to affect her normal playing routine because she says running/playing make it hurt worse. REALLY bad sign. Kids run. Especially skinny kids. They RUN.

I’ve been told it’s constipation ?, seriously?, reflux probable in ADULTS, heartburn same thing…grown ups, not kids, pulled sternum maybe the strangest musculoskeletal diagnosis I’ve ever heard….but so far no Doctor feels it is anything to worry about. Are you seeing actual doctors…in actual America? I hear the medical system on the plains of Balinor is a bit iffy.

She had a EKG and it showed she was tachycardic based on her age? EVERY kid is tachycardic compared to an adult and a few arrythmias this is like saying “oh, we had some red wine”. Some arrythmias KILL YOU, others are meaningless…and everything in between. What kind of arrythmia?, however her pediatrician feels that could be normal for her age. ‘Could be?‘

Her teacher at school tells me she complains 5-10 times a day and says ‘my heart hearts’. My 3 year old boy is obsessed with candy, but I’d guess he rarely actually asks for it 10 times in one 24 hour period (considering he sleeps for about 14 of them).

We live in a very small town population 4?, and have to travel 120 miles to a ped. cardiologist worth it…however they won’t see her without a referral and her pediatrician doesn’t feel it is necessary I suspect an insurance issue. How hard is it to make a referral, even if only to help reassure mom?

If you have any suggestions for me I would love to hear them. I’m worried

that even though diet has been modified and the rest of the family has no cholesterol issues (grandparents do) that this high level is affecting her. Do you know of any other tests that I could suggest her Doctor perform? Short of a cardiac catheterization, I’m not aware of any other helpful tests in this situation. He has also shrugged off any suggestions of a heart echo.

Final Thoughts – (I’ll dispense with the red italics, even though it makes me feel Extremely Important):

I can’t be certain that your story is completely true, because I don’t know you and haven’t seen your daughter’s medical file. It also rings a bit fantastical since I’ve spent lots of time around pediatricians and have never seen one as cavalier as what you describe based on the small amount of information you’ve provided me. As a rule, I do not believe that many doctors are lazy, incompetent, negligent…or drunk. If you’re going to a licensed child specialist physician, they probably know what they’re talking about.

That said, IF your story is completely true, my advice is to knock on doors – pound on them if you have to. Walk up to any door with an M.D. on it (be wary of any other initials except perhaps D.O.) – until you get a referral to a pediatric cardiologist for an echo. Women walked for 5 solid hours under the Haitian sun to have their child seen in our clinics when I did relief work there, so you can cross vast distances for your child too.

The echo, in my opinion, is the first place to start. Your child also probably needs medication for the cholesterol issue – or will in the very near future – and if your pediatrician seems to be cavalier about this, you may need to look for one that is more aggressive. But diet changes won’t help this situation much, and exercise could be dangerous until you rule out structural heart disease. It’s almost impossible to find cardiomyopathy without imaging, and totally impossible to find early atherosclerosis without a significant work up by a cardiologist.

Rest assured, there is a doctor out there who will find in in their writing hand to put in 10 minutes and refer you to a specialist if your story is as legit as it appears on this blog. If it takes spending a week in a larger city, fine. If it takes getting on an airplane, DO IT! If what you said is true, and there are no additional conveniently omitted facts, your child needs to see a specialist. Do NOT stop pestering doctors until she does.

Finally, let me say that while my heart goes out to you, remember that I am a doctor…but not YOUR doctor. And this is a blog, not my clinic. As you can see by my responses, I’m giving my honest opinion, but also being silly. I write this blog for fun, not to extend my day at the office. Therefore, these responses qualify only as suggestions and musings, not medical advice. A licensed physician, who has actually seen your daughter and evaluated her entire history, is the one who needs to make a real recommendation in this situation. It completely annoys me that I find it necessary to say that….the world these days is run by lawyers.

All joking and useless lawyer pandering aside, my responses in this blog really boil down to one thing: Keep knocking….

[Via http://secretwave101.wordpress.com]

Fucus Kelp: Anti Fat Supplement and Weight Loss Aid

2010-02-03T03:55:00.000+02:00

I recently discovered an herbal supplement that was been reported to help with natural weight loss. I’m really not someone who believes in weight loss pills. So, I’m always looking for natural remedies to help improve my health and manage my weight. The product that I’m taking now is Aquazon.

This product has a seaweed or marine algae (Fucus) that is a century-old homeopathic remedy for weight loss, slimming or reducing weight.

Fucus (fucus vesiculosus), also called kelp or bladderwrack, is a brown algae seaweed found on the North Sea coast, the Western Baltic coast, and the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. It has been used for centuries in Europe for weight management and to stimulate lymphatic circulation. Recent studies have shown that fucus promotes healthy tissue growth, stimulates the immune system and helps maintain balance in blood glucose levels.

The main ingredient used from fucus vesiculosus is iodine which stimulates the thyroid gland to speed up metabolism. The increase in metabolism has the potential to initiate weight loss.

Fucus is used to increase/balance thyroid hormone activity, reduction of appetite/craving for foods and slow conversion of fats and carbohydrates into body fat.

Seaweed as kelp and fucus effectively stimulates the metabolism and helps with the breakdown of fatty tissue leading to a fast and safe way of weight loss. Other benefits are that the combination of natural minerals and trace elements within the seaweed also helps to control the appetite, elimination of toxins, assists in the fight against water retention.

Fucus is used for increasing/balance thyroid hormone activity. By many seen as a healthy way to beat the menopause weight with no side effects and many added benefits. Important source of bio minerals, trace elements, vitamins, essential amino acids and fiber.

Aquazon is a unique blend of Klamath Lake Blue-Green Algae and Marine Algae (Fucus), a seaweed also known as kelp. This formula provides exceptional support to the immune and nervous systems. It also promotes overall health and longevity.

Benefits of Aquazon:

Increases energy
Rich source of trace minerals
Promotes mental clarity and concentration

To Your Health ~

Melissa

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

Tofu, Soy Diet Linked to Lower Death in Breast Cancer

2010-02-01T20:10:00.000+02:00

Greetings everyone,

On my next radio talk show “Waves of Healing” on 2/2/10

at 3pm PST, I will be interviewing John Lucas – a Remote

Energy Healer who can eliminate the causes of virtually

any kind.

You can listen to show live on 2/2/10 at 3pm PST by

login to www.blogtalkradio.com/Lea-Yekutiel. Or you can

listen to all of the shows at your convenience by

login to www.blogtalkradio.com/lea-yekutiel and listen

to archived shows and download it for F R E E.

Tofu, Soy Diet Linked to Lower Death in Breast Cancer

Survivors

By Nicole Ostrow

Dec. 8 (Bloomberg) — Breast cancer survivors in China who

ate tofu, soy milk and fresh beans as part of a diet rich

in soy protein had a lower risk of dying and less chance

their cancer would return, a study found.

Those who ate the most soy protein had a 29 percent lower

risk of dying and a 32 percent lower rate of their breast

cancer returning than those who had the lowest intake of

soy, research showed today in the Journal of the American

Medical Association. The foods included in the study were

tofu, soy milk and fresh soy beans, all common choices in

Asian meals.

The study, which followed women for an average of about

four years, is the largest to examine the influence of soy

intake on breast cancer survival and recurrence, the authors

said. More than 192,000 women in the U.S. will be diagnosed

with breast cancer this year, according to the National

Cancer Institute.

“Women with breast cancer can be assured that consumption of

moderate amounts of soy food is safe and may be associated

with better outcomes,” said the study’s lead author Xiao-Ou

Shu, a professor of medicine at Vanderbilt University in

Nashville, Tennessee, in a Dec. 4 e-mail. The researchers

will follow the women to watch “the long-term effects of soy

food intake on health among breast cancer survivors,

including bone density, fracture and coronary heart disease,”

she said.

Rich in Isoflavones

Soy foods are rich in isoflavones, which are estrogen-like

compounds that occur naturally in plant foods. Soy isoflavones

may compete with the body’s estrogen in binding to cell

receptors, reducing the amount of estrogen in the body and

hindering the ability of cancers to grow. The most common

types of breast cancer depend on estrogen to grow, Shu said.

The researchers said the results eased previous concern that

isoflavones might interfere with tamoxifen, a cancer drug

designed to block estrogen. The study found higher soy food

consumption was beneficial regardless of whether a patient

was taking tamoxifen, she said.

The researchers analyzed data from women in the Shanghai

Breast Cancer Survival Study in China. The women had been

diagnosed with breast cancer from March 2002 to April 2006.

They were followed for an average of four years through June

2009.

At that time, there were 444 total deaths and 534 breast

cancer recurrences or breast cancer-related deaths among

5,033 women in the study.

Death Rate Lower

The four-year mortality rate was 7.4 percent for women with

the highest consumption of soy protein compared with 10.3

percent for those with the lowest intake. The four-year

breast cancer recurrence rates were 8 percent for those in

the highest soy group and 11.2 percent for those in the

lowest group, the researchers found.

Eating soy food that is the equivalent to 11 grams

(0.39 ounces) of soy protein or 40 milligrams of soy

isoflavone a day was enough to see a benefit, Shu said.

In the study, the women consumed an average of 47

milligrams a day of isoflavone compared with the average

U.S. intake of 1 milligram to 6 milligrams a day, the

researchers said.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends people

consume 25 grams of soy protein a day, which contains

about 50 milligrams of isoflavone, as part of a diet low

in saturated fat and cholesterol that may help reduce the

risk of heart disease. One cup of fortified soy milk

contains 10 grams of soy protein, or 43 milligrams of

isoflavone, while a half cup of a firm soybean patty

called tempeh contains 16 grams, or 53 milligrams of

isoflavone. A half-cup of tofu or about 1.5 cups of edamame,

a green vegetable, also each contain 10 grams of soy protein.

Survival Benefits

Other ingredients in soy foods including folate, protein,

calcium or fiber may also be responsible for the survival

benefits, Shu said.

More soy foods are consumed in China than in the U.S.,

according to an editorial written in the same journal by

Rachel Ballard-Barbash at the National Cancer Institute

in Bethesda, Maryland, and Marian Neuhouser at the Fred

Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle.

Ballard-Barbash and Neuhouser said most soy in the U.S.

is consumed through supplements and processed foods,

including meat substitutes made with soy, that may contain

lower amounts of isoflavones. Future studies should look at

whether isoflavone supplements have similar results as those

seen with soy food, Shu said.

More studies are needed in larger numbers of people among

more diverse populations to fully understand the effects of

soy on breast cancer survivors, Ballard-Barbash and Neuhouser

wrote.

“In the meantime, clinicians can advise their patients with

breast cancer that soy foods are safe to eat and that these

foods may offer some protective benefit for long-term health,”

they wrote. “Patients with breast cancer can be assured that

enjoying a soy latte or indulging in a pad thai with tofu

causes no harm and, when consumed in plentiful amounts, may

reduce risk of disease recurrence.”

To contact the reporter on this story: Nicole Ostrow in New

York at nostrow1@bloomberg.net.

I hope this article is informative so it can help you to make

the right decisions about your health.

With my unconditional love,

Lea Yekutiel

www.ilovemybreastcancer.com

www.blogtalkradio.com/lea-yekutiel

P.S Please click below to check important information

that are dealing with healing issues.

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P.P.S Enjoy Abraham Hicks – Abundance of Well Being

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

Syndrome X, Metabolic syndrome...

2010-01-29T20:45:00.000+02:00

Metabolic syndrome is a combination of medical disorders that increase the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and diabetes.[1] It affects a great number of people, and prevalence increases with age. Some studies estimate the prevalence in the USA to be up to 25% of the population.[2]

Metabolic syndrome is also known as metabolic syndrome X, syndrome X, insulin resistance syndrome, Reaven’s syndrome, and CHAOS (Australia). A similar condition in overweight horses is referred to as equine metabolic syndrome; it is unknown if they have the same etiology.

Signs and symptoms

Symptoms and features are:

Fasting hyperglycemia — diabetes mellitus type 2 or impaired fasting glucose, impaired glucose tolerance, or insulin resistance;

High blood pressure;

Central obesity (also known as visceral, male-pattern or apple-shaped adiposity), overweight with fat deposits mainly around the waist;

Decreased HDL cholesterol;

Elevated triglycerides;

Associated diseases and signs are: elevated uric acid levels, fatty liver (especially in concurrent obesity), progressing to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, polycystic ovarian syndrome, hemochromatosis (iron overload); and acanthosis nigricans (a skin condition featuring dark patches).

The description continues at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metabolic_syndrome

Other links:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/reverse_syndrome_x.htm

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/syndrome_x_education.htm

http://www.syndromexassoc.org/Home.asp

http://www.syndromexassoc.org/Treatment.asp

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

This Week - on the Liberation Wellness Hour - Julie Burns - Eat Like the PROS!

2010-01-29T04:39:00.000+02:00

Julie H. Burns, MS, RD, CCN is founder of SportFuel, Inc. and Eat Like the Pros® – an integrative nutrition consulting firm and Organic Meal Delivery service, both located in Western Springs, IL. Past and current clients include the Chicago Blackhawks hockey team, Chicago White Sox baseball team, Chicago Bears football team, Chicago Bulls basketball team, Northwestern University’s varsity teams, Next Level Performance and individual pro and elite athletes. Julie regularly provides nutrition guidance to coaches, athletic trainers, amateur athletes, and health care professionals. As a mother of teenage active triplets, she is often asked to address mother’s groups, parent associations, and other lay audiences. Julie also consults with food and public relations companies. Julie previously served as Director of Research at the Chicago Center for Clinical Research, a former affiliate of Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Medical Center, where she specialized in cardiovascular experimental nutritionals and pharmaceuticals. She has served as an adjunctive faculty appointment at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Medical Center in the Department of Nutrition. Julie is a regular presence on Chicago-area network and cable television and is frequently quoted in major newspapers and magazines. She co-edited the second edition of Cardiovascular Disease: Nutrition for Prevention and Treatment, a manual for health professionals, by the American Dietetic Association (ADA). She has published articles in major medical journals, and authored a brochure for the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) based on their Position Stand on Exercise and Fluid Replacement. Julie’s sports nutrition chapter contributions include a Sports Beverage chapter for Macroelements, Water, and Electrolytes and Basketball: Power Jam Nutrition, in Sports Nutrition: A Guide for the Professional Working with Active People-3rd edition.

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]

High cholesterol? It could happen to you...

2010-01-27T20:54:00.000+02:00

In 2005–2006, 16% of adults had serum total cholesterol levels of 240 mg/dL or greater (high cholesterol). The good news is that generally, for Americans 20 years of age and over, cholesterol levels are declining. However, this decline was seen for men 40 years and over and for women 60 years and over, with little change between 1999 and 2006 for all other age-sex groups.

What may be most disconcerting is the fact that many U.S. adults may not even know they have high cholesterol, with data from the 2005-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey finding that 8% of U.S. adults had high cholesterol but had never been told by a health care provider that their cholesterol levels were high. For more data concerning high cholesterol, see the NCHS Data Brief on High Cholesterol. For more information on combating high cholesterol, visit the CDC Webpage on Cholesterol.

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

Why you should eat eggs, Egg baked potato, and Slooow south western chicken

2010-01-27T04:35:00.000+02:00

I am a big proponent of eating real eggs. They are basically natures perfect food, I mean think about… they are life waiting to happen. Most people think that eggs are awful for your cholesterol and you should only eat the whites. This is a fair assumption, but there has been a lot of research disproving this myth. Check out this article from Men’s Health:

Whole eggs contain more essential vitamins and minerals per calorie than virtually any other food. They’re also one of the best sources of choline, a substance your body requires to break down fat for energy. In addition, eggs provide lutein and zeaxanthin, antioxidants that help prevent macular degeneration and cataracts.

However, you’ve probably been told at one time or another to avoid eggs because they’re high in cholesterol and fat. This is the same thinking that led to low-fat diets—and a mindset that has probably made us a lot fatter over the past decade. It’s simply a leftover recommendation from the low-fat legacy that was never forgotten.

In a recent review of dozens of scientific studies, Wake Forest University researchers found no connection between egg consumption and heart disease

Read more: http://www.menshealth.com/mhlists/saturated_fat/Eggs.php#ixzz0dmaYNnJM

Pretty cool, I think. Our grandparents probably grew up eating eggs, bacon, and toast with real butter every morning. Yet, they didn’t have an obesity epidemic like we face now. There were no such thing as Pop-tarts back then. I won’t start on why I think saturated fats are actually good for us and that its all the trans fats, added sugars, and filler preservatives in our foods that are killing us… but I just wanted to give some background for Egg Potato! I realized at the end of the day, last saturday, that I had really hadn’t had any healthy fats in my diet for the day. I decided I would include an egg with dinner, and I figured since we eat hash browns and eggs, I would just bake an egg in a potato. I started by cooking the potato in the microwave and then moving it to the oven to get crisp. About 8-10 minutes before I was ready to eat, I pulled out the potato, made a well, and cracked an egg inside and put it back in the oven for that time.

Pre-baked and split

Egged

Baked--a little too long, you really want the yolk to be runny

As noted in the caption, I baked mine just a little bit too long. I love my yolks runny, and that way I could have mixed it up with the potato which I wasn’t able to do as well. Oh well, next time. Also, don’t forget to season! Same as you would an omelete or a baked potato– I used garlic, onion, chili powder, and ranch seasoning.

I also took another go with the slow cooker, making some South Western chicken concoction. Here’s what I used:

Like 3(?) chicken breasts
2 Spicy low-fat andouille chicken sausages
Good amount of black bean salsa
1 can of a corn, okra, and onion soup
1 can green chiles
Garlic, onions, and chili powder

Southwest Chicken ingredients

It came out well! Could have used a little more spice though. What would give it that, does anyone have any ideas?

Cooked it on high for about 4 hours:

Simmerin'

So again, let me know if you have any fitness or nutrition questions you would like me to discuss, or dishes you want to see me cook!

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

Peanut Butter and Jelly

2010-01-25T20:45:00.000+02:00

If Chloe had her way, she would live on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. She loves them and if I dare to give her cheese instead, she just won’t eat it! To get her to eat cheese, I may put in on the side! She will eat soup with her PB&J and I have found various other creative things to add to her staple diet of PB&J sandwiches, which incidentally is only a lunch time obsession!!

Every lunch time I have something to feel guilty about… if I do give her what she wants, then she is not getting a very healthy meal, if I don’t, I have an unhappy bunny on my hands.

As well as the PB&J battle, there is the cereal battle. How many of you out there have kids that want to eat cereal for dinner? How many of you would like to confess that you have taken the easy option and given them cereal for dinner? I have!!

And thus we have the topic for today’s post… “Healthy Eating”.

I have a desire to feed my kids healthy, wholesome, meals every time they sit at the table, I have come to the conclusion that in order to do that I would have to spend considerably more money in the grocery store, shop 3 or 4 times a week to keep things fresh and be constantly cooking. (As super healthy meals tend to take longer to cook, than a 15 minute frozen pizza!) Now I love to cook so that would not be a problem for me, however, that may be more realistic when all the kids are in school! I do cook every night of the week, we do eat out a little but an average week is me cooking a simple dinner every night.

So since waiting for them all to be in school is not an option, I have to commit now to make the change, I have a cookbook buried somewhere that I will dig out and as of today, (after we have eaten the pizza in the fridge…) I publicly announce that my family will be healthy eaters from now on!!

With that said, I want you to join me, or if you are already a healthy eating family, will you help me? I am going to start a recipe page, please feel free to contribute your favorite healthy recipes, and we can comment after we have tried them.

Almost one in six American children and teens are overweight, according to the U.S. Surgeon General’s office, which also warns that 70 percent of overweight teens will grow into overweight or obese adults. Overweight children are now increasingly at risk for type 2 diabetes, a disease formerly associated only with adults. Kids carrying extra pounds may also have a higher risk of developing low self-esteem or depression.

“Were now seeing an epidemic of type 2 diabetes mellitus in children,” said Dr. Brenda Kohn, a pediatric endocrinologist at the New York University Medical Center. She noted that other disorders, such as high cholesterol, are also on the rise in heavier youngsters.

From U.S. News and World Report Website.

1 in 5 U.S. kids has high cholesterol

Thu, Jan 21, 2010 (HealthDay News) — Twenty percent of U.S. children and teens have abnormal lipid levels, an indication of too much bad cholesterol, too little good cholesterol or high triglycerides, federal health officials report.

These abnormal levels can raise the risk for heart disease, which is the leading cause of death in the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

BabyCenter.com

And so it is with these worrying facts that I will leave you for today, lets do this together and though I can’t promise to never make another peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich ever again, I can certainly feel more relaxed doing it, knowing she has had her veggies the night before!

Happy cooking!

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

High Cholesterol and Heart Disease - Part II

2010-01-22T20:52:00.000+02:00

In the previous post regarding the topic of high cholesterol, I presented the idea that cholesterol is not dangerous or might not even be a cause of heart disease. Several researcher and reports have suggested this. How then, did the idea that cholesterol must be lowered through low-saturated fat diets and statin drug use get started if there was not enough evidence to support it?

Apparently it started when butter became more expensive than margarine after WWII. At the same time it was discovered that oil could be expressed from cotton seed, a useless by product of the cotton industry, and became profitable, with the company Norton Simon becoming the biggest cotton seed oil producer. The milk industry at that time was diverse and powerful and thus began the marketing campaign by Norton Simon to convince the public that margarine was better than butter and divert profits to their product. This campaign was started by a small group of businessmen around 1946 involved in vegetable oil firms. These men formed a front group, called the American Health Foundation about 1970. The chairman happened to be David Mahoney, the President of Norton Simon. Associations were quickly formed between this Foundation and othe tax-supported organizations like the National Cancer Institute and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBL), including the FDA. With the help of these prominent organizations the Foundation went on to disseminate information on how saturated fat from foods like butter were dangerous.

To continue their promotion of their claim they needed to show that cholesterol in the diet (from butter) lead to heart disease. They latched on to a Russian study done in 1913 that fed large amounts of cholesterol to rabbits who died of heart disease. They completely ignored the fact that rabbits are vegetarians and are not designed to handle large amounts of animal fats. Despite this omission, and the existence of evidence to the contrary, the study has been repeatedly used to promote this connection and used to establish historic precedence.

Not only did the vegetable oil companies develop the myth to benefit profits, soon the pharmaceutical companies realized that they could get a share of the pie too by developing a drug that would lower blood cholesterol levels. This proved to be a very successful money making campaign for the pharmaceutical companies. But they didn’t stop there. They needed to determine a point at which doctors should prescribe the drugs. As you probably know these guidelines have been revised, despite the fact that 50% of people with heart disease have “normal” cholesterol levels. The more people they could get into the “high” category, the bigger their profits. Coincidence?

Perhaps not, considering that Lead Discovery, a UK company that helps companies optimize drug discovery and product pipelines stated in a report that:

“…Those drugs (cholesterol lowering statin drugs) are one of the most widely-prescribed and most lucrative sectors of the pharmaceutical industry, with total revenues exceeding $26 billion in 2008. Importantly, the world statins market is poised to undergo a period of rapid and dynamic change, with the generic statin sector growing particularly strongly in the years ahead.”

Next it reveals its advice to companies to best reach the profit goal:

“Importantly, there are opportunities for companies to raise sales by maximizing patient compliance and accessing new patient groups. Statins: The World Market, 2009-2024 examines strategies for increasing patient compliance there. The report has detailed interviews with key-opinion leaders in this important field. Full interview transcripts are provided – you will not find this information anywhere else.”

This market research is taken seriously by statin drug producers such as Pfizer and Merck who would have to pay £6999 to get the full report and details on how to increase profits. And no wonder, considering Pfizer’s Lipitor is the biggest statin seller, at $11 billion. Merck’s Zocor, about to lose U.S. patent protection, is No. 2 at $4.2 billion.

The report goes on to outline steps to take regarding patient compliance including use of more tests, increase in patient contact and the use of information technology. For obvious reasons, I was not able to find out the details of their recommendations, so I can only infer as to what the above steps may entail. It seems that companies would profit most by focusing their resources on those that disseminate medical information to patients; doctors and media. And the reason they need to focus on patient compliance is that it turns out that patients prescribed statin drugs stop taking them after about 3 months, many claiming undesirable side-effects such as muscle pain and memory loss. But instead of improving it to reduce side effects, drug companies have realized it would be more cost effective to spend more money on tactics to convince patients they are safe and necessary. One way they do this is by perpetuating the myth that cholesterol is highly dangerous.

So how do they get this message across to patients? How would a company make sure that the patient feels like the consequences of not taking their drugs are worse than the potential dangers of the drug? The obvious route would be increase the frequency that the patient receives their message and through increased testing, as outlined in the report. This is done through the media and through a patient’s doctor. Where do the media get its medical information? Many report on research they find in medical journals, even though few medical journalists are trained to interpret them accurately. Because of this, they often rely on the interpretations of research that is published in position statements or articles made by major health organizations like the American Heart Association or the American College of Cardiology. I have pointed out in previous posts that this avenue of information is actually full of conflict of interests, with corporations often influencing the information. This route would be an obvious one for major statin producers like Pfizer to use in order to increase patient compliance by the dissemination of misinformation about the dangers of high-cholesterol. Consider this: Pfizer is a big donor to the American College of Cardiology and in 2002 was a member of its “Diamond Heart Award by donating $750,000 or above. Pfizer was the leading sponsor at its 2001 meeting in Orlando, FL, forking over $822,000 for the meeting.” (Wall Street Journal, 6/15/01).

Physicians also use these organizations as their source of information which they use to convince patients to take statin drugs. However, it turns out that peer-reviewed research is not their main source of information. A report in the journal Family Practice concluded that for new drugs “The most important sources (of information) were the pharmaceutical industry [49 percent], in particular the company representative, non-peer-reviewed literature, the mass media, and, to a lesser extent, hospital colleagues. Peer-reviewed literature or independent drug information sources were rarely significant at this stage.”

So it seems clear that the flawed information you ultimately receive regarding high-cholesterol is delivered to you in calculated ways with the aid of a myriad of organizations including your physician, to ultimately boost profits received by the pharmaceutical companies.

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

Practicing What We Preach

2010-01-20T04:51:00.000+02:00

Let me be straight with you. I constantly struggle to keep my weight where I want it to be. Never mind that I know what to do to take off 20 pounds and keep it off. Like a lot of my friends, this time of year I find my clothes are more snug that I would like for them to be.

I have a strong motivator, and I’m not talking about that phenomenal personal trainer that is my other half. The strongest motivator for me is a family history of cardiovascular disease. My doctor checks my cholesterol level four times a year.

If you follow this blog, one of the topics you will find is my personal challenges coping with weight control. I will cover some of the tips that have worked for me, and welcome your thoughts and observations in response. We’ll get into tactics to help you eat well when you travel, how to avoid injuries when you begin a fitness program, and some of the fun stuff we are doing at the gym to keep it fresh, etc..

And from time to time you may find posts from Don Oliver himself and from other folks at the Do Fitness staff.

I hope you’ll find some insight or inspiration to help you on your path to health and fitness.

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

Overcome Cholesterol with natural Products for health Care without Pharmaceutical Drugs

2010-01-18T12:18:00.000+02:00

Can a natural health to really combat cholesterol?

There are two types of cholesterol in the human body. Generally defined as can Augood, or AT, Aubade, AU.

That sounds like two thirds of the West, not to fight for good and evil to death, but the winner gets the spoils. The key to a level of cholesterol in the body to maintain a balance between good and bad cholesterol, a cholesterol level generally strong.

To preserve this balance, you have the bad LDL cholesterol and HDL, good cholesterol, known to have a greater proportion.

There are arguments that are considered “good” cholesterol, and therefore each patient will be considered individually to assess the risk of heart disease and cholesterol. In this way the patient to the overall effect can be evaluated by your condition.

If values are considered too high, your doctor may prescribe drugs such as stations, niacin or resins. Stations are usually the drug of choice for high cholesterol.

The problem is that stations may limit the production of an enzyme called Q10, which is an important source of energy for the heart. This is one reason why, if it was a risk for high cholesterol, early intervention in a natural approach to the levels of the winery.

One way to lower cholesterol naturally by exercise. We burn a lot of energy during exercise. Once it runs out of sugars and proteins, the body has no choice but to turn fat into fuel.

In accordance with the advice of your doctor, you should at least twenty minutes of each meeting, which is at least three times a week. She as better to start slowly and increase your endurance.

Another possibility is to food, foods rich in soluble fiber fabric. Examples are beans, grains, fruits and vegetables. This is important, because fiber binds cholesterol in the intestine, and rinse each time he calls nature.

Food may also help provide food diet rich in animal fat and cholesterol.

For those that can be eaten like rice, substitute red yeast rice. A study by the Center for Human Nutrition has shown that this assistance, which is regularly lower than the production of LDL consume.

Instead of medication for cholesterol levels, some companies in the post, with the additions that are considered effective are finding.

The first is called inositol, which is time released niacin. Studies show that taking this regularly reduce LDL cholesterol and the number of HDL in the human body.

The extra second is called Policosanol. It’s almost the same as inositol and limits the amount of LDL cholesterol in the blood.

Finally, there is an additional “bio Lipitor. The interesting part of this paper is to make the ingredients in red yeast rice, inositol, policosanol, and extracts guggal rubber.

It is clear that treatment options for natural health products available that can play a role in reducing cholesterol. What followed this advice; you should consult your physician before starting a new system and not taking prescription medications without the consent of the physician.

[Via http://tutorial405.wordpress.com]

water. who knew?

2010-01-13T20:03:00.000+02:00

Really, people – you have no idea how I never thought I’d be writing this . . . which is exactly why I’m writing it.

I grew up being told to drink 8 glasses of water a day and I pretty much did that. We drank water or juice at my house – almost never soda.

At some point I got derailed. I decided I hated water and that it tasted like “liquid steel”.

Then I used the differing opinions about water intake to validate my resistance: “8 glasses of water a day is a myth“, “drink 10 glasses of water a day,” “you can drink too much water!” etc. I also whined about how far away the water cooler was, how many times I’d have to trudge to the ladies’ room, how nocturnal “loo” visits interrupted my sleep and presented a health hazard.

In the past several months, Wendy Battles has enthusiastically encouraged water drinking, which got me up to a glass a day . . . maybe . . . when I saw her tweets . . .

Then, as you know, my doc told me I had a total cholesterol count of 258 and gave me 6 weeks to “get religion” about my health or start taking Lipitor. During the course of my research and planning my JUST SAY NO TO LIPITOR program, I read that dehydration can contribute to high cholesterol (or at least doesn’t help). Besides, excess weight is a contributor to high cholesterol and drinking water reportedly aids in weight loss. That meant I had to give up my refusal to drink water or wonder if I did everything possible to avoid cholesterol medication.

Day 1. I drank 2 whole glasses of water. 200% more than usual.

Day 2. I experimented with simply doubling what I’d done the day before. 4 glasses of water imbibed.

And so it went until I found myself having drunk (drunken? . . . drank?) 8 glasses in a single day.

To combat the gripes listed above, I got a lovely, cobalt-blue 16 oz. glass so I could I’d feel the victory of having consumed “2 8-oz. glasses” with every refill while minimizing trips to the water cooler and drank most of my water before 6 or 7 pm to avoid sleep interruptions.

While I don’t get retested for my cholesterol until January 20, I have lost weight; but that could be because I now also eat breakfast daily, never going more than 3-4 hours without a healthful snack, cut out all the junk, and exercise more.

So, what’s that got to do with water? Nothing. Here’s what does: my ability to distinguish thirst from hunger and my unwillingness any longer to ignore my body’s signals. Those are BIG! I’d been ignoring my body for so long I couldn’t even tell if I was hungry or thirsty, both of which I mostly ignored until I could stand it no longer and sat down with a big bucket-o’something-unhealthy. I’m back in tune with my systems and that certainly has me feeling healthier and more grounded.

Do I know whether I need 4 glasses or 10? Nope and I probably don’t even care. I’m doing all I can to avoid cholesterol medication and actually feel better for it. We’ll see what the doc says next week, but now that I’ve turned the faucet on, I won’t be turning it off again.

“When the well is dry, we know the worth of water.” ~Benjamin Franklin

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

MMS - Nouvelles de Janvier 2010

2010-01-13T12:45:00.000+02:00

Bonjour,

En cette période de grand froid je vous rappelle que le MMS fournit des munitions au système immunitaire pour combattre les microbes.

Vous verrez qu’en prenant une dose journalière de MMS (4 à 6 gouttes avant le coucher) vous vous sentirez plus en forme et pourrez prévenir tous les maux provoqués par le froid et la fatigue. Finit grippes, angines, rhumes et autres infections ORL et pulmonaires !

ACHETEZ DU MMS

Pensez aussi qu’à long terme, avec une utilisation régulière, c’est contre les maladies chroniques que vous serez protégés !

En effet nous avons vu en 2009 que le MMS à des effets positifs, voir curatifs contre :

- les diabètes http://lemineralmiracle.com/maladies_diabetes_mineral_miracle.html

- les arthrites http://lemineralmiracle.com/maladies_arthrite_mineral_miracle.html

- le choléstérol http://lemineralmiracle.com/cholesterol_mineral_miracle.html

- la sclérose en plaques http://lemineralmiracle.com/maladies_scleroses_mineral_miracle.html

- les cancers http://lemineralmiracle.com/maladies_cancers_mineral_miracle.html

- les problèmes de dents et gencives http://lemineralmiracle.com/dents_gencives_mineral_miracle.html

- la maladie de Lyme http://lemineralmiracle.com/maladies_lyme_mineral_miracle.html

- les métaux lourds http://lemineralmiracle.com/metaux_lourds_mineral_miracle.html

- les hépatites http://lemineralmiracle.com/maladies_hepatites_mineral_miracle.html

ACHETEZ DU MMS

Ne ratez donc pas cette chance d’avoir une meilleure santé et de visiter moins souvent votre docteur !

J’ai reçu plusieurs courriels me demandant une version Française de la notice envoyée par le fabricant. Celle-ci est disponible depuis toujours à cette adresse : http://mmsglobe.com/Traduction_notice_MMS.pdf

ACHETEZ DU MMS

Il y a aussi ce document très interressant de Jim Humble ; « Comprendre le MMS » qui est disponible ici :

http://lemineralmiracle.com/Comprendre_le_MMS_traduction.pdf

Je vous souhaite à nouveau une belle et heureuse année 2010, et une bonne santé grâce au MMS !

Il y a encore beaucoup de documents à traduire sur le MMS et je m’y attellerai dès que possible, et aussi j’espère que j’aurai la possibilité d’aller visiter Jim cette année.

Merci et bonne chance,

David

ACHETEZ DU MMS

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

On Plant Sterols

2010-01-10T03:51:00.000+02:00

Plant sterols have been shown to lower blood cholesterol levels, depending on how much you eat. They block the ability of the body to absorb cholesterol back into the body and as such it passes harmlessly out of your system. Plant sterols can lower total cholesterol by an average of 10 percent. You can get plant sterols from the foods such as nuts, seeds and legumes, bread and cereals, fruit and vegetables (but in small amounts). If you have high cholesterol and need to lower it you will find it very difficult to get enough in by these foods alone. In order to have a cholesterol lowering effect you will need 2 to 3 grams of plant sterols per day. This means 2 to 3 serves of plant sterol enriched foods per day, and these are now available in many supermarkets.

One serve of plant sterol enriched food is equivalent to:

* 2 teaspoons of plant sterol enriched margarine spread

* 1 cup of plant sterol enriched breakfast cereal or 2 breakfast biscuits

* 1 cup of plant sterol enriched milk

* 1 200-grams tub of plant sterol enriched yoghurt

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

Can You Be Overweight and Still Be Healthy?

2010-01-06T20:20:00.000+02:00

By GRETCHEN REYNOLDS

The idea that people can be overweight and yet still quite healthy began gaining scientific and popular credence some years ago, fueled by the publication of a number of studies showing that men and women who were a few pounds overweight but physically active had less risk of developing cardiac disease than people who were of normal weight but sedentary.

Some scientists and doctors began speculating that healthy people who were sporting extra pounds didn’t necessarily need to worry about losing weight. As one researcher told a reporter in 2004, “If a fat person or obese person has normal blood pressure, if their total cholesterol and glucose levels are normal and they are healthy, there is no reason they should necessarily have to lose weight.”

But several new studies are raising questions about that comforting notion at a very inopportune moment, with the holiday overindulgence season barely behind us. In the most recent of these studies, published online on Dec. 28 in the journal Circulation, Swedish researchers examined medical records reaching back 30 years for a group of more than 1,700 middle-aged men in the city of Uppsala.

The men were measured and tested when they reached the age of 50 and then periodically for the next 30 years. They were categorized into groups based on their body-mass indexes and metabolic profiles, a good marker of overall physical health and fitness. Some were normal weight; some overweight (meaning they had a body-mass index of 25 or above); some obese (a B.M.I. greater than 30). In each of these groups, some had normal metabolic profiles, while others were afflicted with a variety of conditions known collectively as metabolic syndrome. A diagnosis of metabolic syndrome means that you suffer from three or more of these conditions: impaired ability to handle blood sugar, high blood pressure, elevated blood fats, low HDL (“good” cholesterol) and a large waist circumference.

To no one’s surprise, the Swedish researchers found that being overweight or obese and having metabolic syndrome was quite unhealthy. Overweight men in that group had a 74 percent higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease by the time they turned 80. Obese men with metabolic syndrome had a 155 percent higher risk. Even being of normal weight, if you had metabolic syndrome, was dangerous. Men in this group, with normal girths but poor cholesterol and blood-pressure readings, had a 63 percent higher risk of developing heart disease than normal-weight men without metabolic problems. In other words, you don’t want to have metabolic syndrome, even if you’re thin.

More startling, though, was the study’s finding that being overweight with no evidence of metabolic syndrome left you at significantly higher risk for heart disease than if, with the same metabolic readings, you were not overweight. Men who were overweight (not obese) with healthy blood pressures, cholesterol readings, blood glucose levels and so on, still had a 52 percent higher risk of developing heart disease within 30 years than men who were normal weight and had similar metabolic profiles. That risk rose to 95 percent among obese men who didn’t suffer from metabolic syndrome.

The researchers did not report on the activity levels or exercise practices of any of the men, but typically more-active people have healthier metabolic profiles and vice versa. The findings did make it clear that although being fat and having healthy blood work puts you at less risk of cardiac disease than someone who is thin and has lousy metabolic parameters, the extra pounds still leave you with at least a 50 percent greater risk of developing heart disease.

“Previous studies have put forward the existence of a ‘metabolically healthy’ subgroup” of overweight people “who are at no increased cardiovascular risk,” Johan Arnlov, Ph.D., an associate professor at Uppsala University and the study’s lead author, said in a statement. But “if you follow them long enough, you find out there appears to be no such thing as metabolically healthy” extra poundage. (To assess your B.M.I., plug your height and weight into this calculator from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.)

Another recent large study found somewhat similar results among women, although it looked at activity levels, not metabolic profiles, to assess health and fitness. That report, published in 2008, used data on almost 40,000 women enrolled in the Women’s Health Study. Its authors found that women with a higher B.M.I., even if they were active, had an elevated risk of coronary heart disease compared with women engaging in an equal amount of activity who were of normal weight. Being fit, for the thousands of women under consideration here, lessened but did not fully mitigate the health problems associated with being fat.

Then there are football players, a group — particularly the linemen — who would seem to be advertisements for hefty-size health and fitness. But according to a study presented in October at the Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology, when scientists studied current N.F.L. linemen, they found that those athletes had a significantly greater incidence of metabolic syndrome than a group of less-bulky professional baseball players.

Why body size and composition should affect someone’s risk for heart disease and metabolic problems even if their body is otherwise apparently healthy remains a contentious issue. Some researchers, including the authors of the Women’s Health Study-based report, say that fat is itself a tissue with unhealthy properties. Fat can release inflammatory molecules, which increase the risk of diabetes and heart disease. Fat may also interfere with muscle function, as an article published this week in the Journal of Physiology points out, referring to several newly published studies.

“The fit or fat issue has unbelievable levels of complexity,” says Tim Church, M.D., Ph.D., the director of Preventive Medicine Research at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, La. Perhaps being active affects how fat cells operate in a heavy person. Age plays a role, too, he says, as do genetics. The very categorization of fatness using B.M.I. is a gross oversimplification, he adds. “You can’t just say being overweight” is unhealthy, he says. “Nothing is that simple.”

So what can we take away from the most recent studies? If other scientists replicate the findings of the Swedish and Women’s Health Study-based reports, the message is clear if disconcerting: being overweight, even if you have sterling blood-cholesterol levels or a firm commitment to exercise, does increase your risk of heart disease, and you should probably try to lose the extra pounds.

“Some researchers have suggested that a heavy person without other risk factors didn’t need to lose weight,” said Johan Arnlov, M.D., Ph.D., the lead Swedish researcher, in a statement. ‘Our data does not support this notion.”

It pains me, but I’ll be tossing out my last Christmas cookies now.

Good luck, healthy girl!

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

Man, this 'butt' sure wont make you Hard!

2010-01-05T18:44:00.000+02:00

Hmmm… those college days… you liked that pretty girl… but how do you impress her? How do you show her how manly you are? Yes, pop comes the cigarette out of your pocket, you imagine yourself as SRK, lean against your bike and then just as she passes in front of you, you let that smoke ring fly out of your lips and give her a flirty smile! Well fortunately or unfortunately, the girl gets impressed by you. Days follow and you quite get a grip on her just as that filthy 3″ butt strengthens its firm grip between your fingers. Well you two become so close, whisper sweet nothings in each other’s ears and one day the romance builds up leaving both of you in bed! Okay now the time comes when the man in you is put to test. You try and try but the bloody thing doesnt go up! Your girl looks at you with surprised eyes and before you can do anything… BANG!!! The door slams behind you! Your dream of becoming a macho Dude just turned into a dud!

Okay let me come to the point. Impotence or Erectile dysfunction is the inability to maintain an erection while having intercourse. The other ill-effects of smoking are very well known by those who smoke, but recent medical research shows that smoking is one of the leading cause of impotence in men. Well you will ask me how???

In order to maintain an erection, the blood supply to the penis should be adequately maintained. Smoking constricts the blood vessels of the body, thereby reducing blood flow. As a result, many men find themselves unable to maintain an erection. 20% of impotent Smokers are also believed to have abnormally low blood pressure. This reduces the flow of blood to the penis. Low blood pressure is caused by atherosclerosis, the build up of fatty deposits, especially in penile area. This is thought to be engendered by arterial injury caused by smoking! Atherosclerosis decreases the calibre of your blood vessels reducing the amount of blood reaching your tool!

When your penis is erect it is because blood gets trapped inside it, once it enters and then there is no easy way out before you ejaculate. Now cigarettes have nicotine in them which dilates or open up these valves even before you let your passion unfold, frustrating both you and your partner leaving your head low, just as your dick!

So how do you avoid this embarrassment? One of the best ways to treat impotence is to prevent it in the first place. Stop Smoking! Yes, i know it is easier said than done, but there has never been a better time to stop than now. There are numerous aids available to help you quit this life-threatening and embarrassing habit, including patches, gums and medications. Think about it! Sticking that butt in your mouth will never make you a man than holding your lovers face in your hands, filled with content and deeply satisfying love… Enjoy your love life…

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

Make your choice Cholesterol Supplements

2010-01-01T04:15:00.000+02:00

An active lifestyle and a balanced diet is what should make people with and without high cholesterol levels is a priority in their list. Actually it is not only the danger of it, but there is more of a healthier lifestyle through exercise and to prevent your life in danger. Some people who have high cholesterol treat high cholesterol, while others prefer the cholesterol-lowering supplements.

One of the most famous> Cholesterol-lowering products is the red yeast rice has been used in China and Japan for many years before it was introduced in the United States. E 'was shown to reduce the amount of LDL or "bad" cholesterol in the body. The red yeast rice is found in many drugs of cholesterol. In some ways it is more efficient and, of course, as it reduces levels of LDL and triglycerides, without the side effects that are the statins. An important as their effect on the liverlong term.

Policosanol is an extract that comes from sugar cane. This excerpt is actually being studied in medicine and has been shown to lower bad cholesterol and raise good through the control of the liver in the manufacture of the substance. The studies to lower cholesterol up to 20 percent less than shown.

Extracts of green tea and artichoke, have the same advantages. While the polyphenols in green tea has its active ingredient, the artichoke, which Cynarinaaccelerates the excretion of cholesterol from the body.

Retrieved Guggulipid is demonstrated in the treatment of a number of complaints. India is a proven formula for ages. Products with berberine also help with the Oregon grape and barberry, that this substance.

Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish and fish oil can be found, are also among the list of supplements are safer and more popular cholesterol. Flaxseed oil also contains omega-3 fatty acids, and is a safe choiceIn addition to fish.

Plant sterols and stanols, a reduction of LDL cholesterol, but no effect on HDL cholesterol or good cholesterol. But studies show that people taking more medications, and improvement stanols and sterols.

Some products are tested, while others are still in further studies will be tested for its effects. However, if you have high cholesterol, you should integrate a cholesterol without informing your doctor.Thus the doctor knows what you are taking, and you can see if it is mixed well and improve your health is not in conflict with other drugs may require that he and cause other health problems.

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

My weight loss

2009-12-28T04:39:00.000+02:00

Hi folks I have gotten a few requests inquiring what products I use that has me losing 1.5 to 2 lbs per week without exercising. I am a little bit upset at myself for not having exercised the last couple of months but there is a part of me that is a bit rebellious and when someone tells me “you lose weight without dieting or exercising” I put it to the test, and yes it is true, so far I have lost over 22 lbs and over 26 inches in the last 3 months without exercising, this has been despite of Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and a trip to Vegas.

It’s a simple system that does not disrupt your day, called CORE4, the most impressive product is called CHEAT and no other company but CNI offers it.

Core4 consists of 4 products: Lean, Accelerate, Flush and Cheat… The combination of these 4 products used daily attacks your weight loss in 4 different ways, working together to rid your body of unnecessary fat, without changing eating habits or exercising you lose 8-12 pounds in one month (depends on body shape). ADD exercise to your daily routine and you lose more inches faster. The products are all safe/natural and where stated also organic. Contains NO ephedrine.

Product # 1 = LEAN: Feed your muscles with this VITAMIN shake containing only 44 calories per-serving, design to satisfy your hunger, reduce your food cravings & support your fat metabolism; contains Vitamin A; Thiamin (Vitamin B1), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5), Vitamin B6, Folic Acid (Vitamin B9), Vitamin B12, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Vitamin H (d-Biotin), Vitamin K, Calcium, Chromium, Iodine, Manganese, Magnesium, Molybdenum, Selenium, Zinc, Boron, Bromelain, Lecithin; plus an amino acid blend of Alanine, Arginine, Aspartic Acid, Cystine, Glutamic Acid, Glycine, Histidine, Leucine, Lysine, Methionine, Tryptophan, Tyrosine & Valine. One or two shakes per day.

Product # 2 = ACCELERATE: Stimulate your Thermogenic fat burning and weight loss process, suppress your appetite & have more stamina for your workouts, without any jitters! Contains B-12, calcium chromium, green tea, oolong tea, cayenne pepper, guarana, & kola nut (less than ¼ cup of coffee). Two per day.

Product # 3 = FLUSH: A gentle organic, yet highly effective detox while you sleep pill! Contains: ALL ORGANIC Aloe Vera, senna, pyslium, cinnamon, fenugreek, clove, garlic, ginger root, dandelion & slippery elm. One or two at night.

Product # 4 = CHEAT: Made from Konnyaku root that’s grows wild in Asia; Sprinkle it on your food every time you eat:

It is Glucomannan Fiber -100% organic
Once exposed to liquids in your stomach, CHEAT traps food particles surrounding it, reducing your caloric intake by 25% percent
Besides binding to your food, it also expands giving you an incredible feeling of fullness so you end up eating less
It is 100% fiber, so your stomach kicks it out, taking the foods it has trapped, but because it has trapped proteins, fat & carbohydrates, not just fat it does not cause embarrassing oily accidents.
It also contributes to weight loss by delaying the absorption of glucose from the intestines
Konnyaku root is part of the daily diet in Japan (now we know why they keep so thin!)

To order and learn more go to www.obeseweightloss.com; if you order the PRO-PACK before December 31styou will receive 2 extra bottles of CHEAT a $75.00 value for free, it’s the perfect gift to self to keep your New Year’s Resolution. At the rate I am losing weight, I know I will have gotten rid of my last undesired 30 pounds before summer begins. GOT QUESTIONS: email me at Elena@obeseweightloss.com

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

Health Consequences of being overweight

2009-12-23T04:46:00.000+02:00

In my previous blog I mentioned about the Obesity Epidemic… Today’s blog is going to cover a little bit more than just a sad truth, but first we need to dis-associate obesity from vanity and list the real reasons why we should keep our weight under control…

Weight related problems kill more people in America than tobacco products, drugs or alcohol. A report released on November 5th 2009 - by the American Institute for Cancer Research reads… “There are over 100,000 new cases of cancer that are caused by obesity each year. With one third of Americans overweight, the study sheds disconcerting light on the health of the nation. The cancers most closely linked to excess weight are breast, endometrial, esophageal, kidney, colorectal, pancreatic, and gallbladder”

Besides cancer there are other Health Consequences of being OVERWEIGHT regardless if you are obese or slightly overweight the risks for the following conditions increase with each additional pound that is gained:

Type 2 diabetes
High blood pressure
High cholesterol
High levels of triglycerides
Liver and Gallbladder disease
Stroke
Coronary heart disease
Sleep apnea and respiratory problems
Osteoarthritis
For women you have Gynecological problems (abnormal menses, infertility)
And for men the dreaded decease of Erectile Dysfunction which sometimes ends up also killing a relationship

I believe if we really knew all the deceases associates with gaining weight, that weight loss would be a priority in our lives….

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

What can I take supplements to lower cholesterol naturally?

2009-12-21T12:15:00.000+02:00

Let's face it. Our lifestyle wreck chaos on our body. Daily stress, lack of exercise and poor diet all contribute to high cholesterol. Unfortunately, a high cholesterol level will be set up for us other health problems such as stroke and heart disease. So what is the solution for this problem?

If any of these agents to lower cholesterol, the much-publicized around the world these days? If you try to lower cholesterol naturallyHow? The natural way is always the best, because they have fewer side effects and dangers, bear your system. Read some of the best ways to reduce cholesterol levels with natural supplements.

The first thing you should do before groped any of these natural supplements for high cholesterol is to talk with your doctor. Let him know what you're doing and what supplements that are below the target. This is especially important if you take any prescriptionDrugs. Do not want to find the drug interactions between prescription medication and herbal supplements at your own risk.

So now we have a quick look at some of the natural supplements, which have been shown to help lower cholesterol levels.

Vitamin B3, niacin, proved to be a reduction in LDL cholesterol levels as effectively and increase your HDL cholesterol. Niacin is available by prescription or over the counter as dietary supplements.

A word Beware of Niacin is that it must be used under the supervision of medical personnel. Gas Niacin can aggravate diarrhea, nausea and stomach and duodenal ulcer. You can also increase the levels of glucose in the blood and produce inflammation of the liver. But Niacin, when used carefully, can go a long way in reducing cholesterol.

Soluble fiber can be found in certain foods to lower cholesterol levels and have been clearly demonstrated. The soluble fibers bind> Cholesterol and prevent it from being absorbed from the intestine. Soluble fiber can be found in barley, oats, legumes and some fruits such as apples, plums and berries.

A good way to help lower cholesterol, oatmeal is evident at least five times a week. The fiber in oatmeal acts like a sponge to absorb and remove cholesterol from the body. If you like protein shakes for breakfast you try to shake 1 cup of oatmeal / 2 calm.Will be longer and more track to get the added benefit of oatmeal. This is a good idea if you try to lose weight more you realize that you're not so hungry when lunch rolls around.

There were some, was the research on artichoke leaves, and its effect on reducing cholesterol. Artichokes contain a chemical called Cynarina. This compound is believed to increase the bile in the liver. This in turn will increase the speed that the bile is excretedadopted by the liver, which will also expel cholesterol. There are no known side effects associated with artichoke leaves.

So, if you reduce cholesterol without resorting to prescription medications, try these natural supplements. Make sure you do so, under the supervision of a physician.

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

Oatmeal works such as lowering cholesterol levels

2009-12-18T12:10:00.000+02:00

High levels of cholesterol in numerous health problems, such as atherosclerosis or thickening of the arteries. This in turn can lead to heart disease, including hypertension, stroke and heart attacks. If your cholesterol is high, you must take action by taking your diet and do regular exercise. There are many types of foods to eat the recommended, reduce cholesterol, one of which is oatmeal. In this article we will explainsuch as oats can lower cholesterol.

Oatmeal is coarsely ground oats, in essence, that used in a variety of foods. It is usually identified with breakfast cereals, muesli and porridge. Other benefits as it is to reduce cholesterol, are also known, a complex carbohydrate that is slowly absorbed into the body. This means that sugar is absorbed into the bloodstream in a slow and steady. This is useful for diabetics and keeps the body using the supplied Energy for a longer period than other types of food.

In order to reduce cholesterol, oatmeal is useful because it is a soluble fiber. Soluble fiber dissolves in water to form a thick paste like mud. This happens to some extent, if you have a pasta, but also occurs in the intestine has been added to the broth. This works in two ways to reduce cholesterol.

Taking oats slows the absorption of LDL cholesterol in the body. LDL> Cholesterol is known as "bad" cholesterol because it sticks to artery walls and causes atherosclerosis.

Once in the digestive tract of oatmeal goes slowly, because it is the consistency. During this process, acids, LDL cholesterol containing bile. When oat fiber, is about the colon and is then discarded as waste. LDL cholesterol is also linked to the reduction of cholesterol in the body.

These are the mainReasons for eating polenta and cornmeal in other ways are usually like a good way to start the morning and an effective way to lower cholesterol have been approved.

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

Mesothelioma - Mesothelioma Cancer Diagnosis

2009-12-18T04:36:00.000+02:00

If you've studied a bit ', you must know that the diagnosis of mesothelioma cancer is very difficult, in many cases, because the symptoms may be associated with other diseases. Therefore, history is very important to know because if there is a risk of exposure by the patient, the risk factors for the development of mesothelioma is greater.

Your doctor will give you a physical exam, including chest and abdomen X-rays, and lungFunction tests. Computed tomography (CT) or Computed Axial Tomography (CT) scanning can be useful, along with a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

CT scan allows a computer X-ray machine to create a series of detailed pictures of areas inside the body. MRI allows to obtain detailed pictures of structures inside the body connected by a powerful magnet with a computer.

The way to confirm a diagnosis of mesothelioma is a biopsy, where a medical oncologist or a medical specialistin the diagnosis and treatment of cancer diseases take a sample of tissue from the patient to examine under a microscope. The biopsy can be done in several ways. Thoracoscopy in the name of the biopsy, if cancer of the breast, the doctor makes a small incision through the chest of the patient and the introduction of a tube called thoracoscope to look inside and take samples of tissue.

In a peritoneoscopy if the cancer of the abdomen, the doctor on the same procedure, but the patientAbdominal cavity to obtain tissue reviewed.

The stage of disease, it is important to know whether the cancer has metastases in other parts of the body, and apply the best treatment for the patient.

The disease was "localized" if the cancer is found only on the membrane surface, but will be "Advanced", when it spread to other parts of the body, such as distributed lung, abdomen, chest wall, lymph nodes.

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

203 (k) loans allows qualifying home buyers to finance up to 35k for improving energy efficiency

2009-12-16T12:39:00.000+02:00

If you have to lose customers to buy a house because of the expected cost of cosmetic repairs are not an opportunity. Sure, it used to be that if you had bought a house and then for a home equity loan for repairs to be applied, the result of two separate loans (or, worse, a mortgage, plus a short term loan for repairs, often a much higher rate of interest). This is no longer the case in which the conditions for an FHA Streamlined 203 (k) loan.

TheDepartment of Housing and Urban Development's FHA Streamlined 203 (k) loan qualification allows the purchase of their homes to finance up to an additional $ 35,000 in their guides to improve or upgrade their home before move-in. With this product, homebuyers can quickly and easily tap into cash, to repair or improvements to property, as determined by an accountant to pay their energy. And the best thing that the additional funds are combined into a mortgage, so you only have one concernLoans.

There are, of course, qualified for the rules and guidelines that we follow up, and not all the repairs. But if you or someone you know are interested in this great opportunity to use.

Energy Audit Requirement

Part of qualifying for this loan is always an energy audit done by the seller of the case. At the end of this you must have a qualification RESNET Certified HERS rater conduct an energy audit. It also helps an auditor with experience in the use of energySubscriber requires a lot of paper work to get this loan through. It is important that you use someone with experience with this type of loan. Inexperience could turn days this week and could solve the business.

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

Natural ways to lower cholesterol

2009-12-16T04:35:00.000+02:00

If you suffer from high cholesterol, you will be happy to know that you can be your total cholesterol levels in foods you have in your diet to reduce it. For food and supplements, you can choose the path to a happy healthy. Let's take a look at some of the ways to control them.

• Studies have shown that regular exercise will help reduce cholesterol, but, unfortunately, were most people have worked to adaptany time in their time of operation. Walking is one of the easiest exercises to complement the day as you can easily slip into routine. Ten minutes here and there, and ten minutes before you know that within half an hour of useful exercise

• The best diet to lower cholesterol is a diet low in fat with an increased level of exercise. You should make sure that your diet is less than 30% fat, but for the better Performance, it is necessary to reduce fat intake by 15% – 20%. Groped to reduce saturated fats, both from your daily diet for your total cholesterol levels. Get in the habit, on all food labels that read music, to make sure we have accurate information. Stay away from butter, eggs, cream sauces, packaged frozen foods, fatty meats, cakes, crisps, biscuits, junk food, and most of the others.

• Include more fiber, garlic, fish oil and soy in your> Diet, as the top choices in reducing cholesterol. Some good sources of fiber are vegetables and fruits, beans, cereals and wholemeal bread.

• If possible, the right amount of fiber, garlic, or omega-3 fatty acids, the best choice would be to use supplements. Garlic and Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to lower cholesterol. Both additions can be purchased at the counter ask the vitamin section of most drugShops and food stores. You can use the supplements, which are odorless to take, and still the same effect as if you do it with your food. To allow the coating to the supplements, the active ingredients of garlic, or omega-3 acids from the small intestine without being absorbed impaired gastric digestion.

No matter how natural it reduces cholesterol, you can be sure that you will make a good choicecontrol of your health. I remember, as with the opening of a new diet or before taking natural supplements, consult your doctor to make sure it is the right choice for you. Check with your local health food store to see what they have available to reduce cholesterol naturally.

Many people do not like taking medication, the alternatives in a natural way can be a great blessing to many. We see some research to see what options you have available for you. Thiswill help you make a decision on the treatment plan.

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

Atkins diet can raise cholesterol

2009-12-14T04:51:00.000+02:00

Remove those who want to know the Atkins diet. Naturally, it claims to help you lose weight quickly and easily, complaints, only those who long to shape-up.

But hey, showed a report in the Archives of Internal Medicine that a carbohydrate (low carb) and high protein diet can increase cholesterol levels – bad side effects. It refers to both levels of LDL (low density lipoprotein, commonly referred to as "bad" cholesterol known) and HDL (high densityLipoprotein – good cholesterol).

HDL helps the body get rid of "bad" cholesterol. LDL contributes to the formation of plaques in artery walls, making the risk of cardiovascular disease.

The findings come from an analysis of five clinical trials comparing low-fat diet on low-carb diet. These experiments attracted 447 participants, aged 42-49 years. Of 447 participants, 225 to take the low-fat diet during the remainder of the low-carb.

BothGroups were then tested for their loss of weight and blood pressure after six to nine months. As expected, lost for the first 6 months, participants on the low carbohydrate diet more weight. After 12 months, changed the result of weight loss and blood pressure, the same for both groups.

What does our concern is that the increase from the results of low-carb-diet group, total cholesterol, during the period of 12 months. A diet low in carbohydrates usually results in a high-fat, an increaseCholesterol.

But the results show that a higher cholesterol level was a simultaneous increase in LDL cholesterol and HDL result. They also had lower triglycerides, a type of fat that causes LDL in the blood.

Therefore, the positive effects (high triglycerides and low HDL), the low-carbohydrate diet raises the obvious negative impact on overall planning and LDL cholesterol high?

Not necessarily. Another study published inJournal of Lipid Research in 2003 showed that high levels of triglycerides, high LDL and low HDL levels actually represent an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

So, despite all that is needed to run the results diet low in carbohydrates, we have more evidence supporting the conclusion that since the study has its limitations. Scientists report in the low-carb diet also expressed concern about the impact of low-carbohydrate diet on cholesterol levels and the cardiovascular system, because it contains a large amountFats and proteins.

You are a bit 'more foods high in saturated fat when you consume a diet high in protein. Which increases the calories as fat contains more calories per gram of carbohydrate. Fat contributes 9 calories per gram, while carbohydrates contain 4 calories per gram

You get a higher risk of developing coronary heart disease, if not reduce their fat intake.

Other health problems associated with a diet high in proteininclude renal insufficiency, high cholesterol, osteoporosis and kidney stones. As a guide, an adult should get 50 to 60 percent of calories from carbohydrates, 10 to 15 percent from protein and 20 to 30 percent from fat.

Therefore, I can give you advice to go long term with the low-carb, high protein diet that can affect your health.

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

How does cholesterol affect cholesterol levels

2009-12-11T12:51:00.000+02:00

As nearly all tissues of the body have the ability to produce cholesterol from saturated fats, cholesterol is made as to what we define to eat. It is found in meat, poultry, fish and dairy products. Egg yolks and offal is high cholesterol. Shrimps and crayfish are somewhat 'high cholesterol content. Chicken, turkey and fish contain about the same amount of cholesterol as beef, lamb and pork. The plants do not produce> Cholesterol, so that food and plant oils have no cholesterol.

Cholesterol is a bad reputation because it is essential for the formation of cell membranes and the synthesis of essential compounds such as bile acids and steroid hormones. In fact, the body produces enough cholesterol for fun. Therefore, excess cholesterol, cholesterol – cholesterol that the body does not need.

The relationship between foodCholesterol and the concentration of cholesterol in the blood is not linear. For each additional 100 mg cholesterol, consumes up to a total dose of 500 mg daily, there is an increase of 2-3% of the concentration of cholesterol in the blood. In contrast, a further increase in the consumption of cholesterol of 500 mg per day, but little additional effect on the level of the blood. It was estimated that if cholesterol intake is greater than 500 mg a day, a reduction of Receiving 250mg per day to reduce total blood cholesterol by 5-7%, which can be expected to translate into a 10% reduction in the risk of coronary heart disease.

The American Heart Association recommends an intake of cholesterol <300 mg / day for healthy adult population and <200 mg / day for adults with high levels of LDL cholesterol. Cholesterol increases the concentration of LDL (bad) and HDL (good)> Cholesterol for most people, although the relative increase in the two groups vary significantly between people. HDL Cholesterol Diet Low-fat and high cholesterol (600mg/day) for shrimp in those with normal levels of LDL cholesterol, increases "bad" cholesterol increased by 7%, but also a good down 12% and triglycerides (blood fats) of 13% – LDL cholesterol HDL cholesterol decreased. In contrast, low-fat egg high –Diet (600mg/day intake of cholesterol) increased by 10%, LDL and HDL by 8% (and more, the ratio of LDL to HDL). In one study it was concluded that moderate consumption of shrimp by people without any impact on the optimal total cholesterol and lipoprotein profile in the consumption of shrimp could "hold his heart healthy" guidelines.

The eggs are victims of this dogma. Combined with sausage or fried in butter and eaten with toasted bread, which can certainly contribute tohigh blood cholesterol, but the accompanying saturates, that the culprit is. The most important message for people with high blood lipids should be to find alternatives to saturated fats. Fast food has a lot of saturated fat, but not in 'no cholesterol vegetable oil, which is done by hand, roasted hydrogenated vegetable oil. This oil is not the cholesterol, but high in saturated fats and fatty acids trans.

Thus, the cholesterol in the diet foundnot so much a problem as the saturated and trans fatty acids in that food or used for cooking meals.

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

How to control cholesterol naturally

2009-12-11T04:20:00.000+02:00

Right! You said you have cholesterol, and have not the foggiest idea of what the doctor around! This article will help you understand about cholesterol and how you can naturally control. Cholesterol measured in three ways – total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein (LDL) and high density lipoprotein (HDL).

Basically, there are good and bad cholesterol, which operates each with a number of cholesterol above 200 the risk of cloggedArteries and heart attack potential. Everything below 200 is generally considered an acceptable level. People who smoke, have hypertension or diabetes are at risk if harden level 200 or higher, because the cholesterol causes fatty deposits, which are the arteries to form plaque, which in turn restricts the flow of blood. Clogged arteries, we all know can be fatal.

A very good factor in lowering cholesterol is garlic common in most of ourKitchens. Medical research has shown that rising levels of the lowest levels of HDL and LDL.

Artichoke leaf is another herb as it increases the cholesterol in the production of bile Cynarina and accelerates the flow of bile and increase the excretion of cholesterol.

Be prepared for one of the first things the doctor will recommend is to change your diet so that it is not worth to take the risk of these delicacies or unhealthy food. Cutting meat adopt and shrimp, which both have a lot of cholesterol, substitute vegetables instead, there are many of our markets. Eggs, butter, sugar, fats and carbohydrates are also responsible.

Due to the fact that natural herbs have no side effects, medicine and more about them and you'll find plenty of all natural herbal products available. Stanols are a plant that helps to lower cholesterol by blocking the absorption of> Cholesterol intestine.

Guggul is a wonderful used over the centuries to save people from disease. Studies have shown that Guggul helps reduce cholesterol levels in 15 and 25% and triglycerides by somewhere between 20-30%.

What we do not treat yourself – visit the doctor and they did the first test and then try his advice on proper diet and medications.

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

Turmeric - Lowering cholesterol food substance

2009-12-09T04:46:00.000+02:00

Made from ancient times, the use of turmeric is used to treat many problems, of course. Turmeric is found in many parts of Asia and is part of the ginger family. Turmeric is a good addition to the popular food flavors and is very popular among the people of the United States.

Heart attacks are very common with people with high cholesterol, weil Turmeric also has the ability of an antioxidant and helps reduce the people to lower cholesterol. Turmeric is thought thatto protect the heat, as it is anti-inflammatory food substance.

Blood clots in the arteries of atherosclerosis. In atherosclerosis, cholesterol is deposited in the artery wall, preventing the free flow of blood to the heart. As acts of turmeric as an anti-oxidant may help to reduce the deposition of cholesterol and to allow the vacation of blood to the heart.

Studies have also shown that those who have high with turmeric Cholesterol than people who regularly turmeric in one form or another use compliance. Recent studies performed on rats also showed that curcumin, HDL cholesterol, which is very important to the human body and helps you win, can reduce LDL or bad cholesterol from your body.

Turmeric has never been essentially a meal to reduce levels of cholesterol measured. But recent studies have shown that turmeric is effective capacity> Reduction thereof. So people take for generations to come, the use of turmeric to stay cholesterol free.

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

Cholesterol Woes

2009-12-07T20:15:00.000+02:00

Remember how I was all excited to get my recent blood work results back, because I was just sure that by losing 20 lbs, I would have improved my numbers? Well, I got my results back Friday and . . . it didn’t happen. My cholesterol was actually up a few points from when a different doctor tested it about 6 months ago.

The difference wasn’t statistically significant—a difference of just a few points—but I felt absolutely gutted. Like one very important motivator for my weight-loss journey (my health) wasn’t immediately getting whipped into shape, and that meant that my whole effort was a big fat failure. Suddenly the 23 lbs I’d lost seemed like a hollow victory. I went to bed with a heavy, disappointed heart Friday night. I felt like the reason my cholesterol hadn’t changed for the better must be the fact that I still eat lots of refined foods with long ingredient lists.

Saturday I was up and fighting again, determined to eat only whole foods and make all my meals from scratch at home and be the saintly picture of good eating habits. I decided I would actually cook something instead of microwaving a dinner. I purchased an armload of fresh local vegetables at the farmer’s market and M and I set about chopping them up. I’m not sure why I chose Butternut Squash Soup as my recipe . . . I guess because it always sounds so good when other people talk about it. But I am the girl who doesn’t even like pumpkin pie because of the texture, so evidently I was living on Planet Delusion, thinking somehow this pumpkin-family soup would totally not be the same. Basically, the soup came out more like my idea of baby food. Even M couldn’t eat more than a few bites, although he struggled valiantly. My virtuous experiment was a virtuous fail. I went to bed Saturday night feeling, if possible, even worse than I did Friday night.

Sunday I woke up and took a good look around. It was drizzling outside, and we had grocery shopping at Wal-Mart to do. The cold glare of reality was upon me.

I really dislike failing at things. I do believe that the physically healthiest diet is one of whole foods and lots of vegetables. That being said, when I started this whole weight-loss shebang, I told myself I was going to totally abandon rules about what I had to eat, as long as I got used to eating less, period.

Here is what a typical work day’s food looked like before I enacted my plan: Oatmeal or cereal at home; king-size candy bar mid-morning plus maybe a few mini-candies; Lean Pocket lunch; king-size candy bar mid-afternoon; ordering in a large Mexican meal for dinner; cupcake or candy for desert.

And here’s a typical work day while sticking to my calorie budget: Oatmeal or omelet with banana at home; apple and Fiber One bar mid-morning; Lean Pocket lunch; Kashi crackers and 1 oz cheese, pineapple mid-afternoon; Lean Cuisine personal pizza dinner; Skinny Cow ice cream sandwich desert.

I’m not entirely ignorant on the subject of nutrition; I realize that there is a lot to criticize in my “weight loss” eating pattern. That being said, I have actually been able to stick to this general plan. For almost three months. That is almost unheard-of for me. I still have a lot of weight (almost 60 lbs) to lose, which may in itself be what it takes to bring my cholesterol down.

I do feel certain I need to improve my food plan. However, I have to start where I am, as they say. For me, cooking an omelet is a big deal that I am proud of. I am no Betty Crocker, or even Hungry Girl! But I am willing to start moving toward more whole foods, to gradually eliminate some of the super-processed foods I eat. I am going to try making one new recipe a week at home—and no, Butternut Squash Soup is not on the list! I still purchased some of my usual low-calorie “favorites” at the grocery store yesterday, but I also picked up a new whole-grain Healthy Choice meal with a much shorter ingredients list and I snagged some hummus. At the farmer’s market on Saturday, we also bought farm-fresh eggs, baby spinach, and tangerines—all of which are on today’s menu.

I am imperfect. Can I be okay with that? I have to be. If I’m not, I won’t be in this weight-loss (and eventually maintenance) journey for the long haul.

[Via http://tinyglow.com]

What foods to lower cholesterol levels?

2009-12-07T11:56:00.000+02:00

Cholesterol is an important material that we all need for our body to function properly. Cholesterol, but in this case most of all that is good and high can be hazardous to health in the long term. If you have high cholesterol, is a good idea to reduce to a normal level and the best way to do this is through diet.

So, to reduce what foods to lower cholesterol?

The first thing you need to know is that all foods that arefrom animal sources contain cholesterol in them. Eggs, poultry, meat, seafood, and dairy products all contain it and eating them can contribute to raising cholesterol levels.

But more importantly when it comes to foods that lower cholesterol are foods that are high in Trans fats and saturated fats. In fact these two fats have been shown to increase blood cholesterol levels more then foods that contain it.

The daily limit for cholesterol as the American Heart Association recommends no more than 300 milligrams. Maintaining a healthy diet, it is easy to control levels and the cardiovascular system healthy. A selection of healthy foods low in saturated fat and trans fatty acids is the first step to combat this problem. Eating lots of high fiber foods do not cholesterol, such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables is important.

Many people wonder if they cut out all animal products all need. TheAnswer is no, but must be consumed in moderation. Probably what is most important, how to prepare food. You should only eat lean meats and poultry, and should be baked, roasted or grilled. Eat roast should be avoided at all costs, because saturated fats and trans fats used for frying, food, a known risk.

A food that is known to reduce cholesterol, fish is rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Salmon is the best choice because it has athe maximum amount of omega-3 fatty acids of all seafood. For those who do not like seafood, or limited access to seafood can be added to it in pill form to be purchased.

The key to finding the food to lower cholesterol levels and healthy eating. Not really difficult, but the future health problems is important to prevent this.

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

New Hope For Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention

2009-11-23T20:17:00.000+02:00

Nearly $200 billion (with a “B”) in prescription drugs are purchased each year on heart disease and high blood pressure remedies, including high blood pressure pills and cholesterol lowering drugs. With all that money being spent by consumers we should be sitting confident and secure with nothing to worry about except the Big “C” and how these obscene “financial bailouts” will really impact our lives. Well, if you get a chance to read a new book; “How to Really Prevent and Cure Heart Disease” by Dr. Gottfried A. Lange, M.D., you may be able to regain some peace of mind.

Cardiovascular disease continues to be the leading cause of death throughout the world. That is a profound statement, one that I did not know. I’d always thought that cancer or world hunger and starvation in emerging countries were the top mortality leaders. However, according to the World Health Organization, 1 in every 2 people continue to die from cardiovascular disease; heart attack or stroke. You would think with all of the wonder drugs out there, that these conditions would have been eradicated a long time ago.

Supported by over two decades of personal and professional research and backed by over 240 published peer review studies and reports, “How to Really Prevent and Cure Heart Disease” not only enlightens the reader as to the cause and effect of these fatal diseases, but it also provides natural and economical solutions to resolve them – in easy, layman’s terms.

How to Really Prevent and Cure Heart Disease, publishing by HealthNet Publishing and is available through the publishing and Amazon.

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

Double Your Fiber Intake

2009-11-23T03:43:00.000+02:00

You should average 25-30 grams of dietary fiber per day. The average American (Joe the Plumber?) averages somewhere around 11 grams per day. If I could give only one dietary recommendation to all people on a Western diet, it would be to double, or triple your total fiber intake.

Fiber is an indigestible form of carbohydrate that is contained mainly in the cellulose (stored energy) of plants. Our bodies lack the enzyme to digest cellulose, so it passes through our system. Don’t assume that this means it is unimportant.

Our digestive tract relies heavily on fiber to sweep the intestinal lining clean like a broom and add bulk to the stool. It also slows digestion, which helps us stay full longer and can therefore help reduce overall caloric consumption.* One study found that a “small reduction in dietary fiber intake over [one to two years] can have profound effects on increasing visceral adiposity”(belly fat).** In addition, fiber lowers serum cholesterol levels (specifically LDL cholesterol). An unbelievable portion of the population is on prescription medicine to lower cholesterol. It is unfortunate that doctors don’t push harder for increased fiber intake, because many studies have shown fiber’s ability to reduce cholesterol.***

As discussed in my post about bread, the introduction of refined, white flour was a crushing blow to our daily fiber intake, and therefore our health. Whole wheat products are great sources of fiber, along with:

Oats – oatmeal, granola (beware of excess sugar)
Almost any fruit or vegetable – especially dried fruit
Legumes – beans, peanuts
Nuts – almonds, pecans, walnuts
Flaxseed – also a great omega-3 source

Insufficient fiber intake is associated with a whole slew of problems, such as overweight and obesity, constipation and/or irregular bowel movements, diverticulitis, diabetes and much more.

Focusing on high fiber intake (through food, not supplement) will essentially guarantee you a healthy diet because high fiber foods are almost always the healthiest, most nutrient dense options available. Here is a one day example menu of high fiber foods from my picture food diary:

Fruit and granola parfait
Whole wheat spaghetti for lunch
Whole wheat crackers with tuna, avocado and tomato
Vegetable, brown rice and fish stir fry

Get started on bringing your daily fiber intake up to 25-30 grams. It is important, however, to raise daily fiber intake gradually, say by 5 grams per week. If you currently eat around 10g a day, eat 15g per day for the next week, and continue until you reach 25+ (women) or 30+ (men). A sudden, dramatic increase will result in intestinal distress and a guaranteed bad day. Keeping a food journal for a few days or weeks will help you determine how much fiber you eat. If you’re not up to this, that’s okay, simply make a conscious (and earnest) effort to eat more fiber. Branching out with higher fiber foods will be a learning experience and a step towards improving your health. Spread the word to friends and family to help them feel better too!

*Lower total energy intake with high fiber breakfast

**Visceral adiposity among Latino youth

***Fiber and cholesterol

All studies are from the American Journal of Clinical Dietetics

[Via http://p4pdietetics.com]

The Truth About Heart Disease

2009-11-20T19:50:00.000+02:00

Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer in America

Americans are consuming less animal fat than ever before, but rates of heart disease are at their highest. Are saturated fats and cholesterol really to blame?

Myth: The Lipid Hypothesis

Saturated fat raises cholesterol
Cholesterol causes heart disease

The belief that saturated fats and cholesterol are to blame for heart disease is a major problem. Cholesterol and saturated fat have actually never been proven to cause heart disease (Framingham Heart Study). Saturated fats have minimal effect on cholesterol. As Gary Taubes writes in his book, Good Calories, Bad Calories, “Since the mid-1950’s, researchers have known that the total amount of dietary fat has little effect on cholesterol levels” (19). Further proving the irrelevance of saturated fat and cholesterol as the cause of heart disease, Taubes writes, “The Masai nomads of Kenya have some of the lowest blood-cholesterol levels ever recorded… they live exclusively on [full-fat, raw] milk, blood and occasionally meat…”(25). The Masai eat around three thousand calories of saturated fats daily, yet they have extremely low levels of cholesterol and zero deaths from heart disease.

Truth: Excess Carbohydrates Cause Heart Disease

Unlike cholesterol, triglycerides have been proven to be a major cause of heart disease. All carbohydrates are converted to glucose (sugar). Excess glucose is converted to triglycerides and stored as fat. The average American consumes 1/3 his or her body weight in sugar (carbohydrate) each year. Sugar inflames and damages the arteries, while cholesterol attaches to the damaged areas like a bandage. Dr. Mary Enig, author of Know Your Fats, writes, “Cholesterol is used by the body as a raw material for the healing process. This is the reason the injured areas in the arteries (as in atherosclerosis) or the lungs (as in tuberculosis) have cholesterol along with several other components in the ‘scar’ tissue that is formed to heal the ‘wound’ (58). In simple terms, Cholesterol repairs the body from sugar damage.

Cholesterol to the Rescue

In conclusion, a heart attack is caused by excess sugar clotting the blood and preventing blood and oxygen from circulating to the heart. Elevated cholesterol and triglyceride levels are just a result of having too much sugar in the blood. Cholesterol should not be blamed, but praised. In fact, the body cannot function without cholesterol. It is found in all body tissues and is essential to life. Instead of avoiding foods high in cholesterol and saturated fats, avoid consuming sugar, processed foods and excess carbohydrates.

I highly recommending watching the movie Fat Head by Tom Naughton!

Dr Kelly Sennholz, New England Journal of Medicine Study Regarding Cholesterol Drugs

2009-11-16T04:23:00.000+02:00

If you or your loved ones take any of the following drugs: Zetia, Vytorin or Inegy, you may need to see your doctor as soon as possible to have your medications evaluated.

A new study, just published in the New England Journal of Medicine, evaluated the addition of either Extended-Release Niacin (also known as vitamin B3 or nicotinic acid) or Ezetimibe (found in the above named drugs) to statin therapy for reduction of cardiovascular risk factors. The study found that despite the fact that Ezetimibe was designed to further lower bad cholesterol levels, the end result was thickening of the arteries (a bad thing!) and increased rates of cardiovascular events.

Authors of the study state: “Thus, we believe that prudent clinical practice currently favorsthe avoidance of ezetimibe, with consideration of further restrictionon its use in lieu of clinically validated regimens, until itsnet effect on clinical outcomes can be fully ascertained.”

It is important that you not change your medication without seeing your doctor first. It is also important to know that if you can tolerate Extended-Release Niacin, this may be a better choice for reduction of cardiovascular risk factors, as we have previously recommended.

www.symtrimics.com

http://twitter.com/mtnmd

NEJM, Nov 15, 2009, Extended-Release Niacin or Ezetimibe and Carotid Intima-Media Thickness, Taylor et al

Positive Heart Health Update

2009-11-13T20:14:00.000+02:00

Well, I can’t resist sharing the news with everyone and anyone who reads this. Six months ago I was diagnosed with high total cholesterol. My harmful cholesterol, LDL (low density lipoprotein) was in the scary range. My nutritionist game me a meal plan to follow. It basically involved monitoring my saturated fat intake and eliminating (or severely limit) trans fats.

Background: My entire life I have prided myself in eating healthy and promoting a healthy lifestyle. Then, I tried to fit in and began eating foods I normally wouldn’t. I ate out regularly. I didn’t care what I ate. Most of the food was new to me since I had only eaten “healthy” foods previously. This included cream sauces, larger than usual portion sizes, sugary and fatty foods and all the fun stuff. That tastes great. I even drank whole fat egg nog, something I wouldn’t dream of previously. (Have you ever tasted that stuff?! Yumm..)

After receiving the shocking news, the you know what was scared out of me. Cardiovascular disease runs in my family. I absolutely refuse to be put on heart medications for the rest of my life and that is what I may have faced if I didn’t change my eating habits. So…I got back to my “old” way of eating. And..it has paid off…

Yesterday I received news that my total cholesterol level has decreased by 60 points. How cool is that?!!

I’m not saying this to brag. I’m just saying, it was done through diet and exercise. No medication. And…I’m as happy as a clam in mud. lol

Hope you found this interesting. Kindly share, if you did….

11 foods that lower cholesterol -from Harvard HealthBeat

2009-11-09T20:34:00.000+02:00

Here is some good advice for anyone concerned about cholesterol from the Harvard Medical School free email newsletter. You can search the HealthBeat archives for many more informative articles.

Changing what you eat can lower your cholesterol and improve the armada of fats floating through your bloodstream.

In with the good

Different foods lower cholesterol in various ways. Some deliver soluble fiber, which binds cholesterol and its precursors in the digestive system and drags them out of the body before they get into circulation. Some give you polyunsaturated fats, which directly lower LDL. And some contain plant sterols and stanols, which block the body from absorbing cholesterol.

Oats. An easy first step to improving your cholesterol is having a bowl of oatmeal or cold oat-based cereal like Cheerios for breakfast. It gives you 1 to 2 grams of soluble fiber. Add a banana or some strawberries for another half-gram. Current nutrition guidelines recommend getting 20 to 35 grams of fiber a day, with at least 5 to 10 grams coming from soluble fiber. (The average American gets about half that amount.)
Barley and other whole grains. Like oats and oat bran, barley and other whole grains can help lower the risk of heart disease, mainly via the soluble fiber they deliver.
Beans. Beans are especially rich in soluble fiber. They also take awhile for the body to digest, meaning you feel full for longer after a meal. That’s one reason beans are a useful food for folks trying to lose weight. With so many choices — from navy and kidney beans to lentils, garbanzos, black-eyed peas, and beyond — and so many ways to prepare them, beans are a very versatile food.
Eggplant and okra. These two low-calorie vegetables are good sources of soluble fiber.
Nuts. A bushel of studies shows that eating almonds, walnuts, peanuts, and other nuts is good for the heart. Eating 2 ounces of nuts a day can slightly lower LDL, on the order of 5%. Nuts have additional nutrients that protect the heart in other ways.
Vegetable oils. Using liquid vegetable oils such as canola, sunflower, safflower, and others in place of butter, lard, or shortening when cooking or at the table helps lower LDL.
Apples, grapes, strawberries, citrus fruits. These fruits are rich in pectin, a type of soluble fiber that lowers LDL.
Foods fortified with sterols and stanols. Sterols and stanols extracted from plants gum up the body’s ability to absorb cholesterol from food. Companies are adding them to foods ranging from margarine and granola bars to orange juice and chocolate. They’re also available as supplements. Getting 2 grams of plant sterols or stanols a day can lower LDL cholesterol by about 10%.
Soy. Eating soybeans and foods made from them, like tofu and soy milk, was once touted as a powerful way to lower cholesterol. Analyses show that the effect is more modest — consuming 25 grams of soy protein a day (10 ounces of tofu or 2½ cups of soy milk) can lower LDL by 5% to 6%.
Fatty fish. Eating fish two or three times a week can lower LDL in two ways: by replacing meat, which has LDL-boosting saturated fats, and by delivering LDL-lowering omega-3 fats. Omega-3s reduce triglycerides in the bloodstream and also protect the heart by helping prevent the onset of abnormal heart rhythms.
Fiber supplements. Supplements offer the least appealing way to get soluble fiber. Two teaspoons a day of psyllium, which is found in Metamucil and other bulk-forming laxatives, provide about 4 grams of soluble fiber.

via 11 foods that lower cholesterol – Harvard Health Publications.

Notes from the Soup Kitchen: 1

2009-10-28T20:03:00.000+02:00

Soup is brilliant. Its versatile, nutritious, filling and above all (for non-chef’s like me), easy to make.

Roasted Squash and Lentil soup

I’m not the best planner when it comes to food shopping, I shop at markets so am at mercy to the seasons, and often buy what I like the look of and freestyle with my ingredients when cooking – I’ve never been one to follow the rules to the letter, so why start now?!

Last night I bowed to the mercy of the mini squashes that have been winking at me for the past week and a half; every time I go to the vegetable box, I always get the same ‘eat me, eat me’ whisper, but then something green and leafy has caught my eye and I’ve relegated them to last place again. Well I finally succumbed and roasted them in with a couple of garlic cloves then promptly forgot about them while listening to the Radio 4 Food Programme on Omega 3 fatty acids. Oops. Luckily I remembered just in time and the squash wasn’t burnt to a crisp – actually pretty much perfect in texture, squidy but not completely overcooked.

I got down to the hard graft of making the soup this morning, with a little help of a red onion and a morigold veg (yeast-free) stock cube and some lentils, I cooked up a storming soup. The thing about squashes is that you do have to give them a little push int he right direction to ensure that the flavour comes out as they can be a little watery and tasteless in soup I find. Roasting is the perfect antidote, and roasting the garlic simultaneously means that not only do you have a flavour change in the garlic but you also infuse the veggies together when they are initally cooking which brings out a completely different taste. With mini squashes, you can get away without the painful process of peeling, as you the skins are soft enough to eat and are like butter in the blender, so you don’t lose out on those extra vitamins and fibre either. Lentils will make the soup nice and thick and also provide extra fibre.

Below is a little bit of info on why squashes and lentils are so fab, but be sure not to miss out on the great recipe below the science-y bit. Enjoy!

Squash

A member of the melon/gourd (curbitacae) family, which includes courgettes, marrow, pumpkin, butternut, acorn, spaghetti squashes

Squashes are high in carotenes, potent antioxidants which help protect from sun damage and have also been reported to have anti-cancer effects to rival more popular cancer fighters. The richer the colour of the skin, the higher the concentration of carotenes. My squashes were orange like pumpkins and green. They also contain vitamin C, folic acid, vitamins B1, B5, B3 & B6, potassium and dietary fibre. In otherwords, fantastic for immunity, mental health, energy levels, digestion and cell performance.

Lentils:

A member of the legume family, whose other members include chickpeas, kidney, butter, pinto and aduki beans.

Excellent source of fibre, so great for anyone on a cholesterol-lowering diet. They also help keep energy levels constant as the fibre slows the release of the glucose (sugar) into the blood stream. Puy lentils are the daddy of lentils as they are far more fibrous than red or yellow lentils, but the great thing is that they only take around 20 mins to cook, so you can pop them into soups dried with no need for pre-cooking unlike other beans. Lentils are also a good source of vegetable protein, folic acid and minerals phosphorus (bone health), iron (immunity/energy), magnesium (immunity/bone health/stress/digestion), manganese (immunity) and potassium (kidneys).

Variety of Winter Squashes

Roasted Squash & Lentil soup

700g/4-5 mini pumpkin or squashes – de-seeded and cut into quarters,

150g puy lentils

1 onion – sliced

4 garlic cloves – skin on

1 vegetable marigold boullion cube – melted in 1 litre of hot water.

——————————

Method:

Roast the mini squash in an oven heated to 200ºc. Place the garlic into the hollwed out part of the squash and splash with a little olive oil.

Check after 30 mins, give the tin a little jiggle about and leave for another 15 mins.

When the squash is ready, remove from oven and set to cool.

Meanwhile, gently cook the onion in a little olive oil in a heavy-based saucepan and boil the kettle for the stock.

Remove the skins of the garlic and cut the squash pieces in half again, place in saucepan.

Allow to cook through slightly and add the lentils, stirring constantly.

Add the stock and water – add a little more water if required, bring to a simmer and leave for 20 mins.

After 20 mins, the soup shold be ready, so either eat as is, or blend with a hand blender, or pour a little at a time into a larger blender and whizz for a few seconds.

Serve with toasted pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds on top.

Premature Heart Disease Common in Indians and South Asians

2009-10-21T10:43:00.000+02:00

Heart disease is the number one killer of men and women in the United States. The prevalence of heart disease varies among ethnic groups. Immigrants from India (South Asia) have a four times greater risk of developing heart disease than other Americans. Indians are also more likely to develop premature heart disease, have heart attacks at an earlier age and develop diffuse disease due to a genetic predisposition and a multitude of lifestyle risk factors. This includes both vegetarians and non-vegetarians.

Genetic risk factors include: high lipoprotein (a) levels, elevated triglyceride levels and lower levels of less protective HDL (healthy) cholesterol. Indians are also more prone to have abdominal obesity, diabetes, sedentary lifestyles and diets high in fat and starches which can increase the risk of developing heart disease. The traditional Indian diet includes deep-fried foods (re-use of vegetable oil when cooking), coconut milk, roti, naan and other white breads, white rice, paneer (cheese), whole milk and high fat yogurt.

Even though Indians have a strong genetic risk for heart disease they can lower their risk by making healthy lifestyle changes.

Below are some tips that may help reduce the risk of heart disease:

Avoid deep frying, try to broil, bake, steam instead
Use low fat milk and dairy products
Increase fruit and vegetable and fiber intake
Use olive oil or canola oil, do not re-use cooking oil
Avoid ghee (clarified butter)
Increase intake of fish, nuts
Decrease intake of starches like white rice, roti, white potatoes and naan
Avoid eating all or majority of carbohydrates at one meal, do not skip meals
Increase activity level (walking 30 minutes a day counts as exercise)
Weight loss (lose abdominal fat, waist circumference goal men <36 inches, women <32 inches)

Lipoprotein (a) is a sub-class of LDL (Bad) cholesterol, when levels are elevated in the blood the risk for heart disease and stroke are increased. Elevated lipoprotein (a) levels are associated with premature heart disease and have little to do with diet or lifestyle, they are usually hereditary. All Indians/South Asians should have a lipoprotein (a) level checked at least once in their lifetime, preferably when they are younger since it is a marker of premature heart disease.

“Take Charge: A Woman’s Guide to a Healthier Heart” discusses how women can help control their cholesterol and other risk factors to prevent a heart attack, stroke and diabetes. “Take Charge: A Man’s Roadmap to a Healthier Heart” is due to be released Fall 2009. For more info visit www.heart-strong.com

Penchant de Fromage

2009-10-21T02:54:00.000+02:00

There was one thing, and one thing only on her mind when she woke up this Tuesday morning: Cheese.

Now, what is it about cheese that drives Karina so nuts? Let us count the ways….

credit to: deviantart.com

1. It is versatile: There is nothing Karina loves more than a good curried grilled cheese sandwich or a slice of Pizza Hut’s veggie lover’s pie. And when the mood strikes, nothing hits her spot better than a piece of toast heaped with a mound of Welsh Rarebit. Mmm….

2. Texture: Soft. Crumbly. Firm. Velvety. Smooth and silky. Rough. Just simple thoughts of a cheese’s touch are enough to tantalize Karina’s palate. Say the word “crumbly” and her mind will go astray to thoughts of crumbled Feta over butter crackers or some fresh Manchego atop a warm arepa.

3. Taste: The softness of a ripe french brie, the potent taste of a mature gouda, and the robust flavor of an aged cheddar… enough said.

4. Health: As a girl in dire need of nourishment, Karina is appreciative of the nutrients cheese brings her. Cheese is loaded with Vitamins A, B-12, and D, and excellent amounts of protein, phosphorus, and calcium. Cheese is most definitely a friend with benefits!

credit to: deviantart.com

When her sunrise cheese appreciation period ended, Karina slipped her nippy feet into her grandmother’s old stained slippers. Something about hand-me-downs always warmed her heart. Perhaps it was the idea infused of “if you have something great then share it?”

Karina knew that her nutritionist most likely sat at her desk thinking “she’s gonna be late again” and made it her morning’s mission to get out of the house on time.

She began to move toward the stairs when suddenly, a frenzied Mother dashed into the hall with a crazed expression on her face.

“MY CHOLESTEROL WENT THROUGH THE @##>?~%&ing ROOF!”

Mother got off the phone with Dr. S and one of her nervous breakdowns ensued.

“I’ll make you a nice bowl of chocolate oatmeal if you calm down,” Karina cooed.

Worked like a charm.

—————————–

1/2 c. Kashi Heart to Heart cereal and 1 crumbled golden corn VitaTop mixed into a 1/2 c. of LLF’s drinkable pina colada yogurt, pumpkin seeds & soy nuts, and chopped figs. On the side she enjoyed a Morningstar maple breakfast patty with milk and coffee.

The bowl of cereal was so tropical, so unique, so… exotic! Karina felt so excited to share this creation with her bloggers as she felt it could inspire several variations and newfangled breakfast treats.

Karina polished off her bowl, grabbed her purse, and scuttled out the door.

As her mother drove, Karina’s stomach fluttered with anxiety.

Did I gain? Did I lose? How much do I weigh now? What if I lost!? But what if I.. gained?

She tried to block ED out of her mind and sat peacefully for the rest (most?) of the trip.

—————————–

A pound. Karina gained a pound. A whole one pound. Not the usual 1/2 pound, 1/4 pound, 3/4 pound, but a pound.

She felt nauseous. On the bright side, the nutritionist said her meal plan looked fantastic.

ED felt perturbed.

“OH MY GOD, YOU FAILURE!” ED cried. “A whole pound!? You were better off gaining a fraction of a pound a week! Don’t you see that now your body will change sooner? You better hope that wasn’t real weight and that it was simply that 16 oz. coffee you just finished sipping on, you piglet. Now no one will think you’re special.”

People do not think Karina is special because she is thin… People think Karina is special because she is quirky and fun, not because she looks sicker and sicker as more of her clothes come off. And people think Karina is special because she can cook and draw, not because she stays at a low BMI. People don’t even care about that stuff. No one chooses their friends based on body weight. No one sane or worthwhile at least.

By the time Karina got home, her stomach became a garrulous scoundrel whom cried for attention. It howled and shouted unintelligible requests at her regarding cheese enchiladas and other gabbledygooks.

Well, be they gabbledygooks or not, her spoiled stomach got just what it asked for:an Amy’s Cheese Enchilada whole meal with a side of winter squash (not pictured) and a 1/2 c. of cottage cheese with blackberries.

Karina closed her eyes and savored every last bit of cheesy righteousness as if it were her last. Because it probably was her last.

Due to Mother’s scandalously high cholesterol, a few things had to be changed in the Pinzon household such as less frozen foods in the house. And less saturated fats (except for Karina, who needs her cheese!).

—————————–

Hours passed, the sun dimmed, and Karina now faced a new dilemma.

Last night at ballet, she couldn’t do it. She had to raise her hand an hour into class and sit out because she felt like she would pass out.

Her legs felt light and her brain felt fuzzy. She shouldn’t have gone to ballet. She’d had three dizzy spells that day and should have known better. Well, she did but did not want to face it.

Karina Pinzon, the Karina Pinzon, was sick. Her throat hurt, she felt weak, and all around dreadful. Could it be that she was… human? One of those living, breathing things that roam the Earth?

It appears as though she was.

Unfortunately, this troubled little human knows not how to rest. The word “rest” was purged from her vocabulary at the start of ED’s appearance when sitting on the couch to watch TV became an unlawful activity. The only activity that ED smiled upon was exercise.

Karina’s relationship with ballet is a curious one, to say the least. Karina has an artistic and amorous relationship with ballet. To her, ballet is one of the finest forms of art ever created. It is the epitome of grace and beauty put together.

ED, however, has an obsessive relationship with ballet and its’ obsession is not a healthy one. It is an abusive one.

While Karina wanted to go to ballet, ED had to go to ballet.

To miss a day would mean to “fail” ED’s exercise plan, not a day to get her strength back.

“If you don’t work out, your 1 pound of weight is going to be a flabby gut on your once flat belly.” ED taunted.

“Shut up!” Karina cried. “That is not true! NOT TRUE!”

Karina bolted off the couch.

“This week is demonstration week and I don’t want to be remembered by all the parents as ‘the skinny girl who passed out during my daughter’s ballet class.’ Also, if I don’t take care of myself, I’ll end up missing more days of ballet. So, there!” She blew a raspberry at her enemy and sat back down.

—————————–

Karina’s dinner consisted of 1 c. of black beans mixed with melted swiss cheese, pistachios, and hogao (Colombian criollo sauce). On the side she had a 1/2 c. of couscous with soy sauce and carrots.

She felt gorged after this but ignored the stuffed feeling and patted her stomach. That was a good meal – emphasis on good. Why would she complain for feeling a little full? One should feel blessed to feel full in a world where unwillful starvation is an extensive issue.

Moral of the story: Appreciate, be thankful, love (yourself and others), and never take things for granted.

Differences between drugs and natural therapies

2009-10-12T03:02:00.000+02:00

Understanding the biochemical pathways involved in nutrient and drug actions is of prime importance when working with patients. Using this information can help the practitioner choose the best treatment while also helping to inform a patient about the processes that occur in their body.

In studying these these interactions over the years, I’ve long-noticed a primary distinction between the way drugs affect the body and the way natural therapies affect the body. From what I can see, many drugs work “against” the body, while natural therapies work “with” the body. I’ll detail a few examples to show you my point.

1) statin cholesterol-lowering medications

These drugs interfere with (or block) the body’s natural production of cholesterol. This is turn lowers the cholesterol level in the blood.

A natural approach would be to increase the body’s natural ability to break down cholesterol, and hopefully look in to addressing the reason why the body is making more than is considered healthy.

2) aromatase inhibitors

Aromatase is an enzyme involved in the production of estrogen. Excess levels of estrogen have been implicated in breast and ovarian cancer. So these drugs are mainly used in those with breast and/or ovarian cancer, in order to block the production of estrogen.

A natural approach might be to help the body (specifically the liver) break down, detoxify, or “clear” these estrogens from the system more efficiently; rather than to outright block the natural production of estrogen.

3) “osteoporosis” medications

Bone is constantly remodeling. That is, new bone is continuously being formed, while old bone is continuously being broken down. Certain medications used to treat osteoporosis (known as bisphosphonates) are designed to inhibit the body’s natural breakdown of (old) bone; in an attempt to maintain the bone density that already exists.

A more natural approach would be to facilitate the growth of new bone cells through supplying the body with the raw materials necessary to build bone; amongst other methods.

4) antidepressant medication or SSRI’s (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors)

A lack of the neurotransmitter serotonin is commonly considered one of the hallmarks of depression. Let me first say that serotonin and other neurotransmitters are constantly “floating” in the area between nerve cells called the synaptic cleft. Generally, one nerve cell (the pre-synaptic) will release serotonin into the cleft in order for an adjacent nerve cell (the post-synaptic) to take-up the serotonin and allow it’s effects to take place in the body. Normal metabolism dictates that the first nerve cell (pre-synaptic) will also naturally “reuptake” (i.e.: take back if you will) much of the serotonin it released into the cleft or space. These SSRI drugs are designed to prevent serotonin from naturally being removed (or re- taken up) from the area between nerve cells. Again, it blocks the normal action of the body, in turn leaving more serotonin “around” in hopes that the second nerve will use it and allow its action(s) to take effect.

A more natural approach would be to see if perhaps the body’s production of serotonin is low is the first place. If so, a natural approach would work with the body in order to produce more serotonin, as opposed to blocking the natural self-regulating mechanism of reuptaking it.

There are many other examples of how the action of drugs work to block or impede the body’s natural functions; while the aim of natural therapies is to help facilitate or enhance the body’s natural functions in order to accomplish a desired result. Perhaps the reason that natural therapies have few known side-effects is because they work “with” the body’s natural processes as opposed to working “against” them. When looking to achieve a desired result, wouldn’t you rather work “with” your body than “against” it?

Dr. Robert D’Aquila – NYC Chiropractor – Applied Kinesiology

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2009-10-11T21:27:00.000+02:00

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Delicate Heart....Take care of it.....

2009-09-29T13:16:00.000+02:00

Sunday the 27th September 2009 was followed globally as “World Heart Day”. Every year the 4th Sunday of September marks the World Heart Day as declared by WHO. This came into effect from the year 1999.It is organized by the World Heart Federation and its members. It is co-sponsered by WHO, UNESCO and United Nations Sport for Development and Peace. It aims at creating public awareness and to promote preventive measures to reduce the deadly killers of mankind i.e cardio-vascular disease(CVD) and stroke.

The World Heart Federation is a Geneva based non-governmental organization dedicated to the prevention and control of heart diseases and stroke especially in low and middle income countries. Every year they come up with a new theme and the theme of 2009 was ‘Work With Heart’. CVD’s have been the leading cause of death globally taking away about 17.2 million lives annually. According to WHO by 2015 almost the death toll from CVD’s will peak up to a disappointing 20 million per year worldwide and around 2 million deaths in India alone by 2010. About 40% of those deaths occur even before the patients reach the hospital for initial care.

Work With Heart: Heart is the most delicate organ in the body which carries a heavy burden of work throughout the life. It is regularly subjected to the ill effects as caused by our day to day physical activities, mental stress, abnormal diet and lifestyle, bad habits like smoking and untoward emotions. Economical recession, low productivity and fight for survival has off late contributed to these problems. It is our duty to take care of our heart by taking care of ourselves before it is too late and the heart gives way. Keeping health to work and working to keep health are mirror images of each other and compliment each other. Health at the work place is very important. Keeping in view that almost half of those who die of chronic diseases including the CVD’s are in their productive years, especially in low and middle income countries, the WHO and WHF have called for Work With Heart slogan so that the loss of millions of productive years every year shall be prevented. It also aims at increasing the rate of good health and productivity at work place. This can be achieved with the Work Place Health Promotion and Workplace Wellness Programmes. To achieve core business objectives the importance of employee health takes priority. Large organizations like WHO and World Economic forum have recognized its importance and are working with programmes to achieve it. It is high time for the employers of different companies to realize its importance and implement health promotion as a part of corporate plan. Many organizations are in favour of it but many more have to incorporate it especially in developing countries.

Workplace Wellness Programmes:

*Tips for Employer’s

Offer information to workers using leaflets telling them about the risk factors of CVD’s and stroke
Establish health policies: eg prohibition of using tobacco or smoking at work place
Promote and encourage good food habits: Good quality of food at canteen, information about the caloric salt and fat content of the food, adding whole grain meals, more vegetables and fruits in the menu etc
Encourage workers to take short breaks in between work and to exercise a bit for a few minutes to half and hour a day
Make drinking water easily accessible

*Tips for Employees

Healthy food intake: Make good choices at canteen or hotel menu, carry food from home if possible, take 3 to 4 servings of fruits and vegetables per day
Exercise regularly: Don’t use lift-in fact use steps, take a small walk in between work during break, walk from home to bus stop or get down a stop early and walk to office.
Use less salt and processed foods
No to tobacco and alcohol
Maintain a healthy weight… Neither put weight nor lose too much
Visit a doctor or a health care professional and know your weight, blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose levels, BMI and waist to hip ratio.

Prevention of CVD’s and Stroke:

Knowing the risk factors and avoiding them: The risk factors of the CVD’s and stroke are as below mentioned by avoiding which 80% of premature deaths due to these alien diseases can be checked –
- Tobacco
- Incompatible foods and junk foods
- Sedentary living habits and improper or inadequate physical activities
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol and glucose levels
- Over weight and or obesity
- Inadequate use of fruits and vegetables

Do’s to prevent CVD’S and Stroke:

Take diet low in saturated fats

Take adequate fruit and vegetable servings

Take 6 to 8 glasses of water a day to stay hydrated. Don’t opt for alternatives like coffee tea or hydrated drinks.

Include whole grain cereals and nuts in the diet

Include fish and fish oils in your diet if you are a non vegetarian

Use less salt and plenty of fibre rich food

Always prefer fresh and hot food. Avoid plenty of spices and oil rich foods

Regular exercises and workouts: Walking, swimming jogging ets for atleast half an hour(only after medical consultation if you have signs of

CVD or stroke or if you have a family history of the same)

Take breaks in between work

Keep distressed, get involved in group activities, go outing with family and friends on week ends or during holidays, play with your kids,

read good books, laugh, watch cartoons etc

Practice Yoga and meditate regularly

Avoid anger and aggression

Hear pleasant music

Ayurvedic Remedies to prevent CVD’s and Stroke :

Ayurveda helps you to keep your heart protected from many diseases. Ayurveda when resorted to early, can be handy in treating the problems of the heart too if you already have hired one. The below mentioned is a briefing of the Ayurvedic approach towards Hrudaya Vikaras or ailments related to heart-

Shodana – Since all the diseases of systemic origin are caused due to morbid doshas according to Ayurvedic concepts, Shodana or purificatory measures to remove these doshas will be the primary approach. Vamana(emesis) and Virechana(purgation) are indicated in the treatment line of Hridroga. They should be brought about after a proper Snehana(oleation with medicated ghee or oils).
Sthanika – Local treatments:
- Hrid Lepa: Application of medicated pastes in the form of anointments over the region of the heart
- Parisechana: Sprinkling of medicated decoctions or milk
- Hrid basti: Pooling of medicated oils or ghee within the chamber constructed over the cardiac region with flour
Other Treatments:
- Shiro Dhara – Pouring in stream of medicated oils(taila dhara) or medicated buttermilk(takra dhara) to combat stress, hypertension etc associated with the cardiac ailments
- Kaya seka and Pizzhichil: Pouring in stream of medicated oils all over the body – provides a distressing and relaxing effect, improves blood flow, improves nerve conduction, relieves pains, brings about good sleep
- Shiro pichu(keeping a cotton swab soaked in oil on the crown of the head) and Shiro abhyanga(massaging the head with medicated oils)
- Pada abhyanga: Foot massage with medicated oils
Shamana Chikitsa: Palliative treatment with oral medicines – The below mentioned medicines will be highly effective in prevention and treatment of cardiac problems-

*Partharishta(Arjunarishta), Punarnavarishtam, Draksharishtam, Arjuna Ksheerapaka

*Chandraprabha vati

*Hridyam Kashayam

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Tab Punarnava Mandooram

We can definitely prevent the problems occurring to our heart if we plan and organize our lifestyle and diet properly and follow them sincerely.

Be happy…and Cheerful…Avoid tensions…and enjoy the life as it comes

Have a positive approach…and be negative to bad habits….

Remember…An Apple a day keeps a Doctor away….and of course…

Ayurveda is always there……

For details contact: Dr Raghuram Y.S,MD(ayu),

Consultant Physician

Arogya Ayurvedic Centre

12th cross,Jayanagar 7th Block/Off K.R. Road

Bangalore – 82

Landmark: Opp Upahar Sagar hotel/Behind Shastry’s Bakery

Ph: 9480071422/080-26766291

Mail us at: drraghuramys@gmail.com

drraghuram@avnarogya.in

Visit us at: www.avnarogya.in and www.arogyabangalore.com

Sports Supplement Drastically Decreases Cholesterol

2009-09-24T18:29:00.000+02:00

I recently came across a press release from Champion Nutrition through Google News that compelled me to blog about their sports supplement: Wipeout. Wipeout is one of hundreds of sports supplement pills marketed to burn fat.

What intrigued me about Wipeout and the press release was the University studies that prove its enhanced benefits of drastic cholesterol reduction. That’s not a “feature” you see in other fat loss pills.

Wipeout was compared next to a placebo in which Wipeout users showed the obvious reduction in cholesterol whereas the test subjects using placebos did not.

I’m not too big on sports supplements these days, especially after the news several months ago about Hydroxycut. Thankfully I don’t have high cholesterol, but if I did I’d probably try Wipeout over a box of Cheerios or overpriced prescription meds like Lipitor.

Link to Press Release: Click Here

Spread The Word! Link Back To This Page Using The Code Below:

Sports Supplement Drastically Decreases Cholesterol

Pass me a Slim Jim, cause "You are NOT the Father!"

2009-09-23T19:30:00.000+02:00

Yesterday, as I was leaving the office building, I heard a woman chatting nervously with her coworker as she walked through the parking lot. “I’m hoping if I lose 20 lbs, my cholesterol will naturally go down,” she said. “Then I can go back to the doctor for a test. You know, because you can’t test that on your own.” I was tempted to turn around to share with her that in fact you can test your cholesterol by simply picking up a “do it yourself” kit at Walgreens. Cholesterol however, is the least interesting thing you can test for on your own time.

Doctors and lab techs will soon be obsolete thanks to the advancement of take home tests. “Did you know you can buy paternity tests at Walgreens?” my friend Kristin texted the other day. Well there goes Maury Povich’s job. Not only can you determine your baby daddy in the privacy of your home– or the Walgreens’ bathroom, but you can also pick up some light bulbs and Mike and Ikes while you are out. What shocked me the most, was that it is only priced at $29.99…a total steal! Apparently the kit has received 4 out of 5 stars…one gentleman gave it a poor score due to the fact that you must have the mother’s signature to receive the results. Before you swab little Jimmy’s mouth, make sure your potential baby mama signs off on the test.

For those of you who get a little crazy on the weekends, Walgreen’s also sells drug tests. My favorite was the cocaine test. Employers, why pay for lab testing and processing fees when you can test your employees pee in your company bathroom? I can just see the staff minutes now: “Thursday we will be conducting mandatory drug testing. Our office manager, Bernice will be administering the tests in the privacy of the first floor restroom.”

Along with the paternity and coke tests, you can also test your cholesterol. Checking your LDL and HDL levels might not be as sexy as finding out who owes you child support, but damn it saves gas. So, yes, you can test your cholesterol on your own time. Grab the kit, and a jumbo tube of Slim Jims to chow down in celebration of lowering your score.

Does an apple a day keep the doctor away?

2009-09-22T19:11:00.000+02:00

There is an old saying: “ An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” It turns out this saying may have a lot of truth to it. Fruits, especially apples, contain impressive amounts of nutrients.

So, what makes apples so important? Let’s consider some of the apple’s components and their effect on our health:

Pectin: Can help lower blood glucose, blood cholesterol and fats. Can also help regulate elimination.
Vitamins and Minerals: Contains Boron, Calcium, Potassium, Iron, Vitamin A, Vitamin E and Vitamin C.
Anti-oxidants: Including Quercitin, which can decrease the risk of lung and breast cancer, as well as age-related problems like Alzheimer’s disease.
Nature’s toothbrush: helps kill bacteria in the mouth, decreasing incidence of cavities, gum inflammation and abscesses.

Apples are a low calorie dense food, meaning they are filling, satisfying, yet are low in calories. And, with so many varieties available, eating an apple every day doesn’t get boring.

Apples can help maintain health

While apples can help you maintain health, they are not going to prevent all illnesses. Many other factors contribute to maintaining health. It is important to include other foods that provide other nutrients as well. Many other fruits are also healing fruits.

Why focus on apples?

Apples are easy to grow, provide a variety of tastes and can stay fresh and tasty for a long time.

While it is important to eat a varied diet, apples are an easy and tasty way to get many of the nutrients that support health. So, enjoy an apple and see if “eating an apple a day helps you keep the doctor at bay”.

Mandura and the Durian Fruit, What Is It?

2009-09-22T02:18:00.000+02:00

Well, here I am, almost one week in this Mandura “thing”. Well let me tell you, I literally have never seen anything, and I know people say stuff like that all the time, but I have NOT seen anything quite like this. In less than ONE WEEK I now have in my business, 635 new business partners. On an slow day, as in this past Sunday, I saw 58 people join force’s with our Mandura group! As I started this post I gained 4 new partners within this time, about 25 minutes!!!

There are benefits to drinking the “juice” also, there have been reports of people being told be their DR’s to cut back on diabetic meds as somehow they no longer need as much meds as they had originally prescribed! Coincidence, could be, time will tell.

One thing about the Durian fruit, which is in Mandura, is that it “cleanses the blood!

Among the beneficial nutrients in each Durian are:

Phytonutrients: nutrient compounds that provide immune system support, DNA damage repair, carcinogen detoxification, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects

Organo-sulfur compounds: natural organic compounds known to have medicinal benefits such as minimizing cholesterol development, decreasing inflammation and arthritic pain, improving joint movement and skin complexion, and counteracting carcinogens*

Dietary Fiber: supports a healthy intestinal tract*

Essential Amino Acids: contains essential amino acids, with glutamate at particularly high levels which is critical in the metabolic process*

Tryptophan: a healthy amino acid that is the antecedent to Serotonin which monitors the human body`s emotions. Serotonin is converted to Melatonin which promotes efficient sleep, aids in managing anxiety and is often effective in treating several types of mental disorders*

Minerals: including calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, zinc, copper and manganese

Vitamins: including thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid (B5), Vitamin A, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Folic Acid and retinol

Protein and Fat: Good muscle builder that is high in protein and fat, but cholesterol-free*

Other Health Benefits of the Durian include:

Boosts metabolism weight loss*

Blood Cleanser*

Muscle builder*

Natural Energy *

Antibacterial

Detoxification of carcinogens*

Good source of raw fats* Secure a spot quick, earlier in, better income! $30 dollars gives you a bottle of Mandura, a website (no additional cost to you). There is also a MONEY BACK GUARANTEE, not happy, within 30 days, return bottle, get FULL REFUND, (see website for FULL details)! http://www.phenomsinc.com

Lower Your Cholesterol with Heart Healthy Choices

2009-09-21T10:21:00.000+02:00

from the Living Well Center

For many Americans working toward better heart health, an important first step is getting cholesterol to a healthy level. Diet and exercise are important steps to reduce high cholesterol. However, many people may find that with diet and exercise alone, cholesterol numbers are not where they should be.

More than one hundred million Americans have high cholesterol, an important risk factor for heart disease. Though diet is very important, many people don’t realize that cholesterol is also produced in the body based upon heredity.

Learning about your family health history is important—we recommend talking to your family about their health and creating a family health tree (a sample is available on our Web site). Bringing this information to your next doctor visit will help you discuss your family history regarding cholesterol and other hereditary health concerns.

Understanding Cholesterol

What you eat affects your health, by raising or lowering the blood fats (cholesterol, triglycerides) that circulate through your body. Some foods increase your levels of total cholesterol, LDL or “bad” cholesterol and triglycerides. Over the years, excess cholesterol and fat are deposited in the inner walls of the arteries that supply blood to your heart. Eventually, these deposits can make your arteries narrower and less flexible, a condition known as atherosclerosis. Left unchecked, this buildup can lead to heart attack, stroke and death.

Additionally, because of your family health history, your body may be genetically predisposed to make more cholesterol than you may need, in addition to the cholesterol from your food intake.

Know your numbers!

Each one of us has a cholesterol goal level, based upon our individual risk factors and our risk for heart disease. The National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) recommends that everyone age 20 and over have a blood cholesterol test every five years to check their cholesterol levels. To learn more about your goal, visit www.nhlbi.nih.gov/chd for the National Cholesterol Education Program’s Live Healthier, Live Longer Web site.

If your cholesterol levels are mildly to moderately higher than your goal, making a few dietary changes may be all you need to get back on track.

According to current NCEP recommendations, people with coronary heart disease or others considered to be at high risk for coronary heart disease generally have an LDL cholesterol goal of less than 100 mg/dL. An LDL cholesterol goal of less than 70 mg/dL is a therapeutic option for people considered to be at very high risk. Work with your doctor to develop a plan to help reduce your LDL cholesterol number to goal.

Here are guidelines for your cholesterol and triglyceride levels according to NCEP guidelines (new guidelines will be released in 2010):

Total blood cholesterol levels less than 200 mg/dL Desirable 200 to 239 mg/dL Borderline high 240 mg/dL or above High LDL blood cholesterol levels less than 100 mg/dL Optimal 100 to 129 mg/dL Near optimal/above optimal 130 to 159 mg/dL Borderline high 160 to 189 mg/dL High 190 mg/dL and above Very High HDL blood cholesterol levels above 60 mg/dL. Levels above 60 mg/dL are considered especially beneficial and can offset risk factors for heart disease, according to NHLBI. The higher the level, the healthier it is. Optimal 50 to 60 mg/dL for women; 40 to 50 mg/dL for men Average less than 50 mg/dL for women; less than 40 mg/dL for men. Below these levels is considered a major risk factor for heart disease. Low Triglyceride levels less than 150 mg/dL Normal 150 to 199 mg/dL Borderline High 200 to 499 mg/dL High 500 mg/dL or higher Very high

It is important to remember that these recommendations are for healthy individuals, not for women with existing risk factors for heart disease, such as diabetes, kidney disease, being overweight, smoking or having a family history of heart disease. If you are at risk for heart disease, your target goals likely will be lower.

Fighting Back

There are things that you can do now to help you gain a better understanding of your risk factors and perhaps lower your chances of high cholesterol and heart disease. For starters, it’s important that you eat right, get plenty of exercise, as recommended by your physician, and begin to understand your family health history. A healthy diet may help reduce total cholesterol. In general, you want to get “good” cholesterol higher and “bad” cholesterol lower.

You can still enjoy a wide variety of foods by making healthful dietary choices and changes.

If elevated cholesterol is part of your family genetics, or you have other conditions such as heart disease or diabetes, you may need medication in addition to eating a heart-healthy diet. But whether you have normal cholesterol, high levels, or are currently taking a cholesterol-lowering drug, eating a healthy diet is important for everyone.

Good fats/bad fats

Fats can be good for you and your heart, when they’re the right kind and consumed in limited amounts; but even good fat is packed with calories.

Those include monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which decrease “bad” cholesterol, and omega-3 fatty acids, which lower triglycerides.

Unsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature.
Monounsaturated fats include olive oil, canola oil and peanut oil.
Polyunsaturated fats include corn oil, safflower oil and soybean oil.

Saturated fats are the bad guys that may endanger your heart. They increase LDL or “bad” cholesterol more than anything else in your diet.

Saturated fats, found mostly in animal products, are hard at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Think butter, shortening, fat on and in meat and poultry skin. Whole milk or two-percent milk products, half-and-half and cream all have a lot of saturated fat.
Tropical oils—coconut, palm and palm kernel oils—also contain a lot of saturated fats. These oils are used in commercially baked crackers, cookies and non-dairy creamers.
Foods containing saturated fats often also contain high amounts of cholesterol, which is only found in animal products.

Trans fats are another culprit to watch out for.

Trans fats raise “bad” cholesterol.
Trans fats are found in foods made with hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils—stick margarine and some store-bought cookies and cakes, fast-food French fries, potato chips and other snacks.
Read your food labels before purchasing. If there are .5 grams or less of trans fats in an item, the company can claim 0 trans fats on the label, so check the ingredient list for hydrogenated oils.

Heart-Healthy Choices

1. Switch your dairy

Make the change from whole or two-percent milk to one-percent and then to skim, for drinking and in recipes. Or try almond milk or rice milk for a nondairy alternative.
Use low-fat or nonfat sour cream, yogurt, cream cheese and ice cream.

2. Choose lean cuts

Beef tenderloin, sirloin, eye of round, ground beef with 10 percent or less fat and pork tenderloin are good choices.
Other alternatives include white meat chicken or turkey.
Remove the skin before cooking any poultry.

3. Cook with monounsaturated or polyunsaturated Oils

These include olive, canola, peanut, safflower, sunflower, sesame and soybean oils.

4. Use more plant-based proteins instead of animal products

These include beans and peas—black beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, chickpeas, lentils—and tofu or soy. Try veggie burgers (soy-based or grain-based) for an alternative to beef.

5. Boost your intake of foods that are high in soluble fiber

This type of fiber binds to cholesterol in the digestive tract and helps remove it from your body. Good sources include oatmeal, oatmeal bread, oat bran cereal, beans and peas, apples, bananas and citrus fruits.

6. Increase whole grains in your diet

Choose bread with at least 3 grams of dietary fiber per slice, whole-grain pastas and brown rice.

7. Use products containing plant sterol and stanol esters

These components help keep your body from absorbing cholesterol.
Consuming two to three grams a day decreases LDL cholesterol by 6 percent to 15 percent.
Food products that have added cholesterol-lowering sterols and stanols include margarines, orange juice and yogurt.

8. Eat fatty fish twice a week

Choose wild salmon over farm-raised to reduce possible toxin exposure.
Pregnant or nursing women and children should limit tuna intake to 6 ounces a week and avoid swordfish, due to concerns about methyl mercury levels.

9. Increase the amounts of fruits and vegetables you eat

Most women should have 1-1/2 cups of fruit and 2 to 2-1/2 cups of vegetables (without cheese sauce!) every day, according to new guidelines.
Adding more of these to your diet fills you up, adds fiber and important nutrients and helps replace foods with saturated fats.
For details on the new dietary recommendations, visit www.mypyramid.gov.

10. Keep an eye on dietary cholesterol

Dietary cholesterol, such as is found in eggs, dairy products and some other foods, may raise cholesterol in the blood slightly, but newer studies find that consumption of dietary cholesterol is unlikely to substantially increase risk of coronary heart disease or stroke among healthy men and women. If you have other existing health conditions or risk factors for heart disease, such as diabetes, kidney disease, being overweight, smoking or having a family history of heart disease, you may need to monitor dietary cholesterol more closely.
Egg yolks are filled with dietary cholesterol—213 milligrams in each. If you have elevated cholesterol, the National Cholesterol Education Program recommends you keep your consumption under 200 milligrams per day.
Egg whites are cholesterol-free, so use two for each whole egg in recipes, or use cholesterol-free egg substitute, which works well in baking and omelettes.

Heart-Healthy Tips for Eating Away from Home

Here’s how to eat out and have a terrific meal without taking in too much fat and cholesterol:

Preparation counts. Order your food fresh, sautéed, grilled/broiled, or poached. If sautéed or broiled, ask for it to be cooked with olive oil or without fat. Have sauces served on the side, so you add only what you need.
Divide and conquer. Resist the pitfalls of inflated portions by eating only half of what you order. Take the rest home for an easy lunch or dinner the next day. Ask if you and your dining partner can share an entrée, with each of you ordering individual salads.
Balance. Have the nachos if you really want them, but order a healthy entrée. Dessert isn’t a no-no—pick fresh fruit or sorbet. Enjoy the bread or rolls, just skip the butter and drizzle on olive oil.
Sip slowly. Wine may raise HDL “good” cholesterol a bit, but there’s also evidence it can boost your triglyceride levels.
Fast food stops are OK. Most fast-food restaurants now offer healthier items than a bacon double cheeseburger. Depending upon which chain you visit, you may find salads (ask for nonfat or olive oil dressings), grilled chicken, yogurt, baked potatoes and fresh fruit cups.
Look for a heart-healthy symbol. Some restaurants put a heart or other sign next to healthful menu items. Choose from those.

For More Heart Healthy Info visit www.heart-strong.com

References

Lichtenstein, A.H. Dietary fat and cardiovascular risk: quantity or quality? Journal of Women’s Health. 2003 Mar.;12(2):109-14.

Mozaffarian, D., Rimm, E.B., King, I.B., Lawler, R.L., McDonald, G.B., Levy, W.C. Trans fatty acids ad systemic inflammation in heart failure. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2004 Dec.;80(6):1521-5.

Thompson, G.R., Grundy, S.M. History and development of plant sterol and stanol esters for cholesterol-lowering purposes. American Journal of Cardiology. 2005 July 4;96(1 Suppl):3-9.

Associated Press. “U.S. Government Discards One-Size-Fits-All Food Pyramid.” 2005 Apr. 19.

Blogging my way to better health:Day 32 of the 20 lb struggle

2009-09-17T10:53:00.000+02:00

Getting lab results at the doctor's office

My physician was amazed! She couldn’t believe what I had accomplished in only a month. Here are the stats: GLUCOSE down from 123 to 100; CHOLESTEROL down from 211 to 158; TRIGLICERIDE down from 248 to 122. “This is tremendous improvement. What you have accomplished is very significant,” she told me.

“How did you do it?” she wanted to know.

“I’m writing a blog and it really keeps me focused on what I am eating.” I replied. And then with some pride I added, “And…I lost 9.5 lbs!”

What made you start blogging?” she inquired.

“Actually you did, doctor. The last time I was here you really scared me.”

“I didn’t scare you” she protested. “I just told you the truth.”

“Well, then I guess the truth was scary.”

She smiled and nodded her head. “So many of my patients just won’t change. It is heartbreaking to see them hurting themselves. I don’t know how to reach them.”

“Tell them about my blog. Maybe that will help motivate them.”

As the doctor turned and walked towards the next exam room the nurse asked me what the blog was about.

“Well it isn’t really a diet blog or a nutrition blog (although it has that in it). I think most of us who are adults know what we have to do. We have read about diets and what to eat and how to exercise for years and years. Yet, we all have difficulty getting ourselves to do what we know is right. My blog is about diet psychology. How to find the diet that is best for you. How to motivate yourself to be healthier and slimmer and keep yourself that way. I know it’s a struggle. That’s why the word “struggle” is in the name of my blog. BUT. Nothing worth doing ever comes easy!”

Health Living by Reliv International

2009-09-15T19:45:00.000+02:00

Take Steps to Improve Cholesterol

Many people nonchalantly visit the doctor for a routine check-up, have a few blood tests, and then whamo! Much to their surprise, they find out they have high cholesterol.

High cholesterol doesn’t offer any outward symptoms to send up a red flag that there’s a problem. But, along with high blood pressure, it’s a major risk factor for heart attack and stroke.

Cholesterol problems are known as lipid abnormalities, which include high total cholesterol, high LDL (“bad cholesterol”), low HDL (“good cholesterol) and high triglycerides.

Physicians often prescribe medications called statins to lower cholesterol. Unfortunately, while statins can be beneficial, they also can cause unpleasant side effects such as muscle pain or weakness, liver damage, headaches and digestive problems.

In addition to medication, physicians often recommend exercise and dietary changes to patients to improve their cholesterol levels. Adding at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise three or more times a week can increase your “good” (HDL) cholesterol by 5-10 percent and lower triglycerides.

Certain foods can also help improve cholesterol levels, including:

* Avocados

* Barley

* Beans and lentils

* Fish

* Fresh vegetables and fruits, especially blueberries

* Oats and other whole grains

* Healthy fats such as olive oil, fish oil, flax

* Garlic

* Nuts and seeds, especially walnuts and almonds

Another Healthy Option

A healthier diet and regular exercise can definitely help your cholesterol levels. But here’s the kicker: Most studies and long-term follow-ups find most people fail to follow this lifestyle prescription. They may just rely on medication that sometimes still doesn’t lower cholesterol enough.

An easy way to further improve cholesterol levels — even if you also take statins — is through nutritional supplements. Soy and fiber each have been proven to improve lipid abnormalities and, in turn, benefit heart health. A recent multi-center, randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled study of Reliv Now® and FibRestore® found that these two nutritional supplements lowered risk factors for cardiovascular disease. See the study results.

Reliv’s CardioSentials® takes it a step further and works on multiple levels to support total heart health. CardioSentials has been clinically shown to reduce total cholesterol, LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglycerides for people with high cholesterol, as well as increase HDL (good) cholesterol and reduce blood glucose levels. Phytosterols help moderate cholesterol levels; policosanol helps maintain normal cholesterol and improve coronary blood flow; and an array of potent antioxidants help protect arterial walls and reduce lipid oxidation. If you would like a copy of the Clinical Study send me a comment and I will send it your way.

Cheers To Your Health

www.metabolic-syndrome-family.com

The Benefits of Tofu

2009-09-11T10:44:00.000+02:00

The star of yesterday’s recipe, Tofu Stir Fry, was none other than tofu. As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, tofu is a versatile source of protein that takes on the flavors of whatever you cook it in, which makes it stand out in the protein world. But what is tofu and what are some of it’s benefits?

Tofu is made from the curds of soybean milk and is a great source of protein, which is wonderful for those who maintain a vegetarian diet. It is also a good source of iron, calcium (especially if it is enriched with calcium), and omega-3 fatty acids, which have cardiovascular benefits. Research has also shown that soy protein:

lowers total cholesterol, LDL (”bad”) cholesterol, and triglyceride levels. It also may increase HDL (”good”) cholesterol levels.
helps alleviate symptoms associated with menopause.
helps reduce bone less and decrease risk of osteoporosis.
is a good source of antioxidants selenium and copper.

There are various types of tofu ranging from silken to extra-firm tofu. The more firm the tofu, the more calories and protein it has. Here is a general breakdown of nutrition stats for different types of tofu (per 3 oz serving):

Silken: 45 calories, 2.5 grams total fat, 4 grams protein
Soft: 60 calories, 3 grams total fat, 6 grams protein
Firm: 70 calories, 3 grams total fat, 7 grams protein
Extra-Firm: 80 calories, 4 grams total fat, 8 grams protein

As you can see there isn’t a big nutritional difference between the different forms of tofu, so you should feel free to use any kind you want without worrying about calories and fat.

What’s your favorite tofu dish?

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

Home Instead In the News: Cooking For Seniors

2009-09-08T18:22:00.000+02:00

(NEWS CENTER) — With an aging population more people are caring for senior citizens.

Home Instead Senior Care offers suggestions for cooking easy and healthy meals for seniors.

The group says there are 12 foods seniors should not live without including oatmeal, eggs, yogurt, fish, broccoli, rice and dark chocolate.

Home Instead officials also say by paying closer attention to the eating habits of our seniors we can live healthier lives ourselves.

Story by WCSH6.com

Home Instead Senior Care require our CAREGivers be able to cook healthy and well-made meals. We ensure that your loved one will receive the foods seniors should not go without, and of course cater to our clients’ likings. We will provide outstanding CAREGivers to help your loved one with personal care, incidental travel, companionship, medication, reminders, light housekeeping, and even meal preparation. To learn more, call 248-203-2273 or visit www.homeinstead.com. Home Instead Senior Care is the world’s trusted source of in-home non-commercial personal care and companionship for seniors. Each franchise is independently owned and operated.

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

Press Update:

2009-09-08T11:42:00.000+02:00

I recently contributed to an article on heart health for Natural Health Magazine.

The article outlines why we need to keep out heart healthy, the foods we should avoid and the ones to include in our diets as well as lifestyle and supplement suggestions.

Unfortunately techonology is thwarting me from uploading the PDF, but please read a sample of my contribution below.

The magazine is out now in all good UK newsagents and supermarkets, its a really interesting read, so go buy it!

Garlic and spices

“Garlic is a natural blood thinner,” says Alison

Duker, who runs the nutritional consultancy

EatbetterNow, (eatbetternow.co.uk). “If the blood

is thick (due to excess fat intake for example) it

will be harder for the heart to pump it through

the body, especially if the arteries are narrow due

to cholesterol build-up, thus increasing blood

pressure. Garlic can also decrease the rate of

cholesterol manufacture.” Try to include

between one and three cloves per day in your

diet to get the full benefit.

Other heart-healthy flavourings to add to

your food include turmeric and ginger. Turmeric

contains curcumin which has been shown to

reduce the chances of developing heart failure,

while ginger has been proven to have bloodthinning

effects.

Folic acid

“Folic acid is essential for reducing levels of

homocysteine, a substance which is an

independent risk factor for atherosclerosis

(hardening of the arteries), heart attack, stroke

and vascular disease,” says Alison Duker.

“The body’s natural mechanisms to remove

homocysteine are dependent on a number of

nutrients, of which folic aid is a key player. It is

therefore very important to include foods high in

this vitamin in the diet, such as dark green leafy

vegetables, beans, walnuts, almonds, oatmeal,

avocados and coconuts.”

Magnesium

“Magnesium is nature’s relaxant and works in

conjunction with calcium for heart muscle

contractions,” says Alison Duker. “However,

decreased magnesium causes disturbances in

cardiac rhythm and can increase the risk of

hypertension (high blood pressure).”

Make sure you get your intake of magnesium

by eating plenty of dark green leafy vegetables,

sunflower seeds, buckwheat, almonds, cashew

nuts, walnuts, tofu, brown rice, figs and apricots.

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