Discover Why Not All High Cholesterol Foods Are Bad For You

Eating high cholesterol foods is in fact not bad for you. However to clarify on that what we first have to understand is that there are two different types of cholesterol, one that we want to have low levels of and one that we want to have high levels of. They are LDL (bad) and HDL (good), and of course the high cholesterol foods that we want to have more of are the ones that increase our amount of HDL.

Before we look at the foods that raise our good cholesterol, let us first look at the food that we need to avoid which would be traditionally known as high cholesterol foods. The first group of foods here, although there is now some debate about this, is foods that are high in saturated fats. You find saturated fats in foods like red meats and also dairy products, and although some researchers believe that it will not effect your LDL levels, it is probably still advisable to reduce your intake. The second group of high cholesterol foods which you need to avoid and there is no debate about are foods that contain trans fats.

Trans fats are a man made fat, and they are created when vegetable oil is turned from a liquid into a solid form by the process of hydrogenation. The fat that is created from this process is added to a lot of different types of foods mainly because it increases the shelf life of them. More often than not these fats are found in prepackaged food and also used for deep frying at fast food outlets. To give you an idea of how serious these fats can be taken, Denmark, Switzerland and some states in the US have banned their use because of the effect they can have on cholesterol and the heart.

So, what are the high cholesterol foods that you want to include for your HDL levels? First of all I would recommend including oily fish such as salmon or mackerel into your diet. The reason being is these kind of oily fish are packed with heart healthy omega threes which not only boost your HDL levels but also helps reduce triglyceride levels too. Other foods that contain Omega threes that can help your heart are nuts and seeds such as flaxseed and walnuts.

In addition to that, you should also increase the amount of vegetables that you eat as well. Although these won't raise your good cholesterol as much is the omega-3 rich foods, they contain sterols which have a cellular make up that is very similar to cholesterol, and when they are in your body they stop as much cholesterol being absorbed by your gastrointestinal tract, and this means less fatty deposits floating in your blood clogging up your arteries.

In addition to that, there are also some other specific nutrients that can raise HDL and lower LDL at the same time, although these are often best found in supplemental form. They include green tea extract, policosanol, lecithin and rice bran oil. By adding these to the good high cholesterol foods such as the omega threes, and removing trans fats and saturated fats from your diet, this will help you to maintain healthy cholesterol levels.

To learn more about the nutrients that can be found in supplemental form, and how they can be as powerful on your cholesterol levels as statins but without the nasty side effects make sure you visit my website today where I explain this in more detail. You can find the site by going to [clobbercholesterol.com]

Low Carb Diet Health Risks - Is it Really Worth It?

The question that should be on more people's minds today is: do low carb diet health risks exist, and if so, then what are they? The idea of carbohydrates being off-limits for individuals watching their figure is so popular that some actually cringe when the waiter places the bread basket before me in a restaurant. In fact, one of the first things that came to my mind when I decided to write this article is the scene in that B-grade Ryan Reynolds movie 'Just Friends' where the Britney Spears-type character screws up her face and spats something along the lines of, 'I don't eat CARBS you idiot!' when another character offers her some potato chips.

That movie scene may seem extreme, but then again, I actually have friends who ask to 'hold the bread' when ordering a sandwich (sigh). As much as I want to say that I've avoided this craze, I find myself feeling more uncomfortable and guilt-stricken consuming carbs than any other type of food. I do not adhere to a carb-free diet because I find it nearly impossible to enjoy life when trying to do so, but I can understand why some others do.

But other than the fact that avoiding carbs like they're the plague is a pain, are there any negative health consequences to doing so? The answer is yes, yes, and YES! I actually didn't find out how unhealthy it is until the other day, when I came across an article about the dangers of fad diets. I wasn't surprised that a grapefruit diet, for example, can be very harmful, but the fact that staying away from carbs is dangerous intrigued me. I did more research and it turns out that a large proportion of health specialists support this claim.

Let's go over some basics for those of you who aren't sure what carb-free diets actually are. Generally, diets such as these (ex. the Atkin's diet) recommend a severe restriction of carbohydrates. When individuals do this their bodies go into ketosis, a metabolic state where the body burns fat (as opposed to carbohydrates) for energy. So when normally your body breaks down the carbs you consume for fuel, now it goes straight for your fat cells. Another 'plus' of carb-free diets is that you usually feel less hungry when your body is in ketosis and thus eat less.

Now for the negatives...

The least serious side-effects are that although many individuals see initial success in losing weight, this is uaul water weight and muscle mass, and most individuals have a hard time keeping that weight off. Secondly, the increase of ketones produced in the body during ketosis can lead to bad breath!

Now for the more serious effects. According to the American Dietetic association (ADA) and the American Heart Association, low carb diets are way too high in cholesterol and fat. And as most of us know, high cholesterol can lead to heart disease, cancer and stroke! These diets also tend to lead to an increase in protein consumption, which together with a lack of carbohydrates can cause a bagful of other serious health issues, including: kidney stones, kidney failure, cancer, osteoporosis (as we excrete more calcium while on these diets), and gout.

Hopefully if you were thinking of severely restricting your carbohydrate consumption, you will think twice about it now. Personally, this information made me jubilant as now I can enjoy things like high-carb fruits, whole wheat pastas & breads, and granola with zero guilt!

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Lowering Blood Pressure Through Diet

Of course you know that a diet that depends on eating food that is either delivered by the pizza guy or by the drive through attendant is not going to help you lose weight or get your blood pressure and cholesterol under control. But other food choice can help reduce both high blood pressure and high cholesterol. It is all about the choices you make.

Some years ago a study was undertaken to determine what effect different diets had on reducing blood pressure numbers. This study is known as "DASH" (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension). The results of this test showed that volunteers who faithfully followed the DASH dietary requirements enjoyed markedly lower blood pressure in a just a matter of weeks.

One of the dietary regimes studied focused on restricting sodium intake to no more than 1,500 milligrams daily, which is roughly 2/3 teaspoon of normal table salt. Those who followed this program showed even more dramatic lowering of blood pressure readings.

The government recommendations for daily sodium intake as defined by both the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Agriculture is not more than 2,300 milligrams daily but the research resulting from the DASH study indicate that individuals who are middle aged or older, anyone with hypertension, and African-Americans should keep their intake to the 1,500 milligram level.

To achieve this, and other health benefits, the DASH diet is much richer in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and other food choices that provide key nutrients like potassium, calcium, dietary fiber, protein, and magnesium. Based on a daily calorie allowance of 2,000 here are the daily DASH recommendations (number of servings are per day unless noted otherwise):

Grains: 7-8 servings
Vegetables: 4-5 servings
Fruits: 4-5 servings
Dairy products: 2-3 servings (low-fat or fat-free)
Meat (lean), poultry, fish: Not more than 2 servings
Nuts, seeds, legumes: 4-5 servings per week
Fats, oils: -3 servings
Sweets: fewer than 5 servings a week

While the DASH diet is certainly much different from what most of us normally eat, it has proven to be a very effective chiabenefits.net blood pressure diet Of course, if you are suffering from either high blood pressure or high cholesterol, you should speak with your doctor or health care provider about this, and other options that may be open to you.

But even if you do not suffer from high cholesterol or blood pressure it is still a good idea to be sure you are receiving all the nutrients required by your body for proper operation. Adding chia seed dietary supplement to your current diet will do this nicely.

Chia seed is gluten free, classified as a raw food by the FDA and is packed with many of the vital nutrients we all need including omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, dietary fiber, potassium, magnesium, iron and more.

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Effective Diet For High Cholesterol - What's In & Out For Reduced Cholesterol Levels?

If your doctor has recently recommended that you switch to a diet for high cholesterol, learning which foods are in and which are out when it comes to this type of diet plan is essential. The reason high cholesterol presents a problem for your health is its relationship to the clogging of the arteries. As your LDL (bad cholesterol) levels go up, the narrower your arteries become, the less blood is flowing freely into your heart, and the greater your risk of heart attack and stroke.

Obviously, the sooner you can start following a diet for high cholesterol the better! Just by adopting a diet for high cholesterol you can lower your cholesterol, prevent heart disease, and even turn around any clogged arteries that may already be occurring inside your body.

For those with more advanced heart disease, it is essential to follow a diet for high cholesterol to prevent further deterioration of the heart. The fastest way to adopt an eating plan in line with cholesterol reducing health benefits is to learn which foods are out and which foods are in when it comes to the health of your heart.

What's In

Whole Grains: The high fiber content in 100% whole grain products is good for much more than just regulating bowel movements and increasing energy levels during the day. It turns out getting adequate amounts of fiber in your daily diet can also help lower LDL, which is the "bad" cholesterol which contributes to heart disease.

Fresh Produce: Fresh fruits and vegetables are low calorie, nutrient rich options that help take off excess weight that contributes to high cholesterol and heart disease. They also contribute valuable antioxidants and fiber which will help control cholesterol levels and improve overall health.

Monounsaturated Fat Sources: You need some fat in your diet to maintain healthy body functioning, but you must choose sparingly from sources of monounsaturated fats such as olive oil, canola oil or nuts. You get some dietary fat through your regular foods, so anything extra should be limited to what is needed for basic cooking purposes, reasonable snacks, and for seasoning.

Omega3 Fatty Acids: Taking pure fish oil or omega3 supplements on a daily basis can go a long way toward controlling cholesterol as well as weight and other health problems that commonly lead to high cholesterol. You can include fatty fish such as salmon in your diet, but you will need to eat it at least 3 times a week in order to take in enough omega3 to get the full health benefits. Plant sources such as flaxseed can also be used, but taking a supplement makes it easier to ensure you get adequate amounts.

Exercise: This isn't necessarily a dietary measure, but when combined with a good diet for high cholesterol it will help increase HDL, which is the good cholesterol that supports a healthy body. You don't have to workout intensely every night of the week. Just make sure you are consistent with the plan.

What's Out

Saturated Fats: Anything high in saturated fat should be avoided as much as possible when following a diet for high cholesterol. This includes margarines and many oils as well as fatty beef. This is the type of fat that clogs arteries and causes heart disease. You can substitute soy products and vegetable based "fake" meat products some of the time to cut back on meat consumption, or simply use extra lean ground turkey in the place of hamburger meat and eat chicken sandwiches in place of burgers.

Trans Fats: It can be very difficult to eliminate trans fats from your diet since they are now included in virtually all prepackaged foods, but they are just as harmful to your heart and your cholesterol levels as saturated fats and should be avoided as much as possible while following a diet for high cholesterol.

Cholesterol: Foods that are high in cholesterol are absolutely out of the question on a good diet for high cholesterol. It makes no sense to put something in your body while trying to eliminate it from your body. The good news is the simple carbohydrates and fatty slices of beef which contain high amounts of saturated and trans fats also contain lots of cholesterol. This makes it easier to determine which foods need to be eliminated or replaced by lower fat and cholesterol foods.

Staying away from the foods that are out and picking up more of the foods that are in will help you design a diet for high cholesterol tailored to your tastes buds and preferences!

Read more about diet for high cholesterol and other diet plans written by Ellen Smith, a nutritional advisory, on lowfatdietplan.net lowfatdietplan.net and also on squidoo.com/lowcarbdietmenu squidoo.com/lowcarbdietmenu for various ideas on menus.

Mediterranean Diet For Optimal Health

Imagine being able to eat generous serves of food at every meal, wash it all down with a glass of red wine and still live a healthy life, free of heart disease and cancer. Sound too good to be true? Let's find out!

Welcome to the Mediterranean

Heart disease is one of the leading killers in the USA & Australia. But fly across the ocean to Greece, France or Italy and you will find a country where people live in good health even though their diet rakes up almost 40% of its calories from fat!

We should all know by now there are different kinds of fats and some are better for us than others. The problem with most Western countries is a large proportion of the foods we eat are high in saturated fats (found mostly in animal foods). Too much saturated fat raises bad cholesterol levels which leads to clogged arteries and leaves us in high risk of suffering from a stroke or heart attack.

So how can Mediterranean people eat the same amount of fat, if not more, and have some of the lowest rates of heart disease in the world? The answer is their main fat source comes from monosaturated fats found in one of the most abundant food sources eaten in the Mediterranean; Olive Oil. Eating olive oil can actually reduce your levels of dangerous LDL cholesterol sticking to artery walls.

The Mediterranean Diet is also rich in vegetables, legumes, fruits, fresh whole-grain breads, dates and nuts and physical activity is a significant part of the daily routine. A healthy benefit of all these foods is they are significantly high in fibre which keeps your weight down by filling you up without a lot of fat and calories. A high fibre diet also helps block the absorption of certain fats and cholesterol which means that some of these harmful substances are flushed away before making it into the blood stream. Now before you start consuming olive oil by the bucket load, keep this in mind, if you adapt the COMPLETE Mediterranean diet and lifestyle, not just the parts you like the sound of most, you stand a much better chance of losing weight and maintaining good health.

Drink to Good Health

Red wine contains compounds called phenols that help prevent LDL cholesterol from sticking to artery walls and also keeps platelets in blood from sticking together and causing clots. This doesn't give you permission to replace your water intake with red wine! What it does allow is a guilt free drink with your main meal every night and the Mediterranean's do just that!

Say Cheese!

Another point worth mentioning is another favourite food of the western world which is also very popular in the Mediterranean; Cheese. So how can a diet which includes cheese (a food generally high in saturated fat) almost every day be so healthy?

There are a few explanations...

The cheeses most popular in the Mediterranean are cheeses naturally low in fat like Feta & Parmesan.
Cheese is only used in small amounts, only about an ounce per day.
Cheese high in fat like Cheddar and Swiss are almost never used in the Mediterranean.

So the message is simple really. For optimal health, choose a plant-based diet, which is naturally high in vitamins, minerals, fibre and antioxidants, low in fat, cholesterol and sodium. Remember to be active EVERY day and reap the benefits of the Mediterranean way of life!

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If You Have Diabetes High Cholesterol on the Side Doesn't Have to Be That Alarming

Coupled with high cholesterol, diabetes does become harder to manage. Yet a controlled diet, rich in nutrients and customized to your needs, together with regular exercise, may keep both the problems in almost complete check. You need to resort to medication only if you do not have the discipline required to keep from consuming that which harms you and to be regular with your exercise. Diabetes high cholesterol, therefore, does not need to distress you.

To understand the threat of diabetes high cholesterol, you might, first, need to know and understand cholesterol better. You don't have to fear all three kinds of cholesterol. High-density lipids (HDL) are, in fact, good for you. The other two kinds of cholesterol, low-density lipids (LDL) and triglycerides are the culprits. They deposit inside your arteries and narrow them down. HDLs, in fact, remove these deposits that we call plaque from the arteries and restore health to the arteries. To know good from bad fats, a good guide would be their state at room temperature. Good fats do not solidify at room temperature; bad fats do. Most vegetable oils are rich in HDLs; no animal fat has good cholesterol. In fact, animal fats are loaded with bad cholesterol.

It so happens that the LDLs in diabetics, somehow, tend to be more dense and cause the deposits t o be a lot more damaging than they are in people with no diabetes. With no exercise and diet control, treating diabetes high cholesterol is not easy at all. In fact, after a time, things get out of hand. Therefore, a balanced diet with the needed fats coming from vegetable sources is the best bid. You must completely avoid hydrogenated vegetable oils, though. Diabetics need to control their sugar intake as well and adjust their food requirements with the high cholesterol diet. It is not difficult. The common points are many and the points of difference are few.

Diabetics need to space their meals really carefully and completely avoid refined sugars. They need to eat high-protein foods that are low in cholesterol. Breakfast is an important meal for them and they should never miss it. Carbohydrates are to be taken sparingly during breakfast. Nuts, legumes, oatmeal and whole-wheat bread are ideal breakfast foods for diabetes. Taking six small meals instead of two or more large ones helps regulate blood-sugar levels in diabetics. Diabetes high cholesterol can be well taken care of by sticking to the diabetes diet and being a little fastidious about consuming only HDLs from vegetable sources. Also, going for only whole grain and high fiber carbohydrates with lots of leafy greens and salads helps in eliminating LDL deposits from your body. Buttering your toast may seem important to you, but the alternatives too are refined foods. It is best to load the toast with lots of cucumber like veggies and tomatoes and greens and a dash of green chilli, salt and pepper.

The best thing about controlling diabetes and high cholesterol through diet is that you get the added benefit of feeling better than you would if you were healthy and ate an unhealthy diet.

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The Effectiveness of Cholesterol Lowering Drugs

Cholesterol lowering drugs have attracted considerable attention in recent times. This is because of their potential to prevent cardiovascular disease by retarding the accelerated atherosclerosis in patients who have a high cholesterol level. Several drugs are used to lower the plasma level of cholesterol. Drugs basically lower the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) level because raised LDL is associated with atherosclerosis. On the other hand, the high-density lipoprotein (HDL) level is increased because it is protective against atherosclerosis.

Some defects in cholesterol metabolism leads to a number of diseases in which cholesterol levels are high. Such groups of diseases are known as primary hyperlipoproteinemias. Cholesterol lowering drugs are used to treat such conditions.

High cholesterol level is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The decision to prescribe drugs depends not only on the LDL Cholesterol level but also on the associated Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) risk factors like diabetes mellitus, hypertension, obesity etc. All subjects should be given the drug therapy if the LDL Cholesterol level is more than 190 mg/dl. In those with existing coronary heart disease, drugs are recommended even at 100 mg/dl.

Statins Are The Leading Cholesterol Lowering Drugs

Statins or HMG-COA reducatse inhibitors are the commonest drugs which are used to lower the cholesterol levels. These drugs are highly tolerated and are very effective. They inhibit HMG-COA reductase, which is an important enzyme in the metabolism of cholesterol. Therapeutic doses reduce cholesterol synthesis by 20-50%. The commonly used statins are lovastatin, atorvastatin, pravastatin, fluvastatin, simvastatin. Different statins differ in their potency and maximal efficacy in reducing LDL Cholesterol. The enzyme, HMG-COA reductase which is inhibited by these drugs has maximum activity towards midnight. This is the reason that all statins are administered at bedtime to obtain maximum effectiveness.

Statins are usually well tolerated. However there may be some side effects like headache, bowel upset, nausea, rashes. Sleep disturbances have also been reported. Muscle tenderness in not a common side effect. Statins are the first choice drugs to lower cholesterol levels. They are also the first choice drugs to lower cholesterol levels in diabetics.

Common Cholesterol Lowering Drugs

Bile Acid sequestrants or Resins are another group of drugs, which are used in lowering cholesterol levels. Commonly used resins are cholestyramine, colestipol. These drugs bind bile acids in the intestine. Bile acids bound to the drugs are lost in stool and the depletion of bile acid pool stimulates conversion of cholesterol to bile acid, the result is a fall in cholesterol level. About half the patients who take cholestyramine experience constipation and some complain of anorexia, abdominal fullness and occasionally of diarrhea.

Nicotinic acid is also used to lower plasma triglyceride and cholesterol concentrations and raise HDL Cholesterol. Flushing of the skin and gastrointestinal upset commonly occur.

Another class of drugs used to lower cholesterol level is Fibric Acid derivatives. They activate lipoprotein lipase which is a key enzyme in the degradation of very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) resulting in lowering circulating triglycerides. The drugs are clofibrate, gemfibrozil, bezafibrate etc. Common side effects are loose motions, skin rashes, body ache and headache. Some other drugs like Probucol and Gugulipid also lower cholesterol levels.

These drugs help in lowering the cholesterol levels. However, life style modifications such as low fat, happinesslifetime.com low cholesterol diet, regular exercises, smoking cessation etc. should be followed in order to lower the cholesterol level. This should be the primary approach whether drugs are used or not.

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