Entries Tagged as 'Eating Healthy'
An Overview of Trans Fat
Do you have regular cholesterol level checks? If you do you probably have heard there is “good cholesterol” and “bad cholesterol.” Trans fat is the enemy to us all. Trans fat raises your “bad” cholesterol and lowers your “good” cholesterol. Trans fat is considered by some doctors to be the worst kind of fat of them all because of this double-barreled impact on cholesterol levels.
I am a bit more interested in this issue because for the first time in all the blood levels I have ever had drawn mine showed a rise in the “bad” and a lowering in the “good.” I have such a hunger for donuts, cookies, cakes and candy; I imagine this was part of the problem. Needless to say I am finally taking a grip on this problem and have eliminated all those items. I just hope I can keep them out of my diet for good. I may nibble still a little bit on my favorite peanut butter fudge recipe.
Commercial baked goods like crackers, cookies, cakes and many fried foods like doughnuts and French fries contain the “bad” trans fats. Shortenings and some margarine are also high in trans fat. It is such a shame I feel that these foods are so “bad” for us. I would be thrilled if I could have donuts for breakfast every day, a cup of coffee, then some peanut butter fudge. I suppose I could if I wanted to continue to increase my risks for stroke, heart attack and heart disease. I don’t want to. So I will at least enjoy these tasty treats only once in awhile.
A high LDL cholesterol level is a major risk factor for heart disease. If the LDL levels is too high, over time, this can cause atherosclerosis, a dangerous accumulation of fatty deposits on the walls of your arteries. The deposits are called “plaques,” and they can reduce blood flow through your arteries. If the arteries that supply your heart with blood (coronary arteries) are affected, you can experience chest pain and other symptoms of coronary artery disease. I must say I have a very intelligent personal physician. If the plaques tear or rupture, a blood clot may form and block the flow of blood or break free and plug an artery downstream. If blood flow to part of your heart stops, you will have a heart attack. If blood flow to part of your brain stops, you can have a stroke. Pretty scary stuff, isn’t it? It truly is not worth eating a lot of food with trans fat.
It is so important to find a personal physician you can trust and develop sort of a partnership approach to your health care. I have been with this same physician now for over 20 years and he knows me fairly well. He has known me during the healthiest times of my life, so he ought to be fairly quick in picking up on the times I may become “unhealthy.” From all I have researched so far, however, he is right on target with preventative measures.
Trans fat has also been shown to have some other harmful effects. Those include:
* Increases triglycerides: A high triglyceride level may contribute to hardening of the arteries or thickening of the artery walls, which increases the risk of stroke, heart attack and heart disease.
* Increases Lp(a) lip oprotein: This is a type of LDL cholesterol found in varying levels in the blood and depends upon your genetic makeup. At this time researchers say it is unclear how high levels of Lp(a) - independent of other cholesterol levels - increases the risk of heart disease. More research is needed.
* Causes more inflammation: Increased inflammation is a process by which your body responds to injury. It is thought that inflammation plays a key role in the formation of fatty blockages in heart blood vessels. Trans fat seems to damage the cells lining blood vessels. This can lead to inflammation.
At your grocery store you can expect to see less trans fat showing up in the food on the grocery store shelves. Beware of eating out a lot. Many restaurants continue to use trans fat as part of the oil used to fry food. For example, a large serving of French fries at some restaurants can contain 5 grams or more of trans fat.
Even though more and more restaurants are putting nutritional information on their menus, most are not required to list trans fat content. One change in this area, however, is in New York City. New York City recently banned trans fat from being used in restaurants, which seems to be a great step forward, we can hope other restaurants will follow suit.
This was another problem of mine, eating out a lot. I don’t like to cook. I rather spend my time doing something else then run to the nearest restaurant or fast food place and pick up a bite to eat. This is exactly what has caused my blood levels to be out of normal range. I never had this before. I have been quite concerned.
I was reluctant at first to take another pill, as my doctor sent me a letter and said: “Are you willing to take a pill for high triglycerides?” I wrote back and said: “No, will increase my exercise routine and adjust my eating habits, I do not want to fish around for more money to buy more pills.” You see, he knows me pretty well. He asked: “Are you willing…….”
Next time I saw him, first thing, he said: “Your triglycerides are too high, much higher than we want to see them.” I felt horrible as I almost always do while waiting to see the doctor, and I said, “Well, how high were they?” He said again: “they are too high,” and handed me a piece of paper where he had written the name of a “pill” for me to get over-the-counter. It was Niacin. He said, take this two times a day for six months and we will do a repeat blood level to see if they have come down. He said, “How old are you now?” I said: “50.” He drops these little subtle hints as if to tell me, “you are not 25 anymore, right?”
Regardless of age, though, now that I have learned about the danger of trans fat, they should be eliminated from any aged person’s diet as far as my opinion goes in the matter. At this time, researchers do not know exactly how much trans fat a person can consume without any negative impact on the cholesterol level. The issue is still debatable. However, they say there is no question that you should limit trans fat, according to the Food and Drug Administration and the American Heart Association. The Niacin was not expensive at all.
The reason food nutrition labels in the United States do not list a Percent Daily Value for trans fat is because it is unknown what an appropriate level of trans fat is, other than it should be low. The AHA recommends no more than 1 percent of your total daily calories be trans fat. For example, if you consume 2,000 calories a day, the total of trans fat you can consumer is about 2 grams or less.
On the other hand don’t think a trans fat-free food is automatically good for you. Food manufacturers are substituting other ingredients for trans fat. Some of these ingredients like tropical oils, coconut, palm kernel and palm oils contain a lot of saturated fat. Saturated fat raises your LDL cholesterol. A healthy diety includes some fat, but to limit that fat.
For a healthy heart diet try using olive, peanut and canola oils. Eat nuts, fish and other foods containing unsaturated omega-3 fatty acids.
Fish oil supplement is also another heart healthy additive to your daily diet.
Source: The Mayo Clinic, and Trilogy Online.
Disclaimer: This article is not meant to diagnose, treat or cure any kind of a health problem. All health problems should be addressed by a Health Care Professional of your choice. This article is for information.
Author: Connie Limon. Please visit our collection of Nutrition and Health Articles at http://nutritionandhealthhub.com All articles are for your information, education and FREE reprint to your newsletters, website or blog.
(To contact this author, Email: connielimon@yahoo.com)
Tags: Eating Healthy
Enjoy a healthier lifestyle with more fruits and vegetables
By Nishanth Reddy
Everyone agrees on the importance of eating more fruits and vegetables, but not enough people are following this important advice. Dietary experts recommend that every person should eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables every day. Increasing your consumption of fruits and vegetables is one of the easiest changes you can make to increase your level of health, lose weight and gain fitness.
The latest food guidelines recommend that adults eat from five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables every day. While that may seem like a lot, it is an important goal to strive for, and a very reachable one.
A serving of a fruit or vegetable is equal to:
1. 1 medium sized vegetable or fruit (such as an apple, orange or banana)
2. 2 small fruits (such as kiwi fruit or plums)
3. ½ cup of fresh, frozen or canned fruits or vegetables
4. ½ cup of 100% fruit juice
5. ¼ cup of dried fruit
6. 1 cup of green salad
Study after study has shown that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables lowers the risk of certain cancers, heart disease and other chronic diseases and conditions. One reason for the recommendation that everyone increase their consumption of fruits and vegetables is that many of these foods have been shown to have strong antioxidant qualities.
Many fruits and vegetables have high amounts of many antioxidant vitamins, including vitamin A, vitamin E and vitamin C. In addition to their importance as source of vitamins and minerals, fruits and vegetables also provide essential dietary fiber.
Many people do not realize, that in addition to vitamin C, oranges, grapefruits and other citrus fruits also contain significant amounts of fiber. Fiber plays an important role in digestion, and it is thought to have protective qualities against heart disease and some forms of cancer. In addition, fiber is thought to have the ability to lower high levels of cholesterol in the blood.
Another great feature of fruits and vegetables, especially to those watching their weight, is the high nutrition, low fat, and low calorie nature of these foods. Fruits and vegetables contain very low levels of fats, and a diet low in fat can be quite effective for long-term weight loss. In addition, fruits and vegetables contain no cholesterol, and they are lower in calories than many other types of foods.
Fruits and vegetables have a lot of advantages besides just their nutritional importance. For one thing, they taste great and add a great deal of variety to everyday meals. Fruits and vegetables come in such a wide variety of colors, textures and flavors that they can be used in virtually every meal. Those seeking to maximize their consumption of fruits and vegetables should get into the habit of using fruits in salads, as toppings and as garnishes.
No matter what your reason for following a healthy diet, we believe you will find that eating more fruits and vegetables is a delicious, as well as a nutritious, way to get the vitamins and minerals you need every day.
I hope that reading the above information was both enjoyable and educational for you. When word gets around about your command of healthy diet facts, others who need to know about fruits and vegetables will start to actively seek you out.
Summary:
Eating a sufficient number of fruits and vegetables just may be the single most effective thing you can do to improve your overall health. The five a day approach to healthy eating may be the single most important strategy you can adopt for a healthier lifestyle.
Nishanth Reddy, is an author and publisher of many health related websites. For more information on choosing fruits and vegetable for healthy life style visit http://www.weightloss-diettips.com/healthydiet/
Tags: Eating Healthy
Avoiding Food Poisoning
Are you looking forward to a wonderful summer? Beaches, warm weather and of course - BBQ’s.
Along with the relaxing atmosphere and ease of preparing a BBQ dinner or picnic for friends and family come some well known risks. You are likely aware that e.coli and salmonella can cause symptoms that range from mild discomfort to life threatening emergencies. But why is this more common during summertime meals and how can you protect your loved ones without ruining your summer?
During the summer when we are picnicking or having a BBQ we are not preparing a meal with the usual amenities we have in the house - sink, oven, fridge. Because of this we are more likely to forget to wash hands, store food properly or even grab a clean plate to serve food.
(Article continued below)
Here are some ways you can protect yourself from summertime dining outdoors:
SEPARATE
From the grocery store, to the cart, to the fridge, to the table - keep meats and other food separated.
Always wrap meats even when thawing to prevent the juices from dripping onto other foods, especially produce. Produce has been identified as a culprit in some food poisoning cases.
WASH
Wash hands, cutting boards, dishes and food.
Always wash your hands before and after preparing foods. Never serve cooked meat on the same plate or tray that you had it on when raw - make sure the resident BBQ expert is given a clean plate to place the finished product on. Also thoroughly clean knives and cutting boards. Ideally you should use a separate cutting board for bread and produce and another for meat products.
Wash produce in cold water and scrub thick skinned foods like cantaloupe as the bacteria can come in contact with the flesh of the fruit when being cut.
COLD and HOT
Keep cold food cold and hot food hot.
Food can normally last for two hours at room temperature, but that is decreased to one hour in warm weather. Cold food (potato salad, sandwiches etc.) should stay in the fridge until ready to serve. If the food must travel, be certain to use ice or commercial freezing gel packets. Hot food should also stay insulated.
When eating outdoors try to keep cold food in the shade and be sure warm food is wrapped and insulated.
When the food is no longer being eaten it should be returned to the ice box or insulated carrier. Food should remain hot or cold for as long as it is being served and then refrigerated in clean, covered containers. If you are not able to refrigerate it within a couple hours it is best to throw it out.
If you suspect a mild case of food poisoning than try to limit the foods you eat to the BRAT diet: bananas, rice, applesauce and toast. In more severe cases you should seek emergency treatment when there are signs of pain, vomiting for several hours or bloody diarrhea. Pregnant women, elderly, those with immune disorders and children are more at risk.
Food safety is an important part of a fun summer. Taking precautions will help you enjoy your meals and avoid serious consequences.
About the author:
Jay is the web owner of http://www.weight-loss.biz/weight-loss-plan, a website that provides information and resources on nutrition, weight loss programs, and fitness.
Tags: Eating Healthy
Eat More, Not Less for Weight Loss Success
by: Junji Takano
More adults in developed countries are getting overweight or obese, and for years they tried to cut calories, reduce fat and minimize portion size in order to lose weight.
While helpful, these tactics leave out one critical element: satisfaction. Satiety is always considered as a part of a successful program.
We encourage you to quit “dieting” for good, to feel full on fewer calories, and maintain weight loss while eating satisfying portions of delicious, nutritious foods. It is based on research on satiety that shows how to choose foods that satisfy hunger while losing weight, without eliminating favorite foods or following restrictive rules. The absence of satiety is one reason most diets don’t work very well or for very long.
“Eat less” is not always the best message. You need to guide yourself to the best food choices to help balance your calorie intake. It’s a matter of learning how to eat satisfying portions while managing your weight.
We believe a contributing factor to success is emphasis on both physical and emotional satisfaction: physical satisfaction from low-calorie density foods like fruits and vegetables and emotional satisfaction from moderate amounts of favorite foods.
Here are some guides to follow to obtain an optimal health:
1. Focus on what you can eat, not what you must give up.
2. The only proven way to lose weight is to eat fewer calories than your body uses as fuel for your activities.
3. When you are managing calories, it is more important than ever to eat a good balance of foods and nutrients.
4. Make food choices that will help control hunger and enhance satiety.
5. Incorporate your favorite foods into your diet.
Do not think success come in a matter of days or month. It might take even a year. You should know that it is lifelong dieting to control a healthy body. It is just like the success of PYRO-ENERGEN of today. Fifty years ago, I started at the age of 17 to create a machine that can heal viral diseases. Up to this time of 2006, I am still developing better therapeutic device with thousands of studies collected from our cooperators.
Manage your weight by creating a healthy relationship with food, building an active lifestyle and developing a balanced approach to living.
Obesity Alarms in Japan
For those who think Japan is all fish and tofu, consider average young students diet: spaghetti and meat sauce for lunch, chocolates and cookies for a snack, rice balls for dinner and sandwiches at nighttime classes. Then they may slurp down some quick noodles before going to bed.
The diet had a predictable outcome — one that doctors are seeing more in Japan as the country leaves behind traditional food habits.
“I just love eating noodles. I get home tired from cram school, so I used to eat it all the time at night,” explained by a student, who, like many Japanese children, takes evening classes to prepare for junior high entrance exams.
Many students are now trying to slim down in a sports program for overweight kids. They reflect a rise in obesity in Japan that is being blamed for diabetes and other health problems. Some fear the trend could one day jeopardize Japan’s status as the home of the world’s longest-living population.
Life expectancy is currently 86 for Japanese women and 79 for men. We wonder for how long Japan can maintain the world’s highest longevity. Doctors believe that life expectancy will shorten if eating habits change.
Still, the Japanese are a long way from being as fat as Americans. Only 24 percent of Japanese aged 15 and older are believed to be overweight, compared to about 65 percent of adults in the United States.
But concern is growing over eating patterns. Instead of the fish, rice and miso soup of their grandparents’ generation, younger Japanese are increasingly wolfing down on fast foods like burgers, fried chicken and instant noodles.
Bad diets and less exercise create what psychologists say is a vicious cycle: Fat kids are increasingly picked on at school, get depressed and find solace in eating even more.
Children these days shoulder a lot of concerns and stresses. I feel there are more obese kids that are gloomy and dark. It wasn’t like this before.
Men in all age groups have grown heavier in the past two decades in Japan. The highest rate of obesity is among men in their 40s: 34 percent in 2003, up from 23 percent in 1980, according to the National Health and Nutrition Survey. While older women are also growing fatter, younger fashion-conscious women tend to be underweight.
Among children, 8 percent were obese or at risk of obesity in 2004, compared with fewer than 6 percent in 1980. In the United States, experts believe about 30 percent of kids are overweight.
Diabetes is a leading concern. While the number of deaths from the disease has fallen in the past decade, more than 2 million people are being treated for it in Japan — an increase of about 53 percent from 15 years ago. The number treated for high blood pressure has also grown about 9 percent in the past 10 years, according to the Health Ministry.
Alarmed by the trend, the government released a new nutrition chart last summer that encourages eating more carbohydrates — such as rice — and vegetables as main sources of energy, while cutting down on meat to reduce the intake of fat. The chart specifically targets overweight males, singles and those raising children.
The government has set aside about $600,000 in the 2006-2007 budgets to tackle child heft. The Health Ministry also plans to research the link between parents’ lifestyles and overweight children, and support selected towns to promote healthier eating habits.
How about you? It’s really a matter of eating habit to control your weight.
Vitamin D may Reduce Breast Cancer Risk Dramatically
Women who get lots of vitamin D are less likely to develop breast cancer and other types of cancer. Where do you get vitamin D? It’s easy. Just go for a sunbath. Why women who spent time outdoors often get less breast cancer risk? It’s because exposure to sunlight produces vitamin D and help develop breasts particularly around adolescence.
The body makes vitamin D from sunlight, but sun exposure is controversial because of the risk of skin cancer, and that could be harmful. Well, just get a reasonable time of sunbath daily.
Also, vitamin D is found in salmon, tuna and other oily fish, and is routinely added to milk, but diet accounts for very little of the nutrient that actually makes it into the bloodstream. So how about dried mushrooms in your cooking? Dried mushroom is a good source of vitamin D, too.
About the Author:
Junji Takano is a Japanese health researcher and has been studying the causes of viruses since 1960s. In 1968, he invented Pyro-Energen, the first electrotherapy device that eradicates viral diseases in a non-narcotic way.
Click here to find out more: http://www.pyroenergen.com
Free newsletter: http://www.pyroenergen.com/newsletter.htm
Tags: Eating Healthy · Weight Loss
The five a day plan for healthier eating
Zaak OConan
If you have not heard of the five a day rule before, that is about to change. The five a day rule refers to the recommended daily servings of fruits and vegetables. Health experts recommend that everyone eat – yes you guessed it – five a day.
That five a day guideline is actually the minimum recommendation, and eating up to nine servings a day of fruits and vegetables is a great way to increase health, lower dietary fat, increase vitamin consumption and just generally feel better.
Following the five a day rule may just be the most important, and one of the easiest, changes you can make in your daily diet. There are many reasons to increase your consumption of fruits and vegetables, including:
- They are delicious
- They are nutritious
- They are colorful
- They are plentiful
- They are inexpensive
It is hard to find such a great combination in any other food group. Delicious, nutritious and affordable foods can be hard to find, but they abound in the produce section of virtually any grocery store.
In order to make fruits and vegetables even more affordable, it is best to buy them when they are in season. Every type of fruit and vegetable grown in this country has its own growing season, and fruits and vegetables that are out of season usually must be purchased in frozen, dried or canned varieties.
Fresh, in season, fruits and vegetables, on the other hand, are usually plentiful and inexpensive. And in addition to the grocery store, such produce is often available at farmers markets and even at roadside stands. This locally grown produce is often of superior quality and lower price than that at the supermarket, so if you have such a venue in your area by all means check it out.
It has long been known that fruits and vegetables play an important role in a healthy diet, and science continues to confirm this fact with study after study. Diets high in fruits and vegetables and low in fats have been shown to play a role in preventing infections, protecting the heart and even in protecting against some kinds of cancer.
One reason for this is that many fruits and vegetables are rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants are able to protect the body from damage by free radicals. Free radicals are naturally occurring compounds thought to play a role in many diseases.
One quick and easy way to take care of one fifth of the five a day rule is to start every day with a fresh glass of fruit juice. Apple juice, orange juice and grapefruit juice are all excellent choices. When choosing juice, however, be sure that it is 100% real fruit juice and not a blend. Fruit juice blends can contain high levels of sugar and low levels of fruit.
A quick fruit salad is another excellent way to satisfy part of the five a day rule. It is easy to make a quick fruit salad using either canned or fresh fruits. In addition, canned fruit salads are widely available and often a great value. As with juice, however, it is important to read the label and be sure that there is no added sugar. Fruit is sweet enough on its own – extra sugar is something you simply do not need.
Another interesting way to increase fruit and vegetable consumption is to use them as garnishes for other foods. For instance, adding strawberries, blueberries or bananas to your morning cereal is a great way to increase the flavor of the cereal while at the same time increasing the amount of fruit in your diet.
And adding vegetables like green peppers, red peppers and chunks of pineapples to shish kebobs is a great way to grill your way to good health. Your kebobs will be more colorful, more attractive, and of course more healthy.
No matter how you choose to meet the five a day rule, there is no doubt that increasing the amount of fruits and vegetables in the diet can have a profound effect on health. Many who have eaten more fruits and vegetables report greater levels of energy, a greater sense of well being, fewer colds and more stamina. So why not follow the simple five a day plan to good health?
Zaak O’Conan discovers and presents useful information on how to enhance and/or repair your life, body and relationships. You’ll find his other articles on eating better and other ways how to improve your life at http://your-health-center.com
Tags: Eating Healthy
