Posted by Healthy Choice Naturals on Thu, Mar 19, 2009
Most people have an understanding of cholesterol levels and know the importance of keeping it under control to prevent the risk of heart disease. However, when cholesterol is tested, a second test is usually measured for a fatty substance called triglycerides. When high levels of triglycerides circulate in the blood they also become a health and heart risk.
What are triglycerides?
Triglycerides are a type of fat found in your blood. When you eat, your body converts any calories it doesn't need to use right away into triglycerides. The triglycerides are stored in your fat cells. Later, hormones release triglycerides for energy between meals. If you regularly eat more calories than you burn, you may have high triglycerides.
What's considered normal?
A blood test can reveal whether your triglycerides fall into a healthy range.
- Normal - Less than 150 milligrams per deciliter
- Borderline high - 150 to 199 mg/dL
- High - 200 to 499 mg/dL
- Very high - 500 mg/dL or above
What's the difference between triglycerides and cholesterol?
Triglycerides and cholesterol are separate types of fats that circulate in your blood. Triglycerides provide your body with energy, and cholesterol is used to build cells and certain hormones. Because triglycerides and cholesterol can't dissolve in blood, they circulate throughout your body with the help of proteins that transport the lipids, called lipoproteins.
What's the best way to lower triglycerides?
- Lose excess weight.
If you're overweight, losing the excess pounds can help lower your triglycerides.
- Cut back on calories.
Remember that excess calories are converted to triglycerides and stored as fat. Reducing your calories will reduce triglycerides.
- Avoid sugary and refined foods.
Simple carbohydrates, such as sugar and foods made with white flour, can cause a sudden increase in insulin production. This can increase triglycerides.
- Limit the cholesterol in your diet.
Avoid the most concentrated sources of cholesterol, including meats high in saturated fat, egg yolks and whole milk products.
- Choose healthier fats.
Trade saturated fat for healthier monounsaturated fat, found in olive, peanut and canola oils. Eat plenty of fish high in omega-3 fatty acids such as mackerel and salmon and limit or omit red meat.
- Eliminate trans fat.
Trans fat can be found in fried foods and many commercial baked products, such as cookies, crackers and snack cakes. You can tell that a food has trans fat in it if it contains partially hydrogenated oil.
- Avoid alcoholic beverages.
Alcohol is high in calories and sugar and has a particularly potent effect on triglycerides. Even small amounts of alcohol can raise triglyceride levels.
- Exercise regularly.
Try to excercise at least 30 minutes on most or all days of the week. Regular exercise can boost "good" cholesterol while lowering "bad" cholesterol and triglycerides.
High triglycerides can lead to serious health problems, but making these lifestyle changes can greatly reduce your triglyceride levels and protect your overall health.
Posted by Healthy Choice Naturals on Tue, Jan 20, 2009
High cholesterol can be caused by several factors, some you can change, and some you can’t. Heredity can play a big part. Some people can have a perfect heart-healthy lifestyle, and still have elevated cholesterol because their bodies naturally make too much of it.
But for most of us, changes to our eating habits can significantly improve cholesterol levels. In fact, studies show you can slash your bad cholesterol by as much as 10% to 20% by making changes to your diet.
You should start by including foods in your diet that are rich in healthy fats like vegetable oils and fish. And avoid foods high in saturated fats and trans fats.
How Do You Know Which Foods to Include in Your Diet?
Here is a list of the top 10:
Oatmeal and Whole Grain Cereals
Oatmeal and whole grain cereals contain soluble fiber, which reduces your low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the "bad" cholesterol. Soluble fiber appears to reduce the absorption of cholesterol in your intestines. Ten grams or more of soluble fiber can help decrease your cholesterol.
Walnuts and Almonds
Studies have shown that walnuts can significantly reduce blood cholesterol. Rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, walnuts also help keep blood vessels healthy and elastic. Almonds are also a good option. But remember, all nuts are high in calories, so a small handful will do.
Salmon and Fish Oil
Research has supported the cholesterol-lowering benefits of eating fatty fish because of its high levels of omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids also help the heart in other ways such as reducing blood pressure and the risk of blood clots. Doctors recommend eating at least two servings of fish a week. The highest levels of omega-3 fatty acids are found in mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines, albacore tuna and salmon.
Olive Oil
Olive oil contains a potent mix of antioxidants that can lower your "bad" (LDL) cholesterol but leave your "good" (HDL) cholesterol untouched.
The Food and Drug Administration recommends using about 2 tablespoons (23 grams) of olive oil a day to get its heart-healthy benefits.
Avocados
The National Cholesterol Education Program states that consuming 2 grams of plant sterols a day, in conjunction with a saturated fat diet may reduce LDL cholesterol by as much as 5 to 15 percent. Good natural sources of plant sterols are avocados and sunflower seeds.
Blueberries
Blueberries contain an antioxidant called pterostilbene (similar to resveratrol, found in grapes and red wine), which is known to have effectively lowered cholesterol levels in animals. These berries also contain many other powerful nutrients and are rich in fiber.
Broccoli
Broccoli, Cauliflower and Cabbage not only have a lot of fiber and vitamins; they are loaded with indoles, compounds useful in fighting high cholesterol.
Raw Garlic
This fragrant spice that adds flavor to all our foods is clinically proven to lower the LDL cholesterol significantly. Eating raw crushed garlic is extremely beneficial to your heart.
Yogurt
Several studies have shown the probiotic Lactobacillus Acidophilus and Lactobacillus Reiteri found in yogurt actually help lower cholesterol by preventing the reabsorption of cholesterol back in to the blood stream.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes contain lycopene which is great at stopping the oxidation of LDL cholesterol. Studies have shown that large consumption of lycopene can reduce cholesterol levels.
When it comes to managing your cholesterol, following a proper diet and regular exercise program are essential. If you are looking for a natural way to help maintain safe cholesterol levels, you may also want to consider Healthy Choice Naturals Cholesterol Care. Our #1 selling product has helped thousands of people manage their cholesterol safely, and effectively, without drugs.
Posted by Healthy Choice Naturals on Mon, Nov 24, 2008
Have you checked your cholesterol level in the past 5 years? Have you ever checked your cholesterol level at all? It is recommended that every individual above the age of 20 check(test) their cholesterol levels at least once every five years.
Cholesterol is necessary for the growth of the human body. However, in today's society cholesterol is generally misunderstood and the impacts of it are underestimated. If not controlled correctly, cholesterol can lead to disturbing health problems.
It is very important when selecting a diet or making lifestyle choices to distinguish between the various kinds of cholesterol. HDL cholesterol is generally thought to be the ”good” type of cholesterol. It is responsible for many significant physical functions as well as the preservation of cell walls.
LDL cholesterol, or low-density, is the “bad” type of cholesterol. Too much LDL cholesterol in the human body can bring about cardiovascular disease, heart attacks and even stroke. If your family has a history of heart problems, it is imperative not only to closely monitor your cholesterol intake, but to also have your cholesterol levels checked on a regular basis.
What is considered a “normal” cholesterol reading?
Cholesterol readings are usually comprised of an LDL cholesterol reading, an HDL cholesterol reading and a total cholesterol reading.
In general, you want your combined cholesterol to stay under 200. A borderline analysis may be as high as the 230s, but anything above 240 should be of concern. LDL cholesterol should remain below 130. If it is 160 or higher, you may want to begin making some fairly major nutritional changes. Lastly, HDL cholesterol should stay above 50. Anything below 40 should be of concern.
There number of things that you can do yourself to keep bad cholesterol under control. You should choose a balanced diet that includes a good amount of protein, in the form of fish and dark meat, and be sure to get four to six servings of fruits and vegetables every day. Keep away from foods that have a lot of fat, as they are inclined to raise blood cholesterol levels.
If you are looking for a natural way to support healthy cholesterol levels, try our All-Natural Cholesterol Care Formula which contains several natural nutrients to maintain healthy cholesterol levels.
Posted by Healthy Choice Naturals on Mon, Nov 10, 2008
Fish oil supplements may work slightly better than a
popular cholesterol reducing drug in helping patients with chronic
heart failure.
This was according to a recent study published in the medical journal, The Lancet, in Munich Germany.
“With few effective options for heart failure
patients, the findings could give patients a potential new treatment
and could change the dietary recommendations for them, said Dr. Jose
Gonzalez Juanatey, spokesman for the European Society of Cardiology,
who was not connected to the research. “This reinforces the idea that
treating heart patients with heart failure takes more than just
drugs,” Juanatey said.
Chronic Heart failure occurs when the heart becomes enlarged and cannot pump efficiently around the body.
In the study, 3,500 patients were given a daily omega
3 pill. Roughly the same numbers of patients were given placebo
pills. Patients were then followed for an average of 4 years.
In the group of patients taking the fish oil pills,
1,981 died of heart failure or were admitted to the hospital with the
problem. In the patients taking placebo pills, 2,053 died or were
admitted to the hospital for heart failure.
In a parallel study, Italian doctors gave 2,285
patients the drug rosuvastatin, also known as Crestor, and also gave
roughly the same number of patient’s placebo pills. These patients
were also followed for about 4 years.
Comparing the results from the 2 groups, doctors found little difference in the heart failure rates between the 2 groups; however
the fish oil pill was slightly more effective than the drug because the
oil performed better against the placebo than did Crestor.
Dr. Richard Bonow, chief cardiology at Northwestern
University Hospital in Chicago said, “It’s a small benefit, but we
should always be emphasizing to patients what they can do in terms of
diet that might help.”
You can get these benefits from eating oily fish
Doctors said you can get the same benefits from
taking fish oil supplements or eating oily fish, such as salmon or
tuna.
Both options contain the Omega 3 fatty acids which have long
been proven to offer health benefits of protecting the heart and brain.
This study supports the reason we’ve been urging you to add omega 3 fats to your diet.