One of my friends was asking me today about how to lower her cholesterol and I realized that I really didn’t know much about tactics on how to lower your cholesterol. After some research this is what I came up with.
Cholesterol is naturally produced in the body. Cholesterol is naturally produced in the body and is necessary to make new cells, essential hormones, vitamin D, and nerve insulation. Cholesterol is not bad, it is only bad when it is too high.
There are two types of cholesterol-one kind is bad and the other is good
LDL-Also known as low density lipoprotein is the bad cholesterol
HDL- high density lipoprotein is the good cholesterol
Ideal LDL levels are below 130 mg/dL and ideal HDL levels are around 40 mg/dL
High cholesterol (above 200 mg/dL) is a risk factor for atherosclerosis and strokes. Atherosclerosis is build up of plaque on the arteries and is one of the main types of heart disease.
Statin drugs are usually prescribed to lower cholesterol however since I’m one of those people that likes to cure things naturally here are some ways to lower cholesterol without the aid of drugs
1. Exercise 30 min per day- this helps increase HDL levels and lower LDL levels
2. Increase dietary fiber consumption-Soluble fiber, fiber that is found in beans and whole grains actually binds to cholesterol and removes it from the body before it is absorbed
3. Eliminate saturated fat and increase monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat. Saturated is bad fat that is found in red meat, dairy products, and processed foods. Mono and Poly fats are fats that are found in avocados and oils such as olive oil.
4. When you have a sweet tooth eat fruit instead of processed sugary foods.
5. And last but not least take fish oil supplements. Fish oil is high in Omega 3 fatty acids which help to lower cholesterol. Fish oil has actually been found to lower cholesterol better that statin drugs.

In my previous post I talked about how Omega 3 fatty acids were a good way to lower cholesterol. For those of you who are curious as to why they do this, maybe this posting will help you out.
First off nutrition has been used for hundreds of years to cure health problems. Hippocrates, the father of modern day medicine, recognized that nutrition was a big factor in a healthy lifestyle. Modern day doctors are beginning to realize more and more that many diseases can be cured nutritionally. For so many years prescriptions drugs have been and are still being prescribed for ailments that could/should be cured nutritionally. I believe that for some problems prescription drugs are necessary but that they should be a last resort. If you can cure/fix an issue nutritionally and naturally it is much better than doing so synthetically.
Omega 3 fatty acids are found in fish and certain plant sources like spinach. Omega 3’s help to lower the level of triglycerides in your body, lower blood pressure and heart rate, and decrease the production of inflammatory chemicals produced by our bodies.
Omega 3’s are a type of polyunsaturated fat. There are two types of omega 3’s-alpha linoleic acid and EPA/DHA. Only in the past ten years has DHA been recommended for pregnant women to take. Most doctors now will recommend that a pregnant woman not only take pre-natals but also DHA.
Omegas 3’s are found in:
Wild Salmon- 3-4 oz. 2-4x per week
Spinach- 1 cup steamed or 2 cups raw most days
Walnuts- 1 handful, 5x weekly
Soy and soybean oil 10-15 g soy protein per day
Flaxseed- 2 TBS per day

Fat is usually given a bad rap, however it is good to know the difference between the kind of fat you should and should not be ingesting. All fat is not bad for you, just like all carbohydrates are not bad for you. In order to survive we must obtain fat from out diet-just not as much as most people get. A healthy body needs fat in moderation. The term for stored fat on your body is adipose tissue. Adipose tissue cushions your skin when you fall, acts as an insulator, provides stored energy and gives a shape to your body. Women store more fat then men for child bearing reasons.
Lipids are the “chemical” word for all fats. Lipids are divided into oils and solid fats. Fats are energy yielding compounds-they have 9 calories per gram. This is over twice the amount of calories than carbs and protein (each contains 4 calories per gram). There are three kinds of fats. We are going to talk about triglycerides since this kind of fat is 95% or more of the fat that we consume. Triglycerides are the fat that we use for energy and store excess amounts of as adipose tissue.
Too much fat causes obesity, and a higher risk of heart disease. Too little fat harms reproductive organs, causes vision problems, and causes failure of fat soluble vitamin to absorb.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans makes these recommendations:

• No more than 30% of your total daily calories come from fat
• No more than 10% of your total daily calories come from saturated fat
• So for example if you eat 2000 calories a day then 600 can come from fat and 200 of those come from saturated fat. Put those calculations into grams and you can have 66 grams of fat and 22 grams of saturated fat.

The best kinds of fat to strive for are unsaturated fats, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. You can find these kind of fats in avocados, peanut butter, nuts, olive oil etc. The recommendation is that you get 20% of your fat from unsaturated sources.

Saturated fat is found in meat and dairy products. The best way to limit the amount of saturated fat that you get is to choose lean protein sources, choose fat free or reduced fat dairy options, and limit the amount of processed foods that you eat.

Trans fats are the kind of fats that have been under severe criticism over the past several years. Trans fats are man-made. For all you chemistry geeks out there, they are made from chemically transforming saturated fats from the cis to the trans confirmation. This chemical process makes the fat more shelf stable, and one of the reasons that processed foods may contain trans fats. A product can boast that it is trans fat free if it has less than 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving. This is a tricky market technique. If you look at the ingredient list for most potato chips- they claim to have no trans fat in them.  If they list an ingredient as ‘partially hydrogenated vegetable oil’ , it is essentially a long name for trans fats.

Trying to feed your family is hard enough without adding the expense of shopping for organic produce. As a college student, I don’t have an extravagant amount of money to spend each week on food so making wise decisions on which foods are better to buy organic is valuable information.

Why is it important to eat organic?

Normal produce is grown with harmful pesticides that kill anything that might harm the produce. Some produce is grown with more pesticides than others-produce that requires an extreme amount of pesticides to grow are the kinds of items you should buy organic.

A general guideline to go by is if the produce has a thick skin (ex. bananas, oranges) than it is not as important to buy organic.

Vegetables and Fruit that should be bought organic:

Apples

Cherries

Grapes

Pears

Berries

Peaches

Nectarines

Plums

Celery

Potatoes

Spinach

Bell peppers

Lettuce

Tomatoes

Green beans

Vegetables and Fruits that don’t necessarily need to be bought organic-these items are grown with the aid of less pesticides and don’t absorb the pesticides as readily as other items.

Bananas

Kiwis

Mangoes

Papayas

Pineapples

Oranges

Asparagus

Avocados

Brussels sprouts

Broccoli

Cauliflower

Corn

Onions

Sweet peas

Check your weekly ads for Organic Produce that is on sale. Usually there are at least several organic produce items that are on sale. This past week on a shopping trip to Meijer I bought romaine lettuce hearts, 3 per package, for $2.00, organic cherry tomatoes for $2.00 and Organic Carrots for $1.59.

Eating organic doesn’t have to be expensive if you shop wisely!

For the next several weeks,  I am going to talk about each macro-nutrient, what the function of each one is and how much we need.

First, let’s start off with what a macronutrient is for those of you who aren’t nerdy dietetic majors. A macronutrient is a nutrient that we need in high quantities. Carbohydrates, protein, fat, and water are the four macronutrients. All of these nutrients, except for water, have calories- yes we would all love it if that were switched around and fat had no calories.

Protein and carbohydrates have 4 calories per gram and fat has 9 calories per gram. This does not mean that you need to cut fat completely out of your diet- it does mean, however, that fat should be eaten in moderation just like any other food.

Protein is very important to eat (although Americans eat way too much high fat protein). Your body uses protein to build new cells, maintain tissues, and synthesize new proteins. Protein is very important to obtain through your diet. Again moderation is key to consuming protein.

Proteins are made up of chains of amino acids which have to be broken down in the body to be digested. Enzymes (other proteins) do this job. There are 22 different amino acids, nine are essential (you can only get them through diet) and 13 are non-essential (your body can make them from other nutrients like fat, carbohydrates and other amino acids).

Animal protein is the easiest for the human body to absorb, mostly because it is most similar to our bodies. Besides animal protein there is protein in grains, legumes, nuts and seeds. Vegetarians- those that do not consume animal products, can, with a highly regulated diet, still be healthy and get enough protein needs from plant sources.

The problem with animal sources of protein is that they may be high in saturated fat- the kind of fat that your doctor, most likely, tells you to cut down on. Saturated fat is the kind of fat that is responsible for clogging arteries and causing many obesity related health problems. When someone has a heart attack their doctor normally recommends a diet low in saturated fat.

So how do we eat a diet that is low in saturated fat, but also has enough protein? Choosing plant sources is always a good idea, but there are also many animal sources that are low in saturated fat. Knowing which items to pick on a menu as well as at the grocery store is very important.

The following are some lean sources of protein: all are 3 oz. portions

Tilapia- 120 calories, 0 g saturated fat

Salmon 175 calories, 2 g saturated fat

Chicken Breasts 123 calories, 2 g saturated fat

Turkey-white meat 88 calories, 0.75 g saturated fat

SO HOW MUCH PROTEIN DO WE NEED?

An average male or female needs 0.8 grams per kg (divide your weight in pounds by 2.2 to get your weight in kg) of body weight. For example, a 138 pound woman needs about 50 grams of protein per day. A 3 oz. serving of meat has about 21 grams of protein in it so 2-3 servings would be adequate for one day. A 3 oz serving of meat is about the size of a deck of cards. Most restaurant servings are about 6 oz. or larger. The average American has no issue with getting enough protein, it’s what they are eating to get the protein that is a problem.

So get your protein, but try to choose lean animal sources as well as plant sources. Trade in that fatty hamburger for a nice lemon peppered Tilapia fillet. Your body will thank you!

As the winter months begin to disappear and the sun comes out of hiding, thoughts of summertime clothes – okay, lets be honest, the daunting bathing suit is the main thought. Weight loss doesn’t have to be viewed as quite the monster that most people view it to be, and I might be as bold to say it can be fun? I get tired of eating the same thing continually, whether it is healthy or not.

Trying to lose weight is a great way to introduce yourself and your family to new foods. So, I am going to challenge you to pick one new (healthy recipe) each week to try. No you don’t have to make a dish that has vegetables in it even a dietitian has a hard time pronouncing-but try something that is full of nutrients.

Google “healthy dinner ideas” and you will be flooded with recipes. Try to pick something that has veggies in it, lean protein  as well as “good” carbohydrates. Good carbohydrates are things like brown rice, whole wheat pasta and whole wheat bread. Chicken is an excellent source of protein and is a better choice than red meat because it contains less saturated fat and is a leaner source of protein.  Fish is always a good option for lean protein because of their healthy fats and the anti-inflammatory properties they contain.

Sooo will you take the challenge? Cook one new meal for your family each week and you’ll soon be on your way to a healthier diet!

Please comment with recipes that you have tried and enjoyed!