Nuts Lower Cholesterol
Saturday, October 06, 2007
Eating Nuts Can Lower Cholesterol Levels
Most of us know that a balanced diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables and low fat dairy products will keep us healthy.
But now we should also take a much closer look at the health benefits of nuts.
Until recently, nuts were regarded as a high energy or high fat food and so their consumption was limited or even avoided.
But diet specialists have now shown that nuts are a wonderful wide ranging source of nutrients and protective non-nutrients. Just a small handful of nuts every day will protect your heart and has far reaching benefits on health.
Nuts contain high levels of monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids with a much smaller proportion of damaging saturated fatty acids.
Nuts also contain omega 3 fatty acids, which are important for cardiovascular health and the growth and function of the nervous tissue.
Nuts have other health promoting compounds including plant proteins, dietary fibre (both soluble and insoluble) vitamins like E and niacin, minerals like copper, magnesium, potassium and zinc, plant sterols, and phytochemicals.
There is a long list of health benefits associated with regular consumption of nuts.
There is convincing evidence to show that nuts can modify your cholesterol lipid profile favourably by increasing the good cholesterol, (HDL) and lowering the bad cholesterol (LDL). They also lower total cholesterol (especially in subjects with high cholesterol levels) and may reduce risk of coronary artery disease.
So - what are you waiting for? Go nuts and change your diet today.
Most of us know that a balanced diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables and low fat dairy products will keep us healthy.
But now we should also take a much closer look at the health benefits of nuts.
Until recently, nuts were regarded as a high energy or high fat food and so their consumption was limited or even avoided.
But diet specialists have now shown that nuts are a wonderful wide ranging source of nutrients and protective non-nutrients. Just a small handful of nuts every day will protect your heart and has far reaching benefits on health.
Nuts contain high levels of monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids with a much smaller proportion of damaging saturated fatty acids.
Nuts also contain omega 3 fatty acids, which are important for cardiovascular health and the growth and function of the nervous tissue.
Nuts have other health promoting compounds including plant proteins, dietary fibre (both soluble and insoluble) vitamins like E and niacin, minerals like copper, magnesium, potassium and zinc, plant sterols, and phytochemicals.
There is a long list of health benefits associated with regular consumption of nuts.
There is convincing evidence to show that nuts can modify your cholesterol lipid profile favourably by increasing the good cholesterol, (HDL) and lowering the bad cholesterol (LDL). They also lower total cholesterol (especially in subjects with high cholesterol levels) and may reduce risk of coronary artery disease.
So - what are you waiting for? Go nuts and change your diet today.
Labels: blood-pressure-medicines, diet-and-blood-pressure, heart-attack-risk, high blood pressure, omega-3-blood-pressure
Avoid Heart Attack
How not to have a heart attack
I found a great article today on how to avoid a heart attack.
Here are the main recommendations for simple things you can do in your own life to make sure that your heart stays healthy and you lower the heart attack risk.
Here are the main recommendations for simple things you can do in your own life to make sure that your heart stays healthy and you lower the heart attack risk.
- Keep control of your blood pressure
That's what this website is all about of course.
Blood pressure is the pressure of the blood against the walls of the arteries. Blood pressure has two readings - systolic and diastolic. The higher (systolic) number represents the pressure while the heart contracts to pump blood to the body. The lower (diastolic) number represents the pressure when the heart relaxes between beats. Blood pressure below 140/85 mmHg is considered optimal for adults but this reading should be less if you have diabetes or other heart attack risk factors - Lower Your Cholesterol Readings
Here's what your optimal numbers should be:
Total cholesterol less than 200
LDL-cholesterol less than 100
HDL-cholesterol at 40 or higher
Cholesterol ratio (total chol/HDL) at less than 5
These are the figures as they are measured in the US. In Europe the corresponding levels are 4.0 for total cholesterol and greater than 1.0 for HDL. - Be Active Every Day
Regular exercise helps control your weight (which in turn helps lower LDL-cholesterol and blood pressure). On most days, aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity and more if you need to lose weight. - Lose that tummy
Research shows that its where you carry fat - NOT necessarily how much fat you’re carrying - that increases the risk of calcium and plaque buildup in the arteries of the heart.
Abdominal fat - as opposed to fat around the hips - seems to trigger a chain of inflammatory activities that translates into harmful metabolic changes and plaque buildup and ultimately heart disease.
In other words, the bigger your belly is in relationship to your hips (this is known as the waist-to-hip ratio) is a better indicator of early signs of heart disease than other common measures of overweight and obesity, such as body mass index (BMI) and height/weight charts.
Know your waist-to-hip ratio.
Here's how it works:
While standing, use a tape measure to measure your waist in inches at its smallest point OR at your navel (without holding in or pushing out your tummy).
Next, measure your hips in inches at the widest area.
Lastly, divide your waist measurement by your hip measurement.
For example, if your waist measures 38 inches and your hips measure 38 inches then you're 1.0.
Ideal waist-to-hip ratio:
For men, .9 or less is considered safe.
For women, .8 or less is considered safe.
For both men and women, 1.0 or higher is considered “at risk” for heart disease
The good news is that even small improvements prove to be beneficial. Lose an inch or two off your waist and you're already better off. - Eat a healthy heart diet
* Eat plenty of vegetables, fruits and whole grains.
* Limit saturated fat intake
* Limit salt intake
* Limit alcohol to one drink/day for women and 2 drinks/day for men.
* Eat fish rich in omega-3 fats 3 times a week (wild salmon, mackerel, sardines, herring, trout and shellfish).
If you follow these steps then you'll go a long way to lowering your blood pressure and lowering your risk of having a heart attack.
Labels: blood-pressure-treatment, heart-attack, heart-attack-risk, omega-3-blood-pressure
