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Showing posts with label omega-3. Show all posts

Dietary Fats: Good and Bad

Posted by Aaron W. On 1/08/2010 0 comments

There are a lot of fats in our foods these days and some cause us cancer and heart disease, but others can help us ward off illness, live longer, and feel better.

The Good about Fats:

Supplies body with essential fatty acids -EFA's (i.e. alpha-linoleic acid).
Transports fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) around the body.
Helps maintain healthy skin, and important in brain and eyesight development in children.
Omega-3 fats are linked to good heart health, as well as low triglycerides, reduced risk of blood clot and low heart rate.
Unsaturated fats can lower your risk for heart disease.

The Bad:

Well-established link with heart disease and stroke.
Trans fat linked to multiple cancers.
Trans and Saturated fats contribute to high cholesterol.
Even keeping your fat consumption to less than 15% of total cal/day, may not prevent artery-clogging.*
All fats contain 9 calories/gram (compare to 4 cal for protein and carbs).
Saturated fat should be <>
Eliminating trans fats could prevent >250,000 heart attacks & deaths/year.**
By law, foods labeled "trans fat-free" are allowed to contain up to 1/2 gram/serving.

What to Do:

Avoid packaged foods when possible; choose whole foods instead or make things from scratch.
Counterbalance the fat you ARE likely to consume by getting lots of fruits, veggies, and whole grains, and keep proteins and dairy products lean.
Use Olive, Canola, Sunflower, margarine when cooking and seasoning foods.
Use nuts as a snack, instead of chips or crackers.
Use peanut butter on veggies, fruit or rice cakes.
Remove the skin from all poultry before cooking.
Use avocado, instead of cheese on sandwiches.
Prepare cold-water fish (i.e. mackerel, salmon) 2 x/wk, instead of other meats.

*Determine your daily caloric intake HERE

*American Heart Association recommends 20-35% of total calories/day come from fats.

References:

http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/nutrition-labels-9/good-fats-bad-fats

**http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/fats-full-story/index.html

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/fat/nu00262

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Vitamins: 5 to take Daily

Posted by Aaron W. On 12/20/2009 0 comments

These are the 5 vitamins and supplements recommended daily by Dr. Michael Roizen and the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute (in no particular order). Not all vitamins and supplements are created equally, so the companies you see listed have apparently gotten the Cleveland Clinic 'stamp of approval.' See HERE for a video of these recommendations.

NOTE: Consult with your doctor before taking vitamins & supplements.

alpha betic^® for Diabetic Health – Multi-Vitamin with ALA, Chromium & Lutein (1/2 pill/day)
Nature Made^® – Vitamin D 1000 IU (1 pill/day)
Nature Made^® – Calcium w/ Magnesium, Zinc (3 pills/day (over 60 years old), 2 pills/day (under 60))
life’s DHA™ - Vegetarian DHA Omega-3 200 mg (2-3 softgel pills/day)
Sustenex™ - Daily Probiotic (follow label for dosage)

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Top 5 foods to lower your Cholesterol

Posted by Aaron W. On 11/29/2009 1 comments

The top 5 foods to improve your HDL, LDLs

Oatmeal and oat bran: Oatmeal contains soluble fiber, which reduces your low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the "bad" cholesterol. Soluble fiber is also found in such foods as kidney beans, apples, pears, psyllium, barley and prunes. Soluble fiber appears to reduce the absorption of cholesterol in your intestines. Ten grams or more of soluble fiber a day decreases your total and LDL cholesterol. Eating 1 1/2 cups of cooked oatmeal provides 6 grams of fiber. If you add fruit, such as bananas, you'll add about 4 more grams of fiber. To mix it up a little, try steel-cut oatmeal or cold cereal made with oatmeal or oat bran.

Walnuts, almonds and more: Rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, walnuts also help keep blood vessels healthy and elastic. Almonds appear to have a similar effect, resulting in a marked improvement within just four weeks. A cholesterol-lowering diet in which 20 percent of the calories come from walnuts may reduce LDL cholesterol by as much as 12 percent. But all nuts are high in calories, so a handful (no more than 2 ounces or 57 grams) will do.

Fish and omega-3 fatty acids: 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 in mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines, albacore tuna and salmon. However, to maintain the heart-healthy benefits of fish, bake or grill it. If you don't like fish, you can also get omega-3 fatty acids from foods like ground flaxseed or canola oil. If you decide to take a supplement, just remember to watch your diet and eat lean meat or vegetables in place of fish.

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. To add olive oil to your diet, you can saute vegetables in it, add it to a marinade, or mix it with vinegar as a salad dressing. Some research suggests that the cholesterol-lowering effects of olive oil are even greater if you choose extra-virgin olive oil, meaning the oil is less processed and contains more heart-healthy antioxidants. But avoid "light" olive oils.

Foods fortified with plant sterols or stanols: Foods are now available that have been fortified with sterols or stanols — substances found in plants that help block the absorption of cholesterol. Margarines, orange juice and yogurt drinks fortified with plant sterols can help reduce LDL cholesterol by more than 10 percent. The amount of daily plant sterols needed for results is at least 2 grams — which equals about two 8-ounce (237 milliliters) servings of plant sterol-fortified orange juice a day. The American Heart Association recommends foods fortified with plant sterols for people with levels of LDL cholesterol over 160 milligrams per deciliter (4.1 mmol/L).

Mayo Clinic, May 2008 - For complete article: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/cholesterol/CL00002

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