Eat Your Heart Out: The 10 Best Heart-Healthy Foods

 

Your heart is like the motor of your body. And like any motor, it has to be cared for, with the right ingredients going in to keep things at peak performance. And with heart disease remaining the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States, adding a few heart-healthy substitutions to your daily diet is an easy way to start changing your lifestyle for the better.

 

10. Coffee

That’s right, coffeeholics, rejoice! Your favorite morning pick-me-up aids in natural fat burning and can even boost metabolism by 3-11%. In doing so, it becomes easier for your heart to do its job pumping on and on. Further research suggests moderate coffee consumption (1-3 cups/day) reduces the risk of a stroke, particularly in women.

 

9. Apples

The saying is right: “An apple a day keeps the doctor away,” on top of keeping your heart smiling. The fiber in apples blasts plaque buildup in your arteries and keeps further cholesterol from solidifying in its walls. Chomp away at the fruit as a lunch companion or an afternoon snack.

 

8. Sweet Potatoes

Topping the beta-carotene charts, sweet potatoes take vitamins A, C, and E and help reduce the risk of heart disease while delaying the bodily effects of aging. Low calorie, try baked sweet potato fries as a side, or pop in the microwave for a mindless meal.

 

7. Tomatoes

Rich in potassium and a great source of the antioxidant lycopene (a carotenoid believed to help keep blood vessels open and strong), tomatoes in any form will help fight your chances of a heart attack. On top of being low in sugar and high in folic acid, roasted tomatoes in garlic and olive oil is a spectacular side dish to pair with your next entree.

 

6. Oatmeal

There’s hardly a healthier way to start your day than with a bowl of hot oatmeal. A fantastic source of fiber, oatmeal lowers cholesterol and reduces the risk of heart disease. Avoid instant oatmeal, however, which tends to hide a lot of refined sugar, instead opting for steel cut or whole oat groats (a fancy name for oatmeal’s kernels).

 

5. Soy

Soy comes in a ton of varieties, from classic tofu to soy milk you can stir into that morning cup of Joe. It delivers an almost incomparable protein boost (half a cup can provide nearly 20% of your daily dose) while remaining low in sodium and cholesterol, common elements in many animal product alternatives.

 

4. Garlic

Not only does garlic make for killer flavoring, its cholesterol-reducing antioxidants lower blood pressure and increases overall blood flow. Keep it fresh, though. Processed garlic provides the same heart help, but not nearly to the same degree as full cloves nabbed in the produce section.

 

3. Red wine

The perks of an evening glass go beyond relaxation. Red wine contains the compound polyphenol resveratrol, an antioxidant that help clears bad toxins from blood and makes your heart’s job easier. The key here, though, rests in sticking with only one glass.

 

2. Seeds & Nuts

Nearly any kind of nut is your heart’s best buddy. From almonds and pistachios to a pinch of peanuts, most pack your heart’s necessary fiber and magnesium punch. Some, like walnuts, also carry the essential body fat, omega-3. As long as you avoid the kind with added salt, you’ve got a go-to, heart-healthy snack.

Likewise, sprinkling flax or chia seeds onto the foods you already eat delivers the same benefits of fiber and omega-3 acids. They’re a simple topping for salads, yogurt parfaits, fruit spreads, or even blended into a smoothie.

 

1. Salmon

Nothing compares to the levels of healthy, fatty acids you get from fish oils. Their omega-3 content goes hand-in-hand with lowering blood pressure and regulating good and bad cholesterol. Experts advise incorporating salmon (or other omega-3 rich fish like tuna and mackerels) into your diet at least 2-3 times a week. They work great as sandwiches for lunch or as the centerfold of a dinner pasta spread.

A specialist from ICE, Institute of Cardiovascular Excellence, says eating a healthy diet low in cholesterol, salt, and saturated fat can help you avoid heart disease. Combined with moderate exercise and lower stress levels, a heart-friendly diet will go a long way in keeping you at your best. And, with most of these delicious foods, your taste buds will thank you, too!

 

Categories: Blood, blood pressure, cholesterol, heart, heart disease, Heart-Healthy, nbsp, Red Wine, sweet potatoes

The Science of Nutrition: The Facts about Fat You Don’t Know

There’s no denying that nutrition, and how different foods affect your wellbeing, is a science. However, calling it “a science” can make you think that you’ll get black and white results every time, which isn’t the case. Sports dietician Heather Neal explains, ‘The problem with nutrition is that the science both makes sense and doesn’t make sense all at the same time. It’s not because of a lack of quality research; it’s because research can both prove and disprove a theory all in one go. Nutrition science can show that something is fact, then turn around and demonstrate the opposite. It’s not experts trying to persuade us that something’s true when it’s not or poorly designed research studies (although there are plenty of those). It’s because while nutrition is based in science, it can’t be put into a box with a checkmark next to it that says, “yes, this is absolutely fact.”’ How frustrating!

 

‘It’s why I both love and hate my job as a dietician,’ Neal points out. ‘I can’t tell clients that yes, this 100% will work, and this is absolutely wrong, or guarantee xyz results by doing precisely abc. See, nutrition is a science woven with art. What works for one person doesn’t work for another. What destroys one person’s body may help somebody else’s. What’s “true” one day may be wrong the next and then true again. It happens a lot, and it’s what makes people distrust nutrition.’ She adds, ‘Here’s one to wrap your head around: fat isn’t bad — even saturated fat. Now, I know most people have gotten off the low-fat bandwagon by now and appropriately so, but it’s also time to get off the fat-is-bad wagon entirely.’

 

Neal details, ‘Saturated fat is, apparently, good for you. Or at least not terrible for you. It’s not the demonized, artery-clogging culprit we’ve made it out to be…The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reviewed old saturated fat research and came to a new conclusion: saturated fat doesn’t cause heart attacks. It was a logical conclusion from past research: people who had heart attacks and clogged arteries ate a lot of saturated fat, therefore saturated fat is bad for you. What the research missed was the actual cause and effect connection. This doesn’t mean you should dive in to a plate of saturated fat, though…What it does mean is that we should give fat a chance.’ So what do we really know about fat, and why should you let it play a role in your diet wellness?

 

1. Cholesterol Confusion: Neal notes, ‘Saturated fat does raise LDL cholesterol (the artery-clogging stuff) but it also raises HDL cholesterol (the good kind) and lowers triglycerides (also good). For reference, carbohydrates raise triglycerides, which are markers of heart disease.’

2. The Right Stuff: ‘Replacing dietary saturated fat with fats like polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats (like those from nuts, oils, etc.) will likely lower your cardiovascular disease risk,’ says Neal. ‘But replacing saturated fat with carbohydrates will not. It’s all about the context of your diet as a whole.’

3. The Wrong Stuff: Neal warns, ‘The one thing everyone seems to be able to agree upon is that trans fats are bad. Avoid them.’

4. Omega 3s: According to Neal, ‘Most people eat way more omega-6 fatty acids than omega-3 fatty acids, which is why you hear so much about supplementing with omega-3s. This doesn’t mean omega-6s are bad, but you want to keep the ratio in proportion. Good sources of omega-3s are fatty fish and nuts. Omega-6s are found in vegetable oils like corn, soy, and safflower.’

5. Fat Functioning: ‘Most important of all, you need fat to function,’ Neal asserts. ‘Fat is required to absorb vitamins A, D, E, and K, synthesize hormones, lubricate joints, and promote the sensation of satiety (fullness).’

Categories: artery clogging, cholesterol, Fat, fatty acids, heart attacks, neal, nutrition, omega 3s, omega 6s, Omega-3, saturated, science

Lower Your Cholesterol With These 8 Heart-Loving Foods

Looking after your heart is so important to your wellbeing, so why not try to include a few more heart-loving foods in your diet? We’ve got a list of the best artery-cleansing, cholesterol-lowering picks around, so just choose your favourites!

 

1. Avocado: Megan Madden, a registered dietician in New York, suggests, ‘Instead of using a whopping dollop of mayonnaise on your sandwich, try using thin slices of avocado.’ Why? According to wellness writer Jessica Smith, ‘A 1996 study done by researchers in Mexico found that people who ate avocado every day for one week experienced an average 17% drop in total blood cholesterol. What’s more, their levels of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol decreased and HDL (“good”) cholesterol increased.’

 

2. Whole Grains: Smith points out, ‘The soluble fibre found in whole grains such as whole-wheat bread, brown rice, and oatmeal binds the cholesterol in your meal and drags it out of your body.’ Madden adds, ‘When your body needs to utilise cholesterol in the future, it draws on your blood cholesterol supply, effectively lowering your total blood cholesterol level and your risk for heart disease.’

 

3. Olive Oil: Yes, you can’t have an article on heart health without mentioning olive oil! Smith details, ‘A 2011 study found that people aged 65 or older who regularly used olive oil (for both cooking and as a dressing) were 41% less likely to have a stroke compared to those who never use olive oil in their diet. Use a little olive oil instead of butter, or drizzle some over pasta, salad, or veggies to take advantage of its high mono- and polyunsaturated fats.’ That said, Madden warns, ‘Although it’s a healthier option, remember to use these oils sparingly, as all fats still contain the same number of calories.’

 

4. Nuts: Madden explains, ‘Almonds are very high in heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, vitamin E, and fiber, while walnuts are a great plant-based source of an omega-3 fatty acid called alpha-linolenic acid.’ The American Heart Association states that monounsaturated fats can help you to reduce your blood levels of bad cholesterol and lower your risk of heart disease and stroke, so grab a nutty snack!

 

5. Plant Sterols: Foods that have been fortified with sterols can help your heart because the sterols compete with the cholesterol in your food for absorption within your digestive tract. Madden notes, ‘Sterols have been shown to lower both total and LDL cholesterol and can be found in certain brands of fortified orange juice, margarine spreads, and milk.’ However, Smith cautions, ‘Just be sure to check the label—make sure the margarine is trans fat-free and that “partially hydrogenated oil” does NOT appear on the ingredient list.’

 

6. Fatty Fish: ‘Eating fish twice a week can reduce your risk of developing heart disease by decreasing inflammation and lowering triglyceride levels,’ says Madden. ‘And it may even help boost your HDL levels.’ This is because fatty fish such as mackerel, herring, tuna, and salmon are absolutely packed with omega-3 fatty acids.

 

7. Asparagus: Shane Ellison, an organic chemist and author of Over-The-Counter Natural Cures, asserts, ‘Asparagus works within the 100,000 miles of veins and arteries to release pressure, thereby allowing the body to accommodate for inflammation that has accumulated over the years.’ Plus, it helps ward off deadly clots.

 

8. Pomegranate: ‘Pomegranate contains phytochemicals that act as antioxidants to protect the lining of the arteries from damage,’ Smith comments. ‘A 2005 study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that antioxidant-rich pomegranate juice stimulated the body’s production of nitric oxide, which helps keep blood flowing and arteries open.’

Categories: avocado, blood cholesterol, cholesterol, fatty fish, heart disease, heart health, heart loving, loving foods, monounsaturated fats, olive oil, total blood

How To Make A Low Cholesterol Diet Taste Great

If you’re planning on going on a low cholesterol diet it can be a bit of a worry that you are going to be cutting out so many of the foods that you love. That’s the trouble with many diets – the stuff that is bad for you tends to be the stuff that you really like. But thankfully there are plenty of great and tasty options for you if you’ve decided to go low cholesterol in your diet. It is just about knowing where to look, and given that it’s sometimes hard, we’ve prepare d a list of delicious and nutritious low cholesterol options.

 

Instead of croutons, use walnuts

A salad is always healthy right? Well, the trouble is that while the main components of a salad are extremely healthy and good for you, many people like to add optional extras such as croutons which really push up the calories, fat and that nasty cholesterol we all want to avoid. So how about swapping them out of your salads for walnuts? Walnuts give that same crunch you’re looking for and also add a little more flavour and texture to the monotony of salad.

 

Drink wine, not cocktails

We all like to indulge sometimes and enjoy a little drinking. Maybe we’ll have a cocktail with dinner or maybe just when we want to relax. Unfortunately all the stray ingredients used in cocktails can be very bad for us. Depending on the cocktail you can see things used such as coconut cream, sugar syrup and other foodstuffs that are filled with cholesterol. So, next time you’re drinking you should make sure you drink wine instead. Red wine has one tenth of the carbohydrates that you will find in a single margarita. Now that’s food (or should that be drink?) for thought.

 

Try edamame beans and nut, not cheese and crackers

Who doesn’t like a bit of cheese and crackers? The problem is that as a snack it is completely brimming with cholesterol and therefore it needs to be avoided. Try eating nuts such as almonds or choosing edamame beans as your snack next time you feel a little peckish. It will do wonders for your waistline and you’ll be putting another foot forward in your quest to eradicate cholesterol.

 

Vinegar and lemon juice, not salad dressing

We’re back to salads again! Now that you’ve substituted those croutons for walnuts let’s take a look at the other problems (and this one is even bigger). You can make a salad as healthily as you like, but then throw it away in an instance by pouring on a gloopy salad dressing that is positively made of calories and virtually nothing else. The intense cholesterol-packed sauce will take your salad from a healthy meal and turn it into a nightmare. But help is on the way and it comes in the form of lemon juice and vinegar. This flavoursome duo adds a kick to your salad without the cholesterol.

 

Use margarine, not butter

Many of us love the creamy taste of butter on everything from toast to jacket potatoes to a topping for vegetables. But butter is packed with cholesterol and is clearly going to be naturally bad for you. So the best plan to swap it out and choose instead a spread with low levels of cholesterol. A great choice is a spread that is based around olive oil, but really any margarine will be an improvement on the cholesterol-heavy nature of butter. This is another great way to save on cholesterol and help to keep your healthy.

Categories: butter, cholesterol, cholesterol diet, cholesterol nbsp, drink wine, edamame beans, lemon juice, margarine, nbsp, salad, salad dressing

Crème de la Crème: Superfoods that Are a Cut above the Rest

While including any fruits or veggies in your diet will be beneficial for your wellness – not to mention your waistline – some fresh foods have more of an impact on your wellbeing than others. We’ve rounded up the crème de la crème; the Supermen of all superfoods, which all contain more than their fair share of vitamins, minerals, and disease-fighting nutrients.

1. Alfalfa sprouts: Aside from being virtually fat-free and sporting less than 10 calories in a single cup, alfalfa sprouts are packed with phytochemicals called saponins. Why are these important? Saponins are thought to protect you against cancer and help lower your cholesterol. Try adding a few alfalfa sprouts on top of your turkey or veggie burger, or else get some of that fresh, earthy crunch in salads or sandwiches.

2. Apples: Sure they’re not exotic or new, but there’s a reason why apples have stood the test of time. This superfood is the richest fruit source of pection, which is a soluble fibre that lowers your blood pressure, reduces your cholesterol, decreases your risk of colon and breast cancers, and maybe even lessens the severity of your diabetes. If apples have never been your thing, try a different variety or toss a few slices with field greens, toasted pecans, and a light vinaigrette.

3. Avocados: In just one half of a medium-sized avocado, you’ll find 15% of your recommended daily folate intake and more than four grams of fibre. Avocados are also a powerhouse for heart health, being free of cholesterol while also rich in monounsaturated fats and potassium. Avocados make for a great base in creamy sandwich spreads, or you can add a few chunks to your favourite salsa for a simple and delicious way to dress up grilled chicken or fish.

4. Cranberries: You may have heard that the cranberry’s wheel-house is in protecting you against urinary tract infections, but don’t limit its superfood potential. Cranberries may improve blood cholesterol and aid in recovery from strokes, while cranberry juice has been shown to increase the potency of cancer drugs. You can get these tart and tangy berries in frozen form throughout the year, but the best time to eat them fresh is during their peak season from October through December.

5. Flaxseed: On top of lowering your blood cholesterol and reducing your risk of heart attacks, flaxseed also provides you with a rich source of lignan, a powerful antioxidant that may be a formidable force against disease and certain cancers, especially breast cancer. You digest ground seeds more efficiently than whole seeds, so these are the best ones to plump for. In just two tablespoons of ground seeds, you’ll find 20% of your recommended daily fibre intake and more than 100% of your recommended intake for omega-3 fatty acids, which fight inflammation. However, as flaxseeds are so full of fibre, you need to be careful when incorporating them into your diet. Doing too much too quickly can have a laxative effect, so gradually add it to baked goods (for a nutty flavour), on top of your cereal, or blended with yoghurt and fresh fruit for a tasty smoothie.

6. Papayas: Just one cup of papaya cubes gives you well over your daily requirement for vitamin C, as well as packing a nutritional one-two-punch of potassium and folate. Moreover, papaya is a good source of two powerful antioxidants – vitamins A and E – that protect you against heart disease and colon cancer. The rich, buttery flesh of this tropical superfood is amazing in smoothies and salads, but you’ll love it just on its own when you scoop it out of the shell with a spoon.

Categories: Alfalfa Sprouts, blood cholesterol, cancer, cholesterol, fibre, Flaxseed, fresh, ground seeds, Papaya, recommended, recommended daily

Kitchen Kings: The Best Ways to Amp Up Your Heart Health

Heart-healthy eating starts in the kitchen, which means that you need to get your kitchen wellness on track if you want to protect your family from heart problems. Here are seven simple tips to help you do it:

 

1. Switch to heart healthy cooking oils: It’s better for your wellness if you choose cooking fats that have minimal levels of saturated fat and trans fat, and high levels of healthier fats like monounsaturated fats and omega-3s. Therefore, you should do most of your cooking with canola oil, and then use olive oil in any recipe that works. Olive oil contains the most monounsaturated fat, very little saturated fat, and phytochemicals which are helpful for your wellbeing. You can also use safflower, sunflower, soybean, or flaxseed oil.

 

2. Switch to a better margarine: When you can’t replace margarine or butter with canola oil, make sure you choose a margarine that’s low in saturated fat (two grams or less per tablespoon) and contains no trans fats at all. For an added bonus, look for ones with omega-3 fats.

 

3. Have a clear out: Junk food is defined by two characteristics: an absence of nutrients and an overabundance of fat, sodium, or sugar. All these complementary wellness techniques are useless if you have a pantry full of junk food, so clear your kitchen of junk and replace these foods with healthier alternatives. Look at the labels on all the foods in your fridge, freezer and cupboards, and see which are really not worth holding onto.

 

4. Watch out for calorie boosters: It’s easy to spot junk foods like crisps and chocolate, but some ingredients can really sneak up on you if you’re not careful, and load your meal with fat, calories and cholesterol. You should think “red flag” whenever you come across regular mayonnaise, bacon and bacon grease, heavy and light whipping cream, half-and-half cream, puff pastry, full-fat cheese, sausage, coconut oil, butter, and pie crust dough.

 

5. Fill your fridge with heart-smart foods you can’t live without: Find out what your favourite frozen and fresh fruits and vegetables are, and then add in wholegrain products that can make for a quick lunch or entrée. Whole-wheat pitas and tortillas, and wholegrain pasta cooked al dente and chilled in the fridge are great options. Then, fill your fridge with lean meats and vegetarian substitutes, low-fat dairy products such as low-fat yogurt, cheese, and cottage cheese, skimmed milk, and sugar-free beverages that you like to drink, such as iced green tea and mineral water.

 

6. Make your freezer convenience food as healthy as possible: Sometimes you don’t eat fruit and vegetables because you haven’t got any fresh ones in, but this is where the freezer is your friend. If you’ve always got frozen fruit and veg to hand, you’ll never have an excuse to not add them to your meals. Keep frozen blueberries and raspberries for mixing into muffin and pancake batter and for topping oatmeal or waffles, and frozen broccoli florets, baby carrots, or frozen mixed vegetables for a quick side dish or for mixing in with the entree.

 

7. Make a few sneaky substitutions: If recipe instructions call for unhealthy ingredients, try using healthier alternatives. If you’re making macaroni and cheese from a packet and it calls for butter, for example, add a tablespoon or two of heart-smart margarine and a tablespoon or two of fat-free sour cream to make up the difference. Also, look on the label to see if the product already contains fat, as this may mean you can skip adding fat altogether and instead add – depending on the product – fat-free sour cream (for use in a cream pasta product), low-sodium broth (for use in a stuffing mix), low-fat yoghurt (for use in a muffin mix), strong coffee (for use in a brownie or cake mix) and applesauce.

Categories: canola oil, cholesterol, free sour, healthier alternatives, heart health, heart smart, Heart-Healthy, junk food, nbsp, olive oil, sour cream

How to Lower Your Cholesterol without Compromising on Taste

You might want to take care of your wellbeing and cut cholesterol from your diet, but how do you do it and still enjoy your food? Does a low-cholesterol diet doesn’t have to be all oat bran and tofu? Of course not! There are plenty of simple substitutions you can make in your diet that bolster your wellness and still keep you in a state of foodie bliss.

1. Instead of sprinkling croutons, go for walnuts: In carbohydrates, such as croutons, you’ll find a lot of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), also known as bad cholesterol. Walnuts, on the other hand, are high in polyunsaturated fat, which works to lower your LDL levels while giving your HDL levels (aka your levels of “good” cholesterol” a hearty boost. So the next time you have a salad, why not go a little bit nutty?

2. Replace cocktail hour with wine time: While research does suggest that a small amount of alcohol can cause your HDL cholesterol levels to rise slightly – which is a good thing – you won’t reap any benefits if you’re knocking back the mojitos and margaritas. Cocktails and mixed drinks with fruit juice contain carbohydrates which, as we’ve previously mentioned, is not great for your cholesterol levels. However, switching to red wine can give you all the benefits you could want for your wellbeing. Aside from having just 10% of the carbohydrate content of a margarita, red wine is packed with antioxidants known as flavonoids, which are believed to lower your LDL and boost your HDL. Still, alcohol can, in large quantities do real damage to your health – as I’m sure you’re aware – so stick to the American Heart Association’s guidelines of two glasses a day for men or one glass for women.

3. Swap cheese and crackers for edamame and nuts: Cheese and crackers are a popular pre- or post-dinner snack, but they are sky-high in saturated fat, which is one of the prime culprits behind high cholesterol. For all the foodie goodness of cheese and crackers but none of the guilt, try almonds and edamame. Almonds have been shown to lower LDL, while edamame – the boiled baby soybeans that are a common appetite whetter in Japanese restaurants – is extremely low in the saturated fat department. Although evidence is conflicting, some wellness experts assert that the soy protein found in edamame actively lowers your LDL. If you’re thinking Japanese soybeans sound a little complicated for an appetiser, all you need to do is buy them frozen, dump them into boiling water, and drain after 5 minutes.

4. Drizzle salads with balsamic vinegar: Any diet wellness or weight loss article you read will probably tell you to avoid salad dressing, or at least have it on the side. However, you don’t need to live a life of leafy dryness. Try drizzling your salads with balsamic vinegar, lemon juice or a nice shallot and grapefruit dressing.

5. Banish butter and bring out the margarine: There’s more than a third of your recommended daily value of saturated fat in just one tablespoon of butter (which, if you’re interested, is seven grams). Moreover, a single tablespoon of butter contains 10% of your daily value for dietary cholesterol. True, butter isn’t as harmful for your health as wellness experts once thought. However, it remains one of the main sources of high cholesterol and atherosclerosis, so switch your butter with a vegetable-oil-based spread. Anything containing olive oil will help you to replace a bad fat with a good fat. With that in mind, use olive oil (or white wine vinegar) when cooking instead of butter.

Categories: balsamic vinegar, butter, cholesterol, cholesterol levels, hdl cholesterol, high cholesterol, ldl cholesterol, levels, olive oil, Red Wine, Substitutions, wellness experts

How to Turn Your Kitchen Gadgets Into Wellness Wonders

Your kitchen gadgets aren’t just helping for adding a little finesse to your food, or making cooking more convenient; they’re excellent complementary wellness tools. Whether it’s your fancy slow cooker, or the lowly frying pan, take care of your wellbeing with these six wellness wonders:

 

1. Fatigue-Fighting Frying Pan

Not only can a black cast-iron skillet or pot do everything that the metal varieties can, they can help to prevent iron-deficiency anaemia and fatigue. Cooking in cast iron cookware enables the food to safely absorb iron, especially if you’re cooking acidic foods like tomatoes, and this helps to get more iron into your diet. As anaemia can affect your wellness with fatigue, pale skin, headaches, muscle weakness and dizziness, your frying pan can be a real help. Just remember to use heavy, black cast-iron rather than the enamel-coated type, as this won’t give you the iron boost you need.

 

2. Malady-Preventing Microwave Popcorn

Instead of choosing your regular, chemical-laden bags of microwaveable popcorn (with added oil), pop some plain popcorn kernels into a paper bag, fold the top over a few times, and microwave until the kernels pop. Why? As popcorn contains more concentrated polyphenols than fruits or vegetables, it’s surprisingly high in antioxidants, which helps to keep inflammation at bay. As a result, this could prevent almost any major disease, including cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s and depression, and making popcorn in a paper bag minus the added oil saves on calories and added fat.

 

3. Bulge-Beating Hand Blender

An immersion hand blender, unlike some hand mixers, doesn’t chop; it quickly blends or purees. This means you can whip up a wholesome, delicious soup and, as an added bonus, lose weight in the process. According to a 2007 Consumer Reports survey of popular diets, having a soupy starter helps to fill you up a bit before a meal, meaning that you eat less and lose more weight. Another 2007 study noted that having soup before lunch – thanks to your handy hand blender – can reduce your post-lunch calorie consumption by 20%.

 

4. Oxidant-Obliterating Oil Mister

Using an oil mister or sprayer helps you to evenly coat your pan or food with healthy oils, and even add herbs or flavourings more easily. Oils that contain healthy fats, such as extra-virgin olive oil, coconut oil, or grape-seed oil, promote the production of antioxidant hormones in your body which fight damage of stress to your cells, and anti-inflammatory hormones which help you to heal after injury or infection. Plus, these fats are essential for your body’s metabolism, overall functioning, and even your diet plan.

 

5. Cholesterol-Cutting Slow Cooker

Not only do slow cookers make cooking dinner more convenient, they also allow flavours the time to mingle and intensify, making for a more delicious meal. While this is great for stews and the like, you can use your slow cooker to create one of the most nutritious breakfasts out there; oatmeal. All you need to do is throw some steel-cut oats, water, cinnamon, and dried fruit (preferably chopped dates or figs, currants, dried cranberries, dried blueberries) into the cooker before bed, and leave it on low for at least seven hours. Then you simply add low-fat milk, yogurt, or vanilla to taste in the morning. The reason you want steel-cut oats is that these are the least processed type of oatmeal, chopped into the largest pieces, so they take longest to digest. Plus, a 2008 scientific review found that oat consumption lowers your levels of low-density lipoprotein, or “bad cholesterol”, which reduces your risk of high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and weight gain.

Categories: added oil, anaemia, black cast, cast iron, cholesterol, frying pan, hand blender, kitchen gadgets, oil mister, paper bag, Weight Loss, wellness wonders

Which Foods Should You Avoid to Lower Your Cholesterol?

You need cholesterol to produce hormones, and for your cell membranes to function, but not all cholesterol are created equal. With the right diet, you can get all the “good” HDL cholesterol you need, but certain foods contain “bad” LDL cholesterol, which increases your risk of heart disease and stroke. So which foods should you avoid?

 

While butter is a staple part of the British diet, it’s doing nothing for your weight or your wellbeing. We use butter for everything from cooking to making cakes, but just one teaspoon of the stuff will give you 10% of your recommended daily intake of cholesterol. According to American Heart Association, a healthy adult should consume no more than 300mg of cholesterol a day, but there is 215mg of cholesterol in your average 100g pack of butter.

 

In recent years, wellness experts seem to have been harking on about seafood, but that is not to say that all seafood is good for you. Some of your fishy friends are actually loaded with cholesterol, especially when the fish has been fried rather than boiled or grilled. Shrimp, in particular, is a high cholesterol food to avoid, as 100g of shrimp contains 195mg of cholesterol, or 65% daily value. If that’s a hard figure to get your head around, there’s roughly 4% of your daily allowed cholesterol intake in just one large shrimp.

 

Like seafood, chicken has been hailed by experts as a healthy alternative (and more environmentally friendly option) to red meat. However, while chicken is low in fat, the way you cook it makes a huge difference to how good it is for you. The secret to the cholesterol content of chicken lies in the skin, as this is what adds on the cholesterol points. In fact, just a single leg of chicken with the skin on contains more fat and cholesterol than a burger or a cup of ice cream.

 

But how much cholesterol is in burgers and ice cream? A big cheese burger, for example, has approximately has 175 mg of cholesterol, although this level is lower if you go for a plain burger instead. However, ice cream is packed with cholesterol. Everydayhealth.com notes, ‘Did you know that a single cup of ice cream has more fat than a hamburger and more cholesterol than 10 glazed doughnuts? Skip the scoop and try a cup of fresh fruit for dessert instead. Fruit is low in calories and high in the fibre, vitamins, and nutrients you really need; making it one of the best things you can eat for lower cholesterol.’

Categories: butter, chicken, cholesterol

What Are Beta Glucans And How Can They Help You?

Beta glucans are a form of naturally occurring fibre which is found in the cell walls of foods such as oats, algae, mushrooms, barley and rye. One of the most soluble forms of fibre in your diet, they’re gel-like in texture and can also be found in the pectin in fruit. Soluble brand, in addition to the ‘roughage’ we’ve been told is good for our health, is also necessary for a healthy diet – this form dissolves and passes through the gut more easily. So, why do we need beta glucans? It’s been proven that they can help to lower cholesterol, as the gel-like texture helps to bind cholesterol together in the gut so that it can be passed through the digestive tract as waste.

Beta glucans have many more health benefits besides just aiding cholesterol. They’ve also been proven to help balance blood sugars, through slowing down the absorption of sugars from food, which can be useful to those trying to manage their insulin levels. People with metabolic syndrome, which has a variety of symptoms including high blood pressure, high insulin levels and high blood sugars, could also benefit from beta glucans.

If you’re already on medication, you should ensure that the changes to your diet are gradual. There are many ways you can add beta glucans to your diet, such as added a few tablespoons of pearl barley to stews and casseroles. Heat and moisture can damage the beta glucans, so you should process them as little as possible – rolling and flaking are thought to cause the least amount of damage. You could also opt for muesli for breakfast, which is made up of oats, as well as adding them to other cereals. You could also look out for speciality breads, or snack on oatcakes.

What Are Beta Glucans And How Can They Help You?

Categories: beta, beta glucans, blood sugars, cholesterol, diet, fibre, glucans, high, high blood, insulin levels

Heart Health Meets Mental Health: The Damage of Cholesterol

If you have high cholesterol, it may not just be your physical wellbeing, but also your mental health at stake. This is according to a study published in the online journal PLOS ONE, which found that people with raised cholesterol don’t just have an increased risk of heart disease – they may be more likely to develop dementia.

It has already been established that high levels of cholesterol are significantly linked to the brain plaques associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Now, US scientists have discovered the reason which high cholesterol levels damages your brain, as well as your blood vessels. The researchers at the Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome and University of Colorado found that cholesterol wreaks havoc on the orderly process of cell division. This insight was discovered when the team was investigating two much rarer disorders; Down Syndrome and Niemann Pick-C disease.

The researchers say that cholesterol, particularly in the ‘bad’ LDL form, causes your cells, as well as the cells of mice, to divide incorrectly and distribute their already-duplicated chromosomes unequally to the next generation. This means that your body accumulates defective cells with the wrong number of chromosomes, which, in turn, leads to an accumulation of the wrong number of genes. You’re meant to acquire two copies of each chromosome, and therefore two copies of each gene, but instead some cells acquire three copies and some only one.

When cells carry three copies of the chromosome, these are associated with the damaging protein amyloid, which occurs between nerve cells. You have amyloid plaques in your brain when your wellness is affected by Alzheimer’s. According to previous research, when you have high cholesterol levels, as defined by a reading of more than 5.8 mmol/L, you’re significantly more likely to have brain plaques than those with normal or lower cholesterol levels.

In this previous study, carried out by researchers from Japan’s Kyushu University, 86% of people with high cholesterol had brain plaques, compared with only 62 percent of people with low cholesterol levels. The researchers also used autopsies to look for tangles in the brain, which is also a known trademark sign of Alzheimer’s disease. Tangles are an accumulation of a protein called tau, which occurs inside nerve cells, but the researchers found no link between high cholesterol and the tangles that develop in the brain with Alzheimer’s disease. Still, there was a definite link with plaques.

Heart Health Meets Mental Health: The Damage of Cholesterol

Categories: Alzheimer's Disease, Brain, brain plaques, cells, cholesterol, cholesterol levels, high cholesterol, Mental Health, nerve cells, Research

Study Finds Hidden Reason Why Red Meat is Bad for Your Heart

There is a chemical in red meat which helps explain why eating too much steak, mince and bacon is bad for your heart health. This is according to a new study, published in the journal Nature Medicine, which found that bacteria in your guy breaks down the carnitine in red meat, which kicks off a chain of bad wellness events that increase your levels of cholesterol, as well as your risk of heart disease.

As a result of this study, dieticians have warned that if you are taking carnitine supplements you may be putting your wellbeing at risk. Dietician Catherine Collins said, ‘I would strongly recommend that unless you’re a vegetarian or vegan, there is a potential risk from taking L-carnitine, lecithin, choline or betaine supplements in an attempt to ward off cognitive decline or improve fat metabolism.’

Here in the UK, it is recommended that you eat 70g or less red or processed meat a day, which is the equivalent of two slices of bacon. This is because numerous studies have shown that regular consumption of red meat may be damaging to health, as saturated fat and the way processed meat is preserved are thought to contribute to heart problems. Yet this new study has shown that fats and cholesterol are not the whole story.

Lead researcher Dr Stanley Hazen explained, ‘The cholesterol and saturated fat content of lean red meat is not that high, there’s something else contributing to increases in cardiovascular risk.’ His experiments, which were performed on mice and people, showed that bacteria in the gut could eat carnitine, breaking it down into a gas which your liver converts to a chemical called TMAO. This waste product is strongly associated with a build-up of fatty deposits in blood vessels, which can cause heart disease and death.

Dr Hazen, from the Cleveland Clinic, commented that TMAO is often ignored: ‘It may be a waste product but it is significantly influencing cholesterol metabolism and the net effect leads to an accumulation of cholesterol. The findings support the idea that less red meat is better. I used to have red meat five days out of seven, now I have cut it way back to less than once every two weeks or so.’ He added that the results highlighted that probiotic yogurt can change the balance of bacteria in your gut.

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Study Finds Hidden Reason Why Red Meat is Bad for Your Heart

Categories: carnitine, cholesterol, heart, heart disease, meat, processed meat, red meat, Research, risk, waste product

Lipid may Prevent Heart Disease by Softening Arteries

High cholesterol is one of the factors that can lead to hardening of the arteries or atherosclerosis, leading to heart disease. Statins are often prescribed to lower their cholesterol but the side effects of the drugs make them unsuitable for many people.

Now new research has revealed there might be a more effective way to stop heart disease by promoting elasticity of the arteries. American researchers have discovered that the protein Apo lipoprotein E (apoE) softens the arteries, allowing them to expand and preventing the hardening that can cause cardiovascular disease.

An apoE is one of a number of specific types of lipids known as very low-density lipoproteins (VLDLs), which also play a role in the “good” cholesterol or high-density lipoproteins (HDL) that helps prevent heart disease.

The study’s findings suggest that even those with very high cholesterol can benefit from the softening of their arteries, which then prevents atherosclerosis developing.

The Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Wistar Institute and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia carried out the research involving mice to investigate the role apoE protein plays in causing softness in the arteries.

The team was building on previous research that has already revealed the part apoE plays in removing cholesterol from the bloodstream to the liver. The latest study aimed to examine the role HDL plays in heart health using mice and concluded that, in fact, HDL containing apoE may be responsible for softening the arteries.

The mice that did not have the apoE gene expression showed significantly higher arterial stiffening but when fed on a high-fat diet and treated with a protein known as a lysyl oxidase inhibitor to soften the arteries, there was a significant improvement in the evidence of atherosclerosis in those mice.

Hardening or stiffening of the arteries is a major cause of health problems, such as high blood pressure, stroke, congestive heart failure and poor blood flow. The findings of the American study suggest softening the arteries may now be a better way to reduce the risk of heart disease and the effects of high cholesterol rather than using statins.

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Lipid may Prevent Heart Disease by Softening Arteries

Categories: cholesterol, hardening of the arteries, lipids

Secret Assassins: The Seven Causes of High Cholesterol

In the West, cholesterol is a huge problem, affecting the wellbeing of millions of people. You may look at a greasy burger and think ‘Well, there’s your answer!’ but there are actually seven causes of cholesterol.

OK, let’s start with the obvious one: eating too much saturated fat can cause high cholesterol. This is basically the kind of fat that come from animal sources, or anything you find in a fry-up. Therefore, beef, pork, veal, milk, eggs, butter, and cheese are all a no-go zone if you want to avoid high cholesterol, as are packaged foods that contain coconut oil, palm oil, or cocoa butter as these too may have a lot of saturated fat. Also, don’t shoot the messenger, but you will also find saturated fat in stick margarine, vegetable shortening, and most cookies, crackers, chips, and other snacks.

Being overweight is another cause of high cholesterol levels, as it decreases your ‘good’ HDL cholesterol and increases your ‘bad’ triglycerides. The same goes for a lack of exercise, which also throws your cholesterol balance off, but at least improving your activity efforts will reduce your weight too – two birds, one stone. Throw in your new saturated-fat-free diet and you’re really cooking with gas (or extra virgin olive oil!)

Unfortunately, not all of the causes of cholesterol are in your control; age and gender are factors that you cannot escape. Your cholesterol levels will naturally begin to rise from the age of 20, levelling off in men after the age of 50, and staying fairly low in women until menopause, when they catch up with the boys. Also, as much as you’d like to, you can’t escape your genes so if someone in your family has high cholesterol, chances are that you have it too.

Let’s look at other aspects of your health. If you have certain diseases, such as diabetes or hypothyroidism, your risk for high cholesterol is higher, so make sure you don’t skip your annual physical, and get your doctor to explain your heart health and heart disease risk. Finally, another obvious one: smoking can lower your good cholesterol, and, if you hadn’t heard, it can kill you, so maybe it’s time to quit.

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Secret Assassins: The Seven Causes of High Cholesterol

Categories: cholesterol, diet, Smoking

How to include good fats into your diet

As every dietician or fitness expert will tell you, too much fat will cause health problems and weight gain. But fat has gained a bad reputation over the years. Not all fat is bad, in fact some fat is necessary for a healthy diet as it helps the body to absorb certain nutrients, as well as providing energy. It is important to know which type of fat we are eating to ensure we don’t stock up on the wrong kind.

Saturated fat is known to raise blood cholesterol levels over time which can cause heart disease. This type of fat can be found in a number of foods, including meat products such as pies or sausages, butter, cheese, ice cream and biscuits. On the other hand, unsaturated fat can be found healthier foods such as avocados, nuts, oily fish such as mackerel, tuna and salmon, and olive oil. In contrast to saturated fat, this form can actually help to lower cholesterol levels and provide the body with essential fatty acids.

As part of today’s health conscious society, the majority of companies now list the quantities of fats in each product so that you can easily see which are the best options for a healthy diet. Foods which contain more than 5g of saturated fat per 100g should be avoided, though foods with 1.5g or less are fine in moderation. The ‘traffic light’ symbol clearly shows you which foods to avoid, and these state quantities of other ingredients such as salt as well – red lights are high in specific nutrients so should be consumed only on occasion. Amber is fine in moderation, being neither high nor low in fat, and green is a healthy product that is low in fat, salt and sugar.

Low fat foods may look like the healthier option, but don’t be fooled by their ‘healthy’ disguise. Any food product with less than 30 percent fat than the standard equivalent can be labelled as low fat, so if the original product is already extremely high in fat, a low fat version may still be packed with unhealthy nutrients. Instead of choosing a low fat ready meal or snack, opt for fruit, vegetables and natural foods.

How to include good fats into your diet

Categories: cholesterol, diet, fats