High Cholesterol and Omega 3 Fatty Acids
Cholesterol too high?
That may be what you’re hearing from your health professional. Are Omega 3 ‘s the answer? It’s a complex problem, because even if you are eating carefully, you still may struggle with the cholesterol numbers. And what’s more, your body makes about 80% of its cholesterol. That means that you are controlling only around 20% with your eating habits and lifestyle.
You must limit your dietary cholesterol which comes from animal foods: meat, fish, eggs and dairy. Recommendations for daily intake of dietary cholesterol are 300 mg. What is more important are the types of fats you eat. Realize that fat is important to your health. You must eat the right kinds of fats.
Monounsaturated Fats are the healthiest fats. They decrease your total blood cholesterol but maintain your HDL (good) cholesterol. Most of the fat in your diet should come from this group. Natural sources include: almonds, avocadoes, cashews, canola oil, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, natural peanut butter, olive oil, olives, pecans, peanuts, peanut oil, pistachios, sesame oil, sesame seeds, and tahini paste. Wow. It’s just seeds and nuts. Eat lots.
Polyunsaturated Fats are OK fats. They reduce both the LDL (bad) cholesterol and the HDL (good) cholesterol. Lowering your total cholesterol is great, but because these fats also lower your HDL (good) cholesterol, you should only enjoy them in moderation. Polyunsaturated fats are in corn oil, mayonnaise, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds.
Omega-3 fatty acids are considered polyunsaturated. But these are heart-healthy. Omega 3 ’s can be found in high-fat fish (albacore tuna, mackerel and salmon), other seafood (herring, lake trout, oysters, sardines, shellfish and shrimp), and plant sources white walnuts, flaxseeds and oil, hempseeds and oil, soybean oil, and regular walnuts.
Now that you know which fats to include as part of your cholesterol-lowering plan, it’s time to learn about the types of fats that are bad for your health.
Avoid these unhealthy fats:
- Saturated fat is unhealthy fat because it increases both your total cholesterol and your LDL (bad) cholesterol. Limit your saturated fat intake to about 15-25 grams daily, depending on your calorie needs. Keep this number as low as possible. You get saturated fat from: bacon, bacon grease, beef, butter, cheese, cocoa butter, coconut, coconut milk, coconut oil, cream, cream cheese, ice cream, lard, palm kernel oil, palm oil, pork, poultry, sour cream, and whole milk.
- Trans fat is the worst fat you can eat because it increases your total cholesterol and your LDL (bad) cholesterol while lowering your HDL (good) cholesterol. Yuk. Just say NO to this stuff, that’s right, 0 grams: vegetable shortenings, hard stick margarines, crackers, candies, cookies, snack foods, fried foods, doughnuts, pastries, baking mixes and icings, store-bought baked goods. The list is long and contains many popular items. But, you must resist!
Although some fats (monounsaturated, Omega-3 ‘s) are healthier than others (saturated and trans fats), it’s important to remember that fats are still high in calories. Consuming too many—even the healthy ones like Omega 3’s—can result in weight gain. So limit your total fat intake to less than 30% of your total calories each day. This is about 45-65 grams each day (more or less depending on your calorie needs).
10 Healthy Snacks that Satisfy
Pita Hummus
Spread the inside of a pita half with plenty of hummus and top with sliced tomato, onion, and lettuce.
Soy Beans
Boil a few cups of frozen edamame until tender. Drain and toss with a light coasting of sesame oil, red pepper flakes, and kosher salt.
Nuts
Warm toasted nuts: Toss a combination of nuts – pecans, almonds, peanuts, cashes – with chili powder, black pepper, and a pinch of cayenne. Roast in a 400 degree F oven for 10 minutes, until warm and toasty.
PB and Celery
Spread celery with smooth or chunky peanut butter. Dot with raisins.
Mozzarella
Cut fresh mozzarella into 1/2-inch cubes. Stick with toothpicks with pitted green olives and sundried tomatoes.
Tuna
Combine a can of tuna with your favorite salsa. Use Triscuits for dipping.
Toast and PB
A slice of toasted wheat bread with peanut butter and banana slices. Top with honey.
Popcorn
Pop a bag of plain popcorn. While it’s still hot, toss the popcorn with a half cup grated Parmesan and a good amount of chopped fresh rosemary.
Cheese Roll
Lay a slice of swiss cheese on a cutting board. Top with a slice of deli turkey and a spoonful of hummus or guacamole. Roll it up and eat.
Cherry Peppers
Stuff cherry peppers or bottled Peppadew peppers with soft goat cheese or mini balls of fresh mozzarella.
7 Great Omega 3 Sources
Canola Oil
Less expensive than olive oil, canola oil can also withstand higher cooker temperatures. This heart-healthy oil contains 1,300 mg of Omega-3s per tablespoon (more than olive oil), but both make excellent choices for increasing your consumption of the Omega-3 ALA.
Sardines
This tiny fish are rich in DHA and EPA, and less expensive than other types of fish. Add them to sandwiches, pizzas, salads or as a topping for snack crackers or bread. Since canned sardines are higher in sodium, balance out your meal with low sodium fruits and veggies.
Walnuts
Another excellent source of ALA (2,600 mg in 1 oz), walnuts can be sprinkled on salads, cereal, oatmeal and added to your favorite baked goods. Other nuts that contain omega-3s include pecans and butternuts (also called white walnuts).
Enriched Eggs
Omega-3-enriched eggs contain all three types of omega-3 fatty acids, thanks to adding flaxseed or algae to the diets of egg-producing hens. These specialty eggs contain about 60-150 milligrams of Omega-3’s per egg. That may seem like a small amount compared to these other sources, but it’s still three times the Omega-3’s you’d find in ordinary eggs, making enriched eggs another convenient way to get your Omega-3s if you’re not a fish eater. Up to 4 of these eggs weekly can easily fit into your heart-healthy lifestyle, according to the American Heart Association.
Flaxseed
Flaxseed is the richest source of ALA. Meet your Omega-3 needs with 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed (3,800 mg of Omega-3s). Learn more about storing and using flaxseed. Don’t stop with this seed! Pumpkin seeds and hemp seeds also contain ALA.
Salmon
This coldwater fish contains between 900 and 1,800 mg of DHA and EPA per 3-oz serving. While salmon is the most talked about source of Omega-3s, the same size serving of lake trout can contain more (1,700 mg), while herring, halibut and flounder are also good sources of Omega-3s. Aim for 2 servings (3-4 ounces cooked portion) of fish weekly.
Soybeans
You don’t often hear about this plant source of Omega-3’s, but one serving of cooked soybeans contains more omega-3s (in the form of ALA) than some coldwater fish! Tofu, which is made from soybeans, contains Omega-3’s, too, but only about one-third as much as the whole cooked beans do. Add them to casseroles, soups, burritos or any other recipe that normally calls for beans.
Kill Your Heartburn and Acid Reflux
Many Americans know this scenario: You eat a ‘good meal’ and have digestive issues afterwards – acid rising up in your throat and stomach pain. This heartburn happens frequently, so you go to your regular doctor or maybe even a specialist: a gastroenterologist.
There could be a number of maladies, but let’s just say the doc says you have GERD, Acid Reflux or Heartburn. The good news is, “there’s a pill for that!” You’re probably only given that one choice: medication. But, after a while, the pills don’t really seem to help. And many times they make you feel worse! Plus, you’re always hungry. And you gain weight. Sound familiar?
The main cause of most digestive problems
is…ta da: Too Much Acidity in your Body. That’s it. It’s caused by 3 things: a) eating too much of the wrong foods, b) not eating enough of the good foods, and c) eating the right foods in the wrong combination. This gives your stomach fits trying to digest things, which usually means it sends more acid to digest the mass sitting in your stomach.
The resulting acidosis leads to incomplete digestion of food and an inability to absorb and use nutrients. Poorly digested food causes excess acid production in your stomach which then rises up into your throat. This acidity in your body also ruins the flora balance (good bacteria) in your intestines.
And it gets worse as the cycle goes on over time. You can eventually end up with one of these unpleasant conditions: gastritis, diverticulosis, IBS, Crohn’s, excess gas, bloating, hiatal hernia, colitis, diarrhea, etc.
Now that you know how you got it, here’s what you should do to get better: make your body more alkaline and balance your intestinal flora. Two VERY simple steps:
1- Get Great Taste No Pain now and follow the advice.
If you have been diagnosed with a digestive problem, you MUST start eating foods that will make your body more alkaline — that is exactly what you’ll find in Great Taste No Pain.
Stop eating foods that don’t digest well together, and limit foods that, all by themselves are acid forming:
— heartburn will go away (no more sleeping propped up on pillows!)
— diarrhea and constipation disappear (regular BMs every single day)
— your stomach will go down (no more bloating)
— pain and discomfort will stop
— AND you don’t need to take medications anymore (say goodbye to the purple pill)
2- Take a medical-grade, multi-strain probiotic like Blue Rock Holistics’ Super Shield. – http://www.bluerockholistics.com/product/pross.asp
With Super Shield you will bounce back from years acidity. It will help to build up and maintain your supply of friendly bacteria and strengthen your immune system.
Keep in mind that health care is a for profit industry. You must remember that your health is entirely your responsibility. Doctors are trained to give pills and do surgery, after the horse has already left the barn, so to speak. They spend very little time coaching people how to be healthy and prevent problems.
Great Taste No Pain and Super Shield are the perfect combination for outstanding digestive health: inexpensive AND the most effective.
Feel better, look better, live longer and happier.
Strengthen Your Immune System – Supplement Your Supplements
How to eat foods that give your immune system a boost.
Want to give your system a little help for the coming cold and flu season? Just look beyond the vitamin section.
This time of year, people start thinking more about getting germs and catching colds: Don’t touch anything in public, don’t shake hands, wash with anti-bacterial soap, stay away from kids, gargle with salt, take more vitamin C, etc. Here are a few more things to tap the natural benefits of food and give your immunity a boost. Always keep these next to the chicken soup in your preventative pantry.
Whey – Try powdered whey protein isolate. It’s a concentrated form that you can mix in to many foods and drinks. Whey is rich in an amino acid called cysteine, which converts to glutathione in the body. Glutathione is a potent antioxidant that fortifies cells against infection. Another good source is yogurt. The clear liquid that forms on top of most cartons of yogurt is pure whey protein — so don’t drain it off, just stir it back into the yogurt.
Good Fats – Vegetables have lots of disease fighting nutrients, right? Say yes. So, to get the most from those good veggies, don’t use fat free dressing! Wendy White Ph.D. at Iowa State University found that without good dietary fat, such as olive oil or nut oil, your body doesn’t absorb some of the disease-fighting nutrients in vegetables. Good fat is necessary for absorption of carotenoids, antioxidants that have been linked to improved immunity.
Chamomile Tea – In a recent study at London’s Imperial College, people who drank five cups of the brew a day for 2 weeks had increased blood levels of plant-based compounds called polyphenols. These compounds have been associated with increased antibacterial activity. Levels remained high for 2 weeks after subjects stopped drinking the tea, says lead researcher Elaine Holmes, Ph.D. Not just any hot tea, though, Chamomile is the one that will help prevent sickness.
Oats – Our bodies have white blood cells called macrophages that are a first line of defense for microorganism invaders such as bacteria or viruses. These killer cells are activated by beta-glucans, a component of fiber foods such as oats, bakers yeast or barley. Oats are the best source, says David Grotto, R.D., director of nutrition education at the Block Center for Integrative Cancer Care in Evanston, Illinois. Steel-cut oats have double the amount found in the rolled, quick-cooking kind.
Wine – Drink red wine with your meal. It can prevent food poisoning in addition to being good for your heart. Scientists at Oregon State University recently found that red wine can improve your defenses against three common food pathogens: E. coli, listeria, and salmonella. In lab studies, the wine’s combination of ethanol, organic acids, and low pH appeared to scramble the bugs’ genetic material. All wines have some effect, say researchers, but reds are the most potent.
Tomato – The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published the results of a study on white blood cells. They found that subjects who ate a tomato-rich diet for 3 weeks had stronger infection-fighting white blood cells than when they ate no tomato products. The lycopene in tomatoes acts as an antioxidant, helping white blood cells resist the damaging effects of free radicals.
Butterbur – This herbal supplement helps you fight allergies. Scottish researchers reported in the British Medical Journal that patients with seasonal could breath better after taking the plant extract twice daily. It’s effective against all symptoms of allergic rhinitis, including sneezing, itching, and conjunctivitis, says Andreas Schapowal, M.D., Ph.D., the author of the study. Butterbur is believed to block leukotriene, a chemical that causes allergic reactions, while at the same time controlling eosinophils, the white blood cells that accumulate when allergic reactions take place.
Capsaicin – Rina Yu, Ph.D., a researched at the found that a daily dose of the compound that gives chili peppers their fire, can increase antibody-producing cells. More antibodies mean fewer colds and infections. Results of other studies suggest that eating food containing hot components such as capsaicin may improve immune status. A dash or two of hot sauce can help flush out some toxins.
Reduce – OK, so this isn’t a food you’ll have in your preventative pantry, but losing weight will benefit you in many ways, including reducing your risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and also strengthening your immune system. Researchers at Tufts University had a group of slightly overweight people cut 100 to 200 calories from their daily food intake. The results: weight loss, a drop in cholesterol counts and boosted immune system response.