thanks Andrew Pacholyk

[Guest guest]

I also am working with High Cholesterol and I must say this was a great post:)

 

 

Gisele

 

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awayawayyyy

Tuesday, January 13, 2004 3:56 PM

Re: Heredity and High Cholesterol

Thank you so much for answering my post. I learned so much!Namaste,~away- In , "yogiguruji" <yogiguruji@a...> wrote:> Good Morning!> > Heredity and High Cholesterol> > Heredity is one of the rish factors considered in high cholesterol.> This is a trait you can't shake. What we inherit from our parents > is a direct indicator as to how long we may live, diseases we may > endure or traits and characteristics we may have to encounter..> BUT...you are not a matching blueprint of your mother or father. > You are a combination of both and this allows some variance on the > equation. It is very possible that if your father or mother > inherited high cortisol levels or are prone to arteriosclerosis, > then you could be too. BUT, again not as much or perhaps, even more. > So what do you do with something you have inherited. Not much. > For that is in the past. What you CAN DO, is opt to take care > of the future. It is not a death sentence. It is something that > you should keep your eye on a little more closely. We are able to > dramatically change the cards we are delt by adopting a healthy > lifestyle that is right for us. Here is a short list of tips and> reasonable approaches to bringing down those numbers:> > 1. Substitute 2 egg whites for 1 whole egg in baking> > 2. Try lean ham, Canadian bacon, turkey bacon and reduced fat sausage> and bacon instead of regular sausage and bacon.> > 3. Season vegetables with lemon, garlic, onion, chives or pepper> instead of animal fat.> > 4. Have cooked dry beans and peas instead of meat occasionally; or> substitute for part of the meat in casseroles.> > 5. Bake, broil or boil with liquid vegetable oils in place of animal> fat.> > 6. Eat moderate portions (3-4 ounces) rather then large servings of> lean meats and poultry.> > 7. Select lean cuts of meat and trim visible fat; remove skin from> poultry.> > 8. Try reduced fat or fat free varieties of milk, cheese, ice cream,> sour cream and yogurt.> > 9. Enjoy all types of seafood, including shellfish and canned fish> packed in water.> > 10. Make an egg omelet using egg whites and either one or no egg yolk.> > > The Beef on Cholesterol> > You often never hear anything good about cholesterol, but it actually> has some very important functions in the body. Cholesterol is a> fatty, wax-like substance that helps the brain and nervous system> operate normally, and it's used to make cell walls, hormones and> vitamin D.> > Too much cholesterol in the blood is what creates a problem. A risk> factor for both heart attack and stroke, high blood cholesterol> increases the chance of plaque or blockages developing in arteries.> > Lowering blood cholesterol can slow or stop the buildup of plaque.> While your risk of cardiovascular disease depends on many factors,> from genetics to lifestyle habits, keeping your blood cholesterol > levels within ideal ranges can greatly lower your risk.> > Oatmeal has been looked at as being able to help remove cholesterol.> Three grams of soluable fiber from oatmeal daily in a diet low in> saturated fats and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease.> The soluable fiber in oats binds with cholesterol based acids and > prevents them from being absorbed into the blood stream. This simple > lifestyle change can make a big difference in the health of the heart.> > > Consider some dietary changes, such as drinking green tea and > eating more soluble fiber (oat bran), foods rich in omega-3 fatty> acids (salmon, sardines, walnuts), and leafy greens and fresh fruits.> Foods like onions, garlic, chili peppers and shiitake mushrooms all> have some cholesterol lowering effects. Reduce your intake of > saturated fats. That means fats of animal origin, in addition to palm> and coconut oils, margarine, vegetable shortening and all products> made with partially hydrogenated oils of any kind. (Keep in mind > that your body makes its own cholesterol. Eating saturated fats > increases that production.) Also, cut out coffee, black tea and cola. > > > Try to bring your cholesterol under control with a low-fat diet > and daily exercise (at least 30 minutes of aerobic activity). > These changes are essential to any cholesterol-lowering program, > no matter what supplement or drug you take. > > > Cholestin is a natural supplement product with a very > long history of traditional use. Cholestin comes from a strain of > red yeast grown on rice, but the over-the-counter Cholestin lowers > blood cholesterol about as much as "statin" drugs...at about one-fifth > the cost. Used as a natural flavoring and food coloring in Chinese > cooking, the active component, Lovastatin, is also the key ingredient > in the allopathic drug called Mevacor, an FDA-approved cholesterol > drug available by prescription. Cholestin can be found in a health > food store. Studies that look at Cholestin's long-term safety and > effectiveness in a larger population should now be studied. > Don't take Cholestin without telling your doctor. Anyone who takes > either Cholestin or statin drugs should be regularly checked > for liver and muscle damage.> > > > Limiting Saturated Fat Most Important> > The cholesterol found in food (called dietary cholesterol),can raise> your blood cholesterol. Only foods that come from animals contain> cholesterol. Egg yolks, organ meats, and whole milk dairy products> are especially high in cholesterol. Other examples include butter, > margarine, sour cream, salad dressings, marinades, mayonnaise, > shortening, and many snack foods and desserts. Snack foods often > contain a lot of saturated fat, unless a special effort has been > made to use unsaturated vegetable oil.> > Plant foods, such as grains, fruits, and vegetables, usually > contain very little fat and no cholesterol. Plant fats, such > as vegetable oils, are usually low in saturated fats unless > they have been hydrogenated. Hydrogenation is a process to > make the fats solid or semisolid. To keep dietary intake of> cholesterol at the recommended level of 300 milligrams (mg) per day> or less:> > -Avoid organ meats.> > -Limit egg yolks to 4 per week.> > -Eat no more than 6-8 ounces of meat/poultry/seafood per day.> > -Choose fat free or low fat dairy products.> > -Limiting dietary cholesterol is beneficial, but reducing saturated> fat intake is a much more effective way to lower blood cholesterol> levels.> > -Saturated fats are usually solid at room temperature. They are found> primarily in animal fats like poultry, beef, or dairy fat. Two> vegetable oils, palm and coconut, are also highly saturated, as are> hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated (solid) vegetable> shortenings.> > -Unsaturated fats that include monounsaturated (olive and canola> oils) and polyunsaturated fats (safflower and sunflower oils) are the> healthiest choices.> > FIBER, GARLIC, GUGGUL> > Dietary fiber is the part of a plant that is resistant to the body's> digestive enzymes. Only a relatively small amount of fiber is> digested or metabolized in the stomach or intestines. Most of it> moves through the gastrointestinal tract and ends up in the stool.> Although most fiber is not digested, it delivers several important> health benefits.> > First, fiber retains water, resulting in softer and bulkier stools> that prevent constipation and hemorrhoids. A high-fiber diet also> reduces the risk of colon cancer, perhaps by speeding the rate at> which stool passes through the intestine and by keeping the digestive> tract clean. In addition, fiber binds with certain substances that> would normally result in the production of cholesterol, and> eliminates these substances from the body.> > In this way, a high-fiber diet helps lower blood cholesterol levels,> reducing the risk of heart disease.It is recommended that about 30-60> percent of your total daily calories come from carbohydrates. If much> of your diet consists of healthy complex carbohydrates, you should> easily fulfill the recommended daily minimum of 25 grams of fiber.> About 2 slices of whole wheat bread and 2 glasses of dissolvable> fiber (psyllium husk, pectin and guar gum) a day equals the> requirement for lowering cholesterol levels.> > Garlic. So much research has been done on the great benefits of> garlic. In Europe, garlic has come to be seen as an all-around> treatment for preventing atherosclerosis, the cause of heart disease> and strokes. Garlic may fight atherosclerosis in many ways, such as> protecting against free radicals, countering the tendency of the> blood to clot, and possibly reducing blood pressure and cholesterol> levels. Preliminary evidence suggests that regular use of garlic may> help prevent cancer. Garlic may be an effective antibiotic when it> contacts the tissue directly, but there is no evidence that it works> like a standard antibiotic, spreading throughout the body and killing> organisms everywhere. Garlic has known antifungal properties,and> there is preliminary evidence suggesting that Ajoene, a compound> derived from garlic, might help treat athlete's foot. Garlic has also> been proposed as a treatment for asthma, candida, colds, diabetes,> and vaginal infections. Garlic oil products are often recommended for> children's ear infections. While these products may reduce pain, it> is very unlikely that they have any actual effect on the infection> because the eardrum is in the way. Contrary to some reports, garlic> does not appear to be a useful treatment for Helicobacter pylori, the> stomach bacteria implicated as a major cause of ulcers.> One clove a day or 900 mg a day is recommended.> > Guggul (gum guggul) is a resin produced by the mukul mirth tree.> Guggulipid is extracted from guggul and contains chemicals> called "plant sterols" (guggulsterones E and Z), which are believed> to be active in the human body. Experts from UT Southwestern Medical> Center at Dallas and Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, found> that the extract blocks the body's Farnesoid X Receptor (FXR).> This receptor plays a key role in managing cholesterol levels by> triggering the process in which the body converts cholesterol to bile> acids.> It this process happens too quickly the body is not able to get rid> of enough cholesterol, leaving levels high and increasing the risks> of heart disease.> The researchers said their findings, published in the latest issue of> Science magazine (May 2002), could pave the way for the use of> guglipid in new cholesterol-lowering drugs.> Guggul is a resin known to increase white blood cell counts and> possess strong disinfecting properties. A wide range of actions makes> this plant very helpful not only in protecting against the common> cold, but also in various skin, dental and ophthalmic infections. In> addition, Guggul has long been known to lower cholesterol and> triglycerides, while maintaining or improving the HDL to LDL ratio.> Standard guggul extracts contain 5% guggulsterones which tanslates> to a dose of 500mg three times a day.> > > Blood Lipid Guidelines > > Total Cholesterol> Desirable..........<200 mg/dl > Borderline High.....200 - 239 mg/dl > High................>240 mg/dl > > > LDL Cholesterol > Optimal............<100 mg/dl > Above optimal......100 - 129 mg/dl > Borderline high....130 - 159 mg/dl > High...............160 - 189 mg/dl > Very High..........>190 mg/dl > > > HDL Cholesterol > Low................<40 mg/dl Male > ...................<45 mg/dl Female > Optimal............>60 mg/dl Male/Female > > > Triglycerides> Normal............<150 mg/dl > Borderline.........150 - 199 mg/dl > High...............200 - 499 mg/dl > Very High..........>500 mg/dl > > > > > Andrew Pacholyk L.Ac. 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