Heredity and High Cholesterol

[Guest guest]

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. MSTOM

> Peacefulmind.com

> Alternative medicine and therapies

> for healing mind, body & spirit!