Tips for Lowering Cholesterol

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Tips for Lowering Cholesterol

 

 

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.

 

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 Traditional . Cholestin comes from a

strain of red yeast (Monascus) that is used as a natural flavoring

and food coloring in Chinese cooking. The active component,

Lovastatin, is also the key ingredient in an allopathic drug called

Mevacor, an FDA-approved cholesterol drug available by prescription.

Cholestin can be found in a health food store.

 

Limiting Saturated Fat Is 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. 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, Flaxseed, 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.

 

Flaxseed oil is derived from the seeds of the flax plant. Flaxseed

oil and flaxseed contain substances that promote good health and is

used as a nutritional supplement. It is rich in omega-3 fatty acids,

especially alpha-linolenic acid, which appears to be beneficial for

heart disease, inflammatory bowel disease, arthritis, cholesterol and

a variety of other health conditions. Flaxseed also contains a group

of chemicals called lignans that may play a role in the prevention of

cancer. Take 1,000 mg of flaxseed oil in the morning and 1,000 mg in

the evening.

 

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, MS, L.Ac

http://www.peacefulmind.com

Therapies for healing

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