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Thursday, May 31, 2012

Eating out and get to lose weight

Today many people work from home or have little time for lunch which means having to spend eating out and think it is virtually impossible to lead a healthy diet to lose weight. The reality is that this is just a myth, because recently the Spanish Heart Foundation through one of its members, Dr. Petra Sanz, presented some very useful tips for people who have to eat outside their homes daily and may lose weight.




Note that normally when you go out to eat much and eat more foods containing a higher amount of saturated animal fats, and also tends to take quite a delicious dessert but surely has many sugars. This is fine when you eat out once a point, at which one should take their fancy, but not when eaten daily in restaurants because it is not at all healthy.

That is why the first advice of the Spanish Heart Foundation is to choose different restaurants that take into account the welfare of their customers, where they serve more vegetables, fruits and vegetables, etc., so-called "green menu".

Once chosen the restaurant is appropriate, the following recommendation of Dr. Sanz is to require the use of olive oil to flavor food (without going over, no more than 6 tablespoons), eating meals steamed, baked or to grilled instead of fried and avoid excess salt. Besides all this, if you suffer from any specific disease, it is best for your diet adjustments to it.

If we eat in a restaurant, a good option may be to ask first two, which generally tend to be rich in carbohydrates and fiber. The latter often contain enough fat. When eating out try not to abuse alcohol, one glass of wine is beneficial, more is not advisable, as well as having a lot of calories, alcohol causes us to lose some control of what we eat, so they tend to eat something else. Finally, if you have made the decision to overeat at lunch then remember to compensate with a light dinner.

Menopause Diet

A diet balanced, healthy and personalized as the foundation for optimal results.
There are certain plants that contain natural substances, called phytoestrogens, which act as replacement therapy in estrogen deficiency.






The isoflavones contained in soy and other vegetables have a strong estrogenic action because its chemical structure allows them to act very much like they would estrogen secreted by the human body. It has been found that women in Eastern countries have a lower incidence of symptoms and problems associated with menopause because their diet is rich in foods such as soybeans, corn, alfalfa and cabbage, Which contain a significant amount of isoflavones.
  • Isoflavones help maintain good bone health, helping to prevent osteoporosis and cardiovascular system is functioning correctly.
  • They also help reduce various symptoms of menopause such as hot flashes, fatigue, night sweats, changes in mood, and so on.
  • There are also numerous studies "in vitro" which suggest its effect in inhibiting tumor cell growth.
  • The greatest evidence of the benefits of isoflavones focuses on the results of cardiovascular disease, lowering cholesterol, triglycerides, etc.
  • The presence of isoflavones in the body activates the immune defense through increased activity of macrophages and white blood cells.

Lower Cholesterol by Nuts


According to a study conducted by the department of nutrition at Loma Linda University, California, United States, who joined 25 research studies above, which involved 583 men and women, confirming the beneficial effects intake of nuts on blood fats, keeping in mind that none of the subjects was taking medications to lower cholesterol.


In interpreting the data obtained after the study, researchers concluded that daily consumption of 67 grams of nuts produced the following results: total cholesterol decreased by 5.1%, LDL cholesterol ("bad") cholesterol fell by 7, 4% and there was a significant decrease in triglycerides by 10.2%.

Cholesterol is a fat produced by the body, especially the liver (70%), and is essential for the formation of cell membranes (found in the heart, muscles, skeleton, intestines and nervous system) and production of hormones, so essential to our vital functions.
Only 30% of cholesterol comes from comes from dietary sources, especially saturated fats (eg meat and dairy products).

It is important to distinguish "good" cholesterol, HDL, the "bad" cholesterol, LDL. This differentiation is due to the particular manner in which each one of them moves the blood. HDL transports cholesterol from blood vessels into the liver, while LDL carries cholesterol into cells lining the blood vessel walls, which could increase the process of atherosclerosis.
Be sure to consult your doctor about eating nuts, which, in addition to lowering cholesterol, give the body a significant amount of minerals like calcium, iron and phosphorus.

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Cholesterol controls for young adults

Young adults tend to be remarkably unconcerned about the prevention in health care and control of cholesterol, is no exception. Barely half of all men and young women are screened for LDL cholesterol, the so-called bad cholesterol.



The study was based on an analysis of data from 2,587 young adults, including men from 20 to 35 years and women aged 20 to 45. Dr. Elena V. Kuklina, is the lead author, said young adults should be screened for heart disease, a chronic condition that can begin to damage the blood vessels at an early age.

"You can see even at 10 years," said Dr. Kuklina. "But we also have evidence that if you start to intervene in time, it is much easier to make the whole process, if you are in a later age, when you already have plaque and vessels are blocked."
Examination is recommended to all from age 20 for men and women. Ask your doctor about which tests are right for you, depending on age and medical history. Because it is best prevented.

Acupuncture helps to lower cholesterol




After being detected high levels of blood cholesterol, the main attention should be given to food as poor eating habits are primarily responsible for the excess LDL cholesterol (known as bad cholesterol) levels. Besides the reduction of food of animal origin, patients with high levels of cholesterol in your diet is to add the right mix of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and oil seeds. In this new lifestyle is to be carried, acupuncture can be a great ally, as it promotes balance the endocrine system and improves blood circulation.

Acupuncture is a healing technique used in traditional Chinese medicine, but that in turn has been adopted in other countries. Is based on the use of very fine needles with the objective of stimulating specific areas of the body. These points lie on energy pathways called "meridians." Are designed acupuncture treatments to improve the flow and balance of energy along these meridians.

With peripheral stimulation, the technique helps the body eliminate bad cholesterol and produce good cholesterol. The body itself, when stimulated, promotes balance of substances. Patients already taking medications to treat cholesterol problems have no contraindication to the use of acupuncture, but quite the opposite.

The technique helps the absorption of various substances, including drugs, increasing its effects. For those afraid of needles, there's good news: Acupuncture is only one branch of the many that make traditional Chinese medicine. Phytotherapy techniques, auriculotherapy, tui-na, electro, among others, also have similar benefits and do not involve the use of needles.

In addition, some techniques are used acupuncture to help improve other aspects of health. For example, auricular acupuncture is used to reduce weight, manage stress, curb migraine, controlling nerves, lower triglycerides, reduce high blood pressure and combat colon irritation.

Cholesterol could be as harmful as Alzheimer's



Foods which rich of cholesterol may be as harmful as Alzheimer's, as shown in a study in rats, and that cholesterol may cause brain damage. The study, published in the journal "Molecular Cellular Neuroscience," was performed on rats by researchers from the Laboratory of Psychiatry and Experimental Alzheimer's Research.

To do this study, male rats fed with normal food 6 months but with a 5% cholesterol. After 5 months, damages sought or possible behavioral pathological markers similar to those of Alzheimer's patients. The result of this study led them to believe that the results hipercolesterolema chronic inflammation, memory loss, cholinergic dysfunction and increased beta-amyloid protein. All these symptoms also occur in Alzheimer's patients.

Of course, and although it is thought that cholesterol may participate in the development of Alzheimer's disease does not prove to be the only factor involved in this process. Despite this, there are many hypotheses that Alzheimer's could be a vascular disease.

Alzheimer's is an important disease that mainly affects older people who lose consciousness, mental ability and also seriously affects people's memory.

Finding the factors leading to this disease could be the beginning to create effective drugs to fight effectively against Alzheimer's and make life easier for the millions of people suffering from this disease and people around them. An efficient new drug to cure Alzheimer's would be quality of life for several million people. So far, this is just one more study, a small step to be followed with further research on this line.

Sunday, May 27, 2012

The so-called "good cholesterol"


Although always associated cholesterol as a disease harmful to the body, cholesterol is not only harmful to the body but also fulfills functions essential for the proper functioning of the human organism.

Fats are energy-rich substances that serve as an indispensable source of fuel for the human body's metabolic processes. The sources of fat the body needs can be two: the food, or the producer's own body, especially the liver.

The major fatty substances found in the blood are cholesterol and triglycerides.
When it comes to cholesterol is often immediately think of coronary artery disease in stroke, arteriosclerosis, etc.. It is true that abnormal values ​​of fats in the blood can cause serious problems, but there is another side that few know about cholesterol.

Cholesterol is not only a substance found in the body, but is found in most living organisms, both plant and animal and even in bacteria. This suggests that there must be a reason why all living beings possess certain levels of cholesterol.

Not all forms of cholesterol are harmful, there is a class that is actually harmful to the body, but there is another class that lowers risk of heart disease, and is known under the name of good or beneficial cholesterol.

The cholesterol carried by low density lipoprotein (a combination of fats and proteins known as LDL) is the most harmful, while the lipoprotein high density lipoprotein (HDL) is beneficial and important functions in our body.

For many years, cholesterol has been considered the main responsible for the heart problems of thousands of people who suffer and have died because of it. Since then many people are constantly awaiting the food they eat and the cholesterol level the same and your body. But the truth is they are also required certain levels of fat for the proper functioning of the body and is of fundamental importance for metabolism.

The blood cholesterol

Like I said before, the excess cholesterol is not good for our body. High cholesterol is linked with having atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases dangerous.




The larger the amount of fat you eat and grow the more cholesterol from food, the higher the cholesterol levels in our blood and major heart problems.
As we know, there is an important link between food and heart. But not all fats we consume are necessarily bad. Some help raise levels of blood cholesterol, but not others. The bad fats are saturated. We should try to avoid a diet rich in red meat, whole milk, other dairy products and foods fried in butter, lard or margarine.

A balanced diet is very important to control high blood cholesterol. Usually vegetarians have lower levels of bad cholesterol. Therefore it is advisable to lower consumption of saturated fats and increased intake of soluble fiber that allows rapid removal of stools that are in your intestines by preventing the absorption of cholesterol is dissolved in the stool.

You must reduce the consumption of:
Red meats, sausages
Eggs. It is advisable to discard them entirely from the diet, but cut down. Egg whites can be consumed without any problem, the problem is excess consumption of yolk.
Precooked
Cookies, bread
Whole milk and whole milk products
Excess of chocolates and sweets
Alcoholic beverages
Fried foods
Carbohydrates (both simple sugars)

Increase consumption of:
Olive oil
Milk and skim milk
Pulses and vegetables
Fruits
Oily fish (rich in Omega 3)
Brown Rice
Cereals
Understanding Cholesterol (Cholesterol #1)

Saturday, May 26, 2012

The Cholesterol Myths


There are many popular beliefs about cholesterol should be reviewed as it is common for people to endanger their health, even when they believe they are doing things right.



First myth: to have normal cholesterol not nothing wrong can happen to you.
A person can have normal cholesterol and coronary heart disease anyway or pressure, or severe diffuse. The normal value is not defined from the parameters of the entire population but from the personal risk. To do this you need a specialist to provide information on each particular situation.

Second myth: they have high cholesterol because they eat too much fat.
Remember that 85 percent of the value of LDL cholesterol in the blood is genetically determined. Anyway a very strict diet and designed by professionals can drop to 15 percent the value of bad cholesterol.

Third myth: cholesterol is caused by stress.
There is no clear evidence on the impact of acute or chronic stress increased cholesterol. What is likely is that a person with a serious problem in life is change your diet or neglect, anxiety and overeating, thereby increasing the values ​​of their lipid profile.

Fourth Myth: The cholesterol-lowering drugs destroy liver and muscles.
The rate of adverse effects on these organs, observed in patients taking cholesterol-lowering drugs does not exceed 1%.

Fifth myth is self-regulating treatment for yourself. Many patients believe that cholesterol-lowering medication should leave but they are misguided as it is the physician in charge of suspending therapy.

Friday, May 25, 2012

The two types of cholesterol



We know how important taking care of blood cholesterol levels, and so today we'll talk about the two types of cholesterol exist, popularly known as good cholesterol and bad cholesterol or rather, HDL and LDL.



Cholesterol is one of those substances that the body needs and can not live without it. But the excess is bad, can be very harmful. Start from the assumption that cholesterol is not more than fat, and therefore, the body needs to manufacture cholesterol substances (such as vitamin D, hormones, etc.).

Focusing on the two types of cholesterol can find a hard difference between good cholesterol and bad cholesterol:

- HDL. Commonly known as good cholesterol, is responsible for carrying excess cholesterol in the tissues to the liver. The level of HDL in normal conditions have to be higher than 40 mg / dl in women and 35 mg / dl in men.

- LDL. Known as bad cholesterol. Harmful cholesterol or LDL cholesterol is the cholesterol at the blood vessel walls which can not be excreted from the body. If there is too much LDL, it may cause a blockage in the blood. 

 Levels of LDL are the following:

* Height: above 160 mg / dl
* Normal-high: 100 to 160 mg / dl
* Normal: less than 100 mg / dl
Finally, total cholesterol levels (according to the Spanish Heart Foundation) are:
* Height: above 240 mg / dl
* Normal-high: between 200 and 240 mg / dl. At levels above 200 mg / are considered hypercholesterolemia.
. * Normal: less than 200 mg / dl.
What Is Cholesterol and What Are the Types?