WHAT IS CHOLESTEROL ?
Cholesterol is a soft waxy substance and is an essential body fat (lipid), that is carried around the body in the blood, it can be found in all the body's cells. Only a small amount of the cholesterol in the body comes from your diet, it is mostly made in the body by the liver. The dietary cholesterol is found in food that comes from animals such as meat, poultry, fish, seafood and dairy products, especially egg yolks.
Cholesterol is required by the body to keep itself healthy, but too much cholesterol circulating in the blood is a health risk.
As cholesterol is not water-soluble it must bind to special proteins before it can be carried in the bloodstream, known as apoproteins. Once coated they form a package called lipoproteins, there are 2 main types of lipoproteins:
* Low density lipoproteins (LDL), commonly known as bad cholesterol. LDL is the major cholesterol carrier in the blood. If there is too much LDL in the blood it can build up on artery walls. A high level of LDL cholesterol may give you an increased risk of coronary heart disease.
* High density lipoproteins (HDL) commonly known as good cholesterol. HDL is actually good for maintaining the health of the heart and preventing the narrowing of the arteries (atherosclerosis) because it appears to carry cholesterol away from the arteries and back to the liver for disposal.
This is why the ratio between LDL and HDL cholesterol is important. Usually the body maintains a balance of cholesterol, making more if it needs it and getting rid of any excess. But sometimes this balance goes wrong. LDL levels can be lowered by eating a low fat diet and HDL levels can be raised by exercising.
What causes cholesterol to be high?
In the UK too much saturated fat in the diet is the most common cause of high cholesterol. Saturated fat encourages the body to make more cholesterol than it needs or can get rid of. In the UK we tend to eat a lot of saturated fat and this is probably why we have the highest rates of coronary heart disease in the world.
If you are a cigarette smoker you have about twice the risk of having a heart attack than a non smoker. If you also suffer with high blood pressure and high cholesterol, the 3 factors together multiply the chances of you suffering a heart attack by more than 8 times.
However, high cholesterol levels can occasionally run in families, and in this situation it is usually because the body does not cope well with normal amounts of cholesterol being eaten.
What happens if my cholesterol level is high?
If there is too much cholesterol in the blood and the body can’t get rid of it, the unused cholesterol can builds up in the artery walls, leading to the hardening and narrowing of the arteries. This narrowing of the arteries slows down the flow of blood to your heart, this condition is known as arteriosclerosis. In severe cases the blood supply can be cut off completely, it is at this point a heart attack occurs. If an artery in the brain becomes blocked this can trigger a stroke to occur.
How do I know if I have high cholesterol?
You don’t normally know if you have high cholesterol, as there are no symptoms of it. If anyone in your immediate family has suffered a heart attack before the age of 50, you have diabetes, are overweight or smoke or you believe you have an increased risk of heart disease or stroke then you should go to your doctor and ask to have your cholesterol levels checked. Cholesterol is diagnosed from a blood test. We do have two different type cholesterol tests available on this website, for more information on these cholesterol tests or to buy click here.
How can I reduce my cholesterol levels?
High cholesterol is a major factor of heart disease, but it can be treated through diet and exercise. The first step in lowering cholesterol levels is to change your diet. Most individuals can reduce their cholesterol level 15-20% by reducing the intake of foods high in cholesterol and fat, especially saturated fat.
Food to avoid or limit:
* Fatty meats but if you do eat them cut off all the visible fat.
* Sausages, goose and duck.
* Pies and pastries.
* Fat or oil in cooking.
* Prawns, shrimp and fish roe.
* Fried foods
* Dairy products such as full milk, cream, cheese, butter and ice cream.
* Egg yolks, limit to 2 a week.
* Cakes, crisps, biscuits, sweets and chocolate.
Try to grill or steam meats instead of frying or roasting but if you do roast, place meat on a rack to allow the fat to drain off. When frying choose a vegetable oil, such as sunflower. Healthier foods which you could try eating are as follows:
* Fish, especially oil rich fish such as sardines, salmon, mackerel, pilchards and trout. This type of fish contains Omega-3 fatty acids and they are thought to lower LDL cholesterol.
* Poultry (chicken, veal or turkey) but remove the skin.
* Low-Fat dairy products, use semi skimmed or skimmed milk, low fat yoghurts and mono or poly-unsaturated spreads.
* Foods high in polyunsaturated (found in nuts, seeds and vegetable oils) and monounsaturated (found in olive, rapeseed, walnut oil and avocado) fats.
* Fruit and vegetables, you should eat at least 5 portions every day.
* Garlic
* Wholegrain breads
* Cereals\
* Baked beans and red kidney beans
* Pasta and rice
If buying low fat foods ensure they are labelled "low in saturated fat" If you smoke you should give up and try to maintain a healthy weight. Regular exercise may also help lower fat levels, try brisk walking, swimming or cycling. However, if you’ve not taken exercise in some time, are over 40 or have been ill, you should check with your doctor before doing anything too strenuous. If these methods fail to lower your cholesterol levels, your doctor may prescribe a drug which will help to lower your cholesterol.
How can I avoid having high cholesterol?
The only way to try to prevent high cholesterol is to stick to a healthy balanced diet, low in saturated fats, get regular exercise, quit smoking and maintain a healthy weight.
from homehealth-uk.com
Monday
WHAT IS CHOLESTEROL ?
WHAT IS THE AMOUNT OF SALT THE FIT FOR YOU?
Cuisine less salt would make it taste less delicious, dishes Likewise excess salt will make you lose your appetite is not it? Likewise, the portion of salt to the daily consumption should also be fitted according to the rules so as not to interfere with our health.
In addition to working to add flavor to food, salt is also useful to maximize the nerves and muscles work. However, excessive consumption can also give bad effects. So how much salt is safe to eat?
As quoted Lifemojo, a study showed that eating too much salt is bad for health. One of them, levels of excess salt can increase the risk of high blood pressure (hypertension) and for people with osteoporosis is recommended for less time consuming salt.
Based on the size of the average man, most adults need a minimum of 4.2 grams and 1.5 grams per day. While the government has appealed to adults consume 6 grams and for children less than 6 grams.
But in fact, the average salt intake in adults could reach double that, 10 to 12 grams. It is still being debated for several parties, according to the organization pro-salt every healthy body will process the salt is needed and the rest will be discarded by the kidneys.
To avoid excess salt in the body, get used to avoid or at least control the foods that contain salt. It's good to not eat pickles, ketchup and chili sauce or tomato sauce and do not forget to pay attention to food labels to see that low sodium levels
SUFFERES CONSUMED VEGETABLES IT ABSTINENCE URIC ACID
Certain vegetables for gout patients there was also an abstinence to be consumed. In addition to reducing other foods such as meat, liver, and several species of fish. Then, what are the different types of vegetables consumed by gout sufferers abstinence is?
Uric acid is a byproduct of purine metabolism. Most foods high in purine are meats, like beef, liver, turkey and some fish. However, there are some vegetables that are high-purine and would trigger an increase in the amount of uric acid in the body.
Uric acid will crystallize and accumulate in the joints, causing inflammation and swelling that are the signs and symptoms of classic gout. The medical term for too much uric acid in blood flow is hyperuricemia.
Here are some vegetables that should dipantang by gout patients :
1. Spinach
Spinach is a leafy green vegetables are high in iron, vitamin C, luteins, beta-carotene and flavonoids. Unfortunately for people who suffer from gout or uric acid, spinach is one vegetable that should be avoided because of the high purine content.
According to food tables AcuMedico, spinach has 57 grams of purine for every 100 grams of spinach.
2. Asparagus
Asparagus high folate and potassium and can be eaten either hot or cold, after cooking. Asparagus is also a salag one vegetable that should be avoided for gout sufferers because the content purin tinffi.
According AcuMedico, purine content of 23 grams per 100 grams of asparagus.
3. Cauliflower
Cauliflower is a cruciferous vegetable that is not often found inserted into other foods, but often presented in a mixture of vegetables or as a side dish.
In the list of vegetables that contain high amounts of purines, cauliflower also included one of them. According AcuMedico, purine for cauliflower is 51 grams per 100 grams of cauliflower.
4. Mushrooms
There is a range of 92 -17 grams of purine per 100 grams of mushrooms, according to AcuMedico. This is the list of vegetables that should be avoided if you try to limit the amount of uric acid in the body.
Destruction, thy name is Chicklette
It's really amazing how quickly the Chicklette went from tottering a couple of steps at a time to full-out running around the house. In circles. Repeatedly. Until Mommy and Daddy have both broken a sweat trying to catch up. The cats have taken to hanging out on the breakfast bar, because they can barely outrun her (and are, frankly, too fat and lazy to try more than once a day).
And the mess. Oh, the mess. Parenting lesson of the week: even if you've childproofed a room, it doesn't mean that there still aren't dozens -- maybe hundreds -- of "safe" things that can be moved/thrown/otherwise displaced in a matter of seconds.
The capacity for self-destruction is also high. Just this week, we've had a fat lip (falling face-first onto a toy), a smushed pinky (from exploring the dresser drawers), and a head bonk (from walking in one direction whilst looking in the other). I don't know what this says about me, but I find these types of mishaps quite amusing (aside from the initial tears). It's like having a very small and cute drunk person wandering around all the time. I'm sort of surprised that I'm as calm about the physical injury side of things as I am, but I guess I always figured that the Chicklette was doomed to inherit clutziness from both sides.
In other news, I found an ossified avocado under my car seat this morning -- it must have rolled out of the daycare bag about a month ago, because it was about half its original size and weight. Complete with a little "ripe now!" sticker on the side. Which made me laugh way more than it probably should have.
So that's the news from here. Hope you all have a great weekend!
