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1. Low Cholesterol Diet
2. Info & Diets for High Cholesterol
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Question : I HAVE numbness in my hands especially
the fingers. Could it be due to hypercholesterolemia? My total blood cholesterol
is slightly above 200mg/dl and I just had my gall bladder removed last month.
Please advise.
Answer : NUMBNESS is often associated with or preceded by abnormal pain-like
sensations often described as pins and needles, prickling or burning sensations.
Any numbness requires prompt medical advice as it could be a sign or symptom
of other diseases.
This condition may be caused by several factors, including lack of blood
supply to the affected area, nerve injury and metabolic disturbances such
as diabetes, hypothyroidism, alcoholism and malnutrition.
Numbness can be a result of high cholesterol levels in blood. If plaque
is blocking the flow of blood to your feet and legs, a fairly common condition
called peripheral vascular disease will occur.
Since you have a high cholesterol level and had your gall bladder removed,
you should cut down the intake of oil.
A high-fat diet can stimulate bile acid secretion and this can irritate
the gut. Additionally, a high intake of unsaturated fat can increase the
cholesterol levels.
Supplementing your diet with lecithin would be beneficial. Its main constituent,
phosphatidyl choline, has the ability to increase the solubility of cholesterol
and break down the fatty deposits in the bloodstream. This reduces the risk
of cholesterol plaque formation.
You should incorporate cholesterol-lowering foods into your diet, such
as oats, fish, vegetables and fruits.
Although your diet should be free from oily foods, a small amount of essential
fatty acids -- omega-3 and omega-6 -- are needed to maintain good health
and normalise total blood cholesterol levels.
Increase your dietary fibre because it will combine with and deactivate
excessive bile acids in the bowel.
Herbs like red yeast rice and guggulipid may also be used to lower serum
triglyceride levels and LDL cholesterol, and increase HDL cholesterol.
Lowering Your Cholesterol Through Diet
By Ken MacKenzie Lowering your cholesterol is important for everyone,
young and old alike. About half of all men and a third of women develop
heart disease during their lifetime. Lower your risk of a heart attack by
reducing your cholesterol levels.
There are several ways to help lower your cholesterol:
1. Exercise more. Try to get at least 30 minutes, 3 or 4 days a week (check
with your doctor before beginning any exercise program) of exercises like
walking, swimming, tennis or biking.
2. Lose weight if you are over your desired weight.
3. Follow a low cholesterol, low saturated fat diet.
According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, if you want
to maintain a healthy cholesterol level, you should limit your diet to the
following:
Total fat calories should be less than 30% Total saturated fat should be
less than 10% Total cholesterol from diet should be less than 300 milligrams
If your cholesterol is already too high and you want to reduce it, you
should limit your diet to the following:
Total fat calories should be less than 25-35% Total saturated fat should
be less than 7% Total cholesterol from diet should be less than 200 milligrams
Cholesterol lowering foods
Foods containing Omega-3 fatty acids should be on everyone's diet. These
are mostly fish, including sardines, salmon, albacore tuna, lake trout,
mackerel and herring.
Canola, almonds, tofu, other forms of soybeans and flaxseed, and their
oils contain alpha-linolenic acid (LNA), which can become omega-3 fatty
acid in the body.
Walnuts, almonds, pecans and other nuts have large amounts of polyunsaturated
or monounsaturated
fats which help to lower cholesterol.
Soluble fiber should be part of your daily diet as well, since it can help
to lower your LDL levels. You need to a lot of the soluble fiber to get
the benefit, but it is contained in quite a few foods.
Some examples of foods rich in soluble fiber are apples, oranges, pears,
prunes, apricots, oats, berries, carrots, dried peas, beans (like lima,
black and kidney), cabbage, dates, figs, Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes.
Soy has been shown to reduce cholesterol levels and can be eaten in many
forms, including soy nuts, tofu, soy beans and soy milk. It is believed
that isoflavones are the chemicals that produce this reduction.
Avoid Cholesterol Raising Food
The only foods that contain cholesterol directly and can raise your blood
cholesterol numbers are those derived from animals including meats, poultry,
fish, egg yolks, cheese, butter and other dairy items made from whole milk.
However, eating saturated fats and trans-fats causes your body to create
more cholesterol, thus also raising your levels. Most of the meats and dairy
products listed above are also high in saturated fats. In addition, saturated
fats can be found in tropical oils like coconut oil, palm oil and cocoa
butter. Stick margarines and anything made with partially hydrogenated oils
contain trans-fats and should be avoided when you are trying to lower your
cholesterol.
Make sure to check with your physician before starting any new diet or
exercise regimen.
Copyright 2005, K. MacKenzie http://www.lower-your-cholesterol.net
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Ken is a successful writer and online entrepreneur. He has developed http://www.lower-your-cholesterol.net as a portal for presenting articles, information, resources and links about lowering your cholesterol.
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Getting Low Cholesterol Advice
By Noel Matthew If you need to find the low cholesterol advice about
the foods that you eat and the way that you live, you have probably been
told that you have high cholesterol from your doctor. Many, many people
are faced with this throughout their lives. In most cases, though, there
is help in lowering your cholesterol levels.
* It is very important that you follow your doctor's advice. If he prescribes
medication for you, take it religiously. Do your best not to forget. And,
don't stop taking it unless your doctor approves.
* Your diet plays a critical role in your cholesterol levels. By following
a low cholesterol diet, you can lower your cholesterol numbers significantly.
Due to the large number of people trying to do this, many foods will tell
you just how good they are on their label. Make sure to monitor what you
eat.
* There are two ways to do this. You should take foods out of your diet
that are very high in cholesterol and limit those that have lower levels.
* Exercise. Yes, exercise is some of the best low cholesterol advice out
there. Get on a routine and stick with it. It will make a good change in
your numbers if you can do this.
By making a conscious effort to lower your cholesterol, you can make a
huge difference in it. You will find that there are many prescriptions that
you doctor can give you to help you. But, many have side effects and many
people do not want to be on them the rest of their lives. By taking natural
steps to lower the cholesterol levels, you can benefit with lower numbers
as well as just being healthy and physically fit. You will find a wealth
of information throughout the web to help guide you in nutrition and exercise
programs. Get the low cholesterol advice that you need and work at it everyday.
10 Easy Tips to Eat Your Way to Lower Cholesterol This Month
By Nicky Pilkington So you have high cholesterol and need to lower
it? That is no surprise considering how many people have high cholesterol
these days. To help lower your cholesterol, here are 10 tips you can get
started with today.
As with anything health related, diet and exercise are the two crucial
components. What you eat is critical to lowering your cholesterol levels,
so that is what is included here.
One thing you should know is the difference between LDL and HDL cholesterol.
Simply think of HDL as "healthy" and LDL as "lousy."
HDL can actually help carry cholesterol out of your blood vessels while
LDL allows it to deposit inside your artery walls.
The good news is that you can change your cholesterol for the better. Here
is how to do just that:
1. Have a nice sandwich on whole wheat bread or a pita with some lean turkey
and lots of fresh veggies. Skip the hot dogs, bologna, and salami, and hold
the Mayo. All of those are highly processed and filled with fat and cholesterol.
2. Fish, like salmon, is good. Look for wild red salmon varieties, which
are very high in Omega-3 fatty acids (good fat.) Also, flax seed is a good
source of Omega-3s.
3. Avoid Trans fats! Not only do they raise the lousy LDL cholesterol,
they can also lower your HDL levels! Stay away from foods like margarine,
shortening, and processed foods containing partially hydrogenated soybean
oil.
4. Go ahead, go nuts! Look for walnuts mainly but also try almonds, macadamia
nuts, cashews, and pecans. Nuts are high in fat, but it's the good kind.
(Also, use natural peanut butter instead of the normal kind which contains
unhealthy Trans fats.)
5. Limit desserts and try to eat only the healthier ones like angel food
cake, graham crackers, Jell-O, and fat-free frozen yogurt.
6. Eat foods that are high in fiber. Examples include whole wheat bread,
oatmeal, fruits, vegetables, beans, and some cereals. (Look for the boxes
that say "may help lower cholesterol.")
7. Use the grill. If you're going to have steak or burgers, grill them
at home and use lean meat. This practice avoids the grease, is fun, and
the meat tastes great.
8. Find a new salad dressing. Most of them are full of Trans fats and cholesterol.
Olive oil is good, and maybe add vinegar or lemon juice. Also, skip the
bacon bits, croutons, and egg yolks.
9. Go overboard on fruits and vegetables. They contain no cholesterol and
they have lots of nutrients like antioxidants.
Here are some examples: green peas, broccoli, cauliflower, apples, oranges,
mangos, papaya, pineapple, tomato, garlic, onions, spinach, water chestnuts,
bananas, apricots, blueberries, and kiwi.
10. Avoid fast food like french fries and anything else from the deep fryer.
Those foods will raise your cholesterol like crazy, so stay away from the
burger joints if you can.
11. Bonus tip: Use spices like pepper and oregano to add flavor to your
dishes. They are a healthy alternative to other toppings like Mayo.
That was easy, wasn't it? Just make some of these changes and get plenty
of exercise like walking, jogging, swimming, or playing basketball. You
will have lower cholesterol in no time!
Foods to Help Lower Cholesterol
By Vivek Sharma According to the experts cholesterol is becoming
the serious threat to the people as majority of the population is falling
in the trap. Cholesterol is the fatty lipid substance circulating in the
bloodstream while providing the fat to the body. There is a set limit to
the cholesterol level but once the limit is exceeded it paves the way to
many heart and coronary diseases. By seeing this danger everyone asks a
common question that "Are foods helpful in controlling the ever raising
cholesterol? Then second prompt question is if they are, then which food?
Experts feel that there are varieties of food that can help to lower down
cholesterol but they must be chosen with utmost awareness. All those foods
and fruits having a lot of fibers are the best thing to lower down the cholesterol.
Generally a fiber break down the complex cholesterol into pieces and transports
that to liver for further metabolism. Apart from fibers, all type of dried
beans and lentils too are best food to lower down your cholesterol as instead
of fat they consist of more of proteins and minerals which result in more
balanced diets.
Oats and oat bran too are of great help as they too break down the piled
up cholesterol on and in the arteries. In comparison to fibers, oats generally
have more of Vitamin E, which makes sure that your cholesterol level is
in control and never exceeds the set limit.
In terms of cholesterol reduction food raw garlic has always shown its
prominence. It has been ages to know that garlic can be used to lower down
cholesterol level. It not only reduces cholesterol but also removes the
concentrated plaque caused by high cholesterol. With respect to garlic;
almonds, avocados and walnuts too are considered very important food for
lowering cholesterol level. They basically contain beneficiary fat which
only nourishes the body instead of increasing cholesterol.
Moreover our body is capable enough to produce its own fat, still people
intake extra by consuming dairy as well as meat products. So it is advisable
to keep them to lower side as more intakes of them can lead to high cholesterol
and its related disease. By keeping this in mind it is wise to consume the
food having more fibers, roughage and pinch of garlic. As it is said your
health is in your hand so keep your senses open.
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Author is experienced health expert.
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Lowering Cholesterol Naturally
By Rod Ritchie
While there's plenty of medical advice that indicates
the statin family of drugs are highly effective in lowering your levels
of "bad" cholesterol, there are many people who are seeking alternative
non-medical solutions to lowering high cholesterol. These people include
the not-so-old who wish to make lifestyle changes rather than face 30 or
more years on medications, with the chance of suffering unacceptable side-effects
from the statin medications, such as erectile dysfunction in males and abdominal
pain and cramps in both sexes.
The long-term use of these drugs could lead to as yet unknown problems.
So, eat a healthy diet low in saturated fats and combine this with the following
natural health tips.
Natural Tip No 1 - Regular Exercise
Start a program of regular exercise that will lead to achieving a healthy
body weight. This means exercising three or four times a week to a level
where your heart rate is raised to an acceptable rate for your age. Walking,
swimming and cycling are all good activities that don't place unnecessary
strain on your body. Be sure to warm up with at least five minutes of muscle-stretching
exercises beforehand. Raised oxygen levels also help your body organs maintain
their vitality and firms and tones your muscles.
Natural Tip No 2 - Plan Your Menus
Think about the healthy foods you like and plan your meals a week in advance
to coincide with food shopping day. This saves you having to make compromises
to your diet that involve the wrong foods. It also means you'll have plenty
of low fat products on hand that may be hard to find at the corner store.
Natural Tip No 3 - Smart Cooking Techniques
Avoid cooking techniques such as deep-frying and try to prepare your foods
by simmering, dry baking, steaming or using Asian stir-fry techniques. Even
microwaving can allow foods to cook in their natural juices and retain their
nutrients. And be sure to eat lots of raw foods, especially fruit and vegetables.
Natural Tip No 4 - Take Your Supplements
Supplements such as Omega-3, inositol hexaniacinate, pantethine, and guggulipid
can be effective in lowering cholesterol. Supplements for lowering cholesterol
should be used as a part of an overall plan that includes diet and lifestyle
changes.
Natural Tip No 5 - Clean Out the System
Try a system cleanout day where you consume only fruit and vegetables.
The high water content of fruit and vegetables facilitates the spread of
their valuable nutrients through your body and helps flush out the wastes
that have built up from eating the wrong foods. This dietary tip may not
suit every one, but at least try it and see.
Natural Tip No 6 - Relax
Stress and ill health go hand-in-hand. While you can't and shouldn't eliminate
stress you can learn to control it by meditation and relaxation techniques
and by regular exercise.
Follow these natural living tips and you should be able to lower your cholesterol.
You will certainly be fitter and healthier. If you are currently on prescription
drugs, don't stop them without consulting your doctor.
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