Posts Tagged ‘olive oil’

• A Heart Healthy Diet Makeover

  Date: 2007.12.14 | Category: Heart Tips | Response: 0

  Heart Disease remains the number one cause of death in the U.S. among both men and women. Part of the problem is it is truly a silent killer. There are few warning signs of a heart attack and the signs that are there dont necessarily make us feel bad. The good news is there are many lifestyle changes you can make to significantly decrease your risk of heart disease. Here are 9 simple steps to make over your diet for heart health.

  1.Use the right fats: The good fats are found to preserve HDL (protective cholesterol) and lower LDL (Bad Cholesterol) levels. The good fats are found in foods such as olive, canola, and peanut oils as well as nuts, avocados and olives.

  2.Decrease the Saturated Fats: These fats tend to increase the cholesterol made by your body. They can increase your total and LDL (Bad) cholesterol levels. Saturated fats are found in animal products such as dairy, poultry (especially the skin), meats, butter and cream based sauces and dressings. It is not necessary to omit these foods, just choose leaner options and have the higher fat foods once in awhile.

  3.Remove all Trans Fats from your pantry! : Trans Fats are oils that have been hardened by the hydrogenation process, such as stick margarine and shortening used to make commercial baked goods, chips, and fast foods. Like saturated fats, these fats increase total blood cholesterol and LDL (Bad) cholesterol levels and may even lower HDL (Good) cholesterol levels. Food labels will be required to list the amount of Trans fats in a food product by 2006. Until then, if the ingredient list on the food label includes the term hydrogenated, or partially hydrogenated, it contains Trans Fats. Avoid these products!

  4.Increase Your Fiber! : Soluble fiber helps lower cholesterol levels in the blood by binding to cholesterol in the intestine so it cannot be absorbed by the body. Good food sources of soluble fiber include beans and legumes, oranges, apples, prunes, broccoli, carrots, oat bran, oatmeal, and some cereals. Use whole grain products in place of their white counterparts. Eat at least 20-40 grams of fiber a day. (Most Americans only eat around 12 grams of fiber a day.)

  5.Omega-3 Fatty Acids every day: Omega-3 Fatty Acids are essential fatty acids meaning we have to get them from our diet. These fatty acids may reduce the risk of blood clotting, decrease inflammation, lower triglyceride levels, normalize heart rhythms and improve the immune system. Consumption of Omega-3 fatty acids daily may reduce the incidence of sudden cardiac death by 50-70%. Omega-3 fatty acids are found in: fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, lake trout, halibut, and sardines. Other sources include ground flax seeds, soybeans, canola oil, and walnuts.

  6.Five To Eight Fruits and Vegetables a day: Eating fruits and vegetables can help to decrease your risk of heart disease, cancer, cataracts, and can help to lower blood pressure. Fruits and Vegetables are loaded in vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals. The more fruits and veggies you eat, the more antioxidant activity in your body.
  How do antioxidants work? Every day we are exposed to free radicals from our diets, sun, chemical exposure, pollution, etc. These free radicals promote the plaque build up in our arteries leading us to increased risk of heart disease. Antioxidants work by neutralizing these free radicals before they can cause damage to our bodies.

  7.Folic Acid: High levels of an amino acid called homocysteine in the blood have been associated with damage to the blood-vessel walls, increased blood clotting, and overall increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Folate is a B vitamin which has been shown to decrease these homocysteine levels in the blood. Good food sources of Folate include green leafy vegetables such as kale, spinach, beet greens, and chard as well as legumes, asparagus, broccoli, oranges, orange juice, whole and fortified grains, walnuts and peanuts.

  8.Add some almonds! Studies show that eating an ounce of almonds a day can help to lower your cholesterol. A matter of fact, a recent study published in Journal of the American Medical Association found that eating a diet that included plant sterol margarine (such as Benecol or ProActiv), soy products, almonds and increase fiber was able to lower cholesterol levels as much as the statin drugs and in just 2 weeks time! Have an ounce of almonds as a snack, or sprinkle them in your cereal or salad.

  9.Have a little soy: Soy has also been shown to lower cholesterol levels.
  Using soy on a weekly basis is a great step towards protecting your heart. If you are not a tofu fan, try soy milk or yogurt, garden burgers, edamme (soy beans), or soy sausage patties. There are all kinds of ways to include soy in your diet!

  Sample Heart Healthy Meal Makeover:

  Sample day
  Before:
  Breakfast:
  - glass of orange juice
  - 2 fried eggs
  - 3 slices of bacon
  - 2 slices white bread with 3 tsp butter
  Lunch:
  - roast beef sandwich on white bread
  - potato chips
  Snack:
  - 1 cup Cheez It crackers
  Dinner:
  - fried fish strips
  - 1 cup mashed potatoes cooked w/whole milk and butter
  - cup corn

  Diet make over:
  Breakfast:
  -glass of calcium fortified orange juice
  - scrambled egg beaters
  - 1-2 slices of whole grain bread with 1-2 tsp Benocol or ProActive spread
  - 1-2 slices soy bacon or sausage links
  Lunch:
  - turkey, lettuce, tomato, and avocado sandwich
  - 1 cup vegetable soup
  - 8 oz vanilla non-fat yogurt with 1/3 cup of berries added
  Snack:
  1 ounce almonds
  Dinner:
  -3 ounces baked or broiled salmon
  - cup broiled red potatoes with olive oil
  - cup broccoli
  - 1-2 cups of salad with cut up pears and toasted walnuts
  with 1TB olive oil vinaigrette salad dressing

  Results:
  Day 1 = 2300 calories and 114 grams fat; 98 grams sat fat; 45% calories from fat
  Day 2 = 1800 calories and 58 grams fat; 14 grams sat fat; 29% calories from fat.

  Making small changes can go a long way to improve your heart health! What changes can you start making?

  About the Author

  Meri Raffetto, 2005
  Owner of Real Living Nutrition Services, Meri Raffetto is a Registered Dietitian and a recognized professional in the area of nutrition and wellness. She has developed two online weight management programs, The Mini Diet Makeover and The Ultimate Diet Makeover, which focus on a healthy, non-diet approach to weight loss. For more information or to sign up for our free newsletter, visit www.reallivingnutrition.com.

  Written By: Meri Raffetto RD

• Chocolate and heart health fact or fallacy?

  Date: 2007.06.02 | Category: Heart Tips | Response: 2

  Wouldn’t it be wonderful if chocolate and heart health went hand in hand. However, there is so much information lately about the health benefits of chocolate that it is only natural that people get confused.

  It is true, that if people only ate pure cocoa, then there might be heart health benefits. The problem is that most people eat processed chocolate bars containing sugar, corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, dairy cream not to mention other baddies contained in some of those tasty fillings. Some of these added ingredients can clog up arteries and create havoc to your waistline.

  That said, you might be surprised to find out that chocolate isnt all that bad. In fact, the fat content in chocolate, contained in premium grade dark chocolate, is comprised of equal amounts of oleic acid (a heart-healthy monounsaturated fat also found in olive oil), stearic and palmitic acids. Stearic and palmitic acids are forms of saturated fat not so good. Saturated fats are linked to increases in LDL-cholesterol and risk of developing heart disease.

  Research indicates that stearic acid appears to have a neutral effect on cholesterol; neither raising nor lowering LDL-cholesterol levels. Palmitic acid on the other hand, does affect cholesterol levels but only comprises one-third of the fat calories in chocolate. Therefore, if we base our chocolate eating habits on latest research, the fat issue isnt so worrying.

  Beware milk chocolate may not be so heart healthy

  As with mist things in life, there is also a down-side to chocolate. When we eat milk chocolate or lower grade chocolate, part of the total fat content comes from milk fat or various other types of fat contained in the processed chocolate, and not from the pure cocoa, which do adversely affect cholesterol levels.

  Despite all the good news on cocoa not raising LDL cholesterol, even dark chocolate is a very calorie-dense food, so while the fat content may not invite heart disease or clogging of the arteries, its regular consumption will add a lot of extra calories to someone’s daily total. In fact, many chocolate bars list sugar as the number one ingredient. And as we all know lots of white refined sugar is not going to help you keep your waistline nice and slim. Remember obesity is a serious risk factor for developing heart disease.

  Concerning cholesterol, new and yet-to-be-published studies are showing that some antioxidants contained in chocolate, in particular dark chocolate and cocoa powder, may actually increase “good” (HDL) cholesterol levels by as much as 10 percent.

  In the studies, the selected people ate 22 grams of cocoa powder and 16 grams of dark chocolate every day The result: Their “bad” (LDL) cholesterol was less susceptible to oxidation, a process that normally leads to artery-clogging plaques. While many people take vitamins and other antioxidants to help prevent plaque development, the study shows that cocoa could help.

  In summary, whether chocolate and heart health do walk hand in hand is still an open topic, however, in moderation it wont do your heart any harm, however, watch those calories. Most of all, enjoy it cause it tastes so good!

  For more heart health related information visit www.AllAbout-Heart-Disease.com – a site that offers user-friendly articles, tips and advice for avoiding heart disease, getting the edge on risk factors and living your life to the full!

  Written By: Nicholas Webb