Reduce LDL cholesterol particles

Leafy Greens – leafy green vegetables such as spinach and kale are loaded with fiber and lutein, a carotenoid which has been found to reduce LDL cholesterol particles and help prevent heart disease with its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant powers. Try these recipes of Veggie breakfast burritos.

Veggie Breakfast Burrito
(makes 2 burritos)

Veggie breakfast burritos, ready to eat is in the list of Foods that lower cholesterol in 2012.

People who regularly eat dark chocolate

This post was originally published as  Chocolate News! by Laurel on Health Food blog.

Here’s a good reason to pick up some dark chocolate for you or your one true love on Valentine’s Day…and every other occasion after that. A new study published in the Journal of Nutrition concluded that people who regularly eat dark chocolate (in moderate amounts) had 17% lower levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) in their blood. C-reactive protein is found in our blood when there’s inflammation inside the body.Previous research found that people with high CRP levels are at greater risk for diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and hypertension.

Remember that with chocolate, a little goes a long way. Have a small square a few times a week (2-3) to keep your heart healthy. University of Illinois professor of food science and human nutrition, John Erdman, Jr., Ph.D., recommends high-cacao content dark chocolate because it has the most flavanols (a class of flavonoids, or those wonderful antioxidants we all need). (Ref: Body+Soul Magazine, March 2009, p.33)

If you have trouble eating just a little bit of chocolate instead of the whole bar, try cutting it into small pieces that you can take on the go. That way you only have the small piece when you go to eat it later in the day.

Top 14 Foods that Lower Cholesterol

This post was originally published as  14 Foods that Lower Cholesterol by Laurel on Health Food blog.

After reviewing my research on healthy foods and cholesterol from this year I came up with the top 14 Foods that Lower Cholesterol.

• 1. Whole grains and oats – a five-year Insulin Resistance Athersclerosis Study showed that people whose diets contain the most whole grains “had the thinnest carotid artery walls and showed the slowest progression in artery wall thickness.”
Shop for Whole Grains
• 2. Blueberries – a compound in blueberries (pterostilbene) may help lower cholesterol as effectively as commercial drugs with fewer side effects.
  Shop for Blueberries
• 3. Pistachios, 4. Walnuts, and 5. Almonds – a Penn State study showed that eating pistachios significantly lowers LDL (bad) cholesterol levels. Research published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology showed eating walnuts after a high-fat meal might protect your heart. Omega-3 fats and antioxidants in nuts work to reverse the arterial damage caused by saturated fats.

• 6. Avocados, 7. Olives, and 8. Olive oil – 26 of the 30 grams of fat in an avocado are heart-healthy, unsaturated fats that can increase your levels of HDL cholesterol. The good fats in avocados, olives, and olive oil protect against heart disease and diabetes. Check out the Mediterranean Diet.
• 9. Flaxseed oil – flaxseed oil can lower blood pressure in men with high cholesterol. In a three-month study of 59 middle-aged men, those who took daily flaxseed oil supplements (with eight grams of the omega-3 fats, alpha-linoleic acid) experienced significantly lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
• 10. 100% cranberry-grape juice – antioxidants in grape juice slow down LDL cholesterol oxidation, and cranberry juice raises HDL or “good” cholesterol.

• 11. Fish and Fish oil – a study from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology found that people with type 2 diabetes who consumed high doses of fish oil over nine weeks lowered the size and concentration of several lipoprotein subclasses (cholesterol) in their bodies.
• 12. Black soybeans – a study from the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture shows that black soybeans may help prevent obesity, lower LDL cholesterol, and reduce the risk for type 2 diabetes.
• 13. Pomegranate juice – a National Academy of Sciences study showed that pomegranate juice reduces cholesterol plaque buildup and increases nitric oxide production (nitric oxide helps reduce arterial plaque).
• 14. Yogurt with live active cultures (probiotics) – Vicki Koenig, MS, RD, CDN said “several studies have shown that the probiotics Lactobacillus Acidophilus and Lactobacillus Reuteri actually help lower cholesterol. They work by preventing the reabsorption of cholesterol back in to the blood stream.”

You might be a person who is predisposed to high cholesterol, or maybe your diet could use a shape-up. Here are a few key points on cholesterol that I try to focus on:

• LDL or “bad” cholesterol deposits itself on the walls of your arteries, forming plaques that make them hard and narrow. HDL or “good” cholesterol removes excess LDL in your blood and brings it to your liver for disposal. The more HDL you consume, the less LDL you’ll have in your blood.
• You may need medication to help reduce your cholesterol, but eating a heart-healthy diet and getting exercise are very important.
• Everyone should have their cholesterol checked-it doesn’t matter if you are young/old, female/male, or thin/overweight.

Resveratrol supplements could be a powerful addition to your healthy diet

 

Photo by: Zoran Ozetsky, www.dezignia.com

This post was originally published as  Power Supplement: Resveratrol by Laurel on Health Food blog.

I’ve been hearing more and more about resveratrol over the past couple of years. It’s a powerful antioxidant compound found naturally in foods like grapes, cranberries, blueberries, peanuts, and wine. It’s also found naturally in a Chinese herb called Hu zhang and a Japanese plant called knotweed. According to Natural News, Hu zhang is actually the richest source of resveratrol on the planet!

Recent research found that resveratrol can help the body fight off cancer and heart disease, reduce inflammation, prevent weight gain, expand longevity (anti-aging), boost energy, and even improve athletic endurance. In addition, there’s preliminary research that says resveratrol reduces menopausal symptoms in women. Resveratrol has received support from big names like Dr. Andrew Weil and Dr. Mehmet Oz. Fitness Magazine even featured a lengthy article on resveratrol in their February issue.

Resveratrol supplements are certainly popular these days. The Fitness article said it’s one of the top five supplements sold at Vitamin Shoppe. The Nutrition Business Journal estimates that sales of resveratrol supplements are over $30 million a year. A growing number of people are taking them to improve endurance and extend longevity. The research shows that resveratrol may “activate enzymes that help muscles use oxygen more efficiently.”

Unfortunately, resveratrol research has been mostly contained to laboratories at this point. There’s only been a few human trials (though they had successful results), but I’m sure more are underway.  I’m always a proponent of trying to get the majority of your daily nutrients, minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, etc. from whole food sources. But resveratrol supplements could be a powerful addition to your healthy diet.

Fitness Mag recommended supplements with trans-resveratrol in the ingredient list (it’s the naturally-occurring form of the compound). Avoid supplements that say “complex”, “formula”, or “blend” on the label because you could only be getting a small amount of the good stuff. A few quality brands to look out for are: Longevinex, Swanson, and Biotivia. (Fitness Mag, Feb. 2010, p. 114).

UPDATE: This post was featured on FitBuff’s Total Mind and Body Blog Carnival 141 and the Baby Boomers Blog Carnival 27.