Natural Warriors That Fight High LDL Cholesterol Levels

“In order to change we must be sick and tired of being sick and tired.” ~ Unknown

High cholesterol levels in proving to be a real and serious hazard to our healthy living quest. The offending culprit, LDL cholesterol, is the bad “evil twin” to the good HDL cholesterol which is very good for us.

Our high cholesterol problem can be traced directly to that harmful malcontent, “trans fat” that wormed itself into our diets thanks to food manufacturers looking to increase their profits by substituting natural wholesome food ingredients with cheap artificial junk made in laboratories. Yecch!

And the really disgusting aspect of this mess is that trans fats have NO nutritional value at all. And the only purpose they served was as a “bulk filler” to fool us into believing that we were getting real food and true volume in whatever we were eating. So for example, if you were eating a 5 oz hamburger, only 2 to 3 ounces was real beef.; the rest was trans fat. So when you start peeling the onion, it like we were eating consumable silly putty favored to taste like beef. Yecch! Yecch!

The problem arose when that with cheap artificial junk made in labs, could NOT be metabolized (absorbed and burned-up) as energy by our bodies. So that trans fat just stayed stuck in our arteries and veins, clogging-up our systems making us sick and fat!

NATURAL FOOD WARRIORS BEAT HIGH LDL LEVELS
It’s no secret that high cholesterol levels lead to an onslaught of serious more serious diseases, such a heart problems, strokes, obesity, poor circulation and fatigue. The cholesterol problem is totally out of control and it’s a national health crisis. There’s no argument that our high, bad LDL cholesterol levels need be lowered -- dramatically and quickly. Why? Because the higher your HDL cholesterol, the lower your risk of heart disease. Doctors at the Mayo Clinic says it is just as important to raise good HDL cholesterol levels as it is to lower bad LDL levels. According to research findings clearly show:

WHAT IS CHOLESTEROL, ANYWAY?
Cholesterol is a white waxy substance, vital for the human body as it helps form cell membranes, various hormones, bile salts and vitamin D.

High-density lipoproteins. HDL, or "good," cholesterol picks up excess cholesterol in your blood and takes it back to your liver for disposal. The higher your HDL cholesterol, the less bad cholesterol you'll have in your blood.

Doctors are writing lots of prescriptions and drug companies are making huge profits from selling us drugs that lower high LDL cholesterol levels.

But thank goodness there are natural foods that are proven warriors that can effectively and consistently lower high, bad LDL cholesterol levels. Mother Nature rides in on her trusty steed with a battalion of whole natural foods that we can eat that will lower our bad cholesterol levels and help in restoring healthy to our bodies.

Lisa Dorfman, a registered dietitian and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, says, “If you eat a predominantly plant-based diet—with lots of fruits and vegetables plus some fish—you are on the right track to keeping your cholesterol at a healthy level.” Indeed, there are superfoods that we can eat plenty of that deliver a “one-two, knock-out punch” to bad cholesterol while boosting our good HDL cholesterol levels.

The general-rule-of-thumb is that you want to keep your total cholesterol level under 200, with LDL (the bad one) under 110 and HDL (the good one) greater than 35;’ notes source article author, Sally Wadyka for MSN Health & Fitness. The Mayo Clinic suggests that both men and women could benefit greatly by have HDL levels of 50+ mg/dl. If your not sure what your current cholesterol level is, ask your doctor for a baseline cholesterol test which will tell you where you are and were you need to head to get on the right track.

So what are the “superfoods” that fight high levels of LDL cholesterol and help us maintain healthy levels of total cholesterol levels?

SUPER FOODS THAT FIGHT BAD LDL CHOLESTEROL LEVELS
Several scientific clinical studies have proven the value and effectiveness of these foods in lower bad LDL levels and/or increase good HDL levels.

• Almonds: Studies have found that eating just a quarter cup of almonds a day can lower your LDL by 4.4 percent, according to dietitian Leslie Bonci, who is also the director of sports nutrition at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
  
  
• Oatmeal: Gives you great results due to the high level of soluble fiber contains oatmeal. “The soluble fiber binds to the bile acids that are the precursor to the development of cholesterol and help flush it out.” explains Bonci.
  
  
• “Fish: Omega-3 fatty acids are widely considered to be the best of the “good” fats, and the best place to find them is in fish — especially fatty fishes like salmon, halibut and tuna. According to Dorfman of the ADA, you want to get 1.5 to 3 grams per day of omega-3. A 4-ounce piece of salmon will give you close to 3 grams, and you can also get these fatty acids from walnuts and flaxseed (two tablespoons of flaxseed provides 3.5 grams) and in fish oil supplements.”
  
  
• “Red wine: Not everything that’s good for you has to feel virtuous. A glass of red wine, which contains flavanols (also found in red grape juice and dark cocoa), has been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties that may help lower cholesterol and stave off heart disease. But in this case, more is definitely not better. “For women, the recommendation is one drink a day and for men it’s two,” says Bonci. More than that will, literally, dilute any potential benefits.”
  
  
• Soy Products:Like soybeans, soy nuts, and edamame beans, natto (the green vegetable form of soybeans), “plus any products made from soy (like tofu, soymilk, etc.) can help to reduce the production of new cholesterol. A little can go a long way—aim for about 25 grams of soy protein a day (the amount in a cup of edamame). Note: The debate about how much soy a woman should consume, continues on. For those who are at an increased risk of breast or prostate cancer may want to skip it since too much of soy’s phyto-estrogens can act similarly to the body’s own estrogen (which has been shown to feed some hormone-dependent tumors).
  

Foods to avoid or greatly reduce consumption of because they are bad for your cholesterol levels include: whole-milk dairy products, processed meats such as, bacon, sausages, and most deli meats), processed baked goods, and tropical oils (like palm and coconut oils).””

The Take Away: You can safely take control of your cholesterol levels by eating more of those foods that have scientific evidence for lowering bad LDL cholesterol levels and increasing good HDL cholesterol numbers. Lowering your cholesterol can lower your risks for heart disease and other chronic illnesses.

Note: If you don't know what your cholesterol level is, you can test and track your own cholesterol level at home with a self-help home testing kit.

(Source: Cholesterol: Five foods that fight it and five that feed it.)


EAT WELL... BE WELL!
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Super Food: QUINOA ~ The Perfect Food

“ God heals, and the doctor takes the fee.” ~ Benjamin Franklin

Another ancient food proves it's invaluable to our well-being and a great tasting eat! Quinoa [pronounced KEEN-wa] has been recently "discovered" by Western cultures and is now both fashionable in the culinary and healthy eating worlds. Quinoa is a low carb, high protein grain that has grown for many thousands of years in the mountains of South America. A plant native to the Andes region of Peru and Chile and cultivated for its seeds and leaves, which are ground and eaten. It's been a major crop in the Andes mountains since 3,000 B.C. for the Incas and their descendents even today.

Quinoa is the “mother earth grain.” This comfort food is highly nutritionally dense with vitamins, proteins, amino acids, minerals, and fiber, basic to our survival. A cup of quinoa is very low in calories and saturated fat...

• Quinoa 1 cup (160g)
  
• Calories: 636
  
• Protein: 22.3g
  
• Carbohydrate: 117g
  
• Fiber: 10g
  
• (*Source:PPC Natural Markets: Health Notes - Quinoa)

*Additionally, Quinoa is low in sodium and an excellent source of: Iron (15.7 mg) Magnesium (357 mg) Potassium (1258mg); and Good Source: Calcium (102mg). And it also contains essential omega-3 fatty acids (also found in fish, flax seeds, walnuts, and canola oil), which provide benefit to the heart.

...while jammed-packed with the following GOOD Suff:

A half cup of quinoa has approximately 374 calories, 13 grams of protein, and six grams of fat, but less than one gram of saturated fat. Significant vitamins include B6, niacin, riboflavin, and thiamin; other minerals include copper, magnesium, manganese, potassium, and zinc.

*Note: Foods that are an "excellent source" of a particular nutrient should provide 20% of more of the RDV (recommended daily value). Foods that are "good source" of a particular nutrient provide 10% to 20% of the RDV.

Quinoa is a powerful antioxidant food that we should be eating more of.

OKAY, IT'S GOOD FOR YOU... BUT HOW DOES IT TASTE?
Like all comfort foods, quinoa is a very flexible food that you can "hook-it-up" to suit your taste-buds. It can be eaten as a main course, a side dish or dessert. Quinoa has a nutty flavor, a texture similar to wild rice... You can used in soups, pasta, salads and cereals, and is often blended with corn and with oats. Its flour blends well with wheat flour or corn meal for bread and biscuits. Quinoa is high in protein and has a high Omega 3 oil content compared to other grains.

QUINOA - THE PERFECT FOOD?
Nutritionally, quinoa is virtually the perfect food -- for human consumption because of its perfectly balanced amino acid composition. In fact, almost the entire plant can be eaten; including its grains, leaves and flower. It has a high content of calcium, phosphorus, and iron and is low in sodium. Wheat is the only cereal grain that comes close to matching quinoa's protein content.

"Like soybeans, quinoa is high in lysine, an amino acid often lacking in vegetable products. Quinoa also has a good amount of methionine and cystine, making it a perfect compliment for legumes, which are low in these essential amino acids."

Quinoa is now being considered as a potential crop for NASA's Controlled Ecological Life Support System (CELSS). The CELSS concept will utilize plants to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and generate food, oxygen, and water for the crew of long-term human space missions. While the seeds of quinoa are considered to be the edible form of the plant, the leaves and sprouts can also be eaten raw or cooked and provide a substantial amount of nutritive value.

HOW DO YOU FIX IT & WHEN DO YOU FIND IT?
"As for preparation, the simplest way is to cook quinoa like pasta: Fill a large pot or saucepan with water, and bring it to a boil. Add just about any amount of quinoa, turn the heat to low, and cook until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain the water and allow the quinoa to cool."

Quinoa has a tasty nutty flavor that cooks up quicker than rice, and can be used to make pilafs, risottos, salads, soups, and even desserts. Given it growing popularity, you can also find quinoa products as pasta, cold cereals, cookies, and organic snack bars.

Note: Bulk, raw Quinoa has an protective outer shell, call saponin, that is sticky and bitter; this must be throughly washed off BEFORE you cook it.

Where you find quinoa? Typically, you can locate quinoa in the rice aisle of your grocery store or at your favorite health-food section. It comes prepackaged and in-bulk. You can also visit our Our Amazon Health Shoppe to purchase quinoa and other products featured in our blog.

You can read this aricle for more information and recipes.
Perfect Day Of Eating

EAT WELL... BE WELL!

More Super Foods to Keep You Healthy

“When health is absent, wisdom cannot reveal itself, art cannot manifest, strength cannot fight, wealth becomes useless, and intelligence cannot be applied.” ~ Herophilus

As food research continues to discover and explore the medicinal benefits of foods, we will be able to make wiser and healthier choices in our meal selections. Here are some more foods that do more than just taste good. The superfoods featured below have clearly demonstrated that they can provide healing and wellness benefits that help us keep healthy.

• Pomegranates: Fight Alzheimer's disease and Guard your arteries
  
  Offers counterpunch to Alzheimer's disease... Researchers at Loma Linda University, CA. found that mice who drank pomegranate juice experienced 50% less brain degeneration than animals that consumed only sugar water. The pomegranate drinkers also did better in mazes and tests as they aged.
  

  
  ...And Artery Protection: Israeli researchers discovered that a group of diabetics who drank about 2 ounces of pomegranate juice a day for 3 months kept their bodies from absorbing bad cholesterol into their immune system cells (a major contributing factor to hardened arteries.
  
  

• Cranberries: Eradicate E. coli and Help prevent strokes
  
  This American beauty is already known for its health benefits in curing urinary infections but You know it helps treat urinary tract infection, and you might have heard that it prevents gum disease, and is a powerful anti-cancer fighter. But did you know that these little berries provide more beneficial healing properties?
  

  
  Cranberries may be helpful in Eradicating E. coli. Compounds in the juice can actually alter antibiotic-resistant strains, making it impossible for the harmful bacteria to trigger an infection. A small pilot study from Harvard Medical School and Rutgers University found that eating about 1/3 cup of dried cranberries yielded the same effect.
  

  
  And, cranberries can Help prevent strokes. Research on pigs with a genetic predisposition to atherosclerosis—narrow, hardened arteries that may lead to heart attack and stroke—found that those fed dried cranberries or juice every day had healthier, more flexible blood vessels.
  
  

• Kiwi: Protect against free radical damage and Lower blood-clot risk
  
  Rutgers University compared the 27 most popular fruits we like to eat and determined that kiwifruit was the most nutritionally dense and protected the body from free radicals. Plus, it makes the short list of fruits with substantial amounts of vitamin E, and contains more vision-saving lutein than any other fruit or vegetable, except for corn; making it an excellent anti-oxidant source for fighting free radical damages.
  
  

  In addition, it Lower blood-clot risk as discovered in a 2004 study from the University of Oslo in Norway, participants who ate two or three kiwis for 28 days significantly reduced their potential to form a clot. They also got a bonus benefit: Their triglycerides, a blood fat linked to heart attack, dropped by 15%.
  

These superfoods pack a powerful, healthy wellness punch that can not only lower our risks for degenerative diseases like cancer, diabetes, heart disease and strokes, they can keep us fit to enjoy an active life at any age.Read this article to Learn More About these amazing Superfoods and read this informative book.

Eat healthy... Stay healthy!

Super Food: Dark Chocolate Fights Diseases Part 1

“In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous.” ~ Aristotle

Women have always known that when they eat chocolate, they feel better! Well now, several scientific studies over the years have clearly demonstrated that chocolate, and in particular, dark chocolate has real health benefits and eating it not only taste good but is good for you.

Recent clincial reseach has show that dark chocolate is high in antioxidants that help fight free radicals in your body. Free radicals are known to be root causes of many degenerative diseases such as: heart attacks, strokes, high blood pressure, and clogged blood vessels. These conditions have a cumulative serious negative consequences for our health as we get older. So whatever we can do to reverse these conditions enable us to live longer, enjoying an active, quality life-style.

Back in March 2007, trial investigators reported findings on a small clincal trial co-sponsored by Yale Prevention Reseach Center that: "In this sample of healthy adults, dark chocolate ingestion over a short period of time was shown to significantly improve (blood vessel) function," said Dr. Valentine Yanchou Njike of Yale Prevention Research Center, a co-investigator of the study.

    TRIAL RESULTS
   "During the six-week trial, 45 people were given 8    ounces (227 grams) of cocoa without sugar, cocoa    with sugar or a placebo each day. An upper arm    artery's ability to relax and expand to    accommodate increased blood flow — known as    flow mediated dilation (FMD) — was measured    using high-frequency ultrasound before and after    daily cocoa or placebo consumption.

Of the 39 subjects who completed the trial, FMD improved significantly in both cocoa groups —by 2.4 percent among those who had it without sugar and 1.5 percent among those who had it with sugar. It dropped 0.8 percent in the placebo group. (Source: Dark Chocolate Good for Blood Vessels)

The results, were presented at the annual American College of Cardiology scientific meeting in New Orleans, add to mounting evidence of the health benefits of dark chocolate.

THE TAKE-AWAY: Don't start wolfing down all the chocolate you can eat -- over-indulgence is neither good or healthy! Rather, continue to enjoy your chocolate treats in moderation, but switch to dark chocolate for the health benefits. Enjoy!