The Truth About Cholesterol

Hi

Well what can I say, it's going really well!!  Another 2 pounds this week following Isobel's
Diet Solution Program - if you haven't had a look at it yet then you are missing out
I am on week 2 (so that's 5 pounds weightloss in two weeks)
My food intake this week has included 5 Chocolate Brownies and 3 Chocolate Fudge so I'm very happy:)



I am going to let you in on something shocking. Cholesterol is not the major culprit in heart disease. I know this may be hard to believe after all we have heard about the dangers of high cholesterol from our doctors, and the media. But the truth is, it is not the cholesterol levels themselves or the cholesterol containing foods that are the culprits in heart disease, it is those foods and any other thing that causes inflammation in your body that is the major cause of heart disease (as well as diabetes and high blood pressure).

What is cholesterol and why do we need it?
Cholesterol is a soft, waxy substance found among the lipids (fats) in the bloodstream and in all your body’s cells. It’s an important part of a healthy body because it’s used to form cell membranes. Cholesterol also aids in the manufacture of bile (which helps digest fats), and is also important for the metabolism of fat soluble vitamins, including vitamins A, D, E and K. It is the major precursor for the synthesis of vitamin D and of the various steroid hormones (which include cortisol and aldosterone in the adrenal glands, and the sex hormones progesterone, the various estrogens, testosterone, and derivatives ).

How could something so good be so bad?

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Is Fat Making You Fat?

Hi

With the amount of obesity and overweight people nowadays - isn't it time we knew our Fats?
Some interesting points with this post
Fats
Because fat is so important for so many bodily functions, you must consume an adequate amount of fat each day. Unfortunately, our society has developed a fear of fat. In turn, many companies have produced fat-free or low-fat products that contain high amounts of sugar or high-fructose corn syrup, both of which increase hunger and cravings for sugary foods.

Because fats are an essential part of any meal plan, it is important to recognize them as good or bad. In this chapter, you’ll learn how to tell the difference.

Fats to Avoid
All fats are not created equal. The most detrimental fats are hydrogenated ones called trans-fatty acids (also called TFAs or "trans fats")—most commonly listed as hydrogenated oils or partially hydrogenated oils on food labels—and should be avoided in your diet.

Hydrogenation is a chemical hardening method commonly used to create fats that are shelf-stable and have a higher melting point than their source material.

To hydrogenate a liquid vegetable oil, the oil is first washed, bleached, and deodorized and then heated to a high temperature along with a metal catalyst (nickel, zinc, or copper). Next, hydrogen gas is bubbled through the mixture. Partial hydrogenation results in a product that is semisolid at room temperature (like margarine or a salad dressing oil that doesn’t separate), and full hydrogenation results in a product that is solid at room temperature (like Crisco shortening). Regardless of the ultimate result, hydrogenation completely alters the liquid oil’s molecular structure so that it no longer resembles a natural fat; in fact, it becomes an unhealthy trans fat. Because the body does not recognize the transformed molecule as a natural fat, it cannot process it and treats it as a toxin.

The molecular structure of a trans-fatty acid is closer to that of plastic than to that of a normal fatty acid (Chek 2004, 72). Still, many processed foods—even some considered to be healthy are laden with trans fats. Food manufacturers use hydrogenated oils because they have a long shelf life and are cheaper to use than the real thing, but research has shown that these fats are detrimental to your health.

Trans fats can raise levels of low-density lipoproteins (LDLs, commonly known as "bad cholesterol") and lead to clogged arteries, elevated cholesterol levels, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and even cancer (Mercola with Droege 2003). The body has no use for trans fats and stores them in fat cells and arteries. Consuming trans fats actually causes fat cravings; these cravings continue until the body receives the essential fatty acids (EFAs)—the good fats that it needs.


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Good Fats
Good fats are derived from healthy food sources. Adequate amounts of the ideal fats for your metabolism type naturally occurring in your food, used in cooking, or taken as supplements・will fulfill your daily nutritional needs and keep you from getting hungry.

Essential Fatty Acids

The human body cannot survive without some fats specifically, EFAs. EFAs are necessary for the healthy function of every bodily process, including

brain and nervous system activity,

regulation of hormones,

function of organs and the immune system,

cell function, and

digestion.

Our bodies need EFAs but cannot make them on their own; therefore, we must get them from the foods we eat. The two kinds of EFAs are omega-3 and omega-6. Foods that are high in omega-6 fats are grains, commercially raised meats, oils used in processed foods, and many commonly used cooking oils, including corn, safflower, and sunflower. Omega-3 fats are found in leafy green vegetables, oily fish (like salmon), walnuts, organic eggs, and naturally raised meats.

The ideal ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fats is between 1:2 and 1:4. Unfortunately, because the typical American diet is abundant in grains and cooked oils and lacking in vegetables and healthy fish, the average omega-6 intake is high and omega-3 intake low. This ratio has been calculated in some people to be as high as 1:50! Clearly, we must make a conscious effort to reduce the amount of omega-6s and increase the amount of omega-3s that we consume to bring that ratio back toward its ideal. Omega-3 fats are vital for the development and maintenance of the adult brain and nervous system. In The Omega Diet, Artemis Simopoulos and Jo Robinson describe a study in which mice fed a diet low in omega-3 fats (i.e., the most common American diet—lots of carbohydrates; packaged, processed, and fast foods; minimal fruits, vegetables, and whole foods) led to a decreased mental performance compared with mice fed a diet with adequate omega-3s (Simopoulos and Robinson 1998, 87).The same authors state that many behavioral and mood disorders are associated with a lack of omega-3 or an imbalance between omega-3 and omega-6 fats in the diet. Their list of recognized disorders (Simopoulos and Robinson 1998, 16) includes but is not limited to

asthma

attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

cancer

depression (even among children)

diabetes

heart attack

insulin resistance

obesity

stroke

While I normally like to keep supplements to a minimum and focus more on nutrients from fresh foods, fish oil supplementation may be vital if you do not consume fresh fish on a regular basis. Also, the health of our oceans and thus of the fish that live in them is not as good as it used to be. Elevated mercury levels are increasingly found in most fresh fish sold for human consumption. Incorporate one serving of fresh fish (especially wild salmon) every week or two, but avoid fishes that often have elevated levels of mercury, such as tuna, shark, and swordfish.

Whatever your choices, consume at least two or three servings of omega-3 fats daily.

 

by Isabel De Los Rios

Alison

Is a Silent Killer Creeping Up On You?

Well I am pleased as I weighed myself this morning and have lost 2 lbs so watching the calories certainly works.  However, as I said earlier this week I have been studying a new way of eating and I am going to start it tomorrow so watch this space and I'll let you know the results

I have just been reading through this New Plan and I came across an article on Salt which I found very interesting, see what you think...........

Salt

Many people follow a low-salt diet because they have been led to believe that salt and

sodium are bad and unhealthy. Well, this belief may only be partially true. Salt is important in the

body for several functions.

Chemically, culinary salt is NaCl—sodium chloride, made up of equal amounts sodium

(Na) and chloride (Cl). “Sodium is an essential nutrient that the body cannot manufacture, yet is

required for life itself. Chloride is vital for optimum health, it preserves the acid–base balance in

the body, aids potassium absorption, supplies the essence of digestive stomach acid, and enhances

the ability of the blood to carry carbon dioxide from respiring tissues to the lungs” (Regenerative

Nutrition n.d.). But the only way to receive all of the life-sustaining benefits of salt is to

consume the right kind of salt: unrefined sea salt, not processed table salt.

Salt has such a bad reputation because 99% of the world’s salt research has been done

on commercial table salt—the only salt that most Americans know. Some of the best scientific

research on the healthy properties of unrefined sea salt are written in French, German, and

Portuguese; unfortunately, few American doctors have read them. So instead of suggesting that

patients use unrefined sea salt, American doctors suggest avoiding salt altogether, which can be

dangerous. In many parts of France, when a person visits a physician about a heart problem or

high blood pressure, the first question asked may be, “What kind of salt do you use?”

Some doctors believe that a low-salt diet can cause high blood pressure. A salt-free diet

can damage heart valves and negatively affect the contractibility of the heart muscles. Biochemically,

cells starve without salt.

In brief, salt

aids in balancing blood sugar levels

•

is needed for the absorption of food particles through the intestinal tract

•

is a strong natural antihistamine

•

can help prevent muscle cramps

•

is needed to make bones strong

•

regulates and normalizes blood pressure

•

increases energy levels

•

helps regulate the metabolism

•

helps maintain proper electrolyte balance

•

supports the immune system

The refined white table salt typically found at the grocery store is different from unrefined

sea salt, so its effects on the body are not the same. The body cannot assimilate isolated synthetic

sodium chloride (from typical refined salt), which contains none of the valuable minerals

and trace elements of unrefined sea salt, so the system recognizes it as a poison. Refined table

salt often contains anti-caking agents, some of which are aluminum based. (Aluminum is linked

with heavy metal toxicity and possibly even Alzheimer’s disease.) One such example is sodium

silicoaluminate, which is thought to be associated with kidney problems and mineral malabsorption.

Sodium acetate, a preservative, may cause elevated blood pressure, kidney disturbances, and water

retention (Chek 2004, 78).

I recommend that you replace refined table salt with Celtic sea salt, which can be found at most

food stores.  

It is extremely healthy and has the exact opposite effect of refined salt. It provides sodium chloride

in a form that that the body needs to function. It offers the perfect balance of minerals, nutrients,

and sodium chloride that the body needs for optimum health. Your body can recognize and

absorb these essential nutrients efficiently. Ninety trace elements found in the Earth’s crust give

unrefined Celtic sea salt its vital grayish color, and its slight moistness keeps the salt and minerals

in a form that the body can assimilate (Regenerative Nutrition n.d.).

Even heart patients and people with high blood pressure can use Celtic sea salt (but they

will receive its benefits only if they eliminate all forms of processed salt, sodium, and table salt

from their diets). The heart is fed by a saline solution from the blood and lymph and requires

proper amounts of sodium and potassium to function. Without salt in the diet, the heart cannot

contract normally, and the valves may be damaged (Regenerative Nutrition n.d.). If you don’t salt

your food, add a pinch of sea salt to each liter bottle of water you drink to maintain electrolyte

and energy levels.

Clearly, salt is important to optimum health. Simply eating salty food is not the answer;

using Celtic sea salt is. As with other dietary recommendations, moderation is always essential.

by Isabel De Los Rios

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