Controlling Your Cholesterol

Newspapers have reported on the drawbacks of having a diet high in fat. High-fat diet has been linked to high cholesterol and ultimately to heart attacks. Hence, people have started avoiding beef and eggs. But cholesterol is not bad. Our body needs it to protect nerves and build new cells and hormones. It is only when we include foods like pizzas, burgers, ice creams, steaks or any food containing animal product that the problem starts. Excess cholesterol settles along the walls of the arteries and can clog them thus, restricting blood flow. This gives rise to angina, heart attack or stroke. It has also been shown that high cholesterol leads to gallstones. There are two types of cholesterol called good cholesterol or HDL and bad cholesterol or LDL. LDL is the cholesterol that clogs the arteries and should be lower while HDL scours the artery walls and removes the harmful LDL and should be higher.

Doctors recommend reducing and avoiding high-fat diets containing meat, eggs and dairy products. But you can use the following home remedies for treatment:

• Increase the intake of Vitamin E: It is advised to increase your intake of Vitamin E to 400 international units to prevent the oxidation of bad cholesterol where the cholesterol hardens into the arterial plaque thus giving rise to heart attack. It also raises the level of HDL. You can include Vitamin E as dietary sources or include vegetable oils, nuts or grains in your diet.

• Eat your breakfast: People who skip the breakfast have higher cholesterol levels than those who have breakfast everyday. This is because they tend to eat unhealthy foods which are high in fats.

• Eat small meals frequently: Large meals have been shown to release a large amount of insulin, which in turn stimulates the production of the enzymes that increases cholesterol production by the liver. But eating small frequent meals without increasing the total calories will limit the insulin production and thus controls the cholesterol and in turn heart diseases.

• Add Vitamin C to your diet: Though other vitamins and minerals play an important role in the cholesterol production, Vitamin C is the most crucial vitamin for cholesterol control. It increases HDL levels and is very beneficial if you get it from fruits and vegetables, since they have a special fibre called pectin. It surrounds the cholesterol and flushes it out of the digestive system before it gets into the blood. Include fruits like citrus fruits, tomatoes, potatoes, strawberries, apples and spinach which are rich in vitamin C and pectin.

• Increase garlic intake: Taking seven cloves of garlic a day will reduce cholesterol levels significantly. If you cannot stand the normal garlic, then you can opt for odorless garlic pills, which are available in local health stores.

• Skip decaf: Avoid decaffeinated coffee since it has been shown to raise LDL levels. This is because the beans used for decaf are far stronger than the normal beans.

• Munch grapes: Grapes and their products have a compound which lowers cholesterol significantly. So you can increase your intake of grapes, grape juice and wine to decrease your cholesterol level.

Improve Your Diet With These 5 Tips

Those looking to improve their diet usually do so because they want to lose weight or become healthier. It's a great idea to make your diet better; however, it's not an easy task as it takes a lot of commitment to stick to it day in day out. From personal experience, it can be a bit too much to totally overhaul your diet, so changing things bit by bit can work better. Simply add in healthier foods and phase out junk food. Below are some tips for improving your diet.
Make sure your diet is balanced It's important to eat a balanced diet as too much of one thing is not good. Moderation is the key for most things in life, including food. Make sure you eat enough carbohydrates as they'll give you energy; eat a good amount of protein as protein will help build and repair cells; and eat some fats as fat is essential in your diet (just not too much and try to avoid the bad fats!). Also, fibre is important to ensure that your digestive system stays in good working order.
Don't eat large portions of food Keep your portions small. Nowadays lots of us overeat because we are greedy. We may be feeling very hungry so we eat a large plate of food and then feel absolutely stuffed afterwards. Eating too much means you'll put on fat and your stomach will grow bigger, meaning you will start needing more food to feel fuller, which isn't a good thing. Don't reduce your portion sizes drastically; simply reduce them slowly so that your stomach gets used to it and it'll then shrink.
Try and eat fruit and veg You should try and get fruit and vegetables in your diet as they're very good for you. They contain lots of vitamins and minerals that your body needs to function properly. Aim for five pieces of fruit or veg per day. That means anything like apples, bananas, carrots, lettuce, broccoli, grapes, etc. It's not too difficult!
Eat your meals slowly It's important to eat your meals slowly as it can take your brain around 20 minutes to realize you're full up. This is a big reason for people overeating; they eat a big meal and after 10 minutes they don't feel full so they eat some more food. Then after another 10 minutes, they feel absolutely stuffed. Sit back, relax, and enjoy your meal!
Don't consume too much sugar Sugar adds a nice sweet taste to most things you put it in, so it's no wonder we all like it so much. You can't really get rid of sugar from your diet but you can at least try to limit your sugar intake. When choosing a dessert, go for something with less sugar content or even better eat some fruit. Try to drink diet sodas instead of full sugar sodas.
Just by doing little things to your diet, you can make a difference to your overall health and also your weight. These tips are simple to implement so there's no excuse to not do them!
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