Having raised levels of blood cholesterol is known to be a major risk factor in developing heart disease and suffering premature death. Accordingly, the smart thing to do is to lower your cholesterol to safe levels and there are two methods that will reliably achieve this. These are 1) making a number of lifestyle changes and 2) using cholesterol lowering medication.

Hypercholesterolemia (as high cholesterol is technically called) is a fairly common complaint in Western society but has in fact only come about relatively recently, due in large part to features of the typical modern lifestyle. For most people whose cholesterol levels are abnormally raised, quite modest changes to their diet and exercise patterns are all that is required to bring their levels back within acceptable limits.

Some people’s cholesterol levels are either the result of an inherited genetic condition called familial hypercholesterolemia or have already reached a point where modifications to their lifestyle would yield only limited results. They will usually be prescribed one of a class of cholesterol lowering drugs called statins according to severity and are likely to take these for the rest of their lives.

Before we take a closer look at these two options (lifestyle and medication) it’s helpful to realise that when a doctor, for example, considers your cholesterol level they are in fact weighing up two distinct types of cholesterol, called LDL (“bad cholesterol”) and HDL (“good cholesterol”).

LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein) is composed in the main of lipids (body fats) and is produced by your liver as part of the overall digestion of what you eat. From the liver it is sent through the entire blood stream to supply energy to every tissue in your body. So LDL is crucial in fuelling your body, but unfortunately unused energy (excess LDL) tends to build up as fatty deposits in veins and arteries, storing up problems for the future.

HDL (High Density Lipoprotein i.e. more protein than lipid) soaks up as much as excess LDL as it can and returns it to the liver for recycling or waste. Your body however contains a much greater proportion of LDL than HDL so it’s an unequal struggle, but it has been found that increasing exercise results in an increase of HDL concentrations in the blood.

The lifestyle modifications that are recommended to lower cholesterol derive from accumulated medical evidence that being overweight, drinking too much, smoking, eating specific types of food and not taking enough exercise all contribute to high levels of LDL cholesterol and that conversely, not indulging in these practices will have the opposite effect and decrease cholesterol levels.

So what types of foods are best avoided? The simple answer is anything that contains saturated fat; so hard cheese, butter, red meat, pastries, cakes and biscuits. Conversely you should aim to increase your intake of fruit, vegetables, oat and beans as these foods actively help to lower cholesterol. Switching from butter to a plant sterol based spread (commonly marketed as “cholesterol lowering” spreads) gets the best of both worlds.

If changing your lifestyle still doesn’t reduce your cholesterol to medically recommended limits then you really ought to see a doctor, who will almost certainly suggest that you start taking one of a class of drugs generically termed statins. These are not however a way of getting out of switching to a healthier lifestyle; they are simply the next step on top of that.

The most commonly prescribed statins are (in ascending order of strength and using both clinical and brand names):

pravastatin (Lipostat); simvastatin (Zocor); atorvastatin (Lipitor); rosuvastatin (Crestor).

The vast majority of people tolerate statins easily and suffer no side-effects at all, but it should be noted that they can damage both muscles and the liver, especially when taken in high doses and for this reason you may find that reasonably regular blood tests become a feature of your life due to the need to both monitor the effect of statins on your cholesterol levels and to watch for symptoms of internal damage.

So there you have it. Two effective and medically proven ways to lower cholesterol. The difference between the two is simply a matter of degree – taking prescribed drugs is an additional measure on top of addressing your lifestyle, which in most cases lies at the root of the problem.

Proven Ways To Lower Your Cholesterol Levels is a post from: LosingWeight.co.za

Cooking is an art form and cooking can get even more creative in thought and planning when you or someone in your family goes on a diet. The challenge comes when you have to juggle the needs of your whole family with that of a low carb dieter. For this sometimes difficult problem of cooking, low carb recipes are made for the job.

Thanks to the many low carb recipes and other products on the market, it is now easily possible to turn cooking low carb food into integral part of your life. There are so many useful things to use when you are cooking low carb recipes. Furthermore, the Internet provides access to many websites that feature low carb diet changes.

Some of these changes are simple to implement like using two different recipes to make one healthy low carb recipe. There are also counters that can help you find out if your choice of food items is keeping you within the limits of your low carb diet.

A list of food that you want to buy is also good for cooking low carb recipes. To complete the transformation to cooking low carb recipes, you should have your kitchen reflect this dietary change. If you do this, you will have all of the kitchen implements and staples for cooking low carb recipes already stocked up in your kitchen.

This does not have to be anything fancy, you understand. Really, as long as you stay away from foods which are high in carbs, and keep cooking low carb meals you will be fine.

This does not mean that you have to avoid carbs completely, only that you should limit the quantities when preparing low carb recipes to the bare minimum. As I mentioned earlier, this can severely cramp your manner of preparing food. Low carb recipes aren’t easy to follow if you really love your pastas and bread.

However, with only a small change on your part, you can produce meal after meal of low carb recipes. If you’re not the one on the low carb diet, then this can make you reluctant to try cooking low carb meals, but you’ll be surprised at the amount of really great tasting food that you can prepare when you start looking to low carb recipes.

Then again, if you’re not the one on the low carb diet you always have the option of adding a few high carb dishes to your menu along with the low carb dishes, and enjoy your meal in your way. This way everyone gets what they want and you have no problems with cooking low carb recipes or pandering to the dieter in your family!

Cooking Low Carb is a post from: LosingWeight.co.za

Soy and Whey manufacturers did a superb job of confusing the public. For 5 years now the fitness and health community has been drinking up whey.

Eventually a research studies showed that due to its quick stomach emptying properties most of the protein consumed via whey protein is metabolized (burned up by liver enzymes). The whey manufacturers first responded by increasing the number of grams per serving. More protein would have to be consumed, thus more protein was sold.

Soy is popular with vegetarians. The Soy manufacturers looked on as whey protein sales sky rocketed, and, in to get their own piece of the pie, they went after the “health” market, primarily women. Many of the research studies the soy manufacturers cite are valid, but do not represent the whole picture.

One study looked at two groups of healthy middle aged men that were given isocaloric meals with one group eating soy protein, while the other consumed animal protein. They wanted to find out if there is a decreased propensity of gallstones when animal products are replaced by soy proteins. Very often gallstone accumulation is linked to cholesterol crystallization, so they then examined the participants cholesterol levels.

The study showed that cholesterol crystallization was slightly retarded in the soy group extrapolating that soy can aid in preventing gallstones. Here’s what the study neglected to address. There wasn’t any control over fruit and vegetable intake. Soy is a vegetable, and it does happen to fall into the group of veggies that are high in isoflavones.

Isoflavones have been closely linked to health benefits including a lowering of cholesterol. We’ve known for years that a predominance of animal meats can have adverse affects on cholesterol, but that doesn’t mean that someone consuming soy would have better cholesterol levels than someone eating combinations of chicken breast, turkey breast, fish, and egg whites and a variety of natural vegetables. You can see how the conclusions drawn from studies can be misconstrued and over-emphasized in significance.

While a great number of scientific studies can be held up to show the cancer resistive benefits of a diet rich in vegetable foods (soy included), we can not extrapolate from those studies that someone consuming soy instead of milk proteins, egg proteins, and lean animal proteins will exhibit better health, and if an exercise component is included, the conclusions in non-exercising individuals are almost invalidated.

Most of the research promoted about soy is publicized by companies with a financial stake in Soy Protein sales. The Soybean Board is a good example. Very often the elements of a sound study are taken out of context to boost sales of soy.

From a metabolic benefit standpoint, it appears based on the most recent and applicable studies, that you are best off getting your supplemental protein from a mix of whey and casein. Watch as the newest protein supplements to hit the market feature this mix. Unless you are vegetarian, I’d suggest you’re best off including as wide a variety of foods as possible in your complete dietary regimen. If this includes a daily soy protein supplement I believe you’ll do quite well.

Casein Protein, How Much is Too Much? is a post from: LosingWeight.co.za

The Atkins Grapefruit diet is a diet plan, not supported by the company of Dr. Atkins, that plays on the fame of the grapefruit diet and the Atkins diet name. A closer inspection of this diet reveals that it may not be all it claims to be.

Firstly, it’s pretty difficult to find information on the Atkins grapefruit diet plan. Smart people realize that when anyone is carrying out a deception, or a con, they will usually gloss over facts. This is exactly what the Atkins grapefruit diet seems to do: it tries to persuade people to associate it with two purportedly effective diets.

Is the Atkins Grapefruit Diet part of the Atkins Diet or supported by the estate of the late Dr. Atkins? The answer is no, not only is there no mention of the Atkins Grapefruit Diet on the Atkins website, but there is no fruit of at all mentioned in the list of allowed foods in the Atkins diet Induction stage.

The induction phase recommends the following foodstuffs:

Fish of any kinds. Any fowl such as turkey and chicken. Any shellfish. Any meat such as beef or pork. Eggs cooked in any style, including fried. Cheese. Vegetables. Herbs and Spices. Fats and Oils. Low carbohydrate beverages, including diet soft drinks.

Do you notice anything? No fruit is on that list. Later phases of the Atkins diet do recommend limited quantities of fruits such as cantaloupe, strawberries and even lemon juice, and the pre-maintenance and maintenance phases even specifically allow limited amounts of grapefruit. But when compared to the amount of Grapefruit recommended on the Atkins Grapefruit Diet, once more there is a disagreement.

The Atkins Grapefruit Diet recommends a cup of grapefruit juice or a cup of grapefruit sections, with 8 and 18 carbs respectively. Even the most generous phases of the Atkins diet advocates restricting grapefruit consumption to less than 8 carbs per day. That’s a direct contradiction of one diet with the other.

Most intelligent people would look at the Atkins website the moment they heard of the Atkins Grapefruit Diet. When they saw no mention of that diet on the site, a red light would go off and an alarm would sound.

In general, you should remember this: any diet that relies too much on one food, such as grapefruit on a grapefruit diet, is not healthy for any but extremely short periods. The Atkins Grapefruit Diet is not associated with the Atkins diet, and may interfere with the results of the Atkins diet in its early stages.

Is The Atkins Grapefruit Diet Real? is a post from: LosingWeight.co.za

You have decided that you’re going on a diet and you’ve decided that this will be the last one that you’ll ever try. The only reason for this is that you’ve already heard so much about the Atkins Diet, that you have total confidence in its ability to help you reduce weight and to keep it off. You know that with the help of the Atkins diet plan you can tailor make your diet to suit your body and your needs.

When you start your diet, you’ll receive an Atkins diet plan that will get you started on the first part of your dieting journey. This is phase one, called the induction phase, of the four phases which you will go through. So, what you’re really getting with the Atkins diet plan is a great way for you to choose the path you take on your diet and how long it will take you to lose the amount of weight you choose to.

Although, you don’t have follow the Atkins diet plan religiously, if you really want fast results, you will follow it religiously. So, abstain from the carbs and eat your high fat, high protein meals. Well, you won’t need to stay away from carbs completely, you’ll just need to make yours a low carb diet instead of the high carb diet you’ve been following so unconsciously all of your life so far.

However, by do the Atkins diet plan and all but cutting out carbs from your diet, you reduce the chances of your diet failing and going to the dogs. After all, this time you’ve decided that this is your last diet and that you’re going to make it work, so it is really no use tempting fate and veering, even if slightly, off course from your Atkins diet plan.

Remember that the whole plan is adaptable to suit you, and to help you make your dieting restrictions easier to bear. With that in mind, also remember that within the Atkins diet plan, you can also eat at least 20 carbs, but you will have a virtually unlimited buffet of proteins and fats available to you. So, you don’t need to be afraid that your diet is going to deprive you of pleasures of eating well.

On the Atkins diet plan, you’ll find out that you can eat well without noticing the loss of your carbs very much. And even though you might think that cooking and planning meals will be a chore, if you have to stay within the restrictions of the Atkins diet plan, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to find that it is just not true.

There are many fantastic foods and meal plans available on the Atkins diet plan and if you can just make it through reading your Atkins diet plan, you’ll find that you truly can get through this diet with hardly any sacrifice on your part. Now that’s what I call the diet to end all diets! And isn’t that just what you wanted anyway?

The Atkins Diet is a post from: LosingWeight.co.za

Any diet that asks you to go low carbohydrate and use only low carbohydrate vegetables is saying that you need to search for vegetables that are low in carbohydrates. You need to use these vegetables in place of your regular vegetables. There are many great tasting things that you can do with low carb vegetables.

They can be used in your different diet recipes or used in salads. They are great by themselves as healthy snacks and you can also blend them for a nutritious drink. The many websites that give recipes for low carb cooking and meals might have some recipes that will let you use your low carb vegetables in meals.

Imagine turning out a magnificent meal using only low carb foods. You can give a great side dish full of low carbohydrate vegetables that have been transformed into a tasty salad. This salad can be garnished with various interesting foodstuffs that are also low in carbohydrate but taste great by themselves too.

For example, you could make a salad from low carb vegetables that include boneless beef, top sirloin steak, fresh lemon juice, gourmet salad greens, medium plum tomatoes, ranch or blue cheese dressing. You have the choice of making a seasoning for this salad from dried oregano, garlic cloves and pepper.

As you can now see, there are quite a few ways that you can combine your low carb vegetables with other foods to make superb meals for you and others to eat. The main thing to remember is not to put foods like a heavy French dressing on your low carb vegetables. This will turn your nutritious low carb vegetables into something heavy.

There are times|instances| in your low carbohydrate cooking when you can use only one of the low carb vegetables to create a fantastic meal that looks delicious. This type of low carb recipe will call for only a low carbohydrate vegetable like eggplant. This vegetable is very versatile and you can cook it in a variety of ways.

When you decide to eat low carb vegetables like this you take your cooking into another realm of gourmet food. The many low carb meals that you can find on the Internet, will let you make great dishes with your low carb vegetables. After all, low carb just means eating other types of vegetables and showing your taste buds low carb meals.

Low Carb Vegetables is a post from: LosingWeight.co.za

While a lot of individuals do not understand it, hypertension and high cholesterol have been discovered to be related to one another. There are many issues that can be induced by high blood pressure which had their beginnings in some other issue. For instance, high cholesterol levels can result in high blood pressure, which in turn may cause heart attacks, stroke or a great many other problems such as an artery condition.

The United States is just one location that the trouble is stepping up as people live such under active lifestyles, which is getting more usual each day in the diagnosis of hypertension, artery and cardiac conditions and a variety of other debilitating conditions. Truthfully, individuals consume more than they should, they eat the wrong foods and don’t work out to maintain their weight. If you have hypertension your heart in effect works itself to death and cholesterol is one of the causes of hypertension. When the LDL cholesterol is raised and the HDL cholesterol is down you are in peril of developing heart condition.

The continuous raised heart rate means it works too hard over a sustained period and in the end it will cease working. What takes place when an individual has a heart attack is that essentially the heart has been worked to hard, to the level that it cannot function any more.

The liver makes cholesterol so if you are adding to that with the nutrients you eat, the cholesterol levels will become exceedingly high. This can lead to heart condition when the arterial blood vessels grow obstructed with calcium, cholesterol and fatty acids which successively results in the arteries getting smaller, so the heart works harder to pump the blood around the body.

There are also other causes of high blood pressure though such as: diabetes, cancerous tumors, kidney disease but sodium, genetics, caffeine, alcohol and being overweight are all contributory elements. Stress is another cause of hypertension, nevertheless, the most common cause is hypertension and high cholesterol when the diagnosis of other chronic illness is not named.

Sustaining a good cholesterol level is not as difficult as you might believe if you eat healthy and take exercise frequently – these are the fundamental methods to lessen cholesterol levels. This is an excellent trade-off when you think of the benefits of staying healthy and keeping from acquiring high blood pressure which successively will result in other issues.

You can’t totally take cholesterol out of the picture because it is necessary for your cells to work in the proper way. The key to controlling cholesterol is to not to take to much of it and maintain the levels within a normal range, so consuming fast food all the time will raise cholesterol levels.

As well as eating vegetables, fruits, grains and foods with low sodium levels, leave alone those with high fat. The idea is long term habits which will keep you from acquiring hypertension and high cholesterol in addition to better your wellbeing, so all you need to do is watch your diet and do some kind of work out about four times every week.

A Look Into Hypertension and Cholesterol is a post from: LosingWeight.co.za

Regardless of the generally held view that cholesterol is bad for the body, it is actually vital to the functioning of many parts of the body. In fact, without cholesterol, we would be in serious trouble. Cholesterol is also present in many foods that we eat and this is where the problem occurs. If we eat too many cholesterol high foods or foods that promote the natural production of cholesterol in the body, then problems can arise. Cholesterol consists of two types, HDL, the so-called good cholesterol and LDL or the bad cholesterol. However, since the body produces all the cholesterol it requires, too much cholesterol is unhealthy. The best way to control this is by eating a low carb cholesterol diet.

The mechanics of the low carb cholesterol diet are simple. This type of diet works by reducing or completely cutting out fat- and sugar-laden foods. When sugar and insulin levels rise, body fat also rises. The triggering factor behind this rise is excess carbohydrates, found in sugars and starches. Too much sugar and body fat can lead to other health problems such as heart disease and diabetes.

Cholesterol is present in a number of foods, especially those containing saturated or trans-fats. A low carb cholesterol diet that reduces sweets and saturated and trans-fats will result in a lowering of both body fat and bad cholesterol levels. Most overweight patients have elevated cholesterol levels and would benefit from implementing a low carb low cholesterol diet.

By considerably decreasing the body’s insulin level, low carb cholesterol diet foods trigger the use of excess fat and sugars already available in your body. This will consequently cause you to lose weight at a much faster rate than possible with ordinary diets. Losing weight is a key component to lowering cholesterol and reducing the probability of developing other conditions like diabetes.

If you decide to try a low carb cholesterol diet, you should know that you can eat almost anything, provided you stick with foods that are low in carbohydrates and sugars. You should do a little research into finding out what foods contain high levels of carbs and cholesterol and you’ll be better prepared to avoid them or replace them with healthier options. As some carbs needs to be taken to get energy, you should concentrate on getting complex rather than simple carbs. Complex carbs require more energy to metabolize which is better for the body.

Thanks to increased awareness regarding cholesterol and heart health, there are a lot of foods readily available that can be used in a low carb cholesterol diet. Foods that are usually high in starch like pasta are now available with reduced carbohydrates. This allows people who care about their health and weight to take pleasure in eating these products and decrease their cholesterol at the same time.

If you want to lose weight, feel healthier, have more energy and get faster results on your cholesterol levels, exercise is an important key factor. Double check with your doctor before you begin any new eating plan, including a low carb cholesterol diet, to be absolutely certain this is the right choice for you. If you are pregnant or nursing, or if you already have a medical condition that might limit you, it is extremely important for you to get the go-ahead from your doctor.

A Low Carb Cholesterol Diet Can Help Your Cholesterol Reading is a post from: LosingWeight.co.za

If you have worked hard over the past few months to lower your cholesterol levels, you want to ensure that you keep it within the cholesterol normal range that is considered acceptable. Simply put, in order to stay fit as you age, you will want to continue to monitor your cholesterol levels, eat a proper diet and exercise regularly.

Once you have determined which diet is helping you control your cholesterol normal range, stick to that diet with determination. Snacks now and then are not completely off limit, as long as you don’t indulge excessively. Your primary problem might have been over eating the bad choice foods. So resist the temptation of falling back into unhealthy habits, and continue the good work.

As we all know bad habits are hard to break and it is harder to develop new habits. With this said, it is important to keep up with your exercise routine. Your cholesterol management must become a way of life in order for it to be truly effective. Stick with your exercise plan and you will not risk losing your momentum and fall out of cholesterol normal range levels. Exercise to lower cholesterol is much like changing your diet. You don’t have overdo it, build slow and do the kinds of exercises that you enjoy. Check with your Doctor if you are just starting out.

You may be tempted to stray from your current regimen once you get into the cholesterol normal range. Do not stray, in fact, you should maintain your current routine. Although your cholesterol has reached a normal range, it can easily reach an unhealthy range. Always remember you feel healthy now because you’ve made the proper adjustments.

If you are one of those people who find it hard to maintain cholesterol normal range levels, consult your doctor for some medication. Not all cholesterol levels can be lowered easily. Sometimes medication is necessary, especially when cholesterol is produced in excess in the body. It’s also necessary when you’ve had a heart problem, and when natural ways to reduce cholesterol take too long.

Medication is not a miracle cure all. Medications can lower your levels to cholesterol normal range but you must keep your self on the right track. Your cholesterol levels are important to maintain a healthy heart and long life. Eating an unhealthy diet can only counteract the medication and keep your cholesterol dangerously elevated. And most doctors make it a condition of taking medication that you male healthier lifestyle choices.

To maintain a healthy lifestyle, make sure to stick with food choices that you like and that are low in cholesterol and heart healthy. Exercise is just as important as eating nutritious foods in securing good health and keeping your cholesterol normal range intact.

What Is The Cholesterol Normal Range ? is a post from: LosingWeight.co.za