How to Lower Your Triglycerides

Research on High Triglycerides Levels 





For years high cholesterol has gotten most of the attention. But recently scientists discovered that it's high triglycerides, not high cholesterol that is the most significant indicator of cardiovascular disease.






Here are 3 important reasons to learn how to lower triglycerides naturally:






1.A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows, if you have high triglycerides, your risk of heart disease or stroke is 2-3 times greater – even if you have low cholesterol. [Vol. 86: 943-49]










2.Drugs for lowering triglycerides have serious side effects. The American Heart Association recommends that medications only be considered after all ways to lower triglycerides naturally have been exhausted.














3.Eating foods to lower triglycerides naturally has been shown to cut a person's risk of stroke and sudden cardiac death in half.






To get the best results, keep these triglyceride parameters in mind:






•To totally minimize risk factors, aim for a count below 150 mg/dl.


•Levels of 150 to 199 mg/dl are thought to be borderline-high.


•Over 200 mg/dl are still high and put you at serious risk.


•Triglyceride levels of 500 mg/dl are extremely high.






How to Lower Triglycerides Naturally






Since triglycerides are forms of fats, you might think less fat in your diet would be the most important dietary step to lower triglycerides. It's not.






The main culprit is sugar!






That's right, the main foods causing high triglycerides levels are refined carbohydrate foods high on the glycemic index foods list. Sugar is why even a little alcohol causes big increases in blood plasma triglycerides.






Here's the triglycerides diet of foods to lower triglycerides:






1.Switch from high glycemic carbohydrates to a low glycemic diet.


2.Replace bad fats with good fats, like fish oil and olive oil.


3.Increase your high fiber foods, fruits and vegetables.


4.Eat more healthy lean high protein foods.










Also follow these healthy lifestyle and dietary guidelines:










5.If you smoke or drink, quit immediately.


6.Add at least a half-hour of physical activity a day.


7.Lower your dietary fat intake to 25% to 30% of calories.


8.Reduce food calories to achieve permanent healthy weight loss. 





More reading at http://commonsensehealth.com/Diet-and-Nutrition/Best_Foods_to_Lower_Triglycerides_Naturally.shtml

Vegetarians and Meat Eaters

It is a claim that could put a dent in the green credentials of vegetarians: Meat-free diets can be bad for the planet.
Environmental activists and vegetarians have long taken pleasure in telling those who enjoy a steak that livestock farming is a major source of harmful greenhouse gases.
But research has shown that giving up meat may not be as green as it seems.
The Cranfield University study found that switching from British-bred beef and lamb to meat substitutes imported from abroad such as tofu and Quorn would increase the amount of land cultivated, raising the risk of forests being destroyed.
Production methods for meat substitutes can be energy intensive and the final products tend to be highly processed, the report, which was commissioned by the environmental group WWF, found.
The researchers concluded: ‘A switch from beef and milk to highly refined livestock product analogues such as tofu could actually increase the quantity of arable land needed to supply the UK.
Donal Murphy-Bokern, one of the report’s authors and a former co-ordinator at the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs told the Times: ‘For some people, tofu and other meat substitutes symbolise environmental friendliness but they are not necessarily the badge of merit that people claim.’
But Liz O’Neill, of the Vegetarian Society, said: ‘If you’re aiming to reduce your environmental impact by going vegetarian then it’s obviously not a great idea to rely on highly-processed products.’
A spokesman for the WWF said it was important to remember that livestock produce large amounts of methane, a much more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1250532/Being-vegetarian-does-harm-environment-eating-meat.html#ixzz0fT67wllF

Pseudohaematuria due to Dragonfruit ingestion

Have you eaten Dragon fruit lately? If you gorge on the stuff, be warned. Ingestion of Dragon fruit can cause a reddish discoloration of your urine and stool. This was discussed in the Dobbs forum recently, and for the unwary I guess it could be quite alarming. A quick Google search shows that local medical bloggers have already mentioned this.

Jellio also had a similar personal encounter.

Some other foodstuff which can discolor your urine:
beetroot
blackberries
other naturally red foods
carrots

Other causes of discolored urine:
Medications (e.g. some laxatives, certain antibiotics eg rifampicin and some anti cancer drugs like anthracyclines)
Dyes
Reddish discoloration of urine may of course be due to blood (haematuria) or haemoglobin (haemoglobinuria). Urine may be dark or tea colored in liver disease.

As always, you should consult your doctor, especially if there is any doubt.

Useful info link: Urine color

Beware Sugar's effect on Health

The average American consumes an astounding 2-3 pounds of sugar each week, which is not surprising considering that highly refined sugars in the forms of sucrose (table sugar), dextrose (corn sugar), and high-fructose corn syrup are being processed into so many foods such as bread, breakfast cereal, mayonnaise, peanut butter, ketchup, spaghetti sauce, and a plethora of microwave meals.

In the last 20 years, we have increased sugar consumption in the U.S. 26 pounds to 135 lbs. of sugar per person per year! Prior to the turn of this century (1887-1890), the average consumption was only 5 lbs. per person per year! Cardiovascular disease and cancer was virtually unknown in the early 1900's.

The "glycemic index" is a measure of how a given food affects blood-glucose levels, with each food being assigned a numbered rating. The lower the rating, the slower the absorption and digestion process, which provides a more gradual, healthier infusion of sugars into the bloodstream. On the other hand, a high rating means that blood-glucose levels are increased quickly, which stimulates the pancreas to secrete insulin to drop blood-sugar levels. These rapid fluctuations of blood-sugar levels are not healthy because of the stress they place on the body.

One of sugar's major drawbacks is that it raises the insulin level, which inhibits the release of growth hormones, which in turn depresses the immune system. This is not something you want to take place if you want to avoid disease.

An influx of sugar into the bloodstream upsets the body's blood-sugar balance, triggering the release of insulin, which the body uses to keep blood-sugar at a constant and safe level. Insulin also promotes the storage of fat, so that when you eat sweets high in sugar, you're making way for rapid weight gain and elevated triglyceride levels, both of which have been linked to cardiovascular disease. Complex carbohydrates tend to be absorbed more slowly, lessening the impact on blood-sugar levels.

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Low Carb Snacks - Quick and Easy

Satisfying the Munchies the Low Carb Way

It’s important to have access to nutritious low carb snack food so that if you get hungry between meals you won’t reach for crackers and chips.

Ideally, a low carb snack should have protein, healthy fat, and some fiber (so the best thing would be to have some raw veggies with your eggs or jerky). Here are some easy snack ideas. I will be adding to the list as time goes on.

• Celery with peanut butter
• Celery with tuna salad
• Hard boiled eggs
• Deviled eggs
• Dill pickles and cheddar cheese (no kidding, it’s a great combo)
• ¼ cup berries with 1/3 cup cottage cheese
• Nuts (keep raw ones in the freezer if you think you’ll overeat them)
• Sunflower seeds (get them in the shell so it will take longer to eat them)
• Other seeds (How to Toast Pumpkin or Squash Seeds)
• Low Carb Trail Mix
• Jerky (beef, turkey, etc.) (try to find low sugar varieties)
• Low carb shakes
• Cheese sticks, such as string cheese
• Sugar free jello, alone or with cottage cheese and a sprinkling of nuts
• Cheese with a few apple slices
• 4 oz plain or sugar-free yogurt with berries and flax seed meal
• Smoked salmon and cream cheese on cucumber slices
• Lettuce Roll-ups – roll luncheon meat, egg salad, tuna, etc.

more>>
From Laura Dolson,
Your Guide to Low Carb Diets.

Epidemic of allergies

NHS swamped by an epidemic of allergies

Sufferers are being lured by faddish diets from private clinics, doctors say

Jo Revill, Whitehall editor
Sunday June 10, 2007
The Observer

The NHS is failing to keep up with the growing number of allergy sufferers, with new figures today showing that only a handful of specialist doctors across the country are running clinics for them.

One in three people in Britain can expect to suffer from some form of allergy during their lifetime - including 2 million people in the UK thought to have some allergy to food - but there has been barely any increase in NHS services to cope with this। Experts will warn this week that demand for care is outstripping the NHS's ability to cope, and many patients go to private clinics or dietitians that may offer unconventional diets.

http://lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk/health/story/0,,2099688,00.html