Eat To Beat Cholesterol

Make a move to better cholesterol

Nicole Senior — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 07:10:04 +0000

By special guest writer, Cameron McDonald

Being active is absolutely essential to good health and cholesterol control. The good news is that you don’t have to be training like an elite athlete to benefit from some physical activity. New research has shown that organised exercise, while beneficial, still isn’t enough to fully protect you from heart disease and poor cholesterol – just standing up could be another crucial piece to the heart disease and cholesterol puzzle.

Exercise doesn’t have to be hard. To improve your cholesterol levels, the more frequently you exercise the more benefit you will see. Any type of exercise that increases your heart rate (but so that you can still talk comfortably) will aid in increasing HDL cholesterol and reducing triglycerides. You don’t have to exercise at top speed! Studies show most of the benefit comes from the total duration of exercise through the week. Walking for as little as 1 hour over the week will lower your risk of cardiovascular disease. As you build your confidence, increasing the speed intermittently (e.g. 2 minutes normal pace followed by 1 minute of faster pace) will give you further benefits.

Reduce your sitting time! Australian researchers have shown that for each additional hour that you watch TV (i.e. sit still) your risk of cardiovascular disease is increased by 18%. The risk of disease, total cholesterol, triglycerides were highest for those who watched more than 4 hrs of TV per day, compared to those who watched less than 2 hours. Another investigation showed that each 10% increase in sitting time is associated with an additional 3.1cm in waist circumference. However, research reported that for people sitting for the same length of time, those who had the most frequent breaks throughout the day (a break = standing up from their chair) were 6cm slimmer at the waist. The risk was still present in people performing regular exercise in their day! Think about all the time you are sitting through the day – breakfast, in the car, at work, at lunch, dinner…time to break it up!

Make an excuse to be active. Kicking the ball with mates, briskly walking around the shopping centre with bags full of new clothes(!), cleaning the car, gardening, mowing the lawn, golf, table tennis and many others are all great ways to increase your activity levels and are intense enough to promote healthier cholesterol levels .

Moral to the story:

Regardless of your current exercise program, try and increase it by 15 minutes collectively over the next week – every bit will contribute.
While you sit still, your health goes backwards – take a break from the chair every 20 minutes. Just standing up and taking a couple of steps a few times each hour could mean a smaller waistline! How easy is that!!!
Plan some fun activity for the weekends or through the week. Make a catch up with friends more active, e.g. going for a walk, THEN a coffee; have a picnic instead of eating in; organise group walk/rides with friends on a regular basis; or get stuck into the garden.

However, Take the right precautions: If you have been fairly inactive for a while, don’t go too hard too fast. Start slow, and increase the amount of activity slowly. Build your endurance fitness first (walking, riding, swimming etc) then look to add in strength training after this.

If you are a male over 45 years, female over 55 years, unsure of your cholesterol or blood pressure, if you smoke, are currently overweight or have current muscle injuries you should see your doctor before starting a new exercise program. Ask your GP for a referral to an Accredited Exercise Physiologist. They are the specialists in managing cholesterol and other chronic diseases through safe and effective exercise. You can find one in your area at http://www.essa.org.au. Most sessions are supported by Medicare and private health funds.

Being active is essential for a healthy heart

Cameron McDonald – GO2 Human Performance, Everton Hills, Brisbane

Accredited Exercise Physiologist and Accredited Practising Dietitian & Nutritionist

Email: cam.mcdonald1@gmail.com; Phone: 0411380566; Follow me on Twitter (Cam_McDonald)

Medicare rebates and Private Health funds applicable

Servicing Brisbane and surrounding areas.

Individual consultations (exercise and nutrition)
Group sessions
Corporate health presenter and motivational speaker

Heart beat news: High cholesterol in your 20’s increases your risk

Nicole Senior — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 07:04:58 +0000

It’s easy to dismiss cholesterol levels as a worry for the middle aged or older, however new research has shown for the first time that elevated cholesterol levels-especially LDL (bad) cholesterol – in young adulthood increase the risk of developing heart disease later in life. The US-based study followed over three thousand adults aged 18-30 at the start of the study over 20 years and found those who had high cholesterol in their 20s and 30s went on to develop calcium deposits in their arteries – an indicator of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) that leads to heart attacks. Even small elevations in LDL cholesterol of 2.6-3.3mmol/L (100-129mg/dL) was associated with higher risk. It seems lasting damage can occur in an age when most people feel bullet-proof when it comes to their health. Even young people need to Eat to Beat Cholesterol to ensure a long and healthy life.

Reference: Annals of Internal Medicine; August 2, 2010 http://www.annals.org/content/153/3/137.abstract

High cholesterol can be trouble even for young people

Heart beat news: Aussie women’s cholesterol higher than men’s

Nicole Senior — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 06:59:53 +0000

The largest cholesterol study undertaken in general practice has found Aussie women have, on average, higher cholesterol levels than men. The study of 200,000 patient records, found the average total cholesterol of middle-aged women was 5.5 mmol/L, compared to an average of 5.3 mmol/L for middle-aged men. Of even greater concern is the finding that four out of five women aged 45 to 64 years had LDL (bad) cholesterol levels greater than 2.5 mmol/L, and 34% had HDL (good) cholesterol levels below 1 mmol/L – both of which indicate an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The average total cholesterol for women of all ages was also slightly higher than that of men. Despite complacency and lack of awareness about CVD in women, it remains the biggest killer. Increased obesity and a diet high in saturated fat are major culprits.
Ladies, please Eat to Beat Cholesterol and pass it on to your friends and family. Heart-friendly food can be thy medicine (and fun to eat too)
Source: http://www.medicalobserver.com.au/news/women-outdo-men-in-high-ldlc-level?hash=d4075bafd5a19ebf376075c54e1eb02f-dab28c8a35a39181fa500bd6ea590d56

Exercise and heart-healthy eating can lower cholesterol

Heart beat news: Good Heart Health – sleep on it

Nicole Senior — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 06:52:28 +0000

A US study of 30,000 adults has identified 7 hours sleep a night as the magic number when it comes to the risk of heart disease. Sleeping less than 5 hours a day more than doubles the risk of coronary heart disease, angina, heart attack or stroke (cardiovascular disease). While it is not possible to say exactly why this is, it is well known that sleep affects hormones and metabolism and sleep deprivation impairs blood glucose and insulin regulation and increases blood pressure. Surprisingly, those sleeping more than 7 hours were also at increased risk. Those sleeping 9 hours or more were one and a half times more likely to have a heart attack or stroke, even when other factors such as weight, physical activity, smoking and drinking levels were taken into account. So it appears the generally accepted advice to sleep 7-8 hours will look after your heart.

Reference: Sleep. 2010;33:1037-1042. http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/726942

Aim for 7-8 hours sleep each day

Heart Beat News: Go nuts for cholesterol

Nicole Senior — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 06:47:58 +0000

We have written about the heart-health benefits of nuts in our books and offered great recipes to try. That’s why it’s so heartening to see another study giving nuts the thumbs up. In this meta-analysis of 25 human trials, eating an average of 67g nuts a day reduced cholesterol by 5%, LDL (bad) cholesterol by 7% and improved both cholesterol ratios (LDL:HDL & total:HDL). This means regular nut nibblers had a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease- a result that has come up in other studies as well. The degree of benefit increased the more nuts people ate (called a dose-effect), and it didn’t matter what sort of nuts they ate- they were all protective. Healthy eating for your heart just got even tastier!

Reference: Sabaté J et al. Arch Intern Med. 2010;170(9):821-827

http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/170/9/821

Graphic courtesy of www.nutsforlife.com.au

Food myth: We need to eat salt

Nicole Senior — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 06:43:57 +0000

Fact: We add salt to foods because we like it, not because we need it

I heard a food critic talking about salt (the main source of sodium in our diet) on the radio recently. He very much supported chefs adding salt to cooking because he said food had no flavour without it. He also said adding salt was good for us because the body needs it. He was half right on the first point but dead wrong on the second.

Our physiological need for sodium is actually very low. The average Adequate Intake (AI) for an adult is between 460-920mg sodium per day (equivalent to 1-2g salt). This amount is easily provided by the natural sodium content in whole foods such as meat, dairy, vegetables, fruits, grains, seeds and nuts. For example, a chicken drumstick, a cup of milk, a cup of mixed vegetables, a small banana, a cup of cooked rice, or 1/3 cup of mixed nuts all contain 100mg each. There are traditional hunter-gatherer societies, such as the Australian Aboriginals, who don’t add salt to their food at all and the malady of high blood pressure is unheard of. We, on the other hand, are dying young in droves due to hypertension-related causes because we eat too much salt. We eat on average 9g of salt a day when the Suggested Dietary Target (SDT) is 4g. Reducing this by 25 to 35% could lead to a 20% or greater reduction in risk of heart attacks and stroke.

So how did we get to a situation where eating too much salt become commonplace, and a pizza contains twice your daily recommended amount? Let’s start with the tongue. Human taste buds have receptors for sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami (a savoury flavour). The salt taste helped early man find mineral rich foods for survival in the same way sweetness helped to find foods high in sugars for energy. Of course the taste for salt was very sensitive to the low concentrations in wild, unprocessed foods. As we switched from hunter-gatherers to agricultural communities, we needed a way to preserve foods and salt was an excellent way to ensure food was available all year round. It was then our taste for salt began.

Then the industrial and technological revolutions radically changed the way we buy, store, cook and buy food. Nowadays we have sophisticated packaging, refrigeration, canning and freezing. From a preservation point of view, salt is redundant. While salt still fulfils some technical functions in food processing, by far the over-riding reason it is in our foods in large amounts is because we like the taste. We have grown accustomed to over-salted foods so much that we crave it and miss it when it’s gone. This of course creates a dilemma for restaurants and food manufacturers who want to use less salt – people complain there is less flavour.

So how do we cut back on salt as a community? There needs to be both a push from consumers for less salty foods and a pull from the food industry to use less. One won’t work without the other. We all have to wean ourselves off our lust for salt by cutting down gradually to give our abused taste buds a chance to recover and rediscover the taste of real and natural flavours again. Checking food labels to find lower sodium options will help, but so will switching to more fresh unprocessed foods and holding back on salt in cooking. It’s simple really, eat less salt and live a longer and healthier life.

Use less salt to protect your heart

Heart Food Fact Feast: Apples

Nicole Senior — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 06:33:56 +0000

An apple a day

Researchers are finding out more about the health benefits of apples every day. There really is something in the phrase ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’. A recent review of the health benefits of apples was completed by the CSIRO on behalf of the Aussie apple industry and the news is great for this crisp and crunchy health food. They are a low GI, high fibre, antioxidant powerhouse with research suggesting their soluble fibre content helps to lower cholesterol. They are also a dieter’s friend because of their filling power. Studies show eating an apple before a meal helps you to eat less during the meal. With so many varieties to choose from there is a super-apple for everyone. Don’t forget to keep your apples in the fridge and not on the bench to preserve their crispness. There are more antioxidants in the peel than in the flesh so ensure you eat the skin as well.

Reference: The 2010 Apple Report- Key findings from a CSIRO review of apples, their antioxidants and benefits to human heath. Available at http://oneadaysuperfood.com.au/pdfs/2010/Apple_2010_Report_lowres.pdf

The website http://oneadaysuperfood.com.au is a great source of apple facts, tips and recipes

An apple a day may indeed keep the doctor away

Heart-to-heart Question: do vegetable oils contains trans fats?

Nicole Senior — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 06:29:09 +0000

A reader was recently told the following by a cardiologist and asked my opinion about it:

“Most hotels and restaurants use vegetable oils for frying. As a result, the amount of trans-fats in vegetable oils is increased. Trans-fats increase your bad (LDL) cholesterol, decrease your good (HDL) cholesterol and increase your serum triglycerides”

Of course the cardiologist wasn’t quite right and I suggested she refer them to Eat to Beat Cholesterol! Here’s the answer…

Answer. Heating vegetable oils during normal cooking (such as deep frying) does not produce trans fats. Trans fats are only produced during industrial processing. However many commercial deep frying oil products for the restaurant and catering industry are partially hydrogenated (hardened) to improve the texture of the cooked food and prolong their frying life. It is the partial hydrogenation that produces trans fats. That is why health advocates such as the Heart Foundation recommend trans-free, non-partially-hydrogenated commercial frying oils to the restaurant trade. Vegetable oils you buy from the supermarket are not partially hydrogenated, fully liquid at room temperature and therefore have negligible amounts of trans fats.

For deep frying at home (which I suggest you do infrequently because it produces high-kilojoule meals), you can use a variety of healthy oils such as canola, rice bran oil, sunflower and olive. Because it is more stable, you can re-use olive oil a couple of times provided you filter the oil to remove the crumbs and store in a cool dark place. It will however absorb strong flavours such as fish. Use a processed olive oil rather than extra virgin olive oil for this purpose. Extra virgin oils are best for drizzling and dressing rather than cooking to preserve the beneficial phytochemicals and wonderful flavor.

Supermarket cooking oils have negligible trans fats

Heart-to-heart Question: Should I take salt for muscle cramps?

Nicole Senior — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 06:18:58 +0000

Answer: No. The cause of muscle cramps is not fully understood but they can be caused by dehydration, inadequate blood supply and depletion of other minerals such as potassium, calcium and magnesium. Salt (sodium chloride) tablets or additional salt added to food only make dehydration worse. Cramps occur more often in untrained muscle, such as when you first start to exercise after a period of prolonged inactivity. Stretching and massaging the muscle, and application of cold pack to relax the muscle helps. In severe cases, Doctors may prescribe medications to relax the muscle. Remember to stay well hydrated before and during exercise. See the following links for more information.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/muscle-cramp/DS00311/DSECTION=prevention.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/muscle-cramp/DS00311/DSECTION=causes.

Massage can help muscle cramps

Victoria: Nutrition labels on fast foods

Nicole Senior — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 06:54:08 +0000

The Victorian government has mandated the provision of nutrition information on fast food chain menus by 2012. Rather than listing the information on the wrapper, brochure or website, the kilojoule counts as well as Daily Intake statement will need to appear beside the menu to inform consumers when they order. A Daily Intake statement (%DI) provides the percentage of the daily intake the serving of food constitutes. For example a kilojoule count with a %DI is 4350kJ (50% DI) which indicates the number of kilojoules in the serving of food constitutes 50% of an average adults daily energy intake.

The intention is to assist consumers make informed decisions about the food they buy in the hope of steering them towards healthier choices. If they use it as health advocates hope, they may decide a burger, large chips (fries) and a large cola is not worth the 50% of daily kilojoules (calories) it provides in the one meal. It will be interesting to see how this works in reality. A similar system has been in place in the US state of New York since May 2009 and the results are not encouraging so far. A larger evaluation is yet to be published but a smaller analysis by New York University of low income residents buying food from McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Burger King and Kentucky Fried Chicken in New York where calorie counts are required versus low income residents living in New Jersey where no counts are used found calorie counts made no difference to the kilojoule (calorie) content of their order. And this is despite 28% of the residents saying the calorie counts influenced them to make better choices.

Perhaps fast food buyers don’t rate nutrition highly in their purchasing decision? Maybe the price is the over-riding influence in this context? Maybe Victorians are different to New Yorkers? Obviously there is more to changing eating behavior than information and education, especially in poorer communities but let’s hope seeing the kilojoule counts loom large might help some people go easier on fast food and help them to manage a healthy diet. Every little bit helps.

Fast food in Victoria will have kilojoule counts by 2012