Blog - Page 117 of 121 - Lower Cholesterol and Blood Pressure with Lisa Nelson RD

Vytorin to lower cholesterol

Published September 7, 2008 | By Lisa Nelson, RD

A reader from The Heart of Health is treating high cholesterol with Vytorin. The medication Vytorin is a combination of the statin drug Zocor and the cholesterol lowering drug Zetia. The two drugs differ in that statins function mainly in the liver to reduce production of cholesterol, while Zetia works in the digestive tract to block the absorption of cholesterol from food.

Vytorin is in the press right now, because of a possible link to increased cancer risk. Studies including 20,000 patients compared cancer in those treated with Vytorin (313) to those taking a Zocor/statin drug (326). Actual cancer deaths were greater in those taking Vytorin (97) versus Zocor (72). From my perspective, that is not a significant difference; however, there are experts that agree with me and experts that disagree.

Anyway, The Heart of Health reader requested my thoughts.

First, absolutely discuss with your MD the best treatment for you. I would discuss the possibility of a statin lowering drug with proven effectiveness/safety as an alternative until the controversy regarding Vytorin is settled. Also, there is debate surrounding the effectiveness of Zetia at preventing heart disease.

Of course, I do not know your personal situation and if you have tried a statin with poor results in the past.

Anytime you have to take a medication, there is the risk of side effects. Many times it’s simply a matter of weighing the pros and cons and deciding how much risk you’re willing to take.

Of course, I promote making lifestyle and diet changes to lower cholesterol to eliminate the need for medications or at least reduce the amount of medication needed to treat your condition.

If you are not a current subscriber to The Heart of Health, you’ll receive a subscriber exclusive report: “Stop Wasting Money – Take Control of Your Health” and regular heart health and weight loss tips once you sign-up.

All the best,

Lisa Nelson, RD, LN
eNutritionServices

Posted in Lower Cholesterol | Tagged Heart Disease, Lower Cholesterol, vytorin

Preserve potassium when preparing potatoes

Published September 5, 2008 | By Lisa Nelson, RD

If you’re making mashed potatoes or many other potato dishes, what do you do? Cube the potatoes and throw them in a pot of water to boil? If you want to hang on to the potassium potatoes offer, it’s best to boil the potato whole – skin and all. When potatoes are cubed or shredded then boiled, studies show a 75% loss of potassium.

Also, good news if you like to soak your potatoes in water overnight. Soaking potatoes does not result in a significant loss of nutrients to the water they’re soaked in.

For regular heart health and weight loss tips from dietitian Lisa Nelson, be sure to sign up for The Heart of Health ezine.

Posted in Heart Health | Tagged heart health, nutrients, potassium, potatoes

Omega 3’s and Walnuts

Published September 1, 2008 | By Lisa Nelson, RD

Sometimes people wonder about the health benefits of the black walnut versus the more common English walnut, so I’m going to provide you some quick info.

The English walnut contains more omega 3 fatty acids per ounce than the black walnut (2.6 grams versus .57 grams). To promote heart health, increasing your omega 3 fatty intake is a good step to take, so opt for the English walnut (which is easier to find anyway).

Another component to keep in mind:

The type of omega 3 fatty acid contained in walnuts is ALA (alpha linolenic acid). The conversion of ALA to EPA and DHA (the two types of omega 3 fatty acids linked to health benefits) is inefficient.

The Heart of Health

Be sure to sign up for The Heart of Health to receive regular heart health and weight loss tips from dietitian Lisa Nelson!

Image courtesy of Aleksa D / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Posted in Lower Cholesterol | Tagged heart health, omega 3, walnuts

Wear a pedometer for heart health and weight loss!

Published August 29, 2008 | By Lisa Nelson, RD

Wearing a pedometer is a simple way to track your activity.

First, wear a pedometer everyday for a week and write your daily steps on a calendar. By the weeks end, you’ll have a idea of how much you move each day.

Next, find ways to increase your steps, such as an extra walk, taking the stairs versus the elevator, parking further from the store, etc.

Make your final goal 10,000 steps (~5 miles) each day!

Lisa Nelson, RD, LN
The Heart of Health

Posted in Lose Weight | Tagged heart health, pedometer, steps, weight loss

A Heart Friendly Starbucks?

Published August 27, 2008 | By Lisa Nelson, RD

I may have some good news for Starbucks lovers.

Normally, the high sugar, high fat, high calorie beverage and menu items offered by Starbucks were reasons to steer clear if you struggle to lower triglycerides, lower cholesterol, or shed extra pounds.

Starbucks is typically not the best place to grab a quick breakfast with a Frappuccinno, while scanning the daily paper.

Simply selecting a Grande Frappuccino and Cranberry Orange Muffin would start your day with a whopping 850 calories and 30 grams of fat!

In the past Starbucks has not embraced the idea of offering more nutritious items. They did remove trans fats and started offering nonfat milk this past year, but there is still plenty of room for improvement.

The good news is Starbucks has decided to revamp their breakfast menu to offer six heart friendly breakfast options. The goal was a menu with fewer calories, more protein, more fiber, and more fruit.

New menu selections include:

Apple bran muffin – 330 calories, 8 grams of fat, 7 grams fiber
Baked berry stella – 280 calories, 9 grams of fat, 6 grams fiber
Power Protein plate with peanut butter – 330 calories, 16 grams fat, 5 grams fiber
Chewy fruit and nut bar – 250 calories, 10 grams fat, 4 grams fiber
Perfect oatmeal – 140 calories, 2.5 grams fat, 4 grams fiber

These new options provide reduced calories and fat grams, while boosting dietary fiber content. All good moves if you are looking to be heart friendly.

You still need to use your head when choosing a beverage. Starbucks is not removing its’ high calorie, fat, and sugar beverage options. One of the best choices is a simple Caffe Americano (15 calories, 0 grams fat).

So, if you enjoy the Starbucks ambiance, you’ll now be able to enjoy a heart healthy breakfast, too. Hopefully, the taste of the new menu items lives up to the flavor of their coffee!

To receive regular heart health and weight loss tips from dietitian Lisa Nelson, subscribe to The Heart of Health ezine.

Posted in Lose Weight, Lower Cholesterol | Tagged breakfast, calories, heart healthy, Lower Cholesterol, Starbucks, Triglycerides, weight loss

Brown rice – New whole grain health claim.

Published August 26, 2008 | By Lisa Nelson, RD

I’ve always recommended clients make a switch from white rice to brown rice as a way to boost dietary fiber intake. A diet high in dietary fiber (ideally 25-35 grams/day) is linked with reduced heart disease risk by lowering LDL and total cholesterol levels.

The FDA just approved a new ruling that will allow brown rice to use a health claim on its label. So, when you’re shopping for groceries, be on the look out for the new whole-grain logo added to the brown rice packaging and don’t forget to reach for the brown rice over the white! A 1/2 cup of cooked brown rice contains two grams of fiber.

Brown rice takes extra time to prepare (~45 minutes). I checked out the nutrition label on brown “minute” rice recently and it’s another option, still providing 2 grams of dietary fiber per 1/2 cup serving. Best of all, only takes ~10 minutes to prepare. Haven’t tried it yet, so can’t vouch for its flavor, but I have added it to my shopping list.

All the best,

Lisa Nelson, RD, LN
The Heart of Health

Posted in Lower Cholesterol | Tagged brown rice, dietary fiber, health claim, Heart Disease, heart health, LDL, Lower Cholesterol, whole grain

Vytorin to lower cholesterol

Preserve potassium when preparing potatoes

Omega 3’s and Walnuts

Wear a pedometer for heart health and weight loss!

A Heart Friendly Starbucks?

Brown rice – New whole grain health claim.

Search This Site

Categories

Recent Posts