Lifestyle Changes vs. Diet to Lose Weight
In order to promote heart health, many times weight loss is required. With over two-thirds of the US adult population being overweight or obese, this is almost a given…even though there are exceptions. When you think about weight loss I think “diet” is the first thing that comes to mind. Plus, in some ways it is more appealing. It somehow equates to quick results. However, you do have another option – lifestyle changes.
Lifestyle changes are more effective long term than “going on a diet”. Let’s compare these two options.
Diet
There are many diet options.
Low-carb
Low-fat
High protein
Vegetarian
Blood type diet
The Zone Diet
South Beach Diet
Weight Watchers
Raw Food Diet
Jenny Craig
Dean Ornish Diet
Mediterranean Diet
Atkins Diet
…and the list goes on. Which one is right for? All the diet options are more likely to cause confusion as you determine which one is best. Plus, the word “diet” implies a short term fix. You’re not going to stay on a diet forever, right? This means after the diet ends, most people regain the weight and you are right back to square one.
For long term success, lifestyle changes are shown to have more lasting results.
Anti-Inflammatory Diet to Promote Heart Health
Consuming a low cholesterol diet is not necessarily the best treatment plan for lowering cholesterol levels and reducing your risk for heart disease.
Why? Well, it depends on which of your total cholesterol particles is elevated. For example, if LDL cholesterol is high, it’s best to focus on reducing your intake of saturated fat. If triglycerides are elevated you want to reduce your sugar and alcohol intake for the most impact. Knowing which of your cholesterol particles is elevated will allow you to implement a more effective treatment plan.
Then you also have the other component – inflammation. Cholesterol by itself does not necessarily lead to heart disease. It’s a process that begins with inflammation resulting in the oxidation of cholesterol particles. So, you also want to incorporate a diet rich in “anti-inflammatory foods”.
How to Follow an Anti-Inflammatory Diet
Continue reading
Are You Middle-Age with High Cholesterol?
First of all, your cholesterol levels are not the final determinant of your heart attack or heart disease risk. Other factors besides cholesterol play a role, such as inflammation which causes cholesterol to oxidize and then lead to heart concerns. That being said, you don’t just want to ignore cholesterol levels. They are a good measure to assess risk and determine if further investigation is needed to determine appropriate treatment.
Norwegian researchers reported middle-age men with high cholesterol levels to be at increased risk for a first heart attack when compared to women with high cholesterol levels.
This study, published in the September issue of Epidemiology, included more than 40,000 participants under the age of 60 years-old. They found men with high cholesterol to have three times the risk for a heart attack versus women.
The reason for this increased wasn’t identified by the researchers, but speculation that it may be connected to the protective effects of hormones, such as estrogen. That is why this study had an age limit of 60 years-old. After the age of 60, the protective benefits women may receive from hormones is eliminated as menopause begins.
Omega 3’s: Should You Stop Taking Fish Oil Supplements?
On July 11, 2013 research results from Brasky et al. were published online in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. The concluded that high blood concentrations of omega 3 fatty acids were linked to increase prostate cancer risk. Researchers state these results support their 2011 findings that omega 3 fatty acids play a role in prostate cancer.
In the few weeks since this study was published, many doctors and researchers have weighed in with their viewpoints on the study results. Let’s sift through all the information and focus on what you need to know so you can decide if you should continue supplementing omega 3 fatty acids or not.
The Study
This study, released by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, analyzed participant data from the Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT). SELECT was a large randomized, placebo-controlled trial to test whether selenium and vitamin E reduced prostate cancer risk. SELECT was not a double-blind placebo controlled trial focused on omega 3’s and prostate cancer. Participants in SELECT had their omega 3 levels measured. It was the plasma phospholipid omega 3 levels of 834 men who developed prostate cancer and 1393 men who did not develop prostate cancer that was analyzed for this most recent research linking omega 3’s to prostate cancer.
Cardiologist Dr. Stephen Sinatra points out valid concerns regarding vitamin E and its pro-oxidative effect on cholesterol. Oxidation causes the production of free radicals, which increases health concerns (ie cancer, heart disease, etc.). In SELECT, participants received 400 IU of dl-alpha tocopherol (one form of vitamin E). Many would argue that supplementing high levels of one form of vitamin E is associated with its own negative health consequences. Sharing this to show that the data analyzed from SELECT may have been ‘contaminated’ by the vitamin E supplementation which can impact results. Also, keep in mind that some participants were on prescription medications, were smokers, regularly drank alcohol, were overweight/obese, and/or had a first-degree relative with prostate cancer…all of which impact prostate cancer risk.
Omega 3 Levels
Here are the plasma omega 3 levels and the cancer risk found in this research:
Your Heart And Your Favorite Tipple: Be Alcohol Aware
This week I am sharing with you a guest post provided by Lisa Redmond.
When tackling the problems associated with heart disease, raised blood sugar and cholesterol the onus is usually rightly on tackling diet, weight and whether the patient is a smoker or not. One often overlooked issue with all of these conditions relates to the amount of alcohol a person drinks and how that can affect the overall health of someone who is battling cardiovascular disease. Many people assume that alcohol is something that may perhaps only affect organs like the liver, but it can take its toll on the heart too. Being alcohol aware and knowing the problems it can create are so important in getting a handle on heart disease.
Your heart and alcohol
In the US, it is recommended that anyone, whether suffering from ill health or not, should only drink one or two alcoholic drinks a day. A measure of alcohol equates to a 4oz glass of wine, a 12oz glass of beer or a 1oz measure of spirits. In small quantities alcohol can be beneficial for you, as part of a healthy, well balanced diet and exercise regime.
In fact studies have shown that red wine can be one of the drinks that actively helps to fight against heart disease – but only if it is taken in moderation and not drunk to excess. Red wine contains flavonoids which have a positive antioxidant effect on the system and help to fight against furring of the arteries.
Should You Use Sports Drinks to Stay Hydrated?
Sports drinks provide the body with fluid, carbohydrates, and electrolytes.
First, let’s make sure we are thinking about the same types of drinks when we use the term “sports drinks”. By sports drinks, I’m referring to Gatorade, Accelerade, Powerade, Propel, and the like.
When you are in the grocery store and see the labels on some sports drinks you may be confused into thinking it’s something you would benefit from consuming. The variety of health benefits claimed can include such things as improved health and more energy.
When sports drinks we initially created, the whole point was to provide athletes the replacement fluid, electrolytes, and macronutrients (ie carbohydrates) they need to perform long term bouts of exercise optimally.
So think about that….do you perform long duration exercise where you want to replace carbohydrates burned? If you are like the average American or individual fighting heart disease, your goal is to lose weight. Replacing the calories you burn is not part of the ideal plan to achieve your goals.
In most cases, water is going to be enough for you to replace lost fluid during activity and keep core body temperature to an appropriate level.
Now, for workouts lasting more than 60 minutes, sports drinks do contain some nutrients that can be of value.
Carbohydrates
I’m going to include carbohydrates in this list, so we can differentiate for athletes versus you. When working out, your muscles utilize glycogen. Muscle glycogen levels are limited and become depleted. How quickly levels are depleted depend on exercise intensity and duration. Many sports drinks contain 10 to 20 grams (40 to 80 calories) of carbohydrates per 8 ounce serving. This is a 6 to 8% carbohydrate concentration. Due to high fluid losses during high intensity/duration activities you do not want the carbohydrate concentration to exceed 8% which can delay gastric emptying and lead to gastrointestinal issues.
As an FYI, soft drinks and energy drinks typically contain carbohydrate concentrations above 10%.
As I mentioned above, your goal is not necessarily to replace carbohydrates burned via the carbohydrates in sports drinks. However, there are now low calorie sports drinks on the market that also provide some of the below nutrients which may be beneficial to you.
Electrolytes
