4 Diet Mistakes That Lead to Weight Gain
Aging throws some hurdles into your heart health and weight loss plans. For one your metabolism drops every decade as you age. Here are some mistakes to avoid if you want to see success:
1. Eating the same way you did 10-20 years ago.
Your metabolism (the rate you burn calories) decreases about 2% every 10 years beginning at age 30. If you continue to eat the same amount year after year you will gain weight.
2. Skipping meals.
May temporarily “save calories”, but you’ll quickly replace the calories as hunger leads you to overindulge at the next meal. Skipping meals can also cause your metabolism to slow down.
3. Jumping from fad diet to fad diet.
Fad diet should be synonymous with “bad diet”. There’s no research to back up the claims that eliminating this food or adding that one will cause you to lose weight. Nor will eating at only certain times of the day give you the long term results you seek.
4. Keeping unhealthy snacks within reach.
If you only have potato chips and sweets in your cupboards you are not setting yourself up for success. You must keep fruits and vegetables and healthy high fiber snacks on hand if you are to be expected to include more in your diet.
What are some of your habits that are sabotaging your success? I’d love to hear them. Share as a comment below.
Here’s a link to 1-A-Week Weight Loss Tips – http://www.weightlosswithlisa.com.
All the best,
Lisa Nelson RD
Best Weight Loss Plan
http://www.bestweightlossplan.org
Dr. Houston Answers Your Top Heart Health Questions – Part 1
I had the opportunity to interview hypertension expert Dr. Mark Houston last month (February 2010). Here are three of the questions he answered.
Lisa Nelson RD: It is typically recommended that cholesterol medications be taken prior to bed. Would you explain the reason why? Also, is there a best time of day to take blood pressure medication?
Dr. Houston: Statins work best at night to inhibit an enzyme in the liver when cholesterol production is the highest. Blood pressure medications are best taken at night to reduce the early morning increase in blood pressure which is highest between 3 AM and 10AM.
Lisa Nelson RD: If you discontinue a blood pressure medication how long does it stay in your system?
Dr. Houston: It depends on the duration of action of the medication. Some of the longer acting medications may last for 24 to 72 hours. However most are gone in 24 hours or less. Never stop any blood pressure medication abruptly especially beta blockers and clonidine, as withdrawal may occur with rapid increases in blood pressure, heart rate, headache, chest pain, palpitations and even heart attack or stroke.
Lisa Nelson RD: When someone has uncontrolled systolic blood pressure (diastolic tends to be within normal) what are steps they can take to promote control of systolic blood pressure?
Dr. Houston: Low salt, high magnesium intake, high potassium intake, fruits and vegetables, exercise, weight loss. The best medications for Systolic blood pressure are ACEI, ARB and CCB. Diuretics and beta blockers are less effective. High systolic usually means stiff arteries.
I’ll be posting more of the Q&A with Dr. Houston over the next few weeks. Sign-up for the e-course 7 Natural Ways to Lower Blood Pressure and you’ll also be notified when the new blog posts are added.
All the best,
Lisa Nelson RD
http://www.lowerbloodpressurewithlisa.com
Cholesterol Medication, Grapefruit, and Fungi
Currently there are cholesterol medications that interact with grapefruit meaning individuals that are prescribed these medications need to avoid grapefruit and grapefruit juice. There’s a component in grapefruit called furanocomarins (FCs) that interfere with the enzyme activity that metabolizes (breaksdown) certain medications. Therefore grapefruit can inhibit the medication from entering the bloodstream.
The USDA Agricultural Research Service found a fungus (Aspergillus niger) that will bind with FCs causing the component to be inactive. This may mean avoiding grapefruit may not be necessary in the future for individuals taking certain medications.
I’m curious to know your thoughts. I’m not so sure I like the idea of altering the FCs in grapefruit. Who knows if there is a benefit we haven’t learned yet related to FCs? Also, what if inhibiting FCs causing a new problem? Share your thoughts below!
All the best,
Lisa Nelson RD
How to Lower Cholesterol in 8 Simple Steps
http://www.lowercholesterolwithlisa.com
Lower Blood Pressure with a Low Carb Diet
Let me state right up front that I do not recommend following a low carb diet. That being said I want to share some of the latest research with you.
A study published on January 25, 2010 in the Archives of Internal Medicine compared a low carb diet versus a low fat plus orlistat diet. Researchers analyzed the effect of these two diets on weight loss and blood pressure.
Just in case you don’t know, orlistat is also known by the names Xenical and Alli.
Researchers studied 146 participants from the Department of Veterans Affairs primary care clinics in Durham, North Carolina. Participants were randomly assigned to either the low carb of the low fat plus orlistat diet, received instructions, and were monitored for 48 weeks. Some factors analyzed included body weight, blood pressure, fasting serum lipid, and glycemic parameters.
Results of the study found weight loss to be similar between the two groups at ~9% body weight. The low carbohydrate diet resulted in a lower blood pressure for participants when compared to the low fat diet with orlistat. The low carb diet lowered systolic (top number) blood pressure on average 5.9 mm Hg and diastolic (bottom number) blood pressure 4.5 mm Hg.
HDL Cholesterol and triglyceride levels improved for individuals on each diet, while LDL cholesterol improved only for those on the low fat plus orlistat diet. Glycemic parameters, such as glucose, insulin, and hemoglobin A1C only improved for low carbohydrate diet participants. Although it’s worth noting that the difference between groups was not statistically significant.
Like I said at the beginning I do not recommend a low carb diet. My first choice to promote a lower blood pressure would be the DASH diet. A study on the DASH diet was actually published in this same journal issue.
The DASH Diet alone was compared to the DASH diet in combination with a weight management and exercise plan. The DASH Diet when combined with an exercise/weight management plan resulted in an 11.2 mm Hg drop of systolic blood pressure and an average weight loss of 19 pounds over a 4 month period.
The main thing to remember is that you need to pick a plan you can stick with for the long term. Steady, consistent action is what will lead to results. If you haven’t already I encourage you to sign-up for the e-course 7 Natural Ways to Lower Blood Pressure at http://www.lowerbloodpressurewithlisa.com.
What do you think about using a low carb diet to lower blood pressure? Share your thoughts below.
All the best,
Lisa Nelson RD
Lower Cholesterol and Blood Pressure – Are you ready?
How long have you been struggling to lower cholesterol and/or blood pressure? 12 months? 3 years? More than 10 years?
Are you ready to stop struggling and start getting results?
Over the years I’ve worked with clients to improve heart health it’s become very clear that those who receive long-term support see much greater levels of success which is why I want to get this option available to you. It’s going to be comprehensive and customized to your needs to ensure your success.
Some of the specifics include:
Detailed Diet Assessment
You will receive a detailed evaluation of your dietary intake to specifically analyze your calorie and nutrient intake to determine what foods need to be increased, what foods need to be eliminated (or reduced) and what needs to be added so you are on track.
Expert Feedback
You will receive expert feedback and guidance from a heart health nutrition specialist to guide you in the right direction, help you overcome obstacles, and support you on your heart health journey.
Specific examples for your situation
This program doesn’t include general feedback regarding diets to lower cholesterol and blood pressure. This will be completely customized and based on your current diet and lifestyle habits to determine what YOU need to do. You will receive specific examples and suggestions on how you can meet your calorie, nutrient, and activity goals.
Direct Email Access to Ask Questions
Making diet and lifestyle changes is not a “cookie cutter” process. There will be ups and downs. You will have questions. This program allows you to directly submit your questions and receive answers without going through a “middle man”.
Track Your Progress
You will check-in at the start of every month to assess your progress and determine strategies and goals for the month ahead. This will include a goal checklist to make sure you stay on track.
Delicious Heart Healthy Recipes
Every week you’ll receive a new heart healthy recipe delivered directly to your email inbox. By then end of the program you’ll have added 24 new heart healthy choices to your meal plan.
Take Action Plan for Heart Health Success
This program will provide you the tools, information, guidance, and support you need to finally get on track and maintain your heart health for life. We’ll progress through several different factors including diet, lifestyle, and functional foods to meet your goals.
By the end of the 6 months (if you follow through) you’ll see. . .
Lower cholesterol levels
Reduced blood pressure
Elevated HDL cholesterol
Decreased need for medication
Increased energy
. . .and the potential for much more depending on your health goals!
Stay tuned for more details! If you want to receive priority notification (and be eligible for a special savings) sign-up for the priority notification list at http://www.hearthealthmadeeasy.com/notify.html.
All the best,
Lisa Nelson RD
Lower Blood Pressure with Whole Grains
The long running Health Professional Follow-Up Study has released new findings. The study found men who eat a high level of whole grains to be 19% less likely to develop high blood pressure compared to those eating the lowest levels of whole grains. The individuals with lower risks of developing high blood pressure consumed 52 grams of whole grains daily versus only 3 grams in the lower whole grain group.
Even though this study focused on men, similar results are being seen for women in the Women’s Health Study.
A few possible reasons increasing your intake of whole grains may prevent high blood pressure include better insulin sensitivity, lower blood sugar, decreased food intake to higher feelings of satiety (fullness).
Current whole grain recommendations are 85 grams per day.
How many grams of whole grains do you think you consume each? Do you have ideas for how you can increase your intake?
All the best,
Lisa Nelson RD
7 Natural Ways to Lower Blood Pressure
http://www.lowerbloodpressurewithlisa.com
