Karen Marschel, RD, LD, CDE asked:


 

1.     Omega 6 Fats: This type of fat is found in corn oil and soybean oil and the amount we use has increased over the years because we eat more processed foods. Go check a few boxed foods in your kitchen cupboard and you will likely find soybean oil in the ingredient list. Too much omega-6 fat can increase inflammation.

2.      Omega 3 Fats: There are 3 omega-3 fats – DHA, EPA and ALA.  The first two are found in fatty fish such as tuna, salmon, trout, mackerel, and herring. ALA is the plant source of omega-3 and is found in flax seed and walnuts.  Omega-3 fats help reduce inflammation.  If you can eat fish high in omega 3 twice a week you can get a good base amount for heart health. If you don’t like fish then you can take fish oil capsules. Remember to read the dosage directions on your supplement bottle. If your doctor recommends 1000mg or 1gram fish oil daily, that actually means 1000mg EPA/DHA. What you need to do is add the EPA and DHA amounts. Most bottles have about 300mg of these once you add them together so that means you need 3-4 pills to get 1000mg of omega-3. You also want to buy a brand you feel has good quality. Since supplements are not regulated you have no guarantee what is actually in the bottle. Flax seed is a grain and can be purchased as seed or milled. You need to eat the ground form to get the health benefits because the body can not break down the seed form. Once it is ground be sure to keep it refrigerated. Add 1-2 tablespoons to cereal, yogurt, or any dish you are having. You will get the benefit of the omega-3 and the fiber! 

3.     Monounsaturated fats are also anti-inflammatory and good for our heart and cholesterol. The Mediterranean Diet is high in monounsaturated fats and includes regular intake of foods like olive oil, canola oil, avocados and nuts. Eating these good fats can lower blood pressure, cholesterol and reduce risk for diabetes.

4.     Trans fats are not good for our health. Some trans fats are naturally found in animal foods but most of our excess trans fats are from processed fat in packaged foods. Stick margarine is the classic example of trans fats. When stick margarine is made, oil is processed to become solid. This process is called hydrogenation and you will often see the words “partially hydrogenated” on ingredient labels. The chemical process of making oil turn solid creates trans fats which have been found to raise artery clogging cholesterol (LDL) and lower artery cleaning cholesterol (HDL).  Trans fat amounts are required to be on labels by FDA and you want to try to keep your intake as close to zero as possible. The simplest way to keep trans fat intake low is to eat less processed food.

5.     Saturated fats can also raise cholesterol.  Just think of saturated fat as solid fat like lard or butter.  Whole and 2% milk, cheese and fatty meats are also high in saturated fat. Some snack foods and bakery products are high in saturated fats as well. Check the labels and try to keep saturated fat less than 20 grams daily.  You do not need to quit eating cheese and eggs. My recommendation is to choose small portions of less processed cheese. I personally don’t like fat-free cheese for the taste or texture. Eggs have a little saturated fat but are also a very good protein source. They have gotten a bad reputation over the years due to their higher cholesterol content. Reducing processed foods will do much more for your health than cutting out the eggs.



heart health

Jason Witt asked:


When you receive the Seal God will take away from you the tendency to drink unworthily of Jesus Christ. So you will be able to enjoy drinking red wine in moderate amounts for the health benefits like heart health shown in a new study.

In November 2007 the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published a new study showing that after a month of drinking two glasses of wine each day, women had less inflammatory substances in their blood.

The researches looked at how wine may affect inflammation. Inflammation happens when the body responds to injury. Two major health risks–obesity and smoking–are two stressful things that cause inflammation in the body.

Although they do not cause as much inflammation as an injury, they cause enough constant low-level inflammation to build up plaque in the artery walls, according to the theories of researchers.

And it is believed that inflammation makes arteries more susceptible to rupture leading to blood clots which could cause heart attacks. Plaque and heart attacks are definitely two things you want to avoid.

These studies show how wine, and red wine in particular, may help heart health in a new way not known before now. Many studies have shown that wine drinkers tend to have lower incidences of heart disease than those who do not ever drink.

And research has shown that wine drinking raises good HDL cholesterol, which is one explanation for the lower rates of heart disease among wine drinkers. but is not the whole picture.

Researchers in this new study say they want to figure out just exactly how wine protects the heart. That way they can prove that there is a direct link between wine and heart health.

Studies have shown wine drinkers have better heart health, but wine may not be the reason. Wine drinkers may have a better diet or get more exercise or something else known to be a direct link to heart health.

In this study, 35 healthy women were taken, who were regular moderate wine drinkers. Each woman spent a month eating a heart-healthy diet without any wine at all.

Then followed a month of drinking a glass of red wine with 2 meals. Then a month of white wine followed the red wine. After the month of red wine their good cholesterol raised and inflammatory substances lowered.

Of course red wine had more of this good effect on the women than white wine. Red wine has more polyphenols which are the antioxidants famed to be found in it, and these may be what is reducing inflammation.

When you receive the Seal God will give you the ability to drink moderately–to truly drink to your health. More women die of heart disease each year than men, so anything to help heart health is needed.

If you have had trouble with drinking excessively and binge-drinking you may not feel you are able to drink red wine in moderate amounts. Of course you do not have to drink red wine for your health.

You could always drink green tea and get similar antioxidants. That will help your health too. But God wants you to break free of your addictions where you drank in an unworthy manner, and He will give you complete freedom from them when you receive the Seal.



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Lynne Gordon asked:


Good heart health does not have to be expensive. Mother Nature provides three cardiovascular cures/helpers which are surprisingly low in cost. Together all three can help you build up a weak heart and are guaranteed to provide additional benefits in preventing type II diabetes.



Cheap Heart Health Cure #1: Psyllium Husk.

Psyllium husk is a soluble fiber. It is also a complex carbohydrate. All this means is that the human body can not digest it so that once you eat it, it will be fermented in the large intestime and will yeild a wide range of heart-healthy benefits.  meaning it is an indigestible, complex carbohydrate. Among the benefits are appetite control, and control of your blood sugar and your body’s insulin production.

Studies have shown that for each ten grams per day of fiber in your diet will give you approximately a 15 percent decrease in the risk of a heart attack. This proactive treatment also gives about a 25 percent decrease in death from heart disease.

Psyllium husk is also a great supplement because of its ability to help control blood sugars. Excess sugar in the blood stream can cause heart disease because it becomes “oxidized.” This oxidation leads to a change in the molecular structure of sugars – causing what is known as advanced glycation end products or AGE-products. Like a knife carving clay, AGE products scar arterial walls. The scarring results in plague buildup and excess blood clotting. This mechanism is why diabetics have a 4.5 times increase of suffering from heart attack and stroke relative to non-diabetics.

Psyllium can be purchased for about $3 per month and the benefits it will give your body…? Priceless!



Cheap Heart Health Cure #2: B Vitamins.

B vitamins are absolutely imperative for proper brain and nervous system functions. The human body can not even replicate blood cells without B vitamins.

B vitamins are also involved in the metabolism of every cell of the human body, especially for proper DNA synthesis and regulation, but also for fatty acid synthesis and energy production. Harvard researchers writing in the Journal of the American Medical Association stated that women could cut their risk of heart disease by half with daily consumption of B vitamins.

The process of methylation, which rids the body of harmful homocysteine, is started by B vitamins. Without them this process can not occur and as the levels of homocysteine rises in the arteries the greater your chance of suffering from cardiovascular disease.

A daily B vitamin supplement should cost no more than $10 per month. The results? Priceless!

Cheap Heart Health Cure #1: Flavonoids.

Flavonoids are plant derived pigments. Over 4,000 have been studied for their cardiovascular and anti-cancer benefits. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition recommends consuming at least 7.5 mg a day. This will help to decrease your chance of dying from heart disease by as much as 20 percent.

Flavonoids preserve the cardiovascular system and heart by improving blood flow. This in turn enhance oxygen and nutrient delivery throughout your entire body,and prevents the formation of artery-scarring, oxidized LDL. It also relaxes the coronary arteries to prevent high blood pressure.

Foods that are the best sources of flavonoids are broccoli, hawthorn, grapeseed extract, black tea, citrus fruits, and organic dark chocolate.

Using these three cardiovascular cures to preserve health rather than drugs is a wise investment. It could potentially save you thousands in drug costs.



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