Blogcast Broadcast
Posted by Michelle Moquin on December 7th, 2008
Michelle’a Holiday Picks!
If you would like to buy any of these, click on any book and you will be taken to Amazon.com.
Hello…
I have decided that I will use the above section for special things…such as my ‘Holiday Picks’, so that you will have access to them throughout the holiday. Have any of you checked out any of the books? Some good stuff eh? I like to think so. The content may change as the weeks go by as, I discover new products that inspire me, or perhaps a product that is meaningful to an article that I write.
I thought this would be a fun addition to the blog. After all, I have always wanted my blog to be of service through inspiring and informing….not to mention just a ‘fun’ place to hang out. If I can pass along something that I have discovered that I think does either, or hopefully both, I will have accomplished my goal. Your thoughts? Blog me.
Until then…I look forward to surprising you with more!
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle
Aka BABE: Your Bad Ass Bitch Editor
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December 8th, 2008 at 5:38 am
EASY WAY TO CUT HEART ATTACK RISK
With stories about health so prominent in the news, we sometimes see technical terms tossed around as though everyone understands what they mean. “Triglycerides” is one of those, it seems to me. They are talked about more and more as doctors realize that cholesterol is only one of the markers for heart disease and heart attack risk, yet I’m not sure people understand the important role triglycerides play in nutrition and health. A National Lipid Association survey in 2006 found that nine out of 10 doctors agreed that elevated triglycerides are an independent risk factor for heart disease — but that message isn’t reaching their patients, as only 13% of the adults queried knew what are considered normal triglyceride levels. With triglycerides gaining importance as a measure to watch, we all need to understand what they are and how to control them.
TRIGLYCERIDES ARE FATS
According to Jonny Bowden, author of The Most Effective Natural Cures on Earth, triglycerides are the main form in which most fat exists, both in our bodies and as components of the foods we eat. “About 95% of the fat stored in your fat cells is in the form of triglycerides,” he said.
In our bodies, triglycerides are packaged, along with cholesterol and protein, into lipoproteins, two kinds of which are familiar to us as “good” and “bad” cholesterol. HDL (“good cholesterol” or high-density lipoprotein), has a higher proportion of protein, while LDL (“bad cholesterol” or low-density lipoprotein) has less protein and more cholesterol and triglycerides. The body uses these broken down-triglycerides as fuel.
But there can definitely be too much of a good thing, and there are significant problems with high levels of triglycerides. A Harvard research group led by J. Michael Gaziano, MD, found both triglycerides and HDL cholesterol to be sensitive indicators of risk for heart disease — and taken together, more accurate than cholesterol alone. The figure derived from dividing the triglyceride reading by the HDL reading turned out to be predictive of heart attack, researchers found. Those with the highest ratios of triglyceride to HDL were 16 times more likely to have a heart attack than those with the lowest ratios. A ratio of five or higher is of concern — and the lower the number, the better odds for your health. For example, a person with triglycerides of 200 and an HDL of 40 would have a ratio of 5, whereas someone with triglycerides of 100 and the same HDL of 40 would have a ratio of only 2.5. Usually people with elevated triglycerides will also have low HDL, Bowden told me.
It turns out that people with high triglycerides often have other major risk factors for heart disease, such as diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure. Even so, emerging evidence indicates that triglycerides themselves are a risk factor — not only for heart disease but also for stroke.
CONTROL TRIGLYCERIDES THROUGH DIET
Beyond the ratio, is there a target level of triglycerides for optimal health? The guidelines themselves are a matter of debate among physicians and nutritionists. Many of the forward-thinking ones believe that while current standards state that triglyceride levels of less than 150 can be considered “normal,” the top of that range is far higher than is optimal. “We like to keep the triglyceride readings of our patients below 100 if possible,” Mary Dan Eades, MD, and Michael Eades, MD, authors of The Protein Power Life Plan, told me, adding that in most cases dietary changes alone can accomplish that.
Reducing intake of excess carbohydrates and sugars, especially processed carbohydrates — those nasty “white flour foods” — can effectively lower triglyceride levels in the bloodstream. Bowden explained that this is because the body turns much of the extra calories and sugars in those foods directly into triglycerides to be stored as energy for future use. “Some of the calories are converted to glucose for immediate use,” he said. “Excess calories left after that get made into triglycerides. That’s why cutting back on foods with excess calories and sugar can lower triglyceride levels.”
Because triglycerides are the main form of fat in food, conventional wisdom is that eating less fat reduces triglycerides in the bloodstream. This can work, particularly when fiber is increased and weight loss accompanies the lower-fat diet, but the real leverage in lower triglycerides is reduction of simple carbohydrates. Carbs don’t have to be completely eliminated, Bowden says, “just concentrate on eating the ones from vegetables and fruits and those with high fiber. Don’t eat ‘the white stuff.’ ”
Reducing triglycerides is not just about what you can’t eat — Bowden says adding fish oil and garlic to your diet will also help. Numerous trials have established that fish oil supplements significantly lower triglycerides, leading the American Heart Association to recommend 2 to 4 grams of EPA and DHA (from omega-3 fatty acid supplements) daily for people who need to lower triglycerides. Other studies have shown a reduction of triglycerides with garlic which has the added benefit of lowering LDL (“bad”) cholesterol in the bargain. You can take garlic in supplements too, but this is best done under expert supervision as they can interact with medications and also affect blood coagulation. Or, you could revise your dinner menu to include fish entrees seasoned with garlic a couple of times a week… easy, delicious and healthy, too.
Source(s): ??Jonny Bowden, CNS, a board certified nutritionist and frequent Daily Health News contributor. Bowden is author of The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth (Fair Winds) as well as Living the Low Carb Life: Controlled Carbohydrate Eating for Long-Term Weight Loss (Sterling). He is the weight loss coach on iVillage.com and a frequent contributor to America Online. His free audio course on weight loss essentials is available at http://www.9stepstoweightloss.com.
December 8th, 2008 at 5:58 am
Where are the aliens? I try to get in but it keeps coming back you said that. and nothing posts. I am saying this for the first time.
Dana
December 8th, 2008 at 6:06 am
This blog is bogus. It doesn’t allow the opinions of the other thought. I think that the Indian girl who wrote in afraid of a confrontation with Pakistan is a typical woman’s reaction to the need to show willingness to defend one’s self.
India should show Pakistan that it can not send terrorist to our land to harm our country. India needs to act now and decisively.
Ajay
December 8th, 2008 at 6:14 am
India has the same right to unilaterally attack any country that has authorized terrorist attacks in India. The USA did not ask for permission from the world to attack Afghanistan or Iraq. We are nuclear power too. India does not have to ask permission to defend itself from outside aggression.
Your prevention of people like me from voicing our opinion on your blog only shows the bias of the USA to India right to self determination. I have been a faithful reader of you blog because I thought it gave everyone an equal opportunity to voice their opinions. Your blocking my comments for the past week says differently. I do not believe anyone controls your blog but you.
You have lost a reader.
Devyendu
December 8th, 2008 at 6:22 am
I was born in India but I have been an American citizen since I was 13 years old. That was 11 years ago. I go to India often to visit members of my family. I am constantly fending off attempts to put me in an arranged marriage. India is still a country ruled my silly men who use religion to keep their privileged place in India’s social hierarchy.
My relatives from India have been writing and calling saying they want India to show the pakistani that India will not tolerate their barbarism. I hope sensible minds will prevail.
Madhavi
December 8th, 2008 at 6:31 am
Where is you xmas spirit Michelle? Tell us some of your funniest xmas experiences. I remember when my dad tried to convince me and my two brothers that there was a Santa. He climbed up on the roof to make Santa noises. My big sister came home, saw a person on the roof and called the police. Imagine his embarrassment when the cops showed up with flashlight ordering him down. Laughs all around.
It is one of my fondest memories of my father. I know he will go to any lengths to show us that he loves us. I am an Internist at a local hospital near my home. I had many offers for far more money, but I stayed to be near my father. We lost our mother a week before my residency was over.
Caroline