Posts Tagged ‘Cholesterol’

Prescription 2015: Macadamia Nuts

August 3, 2015 Written by JP

These days, many nutritionists are no longer recommending a low fat diet as the be-all and end-all for promoting health. I agree! It’s absolutely fine, and, even advisable, for most people to eat moderate to large amounts of healthy fats. Foods such as avocados, grass fed meat, nuts, omega-3 eggs, seeds and wild fish can be enjoyed regularly without any sense of guilt or lingering uncertainty. But, the thing to keep in mind is that the components of any given diet do not exist in isolation. The health effects of dietary fat are influenced by the composition of your overall diet. For instance, a potato chip snack which is high in carbohydrates and fat will affect your body much differently than avocado slices wrapped in prosciutto. A typical serving of the latter may contain an equivalent amount of fat, but is much lower in carbohydrates and a richer source of protein.

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Posted in Food and Drink, Heart Health, Nutrition | 9 Comments & Updates

Prescription 2015: Sauna Therapy

March 9, 2015 Written by JP

When I was growing up, we had a beautiful sauna in my parent’s bedroom. But, since no one in our home was accustomed to sauna bathing, we simply used the space for storage. Looking back on it now, I wish we had put that “storage room” to better use! These days, I would love to have a sauna at home. What’s more, Mrs. Healthy Fellow grew up using saunas, so we would certainly put it to good use. Unfortunately, the probability of adding a sauna to our home is about as likely as the addition of an elevator. On the other hand, our local gym has a sauna that we can and should utilize more often. In fact, saunas are readily available in most communities. This is great news because there’s more reason than ever to use saunas on a regular basis.

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Posted in Alternative Therapies, Detoxification, Heart Health | 8 Comments & Updates

Sumac for Diabetes

January 13, 2015 Written by JP

Sometimes we eat certain foods or ingredients and don’t even realize it. This is especially true when trying dishes that aren’t a common part of our diet. Take as an example, sumac berries. Rhus coriaria or sumac is a primary component of the Middle Eastern spice blend known as zatar. You’ll often find zatar added to couscous, chicken and fish entrees, or simply sprinkled on top of fresh feta cheese, hummus or sliced tomatoes. It can also be blended into extra virgin olive oil as a flavorful dip or dressing.

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Posted in Diabetes, Food and Drink, Heart Health | 2 Comments & Updates

Prescription 2014: Strawberries

January 14, 2014 Written by JP

The word ‘prescription’ has become synonymous with medications that can only be prescribed by a licensed physician. In 2014, I’m going to do my part to reinvent the use of this word. Beginning today and continuing onward for each month of 2014, I’m going to prescribe a natural practice that may very well transform your current state of health for the better. The more “prescriptions” you adopt, the more your wellness is likely to improve.

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Posted in Food and Drink, Heart Health, Nutrition | 9 Comments & Updates

Tagatose Sweetener

September 17, 2013 Written by JP

Tagatose is a sweetener currently making its way onto the U.S. market. And, I want you to know more about it before it starts showing up in your local health food stores and markets. Personally, I’m interested in tagatose because it’s all natural, low glycemic and may even impart some significant health benefits. In addition, it’s a prebiotic, meaning that it selectively promotes the growth of healthy gut bacteria. If this sounds like something you’d be interested in as well, look for products with names like PreSweet and Tagatesse.

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Posted in Diabetes, Diet and Weight Loss, Nutrition | 4 Comments & Updates

Kale Kimchi Cholesterol Reducer

April 26, 2013 Written by JP

Over the years, several of my clients have expressed concern about borderline high levels of LDL cholesterol. In almost every case, the rest of their lipid profile (HDL or “good” cholesterol, triglycerides and VLDL or very low density cholesterol) were generally classified as acceptable to outstanding. Uniformly, my response has been that there’s nothing to be concerned about if they’re already leading a heart healthy lifestyle that avoids smoking and includes regular exercise, stress management and a nutrient-dense diet. Personally, I tell them that under the same circumstances, I wouldn’t use medications or supplements to lower my LDL cholesterol. However, on occasion, the largely unjustified fear that’s been instilled about LDL cholesterol persists and some sort of action is requested.

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Posted in Food and Drink, Heart Health, Nutrition | 23 Comments & Updates

Sauerkraut Health Benefits

December 10, 2012 Written by JP

As a general rule, I avoid writing columns solely inspired by anecdotal evidence. After all, one of the objectives of my work on this site is to present information that is supported by verifiable, scientific evidence. So, when a client of mine reported success using sauerkraut for his heartburn symptoms, I acknowledged it with interest, but had no plan to write about it. On that same day, while updating my database on probiotics, I happened upon some intriguing research on … You guessed it – sauerkraut. Whether a coincidence or not, I took it as an opportunity to look into fermented cabbage aka sauerkraut, an important and underutilized “super food”.

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Posted in Food and Drink, Heart Health, Nutrition | 5 Comments & Updates

Almond Butter Tip

September 14, 2012 Written by JP

If you follow me on Twitter, you’ve probably noticed that I regularly post tips about how I promote wellness in my own life. When putting together my “tip tweets”, I try to share information that is practical in nature. One example is the way I sometimes use almond butter as a meal replacement.

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Posted in Diabetes, Food and Drink, Nutrition | 7 Comments & Updates

Dr. Stephen Sinatra Interview – Part One

June 27, 2012 Written by JP

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is by far the leading health risk in the United States and beyond. It affects men and women in almost equal proportions and pays little attention to ethnicity. In fact, African Americans, Asian or Pacific Islanders and Caucasians register very similar vascular mortality rates. What’s more, the most recent estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention place a hefty price tag of over $100 billion/year for health care services, lost productivity and medications relating to CHD. While these figures are undoubtedly grim, it’s helpful to have frequent reminders that heart disease is largely preventable. For over forty years, Dr. Stephen Sinatra, has been investigating and reporting on this very topic.

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Posted in Heart Health, Interviews, Nutritional Supplements | 7 Comments & Updates

Flaxseed Research

March 12, 2012 Written by JP

Several of the most pressing health care issues of the moment can be vastly improved by making a few minor alterations to the modern diet. The addition of more dietary fiber, omega 3 fatty acids and phytochemicals into our daily menu plan is a great starting point. An economical and simple way to do so is by including more (ground) flaxseeds into common foods such a hot cereals, muffins and yogurt.

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Posted in Food and Drink, Heart Health, Nutrition | 10 Comments & Updates

Dr. Jonny Bowden Interview Part One

February 1, 2012 Written by JP

Today not only marks the first day of February, but also the beginning of American Heart Month. I can’t think of a better way to address the important topic of cardiovascular health than to present a recent Q&A session with one of the leading figures in exercise and nutrition: Jonny Bowden, PhD, CNS.

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Posted in Heart Health, Interviews, Nutrition | 6 Comments & Updates

Good Diet News

December 19, 2011 Written by JP

I frequently recommend a carbohydrate restricted diet as part of a comprehensive wellness program. However, for many of my clients, the idea of giving up some of their favorite, high carbohydrate foods is too much to bear. A recent presentation given at a prestigious cancer conference offers a practical compromise. Researchers at the Genesis Prevention Center at University Hospital in South Manchester, England report that adopting an intermittent, low carbohydrate diet is a viable alternative to more strict diets in relation to lowering cancer risk and overweight. The most interesting aspect of the trial was that a portion of the participants were asked to combine two of my favorite dietary strategies: carbohydrate restriction and modified, alternate day fasting. In the study, women who consumed a very low calorie/low carbohydrate diet for two days a week demonstrated greater weight loss than those who ate an “ad lib” low carbohydrate diet or a calorie-restricted Mediterranean diet. Also of note is that the twice-weekly diet plan resulted in a 22% reduction in insulin resistance versus only 14% in the daily low carb diet and 4% in the low calorie, Mediterranean diet.

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Posted in Alternative Therapies, Diet and Weight Loss, Nutrition | 6 Comments & Updates

Food News You Can Use

November 7, 2011 Written by JP

The next time you put together your grocery list, remind yourself that the foods you include and omit can have a profound affect on your well being. Here are several, recent examples of how you can use food to improve you and your family’s health. If you’re obese and on a hypocaloric diet, make sure to consume optimal levels of dietary calcium (1,600 mg/day) and protein (30% of calories/day). A study appearing in the current issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism reports that higher protein diets rich in dairy products may reduce the risk of dieting-induced bone loss in overweight women. The importance of dietary protein was further bolstered in the October 12th edition of the journal PLoS One. In that research, lowering protein intake by as little as 5% was found to increase overall caloric intake by 12% due to increased appetite.

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Posted in Bone and Joint Health, Diet and Weight Loss, Nutrition | 2 Comments & Updates