Senin, 01 November 2010

Cholesterol Lowering Foods

Way of life is one cause of cholesterol risk factors can be changed. One of the easy lifestyle changes to do is to choose the right food consumption.

There are some foods that effectively increases good cholesterol (high-density lipoproteins / HDL). HDL function remove excess cholesterol from the cells and artery walls and carries cholesterol back to liver for disposal. Therefore, it takes awareness since the early to start picking out healthy foods consumed.


Reduce saturated fats
One of the triggers increase in cholesterol is the amount and type of saturated fat. Foods derived from animals, such as milk, cheese, meat, margarine, or cheese, usually contains saturated fat. But there are also food ingredients from plants that contain saturated fats such as coconut oil or palm oil.

Soybean

U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends consumption of at least 25 grams of soy protein every day to reduce cholesterol. There are many options available soy-based foods all around us, ranging from tofu, tempeh, soy milk till.

Expand fiber 

Research shows that consumption of nuts every day for six weeks can reduce cholesterol by 10 percent.
Fiber that dissolves easily in water inhibits the absorption of cholesterol in the intestine thus helping reduce the amount of cholesterol in the blood. Soluble fiber that can be found in wheat, brown rice, beans, apples, carrots, and most vegetables and fruits.


Consumption of fish 

Research shows that omega-3 fatty acids found in fish, especially marine fish such as salmon can help reduce bad fats and increase levels of good fats, and lower triglycerides. The American Heart Association recommends eating at least two servings of fish a week.

Avocado

Avocados are the best source of unsaturated fat that can help increase levels of good cholesterol while lowering bad cholesterol. Avocados also contain beta-sitosterol can reduce the absorption of cholesterol from food. Even so, avocados contain high calories, which is 300 calories and 30 grams of fat. Therefore, the consumption of this fruit as a substitute for other foods high in fat.

Garlic

For hundreds of years garlic has been used by various cultures in the world. Spare Egypt include garlic in their diet to increase stamina.
In the modern world, the researchers managed to find out the benefits of garlic to lower cholesterol, prevent blockage of blood vessels, reducing blood pressure, and helps the body fight infection. Recent research says these ingredients prevent the occurrence of plaque in the arteries at an early stage, also called nano plaque.


Spinach 

These vegetables are rich in lutein, a yellow pigment found in green leafy vegetables and egg yolks. Reputation lutein in maintaining the vision was already well known. Recent research shows lutein rich foods also protect us from heart attacks by forming a protective layer of the artery wall from cholesterol attack.

Tea

Tea, best taken in cold or hot conditions, which contain antioxidants, Flavonoids. Studies show tea also keeps blood vessels remain relaxed and prevent blockage. Flavonoids in tea also showed it can prevent the oxidation of bad cholesterol that causes formation of plaque on artery walls. This powerful antioxidant that may also lower cholesterol and blood pressure.

How to cultivate 

It is also important in maintaining normal cholesterol levels are food processing equipment. Although the selected food is low in cholesterol, if cooked in oil containing saturated oil, it still contains a high cholesterol diet.
Food processing, it suggests the way steamed, grilled, or boiled. When you are accustomed to fried foods, reduce the portions or choose how to cook with sauteing that use oil in small amounts.

Sabtu, 30 Oktober 2010

7 myths of healthy foods

Food gives us nutrients and nutrition. Food also can stimulate and soothe us. However, the emphasis and our obsession to food makes us easily fooled by many of the myths, some of which have questionable validity.Want to know what foods can be healthy myth? Here goes an example.










1. Shark Fin Soup
Shark fin is a kind of high-grade sign of social status. As a kind of luxury and luxury foods from China, shark fin is believed to enhance virility and contain high levels of nutrients. Even so, this research has shown that trust is just a myth.Consuming shark fin not only disrupt marine ecosystems, but shark fins also contain toxins that are harmful to the body! It is known that the fact that sharks are fish contain the most mercury content of marine pollution. So if we eat shark fin soup, we might as well eat the mercury content of shark that has been collected the rest of his life.


2. Margarine
Margarine consumption is very popular everywhere. To cook as a substitute for cooking oil, to smear the bread , to make fride rice , and so on . Many people think margarine contain cholesterol and saturated fat is lower. Unlike butter, margarine made from vegetable oil (one of which is corn oil) polyunsaturated suitable for vegetarians.But the fact is, the process of producing margarine was quite horrible. Vegetable oil hydrogenation process, despite past to be used as margarine, in which process also produces fatty acids that are harmful to the body. Studies have shown that margarine increased levels of bad cholesterol can cause heart disease. Once the vegetable oil has passed through the processing stage, all essential fatty acids that have been lost and what remains is the form of margarine fat itself.


3. Decaf Coffee
Home too late due to hectic activity, lack of sleep, plus too much caffeine can make your health drastically declined. But you can not escape from the fragrant aroma of coffee ... so you choose decafein or decaf coffee, decaffeinated coffee alias. Are you more healthy choice? Not really.The public does not believe that decaf coffee contains caffeine so do not make the body addiction. But the reality showed that decaf coffee and tea still contains caffeine, although slightly. In fact, there is considerable content of caffeine in decaf coffee is enough to disturb one's sleep pattern.But even if coffee has gained a bad reputation over the years, recent research has shown that coffee may reduce risk of heart disease and is a source of antioxidants. Of course you should drink in a reasonable amount, try to limit your coffee intake, at least up to 3 small glasses a day.


4. Sea Salt
Sea salt is considered more nutritious than table salt . Apparently this is not true! Sea salt is often touted as healthier than table salt that has been processed so that the loss of important minerals like potassium, magnesium, and calcium. Yet the logic behind the 'greatness' is nothing more than sea salt purity.Sea salt is not washed or cooked until boiling to preserve the important minerals in it. But it also means that if you consume sea salt, all marine pollution contained in them also go into your body.And that's not a good impact on your health!


5. Bird's Nest Soup
In addition to shark fin soup, the other Chinese food is also famous bird's nest soup. Swiftlet build their nests using their saliva, and nesting birds is a valuable commodity that is believed to have high nutritional and therapeutic value. Many women who regularly consume them for protein and minerals in birds' nests can make them stay young and boost the immune system.But despite the bird's nest containing enzymes, salt, and moisture content, there is no academic evidence to confirm the claim. As we all know, the saliva does not contain nutrients. In addition, there is never an accident which was written in the American Journal of Medical Science: there is a Vietnamese man who arsenic poisoning after eating a contaminated bird's nest soup in their environment. So think twice before you sip your bird's nest soup.


6. Artificial sugar
Diet drinks that use artificial sugar appears to have become a lifestyle choice, because the effect of excess sugar cane (which is contained in nondiet drinks) can damage health and make the weight of the body swell. Sugar is sugar artificial sweetener is replaced with artificial sweeteners. There are many phrases used to refer to artificial sugars, such as saccharin, aspartame, and sucralose. Many people are also dependent on sugar and artificial diets for diabetes management.But already many opinions stating that the artificial sugar is not even a little more healthy than regular cane sugar. There are research results that have been published, and disputed by other researchers that artificial sugars are responsible for so many health problems, and even contribute to obesity. There are also studies showing that artificial sugar is addictive, and it is proved by looking at the behavior of laboratory rats prefer sugar-containing saccharin instead of cocaine!


7. Ginseng
Herbal ingredients of ginseng are believed to lower cholesterol, reduce mental and physical stress, and also enhancing energy. In the art of traditional medicine, ginseng is considered to reduce fatigue, improve memory, and against the flu. Now before you run away to find ginseng to drug stores, keep in mind that ginseng has no scientific evidence that supports all these myths.In 1998, there was news about the tainted ginseng found in the United States can damage the liver and kidneys, damage to eyesight, cause cancer, and disrupt the blood's ability to carry oxygen throughout the body. Rather than take the risk, better keep your money for things clearer evidence of its usefulness.

Mango, Energy Sources and Fiber

Except water and carbohydrate (including fiber), mangoes also contain protein, fat, vitamins, minerals, all kinds of acid, tannin, dyes, and volatile substances. Volatile substance which gives this unique scent of mango.
Carbohydrates mango pulp consists of simple sugars (sucrose, glucose, fructose), starch, and cellulose. Sugar plays a role in providing a sweet taste and energy producers that can immediately be used by the body.
Ripe mango starch content less than the raw mango because it has many converted into sugar. Dietary fiber to be part of carbohydrates, mainly cellulose and pectin.
Mangoes contain vitamin A, C, and B complex especially B1, B2, B3, and B6. Young Mangoes contain vitamin C higher than ripe mangoes, but her vitamin A levels are lower.
Mangoes also contain minerals, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, zinc, copper, manganese, and selenium. Another advantage, the ratio between Na and K are low, thus safe to eat people with high blood.
Some acidic compounds (mainly citric acid) contribute to sour taste, ranging from 0.13 to 0.71 percent. The combination of high sugar content and that is what causes the sour taste of mango to stimulate appetite