The 6 bad habits which we need to change

There are 6 bad habits which together make up the sort of lifestyle that can cause heart disease.

1. We refuse to change
2. We smoke
3. We are too overweight
4. We don�t exercise
5. We let stress get on top of us
6. We don�t eat properly

All these habits are important. I�ll deal with each in turn, however I�ll focus primarily on No 6.

1. We refuse to change!

Every week, something or someone reminds us to look after our health � especially our heart! Do we listen? No! We just carry on as normal. We carry on smoking, drinking, eating badly and avoiding exercise. Our eating habits are particularly bad. It�s never been easier to eat healthily, but most of us just carry on eating the same old rubbish. This unwillingness to change, is a fundamental cause of most heart-attacks.

My advice: If after reading this page, you realise that some of your habits need changing: then change them! Don�t make the mistake of thinking that a heart-attack is something that only happens to other people. The cemeteries are full of people who held this opinion.

Is it worth taking heart disease seriously? Answer: YES!

* In the UK heart attacks are estimated to occur once every 45-60 seconds.
* In Ireland, 33 times more people die of heart disease than in all road accidents put together.
* In America, an estimated 1,000,000 people will die of heart-related disease in 2002.

About 1 person in 500 inherits an additional susceptibility to heart-attacks and strokes. If you believe that you fall into this category, or if you have a family history of heart disease, then as well as following the advice on this page, I strongly recommend that you visit your doctor for a check-up and a cholesterol test.

2. We smoke

If you smoke a packet of cigarettes a day, you double your risk of a heart-attack. You are also five times as likely to suffer a stroke. Smoking 40 cigarettes a day makes you five times as likely to suffer from a heart-attack. In Britain, 30,000 people die of heart disease annually as a direct result of smoking. Why? Because cigarette smoke contains over 850 chemical components which cause serious damage to the human body. They damage blood vessels, increase fat-levels, encourage blood-clotting and damage the walls of our arteries. [They also cause lung cancer.]

My advice: Ideally, stop smoking altogether. Smoking is a major health risk. If you won�t stop, then at least reduce the number of cigarettes you smoke. In addition, since smoking is so bad for you, you must pay special attention to the rest of this page � especially the section on diet.

3. We are overweight

Being overweight is usually a sign that you are eating too many high-fat or high-sugar foods. To put it simply, your diet contains too many calories. Result? The excess calories are stored as fat throughout your body.

However, being 10-15 pounds overweight is not a problem: it�s only when you become 28 pounds (2 stone or more) overweight that you increase your risk of heart disease & strokes.

The Body Mass Index
To determine whether someone is overweight, most experts now use the Body Mass Index. The BMI links weight to height, so the taller you are the heavier you can be.

For more details, click Check your weight with the Body Mass Index

My advice: Using the BMI, check how overweight you are for your height. If you are less than 28 pounds (two stone) overweight, you should start to watch your calories. If you are more than 28 pounds overweight, I suggest that you get hold of a sensible diet and lose weight. (Note: Anne Collins Diet is both sensible and kind to hearts.)

4. We don't exercise enough

Unlike us, our great-grand-parents had no car, washing-machine, dryer or cooker. Result? When they went to church, they walked. When they washed, they did it by hand. When they cooked, they first went for water. In other words, exercise was part of their everyday life. Today, however, we take very little exercise, which is very bad news for our heart. Why? Because if our heart doesn�t get enough exercise, it gets weak and can�t pump blood as efficiently as it should.

However, if we exercise regularly: our heart gets stronger, the level of fat in our bloodstream drops and our arteries stay clear of those dangerous deposits that cause blockages. The moral? Get lots of exercise, preferably in the fresh air!

My advice: The easiest way to start exercising is to start walking. But please take things gradually and go at your own speed! For example, start with a light 15-20 min walk every day. After a while, increase your speed and swing your arms as you move. As your fitness improves, increase the length of your walk to about 40 minutes and include one steep-ish hill.

If you are too overweight to go walking, then try a few light indoor exercises. Even sitting in a chair clenching and unclenching your fist for 10 minutes a day is better than nothing.

Theoretically, according to the Journal of Advanced Medicine, every mile you walk gives you an extra 21 minutes of life and saves you 30 cents (20p) in medical care!

5. We let stress get on top of us

Stress is bad for our heart in several ways
For example, it automatically increases the clot-ability of our blood. This mechanism was originally designed to help us survive by preventing loss of blood from serious wounds. However in today�s world it merely increases the risk of heart-attack. For example, in the 60 minutes following a very stressful event, our risk of heart-attack can double. Unfortunately, we can�t avoid stress. For example, career pressure, money worries, family problems and personal anxieties are ever-present in most homes.

However, stress itself is not the problem: it�s how we deal with it that counts.

My advice: Get things into perspective! Remember: the only thing that really counts is good health. Everything else is a luxury which isn�t really worth worrying about.

Get organised
For example, if you are very busy then make a daily list of things to do. A list helps us to become more efficient. Result? We have more time to relax.

Take more control over your life
For example, don�t let your employer or your family treat you like a doormat. If they do, tell them to stop. If this doesn�t work, perhaps it�s time to walk away.

Set aside 15-20 minutes every day, to relax
If you don�t have time, make time!
After all, what is more important than your good health?

6. We don't eat properly

If you want to look after your heart, here are five basic suggestions for improving your diet:

* Eat lots of fruit and vegetables.
* Eat less fat � especially saturated fat.
* Cut down on sugar.
* Fill up with lots of solid food.
* Eat more super-foods!

High Cholesterol

cholesterol levels generally pose a serious threat to your health. For example, high cholesterol levels have been shown to lead to an increased risk of heart disease.

But even if you do have high cholesterol right now, you can still do something about it, with changes in diet and activity levels.

To reduce high cholesterol level problems, it can be helpful to know exactly what cholesterol is.

It is also important for you to know exactly what your cholesterol levels are. That way you can keep them at a healthy level prior to problems developing. Your physician will be able to perform tests to give you the readings.

If you prefer not to visit your doctor you may be able to get a home testing kit, depending on where you live. Whatever else you do, if you're worried that you may have high cholesterol it pays to have it checked out.

If you have soft yellow skin near your eyes that can sometimes be a symptom of high cholesterol. Don't ignore such warning signs.

There are may treatments and options these days, for treating high cholesterol levels. Anyone thinking about treatment for high cholesterol should consult with their physician and follow his guidance.

A research study has shown that high levels of cholesterol can even increase how fast prostate tumors grow, so it's even more important to know your ldl and hdl levels.

If you have had the tests done and the results say you have high cholesterol you really should think about making some serious changes in your lifestyle. Even small changes can pay big dividends and as well as reducing your cholesterol levels those changes could give you increased energy and zest for life.

Remember that the total level of cholesterol is important, but the ratio between hdl and ldl cholesterol (the 'baddie') is even more important.

If you're looking for supplements to help lower high cholesterol levels, there are natural supplements available these days. They can even be more effective than prescription medications and they generally have no side effects.

Statins, drugs that are given on prescription to help lower cholesterol, appear to have several side effects like headache and tiredness, as well as cramping and stomach upset, so you may want to consider a natural alternative. And always check with your physician before embarking on any supplementation program.

It's probably worth having the tests done every 3 years or so to make sure you know where your cholesterol levels are. With high cholesterol it pays to keep an eye on the numbers

Heart Disease Made Simple

We need a constant blood supply

Every second, blood travels around our body through a series of pipes called arteries or veins. If it didn�t, none of our organs (e.g. heart, brain, liver, kidneys, eyes) could survive. Why not? Because blood is the body�s transport system. It carries oxygen and other vital chemicals around the body to all the organs and simultaneously collects waste and other toxins for eventual treatment and disposal. So, if one of our arteries/veins becomes blocked, causing a stoppage in the blood flow, our organs stop working and we collapse.
Heart-attacks and strokes

A heart-attack occurs when we develop a blockage in one of the arteries supplying blood to our heart. A stroke is the result of a blockage in one of the arteries to our brain. In either case, the story is the same. Lack of blood stops the heart or brain from working so it shuts down and we collapse.
How does an arterial-blockage occur?

It occurs as a result of a combination of things.

(1) Over time, the wall of our artery becomes diseased or �corroded�.

(2) As our blood passes through this corroded section, it dumps some of the fat which it is carrying, and this fat forms a bulge in the wall of the artery. Result? In the same way that double-parking narrows a road and causes a slow down in the flow of traffic, this fatty bulge narrows the width of the artery and slows down the flow of blood as it passes around it. See Diet Advice For Atherosclerosis

(3) If the blood flow gets too slow, and if tiny bits break off the bulge in the wall � clogging up the blood even more � the blood will form a spontaneous clot, completely blocking the artery.

High And Low Cholesterol Levels

Risk for heart disease and stroke increases with rising blood cholesterol levels. As blood cholesterol count exceeds 220 ml/dl (milligrams per deciliter-the units used to measure blood cholesterol in the United States), risk for heart disease increases at a more rapid rate.

If your blood cholesterol level is:

* Below 180 - your blood cholesterol level is ideal.
* 180-199 - your blood cholesterol level is acceptable.
* 200-219 - your blood cholesterol level is borderline high.
* 220 or higher - your blood cholesterol level is too high

If your total blood cholesterol level is greater than 200 (and especially if it is over 220), you should have another test to determine the individual levels of LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and triglycerides.

Cholesterol And Diet

Eating too much saturated dietary fat (the kind found in high-fat meats and dairy products) and cholesterol can cause your body to make more cholesterol, raising your blood cholesterol levels. You can lower your cholesterol level by switching to a lower-fat diet thus reducing intake of animal fat and other fats and eating foods rich in starch and fiber, such as fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

Cholesterol And Genetics

To some extent, your genes determine your cholesterol level. Some people inherit a condition called familial hypercholesterolemia, meaning, very high cholesterol levels run in the family. Other people, especially those with a family history of diabetes, inherit high triglyceride levels (hypertriglyceridemia). Triglycerides are another type of blood fat that can also raise cholesterol levels.

What Causes High Blood Cholesterol?

Several factors contribute to high serum cholesterol levels. Some of these cholesterol-risk factors are within your control, while some are not.

Types Of Cholesterol

There are 2 basic types of cholesterol:

* Low-density lipoprotein (or LDL) cholesterol is a bad type of cholesterol that is most likely to clog blood vessels, increasing your risk for heart disease. A diet high in saturated fat is a major dietary cause of raised LDL cholesterol.

* High-density lipoprotein (or HDL) cholesterol is a good type of cholesterol. HDL cholesterol helps clear the LDL cholesterol out of the blood and reduces your risk for heart disease. A diet rich in fruit and vegetables, with appropriate levels of omega-3/fish oil can help raise HDL cholesterol levels.

Reducing Cholesterol

Fortunately, most people can bring down their blood cholesterol levels without medication by changing their diet and by becoming more active. It's worth remembering that for every 1 percent you lower your blood cholesterol level, you reduce your risk for heart disease by 2 percent. Furthermore, lowering cholesterol can help prevent heart attacks even if you already have heart disease.

Dietary Cholesterol

Our bodies make too much cholesterol when we eat too much saturated fat in our diet. Saturated fat is the kind of fat found in animal-based foods such as meat and dairy products.

We also get some cholesterol directly from animal-based foods in our diet such as meat, eggs, and dairy products. Plant foods such as fruits, vegetables, and grains do not contain cholesterol. Due to the high saturated fat content of the average diet, more than one-half of American adults have blood cholesterol levels that are too high.

What Is Cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that is made in the body by the liver. Cholesterol forms part of every cell in the body and serves a number of vital functions.

Excess Cholesterol

Sometimes, however, our bodies make more cholesterol than we need, and this excess cholesterol circulates in the bloodstream. High levels of cholesterol in the blood (hypercholesterolemia) can clog blood vessels and increase the risk for heart disease and stroke.

Advice About Diet - Guide To Food Digestion

The Human Digestive System
What Is Digestion?

The human body obtains the energy and nutrients it needs from food. However, our cells cannot absorb these nutritional benefits until the food has been "digested" - meaning, "processed and converted into a useable form". Thus digestion is the complex process of breaking down food molecules into energy and other useful components, which can then be absorbed into the bloodstream and distributed throughout the body to maintain good health. Food remnants which are not absorbed during the digestion process are expelled as waste in the form of feces.

Where Do We Digest Our Food?

The digestion of food in humans takes place in the gastrointestinal tract - a series of hollow organs (mouth, esophagus, stomach, large and small intestines) connected to form a long tube of about 24 feet in length which extends from the mouth to the anus. It is also referred to as the GI Tract, the alimentary canal, the digestive tract, or the gut. Above the large intestine, the digestive system is sometimes called the upper gastrointestinal tract, while everything below is the lower gastrointestinal tract. The tract has muscular walls that propel food along the tube (a process called peristalsis) breaking it down and mixing it with digestive juices for optimum absorption.

Further Help in Developing a Low Cholesterol Diet

If you suffer from hyperlipemia, hypercholesterolemia, or hypertriglyceridemia and you want additional help in planning a heart-healthy diet, low in saturated fat and dietary cholesterol, make an appointment with a registered dietitian or qualified nutritionist. The American Dietetic Association maintains a roster of registered dietitians. By calling the Division of Practice (312) 899-0040 you can request names of qualified dietitians in your area.

Fat Contains Twice the Calories of Carbs and Protein

Fat has more than twice the calories as the same amount of protein or carbohydrate. Protein and carbohydrate both have about 4 calories in each gram, but all fat-saturated, polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fat - has 9 calories in each gram. Thus, foods that are high in fat are high in calories. And all calories count. So, to maintain a desirable weight, it is important to eat no more calories than your body needs. (To find your desirable weight, see Body Mass Index)

Remember: To achieve or maintain a desirable weight, your caloric intake must not exceed the number of calories your body burns.

Maintain a Desirable Weight

People who are overweight frequently have higher blood cholesterol levels than people of desirable weight.

You can reduce your weight by eating fewer calories and by increasing your physical activity on a regular basis. By reducing the amount of fat in your diet, you will be cutting down on the richest source of calories. Substituting foods that are high in complex carbohydrates for high-fat foods will also help you lose weight, because many high-carbohydrate foods contain little fat and thus fewer calories.

Substitute Low GI Carbohydrates for Saturated Fat

Breads, pasta, rice, cereals, dried peas and beans, fruits, and vegetables are good sources of complex carbohydrates (starch and fiber). Low-GI varieties are excellent substitutes for foods that are high in saturated fat and cholesterol. The type of fiber found in foods such as oat and barley bran, some fruits like apples and oranges, and in some dried beans may even help reduce blood cholesterol levels. For details about low-GI foods, see GI Diet.

Contrary to popular belief, high-carbohydrate foods (like pasta, rice, potatoes) are lower in calories than foods high in fat. In addition, they are good sources of vitamins and minerals. What adds calories to these foods is the addition of butter, rich sauces, whole milk, or cream, which are high in fat, especially saturated fat. It is important not to add these to the high-carbohydrate foods you are substituting for foods high in fat.

Remember: Foods that are high in complex carbohydrates, if eaten plain, are low in saturated fat and cholesterol as well as being good sources of vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

Eat Less High-Cholesterol Food

Dietary cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance found in foods that come from animals. Although it is not the same as saturated fat, dietary cholesterol also can raise your blood cholesterol level. Therefore, it is important to eat less food that is high in cholesterol. While cholesterol is needed for normal body function, your liver makes enough for your body's needs so that you don't need to eat any cholesterol at all.

Dietary Cholesterol in Food
Cholesterol is found in eggs, dairy products, meat, poultry, fish, and shellfish. Egg yolks and organ meats (liver, kidney, sweetbread, brain) are particularly rich sources of cholesterol. High-fat dairy products, meat, and poultry all have similar amounts of cholesterol. Fish generally has less cholesterol, but shellfish varies in cholesterol content. Foods of plant origin, like fruits, vegetables, grains, cereals, nuts, and seeds, contain no cholesterol.

Since cholesterol is not a fat, you can find it in both high-fat and low-fat animal foods. In other words, even if a food is low in fat, it may be high in cholesterol. For instance, organ meats, like liver, are low in fat, but are high in cholesterol.

Because many foods such as dairy products and some meats are high in both saturated fat and cholesterol, it is important to limit the amount of these high-fat foods that you eat, choosing lean meats and low-fat dairy products whenever possible.

Remember: Organ meats and egg yolks are high in cholesterol. High-fat dairy products, meat, and poultry have similar amounts of cholesterol. Some fish has less. Foods of plant origin like fruits, vegetables, vegetable oils, grains, cereals, nuts, and seeds contain no cholesterol.

Substitute Unsaturated Fat for Saturated Fat

Unsaturated fat actually helps to lower cholesterol levels when it is substituted for saturated fat. Therefore, health professionals recommend that, when you do eat fats, unsaturated fats (polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats) be substituted for part of the saturated fat whenever possible.

Polyunsaturated fats are found primarily in safflower, corn, soybean, cottonseed, sesame, and sunflower oils, which are common cooking oils. Polyunsaturated fats are also contained in most salad dressings. But be cautious. Commercially prepared salad dressings also may be high in saturated fats, and therefore careful inspection of labels is important. The word "hydrogenated" on a label means that some of the polyunsaturated fat has been converted to saturated fat.

Another type of polyunsaturated fat is found in the oils of fish and shellfish (often referred to as fish oils, or omega-3 fatty acids). This type of polyunsaturated fat is found in greatest amounts in such fatty fish as herring, salmon, and mackerel. There is little evidence that omega-3 fatty acids are useful for reducing LDL-cholesterol levels. However, fish is a good food choice for this diet play anyway because it is low in saturated fat. The use of fish oil supplements are not recommended for the treatment of high blood cholesterol because it is not known whether long-term ingestion of omega-3 fatty acids will lead to undesirable side effects.

Olive and canola oil (rapeseed oil) are examples of oils that are high in monounsaturated fats. Like other vegetable oils, these oils are used in cooking as well as in salads. Recently, research has shown that substituting monounsaturated fat, like substituting polyunsaturated fat, for saturated fat reduces blood cholesterol levels.

Remember: Unsaturated fats when substituted for saturated fats help lower blood cholesterol levels.

NOTE: To understand how our digestive system digests and absorbs dietary fat, see Guide To Food Digestion and Digestion Of Fats.

Eat Less High-fat Food

Dietary Fat
There are two major types of dietary fat - saturated and unsaturated. Unsaturated fats are further classified as either polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fats. Together, saturated and unsaturated fats equal total fat. All foods containing fat contain a mixture of these fats.

Reduce Total Fat Intake
One of the goals in your blood cholesterol-lowering diet is to eat less total fat, because this is an effective way to eat less saturated fat. Because fat is the richest source of calories, this will also help reduce the number of calories you eat every day. If you are overweight, weight loss is another important step in lowering blood cholesterol levels (as discussed later in this brochure). If you are not overweight, be sure to replace the fat calories by eating more food high in complex carbohydrates.

Remember: When you decrease the amount of total fat you eat, you are likely to reduce the saturated fat and calories in your diet.

Saturated Fat
Saturated fat raises your blood cholesterol level more than anything else in your diet. The best way to reduce your blood cholesterol level is to reduce the amount of saturated fat you eat.

Animal Fats
Animal products as a group are a major source of saturated fat in the average American diet. Butter, cheese, whole milk, ice cream, and cream all contain high amounts of saturated fat. Saturated fat is also concentrated in the fat that surrounds meat and in the white streaks of fat in the muscle of meat (marbling). Poultry, fish, and shellfish also contain saturated fat, although generally less than meat.

Hydrogenated Fat - Known As Trans Fatty Acids or Trans-Fats
Trans fats are created during the food manufacturing process when cheap vegetable oils undergo a process called "hydrogenation" - they have hydrogen added to them to make them solid and less likely to become rancid. Unfortunately, trans fats are even worse for our heart than saturated fat, as they encourage atherosclerosis (narrowing of the arteries). For details of foods containing trans fatty acids, see Trans Fats and Heart Disease

Vegetable Fats
A few vegetable fats - coconut oil, cocoa butter (found in chocolate), palm kernel oil, and palm oil - are high in saturated fat. These vegetable fats are found in many commercially baked goods, such as cookies and crackers, and in nondairy substitutes, such as whipped toppings, coffee creamers, cake mixes, and even frozen dinners. They also can be found in some snack foods like chips, candy bars, and buttered popcorn. Because these vegetable fats are not visible in these foods (unlike the fat in meats) it is important for you to read food labels. The label may tell you how much saturated fat a food contains, which will help you choose foods lowest in saturated fats.

Remember: Saturated fats are found primarily in animal products. But a few vegetable fats and many commercially processed foods also contain saturated fat. Read labels carefully. Choose foods wisely.

Start Lowering Your Cholesterol Today

Low Cholesterol Diet
How to Lower Your Cholesterol

Cholesterol Lowering Drugs and Cholesterol Lowering Diet

Whatever the reasons may be for your high blood cholesterol level - diet, heredity, or both - the treatment your doctor will prescribe first is a diet. If your blood cholesterol level has not decreased sufficiently after carefully following the diet for 6 months, your doctor may consider adding cholesterol-lowering medication to your dietary treatment. Remember, diet is a very essential step in the treatment of high blood cholesterol.
Cholesterol-lowering medications are more effective when combined with diet. Thus they are meant to supplement, not replace, a low-saturated fat, low-cholesterol diet. See also Inherited High Cholesterol

Summary of Diet Guidelines for Lowering High Blood Cholesterol Levels

• Eat less high-fat food (especially those high in saturated fat)
• Replace part of the saturated fat in your diet with unsaturated fat
• Eat less high-cholesterol food
• Choose foods high in complex carbohydrates (starch and fiber)
• Reduce your weight, if you are overweight