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Browse published articles attributed to Lisa Nelson, with full-archive search.
If you are trying to sort out everything regarding cholesterol and make an informed treatment decision that’s best for your health, you may be feeling overwhelmed. I’ve already given steps to raise HDL and lower triglycerides, now I’d like to more into VLDL versus LDL.
It’s very possible your MD orders lab work and you have no idea what or why you’re having blood drawn. Well, let’s clear up the confusion when it comes to your cholesterol labs. The terms “lipid panel”, “lipid profile”, and “lipoprotein profile” are used interchangeably to order the same set of labs. To make reading this easier, I’m going to use “lipid profile” from here on out.
Many individuals continue to struggle with high blood pressure. Following a diet high in fiber and low in sodium are two steps you can take to reduce your risk for hypertension, which makes quinoa is a great addition to your heart healthy diet. What is quinoa? Quinoa is not technically a grain, but the seed of a large plant called Chenoposium quinoa or Goosefoot plant. Quinoa is available in many colors (ivory, pink, red, white, brown, black) and forms (grains, flakes, cereals, pastas). Nutrient Analysis
This seems to be an area of confusion for many people. Some swear by butter only and others opt for margarine for heart health. Who is right? It’s time to clear up the confusion! First of all, both are fats. Therefore, the number of calories in 1 tsp of butter is equal to the number of calories in 1 tsp of margarine. The difference is the type of fat they each contain.
Most people gain an average of 1 pound every holiday season. Now, what’s one pound? Doesn’t seem like that big of an issue, but the problem is most do not lose this extra weight. The pounds simply continue to add up year after year. It may take several years before you look at yourself and wonder “what happened?” To prevent this (or reverse past events!), you must take steps to counteract all the extra calories that go along with the holidays. How? Increase your physical activity these next 4-6 weeks. Extra walks, longer workouts, increased intensity levels.
Being overweight increases your heart disease risk. Increasing your metabolism by building muscle is one way to burn an extra 100 calories each day, promote weight loss, and heart health. Now that you’ve started a strength training routine, you want the best results for your efforts. This means paying attention to what and when you eat pre/post workout, as well as how frequently you train. Foods before/after the workout for the most efficient results:
Do you struggle with extra fat around your midsection? Excess abdominal fat is not only visually unappealing to some, but it also increases your heart disease risk. What causes abdominal obesity? There are many different reasons your body likes to store fat in the abdomen. I want to discuss one possibility - cortisol. What is cortisol?
Here are some 5 tips to eat right on a budget: 1. Skip the meat! Eat vegetarian meals more often. Select beans, peanut butter, and eggs as your protein source. This will cause less of a drain on your pocketbook and a great choice to promote heart health! 2. Reduce portion sizes. Reduce your meat serving size to save. A serving of meat is 3 ounce (picture a deck of cards). For heart health begin to use meat as a "side" and fill your plate with a variety of heart healthy vegetables. 3. Select “in-season” fruits and vegetables!
I read some interesting research lately that I want to share related to chicken and blood pressure. We know that blood pressure is a significant risk fact for heart disease and stroke. It's estimated that around 1 billion people worldwide live with high blood pressure. Being able to control high blood pressure through food selection is very important.
Here are 7 steps you can take this month to get started on the right path to lower blood pressure and heart health. 1. Lose weight and/or maintain a healthy weight Maintaining a healthy weight or losing weight will lower your blood pressure and make any medication you take to treat high blood pressure more effective. One of the easiest ways to evaluate your weight is by calculating your body mass index (BMI). 2. Increase your physical activity
Limiting sugar intake is essential if you are working to lower triglycerides. Sugar has a direct impact on triglyceride levels. Here are 5 tips to cut back your daily sugar intake: 1. Gradually cut back. If you eat a high level of sweets daily it’ll be very difficult to cut them out “cold turkey”. Gradually wean yourself off the sugar. If you have 2 cans of soda daily, cut back to 1. If you enjoy dessert with lunch and dessert, cut back and limit dessert to one meal only. Continue to wean yourself down until the sweets are an occasional treat.
HDL cholesterol is typically referred to as the “good” cholesterol and LDL cholesterol as the “bad” cholesterol, but is this really accurate? The label given to LDL cholesterol of “bad” and HDL “good” cholesterol tends to be misunderstood. Dietary Cholesterol
Increasing the amount of omega-3 fats in our diet and decreasing the amount of omega-6 is beneficial in reducing your risk for heart disease. Most American’s consume a high omega-6 diet, with omega 3 being a common deficiency. Omega 3 deficiencies and the imbalance between omega 3 and omega 6 intakes have been linked with serious conditions, including heart attacks. Successfully maintaining a ratio of 4:1 to 1:1 omega 6 to omega 3 will help lower cholesterol levels and control high blood pressure. How much omega 3 do you need to add?
Flexibility refers to the ability of your joints to move through a full range of motion. Having flexibility in your muscles allows for greater movement around joints. The shorter and less flexible the muscle, the tighter the joint. Increased flexibility reduces your risk for injuries or sprains when you are physically active. Being regularly active is essential if you want to promote long term healthy blood pressure levels or want to lower high blood pressure. Developing your flexibility keeps muscles relaxed and reduces tension that can result in headaches and back pains.
Fruits and vegetables are rich in nutrients you need to promote heart health, such as vitami C, potassium, magnesium, folate, fiber, and even calcium. However, winter can often make eating vegetables daily more difficult. Here are several great choices you can access easily during the winter months. Artichokes Select artichokes heavy for their size with tightly closed buds. Leaf color should be green or purple without wilting or drying. Store artichokes by trimming the step and placing stem-down in water. Will keep in refrigerator for 2-3 days. Broccoli
All right, this green tea article has been hanging over my head for too long. I just couldn't get motivated to wade through all the research to determine if yes, this is an effective way to lower cholesterol and prevent heart disease, or no, it's just a lot of hype. Well, I sat down and sorted it all out and here's what I found. Health Claim The proposed health claim for green tea is that drinking at least 5 fluid ounces as a source of catechins may reduce risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease. What are catchins?
The benefits of Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) have been known since the 1970's. Unfortunately, many doctors do not routinely recommend CoQ10 to their heart patients. If you've never heard of CoQ10, I'm going to explain what it is, how it works, signs of deficiency, and the benefits of increasing your CoQ10 intake.
Researchers set out to compare the effectiveness of two different weight loss plans available to everyone. The two plans included a low carbohydrate diet and a low fat diet plus orlistat. Orlistat is a drug designed to prevent the absorption of dietary fat, such as the brand names include Xenical and Alli.
Deciding how to accept payments online can be confusing? Should you use PayPal? Do you need a shopping cart? How does a merchant account fit into the mix? If you are just starting out and not generating a high volume of income online I recommend you stick with PayPal. It’s low cost, easy to use, and most buyers online are comfortable with PayPal. Once you are generating regular income or if you want to offer payment options or charge recurring payments for monthly memberships then you’ll want to explore shopping cart and merchant account options.
Dementia impacts all areas of your life, from medical to social to economic. Dementia impacts you, your family, and those around you. Increased attention and resources have been directed towards understanding the causes of dementia and possible treatments. There is evidence linking high blood pressure with dementia. The connection between dementia and hypertension appears to be directly related to blood pressure levels. Study #1
Finally, you want more of something instead of less! HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol is also known as the “good” cholesterol. HDL removes cholesterol from your bloodstream and carries it back to the liver. I like to think of HDL as a vacuum cleaner, picking up cholesterol LDL leaves behind in your arteries. HDL should be greater than 40 mg/dL, ideally greater than 60 mg/dL. Physical Activity
Heart healthy tips can be quite simple! 1. Use olive oil to prepare your meals. Olive oil contains monounsaturated fat, which helps reduce LDL cholesterol. To receive the highest level of antioxidant benefits, select "extra-virgin" and "virgin" oils, the least processed forms. When you see the term "light" on labels, it indicates a reduced olive flavor. Simple ways to use more olive oil: - Sauté your vegetables. - Replace some of the fat in baked goods. - Use an olive oil based salad dressing. - Flavor bread by dipping in olive oil.
If you live with high blood pressure, you’re familiar with the side effects of anti-hypertensive medications. Fortunately, medications are not the only way to rein in high blood pressure. Lifestyle plays a key role. By altering some choices you make, you can avoid or reduce the need for medications. Here are 9 steps that will start you towards blood pressure control. 1. Put out the cigarette. There is a significant blood pressure rise with every cigarette you smoke. 2. Pour out the liquor.
You want to be more physically active, but how do you find the time? And just how much activity do you have to do? In Part 1, we identified ‘time’ as the number one reason most people are not more active. Did you implement any of the tips for getting more activity into your home and work routine? Here are examples of how to boost your fitness when traveling, caring for children, and running errands. On the Road
If you have high blood pressure, your MD has probably discussed with you sodium, potassium, and calcium as part of your treatment plan; however, the role of magnesium is often overlooked. Magnesium is a critical player in maintaining normal blood pressure levels, as well as muscle and nerve function, blood sugar regulation, bone health, and immune system maintenance. How Magnesium Regulates Blood Pressure
The link between calcium and blood pressure was noticed years ago when researchers realized people drinking hard water had less high blood pressure than those drinking soft water. Hard water contains more minerals, including calcium. Individuals receiving more than 800 mg of calcium daily have a 23 percent decreased risk of hypertension versus those consuming less than 400 mg of calcium per day.
I enjoy the show The Biggest Loser (well the current season is a little disappointing!). On one of the past episodes they had an individual from Prevention magazine share some tips based on the “Flat Belly” diet. I was very excited because it sounded like a link had been found between the Mediterranean diet and reduced abdominal obesity. Here’s the main study supporting the connection between decreased abdominal obesity and monounsaturated fats.
Unless you have been living under a rock, you have probably heard the term fatty acids. But, do you understand what they are and how the right ratio will improve your heart health? I intend to clear up the confusion. Types of Fatty Acids There are numerous types of fatty acids. I am focusing on omega 3 and omega 6. Unsaturated Fats Omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids are both unsaturated fats. To improve cholesterol levels, you want to replace the saturated fats (i.e. lard, shortening, ice cream, cheese) in your diet with unsaturated fats.
How to understand what food labels are telling you when it comes to fat and sodium. This is a quick and easy option you can use for lowering blood pressure levels. 1. Select foods with less SODIUM than the following amounts per serving: Frozen or packaged dinners – 500 mgr Microwave Popco – 350 mgr Desserts & Cookies – 250 mgr Cheese – 200 mgr Chips, Pretzels – 200 mgr Bread, Crackers, Rolls – 140 mg 2. Select foods with less FAT than the following amounts per serving: Frozen dinners – 10 gr Cheese – 5 gr Microwave Popco – 5 gr Lunch Meat – 3 gr Soup – 3 gr
Do you have a content marketing strategy? You must have a strategy that will take you from where your business is currently to your goal. If you do not outline a strategy you are randomly throwing out content without purpose. This can be a waste of time and money. Not to mention the frustration of spinning your wheels and not seeing your business move forward. What is your goal? The first step is to identify your goal. Why are you marketing? What specific action do you want people to take when they see your message?
The holidays can be a big hurdle in a weight loss/health plan. Holidays don't mean you can't enjoy the good food and desserts. Here are 5 tips for a healthier holiday:
According to research, the number of people living with high blood pressure would be reduced 10% if American’s were to increase their intake of potassium. Sodium – Potassium Link
According to recent research, a diet high in vegetable proteins may help you lower blood pressure. The recent study compared dietary intake of the vegetable protein glutamic acid and high blood pressure. The higher the intake of glutamic acid the greater the decrease in blood pressure, but systolic (top number) and diastolic (bottom number). Even a small decrease in blood pressure levels can cut stroke and heart disease deaths by four percent according to researcher Dr. Jeremiah Stamler.
Elevated LDL cholesterol levels increase your risk for heart disease. Plant sterols may be an effective tool you can use to lower LDL cholesterol and heart disease risk. There are studies that show plant sterols can reduce LDL cholesterol levels 6-15%. What are plant sterols?
Let’s talk about snacks for a moment. I believe there is a general perception that snacking is bad and you need to cut out snacking if you want to lose weight and be heart healthy. Well, the opposite is actually true. Let me explain.
There are several reasons you need to utilize an email newsletter as part of your marketing plan. Let’s discuss one of those reasons today. The buying decision when it comes to purchasing online is different than when you purchase from a traditional brick and mortar practice. It's very rare for a website visitor to make a buying decision the first time they visit a website. In fact, more than 99% of your website visitors will likely never come back to your website! Online a lot of browsing takes place and people click to AND away from your site in seconds.
If you’ve been following along, you know from the article "Get a Grip on Fatty Acids" that the right ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 fatty acids promotes lower cholesterol. The goal is not to cut omega 6 fatty acids (such as corn oil, beef, and chicken) completely from the diet, but to achieve a ratio of 4:1 or 1:1 omega 6 to omega 3. In order to attain this ratio you need to increase your omega 3 intake. Your options for doing this: 1. Eat fish at least twice a week.
HDL (high density lipoprotein) cholesterol has long been referred to as the “good” cholesterol. This is due to the fact that HDL cholesterol carries cholesterol from tissues to the liver, where it is reprocessed and removed from the body. The study The Tufts Medical Center’s Molecular Cardiology Research Institute examined data from studies on a total of 76,265 intervention-group participants and 69,478 controls. The results of this meta-analysis of 24 randomized controlled trials found cancer risk decreased 36% for every 10 mg/dl increase in HDL cholesterol.
Too much sodium in your diet can contribute to high blood pressure and make your blood pressure treatment less effective. Sodium versus Table Salt First, let's clear up the confusion about the difference between sodium and table salt. Table salt is a combination of the two minerals sodium (Na) and chloride (Cl). Table salt is 40% sodium and 60% chloride. Sodium Sodium is a mineral that is vital for health. Sodium maintains fluid balance, which is why it plays a key role in blood pressure control.
Here's a short and simple tip to 'top' off your webpage appearance -- add a favicon. What is a Favicon? Well, those tiny little images in the top left corner of this post are favicons. You can customize the miniature icon next to your bookmarked web site and in the address bar next to your web page url to be your own customized logo. When people scroll through there bookmarked pages your site will more easily stand out as they visually recognize your logo. Including a favicon also gives you a more professional web appearance.
A recent study published this past September compared the benefits of flax oil versus fish oil in raising blood levels of heart healthy omega 3’s. Adequate omega 3 intake is linked to lower blood pressure, lower triglycerides, increased HDL cholesterol, and reduced arterial inflammation. Flax oil contains the omega 3 fatty acid ALA (alpha-linolenic acid), while fish oil contains EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). The benefits of ALA continue to be studied, but EPA and DHA have been positively linked to heart benefits.
Let's say you are trying to lower high cholesterol, but resistant to giving up the treats you love. I want to give you some simple tips for modifying recipes and baked goods to make them more heart healthy without sacrificing the taste. Here is a short table with basic substitutions to reduce fat and calories in some of your favorite foods while maintaining the flavor you enjoy. Instead of . . . Whole milk Substitute. . . 1% or fat free milk Instead of . . . Whole egg Substitute. . . 2 egg whites or egg substituter Instead of . . . Vegetable oil
According to telephone survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention we are eating even fewer fruits and vegetables than we were 10 years ago. Why worry so much about fruit/vegetable intake? Fruits and vegetables have a direct impact on health and rising health care costs are a major conce in our country.
There is a general perception that snacking is bad and you need to cut out snacking if you want to lose weight. Well, the opposite is actually true. It is important to eat regularly, every three to four hours to maintain your metabolic rate (the rate your burn calories throughout the day), promote stable blood sugar levels, and prevent insulin spikes. By maintaining a high metabolism you boost the calories you burn throughout the day, which helps you lose weight. By maintaining stable blood sugar levels and preventing insulin spikes you will prevent drops in energy.
One major holiday down, one to go! So, how did you do sticking with your plan to be heart healthy and lose weight? Not so good, well don't worry it's not too late to redeem yourself. Most people gain an average of 1 pound every holiday season. Now, what's one pound? Doesn't seem like that big of an issue, but the problem is most do not lose this extra weight. The pounds simply continue to add up year after year. It may take several years before you look at yourself and wonder "what happened?"
Apples are low in calories and nutrient dense. They make a great option to curb hunger as a simple, portable snack. . .especially if you are trying to lose weight. Here are some of the health benefits linked to apples: - Pectin in apples promotes a steady blood sugar - Maintain healthy lung function - Known as “nature’s toothbrush” due to gum and teeth cleaning abilities - Tannins protect against urinary tract infections Lower LDL Cholesterol with Pectin
If you are a health professional, it’s unlikely your strengths include web code, setting up teleconferences, and putting together virtual programs. As you expand your practice virtually you may find yourself spending countless hours trying to figure out tasks someone else could do in half the time or less. You may need to step back and ask – Do you want to spend hours trying to learn a new computer related task or would your time be better spent working with clients (and generating income)?
Here's a checklist of the top 8 things you must do if you want to successfully lower your cholesterol and keep it low. ✓ Know your numbers Have you had a lipid profile? Do you understand the numbers? If you are going to successfully lower cholesterol you need to know your numbers and what they mean. The most effective way to raise HDL is not necessarily the best way to lower LDL. ✓ Evaluate your lifestyle
Thanksgiving is just around the corner which may mean a road trip for you. Here are a few tips on how to make heart healthy choices when on the road this holiday. 1. Fast Food Restaurants
Being overweight is linked to a 45% increased risk of developing heart disease. Shedding extra pounds is not easy, but by boosting your metabolism you increase the calories your burn throughout each day. This will lead to the heart healthy weight loss you desire. You've probably heard the term "metabolism", but do you really understand what it is and how to use it in your quest for heart health? Let me give you some pointers. First, the definition of metabolism: