FitSugar -- Healthy, happy you.

More or Less Cholesterol?

FitSugar — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 09:00:00 -0700

Since high cholesterol is linked to heart problems, it's so important for us to be conscious of how much is in the foods we eat. Last Spring I tested your cholesterol smarts and now here's another quiz to keep you on your toes.

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Eggs vs. Egg Beaters

FitSugar — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 03:00:00 -0700

Lately I've been hearing so many people talk about how they use Egg Beaters in place of eggs. Original Egg Beaters seem like a healthier alternative to eggs, because the label says it's made from real eggs and contains no cholesterol, but the truth is it only contains egg whites. That's where the protein comes from (6g per 1/4 cup serving). Then to make up for all the missing vitamins you'd get naturally from the egg yolk, synthetic vitamins, spices, and coloring are added back in to make them look and taste more like real eggs. From my experience, they look and taste a little weird.

To hear more about eggs, Egg Beaters, and your cholesterol then

5 Ways to Keep Cholesterol in Check

FitSugar — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 14:30:00 -0700

We all know that LDL cholesterol (the bad kind) is no good for us, and one of the leading risk factors for heart disease is high cholesterol levels in the blood. So use these five tips from the Cleveland Clinic on ways to help lower your cholesterol:

Avoid high-fat or fried foods. When you do eat foods with fat, look for unsaturated, not saturated, fat.
Reduce the amount of red meat that you eat, and eat more fish and poultry.
Get enough soluble fiber by eating plenty of fruits, beans, peas, and oats.
Don't eat more than three egg yolks per week.
Get plenty of exercise, maintain a healthy body weight, and stop smoking.

Fit's Tip: If you haven't had your cholesterol checked, you may want to ask your doctor to run a blood test — especially if high cholesterol runs in your family.

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5 Ways to Raise Healthy Cholesterol

FitSugar — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 13:00:00 -0700

There’s been some evidence suggesting that increasing HDL (aka the good cholesterol) can reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke — even without changes in LDL (aka the bad cholesterol). Harvard Women’s Health Watch suggests these five things people can do to raise their HDL levels:

Get aerobic exercise. Moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise can boost HDL by 5 to 10 percent. Aim for five 30-minute sessions per week.
Lose weight if you need to. If you’re overweight or obese, you can boost your HDL level by about 1 mg/dL for every 7 pounds lost, although any amount of weight loss will help.
If you smoke, quit. HDL levels rise by as much as 15 to 20 percent after you quit.
Eat a healthy diet. Avoid trans fats, which increase bad cholesterol and decrease good cholesterol. Avoid highly refined carbohydrates, such as white-flour products.
Consider medications. Niacin, available over the counter, is the most effective HDL-raising medication available. Niacin can be strong medicine — work with your clinician if you want to try it.

What's more? These tips will also improve your overall health, not just HDL levels. How many of them do you do?

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Cholesterol vs. Saturated Fat

FitSugar — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 14:30:00 -0700

When we talk about health and nutrition, the terms cholesterol and saturated fat are tossed about frequently. We should avoid large amounts of them, but I for one still get confused by the differences between the two. So I thought it might be a good time for a little review.

For starters, cholesterol is a waxy substance made by the liver and it's used by the body to make hormones, vitamin D, and other materials. It is essential to your body to function normally, and your body makes enough. Cholesterol can also be found in food, and then it is called, quite appropriately, "dietary cholesterol," and it's only found in animal products such as meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, and dairy. It is especially high in egg yolks and organ meats such as liver, brains, and kidneys.

Blood cholesterol refers to the cholesterol levels in your body, which can be determined by a blood test. Your total cholesterol should be less than 200 mg/dL — HDL (good) cholesterol levels should be 40mg/dL or greater and LDL (bad) cholesterol should be 130 mg/dL or less.

If you eat too much dietary cholesterol (over 300mg a day) the extra will accumulate in the walls of the blood vessels, making your LDL (bad) blood cholesterol levels rise. Over time, your arteries will become narrower, which can cut off the blood supply to your heart (causing a heart attack) or your brain (causing a stroke).

So that is the skinny on cholesterol, and to review a few facts on saturated fat

Caffeine Protects the Brain From Dementia

FitSugar — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 08:45:00 -0700

As if we needed another reason to load up on the coffee in the morning, new research is suggesting that coffee may cut the risk of dementia by blocking the damage cholesterol can inflict on the body. This is because the "blood brain barrier" — a filter between the brain and the main blood supply, which protects the central nervous system from potentially harmful chemicals, including cholesterol — could be protected by caffeine. But don't go spending your life savings on Starbucks just yet, one cup of coffee a day is all researchers think is needed to help protect the brain against cholesterol and chances are you're already getting that much caffeine any given day anyway.

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Which Has More Cholesterol?

FitSugar — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 07:30:00 -0700

Since I have a history of heart problems in my family, I'm really conscious about foods high in cholesterol. I try to limit the amount of meat and dairy products I eat, and only consume 300mg of cholesterol or less a day. So do you know how much cholesterol is in the foods you eat? Take this quiz to find out.

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How Much Cheese Is Too Much?

FitSugar — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 09:30:00 -0800

I was talking to my grandmother the other day and she asked me what I was making for dinner. When I said, "homemade mac and cheese," she said, "You shouldn't eat cheese. It'll clog your arteries." While she's right that the cholesterol in cheese can be harmful to your heart, that doesn't mean you necessarily have to give it up entirely.

Eating foods high in cholesterol and saturated fats, mainly dairy products, meat, and eggs, can raise the total level of cholesterol in your body, which can lead to heart problems and stroke. When it comes to cholesterol, you want to shoot for:

Total cholesterol level	HDL level (good cholesterol)	LDL level (bad cholesterol)
Less than 200 mg/dL	60 mg/dL or higher	Less than 100 mg/dL

So what does this mean when it comes to your diet (and your cheese consumption)? I'll tell you if you

How Much Cholesterol Is Too Much?

FitSugar — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 03:00:00 -0800

We know that we shouldn't be eating a diet high in cholesterol because it raises our blood cholesterol levels, which can clog our arteries and cause heart problems. So how much is too much? Take this quiz to find out.

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Cholesterol Exam

FitSugar — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 10:15:00 -0800

Cholesterol: Is it good? Is it bad? I'm so confused...

Take this little quiz to see how much do you really know about cholesterol?

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Breastfeeding Is Good for Your Baby's Future

FitSugar — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 13:30:00 -0800

When I was born, breastfeeding wasn't so common. Many new moms weren't encouraged to do so, and they often felt more than a little shy about the practice (even in this day and age many people get offended when they see a mom breastfeeding in public). Too bad that back then they didn't know the health benefits of breastfeeding.

Not only does breast milk offer excellent nutrition and help protect babies from infections, but a new study shows that babies who were nursed as infants have a lower body-mass index (BMI) and a higher level of HDL cholesterol (the good kind).

What's so great about that? Lower BMI and high HDL help to protect against cardiovascular disease. This study discovered that those who were breastfed as infants were 55 percent more likely to have high levels of HDL cholesterol than those who were bottle-fed.

Also, adults in the study who were breastfed had an average BMI of 26.1. Those who were bottle-fed had an average BMI of 26.9. If your BMI is higher than 25, you are considered overweight and at risk for heart problems. Although there wasn't a huge difference in the BMI numbers, even a slight reduction in BMI can greatly reduce your risk for cardiovascular disease.

Well now I'm even happier that I chose to breastfeed my girls.

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Baked Tofu: Full of Protein and Flavor

FitSugar — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 13:30:00 -0700

Since we know that eating soy is a great way to get protein without cholesterol or saturated fat, I'm always looking for new and delicious ways to eat it. Buying pre-made meat alternatives that contain soy such as Tofu Pups and Wildwood Burgers is great, but sometimes I want to make it myself.

Here's a great recipe for Baked Tofu. Since tofu tastes rather bland, you can always flavor it anyway you want. Plus when you bake tofu, it gets a firm and chewy consistency similar to chicken, so many meat eaters may even appreciate it.

You can eat this Baked Tofu alone, on salads, in sandwiches, as a pizza topping, or on crackers. It's a great way to get a healthy source of protein, especially if you are a vegetarian.

To see the recipe and a detailed "how to" just

Oysters: More Than Sexy

FitSugar — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 15:45:00 -0700

Oysters inspire no middle ground, you either love them or hate them. I fall in the former category and am always happy when oyster season comes around. Months that contain the letter "R" are the months of oyster season (that is September through April), so the season is upon us!

People gulp them raw hoping they are truly the aphrodisiac of legends, but some folks shy away from oysters because they think the mollusk is high in cholesterol. Well, truth be told they are a lean source of protein and they contain Omega-3 fatty acids. In fact 6 oysters contain one third of your RDI of the uber healthy fatty acid. Seems like a reason to split a dozen with your honey to me.

On the other hand, 6 oysters only contain about 55 milligrams of cholesterol, about 1/5 of the cholesterol found in an egg. So the effect on blood cholesterol caused by oysters is minimal at most. Plus they are high in the immune supporting mineral zinc, as well as B12, copper, iron and selenium,

Fit's Tip: You want to look for oysters that have tightly closed shells. They should smell like the sea and not at all sulfurous. Pregnant women, children and people with compromised immune systems should avoid eating raw oysters due to the potential of toxic bacteria that can lead to food poisoning.

And you, how do you feel about oysters? Do you like them raw? Do you prefer them on the BBQ. Tell me about it in the comment section below.

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Saturated Fat: A Little May be Too Much

FitSugar — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 11:45:00 -0700

OK, so we know that saturated fat isn't good for us. These fats are NOT essential to our bodies whatsoever, but boy are they tasty. Butter, ice cream, hot dogs, bacon - all dairy and meat products contain saturated fat.

Why are they bad for us? Saturated fats are known to raise LDL (bad) cholesterol levels over time. This leads to plaque build-up in your arteries, making it difficult for blood to pass to and from your heart, which puts you at risk for a heart attack. Now new research shows that food loaded with saturated fat may have immediate effects on your heart.

A study conducted in Australia took 14 healthy adults (ages 18-40) and gave them 2 meals consisting of a piece of high-fat carrot cake and a milkshake. The first meal was made with 90% saturated fat and contained 68 grams of fat! That's equivalent to a double cheeseburger, a large order of French fries, and drinking a large milkshake (yikes!) The second meal was made with polyunsaturated oil, and only contained just 9% fat.

The researchers took blood samples of the participants before and after the meals to see what happened to their HDL (good) levels of cholesterol. They discovered that the levels of good cholesterol decreased after the first fat-filled meal, and increased after the second healthier version.

The effects may be temporary, but they are still a cause for concern since this happens every time a person eats a meal high in saturated fat.

Fit's Tips: Here's the deal. It's important to limit your saturated fat intake as much as possible. Aim for 10% or less each day. That means if you eat 2,000 calories a day, eat no more than 20g of saturated fat. Cut back on meat and full-fat dairy products. Also check labels to see if there is hidden saturated fat (they tend to lurk in processed foods and snacks). You can also go for meat alternatives like Gardenburgers and Tofu Pups. I also love dairy free foods such as Wildwood Soyogurt and Tofutti Cuties (dairy-free ice cream sandwiches). They taste great and are so much better for your heart.

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Test Your Cholesterol IQ

FitSugar — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 11:00:00 -0700

OK, so we all know that having high cholesterol can lead to heart problems, but how much do you know about it? Let's find out...

5 Reasons to Eat Breakfast

FitSugar — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 02:30:00 -0700

Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. Here are 5 reasons why:

People who eat breakfast consume more vitamins and minerals over the course of a day, and they eat less fat and cholesterol as well. The reason for this remains unclear, but one study claims that the frequency of daily eating is associated with consuming more favorable nutrients and fewer less favorable nutrients, such as dietary cholesterol.
Breakfast eaters have better concentration and are more productive throughout the morning. Researchers believe this is due to replenishing glucose, the brain's main energy source.
Want to see other reasons? Then I suggest you

read more

Kroger Selling Cholesterol Reducing Milk

FitSugar — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 17:15:00 -0700

Functional foods have no boundaries these days as household names such as Kroger are jumping on the bandwagon.

Starting today, Kroger will be selling a new, cholesterol reducing, fat-free milk. The new milk contains CoroWise plant sterols, an all-natural ingredient sourced from plants and found naturally in foods such as vegetables, seeds and nuts. According to a recent press release the milk will be priced competitively with normal milk. How does it work? Well, plant sterols look a lot like cholesterol from our bodies perspective. So when we digest a meal, the plant sterols compete with cholesterol, which means we ultimately absorb less of it.

Changes can be detected in as soon as two to three weeks after incorporation into one’s daily diet -- Clinical studies have demonstrated that plant sterols can reduce cholesterol levels up to 15 percent. This new milk, in combination with cholesterol reducing yogurt, should give consumers a few options in functional dairy products. Yippee!

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What's the Diff: Cholesterol and Saturated Fat

FitSugar — Fri, 04 May 2007 03:30:00 -0700

This whole business with saturated fat and cholesterol is totally confusing, so let me try and clear things up.

Blood cholesterol refers to your cholesterol level - you know - the numbers you get from your doctor when you get your cholesterol checked. Your total cholesterol should be less than 200 mg/dL -- HDL (good) cholesterol level should be 40mg/dL or greater and LDL (bad) cholesterol should be 130 mg/dL or less.

Cholesterol is a waxy substance made by the liver and it's used by the body to make hormones, vitamin D, and other materials. It is essential to your body to function normally, and your body makes enough.

You can also get cholesterol from the food you eat, called dietary cholesterol. It's only found in animal products such as meat, poultry, seafood, eggs and dairy. It is especially high in egg yolks and organ meats such as liver, brains and kidneys.

If you get too much dietary cholesterol (over 300mg a day) the extra cholesterol will accumulate in the walls of the blood vessels, making your LDL (bad) blood cholesterol levels rise. Over time, your arteries will become narrower, which can cut off the blood supply to your heart (causing a heart attack), or your brain (causing a stroke).

Saturated Fat is not essential to your body. It is found mainly in animal products such as meat, poultry, and dairy. All of these foods also contain dietary cholesterol. Palm oil, palm kernel oil, and coconut oil also contain saturated fats. Unfortunately, a lot of processed foods like cookies and crackers contain these oils. Saturated fats raise LDL (bad) cholesterol levels more than dietary cholesterol itself, so they're the ones to watch out for. The RDI of saturated fat is 20g or less.

Fit's Tips: The amount of cholesterol found in foods is not as important as the amount of saturated fat. So check labels - on the box it may say "No Cholesterol," but if you check the nutritional info, it may still contain saturated fat from those hidden oils. Aren't companies so trustworthy?

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Just in Time for Cinco de Mayo: Corazon Chips

FitSugar — Fri, 04 May 2007 02:30:00 -0700

Cinco de Mayo screams chips and salsa. You can still have your chips and still stay healthy with these new chips...

Corazonas Chips are made with whole oats and plant sterols, proven cholesterol-reducing ingredients. Additionally, Corazonas Heart-Healthy Tortilla Chips are a good source of fiber, cholesterol-free, trans fat-free, low in saturated fat, all-natural, and depending on flavor, a low or reduced-sodium snack. Each of the three flavors have 140 calories for one ounce. You can actually buy them online from Amazon.com (packs of 12 and 24). If you want to get them in time for May 5th then visit Corazonas.com to find where you can buy them at a store near you.

Olé!

Fit's Tip: If you're hosting the party, throw out the bags before anyone gets there, they'll never know they're healthy.

Pistachios Lower Cholesterol

FitSugar — Wed, 02 May 2007 11:00:00 -0700

Not only are pistachios fun to eat, but new research has found that these little nuts can also lower the LDL (bad) levels of cholesterol in your body. You know what that means - you can reduce your risk for developing cardiovascular disease.

Eating just one or two handfuls (1.5 - 3 oz) of pistachios is all it takes. Researchers also found that these tasty nuts contain antioxidants normally found in dark leafy vegetables like kale. Pistachios also contain more beta carotene (vitamin A) than other nuts.

Reap the health benefits of pistachios by adding them into your diet. Eat them plain (shelling them has got to burn a few calories) or add them to muffins, granola, salads, or try making pesto made with pistachios (instead of pine nuts).

Interested in how pistachios compare nutritionally with other nuts? Check out this nut break down.

Fit's Tips: Look for the nuts with white shells, since the red ones are dyed and you don't need to be eating weird chemicals. Plus they stain your fingers all pink.

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In Praise of: The Avocado

FitSugar — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 10:15:00 -0700

I really do love avocados. I might even marry one, that is how deeply I adore this veggie, or technically fruit - but an avocado in any other category would still be just as creamy and delish.

Spring is the season when avocados are at their peak, but since they are grown in California (primarily Hass variety) and Florida (mostly Fuerte) there is usually a decent supply all year round. Since this is their season, I am hoping to see the price fall a bit, because in the off season avocados may be available but pricey.

Aside from their exquisite taste and texture, avocados are chock full of wonderful nutrients. They are high in vitamin K, potassium, and dietary fiber. I love that this smooth textured veggie contains fiber - about 3.5 grams per half cup - a wonderful surprise, I know.

Avocados also contain oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat, the good kind of fat since it may help to lower cholesterol. Plus, oleic acid has recently been shown to offer significant protection against breast cancer - always a bonus for the ladies. Another reason to add avocado to your salad is that it increases your body's ability to absorb the health-promoting carotenoids that vegetables provide. I love that there are so many reasons to add one of my favorite foods to everything.

I suggest adding avocado to your sandwiches, salads, even spreading it on toast in the morning - that is when I refer to avocados as vegan butter. Plus there is always guacamole. Here's a tip from YumSugar on how to avoid yucky avocados.

If you love avocado, tell me your favorite way to eat it below in the comments section. Let's spread the avocado love around!!!!

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Ministry of Health to People of Portugal, "Don't Play with Your Health"

FitSugar — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 03:00:00 -0700

I recently came across this great advertisement from the Portuguese Ministry of Health:

Aside from the ad being really beautiful and featuring one of my favorite toys, the message reads:

Don’t Play With Your Health. Check Your Cholesterol. High blood cholesterol is one of the major causes of heart diseases and strokes. There are no symptoms. Testing is the only way to find out. Talk to your doctor.

Love it!

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Chocolate is Even Better for Us

FitSugar — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 13:30:00 -0700

OK. OK - You don't have to twist my arm. I'll eat dark chocolate already.

Recent reseach has discovered yet another health benefit of chocolate. Right On!!! Based on a study where patients consumed 8 oz of cocoa (without sugar) daily for 6 weeks, researchers found the patients had increased blood flow. Good news for your heart and your taste buds.

Cocoa and dark chocolate products are considered one of the most concentrated sources of flavenoids. Red wine, green tea, fruit, and vegetables also contain flavenoids, which are the pigments in plants that act as antioxidants.

This test does not suggest that everyone start devouring Hershey's kisses and Bon-Bons daily (darn), but it does suggest that we pay more attention to how dark chocolate and other flavenoid-rich foods might offer help to our heart and body. Who knows, maybe down the road your doctor will prescribe heart medication made out of cocoa.

The antioxidants in dark chocolate can also lower your blood pressure and your cholesterol. So if you're a chocoholic, make sure you're consuming the dark stuff. It has a higher percentage of cocoa than milk-chocolate.

Augustus Gloop knew this all along. No wonder he took a dip in Willy Wonka's chocolate river. Knowing what I know now about the health benefits of chocolate, I would too.

Carob Conundrum

FitSugar — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 07:30:00 -0700

I see carob at the health food store all the time, advertised as a chocolate alternative. It looks a lot like chocolate, but I can tell you right now, it doesn't compare to the amazingly decadent taste of chocolate.

Butter or Margarine?

FitSugar — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 04:00:00 -0700

Woodstock Water Buffalo Yogurt

FitSugar — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 17:30:00 -0700

Yes it is. It's yogurt made from real buffalo milk. It's creamy, high in calcium, and free of artificial preservatives or thickeners. Plus it has got live active cultures that are great for your digestive system.

How do they get the milk? I was wondering that too. They actually have a creamery barn in Woodstock, VT, filled with lady water buffaloes. It's the only water buffalo milk creamery in the United States. They even encourage you to stop by and visit their buffaloes.

Buffalo milk, while higher in fat than cow's milk, is actually higher in protein and lower in cholesterol than its whole cow milk sister. It has got a similar texture to whole cow's milk yogurt - extremely creamy and thick, and rich in flavor.

Fit's Tips: If you want to give it a try, find a store near you that carries it with Woodstock's website store locator.

How Much Fiber Should You Get in ONE Day?

FitSugar — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 09:30:00 -0800

Fiber is any food matter that your digestive system can't break into units small enough to be absorbed into the bloodstream. Getting the recommended amount of dietary fiber will help lower your risk of heart disease since a low fiber intake is associated with increased risk of heart disease (the number one killer of women) as well as some types of cancer and type 2 diabetes. Eating more fiber can assist with weight loss by allowing you to feel fuller longer, making it less likely you'll want to snack on less healthy items.

Black Soy Beans Could Be the New Wonder Food

FitSugar — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 09:25:17 -0800

Thirty two rats in Korea agree, black soy beans are helping to prevent obesity, lower cholesterol levels and possibly even reduce your risk for Type 2 diabetes! Yes this new study on rodents seems to indicate that the gorging on black soy beans can significantly reduce help to control weight gain.

The study found several beneficial reason to eat these beans:

After two weeks, the rats getting 10 percent of their energy from black soya gained half as much weight as those in the control group, and their total blood cholesterol and LDL (so-called "bad") cholesterol fell by 25 percent and 10 percent, respectively.

It seems that the soy protein may affect how the liver metabolizes fat by preventing new fatty acids and cholesterol from forming together. Which in turn affects weight gain, especially in the abdominal area, which in turns affects the body's ability to create insulin. This is why some experts are interpreting this study as a possible means of fighting Type 2 diabetes.

Just as an interesting aside his metabolic effect may explain the traditional Asian use of black soy to treat Type 2 diabetes.

We have heard about wonder foods before and this study only involved less than three dozen rats. I really hope that we can soon all believe in the power of soy, but you don't need to start taking black soy supplements just yet. I am just dubious about miracle foods since garlic, considered a great dietary means for lowering cholesterol was recently found to have no real effect on it.

Garlic Found Powerless Against High Levels of Cholesterol

FitSugar — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 02:25:17 -0800

Garlic was supposed to be cholesterol's pungent adversary, but it looks as if the herb is powerless against the fatty, artery clogging substance. For folks with moderate to high cholesterol levels adding raw garlic or garlic supplements to their diet has no significant effect on lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol concentrations or in triglyceride levels.

Earlier studies on garlic had mixed results, but researchers remained hopeful. In this study 192 subjects all with high level of cholesterol, were given the equivalent of one medium-size clove six days a week for six months. Their blood was drawn every month to check their cholesterol levels.

Crushed garlic contains allicin, which has been shown to inhibit cholesterol synthesis in a test tube. So it seems plausible that garlic could battle cholesterol. Alas, that is not the case.

It is still believed that garlic can help folks with healthy cholesterol levels maintain them, and prevent certain types of cancer.

The Good, The Bad and the Healthy: Cholesterol

FitSugar — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 11:05:41 -0800

It is Heart Health month, and yes I do think the American Heart Association picked February on purpose. It is hard for me to not think about my heart with every heart I cut out for the Valentines my daughters are making.

Cholesterol is a big factor in whether your heart is healthy or not. The truth is our bodies need cholesterol to make hormones, vitamin D and substances to digest food. Yet, they produce enough of this waxy, fat-like substance on their own. Since cholesterol is also in the foods you eat you need to watch your intake.

There are two kinds of cholesterol: HDL and LDL. We will start with the good kind - HDL. I find this is hard to remember which is which, but just think "healthy" for HDL. Basically HDL ushers LDL cholesterol to your liver where your body processes and disposes of it.

LDL (think "little devil" to help you remember) cholesterol leads to a buildup of cholesterol in arteries - since blood is basically watery and LDL is waxy so they don't mix (like oil and water). The higher the LDL level in your blood, the greater chance you have of getting heart disease. That is why it is bad.

Folks can have high cholesterol without knowing it, so it is a good idea to have your cholesterol levels checked in your 20s and then again every decade to make sure you are staying in healthy levels. Optimally you want your cholesterol to be under 200 mg/dL and you're at risk if it is 240 mg/dL. Anything in between is considered borderline.

28 Tips to Celebrate Heart Health Month

FitSugar — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 13:00:00 -0800

Just in case you haven't heard, it is Heart Health Month. It is never too early to start taking care of your heart and SparkPeople.com have created a great calendar of tips to guide you on your path to a healthy heart.

Here's a few highlights:

Get a check - Doctors don't just treat disease, they can perform screenings and tests to figure out what area in your diet and health that need improvement.
Slow down - chronic stress leads to high blood pressure, which puts you at risk for heart disease and strokes.
Eat 6 to 8 ounces of baked or broiled fish a week for Omega-3 fatty acids which promote heart health.

It is a great resource and in a PDF file. So you can print it out easily and put it on your fridge to remind you of why you shouldn't be eating another helping of ice cream.

Trans Fat Round-Up

FitSugar — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 17:15:00 -0800

With all the buzz surrounding who is going trans fat free and when and why, I've decided to do a trans fat round-up.

So here is who is jumping on the healthy train this week:

Crisco, king of trans fat, is now trans fat free.
Philly, home of the cheese steak, is considering making the entire city free of trans fat.
Thin Mints, Samoas and Peanut Butter Patties, oh my! - Yup, Girl Scout Cookies are now trans fat free!
Crystal Cruise Lines claim to be the first to be trans fat free at sea.
After years of testing, McDonald's has finally selected a new trans-fat-free oil for cooking its famous french fries

King of Trans Fat Goes Trans Fat Free: Crisco

FitSugar — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 17:00:00 -0800

Even the products that were once essentially made from trans fats are going trans fat free.

Crisco, which was known as the first shortening product having lower saturated fat levels than butter, coconut oil, palm oil or lard is now reformulating its shortening products to be trans fat free.

The company has actually already introduced a zero grams trans fat formula (sold in a green can) once before but that formula was more expensive and has since been discontinued.

The new formula of Crisco uses less partially hydrogenated cottonseed and soybean oils and more fully hydrogenated cottonseed oil — which contains no trans fat. Hydrogenated oils are what gives shortening its semisolid consistency and high performance cooking attributes.

Don't go ahead and eat spoonfuls of the stuff -- Crisco will still have a small amount of trans fat but the FDA allows any product with less than 0.5 grams trans fat per serving to list zero grams trans fat in its nutrition facts.

Trans Fats in Mass

FitSugar — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 12:00:00 -0800

In the wake of NYC putting a ban on trans fats there has been a lot of buzz over which city will be the next to ban trans fats. In the poll, you guys said it should be LA but surprisingly enough, it turns out that a bill has recently been introduced that would make Massachusetts the first U.S. state to ban fats. If the bill is passed then Mass, like NYC, will force restaurants in an entire state to stop frying foods in oils that contain high levels of trans fats.

I like it Massachusetts -- go for gold!

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Go Ahead, Put Another Shrimp on the Barbie!

FitSugar — Thu, 16 Nov 2006 16:30:00 -0800

EcoFish offers the first nationally distributed certified organic white shrimp.

These shrimp are grown in an eco-friendly aquaculture farm in Ecuador and they are naturally raised without any chemicals, antibiotics, genetic modifications or pollution. What's more? They are certified organic! What's even more?! These shrimp are fed a special feed that makes them have 30% less cholesterol than regular shrimp!

The shrimp are individually quick frozen, peeled, medium sized and ready to cook. They could be the best tasting and healthiest shrimp you will ever eat! Go here to get a list of stores where the shrimp is sold.

Fit's Tip: Store a few bags in your freezer. You never know when you'll need a quick appetizer and these little babies cook in less than 10 minutes. Throw a little cocktail sauce in a dish and you got yourself a quick (and healthy) snack for your guests.