FitSugar

Brunch, With a Side of Cholesterol

FitSugar — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 03:00:03 -0700

Cholesterol is created by our bodies, so it's one thing we can do without when it comes to our diet. Animal products are the culprit here, and many weekend dishes are made with them. So take this quiz to see what you know about cholesterol.

Source: Flickr User thebittenword.com

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Are You Eating Too Much Cholesterol?

FitSugar — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 09:00:30 -0700

I was vegan for a short time in college, and was shocked when I had my cholesterol tested and found it was high. I wasn't even eating cholesterol! The thing is, your liver makes cholesterol and it's actually essential for your body to function normally. Cholesterol is also found in food and appropriately called dietary cholesterol. Since your body produces enough, you don't need to worry about getting any from diet. What you do need to worry about is getting too much.

A healthy person with healthy cholesterol levels can safely consume 300 milligrams a day. If your levels are high, aim for less than 200 mg a day. Are you eating too much? Find out how much cholesterol is in your favorite foods when you read more.

Food	Cholesterol (mg)
1 Hard-Boiled Egg	212
1 cup Skim Milk	5
1 cup Lowfat Milk (1%)	15
1 cup Lowfat Milk (2%)	20
1 cup Whole Milk	34
1 oz. Cheddar Cheese (1 slice)	29
1/4 cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese	20
2 tbsp. Cream Cheese	26
2 tbsp. Butter	61
5.3 oz. Fage Total Classic Greek Yogurt	35
5.3 oz. Fage Total With Honey	20
6 oz. Chobani No-Fat Vanilla Greek Yogurt	0
6 oz. Stonyfield farms Organic Low-Fat Vanilla Yogurt	7
1/3 Pound Hamburger Patty	90
5 inch Hot Dog	24
4 oz. Filet Mignon	75
4 oz. Organic Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast	70
4 oz. Tilapia	55
3 oz. Salmon	85
2 tbsp. Mayonnaise	8
3 oz. Sour Cream	11
1/2 cup Chocolate Ice Cream	120
1/2 cup Chocolate Ice Cream	115
9 Hershey's Dark Chocolate Kisses	5

High cholesterol levels in the blood can put you at risk for heart disease. So answer these two questions for me: have you had your cholesterol levels tested, and are you getting too much?

Do You Have High Cholesterol?

FitSugar — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 09:00:00 -0700

I was a vegan for a short time in my college days, and I remember getting a check-up that year and being surprised that my cholesterol test came back with high numbers. I told the doctor that I wasn't even eating any cholesterol, and she said unfortunately, you can inherit high cholesterol from your parents. With diet and exercise, I've definitely helped to get my numbers in check, but it's a constant battle since genetics aren't on my side. What about you?

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Can Birth Control Pills Affect Your Cholesterol?

DearSugar — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 09:00:00 -0700

If you're like me, you don't give your cholesterol much thought. I always thought your cholesterol levels were based on whether or not you ate a lot of high-fat foods like cheese, meat, and ice cream, but you can also inherit high or low cholesterol from your parents. And I also just learned that taking birth control pills can affect your levels too.

To found out how, read more.

According to the Mayo Clinic, the estrogen found in birth control pills can cause an increase in HDL ("good" cholesterol), a decrease in LDL ("bad" cholesterol), and an increase in your total cholesterol and triglyceride levels. The other hormone found in combination birth control pills, progestin, has the opposite effect. The changes aren't drastically significant, but if you do have high cholesterol, taking birth control pills that have a higher concentration of estrogen probably isn't the best form of contraception for you. And remember, a diet that's high in fiber and low in cholesterol and saturated fat, combined with regular exercise, is the best way to combat high cholesterol.

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You Asked: Is It Safe to Take Psyllium Husk Every Day?

FitSugar — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 10:00:00 -0800

Dear Fit,
I discovered psylium husk powder at the health food store a while back when I was having troubles with constipation. Mixing it into my juice every morning has certainly done the trick, but I wonder if my body is getting addicted to it or something. Is psyllium husk safe to use every day?
- Regular Rita

Well Rita, I am happy that you found a workable solution to your problems, but let me step back and fill everyone in on psyllium husk. While psyllium is sold in health food stores as a bulk powder, it is also sold under the brand names Metamucil or Fiberall. Many women, like yourself, have issues with constipation and have been prescribed plant-derived psyllium husk to alleviate the problem. It contains 70 percent soluble fiber and is considered a bulk-forming laxative. To find out if psyllium husk is OK for long-term use, read more.

Psyllium has been used for years to effectively treat constipation. It must be taken with plenty of water so it doesn't bulk up and block your esophagus, throat, or intestines. If a person takes too much, they can have excessive bloating, gas, or diarrhea.

One rounded tablespoon equals one serving of psyllium, which contains about three grams of fiber. While psyllium is safe to use to relieve temporary constipation, it shouldn't be used to treat chronic constipation. It's better to promote a healthy digestive system and lower cholesterol through regular exercise, and by obtaining enough fiber from your diet. Not only will fiber-rich foods keep you regular, but they'll offer vitamins and nutrients that you won't get from psyllium. One apple, one pear, a serving of whole grain cereal, or half an avocado will offer you the same amount of fiber as one serving of psyllium. So I'd try gradually phasing out the psyllium and phase in fresh fruits, veggies, and whole grains. Also try to cut out foods that may be preventing regularity.

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 read more.

Just because your cholesterol is high, doesn't mean you have to swear off real eggs forever. One egg contains 210 mg of cholesterol, and since the American Heart Association recommends no more than 300mg a day, it's OK to eat one whole egg every day if you wanted to (as long as you're limiting your intake of steak, cheese, and bacon. Plus you don't want to give up the yolk since it contains less sodium than the egg white, and is a great source of valuable vitamins such as hard to come by vitamin D, as well as calcium, and folate.

Since I'm a firm believer in eating foods as close to the real source as possible, I choose eggs over Egg Beaters. After all it is really not that difficult to separate your own egg whites. If you're concerned about your cholesterol, try eating one egg with two egg whites instead of two complete eggs. This way you'll get the benefits from the low calorie, low fat, and high protein of the egg whites, but you'll also get the vitamins found naturally in egg yolks and only 210 mg of cholesterol. Not to mention, it makes me feel better to eat an egg cracked open fresh from a shell, rather than poured out of a container.

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 read more.

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, and a lot of processed foods like cookies and crackers contain these oils. 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. How sneaky. 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 Tip: I'm not saying you should ditch the foods you love that contain cholesterol or saturated fat, just make sure you're staying below the recommended daily level.

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