There are two ways of looking at the word ‘diet’. One is to think of it simply as the food we eat. The other is to think of it as ‘a diet’, a regime of cutting out certain foods for a specific reason, generally to lose weight. Both have a role in helping to achieve lower cholesterol levels or to maintain normal levels.
A simple change in diet, combined with a few other easy but effective lifestyle changes can make a significant impact on lowering your blood cholesterol.
Choose ‘healthier’ fats
A healthy diet includes food from all the different food groups: carbohydrates; proteins; fats; fruit and vegetables. To normalize cholesterol levels it’s important to cut down or avoid saturated fats. For a healthy heart, around 25% of your daily calories should come from fat, however, not more than 7% of these should be from saturated fats.
Trans fats should also be avoided. They are found in processed goods, especially cakes, biscuits and pastries, and some margarines. They are listed on the ingredients as hydrogenated vegetable oils. Trans fats not only raise your levels of LDL (‘bad’) cholesterol but they also damage your blood vessels.
In 1953, Dr. Ancel Keys published a paper titled “Atherosclerosis, a Problem in Newer Public Health” where he hypothesized that there was a correlation between high dietary fat intake and death rates from cardiovascular disease based on the data he accumulated from seven countries. Keys’s studies were later criticized for excluding data from any countries that did not support his theories. There was data available for 22 countries, and when the full picture was looked at, there was found to be no relationship between dietary fat consumption, high cholesterol levels and heart disease.
Low levels of selenium have been associated with an increased risk of atherosclerosis. Selenium is a potent antioxidant that works in conjunction with vitamin E to protect vascular tissue from damage by toxins.
Vitamin C helps prevent atherosclerosis heart disease and aids in reversing atherosclerosis by directly promoting the breakdown of triglycerides and through its regulation of arterial wall integrity by way of its essential role in collagen formation. In addition vitamin C helps lower cholesterol.
Vitamin B6 prevents accumulation of high levels of homocysteine, which is one of the tissue-injuring amino acids initiating atherosclerosis. In addition, B6 is an important co-factor for numerous enzymes and minerals.
Pycnogenol is a potent bioflavanoid and antioxidant, thereby enhancing both the arterial and venous circulation in those suffering from atherosclerosis heart disease and those wishing to reverse atherosclerosis.
One of the most important supplements you can take for reversing atherosclerosis or preventing atherosclerosis heart disease is L-arginine, which synthesizes nitrous oxide. Nitrous oxide regulates vascular tone, inhibits platelet aggregation and attachment, inhibits inflammatory cell attachment, inhibits the release of growth factors and inhibits the release of procoagulant factors. Through the synthesis of nitrous oxide, L-arginine prevents the progression of the inflammatory reaction in the endothelial cell wall. Nitrous oxide deficiency has been associated with hypertension,
As far as a diet for atherosclerosis, Omega-3-EPA oils reduce cholesterol and prevent platelet stickiness. Good dietary sources include rice bran, flax seed oil, evening primrose oil and oil of borage. Cayenne, Garlic and Onions are the next best thing to I.V. chelation. Not only do they lower cholesterol and triglycerides, but also prevent thrombus formation and inhibit platelet aggregation.
Brisk exercise is simply anything that increases your heart rate. If 30 minutes is too much, break it down into two 15 minute segments or 3 ten minute sessions. Swimming, cycling and aerobics are all great, but a good session of house cleaning or tidying up the garden can work just as well for those short of time!
Regularly drinking excessive alcohol impacts adversely on your levels of both cholesterol and triglycerides. If you stop smoking, you could raise your ‘good’ cholesterol by up to 10%
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