The “Cholesterol Con”–Eggs
In the past, I have written about the “cholesterol con” (part 1), the widespread belief that high levels of “bad (LDL) cholesterol” can cause heart attacks. As I have explained (part 2), the myth has generated enormous profits for many commercial interests, including companies that peddle statins. (Please read both parts of the post.) No surprise, manufacturers have poured millions of dollars into perpetuating the myth, and thus have succeed in convincing a great many Americans that they should avoid high-cholesterol foods–including eggs.
According to Harvard University’s...
Source: Health Beat - June 15, 2014 Category: American Health Authors: Maggie Mahar Tags: cholesterol cholesterol con eggs heart attacks Carolyn Thomas Heart Sisters Source Type: blogs
Produce of the Day: Avocados
All this month I’m making it fun to eat better with my 30-Day Challenge “Half Plate Produce” in the spirit of National Nutrition Month’s theme “Enjoy the taste of eating right!”
Tweet, Post, Instagram or Pin your favorite pics and recipes that help make it fun for YOU to eat better. (Use #30DayChallenge and #NNM in your messages.)
Feature Produce of the Day: Avocados
Once upon a time, avocados graced the tables of only the wealthiest people – they were a delicacy that no one short of royalty could afford. And if you were lucky enough to be sitting at one of these historical tables yo...
Source: Balanced Health and Nutrition Rebecca Scritchfield's Blog - March 24, 2014 Category: Nutritionists and Food Scientists Authors: rebeccascritchfield Tags: cooking eating healthy food fruits nutrition recipes vegetables 30 day challenge avocado produce Source Type: blogs
Saturated Fat Linked to Accumulation of Dangerous Belly Fat
By Diane Fennell
Eating saturated fat leads to the accumulation of more visceral fat and less muscle mass than eating polyunsaturated fat, according to new research published in the journal Diabetes. Visceral fat, a dangerous type of abdominal fat that wraps itself around the internal organs, has been linked to metabolic disturbances such as Type 2 diabetes.
Saturated fat is known to raise blood cholesterol levels, increasing the risk of heart disease and stroke. This type of fat is found mostly in animal foods, including meat and dairy products, as well as in many baked goods and fried foods. Polyunsaturated fats, on t...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - March 7, 2014 Category: Diabetes Authors: Diane Fennell Source Type: blogs
Great article from NY Times on the benefits of snacking on nuts
well.blogs.nytimes.com Snacking Your Way to Better Health by JANE E. BRODY Dec. 9, 2013 original Jane Brody on health and aging. Nuts to you! No, that's not an insult. It's a recommendation to add nuts to your diet for the sake of your health and longevity. Consistent evidence for the health benefits of nuts has been accumulating since the early 1990s. Frequent nut consumption has been linked to a reduced risk of major chronic diseases, including heart and blood vessel disorders and Type 2 diabetes. The newest and most convincing findings, report...
Source: Dr Portnay - December 10, 2013 Category: Cardiology Authors: Dr Portnay Source Type: blogs
Facing the Fats
By Amy Campbell
Fat is a necessary nutrient, and we need it to sustain health. But it's also had its share of hard knocks in the past, and many people (including some dietitians) are still leery about promoting its goodness. In light of the new cholesterol management guidelines from the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology, as well as the FDA's recent proposal to ban trans fat, I decided to write about the different types of fat in our diets this week.
I won't get into either of these stories in much detail, but suffice it to say that cholesterol has been in the news big-time recently. New guid...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - November 18, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: Amy Campbell Source Type: blogs
Kudos to the FDA on Their Trans Fat Decision
As I’m sure many of you have heard, the FDA has decided to ban trans fats in our foods. While many have scarcely commented on this laudable action, I think we should take a step back and look at the implications of this.
Trans fats are a type of unsaturated fat that has undergone a process called hydrogenation in a process that dates back to the early 20th century. One of the earliest trans fats to enter the American marketplace was Crisco, partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil which appeared in 1911. The process allowed the creation of fats that resisted rancidity and had incredibly long shelf lives.
The concern regard...
Source: Renegade Neurologist - A Blog by David Perlmutter, MD, FACN - November 13, 2013 Category: Neurologists Authors: gbadmin Tags: Nutrition Science butter coronary arteries CRISCO fat fats FDA TRANS FATS Source Type: blogs
Almonds For Skinny Snackers? Yes, They Help Curb Your Appetite : The Salt : NPR
This study was funded by the almond industry, and researchers didn't evaluate other types of nuts.Mattes explains that industry-funded studies are becoming more common, especially as government funding becomes harder to obtain. But he emphasizes that the research is carried out completely independently and is peer-reviewed before being published."So it does have the checks and balances," Mattes concludes. (Source: Dr Portnay)
Source: Dr Portnay - October 26, 2013 Category: Cardiology Authors: Dr Portnay Source Type: blogs
Omega-7: The New Fat in Town
By Amy Campbell
Just when you thought you had the whole fat thing down, along comes another type of fat to think about. This fat (actually, fatty acid) is known as omega-7, and you might consider it to be a cousin of the omega-3 fatty acids (sometimes referred to as fish oils, although they're found in plants, too).
A brief fat primer
Fat, in general, can be confusing. It seems like there are so many types to contend with. In general, there are two categories of fat: healthful and unhealthful. Healthful fats are called unsaturated fats and they include:
• Monounsaturated fats. Found in olives and olive oil, canola oi...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - August 5, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: Amy Campbell Source Type: blogs
Self-Managing Cholesterol
By David Spero
As a recent study indicates, reducing LDL (“bad" cholesterol) can help prevent complications in most people with diabetes. Why is LDL cholesterol a bad thing, and how do you get to a healthy level?
First, what is cholesterol? Discovered in 1769 by analyzing gallstones, cholesterol is a fat-like organic chemical that is an essential part of animal cell membranes. Without it, cells won't function properly.
Cholesterol is made into bile, which is needed for digesting fats. It is also helps produce the body's natural steroids, including our sex hormones and the vital stress hormone cortisol. Cholesterol ...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - May 15, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: David Spero Source Type: blogs
Should Men and Women Eat Differently?
There are many factors that can affect nutrient requirements for both men and women. Every person is different, and factors such as body size, muscle mass, physical activity level and illnesses that change nutrient requirements can all change the amount of different nutrients that need to be consumed as part of our daily diets.
It follows that men and women, being very different physically, can also have very different nutrient requirements and thus may need to follow quite different diets to achieve optimum nutrition. As men are in general larger than women, in general they have higher requirements for a lot of nutri...
Source: PickTheBrain | Motivation and Self Improvement - May 14, 2013 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Alex Chris Tags: Community Posts diet health self improvement Source Type: blogs
The Nurse's Personal Dashboard
On a recent episode of RN.FM Radio, we were discussing nurses' wellness--both spiritual and physical--and the concept of one's personal "dashboard" came up in the course of the conversation. Are you aware that you have your own dashboard, and if so, do you heed the warning lights that occasionally light up?We all know what a dashboard is, and we also know that a dashboard--like the cockpit of a plane, train or bus--gives us relevant and crucial information regarding the safety and function of the vehicle in question. Now, we humans have dashboards too, but these dashboards are virtual rather than physical, and we have to l...
Source: Digital Doorway - April 23, 2013 Category: Nurses Tags: nurse wellness nursing nurses nurse self care work-life balance self-care Source Type: blogs
Standout Foods Take Center Stage
By Amy Campbell
Meet with a dietitian and one of the first questions you might ask him is, "What should I eat?" The answer, in part, lies in the reason for seeing him in the first place. Most dietitians will tell you to eat a variety of foods from all of the food groups, but there are also some particular standouts that you might want to make an extra effort to add to your repertoire. These are foods that may wait quietly on the sidelines while the superfoods take center stage. Think about adding some of the following tasty treats to your menus.
Barley. Barley admittedly can sometimes taste bland. I've made soup with barle...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - April 8, 2013 Category: Diabetes Authors: Amy Campbell Source Type: blogs
Weight loss for the new you
WEIGHT LOSS FOR THE NEW YOUOver 50% of Americans are overweight. Are you one of them? To begin the Battle of the Bulge, you must locate your enemy before your battle can begin.You may crave food at all times of the day, except at meal times. You may be just eating because it’s something to do, and eating helps you forget about your worries and anxieties. At dinner and lunch you eat sensibly in front of others, but when alone, wow do you pig out.Most of us spend very little time eating our meals, are always hurried. The body does not have enough time to adjust the feeling of fullnes...
Source: Dr. Needles Medical Blogs - September 27, 2010 Category: Physicians With Health Advice Tags: WEIGHT LOSS FOR THE NEW YOU Source Type: blogs
