Myths And Facts Of A Heart Healthy Diet

Admin — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 20:58:49 +0000

What constitutes a heart healthy diet? Until now we have been told that eating a low cholesterol diet will help us to lower our cholesterol and thereby fight heart disease.This statement may not be true. Heart disease is no laughing matter. Especially since government statistics show that more than 1 million people suffer heart attacks each year and ½ million Americans die each year from heart disease. Heart disease has been the number one killer in the US for a half a century and is not showing any change to date. How come?The whole concept that high cholesterol foods are bad for you originated in the town of Framington, Mass where they studied the effects of high cholesterol on heart disease. The study seemed to prove that there is a correlation, but some say that the evidence is only borderline. Plus, there are many subsequent studies that have shown just the opposite. A study sponsored by the German Ministry of Research and Technology showed no link between high cholesterol and heart disease. Similarly, in Japan where the cholesterol levels have risen, there was a drop in heart attacks.China just completed an 8 year study with 10,000 people. One group was on statin drugs to lower cholesterol and the other group just consumed a normal diet. Researchers were astounded when they found a higher incidence of heart attacks in the statin group. The statin group successfully lowered the cholesterol levels but did not arrest the advent of heart disease. There are many more similar studies at home and abroad. So, what is the cause of heart disease?Research has shown that high insulin levels in the blood can cause high cholesterol. It follows that in order to control cholesterol we must stabilize insulin and sugar metabolism. So, instead of avoiding cholesterol, you must avoid sugar, simple carbs, and if the problem is severe enough, eliminate carbs altogether. Coffee stimulates the adrenals which in turn can cause an elevation of the insulin levels.There is truth to the Atkins approach and this explains why a diet of either low or no carbs can be beneficial in lowering blood pressure, triglicerides, insulin as well as cholesterol.Hormone metabolism can effect cholesterol. If you have low testosterone for example, you will probably have a high cholesterol as well. By eating foods that have low cholesterol, you may be damaging your hormonal system and even causing the liver to produce even more cholesterol. How many times have you heard of someone who drastically lowered his dietary cholesterol intake only to see a surge in his blood cholesterol levels? And then, we want this heart healthy diet to be low in trans fats. This seems to be the real culprit. How many people still believe that margarine is good for your heart? We must avoid those donuts, muffins, cream cakes, and often whole wheat breads and crackers that contain partially hydrogenated fats as well.Each meal should contain a balance of protein, complex carbs and healthy fats. Following the guidelines of a heart healthy diet, getting proper exercise and if you smoke, you must quit, no if ands or buts. Stay on track and you have the tools to efficiently reduce the risk of heart disease.

Healthy Diet Weight Plan – 4 Biggest Myths About Weight Loss

Admin — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 08:54:27 +0000

Looking for the best diet weight plan can be challenging. There are a lot of myths in diet industry creating confusion for people searching for solution to their weight problems. What do you need to know when looking for this perfect diet weight plan to make you slim and healthy? Lets take a look at 4 biggest myths.

#1st myth about diet weight plan: Need to skip meals to lose weight. It’s actually the opposite. To have regular meals is important and it’s much better to eat 4-5 smaller meals than 2 or 3 big ones. Skipping meals can lower your metabolism and makes it more difficult to lose weight. This can cause sudden hunger and food cravings, which definitely are not good for your weight loss.

#2nd myth about diet weight plan: My genetics is to blame for not loosing weight. It’s true genes play a part in how our body balances calories and energy. Genes can make you more susceptible to gaining weight, but heredity doesn’t destine you to be fat. Genetics determine how much calories you will burn, so people with slower metabolic rates may burn calories slower than the one who are more active and have higher metabolic rates.

#3rd myth about diet weight plan: Carbohydrates are bad and have to be avoided. Carbohydrate means: carbon plus water and besides from fat and protein they are an essential nutrient for our body. The simplest carbohydrate is glucose, which is a fuel for the brain. Eliminating carbohydrates from our diet can produce significant weight loss in a short amount of time, but the results are not long lasting. As soon as you start eating normally again, the weight comes back, even more than before! The point is not all carbohydrates are bad (mostly the heavily processed carbohydrates). Good carbohydrates are necessary for long-term weight control and any healthy diet must include them.

#4th myth about diet weight plan: Need to avoid fat to lose weight. There are different types of fat. Not all of them are bad! What we need to avoid are saturated fats (mainly harder fats found on meat, lard and fat dairy products as butter, full cream milk, etc.) and trans fats (oils that comes from vegetables, but have been processed to make them hard and similar to saturated fats). They both contribute to weight gain and raised cholesterol level. Unsaturated fats are the “good one” and they come from vegetables, nuts and fruits. Also Omega 3 fatty acids (mainly from oily fish) are in category of “good fats”, because they prevent heart diseases and help to improve our health.

Now that you know 4 biggest myths about weight loss, look for the plan that will work for you. There are many to choose from depends what you want to accomplish. Some diet weight plan doesn’t have any restriction to “low fat” or “low carb” foods and some does. The key to more balance and healthy lifestyle is to use everything in moderation.

You do not have to limit yourself to just one option. Diet Weight Plan that offers multiple diet combinations may be a better choice. To learn more about healthy dieting techniques check http://www.dietweightplan.com

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Myths And Facts Of A Heart Healthy Diet

Healthy Diet Weight Plan – 4 Biggest Myths About Weight Loss