Worried about high cholesterol? It can cause heart attacks and even bring on a STROKE

WE'RE constantly bombarded with the news high cholesterol is bad for you - but what on earth is it in the first place?

By FELICITY THISTLETHWAITE

PUBLISHED: 07:11, Sat, Nov 7, 2015 | UPDATED: 21:14, Tue, Nov 10, 2015

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Food with plenty of saturated fats in will cause a high cholesterol

If you listen to your mum/wife/the news you'll know a high cholesterol is bad for you - but what is it and how do you lower it? 

Full English breakfasts, burgers, takeaways: they all contain fatty substances known to raise your cholesterol. 

Express.co.uk spoke to Linda Main, Dietetic Adviser for Heart UK, about high cholesterol and what we can do to make sure, as a nation, we're more healthy and happy. 

What is cholesterol - and is it bad if it's high? 

Cholesterol is essential and our bodies need healthy levels of it to function properly.  It is needed to build the outer wall of our cells (the body’s building blocks), to make vitamin D and some hormones.  Our liver makes most of our cholesterol, but we do get some from food too.  

Only animal foods supply cholesterol, there is no cholesterol in fruits, vegetables or cereal foods.  Less than 25% of our body’s cholesterol comes from food.

High cholesterol can affect anyone regardless of gender, ethnicity, weight, or age, because family history is a big factor. 

Most people who have high-cholesterol do not show any obvious symptoms. The only way to tell if you have high cholesterol is to have a simple blood test.  If you are aged between 40 and 74 your doctor can arrange this as part of a simple NHS Health Check.

How does having high cholesterol affect your body? 

The heart, blood vessels and blood make up our circulatory system.  The heart is a muscle which never stops beating, it acts as a mechanical pump.  

The heart has its own blood supply which comes from 3 small coronary arteries.  These divide many times to provide oxygen and nutrients to every part of the heart muscle to help keep it healthy and pumping normally.

Problems occur when any one of these arteries becomes narrowed due to the gradual build-up of fatty material (called plaque or atheroma).  This process is called atherosclerosis, it happens over many years and causes coronary heart disease.  

Sometimes an artery can become so narrow it cannot deliver enough blood.  This results in warning symptoms such as chest pain – this is called stable angina. 

When these fatty deposits become very large or extended they may burst.  Just like when you graze your knee, a blood clot and then scarring forms over the damaged area.  Over time this damage may partly or completely block the artery.  When this happens it is called acute coronary syndrome (ACS), unstable angina or heart attack. 

A heart attack does not happen overnight it can take 30-40 years, but the process is speeded up by having unhealthy levels of cholesterol.  And it can happen even faster if you have other risk factors too such as high blood pressure, diabetes or if you are a smoker.

How do you lower cholesterol? 

• Adopting a healthier lifestyle, such as eating a heart-healthy diet and being physicallyactive can help lower the levels of cholesterol in your blood.  And by encouraging other family members to do the same you are helping to protect them from future heart disease too. 
  
• Cutting down on saturated fats and eating more foods rich in unsaturated fats, eating more whole grains and fibre rich foods, incorporating plenty of fruit and veg into your diet, could have a dramatic effect on your cholesterol levels.
  
• Foods that are high in saturated fat include meat pies, butter, cream, hard cheeses, cakes and biscuits, and products containing coconut or palm oil.  Try swapping for foods containing saturated fat for oily fish, nuts, seeds, avocadoes and vegetable oils and spreads.
  
• Your diet should include a mix of sources of fibre, such as wholemeal bread, wholegrain cereals, fruit and vegetables, pulses, nuts and seeds. You should aim to eat at least five portions of different fruits and vegetables each day.

What does it affect? Are you more susceptible to other diseases - cancer, heart attacks, diabetes?

The furring up or narrowing of blood vessels can happen in any part of the body. If it causes a restriction in the blood flow this means too little oxygen and nutrients reach that part of the body that the artery serves.  

In the heart this can cause angina or a heart attack, in the brain it can lead to a mini stroke or stroke and in the arms and legs it can lead to pain and difficulty walking. It can also cause the failure of key organs such as the kidney.    

Surprisingly it’s not the amount of body fat that you carry that contributes to unhealthy cholesterol levels but where on the body you store this extra fat.  Storing fat around the waistline is particularly bad. 

Scientists often refer to people as being apple shaped or pear shaped.  Being apple shaped increases your risk of heart disease as well as other problems such as type 2 diabetes. 

So having a large waist circumference is a bigger indicator of heart health risk than what your bath room scales say.  Ideally men should have a waistline below 94 cm (37inches) and women below 80 cm (32 inches).  Having a waistline over 102 cm (40 inches) in a man and 88cm (35 inches) in a woman puts you at serious risk of heart disease.  You should measure your waist at its widest part – around where your tummy button is.

Even if you have a healthy diet, don’t smoke, don’t have diabetes or high blood pressure you can still have high cholesterol if you inherit that tendency from a parent.

What top tips can you give to keep your cholesterol low? 

By adopting a healthy balanced diet and being physically active you can make big strides in your journey to maintaining healthy cholesterol levels. 

• Ditching foods with high saturated fats

Swapping them in for foods with unsaturated fats that are rich in omega-3, along with fuelling your body with foods high in fibre, helps you take positive steps to lowering your cholesterol levels. There are lots of simple swaps you can make to your everyday pantry staples.

• Choose wholegrain

High fibre foods such as breads and cereal products as well as heart healthy spreads. Ideally we should all being a portion of oily fish per week too. 

It is important for your doctor to find out what is causing your high cholesterol

Is there a treatment for having high cholesterol? 

Talk to your doctor if you have been diagnosed with high cholesterol. It is important for your doctor to find out what is causing your high cholesterol. As part of an NHS health check they can also advise you of your risk of having a heart attack in the future.  

Your doctor will often encourage you to make some changes to your diet and lifestyle to see if you can make a difference to your cholesterol levels over a few months. If after this time your cholesterol levels have not dropped, you may be advised to take medication to lower this. 

There are several different types of cholesterol-lowering medicines that work in a number of different ways, your GP can advise you about the most suitable type of treatment for your needs, and may also prescribe medication to lower your high-blood pressure if this affects you.”

If you have high cholesterol is it for life? 

If you have high cholesterol and manage to lower it by adopting a healthier diet or by taking a medicine then well done. However if you stop taking the medicine or revert back to an unhealthy lifestyle your cholesterol will go back up to pre-treatment levels.  

So it is important to make long term healthy habits rather than rely on short terms fixes. 

If you are looking for specialist products that play a role in managing cholesterol levels there are plenty of them too.  Try Hovis “Good Inside”; a loaf that has added Omega-3, derived from seeds.  Just two slices provides nearly half (42%) of the beneficial 2g/d requirement of omega 3, as ruled by EFSA.

And special dairy products that are fortified with plant sterols and stanols such as Flora ProActiv & Benecol can actively lower cholesterol too.

Source: http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/diets/617513/high-cholesterol-heart-attack-stroke-treatment

4 Yoga Poses to Reduce Belly Fat

Exercise Variety Like in Life, is the Spice of Life!!!

Best Butt Exercises | Glute Bridge vs Hip Thrust

Whip your Glutes into your SHAPE!!!

Stay Fit This Winter!!

How to stay fit in winter.

•  Lucy Fry 

28 OCTOBER 2015 • 7:00AM

Some people hate early mornings. Others hate dark evenings. Either way, it’s generally agreed that during autumn and winter the pillow calls louder than press-ups. Yet since exercise releases endorphins, which make us feel good, and lack of sunlight reduces serotonin, which balances our moods, ditching training for snoozing is not always the answer.

If the darker days leave you demotivated and sluggish, try short, sharp workouts.

Committing to a 20-minute blast at home is easier than promising yourself that you will get up early for the gym, although watching the sun rise in the park could help boost mood, too, as you will absorb some natural light.

“This is really so important,” says Elise Facer-Childs, who is studying circadian rhythms in athletes at the University of Birmingham. “Natural light is the main way our body clock resets itself every day to a 24-hour cycle,” she adds.

Body weight circuits are efficient, giving you more time in bed. They also rev up the internal thermostat and jump-start the metabolism. Training first thing also allows you to be smug for the rest of the day (not to mention eat carbs for breakfast).

Rex CREDIT: JOHNER IMAGES / ALAMY

Keeping things simple, with exercises such as press-ups, squats, lunges and jumping-jacks, does not mean that you are cutting corners. Do 10 of each, one after the other, five to 10 times over (depending on your fitness and energy levels), increasing the intensity as you go and resting for the minimum amount of time. Not only does this hit almost all the major muscle groups, but it challenges the heart and lungs and takes 20-30 minutes.

“Skipping ’n’ abs” is also one of my favourite at-home options. Try a minute of skipping followed by 30 seconds of rest, repeated five times. Then skip for 30 seconds, and rest for 15 seconds. After that, try five 30-second planks with 30 seconds of rest in between.

If you’re feeling anxious or want to wind down at the end of the day, leave the high-intensity training, which will release adrenalin, and tryyoga instead (head to yoogaia.com for online classes).

Now on to the question of when to exercise. Many people prefer to work out towards the end of the day – and if you’re looking to improve your performance, this might well be right for you. According to a recent study, athletic performance peaks in the evening when people’s core body temperature is at its highest.

And yet other research I’ve read suggests that, when it comes to training, people perform best at different times of the day. “Early” and “intermediate” athletes hit their high spots at midday and 4pm respectively (four to six hours after waking), while “late” people do so at 8pm (up to 11 hours after waking). Pay attention to when you find exercise most enjoyable and then stick to this time.

Maintaining a good sleep routine should help your mood, too. Try to avoid using your computer or your iPad immediately before bed: studies suggest that these disrupt or delay sleep.

“It’s better to maintain a consistent sleep pattern than rely on your weekends to catch up,” says Facer-Childs. “The body clock thrives on routine; if you continually change your sleep pattern that will desynchronise it.

“Sleeping an extra four hours at the weekend is the equivalent of going to Dubai every Friday and coming back on Sunday. You’re effectively 'jet-lagging’ yourself.” Allowing yourself an extra 20 minutes in bed, however, shouldn’t do too much harm.

My advice is to congratulate yourself for every workout, forgive yourself for those you miss, and leave any more ascetic ideas until next spring.

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/wellbeing/fitness/how-to-stay-fit-in-winter/

Beware weekend diet sabotage: Top 6 habits to stay healthy all week long

YOU eat healthily Monday to Friday then Saturday comes along and scuppers everything. But get into these six habits and have the best of both worlds…

By KIM JONES

PUBLISHED: 00:01, Sun, Aug 30, 2015

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Stay healthy at the weekends too with our expert's top tips

Sip, sip hooray

You don’t have to ditch alcohol altogether, but be aware a glass of wine can contain as many calories as four cookies.

“Choose a dry white wine (83 calories in 125ml) rather than sweet or a red,” suggests specialist dietitian Nichola Whitehead (nicsnutrition.com). “And clear spirits such as vodka and gin – about 50 calories for a single measure – are the lightest on the calorie scale. Serve with a low-calorie mixer such as lime with soda or slimline tonic.”

If you do overindulge, be aware of hangover cravings. “Consumption of alcohol increases the production of galanin in the brain, a chemical that gives you an appetite for fats,” says dietitian Abigail Wilson of nutrition company Dupl (dupl.me). “Although eating fatty foods will satisfy your neurochemical desires, it won’t help your hangover. 

A poached egg with tomatoes on toast will help replenish your blood glucose levels and provide antioxidants, while the egg’s protein will help you feel fuller for longer.

Or try a slice of bread with yeast spread to help replace B vitamins, salt and folic acid, which are depleted by drinking. Also don’t forget to replenish your fluid intake – skimmed milk is low in fat, and will help settle your stomach and raise your blood sugar levels.”

Pre-meal prep

It’s a big mistake to starve yourself before a meal out and save your calories before a big blow out, says Nichola Whitehead. If you’re ravenous, your stomach does the choosing, not your head, and you’re more likely to say yes to the bread basket while you browse the menu, and choose fattier, more calorific foods, too.

“Instead, have a healthy, normal-sized breakfast and lunch, plus a light, healthy snack of protein and fibre (which will keep you fuller for longer on fewer calories) about an hour before you go. Try peanut butter with apple, yoghurt and blueberries or chicken slices and cream cheese on oatcakes,” she says.

Revamp your roast

The average roast dinner with all the trimmings tends to be high in saturated fats and salt and can contain about 850 calories.

But a few tweaks can make it healthier. Lean meats such as chicken and turkey are good options. Roast on a wire rack so that excess fat runs off the meat and don’t baste during cooking (add a tray of water to the oven to create extra moisture if you’re worried that the meat is drying out).

Make it even healthier by taking off the skin before serving (a lot of fat is stored just beneath the skin) and choose white rather than darker meat. Roast your potatoes and parsnips in olive oil or spray with a low-calorie cooking oil (keep the veg in large pieces so there will be less overall surface area to soak up oil) and pile your plate with steamed veg (sprinkle with herbs and pepper rather than baste in butter).

For home-made gravy, drain off as much fat as you can from the juices (a tablespoon of fat can contain 110 calories).

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Swap a medium-sweet popcorn (about 793 calories) for a medium-salt popcorn (about 641 calories)

Bigger breakfast

It’s hard to say no to a full English, but if you grill as much as you can rather than fry it, you’ll instantly cut back the fat. “One tablespoon of oil contains more than 100 calories and grilling helps drain some of the fat away,” says Nichola Whitehead.

“Poach eggs and bulk up the veggies – the fibre will help to fill you up. Try grilled beef tomatoes, mushrooms fried in a little spray oil and baked beans. Consider switching to a vegetarian sausage and/or turkey bacon, which both contain fewer calories than their pork equivalents.”

Movie munchies

Swap a medium-sweet popcorn (about 793 calories) for a medium-salt popcorn (about 641 calories) or, better still, bring your own healthier version. Metcalfe’s Skinny popcorn is cooked using rapeseed oil, which is high in polyunsaturated fat and low in saturated fat, and comes in various flavours – the Sweet ’n Salt version is just 115 calories per 25g bag.

Instead of a 200-calorie scoop of ice cream, try a frozen yoghurt at about 90 calories for a regular scoop.

And if you must go for nachos, top with salsa only (about 600 calories a portion), and give plastic cheese and gunky guacamole a swerve (an extra 340 calories). “Instead of opting for a sugar-loaded fizzy drink, take your own sparkling water with some fresh lemon or lime instead,” suggests nutritionist Kim Pearson (kim-pearson.com).

Takeaway tips

Nelle Ferguson, nutritionist at Nourish (nourishoxford.com), says: “If you’re having Chinese, steer clear of sauces made from sugar, flour or cornstarch (such as sweet-and-sour dishes or lemon chicken). They can be loaded with corn syrup, an artificial sweetener that can pile on the pounds.

Good options are chicken or prawns in a black bean or oyster sauce and ask for your order to be made with “half sauce” – you really won’t notice the difference and it really helps cut back on calories.

At the Indian takeaway, go for dishes such as rogan josh, bhuna or dhansak (with lentils), as they don’t use nearly as much ghee or cream as the popular korma and tikka masala sauces. Avoid fattier meats such as beef or lamb and opt for fish, vegetable or chicken curries. Pilau rice is cooked in oil, adding unnecessary fat and calories to the meal, so always have plain rice.” 

Source: http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/diets/601403/Tips-to-avoid-weekend-diet-sabotage

From mindful metabolism to cutting calories: 10 ways to get your diet back on track

WITH carb-loaded comfort food tempting us to scupper healthy-eating intentions, here’s how to keep your waistline in check…

By MARINA GASK

PUBLISHED: 00:01, Sun, Oct 25, 2015

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Those who spend 45 minutes or more in the kitchen per day have lower body mass indexes

1. Match your DNA

Researchers at The University of Sheffield found that a one-size-fits-all approach to diet doesn’t work and weight-loss strategies need to be more tailored. A massive 60 per cent of variance in body weight is due to genetic factors, so make your diet work with your genetic make-up. 

SOLUTION: DNAFit is a programme that provides bespoke advice to improve your fitness, weight and health by analysing your genes. 

A saliva test provides the information to develop your personalised diet and exercise programme. The DNAFit test and consultation costs from £99 at dnafit.com.

2. Sleep well

A study by Weill Cornell Medical College in the US discovered just 30 minutes less sleep per night than normal can cause weight gain. The more sleep-deprived you are, the less regulated your hormones. You release too much cortisol, which increases your appetite and not enough leptin, which controls fat stores. 

SOLUTION: “Set an alarm for 9.30pm to remind you to switch all technology off to guarantee a good night’s sleep,” says nutritional adviser and personal fitness trainer Rachel McGuinness (zestlifestyle.com). “A tech amnesty is essential as the blue light emitted by computer screens increases serotonin secretion, fighting the body’s sleep hormone, melatonin.”

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Sleep well: 30 minutes less sleep per night than normal can cause weight gain

3. On the move

Never mind spin classes – just moving more will have a huge impact on your ability to lose weight. Long periods of gentle exercise – such as daily dog walks – are better at fat burning than high-intensity cardio gym sessions. Low-intensity exercise improves insulin sensitivity and blood lipid levels, which are both indicators of diabetes and obesity. 

SOLUTION: Keep on the go and the energy burnt will soon clock up: 150 minutes of brisk walking a week is a good rule of thumb. Or get a Fitbit and aim to do 10,000 steps a day. 

4. Cut calories

Most of us eat far too many calories, which is why nearly two thirds of the adult population is overweight or obese. Eating out is almost as bad as takeaways when it comes to calories, due to added cream and butter, plus alcohol that weakens our resolve while piling on more calories. 

SOLUTION: Use the NHS-approved app Cook & Count, which measures exactly how many calories there are in your cooking, and also gives you the nutritional content of fat, carbohydrate and protein. 

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Long periods of gentle exercise – such as daily dog walks – are great at fat burning

5. Mindful metabolism

Ever felt that those extra few inches won’t shift? This could be something to do with your metabolism. Understanding how it works could hold the key to transforming your shape for the long term. 

SOLUTION: Get your metabolism analysed. The results of a Hypoxi analysis (hypoxi.net) explain how high your consumption of calories is, how well your body uses its fat reserves, how many calories a day you really need and what type of foods are recommended for you. 

6. Know your sugar

With Jamie Oliver declaring sugar is almost as bad for you as alcohol and tobacco, the average Brit consumes 238 teaspoons of it each week. 

Yet glucose is the chemical in the bloodstream that carries energy to the brain, muscles and other organs and systems. Acts of self-control – like eating sensibly – reduce blood glucose levels. 

SOLUTION: Low levels of glucose predict poor performance on self-control tasks and tests. Replenishing glucose at low willpower points in the day (such as mid-afternoon) with a small glass of lemonade improves self-control performance – meaning you can resist treats.

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When you get the urge to snack, do something with your hands like trying an adult colouring book

7. Enjoy the kitchen

Research has found those who spend 45 minutes or more in the kitchen per day have lower body mass indexes (BMIs) than those who only spend less time preparing meals – 39 per cent of those who had a healthy BMI (of 18.5-24.9) on average spent 45 minutes or more preparing meals per day.

SOLUTION: Not having the right ingredients for rustling up a healthy meal is the key, so stock up the freezer and you’ll have no excuse. Have a ready supply of frozen veg, herbs, root ginger and chillis, plus cook-from-frozen fish and mince, as well as frozen fruit for healthysorbets.

8. Beat boredom

A recent Weight Watchers survey found the biggest reason for snacking is boredom and the average Brit spends 34 days a year thinking about food. 

SOLUTION: “When you get the urge to snack, do something with your hands like trying an adult colouring book or playing a brain-training game on your phone,” says Rachel McGuinness. “If you normally have a snack at a certain time, go for a walk or do an activityinstead, so you break the snacking-when-bored cycle.”

9. False friends

We’re meant to eat at least five servings of fruit and veg a day for optimum health. But a recent study by Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health and Brigham & Women’s Hospital in Boston found starchy vegetables such as potatoes, corn and peas will make you gain weight.

SOLUTION: Vegetables that contain lots of fibre and are low in carbohydrates such as broccoli and Brussels sprouts lead to greater weight loss, probably because they make you feel full. If you want to lose weight, eat more berries, pears, apples, tofu, soy, cauliflower and green, leafy vegetables.

10. Don’t give up

We’re only human and even the most disciplined of us falls off the diet wagon now and again with the odd comfort-eating binge.

SOLUTION: Don’t beat yourself up if you have a bad day – we all deserve the odd treat. Just resolve to get back on track for the rest of the week. Think of it as “calories in, calories out” and plan a way to exercise it off. 

Source: http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/diets/613627/10-ways-to-get-your-diet-back-on-track