In the past few years, omega-3 fatty acids have become increasingly popular with their numerous amounts of health benefits. Omega-3 fatty acids work as an anti-inflammatory agent that helps reverse the processes of heart disease, cancer and many other conditions.  As of Monday, April 13th, new research has just been added to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition on the effects of walnuts and fish on heart disease.

Researchers from Loma Linda University concluded that in healthy individuals walnuts lowered cholesterol more than fish, while fatty fish lowered triglyceride levels ultimately both reducing the overall risk of coronary heart disease. This study was conducted to show everyone including the healthiest of people how imperative and easy it is to simply add walnuts and fatty fish to their daily diet.

The American heart association recommends eating fish 3 times a week to reduce the risk for cardiovascular disease. Using this as a guideline, the researchers found that healthy people who included fatty fish twice a week, decreased triglyceride levels by 11.4 percent. In addition, adding 1.5 ounces of walnuts to their eating regimen lowered their LDL levels by 9.3 percent compared to a control diet based on USDA recommendations. Studies have shown that walnuts can significantly reduce blood cholesterol. Walnuts are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, and they also help keep blood vessels healthy and elastic.

Some of the highest levels of omega-3 fats can be found fish like mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines, albacore tuna, and salmon.  The reason for this being, that fish is a good source of protein and doesn’t have the high saturated fat like ones found in fatty meats.  

Tanya Zuckerbrot, MS, RD is a nutritionist and founder of Skinnyandthecity.com.    She is also the creator of The F-Factor Diet™, an innovative nutritional program she has used for more than ten years to provide hundreds of her clients with all the tools they need to achieve easy weight loss and maintenance, improved health and well-being.  For more information log onto www.FFactorDiet.com.

Nearly 50 million Americans have high cholesterol. There are two kinds of cholesterol: HDL (high-density lipoprotein) and LDL (low-density lipoprotein). HDL is often called the “good” kind of cholesterol because it helps remove unwanted cholesterol from the body. LDL is the “bad” cholesterol made up primarily of fat, and is a particular risk factor for heart disease. So when setting out to lower your cholesterol, you need to know your HDL number, your LDL number, and your total cholesterol number.

This  chart will provide you with some helpful information:

High levels of cholesterol in the blood increase your chances of developing heart disease. In an effort to lower your cholesterol and reduce your risk, you must increase your fiber intake. Clinical studies show that a heart-healthy diet that is low-fat and includes lots of fruits, vegetables and whole grain products that contain fiber can lower blood cholesterol. Fiber, among its other benefits, seems to bind up cholesterol allowing it to be eliminated from your body. If enough is removed it can lower cholesterol by 10-15 percent.

Many studies have shown that fiber can slow the liver’s manufacture of cholesterol, as well as modify LDL particles to make them larger and less dense. Researchers believe that small, dense LDL particles pose a bigger health threat.

The American Dietetic Association recommends that Americans eat 20-35 grams of fiber per day. Here are some fiber-filled foods to help lower cholesterol:

•   Oat/oat bran/whole-wheat products
•   Dried beans and peas
•   Nuts
•   Barley
•   Flax seed
•   Fruits such as apples and pears
•   Vegetables such as carrots and broccoli
The key to improve overall health is not only dieting, but making physical activity a part of your daily routine. Regular physical activity is key to keeping your cholesterol low. Aerobic exercise may improve insulin sensitivity, HDL, and triglyceride levels, and may reduce your heart risk. People who exercise and control their diet appear to be more successful in long-term lifestyle modifications that improve their heart risk profile.
 
Tanya Zuckerbrot, MS, RD is a nutritionist and the creator of The F-Factor Diet™, an innovative nutritional program she has used for more than ten years to provide hundreds of her clients with all the tools they need to achieve easy weight loss and maintenance, improved health and well-being.  For more information log onto www.FFactorDiet.com.

When Wendy Dean suffered a heart attack, her personal health was not her only concern. Because she was only 35-years-old, she had good reason to worry about her two young daughters.So one year later, she decided to have the girls’ cholesterol levels tested.

“I took them because they were high risk,” said Dean, who lives in Cincinnati, Ohio. “I wondered about their cholesterol immediately.”

The results justified Dean’s concern: Her daughter Becca, who was 10, had a total cholesterol level of 213 mg/dL. Her other daughter, Sarah, 7, had a total cholesterol level of 187 mg/dL.

According to the American Heart Association’s Web site, the acceptable total cholesterol level for children ages 2 to 19 is 170 mg/dL or lower.

Parents don’t generally worry about their young children having heart attacks, but high cholesterol in children is actually very common. And if kids with high cholesterol do not change their lifestyles, they could be at risk for a host of problems later in life.