If your cholesterol is on the high side, you may be able to help bring it down with a diet that includes nuts, whole soy foods and high fiber foods. The latter includes vegetables, and breads and cereals containing whole grains like oats and barley. A study published in the August 24/31 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that this "portfolio" diet yielded better cholesterol-lowering effects than the low fat diet that has been traditionally recommended to bring down high levels of LDL ("bad" cholesterol). Study participants on the portfolio diet lowered their LDL by more than 13 percent, compared to only a three percent reduction among participants who followed a low-fat diet. Essentially, on the "portfolio" diet, participants replaced sources of saturated fat such as red meat and dairy products with foods that provide healthy fats, namely nuts and soy products. The diet also calls for substituting plant sterol enriched margarine for butter.
My take? I've long recommended including nuts and whole soy based protein (instead of animal protein) in your diet if you're trying to lower your cholesterol. I also think it's a good idea to reduce the amount of sugar and flour in your diet when you're trying to bring down your cholesterol. Recent evidence indicates that added sugar - in the form of table sugar (sucrose) or high-fructose corn syrup - is probably a greater contributor to heart disease than is saturated fat. I disagree with the inclusion of margarine in the "portfolio" diet and discourage its use in general because the highly processed fats it contains promote inflammation, cancer and damage to the immune system. The monounsaturated fat found in olive oil and nuts is the healthiest fat of all and the type I recommend that you rely on the most, whether or not you're trying to lower your cholesterol.
Supplements for Your Heart?
Specific supplements, including coenzyme Q10, magnesium and omega-3s, may help support and maintain heart health. Learn more at Dr. Weil's Vitamin Advisor, and get your free recommendation today.
Want to Lose Belly Fat? Start Moving
The belly fat you can see may not flatter your figure, but it isn't as harmful to your health as hidden belly fat surrounding internal organs deep in the abdomen. That's the stuff that boosts the risk of heart disease, diabetes and some kinds of cancer. Now, researchers at Duke University Medical Center have shown that the best way to lose this dangerous fat is with aerobic exercise. The Duke team compared aerobic exercise, resistance training (exercising with weights) and a combination of the two during an eight-month study with 196 overweight adults ages 18 to 90. They found that aerobic exercise burned 67 percent more calories than resistance training. It also had beneficial effects on known risk factors for diabetes and heart disease, including elevated liver enzymes, fasting triglycerides and fasting insulin resistance (here, the normal amount of insulin secreted is not sufficient to move glucose into cells - thus cells are said to be "resistant" to insulin's action). No such positive changes were seen in the resistance training group. The aerobic exercise performed in the study was equivalent to jogging 12 miles per week at 80 percent of maximum heart rate.
Inspirations for Mind, Body and Spirit
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Prunes for Strong Bones
Dried plums, also called prunes, seem to be really good for bones. Researchers from Florida State and Oklahoma State universities tested two fruits, dried plums and dried apples, on two groups of postmenopausal women. For a year, one group of 55 women ate about 10 prunes per day while a second group of 45 women ate 100 grams (about 3.5 ounces) of dried apples daily. All participants took 500 mg of calcium and 400 IU of vitamin D daily during the study. Afterwards, the women who ate the prunes had significantly higher bone mineral density in the spine and the ulna (one of two long bones in the forearm) than the women who ate the dried apples. The researchers said the difference was due in part to the ability of the nutrients in prunes to suppress the rate of bone breakdown, which tends to exceed the rate of new bone growth as we age. The study was published in the British Journal of Nutrition.
Foods for Health
From "10 Vegetables You Need in Your Kitchen" to monthly Seasonal Food lists, Dr. Weil on Healthy Aging has everything you need to follow a healthy diet - and enjoy it. Sign up today for a 14-day free trial, and check out our hundreds of recipes (most are meat-free), eating guides and shopping tips!
Recipe: Spicy Garlic Broccoli with Pine Nuts
Garlic and broccoli seem to go hand in hand, one flavor beautifully complimenting the other. A light soy dressing and toasted pine nuts round out this savory dish.
Spicy Garlic Broccoli with Pine Nuts
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What's New
Weil on Wellness with Andrew Weil, M.D.
Miraval Resort and Spa, Tucson Ariz., Oct. 30th - Nov 2nd, 2011
Stress, and how we deal with stress, has a direct effect on our nutrition and diet. When under stress, there is a greater potential to make unhealthy eating decisions that may include such responses as emotional eating, mindless munching and crash diets. Dr. Weil's ground-breaking new program, Weil on Wellness at Miraval Resort and Spa, dedicates over thirty years of experience to uncovering the negative responses that occur when dealing with stress and how to make significant changes to these coping mechanisms for overall health and wellness. Book now by calling 800.232.3969
Celebrate Your Life Conference
Phoenix, Ariz. Nov. 4-7, 2011
Dr. Weil is a keynote speaker at the annual Celebrate Your Life conference in Phoenix, Arizona. Celebrate Your Life is an extraordinary event that features powerful life-changing seminars with bestselling authors such as Wayne Dyer, Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor and many more. It’s an event that will inspire you to live a more fulfilling, joyful life. People travel from all over the world to attend. For more information, visit: www.celebrateyourlife.org
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