You’ve probably heard the debate about health care reform and the changes that are needed.  If you are like me, you are giving a little more thought to your own overall satisfaction with the health care system.  The reform debate has been about more than just who is going to foot the bill.  In the debate are questions [...]

Know Your Blood-Flow Atherosclerosis can narrow arteries and decrease blood supply to just about any part of the body.  The plaque of atherosclerosis can also become unstable and burst, causing a complete loss of blood to an area.  A loss of blood to the area can cause major damage or even cell death.  While you really [...]

The Earlier You Start, the Better Atherosclerosis and the problems it causes get an early start in life.  Cholesterol starts depositing in the arteries of Americans at an early age.  A study in 2003 looked at the arteries of 17 and 18 year old being assessed for the Austrian army.  The signs of athereosclerosis were [...]

Get the Skinny on Fat Is fat good or is fat bad?  In America over the last 50 years this question has become more difficult to answer.  Part of the issue is that there is not one statement that can be made that would take into account the complexity of what fat is and what [...]

Fiber’s Disappearing Act Most health experts believe we should be getting 25-35 grams of fiber every day.  As Americans, we consume on average 10-15 grams of fiber a day.  This is a problem. The consumption of fiber in the human population has continued to decrease over the course of human history.  In the last couple centuries it [...]

An Unknown But Common Problem The term “metabolic syndrome” probably sounds like a term that is best left in the circle of the medical elite.  Well, I think it’s a concept that should be better understood by all Americans.  Metabolic Syndrome is a very American disease, for lack of a better term.  It only occurs [...]

The Approach An American Heart Association Science Advisory summary of the Lyon Diet Heart Study starts with these words, “Diet is a cornerstone of cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention and treatment efforts.”   The Lyon diet that was the focus of this studied emphasized foods that are considered to be part of the Mediteranean Diet. The Components [...]

Get Some TLC To help people on the road to lower cholesterol naturally the goverment has created the TLC (Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes) diet.  This diet is designed to help the typical American drop their cholesterol naturally.  The government suggests that doctors first recommend the TLC diet, for those who do not have heart disease, to help [...]

An Unknown Disease Syndrome X, now known as metabolic syndrome, is a combination of high blood pressure, obesity, high cholesterol and insulin resistence.  Over 27 million Americans are believed to have metabolic syndrome.  This syndrome can contribute to many diseases such as heart disease and diabetes.  The best prevention and treatment of Syndrome X seems to [...]

Healthy Tips High fiber vegetable source foods are best for a cholesterol lowering diet.  This includes beans, whole grains, nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables.  In addition to fiber, all of these have natural phytochemicals (plant chemicals) which are beneficial to your heart health and your overall well-being. Protein Sources Use beans and whole grain recipes [...]