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 [...]

Addressing the Issue I will not pretend I know the answer to this question, but I can give some of my opinions on the matter. Doctors for years have been telling us to eat right and exercise.  For most of those years we have taken a very American stance and asked them kindly to mind [...]

So you came back from the doctors office with a page full of numbers and you are trying to make some sense of them.  I am going to try to give a simple breakdown of the main components of the number on a cholesterol blood test.  Hopefully, by the end of this post you’re a [...]

Sugar and Insulin When we eat sugar it is absorbed into the body and makes its way to the bloodstream. The bloodstream then carries the sugar to the cells of the body. When a large amount of sugar is in the bloodstream, the body releases a large amount of insulin. This insulin drives sugar into [...]

Understand the Importance of LDL Cholesterol If you know someone who has suffered a heart attack or stroke, then the words “You have high LDL cholesterol” from your doctor may have some meaning to you. For the rest of us, the words “high cholesterol” may not conjure up many thoughts or images. Even if you [...]

These are the levels that are set by the ATP III. They are based on the risk for heart disease found in various studies. Understanding these gives you a notable upper-hand in the fight against high cholesterol and heart disease. (In mg/dL) LDL Cholesterol  HDL Cholesterol     Total Cholesterol Triglycerides <100 Optimal < 40 [...]

Many people are aware that heart disease is the number one killer in America, but many do not realize that according to the World Health Organization at least 80% of premature deaths from cardiovascular heart disease and stroke could be prevented through a healthy diet, regular physical activity and avoiding the use of tobacco…