Cholesterol - Good Foods, Bad Foods and Considerations

For anyone battling heart disease (or anyone simply wanting to be healthy) the topic of cholesterol intake is very important. However, sifting through all the good and bad sources and choices can be a bit daunting for many. So, to simplify things a little here's some pointers on foods to avoid and foods to select for those wanting to manage cholesterol for optimal results.

Some Sources of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) - aka, Good Cholesterol

• Oatmeal, oat bran and high-fiber foods - 1.5 cups of prepared oatmeal + a banana gets you 10g of fiber
• Fish and omega-3 fatty acids (salmon, tuna, halibut, trout - baked or grilled)
• Walnuts, almonds and other nuts - about a handful a day
• Olive oil (2 tablespoons per day, use EVO
• Foods with added plant sterols or stanols (Margarines, orange juice and yogurt drinks with added plant sterols can help reduce LDL cholesterol)

Try to cut out bad fats or LDL cholesterol. Trans fats are particularly bad - Foods to avoid include:

• Whole-milk dairy products
• Butter
• Cream
• Ice cream
• Cream cheese
• Certain shellfish, such as shrimp
• Other organ meats, such as kidney and brain

Try to keep intake of saturated (bad) fats to below 7% of your diet. Saturated fats are commonly found in:

• Beef
• Poultry
• Veal
• Processed meats (such as sausage, bologna, salami, and hot dogs)
• Egg yolks
• Butter
• Whole milk dairy products (such as milk, cream, cheese, and ice cream)
• Baked goods

Still confused? If all of this is tough to figure out, keep in mind that you can alwys have some basic rules when shopping. Avoid red meats and select fish instead. Eat as much fresh produce as possible including fruits and vegetables - the less processed (packaged) food you intake the better. Eat lots of oats and plain nuts (like almonds). Make wise choices like purchasing skim milk products rather than whole milk. Finally, read product labels and be aware of seemingly healthy foods that contain lots of salt. For example.. did you know that cheerios are relatively high in salt?

Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/cholesterol/CL00002

See more in this Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cholesterol

Image Source: http://mykentuckyheart.com/index.html

Cold Oatmeal + Fruit - The Perfect Heart Smart Meal

Like many of you, I'm concerned with me BP and cholesterol levels. So, naturally I've turned to oatmeal as a daily (almost favorite) and have done so for a few months now. Easily available and quick to make, oatmeal is perfect for breakfast or for a snack. I'm not really a huge fan of plain oatmeal, however, thanks to the Corner Bakery in Denver, CO (see Here) I've been introduced to cold oatmeal and fruit - a healthy favorite! Trust me, for THE best cold oatmeal ever, you have to go to the Corner Bakery on 16th St!

It's a no-brainer to make and requires little thought! To make some killer oatmeal simply cook up some oats (quick oats work best I think), I like to swap in a little skim milk for some of the water to make them a bit creamier! Once cooked (about 6 minutes) let the oats cool and put them in the fridge. Then simply slice up a bunch of fruit (I prefer banana slices, apples, and strawberries. Sprinkle a bit of brown sugar on top or some honey works well also. Finish off with a few almond slices, raisins / craisins, and/or coconut sprinkls. Add a little skim milk or yogurt (non fat) and that's it.

A serving has almost zero fat (maybe about 3g), no sodium (check your ingredients though) and is a great source of carbs and fibre.

See Also: Benefits of Oatmeal

BP mobile Blood Pressure tracker app for iPhone

Using the healthycloud BP tracker app for iOS, a photo by @gletham GIS, Social, Mobile Tech Images on Flickr.

For those of us managing heart disease, tracking blood pressure can be pretty important. Luckily there's some cool mobile technology to help. Via iPhone I can use the BP Mobile Tracker app to store all the data from my BP readings. Simply create a new entry with each reading, then record the parameters. The data is stored and available in tabular or graphic formats for simple display... way cool!

Omega-3 in fish - the key benefits

I love fish, actually, take that one step further, I pretty much love to eat anything from the sea (except maybe anchovies). So naturally, when it comes to being heart smart the topic of fish and Omega 3 (think good fats) are quite important to me, and should be to you as well. According to the Mayo Clinc, Doctors have long recognized that the unsaturated fats in fish, called omega-3 fatty acids, appear to reduce the risk of dying of heart disease. For many years, the American Heart Association has recommended that people eat fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids at least twice a week.

A few hot points about Omega-3:

• Fish contain unsaturated fatty acids, which, when substituted for saturated fatty acids such as those in meat, may lower your cholesterol
• Omega-3 fatty acids are a type of unsaturated fatty acid that's thought to reduce inflammation throughout the body
• Fatty fish, such as salmon, herring and to a lesser extent tuna, contain the most omega-3 fatty acids
• Most freshwater fish have less omega-3 fatty acids than do fatty saltwater fish
• Some fish, such as tilapia and catfish, don't appear to be as heart healthy because they contain higher levels of unhealthy fatty acids
• Omega-3 is also believed to have effects in lowering depression and preventing diabetes
  

Luckily I live in a coastal area where fresh salmon, tuna, halibut, and other Omega-3 rich sources are readily available!

Suggested Reading:

• Read on for more in this interesting article
• What's beneficial about salmon
• health benefits of seafood
• Omega-3 wiki
  

So, what happened? Signs of Heart Attack or Heart Disease

What happened? What were the symptoms? Why did you decide to go to emergency? These are all questions I've been hearing a lot since getting out of the hospital. Indeed, a good question. The decision for any guy (yes, it's likely harder for us stubborn guys to admit we need to go to the ER) to drop what they are doing and rush to the Emergency Room is a tough one. So how did I know to go get looked at?

The signs:
All was normal for me early in the afternoon, then I started feeling chest pains. The pain was pretty obvious although not agonizing, I'd describe it more as annoying. It felt different than anything else I've ever felt though so part of me thought "this is different". Also, the pain spread from shoulder to shoulder, high in my chest and also, my arms felt very weak - it was like I had done a killer weight workout the night before! The best way to describe the pain is that it felt as if someone was sitting on my chest. Also of concern, I started feeling a bit white, and I suddenly got a bit cold and sweaty along with a feeling of anxiety. I laid down and could not shake the feeling, I couldn't get comfortable. After an hour I went to the nearest clinic (I got a drive) which wasn't easy as my first thought was, this can't be a heart attack, I'm too you and too healthy.

With chest pains going to a neighborhood clinic won't really help too much. You'll tell your story and they will likely simply say "get to ER now". That's what happened with me, so essentially I wasted over an hour doing that. Searching the web for what to do and calling around will likely all turn up the same results... got chest pains? Simple - call 911! For me I thought going the 911 route was a bit extreme but people really are serious about this and getting an ambulance in such a situation is very common, and for many likely very smart.

From the clinic it was on to the ER where I had to tell my story yet again. With chest pains most ER locations will see you ASAP as it is a very serious sign and you can potentially deteriorate fast... not to mention the damage that can occur to your heart as a result of waiting. Once in the ER I was immediately connected to some machines, given a once over, asked many questions and then promptly had an ECG (or EKG), chest X Ray, and blood tests (they need 2 tests that span 6 hours after the initial onset to get a good read). From there I was admitted and then more blood and finally an angiogram - luckily nothing too intrusive was required although the angio tests confirmed that I had a blockage in my arteries (a small blockage) aka, a "small" heart attack.

The hospital visit was followed up with a visit to the pharmacy for my 3 new prescription drugs (dang I hate taking pills). More tests are to follow along with a very healthy diet - no working out for about 4 weeks though. My goal is to bounce back stronger and healthier than ever and I've already started my new regime - I really should take it a little easy for a while though ;0)

Another part of my healing is to research and share what I find. For me that means blogging, so this is a good resource for me to save all the cool and useful stuff I find. I'll also be sharing via Twitter (@healthyPulse)and facebook - great resources for connecting with others that share a similar situation or interest.

• For more info about chest pains see here
• See also signs of heart attack on Answers.com

If I've learned anything I know that I have to listen to my body and with chest pains you don't have the luxury of time... if you feel something strange and are concerned then get to ER fast. I'm a young, healthy, fit 46 year old, however, it happened to me, it can also happen to you - Listen to your body!