Tag: Diet Plan

What You Can do to Lower Your Cholesterol

Experts say that people who are over 20 years of age should pay more attention to their cholesterol level and advise them to do everything they can to lower their levels of bad cholesterol. Despite the so many claims that you can lower your cholesterol level through low cholesterol diet plans, lifestyle changes, and monitored medication, more and more people who suffer from this condition still fail to lower their cholesterol level.

Although it is sometimes hard to stick with the needed requirements to be able to lower your cholesterol levels, it is still possible to get the result that you want by following these easy ways to lower to cholesterol:

1. Make sure you know where you stand by getting your levels checked regularly. Visiting your doctor and getting your cholesterol levels checked regularly is very important to achieving optimum health for good. Since high cholesterol is related to cardiovascular disease, make sure that you know your numbers so you can rearrange your diet and change lifestyle habits as well. Knowing your cholesterol level will also help you decide what kind of diet plan you should follow and if you need medication and treatment already. Knowing your starting point will also help you monitor your progress toward healthy cholesterol levels. If you know your exact cholesterol status then you can also do something to combat it by learning to quit cigarette smoking and excessive eating of high cholesterol foods.

2. Understanding the basics and learning everything you can about the condition. If you have been diagnosed with high cholesterol levels, the first thing to do is to understand the situation fully and acquire more information about the condition. By conducting your own personal research on the condition will also make you knowledgeable about initial lifestyle changes you can do to lessen the problem and you will also have an idea what other treatments options available. Knowing everything about cholesterol, its types, kinds, and health risks will also make you understand that the case is not really hopeless if you are in the right track.

Finding and getting more information about the condition will also make you realize that there are so many things that you can do. You can get more information from a registered dietician, local centers for nutrition, local hospital or public health department, and from a consultation with your attending physician or health care provider.

3. Watch your weight and get rid of extra pounds if needed. Monitoring your weight is one of the best ways to combat high levels of cholesterol. If you think you are overweight for your age and height, then you should be contemplating on slimming down to be able to decrease your high cholesterol level. Since being overweight disrupts a persons normal metabolism of dietary fat, experts say that people who weight more than they should shout start planning on a healthy lifestyle and diet to lose weight safely.

But, before having a drastic change in your diet and lifestyle, make sure that you visit your doctor first to access your overall health. Doing this may prevent further damage especially if you have to undergo certain medications.

4. Get physical, do regular physical activities and exercises more often. The wonders of exercise are indeed very essential in lowering high cholesterol levels. Doing regular physical activities can also help raise the good cholesterol levels and lose weight as well. Theres really no need for high-intensity workouts, regular brisk walking or jogging can help the body boost HDL cholesterol and also beneficial for the heart.

5. Make a commitment and stick to that commitment. The best way to lower cholesterol levels is to be able to develop the discipline to stick to your goal. You can also lower your cholesterol level by acquainting yourself what are the good and the bad fat and its sources, by discovering the wonders of fiber in cutting down cholesterol, by taking in good multivitamins, by freeing yourself from lots of stress, and by exploring and considering treatment options when all else fails.

Diabetes Protein Diet

For people trying to lose weight, a high protein, low fat, low carb diet is normally something that will work very well to help you slim down and get to a healthier weight. People with diabetes can also lose weight with a diabetes protein diet but because of the nature of their illness must pay close attention to everything they eat.

A diet high in protein, followed for an extended period can put undo stress on the kidneys of the person with diabetes. You should always speak with your doctor and/or dietitian before starting any diet plan.

If your doctor does give you the OK to start a diabetes protein diet then stick with the lean cuts of meat for your protein and include some fish and shrimp in your weekly menu preparation. Shrimp are packed with protein and are very good for you. You can have some red meat but limit it to once or twice a week.

Red meat is loaded with protein as well but also has quite a bit of saturated fat which will increase your cholesterol and increase your risk for heart disease. Just being diabetic puts you at risk for so many complications of the disease you do not need to willingly put yourself at a higher risk for other problems. So, remember to limit the red meat you eat and if you have to have it then make sure that you remove any visible fat as well.

Fish like salmon, tuna, and halibut are all good sources of lean protein not to mention those Omega-3 essential fatty acids that you hear so much about these days. Omega-3’s are beneficial for maintaining good brain function among other things. I have already mentioned shrimp but did you know lobster is another great source of lean protein? Go ahead and treat yourself.

Chicken is also loaded with protein but just make sure to remove any skin and visible fat. Your best bet is to buy some boneless, skinless breasts and keep them in the freezer to make it easy to use them when you need them. You can buy them in bulk to save some money and weigh out 4 ounce portions then individually wrap them before freezing.

Eggs and dairy are other ways to round out how you get your protein for the day. Eggs have lots of protein and also essential nutrients like folate, zinc, and iron. It is not recommended that you eat eggs every single day but if you really feel the need to then separate some of the and make a mostly egg white omelet with two egg whites and one whole egg.
The cholesterol is in the yolk so if you limit the number of yolks you eat then it is all good.

Keep your dairy foods like milk, cheese, and yogurt low fat, or fat free to reduce the amount of saturated fat you take in. Balance your diabetes protein diet with a moderate amount of carbohydrates to help keep your blood sugar levels in a healthy range.

Achieving Healthy Pregnancy Despite Diabetes

Among diabetic pregnant women, the most common problem when it comes to their babys health is the condition called macrosomia or having a baby with large body. This is because the blood of the mother with diabetes is interchanged with that of the baby inside the womb. As a result, the baby will produce insulin to be able to glucose and this will lead to fat deposits, which causes the baby to grown larger compared to the regular ones.

What you can do

For a healthy lifestyle during pregnancy, it is ideal to maintain an appropriate weight gain, average consumption of various foods from different food groups, timely and prescribed vitamin and mineral supplementation, and lots of fluid intake. Sweets and fats should also be kept to a minimum level of consumption. The following are just some of the guidelines that pregnant women with diabetes can use to achieve healthy pregnancy despite the chronic disease:

1. Follow the appropriate meal plan religiously. More than ever, pregnant women should pay attention to what they eat and their eating patterns in general. This is very important because this stagepregnancy itselfrequires strict control of blood glucose levels in order to ensure that both the mother and baby are getting the right amount of key nutrients needed. In coming up with the right diet plan, it is best to seek the help of diabetes educator or a licensed dietitian to create the necessary adjustments needed to accommodate the needs not only of the fetus inside the womb but of the mother as well. In your meal plan, take note of calorie, carbohydrates and protein requirements every day because these will help you maintain normal blood glucose levels.

2. Regular Self-Monitoring of Blood Glucose or SMBG. Experts say that the only way to tell if the woman is successful in controlling her blood glucose is by monitor their levels by themselves regularly. Since being pregnant is a sensitive condition, soon to be mothers should monitor their blood glucose levels more frequently. Ideally, SMBG should be monitored four to 10 times a day.

3. Knowledge in administering insulin injections and adjusting the doses based on the results of SMBG. Sufficient supply of insulin is very crucial for pregnant women so they must know how to administer insulin injections by themselves in case no one is around when they need it. They should also ask from their physician how to adjust the doses of insulin after they are through with the SBMG. Knowing how to adjust the doses of insulin needed is very important to ensure that the bodys supply of insulin is stable.

4. Treating or controlling hypoglycemia. Pregnant women who are diabetics are more prone to hypoglycemia because of the hormonal changes in their body. Although studies show that there are no know effects of hypoglycemia in the baby, it is best to control or treat it as soon as possible so the soon to be mom wont be having troubles during the course of conception.

5. Maintaining regular set of exercise or physical activities. This is also very important for pregnant women with diabetes because through this they can reduce the risk of hypoglycemia as well as being overweight. Since it is hard for pregnant women to do strenuous workouts, it is best to maintain the hobby of having light exercises that will keep the body moving.

Discover Green Tea Diet New Ideas

Going on a green tea diet can be one of the best decisions for your body. Perhaps youre the type of person who maintains quite an active lifestyle but dont take the time to diet and exercise as you should. In todays hurry up age, it is very possible to spend much of our days rushing to and fro, only taking time to grab a bite to eat on the run. We dont blame you for being on the go, but at some point you have to stop and take care of your health and body to make sure they both last you for the long run.

Such a lifestyle, while conducive to getting things done as quickly as they need to be, is harsh on your body and more specifically your metabolism. Taking the time to replace nutrients that are lost from eating fast food and poor nutritional content in your diet is very important. Green tea is an excellent choice to do just that.

Deciding to go on green tea diet doesnt have to be an ordeal but careful planning and consideration should be given to creating a diet plan that you can stick to and that will yield results you desire. There are many different diets on the market that use the words green tea in them to get your attention. Dont fall for imposters that claim to be green tea but actually only have a small percentage of green tea extract listed as a fourth or fifth ingredient on the list.

Because there are so many green tea diet gurus, web sites and merchandisers who have products on the market, you should expect to spend a little time researching which diet you feel is best for you. Be wary of diet plans that claim you will lose an outrageous amount of weight in practically no time because these claims are usually false and unfounded. Also watch for web sites that offer you a free bottle of their product for only the cost of shipping and handling as these are often auto ship programs that indicate in very small print that upon accepting their offer you are requesting to be put on an auto shipment program that will continue charging your credit card on a monthly basis.

When you find a green tea diet that you would like to go on, it is a good practice to check with your physician, particularly if you are taking any other medications that may react to the addition of green tea to your diet. Once youre cleared by your doctor, set realistic goals and milestones. Be sure to reward yourself for each milestone you reach.

Remember, no diet will yield results without a commitment to sticking with the diet. A green tea diet is no exception and should be used regularly as planned. That way, whether you are considering a green tea diet for cleansing or any other reason you will be giving your body the benefit of the many wonderful properties contained in the formula.