Silent risks for heart attack
Choose the right carbs to slim down and protect your health.
White bread and ice cream are much riskier foods for women than men, a new Italian study of close to 48,000 adults finds. At least one quarter of women eating high-glycemic carbs had double the risk for heart disease as those who ate the least fattening carbs in this investigation.
Research in a recent issue of JAMA links carbs from processed foods to lower levels of healthy HDL cholesterol and higher levels of the dangerous LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. Foods with added sugars - sucrose and high-fructose corn syrup - have clearly been associated with increased obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
The trouble is that you don't need to show any symptoms to develop heart disease or Type 2 diabetes, says Henry R. Black, MD, president of the American Society of Hypertension. Even healthy people who are prediabetic or prehypertension - without knowing it - need to cut out the high-glycemic, nutrient-empty carbs.
The best predictors for prediabetes and prehypertension are overweight and obesity. No wonder that nearly half of all Americans already have high blood pressure, high cholesterol or diabetes.
Dr. Ann Louise's Take:
Cardiovascular disease is serious business! While heart attack risk has declined somewhat - at least for white men - it's still the leading killer in the United States.
The incidence of risk factors, however, has not decreased. Not only does hypertension remain high, but diabetes rates are also climbing (not surprisingly) along with overweight and obesity. And modern medicine's strategy of piling one drug onto another isn't working.
For instance, the government-sponsored ACCORD trial of more than 5,500 people with Type 2 diabetes at high risk for cardiovascular disease found that intensive drug use including statins failed to reduce the risk of either heart attack or stroke. In fact, they precipitated cardiovascular deaths, and the study was terminated.
Until researchers truly find a magic bullet, your best bet for getting your blood pressure below 120/80 mm/Hg and blood sugar below 100 mg/dL is weight loss, combining diet with exercise.
Slim down for summer
Numerous studies confirm what I've long recognized - Americans aren't getting enough exercise. In one study, only 20 percent of participants go to the gym regularly, and 30 percent never work out at all. With warmer weather, there's really no excuse. You can get moving with bicycling, gardening, golf, hiking, jogging, kayaking, swimming, tennis and walking. For rainy days, rebounding on the mini-trampoline is ideal.
Looking for effortless but effective weight loss? The Smoothie Shakedown is so easy - even for busy on-the-go people - and inexpensive - costing less than $15 a day, including food. Twice a day, toss a cup of berries (fresh or frozen) into a blender with other healthy ingredients for a quick smoothie. Then eat a wholesome dinner to turbo charge weight loss.
Rich in polyphenols, berries lower blood sugar in healthy people, shows a recent study in the British Journal of Nutrition. Finnish scientists find that blackberries, blueberries, cranberries and strawberries stabilize blood sugar. These low-glycemic fruits are especially useful for anyone who's overweight or at risk for cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes. And you'll find a great berry smoothie recipe on the Smoothie Shakedown site.
To help you feel full and stay energized for at least four hours, the recipe features Fat Flush Body Protein, a gluten- and dairy-free blend of brown rice and pea protein. The Body Protein has all the advantages of dairy/whey and soy protein without the disadvantages of dairy-based allergies and soy-linked hormone disruption.
Plus, this hypoallergenic protein powder has a better taste and higher protein efficiency ratio than dairy or soy. GMO-free, Fat Flush Body Protein combats craving while stabilizing blood sugar. Best of all, it won't produce gas, bloating or digestive distress like those other protein powders!
Because omega-3 fatty acids tamp down the kind of inflammation linked to both diabetes and heart disease, the Smoothie Shakedown recipe includes 1 tablespoon of an omega-rich oil (either Hi-Lignan Flaxseed Oil or fish oil). You can also add 1 tablespoon of either ground flax seeds or Whole Chia Seeds - great sources of soluble fiber that keep cholesterol in check.
"Shedding 10 pounds in 7 days and feeling more clarity and energy than I've had in years - learning a new approach to eating - is enlightening," Dave from Vermont posted on Facebook about Smoothie Shakedown.
"While I was skeptical of smoothies having the ability to keep me energized and not leave me hungry," says Casey from Tennessee, "that is exactly what they did," helping her to shed 20 pounds and 4 inches off her waist. "I did not feel deprived of food," she adds, and "my energy level was higher than ever."
If you check out other testimonials on the Smoothie Shakedown site, you'll see that hunger goes by the wayside. Plenty of satisfying snacks are included in this protocol - low-glycemic veggies like cauliflower, celery sticks, cherry tomatoes, sugar snap peas, and my favorite, jicama! You could even enjoy another smoothie between meals - once you start moving more!
For more details, tips, and frequently asked questions, visit smoothieshakedown.com.
Oh, and one more thing. If you need a maintenance program after the Smoothie Shakedown, then The Fat Flush Plan or Fat Flush for Life are proven ways to support overall wellness with ongoing healthy weight loss.
Sources:
• Smoothie Shakedown
• Fat Flush for Life
• The Fat Flush Plan
• http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/303/15/1490
• www.boston.com/lifestyle/articles/2010/05/03/heart_health_has_improved_dramatically_but_not_equally_for_all/
• www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20362710
• www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20228404
• www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20065930
• www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20071644
• www.nutraingredients.com/Research/Berries-cut-lower-type-2-diabetes-and-CVD-risk-claims-new-researchwww.nytimes.com/2010/05/04/health/research/04nutr.html?ref=health
• www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE63B5JY20100412
Dr. Ann Louise Gittleman is the award-winning author of more than 30 books on health and nutrition and guest on many TV and radio programs. She resides in Kootenai County. Information: annlouise.com