My husband was in a car accident recently and broke his jaw. He can eat very soft foods, but it is so uncomfortable for him to try chewing anything he gets frustrated and avoids almost all his meals now. He has lost about 11 pounds already and doesn't have much to spare, so I am worried. He does drink a can of Ensure every day, but I don't think he's taking in more than 1000 calories and I don't think this is enough. What can I give him to get him to try eating more? Mary E.
Dear Mary,
It's great that your husband is not on a total liquid diet and can still enjoy some texture, like puddings, yogurt, and ice cream. If chewing is frustrating, avoid giving him any foods with bits in them (like fruit pulp or skin, bits of mushroom in soup, or even chunks of a soft food like 'homestyle' mashed potatoes). These can get stuck in between teeth and be very difficult to clear if he doesn't have full use of his jaw. We so take for granted how much we use our jaw, for both up-and-down, as well as sideways motion to chew, and how much our tongue assists in moving the food around to be chewed and swallowed. If this is difficult or painful for him now, it's easy to understand why he's avoiding it.
There are several liquid beverage supplements available that can get him the nutrition he needs: not just calories, but also protein, vitamin, minerals, and enough fluids for hydration. One can of Ensure provides only 250 calories (as do other brands such as Boost and Walmart's own Equate brand) and many people don't realize you can use several cans a day. People who can't eat at all require up to 8 cans or more. Depending on your husband's size, activity level, and condition (he needs more calories if he is healing broken bones from the accident, for instance) he may need close to 3000 calories a day, especially if he would benefit from gaining back the weight he lost.
You can find many delicious recipes in which you can use these supplement drinks, like making puddings and shakes that have different flavors and textures. Choose the softest ones from here: http://ensure.com/recipes/index.aspx and of course, find out what is appealing to him to increase the chances he'll eat what you prepare.
You can also ask your local store to purchase higher calorie beverages like Ensure Plus (350 calories per can) or TwoCal HN which has almost double the calories if your husband feels like eating or drinking very little.
Do encourage him to take in several glasses of water or other fluids each day, in addition to the supplement drinks, or he can easily become dehydrated. Use the food guide pyramid to aim for a balanced diet and find liquid or soft options in each food group (strained hot cereal or mashed potatoes for starches; applesauce or juices--including vegetable juice--for fruits and vegetables, etc). Consider mixing baby food meats into soups to thicken the texture and add more protein. The hospital where he was treated should have a dietetics department and they should also have information to provide you regarding a balanced blenderized diet, geared specifically to your husband's case (they will have access to his medical records with your approval).
Hopefully all will be back to normal in just a few more weeks. In the meantime encourage him to take all the nutrition he needs now so he doesn't have to play "catch-up" when he's back to normal.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
What Supplements Will Help Me Get A 6-Pack?
Hi,
I have always been in good shape, but recently, I have wanted to try and get a 6 pack (therefore decrease body fat) but try increase muscle elsewhere also. For the past month, I have been training strength and cardio and eating healthy, and am making a lot of progress. My question is what supplement to take: These are the two I was looking at - EAS 100% Whey Protein or PURE PROTEIN IGF-1. I would take the supplement after training, and perhaps as a snack some time during the day (before training) or at night before bed. Which supplement do you recommend? Would either of these supplements help me to reach my goals? (lower body fat percentage (6 pack) and increase muscle / strength?) Dave S.
Dear Dave,
I know it's tempting to believe that some pill or powder will make it easier to achieve your admirable goal of a 6-pack, but the only thing that's really going to get you there is exercise to build and define those muscles.
In fact, even body builders who are aiming to put on pounds of muscle can only realistically gain about a pound of muscle each week: Surprisingly this works out to be less than 25 grams of protein per day that needs to be increased in the diet. You can get this amount of protein in 2 glasses of milk + an egg, or 3-1/2 ounces of lean meat, or 3 cups of rice--okay, maybe that's a pretty big serving of rice. The point is, it's not difficult to get the nutrition you need in a fairly typical diet, balanced with servings of meat, dairy and other protein foods like eggs and beans.
A lower fat diet may help you trim fat off your exterior (be sure and include at least 10% of your calories from fat to meet the minimum needs for essential fatty acids and other healthy fats). But extra protein taken in that your body can't use for muscle building will itself turn to fat. It's like pouring extra gas into your tank, hoping you'll be able to get better mileage--it just spills out onto the pavement: extra protein is used in your body for energy (4 calories per gram) and if you don't burn it all off it gets stored for later use (as fat).
In general, eating 6 small meals per day will help your body take best advantage of using all the calories you feed it. You don't need anything special, or in any special order. There's no evidence, for instance, that you should have meat at breakfast time or that you shouldn't eat after a certain hour in the evening. Any bedtime snack you enjoy will do, whether it's cheese and crackers, a sandwich, or a bowl of cereal. If each of your small meals is relatively low in fat and contains protein, you'll be full enough to last until the next one without getting too hungry before then.
There aren't any supplements I would recommend that are proven to build muscle and burn fat. Your body's appearance also depend on your genetics. Some people can work out certain muscles every day and never get to where they want to be. Since you say you are already seeing results, I would say it sounds quite promising!
I have always been in good shape, but recently, I have wanted to try and get a 6 pack (therefore decrease body fat) but try increase muscle elsewhere also. For the past month, I have been training strength and cardio and eating healthy, and am making a lot of progress. My question is what supplement to take: These are the two I was looking at - EAS 100% Whey Protein or PURE PROTEIN IGF-1. I would take the supplement after training, and perhaps as a snack some time during the day (before training) or at night before bed. Which supplement do you recommend? Would either of these supplements help me to reach my goals? (lower body fat percentage (6 pack) and increase muscle / strength?) Dave S.
Dear Dave,
I know it's tempting to believe that some pill or powder will make it easier to achieve your admirable goal of a 6-pack, but the only thing that's really going to get you there is exercise to build and define those muscles.
In fact, even body builders who are aiming to put on pounds of muscle can only realistically gain about a pound of muscle each week: Surprisingly this works out to be less than 25 grams of protein per day that needs to be increased in the diet. You can get this amount of protein in 2 glasses of milk + an egg, or 3-1/2 ounces of lean meat, or 3 cups of rice--okay, maybe that's a pretty big serving of rice. The point is, it's not difficult to get the nutrition you need in a fairly typical diet, balanced with servings of meat, dairy and other protein foods like eggs and beans.
A lower fat diet may help you trim fat off your exterior (be sure and include at least 10% of your calories from fat to meet the minimum needs for essential fatty acids and other healthy fats). But extra protein taken in that your body can't use for muscle building will itself turn to fat. It's like pouring extra gas into your tank, hoping you'll be able to get better mileage--it just spills out onto the pavement: extra protein is used in your body for energy (4 calories per gram) and if you don't burn it all off it gets stored for later use (as fat).
In general, eating 6 small meals per day will help your body take best advantage of using all the calories you feed it. You don't need anything special, or in any special order. There's no evidence, for instance, that you should have meat at breakfast time or that you shouldn't eat after a certain hour in the evening. Any bedtime snack you enjoy will do, whether it's cheese and crackers, a sandwich, or a bowl of cereal. If each of your small meals is relatively low in fat and contains protein, you'll be full enough to last until the next one without getting too hungry before then.
There aren't any supplements I would recommend that are proven to build muscle and burn fat. Your body's appearance also depend on your genetics. Some people can work out certain muscles every day and never get to where they want to be. Since you say you are already seeing results, I would say it sounds quite promising!
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Why Is Two Pounds Per Week the Recommended Weight Loss?
Dear Diet Coach,
I am hoping you can clarify some things I think are true--but I'm getting feedback that does not back it up: I have done a lot of reading online and everything I have read says the healthy recommended weight loss is no more than 2 pounds a week. I posted this in a thread of a discussion group I'm on for weight loss, and people are responding that this information is wrong. That is really depends on the person's weight and other conditions. Can you tell me what makes the difference to this advice I have held to be true?
I would really appreciate any insight you have!
Joanne V.
Dear Joanne,
Thanks for this great question!
Here is where the "two pounds per week" rule originates:
It takes approximately 3500 calories to store up a pound of fat. The calories are there, stored in the form of fat, to be reserved in case you need energy when you can't get to any food (or enough food). In order to get rid of a pound of fat, you need to either eat less than you burn, or burn more than you eat.
It's a pretty easy recommendation to eat 500 calories fewer each day, which will add up to 3500 calories at the end of the week, for a one pound weight loss.
It's a bit harder to burn 500 calories more, since this could take up to one hour of exercise and is beyond the capacity of many overweight people.
However, you could also do a combination to add up to 1000 calories per day (such as eating 750 fewer calories and burning 250 extra) and this would add up to 7000 calories in the negative balance at the end of the 7-day week--resulting in a two pound loss of fat weight!
Since most people eat somewhere in the range of 2000 to 2700 calories, it's not realistic to think they could eat, say, 2000 fewer calories each day to lose four pounds a week. However, there are some extremely obese people who might eat 4000 calories on a typical day and it would be easier for them to cut out more calories. These are the people you see on "The Biggest Loser" show--they are very overweight, eat a tremendous amount of calories, and are very inactive: so it's pretty easy to cut their calories by a thousand or two, and work them out for hours a day to burn another thousand or two calories.
Above three or four pounds a week loss, it's no longer just fat that is being lost; it's largely water weight. Although this looks appealing when you step on the scale, it's not really something desirable to lose: Fluid weight doesn't stay off in the long term, nor does it affect your health positively to weigh less after losing fluid, nor does it affect your size or body fat in a beneficial way.
In general, fat can be lost at a rate of about one to two pounds per week, and that's why it has become a healthy and recommended guideline by educated healthcare professionals.
I am hoping you can clarify some things I think are true--but I'm getting feedback that does not back it up: I have done a lot of reading online and everything I have read says the healthy recommended weight loss is no more than 2 pounds a week. I posted this in a thread of a discussion group I'm on for weight loss, and people are responding that this information is wrong. That is really depends on the person's weight and other conditions. Can you tell me what makes the difference to this advice I have held to be true?
I would really appreciate any insight you have!
Joanne V.
Dear Joanne,
Thanks for this great question!
Here is where the "two pounds per week" rule originates:
It takes approximately 3500 calories to store up a pound of fat. The calories are there, stored in the form of fat, to be reserved in case you need energy when you can't get to any food (or enough food). In order to get rid of a pound of fat, you need to either eat less than you burn, or burn more than you eat.
It's a pretty easy recommendation to eat 500 calories fewer each day, which will add up to 3500 calories at the end of the week, for a one pound weight loss.
It's a bit harder to burn 500 calories more, since this could take up to one hour of exercise and is beyond the capacity of many overweight people.
However, you could also do a combination to add up to 1000 calories per day (such as eating 750 fewer calories and burning 250 extra) and this would add up to 7000 calories in the negative balance at the end of the 7-day week--resulting in a two pound loss of fat weight!
Since most people eat somewhere in the range of 2000 to 2700 calories, it's not realistic to think they could eat, say, 2000 fewer calories each day to lose four pounds a week. However, there are some extremely obese people who might eat 4000 calories on a typical day and it would be easier for them to cut out more calories. These are the people you see on "The Biggest Loser" show--they are very overweight, eat a tremendous amount of calories, and are very inactive: so it's pretty easy to cut their calories by a thousand or two, and work them out for hours a day to burn another thousand or two calories.
Above three or four pounds a week loss, it's no longer just fat that is being lost; it's largely water weight. Although this looks appealing when you step on the scale, it's not really something desirable to lose: Fluid weight doesn't stay off in the long term, nor does it affect your health positively to weigh less after losing fluid, nor does it affect your size or body fat in a beneficial way.
In general, fat can be lost at a rate of about one to two pounds per week, and that's why it has become a healthy and recommended guideline by educated healthcare professionals.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Do Colon Cleanses Work? Are Colon Cleanses Safe?
Hello,
I recently started Colonix. I read that a colonix can really help aid in losing weight. Is this true? Colonix is supposedly the #1 in cleansing products. however, some articles say cleansing is good and others say it's bad. I'm not using the system to lose weight, i'm using it to help after I've already lost weight. I eat healthy and exercise regularly. Are colon cleansing systems safe? Do they work? Thanks, Margie S.
Dear Margie,
I'm glad to hear you have successfully lost weight and that you have a healthy diet and exercise program! I don't know of any evidence from the scientific community to back up colon cleansing for any purposes: if there was, I believe insurance would pay for it and our regular MD would recommend we do this occasionally. (Why wouldn't they, especially if they could make money from it?)
From the research I have seen, colon cleanses are neither necessary nor good for anything. Some of them contain harsh laxatives (in the form of herbs or electrolytes) that may make you feel lighter after emptying your intestine of its contents--mostly water and waste. The scale may even reflect a decrease if you lose a lot of water weight. But you can't lose fat from a colon cleansing--the fat is already absorbed from your diet before it reaches your colon.
The brand you have mentioned is an oral "cleanse". Fiber, a component in one of their stages, is important--and you can get it in your diet by eating whole grains, fresh fruits, and vegetables. You can even take fiber supplements, such as metamucil, if you don't eat enough (25 grams per day) or Fiber One cereals and bars.
Your body cleans out your intestine daily--it's called having bowel movements. I have seen clean colons (pictures of them anyway) when doctors do colonoscopies. It doesn't take a special program or cleansing herbs--it takes one day of a clear liquid diet and one powerful laxative (prescribed by the doctor just for this purpose). And the purpose was for the doctor to get a clear look at the lining of the intestine for any signs of cancer.
I do believe some of these programs harbor potential dangers, including dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, abdominal discomfort, and diarrhea. Herbs are not regulated by the FDA (since they are not classified as either a food or a drug) and you never really know what you are getting in these products as far as purity and amounts.
My advice is to stick to your healthy diet, aim for 25-35 grams of fiber daily, and continue regular exercise along with plenty of water for adequate hydration. Your colon will be fine with this simple therapy!
I recently started Colonix. I read that a colonix can really help aid in losing weight. Is this true? Colonix is supposedly the #1 in cleansing products. however, some articles say cleansing is good and others say it's bad. I'm not using the system to lose weight, i'm using it to help after I've already lost weight. I eat healthy and exercise regularly. Are colon cleansing systems safe? Do they work? Thanks, Margie S.
Dear Margie,
I'm glad to hear you have successfully lost weight and that you have a healthy diet and exercise program! I don't know of any evidence from the scientific community to back up colon cleansing for any purposes: if there was, I believe insurance would pay for it and our regular MD would recommend we do this occasionally. (Why wouldn't they, especially if they could make money from it?)
From the research I have seen, colon cleanses are neither necessary nor good for anything. Some of them contain harsh laxatives (in the form of herbs or electrolytes) that may make you feel lighter after emptying your intestine of its contents--mostly water and waste. The scale may even reflect a decrease if you lose a lot of water weight. But you can't lose fat from a colon cleansing--the fat is already absorbed from your diet before it reaches your colon.
The brand you have mentioned is an oral "cleanse". Fiber, a component in one of their stages, is important--and you can get it in your diet by eating whole grains, fresh fruits, and vegetables. You can even take fiber supplements, such as metamucil, if you don't eat enough (25 grams per day) or Fiber One cereals and bars.
Your body cleans out your intestine daily--it's called having bowel movements. I have seen clean colons (pictures of them anyway) when doctors do colonoscopies. It doesn't take a special program or cleansing herbs--it takes one day of a clear liquid diet and one powerful laxative (prescribed by the doctor just for this purpose). And the purpose was for the doctor to get a clear look at the lining of the intestine for any signs of cancer.
I do believe some of these programs harbor potential dangers, including dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, abdominal discomfort, and diarrhea. Herbs are not regulated by the FDA (since they are not classified as either a food or a drug) and you never really know what you are getting in these products as far as purity and amounts.
My advice is to stick to your healthy diet, aim for 25-35 grams of fiber daily, and continue regular exercise along with plenty of water for adequate hydration. Your colon will be fine with this simple therapy!
Friday, August 7, 2009
Are Almonds a Good Snack?
I have started to snack on almonds every afternoon--I have 29 of them--and find they tide me over well until dinner time. Is it true they are a "good fat" or are they still fattening anyway?
Lisa M.
Dear Lisa,
According to the Almond Board, a serving of almonds is one ounce, or about 23 almonds. This serving size provides 160 calories and 13 grams of fat (mostly mono-unsaturated), plus 3.5 grams of fiber, and 75 mg calcium.
Other nuts are also good sources of fiber (pistachios), magnesium (brazil nuts), folate (hazelnuts), and iron (cashews).
The key to having a good diet is balancing what you eat all day long--not one specific food. Enjoy the almonds if you like them, and think of your diet as what you eat throughout the day instead of what any one food can do for you. There are a number of foods that can add great nutrients to your diet without adding too many calories. Almost any food can fit into a well-balanced diet.
As long as you are not having problems digesting fat or fiber, and this new snack does not result in a weight gain over time, it's fine. Even better, if you replaced a 250 calorie candy bar and a 160 calorie can of soda with this new snack, you've done a brilliant job of cutting calories and adding nutrition with just one change!
Lisa M.
Dear Lisa,
According to the Almond Board, a serving of almonds is one ounce, or about 23 almonds. This serving size provides 160 calories and 13 grams of fat (mostly mono-unsaturated), plus 3.5 grams of fiber, and 75 mg calcium.
Other nuts are also good sources of fiber (pistachios), magnesium (brazil nuts), folate (hazelnuts), and iron (cashews).
The key to having a good diet is balancing what you eat all day long--not one specific food. Enjoy the almonds if you like them, and think of your diet as what you eat throughout the day instead of what any one food can do for you. There are a number of foods that can add great nutrients to your diet without adding too many calories. Almost any food can fit into a well-balanced diet.
As long as you are not having problems digesting fat or fiber, and this new snack does not result in a weight gain over time, it's fine. Even better, if you replaced a 250 calorie candy bar and a 160 calorie can of soda with this new snack, you've done a brilliant job of cutting calories and adding nutrition with just one change!
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Low Glycemic versus Low Carb diet for weight loss
I have been on a low carb diet and losing weight with steady progress... then I read about low glycemic and thought I would give that a try. I've added toast at breakfast, pasta at lunch, and rice at dinner. I'm not gaining but I'm no longer losing like I was. I don't understand how these carbs are different from others; they look and taste high carb to me! And what's so bad about a potato? I find having a potato at dinner is very filling, but it's not recommended on the diet. Should I go back to low carb? --Thanks for the help, Lou R.
Dear Lou,
Low carb diets work for several reasons:
1) You are depriving your body of its preferred source of energy. As a back-up plan, your body turns to fat stores and forms a compound called "ketone bodies" that can be used in a pinch. They are not desirable to be retained in the body for long, and you'll find that you have an increase in amount of urination which is in order to flush them out. That's why low carb diets warn that you must drink at least 8 glasses of water a day, and people lose weight quickly--but it's largely water weight loss. Once you go back to eating normally, much of the weight returns.
2) Reducing carbohydrate intake greatly reduces calorie intake. It eliminates entire groups of food from your choices and you can no longer have bread, pasta, rice, starchy vegetables, fruits, dairy, or desserts. Naturally you lose weight since you've cut out hundreds of calories a day.
3) Since no carbs are allowed most of the foods people like to snack on are forbidden: without pretzels, ice cream, chips, candy, cookies, or popcorn allowed, there isn't much sitting in front of the TV munching on cheese and nuts going on for long. This takes away another large source of calories from the diet of people who are overweight.
Glycemic index is a measure of how much certain carbohydrate foods make your blood glucose level rise. It was intended for people with diabetes who found their blood sugars difficult to control. We also discovered that foods we thought were "good" for diabetics sometimes caused a large rise in blood sugar (potatoes, pretzels, some fruits), whereas drinking a fruit juice or even a sweetened beverage didn't always result in a higher glucose level. The problem with this number is it is a reflection of eating the food alone.... seldom do we eat a slice of bread or a baked potato and have nothing with it. Eating peanut butter on the bread or meat with a potato completel changes the effect on blood sugar. And, the effect on blood sugar probably doesn't have any effect on weight loss progress.
Now, if you are including carbs in your diet, you have lost the "ketone body" buildup and excretion which means you are losing much less in the way of water weight. If you still keep your carbohydrate intake reduced (with smaller portions and just one or two servings per meal) and you also reduce your portions of meat (6 ounces should be plenty), and skimp on fats (like added dressings, spreads, and oils) you will likely continue to lose weight because you will be taking in fewer calories than you were previously.
See this article for more information on glycemic index http://ezinearticles.com/?Is-Glycemic-Index-Helpful-In-Promoting-Weight-Loss?&id=1112790
Dear Lou,
Low carb diets work for several reasons:
1) You are depriving your body of its preferred source of energy. As a back-up plan, your body turns to fat stores and forms a compound called "ketone bodies" that can be used in a pinch. They are not desirable to be retained in the body for long, and you'll find that you have an increase in amount of urination which is in order to flush them out. That's why low carb diets warn that you must drink at least 8 glasses of water a day, and people lose weight quickly--but it's largely water weight loss. Once you go back to eating normally, much of the weight returns.
2) Reducing carbohydrate intake greatly reduces calorie intake. It eliminates entire groups of food from your choices and you can no longer have bread, pasta, rice, starchy vegetables, fruits, dairy, or desserts. Naturally you lose weight since you've cut out hundreds of calories a day.
3) Since no carbs are allowed most of the foods people like to snack on are forbidden: without pretzels, ice cream, chips, candy, cookies, or popcorn allowed, there isn't much sitting in front of the TV munching on cheese and nuts going on for long. This takes away another large source of calories from the diet of people who are overweight.
Glycemic index is a measure of how much certain carbohydrate foods make your blood glucose level rise. It was intended for people with diabetes who found their blood sugars difficult to control. We also discovered that foods we thought were "good" for diabetics sometimes caused a large rise in blood sugar (potatoes, pretzels, some fruits), whereas drinking a fruit juice or even a sweetened beverage didn't always result in a higher glucose level. The problem with this number is it is a reflection of eating the food alone.... seldom do we eat a slice of bread or a baked potato and have nothing with it. Eating peanut butter on the bread or meat with a potato completel changes the effect on blood sugar. And, the effect on blood sugar probably doesn't have any effect on weight loss progress.
Now, if you are including carbs in your diet, you have lost the "ketone body" buildup and excretion which means you are losing much less in the way of water weight. If you still keep your carbohydrate intake reduced (with smaller portions and just one or two servings per meal) and you also reduce your portions of meat (6 ounces should be plenty), and skimp on fats (like added dressings, spreads, and oils) you will likely continue to lose weight because you will be taking in fewer calories than you were previously.
See this article for more information on glycemic index http://ezinearticles.com/?Is-Glycemic-Index-Helpful-In-Promoting-Weight-Loss?&id=1112790
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Diet For Blood Pressure and Cholesterol
I just came from a doctor's appointment and was told to "watch what I eat" because I am getting borderline high blood pressure and high cholesterol. With all the conflicting information I never know what really is good to eat and good to stay away from ... do I need to stay away from salt? Should I eat oat bran muffins for my cholesterol? I'm quite confused. --Thanks, Tim J.
Dear Tim,
If your doctor didn't put you on medication for either your blood pressure or your cholesterol, there's a good chance you can affect both of these readings by changing your diet.
A low salt diet (about 2000 milligrams of sodium per day) does help lower blood pressure in some people, but not everyone. Surprisingly, most of the sodium we get in our diet comes from processed foods (frozen, packaged, and especially canned) and fast foods. So it doesn't mean you can never add a pinch of salt to season your food again. You'll have to start reading food labels for sodium content if you don't do this already. Aim for about 700 milligrams of sodium per meal (to total about 2000 per day) so you don't have to count and track every single milligram you eat all day.
A good resource for a reputable blood pressure-lowering diet is http://www.dashdiet.org.
For high levels of LDL (the 'bad' cholesterol) a diet high in soluble fiber helps many people lower their level by as much as 30 points. Oat bran muffins are one source, but the commercial varieties are often scant in oat bran and high in fat, cancelling out any of the benefits of the fiber. If you make your own you can use less oil and even substitute some of it with applesauce or other pureed fruits. Other good sources are oatmeal and oat-based cereals (such as Cheerios). You would need to have several servings a day of these foods, according to most studies, to see the cholesterol-lowering effects of dietary soluble fiber.
Lowering intake of dietary saturated fat also helps many people produce less cholesterol. This type of fat is mostly found in animal products, such as meats (especially fatty cuts, like marbled red meats, bacon, sausage, hot dogs), and whole milk dairy products. Coconut and Palm oil also contain saturated fats and are rarely used in commercial products anymore for this reason.
For lowering both cholesterol and blood pressure, getting closer to your ideal weight helps, and regular exercise helps you with all three of these goals!
Dear Tim,
If your doctor didn't put you on medication for either your blood pressure or your cholesterol, there's a good chance you can affect both of these readings by changing your diet.
A low salt diet (about 2000 milligrams of sodium per day) does help lower blood pressure in some people, but not everyone. Surprisingly, most of the sodium we get in our diet comes from processed foods (frozen, packaged, and especially canned) and fast foods. So it doesn't mean you can never add a pinch of salt to season your food again. You'll have to start reading food labels for sodium content if you don't do this already. Aim for about 700 milligrams of sodium per meal (to total about 2000 per day) so you don't have to count and track every single milligram you eat all day.
A good resource for a reputable blood pressure-lowering diet is http://www.dashdiet.org.
For high levels of LDL (the 'bad' cholesterol) a diet high in soluble fiber helps many people lower their level by as much as 30 points. Oat bran muffins are one source, but the commercial varieties are often scant in oat bran and high in fat, cancelling out any of the benefits of the fiber. If you make your own you can use less oil and even substitute some of it with applesauce or other pureed fruits. Other good sources are oatmeal and oat-based cereals (such as Cheerios). You would need to have several servings a day of these foods, according to most studies, to see the cholesterol-lowering effects of dietary soluble fiber.
Lowering intake of dietary saturated fat also helps many people produce less cholesterol. This type of fat is mostly found in animal products, such as meats (especially fatty cuts, like marbled red meats, bacon, sausage, hot dogs), and whole milk dairy products. Coconut and Palm oil also contain saturated fats and are rarely used in commercial products anymore for this reason.
For lowering both cholesterol and blood pressure, getting closer to your ideal weight helps, and regular exercise helps you with all three of these goals!
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