Category Archives: Diet

Mediterranean Diet Grocery List

Posted on May 21, 2013 | Comments Off

The Mediterranean Diet allows individuals to enjoy a Lifestyle of healthy eating without over thinking the grocery list. By  simply reviewing the diagram anyone can budget by the monthly bill and get a clean bill of health from the doctor too.

Budgeting your diet and monthly bills just got easier by planning your daily dietary intake.

Your grocery list should be broken into a few categories and shopping at the store should be spent more on the perimeter of the grocery store which usually have your most nutrient dense vegetables, fruits, fish, dairy meats and poultry. The center of the store generally carries calorie dense products such as processed foods, chips, cookies, white sugar and white flour products.

Daily Foods in the Grocery Basket

  • Vegetables (1 serving: 1 cup cooked)
  • Salads (1 serving: 2 cups)
  • Fruits (1 serving: 1/2 cup & berries is 1/4 cup)
  • Pulses (1 serving: 1 ounce nuts & seeds)
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil (1 serving: 2-3 Tablespoons)
  • Drink 6-7 glasses of water a day

3-4 Times a Week

  • Cheese (Serving Size 1 ounce, 3-4 times a week)
  • Fish (Serving Size 4 ounces, 3 times a week)
  • Poultry (Serving Size 4 ounces, 2 times a week)
  • Eggs (Serving Size: 1, 3 times a week)
  • Sweets (Serving Size: 3 ounces, White Flour or White Sugar Product)

Once a Week or Less

  • Red Meat (Serving Size: 4 ounces, 1 x week)

Physical Activity of 30 minutes a day keeps the muscles strong and body free from weight gain. To lose weight, walk 60 minutes per day.

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Calculate Cholesterol, Choose TLC Diet to Menu Plan

Posted on January 29, 2013 | 1 Comment

Being informed and understanding what cholesterol is will provide stronger knowledge of individual “Specimen Information”, which should be requested from your Doctor after having blood drawn. Compare your numbers to the information listed below,  choose your foods wisely to improve your daily nutritional intake, and cleanse your body, optimizing it’s overall function in keeping you healthy.

Cholesterol is a fat,  lipid, or a sterol, from which hormones are made. It is a waxy substance that resembles the very fine scrapings of a whitish-yellow candle. Cholesterol flows through your body via your bloodstream, lipids are oil-based and blood is water-based, they don’t mix. If cholesterol were dumped into your bloodstream, it would congeal into unusable globs.

The fat in these particles are made up of cholesterol, triglycerides and a phospholipid, which helps make the whole particle stick together. Triglycerides are a particular type of fat that have three fatty acids attached to an alcohol called glycerol, composed of 90 percent of the fat in the food you eat. The body needs triglycerides for energy, but as with cholesterol, too much is bad for the arteries and the heart.

  • Total Cholesterol Reference Range: 125-200 mg/dl     
  • HDL Cholesterol Reference Range: 40-60 mg/dl 
  • TriglyceridesReference Range:  <150mg/dl                   
  • Direct LDL Cholesterol Reference Range: 100 – 129 mg/dl

                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Healthy Cholesterol Levels, (HDL) should be greater than 50-60 mg/dl.   HDL is a cholestrol that works within the arteries to reduce accumulation of plaque, that can lead to artherosclerosis, in turn, reducing your risk for heart disease. HDL is monitored to ensure there is enough of it to fight off the plaque build up within the arteries.

 ”LDL cholesterol”, explained by Harvard University, “in most people, (60-70 % of cholesterol) is carried in LDL particles, which act as ferries, taking cholesterol to the parts of the body that need it. Unfortunately, if you have too much LDL in the bloodstream, it deposits the cholesterol into the arteries, which can cause blockages and lead to heart attacks. The good news is that the amount of LDL in your blood-stream is related to the amount of saturated fat and cholesterol you eat. So, most people can decrease their LDL if they follow a reduced-fat diet.”

VLDL, stated by the ”Clinical Reference Laboratory”, expressed as: “VLDL is a major carrier of triglyceride (60 -70% triglyceride 10-15% cholesterol). Circulating fatty acids are converted by the liver to form triglycerides.” Dr. Ginsberg of Columbia university simplifies the definition, “Very-Low Density Lipids are complexes of lipids and proteins assembled in the liver in response to nutrients and hormones. When VLDL are secreted, they carry almost all of the triglyceride in the blood-stream (they are about 85% triglycerides themselves), transporting triglycerides from the liver. When we are overweight, insulin resistant, or have diabetes, our livers secrete more VLDL with more triglycerides on every VLDL particle”.

People have varying degrees of success in lowering their cholesterol by changing their diets.  Meal Plan changes and Exercise both contribute to  lowering cholesterol and are highly recommended before pharmaceuticals are introduced. High cholesterol due to dietary intake of high saturated  foods (anything with animal fat) could be lowered by 5% to 20% with nutritional changes. The Therapeutic Lifestyle Change (TLC) Diet is recommended by the National Cholesterol Education Program of the U.S. National Institutes of Health. 

Calculating total cholesterol helps to put the pieces of the whole together.   The math equation for calculating total cholesterol is:

Total Cholesterol Formula  (TC) = LDL + HDL + (Triglycerides/5)

  • Sample lipid panel
  • Cholesterol, Total=195
  • HDL Cholesterol=55
  • Triglycerides = 100  (100/5=20)
  • Direct LDL Cholesterol=120

How Total Cholesterol is calculated using the sample numbers listed above.

  • example: (LDL) 120+ (HDL) 55 + 20= 195 (TC) Total Cholesterol

Calculating:  VLDL=Triglycerides/5

  • Triglycerides=100
  • example: 100/5=20 (VLDL)
  • Reference Range for VLDL is 5-40 mg/dl

Calculate Cholesterol Ratio

  • Total Cholesterol (mg/dl) / HDL Cholesterol (mg/dl)
  • Example: Total Cholesterol 200 mg/dl/ 50 mg/dl  HDL Cholesterol = 4.1  According to the American Heart Association is to keep your cholesterol ratio at 5 to 1 or lower.
  • Ideal ratio will be 3.5 to 1. Higher cholesterol ratio indicates a risk of heart disease, a lower ratio indicates a reduced risk of heart disease.

 

Various foods, beverages and spices are known for reducing, or interfering with bad cholesterol (LDL) and carrying it out of the body. Choose a variety of foods from the following lists including them at all your meals.

  •  Fruits and Vegetables (totaling 9 per day)
  • Teas
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Cinnamon1-4g (1/3 tsp – 1 1/2 tsp a day)
  • Ginger (250 mcg/day capsule form)
  •  Honey 3 1/2 tablespoons / day

Reduce the saturated fat in your diet 

  1. Eat fish 3-4 times a week and benefit from Omega 3!
  2. Limit the amount of meat and milk products.
  3. Choose low-fat products from various food groups.
  4. Replace butter, a saturated fat with: Extra Virgin Olive, Canola, or Peanut oils.  7% of your daily calories should come from saturated fat (200 mg)   with 25% to 35% of daily calories  from unsaturated fat. 
  5.  Your diet should include calories to maintain your desired weight and avoid gaining weight.

Fluids are equally important to a successful diet.  Add 1-2 glasses of water with 1/2 to 1 whole lemon each day. Drink 1-2 cups of Oolong tea each day. Oolong tea burns over 157% more fat than Green Tea and is a popular tea designed to accelerate weight loss. 

TLC Diet is recommended by Doctors as a path for reducing high cholesterol.  Calories/day  1100 - 1695

Lean meat, poultry, fish, dry legumes Choose 5 ounces (140 g)  per day  

  • Anchovies, Mackeral, Sardines, Salmon,
  • Substitute 1/4 cup tofu, or 1/2 cup dry beans or peas for 1 ounce of meat or fish.
  • 2 tablespoons (1 oz) nuts (Almonds, Walnuts, Hazelnuts, Peanuts Soynuts) or seeds
  • Eggs, 2 yolks per week, 1 whole egg. Egg whites or substitutes are okay to eat.
  • Lean Meat. 3 0z. 165 calories, 0 g carbohydrate, 21 g protein, 9 g fat

Low-fat milk products.  Choose 2 per day     

  • 2 to 3 per day
  • 1 cup nonfat or 1% milk
  • 1 cup nonfat or low-fat yogurt
  • 1 ounce fat-free or low-fat cheese
  • Each serving. 80-110 calories, 12 g carbohydrate, 8 g protein, 0-3 g fat

Fruits.  Choose 4-5 per day the selection is endless!    

  • Apple, Apricots, Berries, Banana, Grapes, Melons, Orange, Pear, Plums, Prunes
  • Each serving.  60 calories, 15 g carbohydrate, 0 g protein, 0 g fat

Various Vegetables!  Choose 5-7 per day          

  • Artichokes, Avocado, Peppers, Zucchini, Cucumbers, Mushrooms,Eggplants, Asparagus, Legumes, Broccoli.
  • 1/2 cup cooked (season with garlic parsley and oil), Grilled, or Raw vegetables
  • Each serving.  25 calories, 5 g carbohydrate, 2 g protein, 0 g fat
    1 cup raw thick green leafy greens

Whole grains for bread, cereals, pasta, rice .  Choose 4-6 servings per day.

  •  Whole Grains, Choose Aunt Millies breads.
  • 1 slice whole grain bread
  • 1/2 wheat or multi-grain bagel, or English muffin
  • 1 ounce cold cereal (Bran)
  • Oatmeal for breakfast. (Quaker Oatmeal steel cut. Avoid 1 minute oatmeal)
  • 1/2 cup cooked whole grain pasta, rice, noodles, or other grains
  • Each serving. 80 calories, 15 g carbohydrate, 3 g protein, 1-3 g fat

Fat and oils.  Choose 2-3 servings per day

  • Each serving.  45 calories, 0 g carbohydrate, 0 g protein, 5 g fat.
    No Trans Fat (hydrogenated oils)
    1 teaspoon monounsaturated oil, such as Canola, Corn, EVOO, or Peanut
    1 tablespoon salad dressing (vinagrette)
    1 tbsp MCT Oil

By:  K. Crocker

Literature Research

  3.  Diet Low Sodium Meal Plan
  5. VLDL http://www.crlcorp.com/testDetails.cfm?facilityID=TLS&testID=510
  6. VLDL Dr. Ginsberg  http://www.medscape.org/viewarticle/569664av
  7. LDL Harvard University  http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsweek/Understanding_Cholesterol.htm
  8. Ginger reduces LDL Cholesterol  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=ginger%20reduces%20ldl
  9. Cinnamon reduces LDL Cholesterol http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14633804
  10. Honey Reduces Cholesterol http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18454257
  11. Calculate Cholesterol Ratio  http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/cholesterol-ratio/AN01761

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Posted in Calories, Carb Counting, Cholesterol, Diet, Glycemic Index, Hypertension, Hypothyroidism, Meal Plans, Obesity

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Attention to Reducing your Cholesterol

Posted on January 25, 2013 | Comments Off

Reduce Cholesterol and Blood Pressure

New Years with a fresh new start to keep you on your toes and modeling ideal habits for those you love.  Follow these basic steps to reduce your cholesterol and blood pressure, impacting and leading to a stronger lifestyle.

In brief, it’s important to know very basic facts.

  1. The body’s liver makes its own cholesterol everyday.  Cholesterol is a key factor the functionability of our hormones and to the elasticity of our veins and arteries.
  2. HDL is a healthy cholesterol needed to keep our hormones, organs, muscles, veins and arteries operating properly.
  3. LDL is an unhealthy cholesterol when it becomes oxidized.
  4. Reduce Stressful Lifestyle:  walk away from or limit interaction with stress triggers, avoid comfort foods that can contribute to increasing cholesterol. (salty & fried foods, dairy products, red meats)                                                                                                                              

Knowledge to influence better habits

Oxidation of LDL is due to free radicals floating around in our body which are  O+ broken off from degenerating protein called homocysteine. The positively charged oxygen then attaches itself to LDL cholesterol and plaque begins to form in your arteries and veins. Hence forth, why anti-oxidants from fruit and vegetables need to be a part of ones daily intake, to clean up the free radicals.

Check the grocery cart before before bringing home the bacon! LDL cholesterol is established through nutrition and found in hydrogenated fats and animal fat.    Hydrogenated fats can be found in margarine, shortening, cookies, and oil-frying. By switching grocery purchases of high caloric fats for fresh seasonal fruits, you are already stepping up!

It’s easy to do!  Reduce consumption of animal fats, or saturated fats; found in milk, butter, cheese, ice cream, meats and pork.  Although we need a certain amount of meats and fats  they should be consumed in small amounts.  A meat serving is 3-4 ounce (84-112 g) servings consumed once or twice a day, while a fat serving is 2 Tbsp of oil per day

3 Effective Steps to Increase HDL

  1. Walk 30-60 minutes five times a week for a total of 2 1/2-5 hours per week.  Walking twice a day for 20-30 minutes each time will increase your metabolism, strengthen bones, muscles and keep your heart pumping…increasing the HDL cholesterol, which removes LDL cholesterol from your arteries.
  2. Consume foods that increase HDL levels:  Omega-3 rish foods: Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Canola, Walnuts, Almonds, Fish and Fiber.  Fruit and Vegetables , total of 9 1/2 cup servings a day.  Please refer to:  Daily Serving Guidelines.
  3. Beverages that assist in increasing HDL levels: Cleanse your body with lemon water or green/black/white tea throughout the day.  Wine and alcohol in moderation; 1 glass for a woman, 2 glasses for a man.
    Reducing cholesterol levels puts into place the first step to reducing blood pressure. It is important to note that attention to reducing salt levels and increasing potassium intake will impact a decreased blood pressure as well. By establishing a plan to  healthier eating and daily exercise, you will feel stronger sooner than expected!

By: K. Crocker-Scardicchio

References

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Heat Up & Cool Down! Foods to Add & Remove in Diet

Posted on January 24, 2013 | Comments Off

Feeling ‘overheated’  emotionally or physically? Lack of daily movement or what you eat can both contribute to the sense of being warmer than usual.   Addressing the  behaviors that  lead to emotions of anger, depression and stress, all result in negatively heating the body. Headaches, sleepless nights, skin flare-ups, irritability are all examples of how the body heats up as a direct response to stress. Continuing on a declining path will create physical heath conditions: heart attack, stroke, cancer, etc.

Best Exercise for Managing Stress
Walking, swimming, bicycling, yoga and golf are good examples that contribute to relieving or cooling down an individual so that emotional stress is controlled through physical activity. Exercise  increases the endorphins within the brain so  the blood pumping, energy is restored and you will feel more focused.  It can be as simple as a 30 minutes of movement per day!

How Stress Affects Hormones
Choosing to stay on an unenthusiastic  cycle alternates both stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol and how they function in the body. Adrenaline and cortisol when adversely effected influence changes in our blood pressure and cholesterol levels, stimulating the ghrelin hormone (hunger) that promotes an excessive appetite and depresses the leptin hormone that signals satiety in the stomach!  Appetites have now been re-defined.

Foods that Promote Over-Eating
Avoid spices, condiments, drinks , and certain foods that promote over eating when facing stress: fried, greasy or oily foods, margarine, black pepper, chilies, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, garlic, onion, salad dressings, rosemary, white and brown sugar,  white flour, wine, beer, coffee.
Reduce amounts of:  salt, red meat, chicken (4 ounces 2-3 times a week),  cheese (1 oz q/day).  Poor quality fats clog arteries and lead  to heart disease. Calcium and magnesium uptake interference  can be altered by an excess of certain meats spices and drinks, having a negative effect on calming and cooling the body. A deficiency of magnesium leads to anxiety and hyperness.

Dietary Solution to Control Stress 
Fats in the diet must be high quality in order to maintain healthy organs and vascular system, use: fish oils, extra virgin olive, grape seed, flax seed , almond oils. Introduce foods that promote calcium, magnesium absorption, anti-oxidants and polyphenols.
Best food preparation: Grilled, Braised, lightly boiled (7 minutes), steamed.
Consume raw vegetables, fruits (remove citrus fruits if they create digestive problems), berries, nuts, whole grains, yogurt and seafood. Include salads, melons, cucumbers and bitter greens (broccoli, arugula, celery dandelion, basil, parsley, cilantro) which are full of water and needed for calming and cooling the body. Eat plants that are in season for optimal nutrition. Consider pomegranates as way to intake resveratrol protein which helps raise HDL cholesterol and reduce red wine intake. Add decaffeinated black, green and white teas as a way to hydrate and include anti-oxidants and reduce caffeine.

Daily and Weekly Diet
Consuming breakfast is critical for energy and initiating the metabolism and should not be skipped. 5-6 small meals are necessary for proper maintenance of a healthy individual, light evening meals eaten 4 hours before bedtime to optimize a restful sleep.  Daily intake of  nutrition should include: 4 servings of fruit, 5 servings of vegetables, 1 ounce (28 g) cheese,  3-4 weekly servings fish, 2 weekly servings meat, multi-grain breads, pasta rice, 1-2 servings soy or lowfat milk, 6 cups water (250 ml).

By incorporating a healthy diet and managing stress through exercise hormonal balance can be achieved. While the initial steps can be put into place by you, communicate any dietary or physical activity changes to your doctor so that your overall health can be observed and guided as needed.

By: Kim Crocker

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How much does the average American weigh?

Posted on June 20, 2012 | Comments Off

Each body is unique. Make sure that you are at your ideal weight for your height.

The ideal waist circumference (WC) of women should be 31.5 (78.75 cm) for a women that is 5′ 3″ (157.5 cm) and for men 34.5 (80.25 cm)  at 5″ 9″  (172.5 cm), according to research.  The WC is moderately increased for women and for men based on height. Changes in medical research are moving from basing their studies on the average white male 5′ 10″ and 180 pounds (175 cm 81 kg) and taking into consideration family history and origin. Updated perimeters in how individuals are now measured and weighed, allow doctors and dietitians to better utilize standards, while considering the individuals physical frame and familial background. However, the question is what are the current averages and how are do Americans measure up to the ideal circumferences?

Another study was released from the National Center of Health Statistics on the average weight of an American Woman, at 164.7 pounds and for a man 190 pounds. Measured average height, weight, waist circumference and BMI for Adults ages 20 years and over with adults of 45-64 years old caring the bulk of the weight.

Increase of weight over the years compared to other countries comes from the influence and consumption of more calories in processed, junk and fast foods.  Additionally, the lack of movement or exercise are contributing factors to obesity on the rise, among all Americans, despite the gender or age of the individual.

Average American Adult Female:
Height : 5″4″ inches or 160 centimeters
Weight : 164.7 pounds or 74.70 Kilograms
Waist circumference: 36.5 inches or 91.25 centimeters
Body Mass Index (BMI 18-24 healthy): 28

The average male’s health statistics are as follows

Average American Adult Male:
Height (inches): 5′ 9″ or 173.25 centimeters
Weight (pounds): 191 pounds or 86.6 Kilograms
Waist circumference (inches): 39.0 inches or 97.5 centimeters
Body Mass Index (BMI 18-24 healthy): 28

Interestingly, the BMI for both men and women are the same.  Should the BMI be addressed?

  1.  Both DNA and Hormones play a role in how one gains or loses weight.  This is evident with the aging process and such diseases as hypo or hyper thyroidism.
  2. Additionally, a specific gene can now be determined and linked to obesity.  However, a two year dietary plan can be implemented to curve the palate and adapt a new way of meal preparation and daily intake for an individual.

    Body type depends on Ethnicity. Weight distribution is determined by dietary intake and amount of exercise

You should know that BMI is addressed in a Doctors or Dietitians office based on bone structure for diverse builds: petite, medium and large.

Determining weight for women has followed a set equation.

  1.  5′ = 100 pounds
  2.  for each inch over or under 5 feet is 5 pounds ( 5 in. x 5 =25 pounds)
  3. 15 pounds on either side of the final number is a health cushion and should not be exceeded or underachieved.
  4. 10 % is added or deleted for body type
  5. Large frame woman; 5’5″= 125 lb.’s + 12.5 lb.’s (10 % added for large)= 137.5 lb.’s +15 lb.’s (allotment) = 152.5 lbs
  6. Petite frame woman; 5’5″= 125 lb.’s - 12.5 lb.’s (10 % reduced for petite)= 112.5 lb.’s +15 lb.’s (allotment) = 127.5 lbs

Body types are determined by Ethnicity Weight distribution depends on  dietary intake & amount of exercise

For a man the same rules would apply except the starting point is different

  1. 5′=106 pounds
  2. Each inch over 5 feet is 6 pounds ( 5 in. x 9 = 54 pounds)
  3. Each inch under 5 feet, reduce 5 lb’s (58″ 106 lb.’s – 10′ lb’s = 96 lb’s +15 lb’s (allotment) =111 lb’s)
  4. 15 pounds on either side of the final number is a health cushion and should not be exceeded or underachieved.
  5. 10 % is added or deleted for body type
  6. Large frame man; 5’9″= 160 lb.’s + 16 lb.’s (10 % added for large)= 176 lb.’s +15 lb.’s (allotment) = 191 lb.’s
  7. Petite frame man; 5’9″= 160 lb.’s - 16 lb.’s (10 % reduced for petite)= 160 lb.’s - 15 lb.’s (allotment) = 145 lbs
The height and weight for both men and women will be continually reviewed as the individual measurements are linked to nutritionally linked pathologys: Cardio Vascular Disease, Diabetes, Liver Disease and High Cholesterol to name a few.

Eat Know How’s objective is to provide the reader an understanding in “Knowing the Healing Power of Food”.  Making a few dietary changes by implementing EKH Recipes on a daily basis are packed with nutrients, tried and proven in EKH’s Cooking Classes.

Take time to browse articles on The Benefits of Lemon Water. Match up Recipes to Cholesterol and Triglyceride Reducing Foods. Lastly, learn how to modify salt in recipes by Using Herbs and Spices; Substitute the Salt Shaker

Check with your Doctor or Dietitian to confirm and advice on a plan to reduce food intake and advice on nutritional intake that is right for your. Read more on which Natural Appetite Suppressants to use, providing a feeling of fullness and nourishes your body.

MUST READ; FOODS TO REDUCE BLOATING & PROMOTE DIET

By Kim Crocker-Scardicchio

Literature Research

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/bodymeas.htm


http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/obesity/bmi_tbl.htm


http://www.dietarysoftware.com/webmanual/1-bee.htm

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