Life, Money & Development » Health

New evidence of cancer link to mobile use

Herrera — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:57:43 +0000

The director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Ronald Herberman, sent a memo to 3000 staff warning of possible higher risks from mobile phone use. The warning, though, is based on early findings from unpublished data, and according to Dr. Herberman, “we shouldn’t wait for a definitive study to come out, but err on the side of being safe rather than sorry later”. Further, he says that children should be especially protected as their brains are still developing. Moreover, we have to remember that UK Mobile Telecommunications and Health Research Programme said there was some hint of a higher cancer risk in the long term, as a result of mobile phone usage, and that its research would look into the effects over a 10-year period. Also, a UK report said in 2005 that mobile phone use by children should be limited as a precaution and that under 8 should not use them at all.

This new evidence has raised, albeit relative recent research has just suggested the contrary. Concretely, a major six-year research study in the UK said last year that there were no short-term adverse effects to brain and cell function from mobile phone use. Research reported in 2006 by the British arm of an international project called Interphone concluded that mobile phone use did not lead to a greater risk of brain tumor. Additionally, an analysis by the University of Utah this year of thousands of brain tumor patients found no increased risk as a result of mobile use. However, most of these studies also point out that the effects from long-term use awaits confirmation by future studies.

Mobile phones emit radiofrequency energy, a type of radiation that is a form of electromagnetic radiation, according to the National Cancer Institute. Though studies are being done to see if there is a link between it and tumors of the brain and central nervous system, there is no definitive link between the two, the institute says on its website.

For the time being, we can restrict our phone usage to the minimum necessary, and switch sides regularly while talking on mobiles.

Now, what will the industry do? It’s obvious that the market will not wait for a long-term study. So they probably will just ignore Dr. Herberman’s warnings.

Book Review: 7 Pillars of Health

Herrera — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 15:53:20 +0000

Recently, a friend of mine sent me a book: “The 7 Pillars of Health” by Dr. Don Colbert (Thank you Jesus!). Because of my little vacation, I had found no time to read the book. He enjoyed the book a lot, and wanted to share his joy with me. Well, I have to say that the book by Dr. Colbert is pretty interesting. Further, I also have to say that it’s the first book authored by Dr. Colbert that I’ve read. And it’s an easy reading. The book presents a “biblical cure”, based on our approach to eating and living. Basically, Colbert asks “What would Jesus eat?” He answers that according to biblical sources, Jesus preferred whole grain bread, wheat, barley, wine, lamb and fish. Besides, the book includes a program Dr. Colbert developed for detoxing through 28 days of fasting, rejecting proteins from animal sources, and solely intaking water, fruits, grains and vegetables.

This way, The Seven Pillars of Health collects several sound habits focused on achieving a longer and healthier life. Esentially, the key points are:

1.- Drink plenty of water (ionized alkaline filtered.) Considering that the human body is composed by about 65% of water, we have to renew it continually, drinking between 2 and 3 liters a day. I’d take this recommendation with a bit of salt, because not everyone reacts positively to an increase in fluid intaking… some people have reported swelling, edema and increases in blood pressure after starting to drink more water than necessary.

2.- Rest about 9 hours a day. Sleep your 9 hours, or sleep 8 hours and complete the remaining one with a nap. During sleep, our body regulates the production of several hormones, the aging process is refrained a bit, the immune system is fortified, cerebral functions improve, and cortisol levels (a stress agent) are decreased.

3.- A good dietary regimen, which prefers “alive” food over “dead” one. That is to say, prefer rice, green vegetables, tomatoes, avocado, pulses, chickpeas, nuts, potatoes, vegetables, peas, and whole grain bread and pasta. Eventually, eat fish, eggs, cheese and chicken. You may eat red meat sporadically, but preferably, lamb.

4.- Exercise regularly. In the worts case, walk actively and daily for at least 35 minutes, to remove water and body’s fat.

5.- Detox by means of eventual fasting, and living in a zone with a clean environment.

6.- Take some vitamin and mineral supplements, phytonutrients and antioxidants.

7.- The last pillar we have to consider comprises controlling stress, keeping a young mind, learning to forgive, living a calmed life and learning to live with the power of smile, optimism and joy.

Overall, this is a good book. And we have previously presented topics related to Dr. Colbert’s “pillars” in this blog. Additionally, Dr. Colbert accompanies the pages of his book with passages from the Bible and exercises to bring you closer to God and your faith. Therefore, some people of nonchristian religions may find this book totally unappealling. But it’s definitely an interesting reading.

Colors of Life

Herrera — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 16:06:35 +0000

After publishing my friend’s message and commenting on her intentions to take a vacations trip, I somehow wished to take a little vacation too. As I have no ties to prevent it, I adhered to my wish. I took a few days trip to eastern Venezuela, totally disconnected from the Internet and the current rush of technology. Over there, I met up with a longtime friend and her family… It had been ages since I saw them last, so it was good to finally catch up, and we all had a good time and a lot of stories to tell. Thank God, they’re OK, in general. All of her kids have grown up nicely, already graduated, and have married. Except for the eldest daughter, who has a health problem. A few years ago, she was diagnosed with diabetes, and that fact did lead to many drastic changes in her lifestyle. Of course, now she follows healthier food and exercise habits, which is totally recommendable (and mandatory!). However, there are some changes which are too excessive and harmful, in my opinion. Despite her disease is medically controlled, and shes does not feel any physical problem (on the contrary, she externally reveals a spectacular health condition), her courage and joy have fallen considerably. She used to be a playful and lively girl, but now she decided to give up parties, to go shopping with her friends, love… and everything joyful, simply because she is afraid of suffering a sudden, unexpected diabetic complication or coma, amidst the happiness of the reunion. She would become a disturbance… others would see her weak and in panic, prey to fear. And she does not want to go through that. She is concerned about what might happen, and what her friends could say. In a sense, she fears rejection.

Therefore, she has forfeited happiness, fearing “what might happen.” Albeit she knows that her disease is successfully controlled, “she does not feel the required confidence”… Confidence in who or what? Confidence in her doctors? No. I told her that she did not have confidence in herself. It had nothing to do with diabetes, specifically. She was just doubting her ability to respond to unexpected situations, related or not to her diabetes. Needless to say, very improbable situations. Fear is always the finished product of a lack of self-confidence. Besides, fear is never innocent.

I think that we should not worry about what might happen. It’s fine to review the possibilities, the things that may happen… logically, some results will be better than others. But we must not surrender to fear or worries. Rather than worrying about future possibilities, we should focus on living the present. 90% of those things that worry us do never occur. Concerning about the future is falling prey to anxiety… During such anxiety episodes, we want the future to arrive now, as soon as possible, to live it now… Sometimes living the future now is the only cure we find to our head spinning for the ocean of possibilities and those “things that might happen.” But that is totally wrong.

Time is wise, and shares its wisdom with those who are patient. Things occur, good or bad… things just happen. That should be obvious. And when they happen, we act accordingly. More often than not, we cannot anticipate how such “accordingly acting” should be. An that’s normal. However, problems raise when our minds tend to fall into the trap of believing that by “anticipating” we have a better chance of success once things have occurred. Yes, that’s true, “to anticipate” aids a lot. But… how many variables must we handle in order to our anticipation to be meaningful? Therein lies the problem: the amount of variables involved in our anticipated reasoning. To solve a concrete problem in some specific area (e.g., Physics, Economics, etc.), “to anticipate” can be crucial. In real life, anticipating would also be good… but life has an almost infinite number of variables beyond our reach, and therefore perfectly anticipating a situation makes no sense, and in fact, is unattainable beyond luck’s grounds. We have no control over the future. We must plan, in order to improve our chance of success, but we must also recognize our limits (be humble!): a perfect plan does not amount to a perfect future. Our true option is to live the present… by acting we enforce the bit of control we have over the present.

Finally, I like to think that life is multicolored. And it’s up to us which colors we do choose. Behind every joy there is always a bitterness, and each misfortune encloses some advantage. We select our colors. Again, don’t concern about the future… Let’s act right now! Future will always arrive, no matter our plans… we cannot change that fact. But once future has arrived, let’s act with self-confidence. By acting now, we show and enjoy the colors of our life.

Be happy

Looking for True Happiness

Herrera — Mon, 19 May 2008 15:31:53 +0000

It is very difficult, although not impossible, to win a race if we have to start down in a hole. However, this is the precise handicap which a lot of people face during their search for happiness. Because of such handicap, climbing out of the hole and arriving to at least the starting line represents an exhausting endeavor. Apparently, this is not logical… this is not how life should be. But truth be told, we can only start from the position we are right now, and we can only use the resources available to us right now. In order to achieve happiness we have to shut off perturbing messages, such as “I cannot”, “I’m going to lose”, “Maybe tomorrow is a better day”, and so further. We have to put all these miscreant ideas aside from our mind, to remove these slimy sentences which do not contribute to our goals. It’s easier for us to attribute the responsibility of our failures and defeats to others… those who taught us, for instance. Some people like to attribute to their parents and teachers an alleged fraud… everything bad has been their fault, not ours. They hold on to the past. They are losers. On the contrary, winners focus on overcoming each obstacle that rises until accomplishing their goals. Winners want to be happy and to bring happiness to all the people around them, sharing the love, their views on life, and perhaps, their goals.

Some serious studies demonstrate that people from developed countries are not necessarily the happiest ones. A lot of nationals and residents of such countries manifest to feel unhappier than those of some developing or poorer countries. In this sense, let’s recall the Easterlin paradox, based on a study by professor and economist Richard Easterlin: Does Economic Growth Improve the Human Lot? published in 1974, while he was with the University of Pennsylvania. Basically, the paradox states that economic growth does not necessarily lead to more satisfaction. It’s obvious that people in poor countries become happier once they can afford basic necessities. But the important idea behind Easterlin paradox is that absolute income does not matter as much as relative income does. In other words, how much you make compared with others around you is what really matters. To put it in today’s terms, owning an iPod doesn’t make you happier, because you then want an iPod Touch

Nevertheless, a recent study by Betsey Stevenson and Justin Wolfers rebuffs Easterlin paradox. The study suggests that a better income contributes to a happier life. There is an obvious relation between higher incomes and happier people. Economic growth means investments in scientific research that lead to longer, healthier lives. It can also reduce your working hours, which in turn allows spending more time with family and friends, vacations, relax. Does this mean that money buys happiness after all? I doubt so.

Certainly, affluence helps to reach happiness. And we should want to be richer. But it’s your attitude what is really important. I personally know plenty of rich guys, which have enjoyed a top-notch education and access to quality healthcare systems, and which unfortunately are very sullen people. They don’t enjoy a good musical performance, they are not congenial or cheerful. Thereby, they are isolated from most of the world, and are restricted to a very limited (and sometimes envious) circle of friends, which slowly devours their self-confidence. Typically, they evidence worries about the state of their finances. They live in a hurry. Is that happiness? I doubt so.

Conversely, I also know people of regular or lower income, which are frequently smiling. They enjoy their works… they have nice families and plenty of friends. They are not that worried about money and its things. They easily chat with you. And albeit they know sadness, they are optimistic. And they have the mindset to be winners, and to fight for that dream. Are they unhappy? I doubt so.

Finally, I present three germane quotes by the Nobel laureate Albert Schweitzer:

Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.
I don’t know what your destiny will be, but one thing I do know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve.
Happiness is nothing more than good health and a bad memory.

Bold letters are mine. Pretty clear. Let’s be happy.

Meditation Gems: Managing your Time

Herrera — Thu, 15 May 2008 21:00:36 +0000

We are used to recur to the time parameter to assess all of our activities. Worse yet, time assesses our own reality. We love to classify life in an orthodox fashion: past, present and future, unyielding frames we can’t live without. Indeed, as humans, we love to classify things, especially when classifying makes us feel special or protected. We classify things as living or not living. Above all, though, we love to classify things according to time. Thanks to this parameter, everything becomes an event. And we are continually struggling to link events, to establish logical relations of cause-effect between them. If we think this over, we’d note our predilection for going to the ends of classification. To classify, after all, is a proof of intelligence.

But intelligence has to be applied well. To win or to lose is the result of myriad events, most of which escape our control. And no matter how much importance we concede to time, we cannot control it. Time continues its eternal walk, indifferent to us little humans. However, when we develop and fortify our self-confidence, we understand that time only rules over the external aspect of life. And we get to know the imperishable truth that lies inside us. Our mind awakens. Our interior life does not know about yesterday or tomorrow… about old or young things… Inside us, we only know about the Now. Now that was, is and will be.

Of course we have to know how to manage our external activities well. Time is gold, and we are a duality: external and internal. But the external side cannot conquer the internal one. The wealth of human experience is eternal, free of time effects. Everything good lives inside us… it has not died, it has not vanished, it has not been wasted away. Love is eternal. Live your Time.

“That time is short and it doesn’t return again. It is slipping away while I write this and while you read it, and the monosyllable of the clock is Loss, loss, loss unless you devote your heart to its opposition.” – The Glass Menagerie (Tennessee Williams).

On Good Sense

Herrera — Wed, 07 May 2008 15:41:34 +0000

Even to cut a flower requires good sense. Good sense, prudence, sound practical judgment. There is nothing in the world which deprives us of enjoying this quality. Good sense allows us to be excellent managers, professionals, friends, husbands/wives, and especially, it opens the doorway to the most precious gift of human beings: self-confidence. Self-confidence is one of those virtues we frequently don’t know how to handle, or that simply we mistreat.

Good sense is the primary and the conditio sine qua non of a better and longer life. Thanks to it we are able to avoid wars, conflicts, hunger, and getting into troubles in general. It is only a matter of just applying it. The converse, i.e. a bad sense of life balance, turns us into fragile souls, easy preys for evil, envy, and lies. A lack of good sense provides a fake sensation of power… power which indeed is only a cheap mask for selfishness. A lack of good sense separates us from our family, our friends and from the entire world. Moreover, that fake power may lead to an hyperactivity which ultimately will burn us.

Good sense helps us to be true humans, as it improves our self-confidence. Those of us who act prudently, weighing up risks and outcomes, tend to turn into better parents, better sons, and real forgers of avant-garde societies. As aforesaid, good sense involves a keen sense of management and prudence. But it also requires sensibility: we have to be open and responsive toward others and toward our environment. Insensible beings are not only ignorant about others’ emotions, but they are also blind to their own wounds.

It’s my view that good sense is related to permanent consciousness. We should NOT live a routinary life, doing things the Nike-style: Just do it We have to find pleasure in our activities. We have to be always focused, always concentrated in the task at hand. Every problem and every task must receive its quota of time and attention. Don’t work thinking of anything else, as that leads to poor performance, and a progressive decrease in our quality of life.

Good sense follows the bounds of reason, reigning over natural appetites for the pleasure of senses. No real success can be accomplished and sustained in the face of inability to control oneself. Finally, we have to understand that good sense is the only way toward justice. And only fair people will prevail in happiness. Remember, though, that justice starts with ourselves. Our names may be linked to problems, to difficulties, but never should be associated with unfairness, bad sense or sadness.

Next time we have to cut a flower, let’s remember that good sense means acting with wisdom. Is there anything superior to the wisdom that nature shows in a flower?

Natural Recipe for a Healthy Prostate

Herrera — Sat, 03 May 2008 16:18:43 +0000

The prostate is a gland of the male mammalian reproductive system, whose main function is to produce a portion of the seminal fluid that constitutes semen. The prostate also contains some muscles that help expel semen during ejaculation. Additionally, the prostate also secrets a bit of proteic contents, including prostate-specific antigen (PSA), magnesium, enzymes, zinc, etc. Normally, PSA is present in the blood at very low levels, but can be elevated in the presence of prostate cancer or other prostate disorders.

Some studies have suggested a link between a high-fat diet (which frequently include few servings of vegetables) and prostate’s disorders. For example, this study found that following the type of diet normally prescribed for cardiovascular health may also keep the prostate healthy. Regarding this conclusion, our previous post on keeping low cholesterol levels may provide some help. However, I always like to remember that the first step toward treating any health problem must be an evaluation by a qualified specialist. In no way Internet may replace your doctor’s examinations and recommendations.

This post’s motivation comes from an email that Elias Villar sent us yesterday. Thanks Elias, for your kind words, for being one of our readers, and for sharing your experiences! In the email, Elias refers his actions after receiving some recent labs which revealed a higher-than-normal PSA level. Of course, his first step was to look for a medical evaluation and guidance. But additionally, Elias introduced some changes in his diet, and recurred to a natural recipe.

Specifically,

He removed all ingestion of red meat, and ate four or more servings of vegetables and fruits a day.
Besides, he prepared a recipe whose ingredients are the following:

2 firm, ripe tomatoes (seeded)
1 piece of carrot (peeled)
Juice of 4 oranges
1 tablespoon of honey (quality honey produced by honey bees)

Combine all those ingredients in a blender, and blend until well mixed. Yield: 1 serving. Elias drank one serving before breakfast, and one serving after dinner. He followed this scheme for 10 days. Rested 10 days, and resumed the scheme for 10 additional days. Again, rested 10 days, and drank the servings for another 10 days. After that, he repeated his labs, and reported a decrease of the PSA levels.

Clearly, it would be irresponsible to claim that his recipe is a treatment for prostate problems (as Elias’ results and methods have not undergone scientific research), but he wanted to share his recipe with everybody. Additionally, I think that his recipe is natural and healthy, although I cannot support or verify his claims. You should take everything you read on the net with a bit of salt anyway. I insist that we should always follow our doctor’s guidelines.

Finally, thanks again to Elias for sharing his experiences, and for acting in good faith. Thanks! And remember that this blog is always open to the feedback, suggestions and experiences of its readers. Thank you very much!

10 Short Tips for Keeping Anxiety at Bay

Herrera — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 23:17:21 +0000

Anxiety is a (sometimes annoying) emotional and cognitive state. Emotionally, we recognize it as sensations of fear, grief, worry or general apprehension. The cognitive component entails expectation of a diffuse and uncertain danger. The threat or perspective of danger triggers the body’s defenses: the flow of blood to the muscles is increased, which in turn implies rising blood pressure and heart rate. Needless to say, such alert activation involves a higher consumption of body’s energy, and also other parts, such as the immune system, are inhibited in order to increase energetic reserves and focus for fighting the hypothetical danger.

At the outset, such reaction is not necessarily a bad thing. It’s a natural mechanism which prepares us for defense. Thus, anxiety is a relatively common emotion, naturally linked to survival. However, it may become a threat to our health if:

The reaction gets out of control, forcing us to adopt a defensive behavior continually. This consumes body and mind’s energy, unproductively.
Anxiety attacks are experienced, including severe physical and emotional disturbances, such as headaches, arrhythmias, irascibility, nausea and general pain. No matter the graveness of those symptoms, the result is the same: zero productivity and zero advance with regards to the feared issue. Plenty of weakening, though.

I always like to recommend an evaluation by a qualified specialist if we are facing health problems, including anxiety. Additionally, I think the following neat tips may prove useful in controlling the anxiety stemming from our daily chores and jobs:

Try to relax, silently, during at least 10 minutes every day. Modern living can make us very unaccustomed to silence, but both mind and soul speak in the silent moments.
Meditate, practice a correct and relaxed breathing, specially in those times in which stress is tougher.
If you ever feel trapped into a stressful situation, take a break and think: what I’m doing right now? Learn to identify anger, fear, sadness, happiness, anguish and envy.
Every morning, after waking up, say: “Thanks God, for the things I have. And with such things I do my best.“
Watch your diet. Include fresh fruit and vegetables as much as possible (without breaking the nutritional balance of your diet, of course.)
Follow some type of exercise program, outdoors. Exercise for at least 3 hours weekly.
Try not to use your watch for a week. You’ll discover the nice time management abilities of the mind.
Expand your social circle, looking for people with a personality similar to yours. I do insist, a good circle of friends is vital for keeping a good mental health.
Fears are defeated by talking about them, by accepting them. We should talk about the things that haunt us with a lovely person who knows how to heal… a wise mother… a dear friend. Such lovely people, whose words heal our soul, are a treasure.
Finally, find your spaces and a take your time for enjoying life… dedicate that time only to yourself. Allow yourself to be happy. Nature is open to us… why don’t we take some time to enjoy it?

Thanks for reading. Be happy.

A Thing that Truly Hurts Self-confidence

Herrera — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 21:37:08 +0000

A look behind the scenes of work’s misdirections

What do we achieve by thinking of ourselves as “supermen” or “wonder women”? Too little, indeed. Trying to act (and even feel) like fiction heroes, in a frantic rush to enjoy something that really is too tiresome to be enjoyed. There is little reward in demanding ourselves the compliment of being perfect, effective, productive, attractive and winsome people who have no real problems at work or at home, and who always ignite the life of the party. Needless to say, there is no reward in working frenetically until our minds and bodies cannot handle it anymore: we would weaken and become sick. But we already know that time is unstoppable: other people would carry on our duties, and someday, we would be simply forgotten. In other words, no matter how much effort and blood we devote to our jobs, we are always dispensable for the furious wheel of businesses.

I’ve worked as a business manager for a long time, and have had the chance to meet a lot of people who burn-out very fast. That’s no surprise as they were but machines for working. Apathy and frustration resulting from prolonged stress and overwork will, sooner or later, lead to health problems. Absolute fatigue is an enemy of health and self-confidence. There are crowds yearning for turning into winners; they pretend series of victories, and are not willing to tolerate any flaws. But the winners’ mindset totally differs of this approach. They are obsessed with a need of self-confidence, wealth, fame and success, beyond any reasonable limit. Albeit they are free to do so, I think that these people are ruining their life: they have not learned to relax, to slow down, and to enjoy the wonderful things life reserves for those with true self-confidence.

What are the questions that motivates our work and related actions? The following are dangerous questions:

How much have we earned?
How much have we progressed in relation to other people?
Are we going to be famous?
Is it possible to win more money?
Are we the best already?
Did we ring up the cash correctly?

The problems is that, when these people reach their mental and physical limits, self-confidence hesitates and weakens because they suddenly discover that they are not absolutely flawless beings… and such reality does not match with their (fake) perfection. Thus, self-confidence is hurt.

Rather, we should be asking ourselves what have we done today? What are we doing right now? Better yet, let’s don’t ask… let’s answer and do the right things that we know should be done. Advance, perhaps slowly, but firmly. None of our steps should reveal fear. Let’s visit and share with our friends. Let’s improve our working, resting and familiar environments. Let’s enjoy our family. Let’s strengthen our ecological practices; by loving all living creatures, we are loving ourselves. Keep your mind young. Follow a healthy lifestyle. Obliterate panic and stress. Listen to your favorite music. Take a walk with the person you like. Breathe. Love.

Finally, we are heroes. Yes, indeed. But heroes in the epic adventure of learning to live well. Brave heroes. But above all, human heroes.

Diet Tips for Preventing High Cholesterol Levels

Herrera — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 20:06:37 +0000

Current stressed lifestyles and rushed, unhealthy diets are important promoters of high cholesterol levels in the body. We should always remember that the first step toward recovering our health and treating any medical problem should be an evaluation by a qualified specialist (I do recommend consulting a good cardiologist for treatment of cholesterol problems.)

This week I had my annual cardiological checkup. These tips expand on the recommendations of my cardiologist, and they could prove useful for keeping low cholesterol levels and, in general, a healthy lifestyle. Basically, we should start out by adopting better nutritional habits, including the following:

Eat more fiber and fruits, vegetables and whole cereals (maize, rice, wheat, sorghum, etc) because they promote lowering of bad LDL cholesterol levels, without affecting good HDL cholesterol. Prefer vegetables to fruits, though, because the latter usually contain higher concentrations of sugar. On its side, whole grains may be nutritionally superior to refined grains, and richer in fiber, some proteins, antioxidants, minerals and vitamins. By the way, did you know that “cereal” derives from “Ceres”, the name of the pre-Roman goddess of harvest and agriculture?

Prefer foods rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), such as Omega 3 (ω−3). The healthiest foods rich in ω−3 fatty acids are flaxseeds, walnuts and cold water oily fishes such as salmon, herring, mackerel, anchovies and sardines. Eggs are also a source of ω−3. By the way, did you know that eggs from chickens fed corn have one-tenth the ω−3 in them as eggs from free-range chickens that eat greens and bugs? On September 8, 2004, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave qualified health claim status to eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) ω−3 fatty acids, stating that “supportive but not conclusive research shows that consumption of EPA and DHA ω−3 fatty acids may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.”

Prefer olive oil. This oil contains linoleic acid, another PUFA which could keep cholesterol from reaching higher levels, and some healthy monounsaturated fats. Extra-virgin olive oil contains no more than 0.8% acidity, has no refined oil and exhibit a better taste. Note that PUFAs, unlike saturated fats, are liquid at room temperature and remain liquid when refrigerated. On the other hand, monounsaturated fats, found in olive oil, are liquid at room temperature, but harden when refrigerated. When eaten in reasonable amounts, each type of fat can contribute to health. However, remember that no excess is good.

Consume soy-rich foods. Therefore we should favor whole soybeans, soybean milk and the delicious Tofu. Soy is a great source of complete proteins and a substantial provider of ω−3.

Reduce consumption of red meat and sausage. Meat is commonly identified as a major source of dietary cholesterol, so we should reduce the amount we use for cooking. Some people prefer to remove meat completely from their diet, though.

Foods rich in simple sugars, refined flour and trans-fat (mostly those present in sweets, margarine and fries) should be removed from the diet. Refined sugars and flour have lost plenty of its important nutrient and frequently have to be enriched. Unlike other dietary fats, trans fats raise levels of bad LDL cholesterol and lower levels of good HDL cholesterol. Also avoid junk food.

Don’t abuse of salt. There is important evidence of an association between dietary salt intakes and increases in blood pressure.

Limit alcohol, tobacco and coffee. Reasonable amounts of these may prove healthy or tolerable, but don’t exceed.

Finally, other important factor is regular exercise, but this must be done only under medical supervision and advice. Remember that you must follow your doctor guidelines strictly.

Move on a healthier body with HCG Diet Plans.

Life, Money & Development » Health

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