Lowering LDL Cholesterol

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If you need to lower your LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) or lower your overall cholesterol, a lot of what you need to do overlaps with what you need to do in managing weight, staying healthy and fit, or managing diabetes. To lower LDL cholesterol, the following four points are the simplest and most important:

1. Eat at least two MORE servings of fruits and/or vegetables per day than you already do now.   (This is good for weight control anyway as I’ve written in http://spirfit.blogspot.com/2010/06/you-will-not-gain-bad-weight-from.html  )  Also, fruits and vegetables have good fiber content and plant stenols which lower your absorption of LDL cholesterol.  Personally, I prefer fruits because they are more convenient and quick to just wash and eat.  In addition, fruits keeps your craving for bad sweets under control in the long term.  However, some people find it convenient to do salad vegetables by just preparing a big tupperware bowl of salad and keeping it in the refrigerator.  That's fine too.  Do whatever it takes for you to increase your intake of fruits and/or vegetables by two more servings per day.  Also, to give you an idea of one serving, a medium size apple is a serving.  A banana is a serving.  The size of a small or medium sized fist is a serving.

2. Eat more fish and take a fish oil pill at the meals you are not having fish.

3. Drink a glass of water (hot or cold) at the beginning of every meal.

4. Exercise one more day per week than you already do right now.

Here are additional important information in keeping your LDL cholesterol low:

• Avoid bakery products like cakes, brownies, cookies, and muffins.  They usually have high saturated fat and sugar content.  [Personally, I eat such products once every four months or less.]

• Keep planning your meals with the same concept as people managing or preventing diabetes.  Info about this can be found at - http://spirfit.blogspot.com/2013/04/diabetes-and-pre-diabetes.html

• Eat more nuts, such as walnuts, peanuts, and almonds.  Snack on them throughout the day.  Mix them into your vegetables and salads.

• On food labels, the following are bad:  saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, and sodium

• Foods with food labels, the following (bad) ingredients should not be more than 5% DV:

                               Saturated Fat

                               Cholesterol

• There should be 0% Trans Fat (as most food companies eliminated trans fats from their ingredients already)

For additional information on LDL cholesterol, visit the following reliable websites:

• Cholesterol numbers to aim for:  LDL, HDL, and total

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/cholesterol-levels/CL00001
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/patientinstructions/000386.htm

• Estimating and planning your fat intake -
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/fat-grams/HQ00671

• LDL cholesterol calculator at -
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/ldl-cholesterol/CL00034

• High blood cholesterol information from Medline, or NIH (National Institute of Health)
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000403.htm

• Muscular and aerobic fitness helps protect against effects of LDL cholesterol
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/761039

• What is LDL?

Disclaimer: Talk to your doctor or RD before taking advice from this website or blog.  In using information from this blog, you release the author and owner of this blog and website from any liability.

More health and fitness information and lessons are available at - http://spirfit.org/Academy/#fitness

Neti Pot for Colds and Seasonal Allergies

Before I offer you the objective information (links below) such as those from medical sources, I will tell you my personal experience with the effective use of the neti pot.  When I had a bacterial infection in my sinuses and head (a few years ago) causing heavy nasal congestion, sore throat, headache, and fever, I used the neti pot to clear my nasal passages (in addition to gargling with warm salt water to clear my throat.)  It made a huge difference in not only clearing my sinuses, but it relieved the headache, and that feeling of pressure in my head was also relieved.  (It works better if you use the neti pot in addition to the conventional remedies.)


Dr. James Li, M.D., Ph.D. (of the Mayo Clinic) explains how the Neti Pot is effective for colds and seasonal allergies at-
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/neti-pot/AN01755

Dr. James Li, M.D., Ph.D. (of the Mayo Clinic) explains how to prepare the solution for the Neti Pot at -
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/neti-pot-solution/AN01879

Instructions on how to use the Neti Pot are located at -
http://spirfit.blogspot.com/2010/05/hay-fever-and-neti-pot.html



For more information on health and fitness, feel free to visit our website at:
spirfit.org/Academy/index.htm#fitness

Cardio Then Stretch (Workout A)

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Here is a simple two step workout for people "with no time" and for people who need to start somewhere.


Step 1:  Do your cardio such as on an elliptical trainer, for 30 minutes (or whatever amount of time you have).

Step 2:  Do the following 3 stretches for both sides (legs).

Do this quad stretch next to a wall in case you need to hold on:






Note:  For those of you who claim to not have time, you could even do this one in 15 minutes  (10 minutes cardio + 5 minutes stretch.)

Disclaimer:  Check with your doctor before doing any exercises.  The producer or owner of this blog is not liable for any potential problems.

Diabetes and Pre-Diabetes

The most important lesson is creating your plate. This is a good approach to eating not only for diabetes patients, but for anyone who wants to slim down:

http://www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/food/planning-meals/create-your-plate/


More on what you can or should eat if you have diabetes or pre-diabetes:

http://www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/food/what-can-i-eat/


Other Reliable Resources on Diabetes

Fitness - American Diabetes Association Prevent type 2 diabetes by getting and staying active. www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/fitness/

Food - American Diabetes Association By eating well-balanced meals in the correct amounts, you can learn to thrive withdiabetes. www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/food/

Diabetes nutrition: Eating out when you have diabetes - Mayo Clinic Diabetes nutrition — Make restaurant meals a healthy part of your diabetes meal plan. www.mayoclinic.com/health/diabetes-nutrition/DA00131

CDC - Diabetes Public Health Resource - Diabetes DDT Mar 29, 2013 ... CDC's Division of Diabetes Translation translates diabetes research into daily practice to understand the impact of the disease, influence health ... www.cdc.gov/diabetes/

Food & Fitness - American Diabetes Association Eating right and staying physically fit are key to living well with diabetes. www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/

Men's Health - American Diabetes Association We are now in the era of the modern man. Modern men have a strong grasp of their disease and related conditions, they actively engage their health care... www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/complications/mens-health/

Diabetes | Nutrition.gov What I Need to Know About Eating and Diabetes. DHHS . NIH . National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Find out how the food you eat ... www.nutrition.gov/nutrition-and-health-issues/diabetes

Diabetes - National Library of Medicine - National Institutes of Health Diabetes is a disease in which your blood glucose, or sugar, levels are too high. Glucose comes from the foods you eat. Insulin is a hormone that helps the ... www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/diabetes.html

Fitness Management - American Diabetes Association So how much exercise do I have to do? And how long do I have to exercise? It's not as hard as you think. Get advice from the American DiabetesAssociation. www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/fitness/fitness-management/

CDC - Health Concerns - Diabetes & Me - Diabetes DDT Nov 7, 2012 ... National Public Health Initiative on Diabetes and Women's Health ...Natural Experiments for Translation in Diabetes (NEXT-D) Study · Project ... www.cdc.gov/diabetes/consumer/problems.htm

More Reliable Resources (from Universities and Medical Schools)

1. UCSF Diabetes Center

   www.diabetes.ucsf.edu/

   Comprehensive diabetes facility involved in the research, education, treatment and care of type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Includes islet transplantation. University of ...

   You visited this page on 4/25/13.

2. Diabetes Information | Diabetes Resource | Joslin Diabetes Center

   www.joslin.harvard.edu/diabetes-information.html

   Diabetes information - information on diabetes, diabetes care & treatment, children & adult diabetes, diabetes diat & nutritution, and diabetes research ...

3. Potential diabetes breakthrough | Harvard Gazette

   news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2013/.../potential-diabetes-breakthrough/

   7 hours ago – Researchers at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute have discovered a hormone that holds promise for a dramatically more effective treatment of ...

   You visited this page on 4/25/13.

4. Joslin Diabetes Center: Diabetes Research, Care, Education ...

   www.joslin.harvard.edu/

   Joslin Diabetes Center is the world's preeminent diabetes research, clinical care and education organization.

5. OHSU Healthcare: Diabetes - Oregon Health & Science University

   www.ohsu.edu › OHSU Home › Healthcare › Healthcare Services

   Welcome to the Harold Schnitzer Diabetes Health Center at Oregon Health & Science University. We are the only academic medical center west of the Rocky ...

   You visited this page on 4/25/13.

6. Recommended Sites - Diabetes - Guides at University of North ...

   guides.lib.unc.edu › Guides › NC Health Info

   Guides. Diabetes. Recommended Sites. ... Last Updated: Mar 7, 2013 URL: http://guides.lib.unc.edu/nchealthinfo-diabetes Print Guide Email Alerts ShareThis ...

   You visited this page on 4/25/13.

7. Diabetes - Life Lines

   urbanext.illinois.edu/diabetes/

   According to the American Diabetes Association, the overall incidence of celiac disease worldwide is estimated to be 1 person in 250, but as high as 1 in 20 for ...

   You visited this page on 4/25/13.

8. USF Diabetes Center - USF Health - Tampa, FL

   diabetes.health.usf.edu/

   Join the Contact Registry. Join the USF Diabetes Center Contact Registry to learn more about diabetes research opportunities, events, education and services!

   You visited this page on 4/25/13.

9. The Vanderbilt Diabetes Research and Training Center (DRTC)

   www.mc.vanderbilt.edu/diabetes/drtc/

   The Vanderbilt Diabetes Research and Training Center (DRTC) is a NIH-sponsoredDiabetes Center that facilitates the discovery, application, and translation of ...

   You visited this page on 4/25/13.

Breastfed Babies Lack Vitamin D

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First of all, I must first clarify breastfeeding is still highly recommended. However, breastfeeding alone does not provide enough vitamin D. Inadequate vitamin D levels are linked to increased chances of various diseases later in life (including cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, chronic inflammatory autoimmune diseases, and osteoporosis.)

Daily supplementation of 10 μg (mcg), or 400 I.U. of Vitamin D is required for full-term infants who are breastfeeding. To supplement, you may want to feed with Vitamin D fortified infant formula in addition to breastfeeding. Again, breastfeeding is still very important. If you are breastfeeding exclusively (which is still a very good practice), vitamin D3 supplement drops are recommended.)

The mother should also have adequate Vitamin D intake, which is 5 μg (mcg), or 200 I.U. per day. This can easily be achieved by a multivitamin, such as Centrum which has 5 μg to 10 μg, depending on the formula. Good food sources of vitamin D such as low-fat milk and yogurt are also recommended.

The source of the information in this blog is based on reviews by experts recruited by Health Canada and CDC (Center for Disease Control) as listed below:

Carol Wagner, MD
Frank Greer, MD
Stephanie Atkinson, Ph.D., R.D., McMaster University
Leanne Ward, MD, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario
Francis Glorieux, MD, Ph.D., McGill University

More information about infant nutrition and health can be found at http://spirfit.blogspot.com/2009/09/nutrition-and-health-info-for-your.html

For more lessons like this one, feel free to go to - SpirFit.org

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"Magic" Practice, Weight Loss, Cancer, and Diverticulosis

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There are no magic pills, but there are “magic” practices. These are practices some people do not want to apply, but these practices actually have a wide range of benefits. One magic practice is increasing your consumption of good fiber sources such as fruits and vegetables.  The closer you get to the USDA recommended intake of 9 servings per day, the less likely you will develop a whole range of health problems.  Such a practice may contribute to good weight loss, preventing cancer, preventing diabetes, and preventing a number of other conditions including the less known condition of diverticulosis.

Some people have the hereditary disadvantage of being predisposed to one or more of these conditions. However as Professor Clifford (a mentor of mine in the 1990's) said, “Heredity and genes load the gun, but your habits pull the trigger.”  Furthermore, scientists (professors) specializing in epigenetics now know that not only can habits pull the trigger, but they can change your bad genes to good genes (and vice versa).

So, let’s take one small step at a time. Whatever amount of fruits and vegetables you currently consume per day, add one or two more servings per day.  (The ideal again is 9 servings per day, but if you cannot reach that, just get a little bit closer to it, such as adding just one or two more servings per day to your current amount.)  To simply estimate serving size, the size of your fist would be a serving. One medium-size apple is a serving. A medium-size orange is a serving.

If you find the information I provide useful, feel free to follow updated info about life, training the mind and body, and other SpirFit info at http://www.facebook.com/pages/SpirFit/141881909215772


Copyright: © 2011. This document is the sole property of Amadeo Constanzo. You may use this article for free on your web site, blog, or other publication if and only if you include this entire copyright notice including the following links and statement. Other free teachings from Amadeo Constanzo can be found at SpirFit.com and SpirFit.org

Can Exercise Really Help With Cancer?

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by Liz Davies

Being diagnosed with cancer can be one of the worst moments in anyone's life. Thoughts of death are automatic. Once the initial shock is over, then it's on to the arduous battle. For so long people were told to save all of their energy so they provide their body with enough endurance to fight. Now, studies have found that exercise actually aids in the combat of cancer.

Research shows that those who exercise during treatments fare better in beating their cancer. Physicians agree that the patients who are more active seem not only physically stronger but also mentally. Because exercise creates a stronger body, that body is able to withstand treatments better.

This isn't to say that patients should get out and train for a marathon. An American College of Sports Medicine panel set new guidelines for the amount of exercise for cancer patients, as well as survivors. They've found that the same amount as everyone else, about 150 minutes a week, is beneficial. The only difference is the intensity of the workout. Aerobic exercise, stretching and resistance training are all recommended.

Through exercise, patients experience less fatigue. Aerobic exercise helps get the heart pumping. That keeps the red blood cell levels up, reducing the need for medication (when taken can cause even more fatigue.) Working out also helps with maintaining muscle and bone mass. So often, treatments affect this, and exercise helps combat it. Add in the mental benefits of feeling better and having another focus other than the disease, and that caps an already impressive list of reasons showing the helpfulness of exercise for cancer patients.

Though there are plenty of reasons why they should exercise, the hardest part is finding the motivation to actually do it. There's nothing more difficult than finding the motivation after a particularly hard chemo session. This is where a support group comes in handy. Friends and family understand them the best and know how to give that little nudge to get them going. There are also exercise support groups within some hospitals that specialize in training cancer patients and survivors. Most cancers have their own groups, including even rare cancers such as pericardial mesothelioma. Another step may be to set a goal or task to reach. Whether it's to be able to walk in a three day event or just to be able to put a shirt on without pain, the level is never too big or too small.

A cancer diagnosis isn't a death sentence. By undergoing the treatments and practical exercise, a person can come out stronger than when they started, both mentally and physically. The best thing a person can do for themselves is to help their body fight. They will have a more successful battle if they exercise.


Liz Davies is a recent college graduate and aspiring writer especially interested in health and wellness. She became particularly interested in ways cancer patients can cope with the side-effects of their treatment after her mother became an oncology nurse for lung cancer.

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