Archive for March, 2010

Is a cholesterol free diet even possible? Maybe, maybe not but more importantly is it safe for you to have a completely cholesterol free diet?

I mean with all of the important functions cholesterol performs in your body like:

1. Hormone production (estrogen and testosterone)
2. Helps to provide cell wall strength
3. Helps with digestion (bile acid production)
4. Provides insulation for nerves
5. Aids Vitamin D production
6. Helps repair cell membranes

Do you really want to go without those functions taking place in your body?

If you do a search on the web you’ll find hundreds of searches monthly for cholesterol free diet. People all over the world are looking for the ultimate low to no cholesterol diet plan.

But again is a cholesterol free diet what you desire or really want? Or is it the decreased heart attack risk and benefits being healthier can provide? Maybe, maybe not only you really know the answer to that question.

Remember your body produces cholesterol in your liver so that the various functions listed can occur. The issue for most people is that they add too much additional cholesterol into their body from the foods they consume.

Now because the amount of cholesterol your body needs varies from day to day and over time, what seems like a normal or healthy amount of cholesterol today. May be too much the next day after that burger and fries pushed you over the levels your body needs.

Eat too much fat and cholesterol filled foods and the excess enters your blood stream and begins to clog up your arteries. Which you already know about at this point but, here is the thing. How do you know your blood cholesterol is high on Tuesday but not on Wednesday? Do you carry a portable test kit with you?

How do you know how much cholesterol is in that sandwich and chips without testing it? You don’t know and besides who wants to spend all of their time doing cholesterol food analysis? No you want to eat and move on.

So that brings me back to my question, is there such a thing as a cholesterol free diet? Maybe there is but, wouldn’t it be more enjoyable to add low cholesterol foods to your diet?

You know try adding foods like fruits and vegetables, whole grains, fish etc. to your meals and snacks, instead of searching the globe for zero cholesterol foods all the time.

I’m not saying not to seek out zero cholesterol food because the less you consume the better. But do not let cholesterol free diets consume your diet choices live a little eat a low cholesterol pork chop or chicken dish.

Let your hair down and have a slice of banana nut bread. Keep and eye on your cholesterol levels but don’t only focus on everything you eat being cholesterol free all the time.

Today while surfing the web I came across the following headline “Future Heart Disease May Be in Store for Obese Kids”.

It immediately caught my attention because for all of the gains we have made over the past few decades to reduce heart disease and high cholesterol.

Future generations of kids face the real possibly of undoing all of the gains made in the area of cholesterol reduction and heart disease simply because they are too fat.

I know using the word “fat” may be offensive to some and obese sounds better and I offer no apology for saying it. Lets’ get real here childhood is the time in all of our lives for fun, good times, memory making, etc. It shouldn’t be a time used unknowing to hasten our death later in life. Every obese child is slowly and unwittingly increasing his or her odds of developing heart disease.

But, there is an alternative outcome should you as the parent of an obese child or you as that obese person this article is addressing should consider. Lose weight or help your kid to lose weight and improve their health. I have seen it time and time again, an obese or overweight person suffering with various health problems slowly notice those health problems decrease as the weight comes off.

Will it be easy? No. Is it worth it? You bet it is, your physical health and mental health will improve dramatically. You will spend less money on medication, clothing everything and you will feel better in the long run.

You can reduce your familys’ of Heart disease and high cholesterol by adopting a low cholesterol diet, exercising several times a week and committing to helping yourself and your children to lose weight.

Our children don’t have to face a future with increasing heart disease in their plans we can take steps today to help them to avoid a very unpleasant and costly health problem. Do it now, don’t delay.