Showing posts with label cholesterol. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cholesterol. Show all posts

Monday, June 11, 2012

Be Wise While Choosing Fatty Diets


Earlier, all of us used to think that dietary fats are highly harmful and they cause many diseases like heart ailments, diabetes and blood pressure-related problems. A lot of research has taken place about them and it has now been found that there are good fats that can benefit our health also. Of course, bad fats and very bad fats will certainly harm our health.
Unsaturated fats are called good fats. So, instead of harming you, they will protect you from diseases like heart problems, blood pressure-related diseases, etc. There are two types of unsaturated fats and they are monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats. There is absolutely no harm for your health from both these types of fats. In fact, they may benefit you by bringing down your Low Density Lipoprotein, which is bad cholesterol and increasing High Density Lipoprotein that is otherwise known as good cholesterol.
You can get Omega-3 fatty acids from polyunsaturated fats. Omega-3 fatty acids are mainly available in cold-water fish and nuts. You can get them from dark leafy greens, a few vegetable oils and flaxseed oil also. The human body can not produce one type of Omega-3 fatty acid, which is an essential acid. The only way you can get this is by consuming items that contain it. It is a proven fact that by eating Omega-3 fatty acids, you can get immense health benefits. They are said to lower blood pressure and reduce Low Density Lipoprotein. They can fight inflammation also. Further, they protect the nervous system and the brain.
Saturated fats are bad fats and these can create a havoc by causing blocks in the arteries. The main sources of these bad fats are meat and almost all the dairy products. These fats increase the Low Density Lipoprotein. It is true that they are a good source of nutrients like vitamins and minerals. Therefore, you should reduce their intake instead of completely avoiding them. The upper limit of your daily intake should not exceed seven percent.
Trans fats that are also called as hydrogenated fats are very bad fats. They are created due to a process called hydrogenation and hence, they are known as hydrogenated fats. This process converts liquid vegetable oils into solid fats. They cause severe harm to human health by increasing the Low Density Lipoprotein and lowering the High Density Lipoprotein. This means bad cholesterol increases in the body and good cholesterol decreases. These trans fats are generally available in almost all the processed foods. That is why you should avoid eating fried and deep-fried items and also processed items. They are available in processed items like cakes, doughnuts, snack foods, etc. also.
It is true that you get energy from fats. It is also true that you need fats if you want your brain and nervous system to function well. But, the fats you eat should be good fats. These good fats will protect you from the cold and give you clear skin and healthy hair also. But, you should avoid trans fats completely.
Raman Kuppuswamy writes highly informative, interesting and educative articles on various topics. He has written several articles on hubpages also. Kindly visit http://dreamdamodar.hubpages.com/ and read his other articles.



Saturday, May 14, 2011

Keep Fit And Lead A Healthy Life

It is a proven fact that those who live a passive lifestyle are prone to be affected by health problems. Especially, serious ailments like heart diseases, diabetes, blood-pressure related diseases and so on will be waiting in the wings to affect those living a docile life. A survey shows that in UK alone, more than 70% of the adult population have heart ailments and about a quarter of them admit that they are terribly lazy. If you look at the scenario in Australia, 33% of the adult population are found to live a passive lifestyle and their health conditions are far from satisfactory.

The above facts amply prove that being fit is highly important and it can keep a person in the pink of health. Even dreadful diseases like cancer will not affect physically fit people. Since your High Density Lipoprotein will be maintained at the right levels, you need not have fears of cholesterol-related problems. Another great advantage in being physically fit is that it gives a sense of well-being to the individual. The neurons of the brain are also found to work faster and more efficiently in people who take utmost care of their fitness. This will naturally boost their self-confidence and enthusiasm.

Even in stressful situations, you are advised to hit the gym and do light exercises. This will not only divert your mind from the stress-causing problems but will help you to fight your anxiety also.

This is not to suggest that you should not immediately enroll yourself in a gym and start your work-outs. It is not good also. You are advised to make small beginnings and increase the fitness activities gradually. Your body should get conditioned to physical activity because all along, you have been living a sluggish pace of life. Shaking off your laziness suddenly may lead to trouble. It should be a slow process and you should adopt patience. You can start with walking, which is called "the queen of exercises". Once you get used to it, you can graduate to the next level of brisk walking, jogging, cycling, swimming and other cardiovascular exercises. But, these cardiovascular exercises should be followed by weight-training exercises and you should consult a competent physical trainer and do only those exercises that may suit your physique. However, these weight-training exercises come at a later stage when your body gets conditioned to full-fledged physical exercises.

You should change the foods you eat also accordingly. If you are fond of spicy and junk foods, you should immediately reduce eating them. These foods cause laziness. You should immediately switch to eating more of fiber foods like fresh fruits and leafy vegetables, wholesome grains, beans, etc. These fiber foods are also called fat-burning diets and they do not contribute to increase in your calories. They will also supply a good amount of nutrition to your system and this will help you in surmounting your problem of laziness.

By following the above tips, you can improve your fitness and lead a happy and healthy life.