ARE THE LEVELS GOOD?!!?!?

Okay so a couple of weeks ago my J-O-B had a health fair. Reps from our insurance company were checking people's blood pressure,total cholesterol levels, body fat percentage's, and blood glucose levels.

For now let's focus on our dear friend Mr. Cholesterol.

According to the American Heart Association, it is recommended that your total cholesterol levels are less than 200mg/dl (which reads 200 milligrams per deciliter of blood). You are borderline to high risk if your total cholesterol reads 200-239 mg/dl and you are in the very naughty catergory of high risk with any reading above 240 mg/dl. I came in at 112 mg/dl don't hate...I eat healthy.

When blood cholesterol increases, so does the possibility of plugging the arteries due to cholesterol plaque build-up. This leads to a "hardening of the arteries" or atherosclerosis. When the arteries become plugged, a heart attack may occur. Blood carries oxygen to the heart, and if enough blood and oxygen cannot reach your heart you may suffer chest pain. In severe cases if the blood supply to a portion of the heart is completely cut off by a blockage, the result is a heart attack.

Here are some factors that can cause your cholesterol to change:

High fat/high cholesterol diets - excess fat ie. saturated fat may cause an increase in blood cholesterol. Eating foods low in saturated fats and cholesterol , fat free or 1% dairy products lean meats, whole grains, and veggies.

Excess weight gain - Excess weight gain tends to lower HDL (good cholesterol) and raise LDL (bad cholesterol)

Smoking & Alcohol - Smoking lowers HDL and alcohol slightly raise it. So be careful

Aerobic excerise - Regular exercise mat increase HDL levels but not by that much and it may lower your LDL too.

Etc. -Severe trauma, acute bacterial or viral infection, major illness or pregrancy.

Info provided by heartscreen.com

Click here for more info on cholesterol levels

Be mindful of all those extras peeps...they add up!!

Oats Super SideKicks

This month's superfood is quite different from the others. Oats don't just have regular ol sidekicks, but they have super sidekicks: meet ground flaxseed and wheat germ. They are very nutrient dense and provide a host of health benefits in small amounts.

Flaxseeds are a tid bit larger than sesame seeds and range in color from dark brown to dark red. You can buy it is as flaxseed meal or the seeds. Flaxseed is a great source for plant based omega 3 fatty acids. They are a good source of fiber, protein, magnesium, iron, and potassium.

If that wasn't enough to get you to buy these powerful seeds, they are rich in lignins which are basically plant estrogens. Lignins influence the balance of estrogens and help protect against breast cancer. All you need is 1 to 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed a day. Put it on your cereal, smoothie, or oatmeal to reap the benefits.

Wheat germ is one of the oldest harvested grains in the world. It is the embryo of the wheat berry. Just 2 tablespoons gives your body 52 calories, 4 grams of protein, 2 grams of fiber, 1/3 of your daily servings of Vitamin E (an antioidant), and a host of other vitamins and minerals. Like flaxseed it's one of the few sources of plant based omega 3 fatty acids. If you are looking to reduce your cholesterol levels than 6 tablespoons a day may reduce the rate of cholestrol absorption in your body...

So will you try these goodies???? I actually need to pick some this week myself...that and some hot sauce...if only that was a superfood...ah well