Foods to help lower Bad Cholesterol Part 4

8 ) Eat it Raw

Now let’s review a little contradiction.

A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that people who adopted a raw food diet drastically improved many health factors including cholesterol and high blood pressure.

Researchers commented that the main reason may be that “raw eaters” consumed more fruits and vegetables.

Another reason may be because raw foods include almost no processing. There are no added chemicals. It’s also not cooked; so many healthy microbes that are killed in other types of diets are consumed in the raw food diet.

Any diet that avoids processed food has been shown to improve overall health. For example, the so called “cave man diet” which is high in meat consumption has been shown to improve cholesterol, blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.

Repeated studies however have proven the healthiest type of diet to be a raw-vegan diet. People following this type of diet have healthier cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar levels. It also protects you from many types of cancer.

The risk of any type of vegetarian diet is being deprived of vitamin B12, zinc and iron. So it is recommended supplementing these.

Olive Oil for Weight Watchers

If you're watching your weight, you might want to include some extra olive oil in your diet to help you feel full longer. Researchers in Germany and Austria tested four edible fats: lard, butterfat, rapeseed oil and olive oil to assess their ability to satiate appetite. Over three months, the investigators gave study participants daily 500-gram portions of low-fat yogurt enriched with one of the four fats. Otherwise, the participants continued with their normal diets. Of the four fats, olive oil proved the most satiating based on participant reports, and blood tests showing that regular consumption of olive oil led to higher blood levels of serotonin, a hormone associated with satiety. Because rapeseed oil and olive oil contain similar fatty acids, the team next tested aroma extracts from olive oil to see if they had any bearing on satiety. They provided one group of participants with a daily serving of yogurt containing added olive oil aroma extracts and the other group with plain yogurt, and found that daily calorie intake among participants in the olive oil group remained the same while control group participants consumed 176 more calories a day and had lower blood levels of serotonin. During the study, no participant in the olive oil group gained weight. The researchers concluded that olive oil aroma is capable of helping regulate satiety.

Red Yeast Rice Extract, another Weapon for High Cholesterol

Red yeast rice extract, a natural therapy that works particularly well with people who are genetically disposed to high cholesterol.

What makes red yeast rice extract so effective? It contains an ingredient called monacolin K. This natural substance inhibits the action of liver enzymes that produce cholesterol in your body. Studies show this ingredient works just as well as statin drugs like Mevacor^®... without the side effects.

Red yeast rice extract also works fast, a recent UCLA study found that taking 2,400 mg a day of red yeast rice extract significantly reduced "bad" LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels in as little as 2 months.

There's so much more to tell you about red yeast rice extract. For example, a brand-new study published in the American Journal of Cardiology shows red yeast rice extract cuts your risk of dying from stroke or diseases like cancer by 48%—that's almost HALF. Plus, it lowers your risk of dying from a heart attack by 37%!

Apple Cider Vinegar, Another Weapon against Diabetes

Controlling glucose levels for people who have type 2 diabetes or have a hard time with their waking glucose counts might be as easy to fix as a 30-second organic solution at bedtime.

And, in contrast to expensive pharmaceuticals your doctor might prescribe, this solution is found in the aisles of practically every grocery store in the world- and is inexpensive.

For many years, the benefits of adding apple cider vinegar to mealtimes for diabetics has been shown in countless studies, but a different timing of ingestion was recently studied by Researchers at Arizona State University.

Instead of looking at the effects of vinegar on glucose levels after it had been included at mealtime, they wanted to see if there would be an effect when 2 tablespoons were taken at bedtime.

Measuring glucose levels of participants who were not taking insulin therapy at the time of the study, the scientists were able to show that taking apple cider vinegar at bedtime had a noticeable effect on waking blood glucose levels.

In fact, the participants in the study showed an average improvement of more than 6% in waking levels after just 2 days.

Participants took the vinegar with an ounce of cheese at bedtime, but changed nothing else about their diets. The control group that ate the cheese and only had water, not vinegar, showed no improvement.

Good way to consume apple cider vinegar is to add 2 tablespoons in half a glass (full glass if you dislike the taste) of water. Many health experts also claim that apple cider vinegar with ‘mother’ (not filtered as much) is better.

Health Benefits of owning a Pet

Exciting new research by the American Heart Association has cardiologists around the world wagging their tongues — and it’s sure to have millions of canines wagging their tails.

If you’re serious about keeping your ticker in tip-top shape, it may be time to toss that prescription and trade it in for a little Pooch Power.

According to a scientific statement released by the AHA, owning a pet — particularly a dog — may be the best thing you can do to ward off the deadly effects of heart disease. A study of more than 5,200 adults demonstrated that dog owners were more physically active, and previous research has shown that pets can help relieve stress and anxiety.

In fact, study after study has shown that pet owners are less likely to suffer from obesity, high cholesterol, or elevated blood pressure. Nearly 80 million Americans already own a dog — but, believe me, there are plenty more cooling their paws in humane shelters around the country right now, waiting for a good home.

A dog can be just the trick for getting you off the couch, calming your nerves, and providing much-needed companionship, especially if you’re living alone. If you haven’t checked out the PetFinder website before, give it a try. You can locate animal shelters near you, and even research different breeds of pets so you can find a perfect match.

Imagine beating high cholesterol, elevated blood pressure and more, without choking down dangerous statins or ACE inhibitors — and the only side effect is some occasional facial wetness from sloppy kisses. It’s a deal worth barking about!