LDL HDL Ratio

Posts Tagged ‘exercise’

At times you have heard people say things like “I used to do that when I was younger. But I don’t think my body can take that now”.

This is proof enough that when the body doesn’t get reasonable doses of exercise on regular basis, things begin to go wrong. The body grows stiff, muscles lose their tone, the joints lose their suppleness, and fat starts to accumulate around the waist and along the spine.

When a lack of fitness is allowed to go on, very soon the body begins to suffer as we become less and less capable of dealing with the stress of everyday life, both physical and mental stress. We may even become susceptible to various illnesses. That is why regular exercise is very important for optimum health.

Exercise is the closest  thing yet to the fountain of youth, and truly the only way to change the appearance, shape and strength of your body. EXERCISE IS GOOD FOR YOU! Just to put a little more emphasis on the issue, you will be given a list of 20 reasons why you should find the time for exercise on a regular basis. If you can find even one benefit on this list, you will have enough reason to begin an exercise program and take steps to take care of yourself.

   Regular exercise can … Ø Help you lose weight, especially fat. Ø Improve your physical appearance. Ø Increase your level of muscular strength and endurance. Ø Maintain your resting metabolic rate to prevent weight gain. Ø Increase your stamina and ability to do continuous work. Ø Improve fitness levels, or your body’s ability to use oxygen. Ø Provide protection against injury. Ø Improve your balance and co-ordination. Ø Increase bone density to prevent osteoporosis. Ø Lower resting heart rate and blood pressure. Ø Lower Body Mass index (BMI) – your height-to-fat ratio. Ø Reduce triglycerides, bad cholesterol (LDL), and raise good cholesterol (HDL). Ø Enhance sexual desire and performance. Ø Reduce heart disease and stroke. Ø Reduce the risk of developing certain types of cancer. Ø Increase insulin sensitivity, thereby preventing type 2 diabetes. Ø Reduce your level of anxiety and help you mange stress. Ø Improve function of the immune system. Ø Improve your self – esteem and restore confidence. Ø Help you sleep better, relax, and improve mood.

In addition, the tremendous health benefits associated with a well orchestrated strength, flexibility and cardiovascular training program can add quality years to your life. Everyone exercises for different reasons. But no matter your initial motivation, you’ll still get all the benefits.

At least half an hour of exercise (even brisk walking) three or four days a week can go a long way towards putting you on the path to physical fitness. It is recommended that you check with your doctor before beginning any workout program, particularly if you are out of shape, have cardiovascular problems or simply haven’t worked out in a long time.

After making the decision to start working out, it may be necessary for you to make some lifestyle changes, especially as it regards eating. So, cut down on processed and high-fat foods, reduce your intake of alcohol and quit smoking. Eat more of natural foods like whole grain, lean meat, fruits and vegetables, and above all, be consistent in your workout routine. A combination of proper diet, a good workout program and appropriate relaxation techniques will begin to effect a change in your body beyond belief.

The ratio is very simple but at the same time it is a serious matter of concern. You just can’t take it for granted. The figures show that in every five adult persons of the world, at least one suffers from high cholesterol problem. And all other associated troubles with the cholesterol rise also make shelter in your body with this troubleshooter. Thus no more can you put off the issue restricting it to older people or obese fellows who normally are the victims of the cholesterol problem.
Basic reasons of cholesterol rise
- Unhealthy food with rich fatty substances
- Excess of oil and butter in the diet
- Low activation of the body and no physical labor
- Excess tension and pressure in the regular life pattern
- Genetic reason inherited from parents by their children
The last reason that is the genetic factor can happen in one of the five hundred persons and that is scientifically termed as hypercholesterolemia. It is found in the familial block where the LDL cholesterol known to have ill effects on the body is transferred in the gene factor of the next generation. You might be one of the unlucky fellows suffering from this problem.
Effective use of Lipitor
In the United States, a decade before the drug Lipitor was first made into use. Nearly the figure shows a record of 18 million people in the country using the Lipitor to lower the cholesterol level and hence keep a check on the body weight.
Lipitor originates from Atorvastatin. The basic function of Lipitor is to prohibit the formation of bad or LDL cholesterol in the body. How is it mad possible by this medicine? This drug regulates the specific enzyme present in the liver that works behind the formation of cholesterol in the body. Once the level of the production of this enzyme is checked, automatically the level of LDL cholesterol is brought under control.
Further regulation
Hindering the cholesterol formation path is the first step. Next, once the production of the cholesterol is less, the bloodstream can easily absorb it. The arteries can carryout the normal flow of blood without ant blockades that cause heart attacks. On the other hand Lipitor also enhances the production of good cholesterol or lipoprotein that keeps your heart healthy.
If eighteen million people have relied upon Lipitor, you too can use it provided you are not suffering from liver problems. Lipitor will maintain your cholesterol level and thus make you slim and smart.

Back in 1992 the food pyramid was introduced and then in 2005 it was updated. This became the bench mark that was to be followed and advised for nutritional health. Maybe the intentions were good but both pyramids are greatly flawed and misconceptions were formed. The 1992 pyramid encouraged low fat and high carbohydrates. To greatly summarize, what happened is that saturated fat was linked to the risk of heart disease and other ailments, the pyramid therefore instructed us to reduce the fat in our diet. With that preface it could not then promote a high protein diet as red meat contains a lot of saturated fat. It had just told us that Fat was bad and protein, especially red met, has fat in it so it too must be “Bad” …. What was left ? Fat was bad and by default Protein was therefore bad, that left us with only carbohydrates, so by elimination alone carbohydrates became “Good” The 1992 pyramid failed to distinguish between good fats and bad fats and it did not consider the different sources of protein. We know red meat can contain a lot of saturated fat, we also know that poultry does not and fish is indeed a rich source of the good fats.
So for many years we did the low fat, high carb diet. The food industry kicked in with all their “low Fat” foods which were actually low in fat but loaded with sugars and sweeteners. Years went by and everyone just got larger and larger. In one of the most expensive studies ever (Womens Health Initiative) two groups of women were studied over an 8 year period. One group ate a low fat diet the other group ate a regular diet, the results showed absolutely no difference in health. Another study looked at low fat diets and found that weight was lost initially but after only one month the weight had been regained and that over the course of one year there was no weight loss benefit at all to following a low fat diet So the low fat way was not working and then we hear that the high carb diets that we have been following actually are linked to increased blood triglycerides and LDL (bad cholesterol) and lowered HDL (good cholesterol) Carbohydrates were looked at even more closely and we found the insulin relationship and that high carb diets along with low activity levels had huge consequences, obesity was sky rocketing and those people who cut the carbs were thrilled by the immediate weight loss they experienced..
The results we experienced did not last but the fear of carbs is still very real and justifiably so. My point here is that just as the food pyramid of 1992 was skewed by telling only one side of the story when it promoted low fat and so promoted high carb, then what is happening here is that we are expected to sit on one side of the fence or the other - carbs are bad or carbs are good, but this too is very skewed. How then do we incorporate quality carbs without increasing out calorie load? This can be done if we change the way we formulate our diet plan. Many diets of recent years work in term of percentages. 40/40/20 was very popular and actually for mainstream it is still a very good approach. 40/40/20 told us that on a given number of calories we would consume 40% of them from protein, 40% of them from Carbohydrates and 20% from fat.. There are many other combinations, like the Mediterranean diet that can be up to 40% fat, but the fats are all good fats mainly coming from olive oil. I do like this approach as it considers the source of the food and not just the macronutrient group that food falls into.
The problem here lies in that this can all be very misleading. Consider the 70kg (150lb) muscular athlete who trains heavy and has very high energy requirements. Say he eats 4000 calories per day and 50% of them are from carbs (as is recommended by most professional health organizations in the US) then he is eating 2000 calories from carbs which amounts to 500 grms of carbs (1grm of carbohydrates = 4 calories) which in turn translates to 7-8 grms for a 70kg athlete (154 lb athlete). This range is ideal and allows the athlete to maintain the glycogen stores necessary for his activity.
Now consider a 55 kg athlete (121 lb) who eats less than 2000 calories per day. Even if they eat 50% of their calories from carbs that only equates to 1000 calories, or 250 grms of carbohydrates which equals 4.5 grms per kilogram of bodyweight and may not be sufficient to allow for optimal performance in their sport.
For the high intensity athlete we must first consider as a priority the carbohydrate requirements for their training. As I mentioned it does not mean that the carb load has to be maintained every day, but it should be available for the days that performance is necessary. It may mean to those that seek to lose and/or maintain their weight that their ratios of protein, fat and carbs may be different on different training days, but if performance is the priority then this extra consideration is necessary.
The food you consume should be spaced out throughout the day and should be from natural sources with little to no processed foods. For the inactive person who seeks to reduce their extra weight I would have to tell them that diet alone is really not enough. To simply reduce calories does not address the metabolic benefits of exercise and they are missing out on the endorphin, mood altering, feel good by products of exercise. I would like to believe that everybody likes something that is “exercise” it may not be weight training or running, it may be dancing or hiking or just walking the dog, but I really do like to think that there is something for everybody you just may have to try a few things to find the one that best suits you. For those who are just too tired or unmotivated to workout I would have to guess that this too is a result of their poor diet. The highs and lows of a high sugar diet leaves a person with little energy, the weight they gain just compounds the problem as any exercise becomes just plain difficult and tiring to do. The starting point here would be to clean up the diet, get rid of the sugar and processed foods and start with exercise baby steps. Energy levels will be regained, exercise will become less of a burden and it may even become fun! I see it over and over again, confirmed coach potatoes become exercise junkies, the high they get is something that have not felt before and they become hooked. These people are not the exception to the rule, one thing they all have in common is that they clean up their diets, not many exercise junkies eat junk.
If for some reason a person is forced to be sedentary then I would advise a relatively low carbohydrate diet with small meals eaten throughout the day. In actuality research has shown us that small frequent meals compared to few large meals make no difference when we looked at weight loss. The overall calories seemed to be the key. That being said I would still advise small frequent meals as the larger less frequent meal plan can create a greater insulin reaction and this would cause a drop in blood sugar which might then start a bout of cravings. The smaller meals will not cause such a spike and the cravings can for the most part be avoided.
For those of us who train in some form or another and at a substantial intensity level I would say that quality carbs are your friend. I would however say that carbohydrates are your fuel and should be timed in a way as to aid performance. When at rest muscle only accounts for 20% of the carbohydrate uptake, the CNS (central nervous system) is the main user at times that your body is at rest. So if we are not replenishing muscular glycogen stores then the carb intake of a meal can be reduced and the source of the quality carbs should come from more fibrous sources such as vegetables. On days when you are not training you can bring your carbohydrates down but when you are looking at a day of intense training and/or competition then fuel the body for performance using fruits and whole grains. Include them in your meals up until your training and replenish the reduced glycogen stores after training, but for the meals after that cut the carbs back because at rest it is not your muscles soaking up that good stuff up.

There are many natural remedies and foods available to help us cure and prevent disease. Nearly every disease or illness can be cured and/or prevented using natural methods without side effects as opposed to drugs, which are much less effective and come with dangerous side effects. A diet of foods that are as close to the source as possible is essential for good health. There are many examples that go to show that this is true, but certain large industries, especially the drug industry, keep this information hidden from the general public in order to maximize their profit.One example is that most fruits act as cleansing agents for the body due to their alkaline properties. Various fruits, especially citrus fruits, can eliminate apparent digestive disorders as well as kill germs of the common cold. It can also improve the functioning of the organs of elimination. Apples can be used to fight diseases such as asthma, cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. Strawberries and raspberries have also been shown to fight cancer because they contain a compound that kills cancer cells.There are some foods that help to regulate cholesterol, most notably oatmeal and pears. These two foods raise the HDL cholesterol level and lower the LDL cholesterol level. Apples, oranges, beans, barley, and peas can also help to regulate cholesterol because they contain soluble fiber, which reduces the amount of cholesterol absorbed into the bloodstream.Flax seed is another food that is of high nutritional value and is a good Natural Ways to Prevent Disease. It helps prevent constipation and gastrointestinal disorders by eliminating the build up of toxins in the colon. It is filled with dietary fibers that readily absorb water to bulk up stool, induce regular bowel movement, and improve the functioning of the organs of elimination. Flax seed oil contains certain compounds that act as antioxidants to prevent certain diseases such as diabetes, tumors, and cancer. It also contains Omega 3 fatty acids, which lower blood cholesterol levels and regulate certain physiological processes within the body.Also, it is good to eat a balanced diet and not to completely eliminate the intake of certain substances that have been labeled as harmful. Trans fat is an example of a substance that should be completely eliminated from the diet because it has been artificially hydrogenated. However, naturally occurring saturated fat is beneficial and necessary in moderate amounts. It has been shown to improve the ratio of HDL cholesterol to LDL cholesterol. It actually raises the levels of both but the improvement in ratio outweighs the increase in levels. This does not mean that it is a good idea to start eating large amounts of foods high in saturated fat. The word “moderate” is an important keyword. However, saturated fat should not be completely excluded from the diet.A few other foods must be noted as being beneficial to health and to the prevention of disease. Organic yogurt and other sour milk products are recommended. Olive oil is also a product that is recommended on a regular basis. Green leafy vegetables, raw cheese, raw milk, raw nuts, and seeds should be included. Fresh juices made from beets, carrots, green beans, green leafy vegetables, peas, red grapes, and seaweed are all sources of concentrated nutrients.Fried foods, refined foods such as sugar, artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, and nicotine should be eliminated and alcohol should be used moderately if at all. Trans fats, refined vegetable oils, refined sugar, refined starches, and nicotine all create serious heart disease risks.These are just a few examples that show that a diet of natural (and preferably organic) foods, along with the exclusion of unnatural chemicals found in processed foods, is one of the best ways to prevent disease. It has also been shown that certain foods can act as natural remedies to treat and cure diseases. Information about these topics can be readily found on the Internet and in books. This information however is not well known by the general public. Large industries, especially the drug industry, are controlling the way the information is presented to the public. This is why this information is rarely communicated by doctors or in the press.