According to several studies have found pet owners tend to have lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels than those who do not own a pet. Here are a few possible reasons owning a pet improves cholesterol and blood pressure:

1. Stress relief - Many people find petting and interacting with a pet to be soothing.

2. Increased reason for activity – If you own a pet that needs a walk, you have an increased reason to get exercise yourself.

3. Support – For many pet owners there pet is someone that is always there for them no matter what.

Owning a pet promotes an overall healthier lifestyle. You get out and exercise with your pet, whether it’s a walk, run, or playtime. You have a nonjudgmental party to share your struggles with. You get out and socialize more, whether you head to a local dog park or simply have pet ownership as an easy conversation topic. Plus, pets promote family time as everyone pitches in to care for a furred loved one.

Be sure to sign up for the free e-course “7 Natural Ways to Lower Blood Pressure” at http://lowerbloodpressurewithlisa.com.

All the best,
Lisa Nelson RD
http://lisanelsonrd.com

Exercise, especially aerobic exercise, is beneficial for your cardiovascular system.

Here are 5 reasons to add physical activity to your everyday routine:

1. Decrease risk for breast and colon cancer

A study has found a 35% reduced risk of getting breast cancer in women who are regularly active. Physical activity also increases survival rate in women diagnosed with breast cancer. The Harvard Nurses’ Health Study shows walking three to five hours each week to decrease risk of death 50 percent. Physical activity has also been linked to reduced risk for colon and rectal cancers.

2. Increase your life span

Continue reading ‘5 Reasons to Exercise’ »

Two new studies showing contradictory results when it comes to omega 3 fatty acids and cardiovascular disease risk.

Study #1

Researchers compared the heart health and exercise capacity of 98 patients randomly divided between a control group receiving a placebo supplement and the test group supplementing 850-882 milligrams of the omega 3 fatty acids DHA and EPA. All study participants were diagnosed with early stage heart failure.

Continue reading ‘Omega 3′s – Do Omega 3′s Really Help Lower Cholesterol and Blood Pressure?’ »

The typical American diet tends to be low in omega 3 fatty acids, approximately 120 mg DHA/day, which is an omega 3 supplement may be beneficial. Some benefits omega 3’s have been linked to improvement in arrhythmias, blood pressure, lipoprotein(a) levels, arterial inflammation, HDL cholesterol, and endothelial function.

Fish oil is a very common source individuals choose to supplement to boost their intake of omega 3 fatty acids. Tuna, salmon, sardines, herring, and anchovies are common fish used for the production of fish oil supplements. Fish oil tends to have equal levels of EPA and DHA or in some cases may be slightly higher in EPA content.

A New Option

A new option produced by Pharma Marine Group is Calamarine. Calamarine is obtained from calamari, or squid, and contains higher levels of DHA. The company is also able to market Calamarine as “eco-friendly” because squid have a brief life cycle, breed rapidly, and are not endangered. Especially important with concerns regarding over-harvesting of our marine life, which fish oil production may play a part.

Continue reading ‘Here’s another omega 3 option – Calamarine’ »

A recent study found a link between high cholesterol levels and increased kidney treatment problems. To better understand the impact of cholesterol levels on the treatment of kidney disease, physicians need to take into account malnutrition and inflammation status of chronic kidney disease patients.

Individuals living with chronic kidney disease often develop heart disease and die from heart complications. In the general population its well know high cholesterol levels put you at an increased risk for cardiovascular disease, the relationship between kidney disease and cholesterol levels is not as clear. Research has actually shown individuals with high cholesterol and receiving dialysis diet at lower rates than those with lower cholesterol levels. This isn’t to say high cholesterol is desirable, but it may indicate a reduced degree of malnutrition and inflammation. Malnutrition and inflammation are two serious complications of kidney disease.

Continue reading ‘High cholesterol, Chronic Kidney Disease – Good combo?’ »

Thanksgiving is practically here. Are you thankful for your health this year?

I know when it comes to your health you may be frustrated with problems you’ve faced this past year. It is often easy to dwell on the negatives:

1. A lack of insurance coverage
2. Not able to diagnosis what’s going on
3. Difficulty contacting your physician
4. Not getting answers to your questions
5. Unpleasant medication side effects

Thanksgiving provides a great opportunity to step back and look at the positives. Some of these may apply to you:

1. You’ve had another year with your family.
2. You’ve begun treatment to control your health issues.
3. Surgery was a success.
4. You’ve been able to wean off medication.
5. You’re more active now than you were last year.
6. You’ve lowered your blood pressure.
7. Your cholesterol is within normal.

If in your case the positives don’t outweigh the negatives what can you do in the year ahead to change that around?

Continue reading ‘Are you thankful for your health?’ »

Plant sterols and stanols are not found at high levels in foods. For this reason food manufacturers have found ways to fortify foods with plant sterols and stanols.

Some foods that are fortified with plant sterols and stanols include spreads, juices, milk, breads, salad dressings, and yogurt.

Continue reading ‘How do you increase your intake of plant sterols?’ »

Raising HDL cholesterol levels is not too difficult, but it may involve lifestyle changes. Here are 4 steps you can take to boost HDL levels:

1. Exercise regularly – the more, the better
2. Increase your intake of fish rich in omega 3 fatty acids
3. Lose weight and/or maintain a health weight
4. Stop smoking

Be sure to sign up for the e-course How to Lower Cholesterol in 8 Simple Steps at http://lowercholesterolwithlisa.com.

All the best,
Lisa Nelson RD
http://hearthealthmadeeasy.com

HDL (high density lipoprotein) cholesterol has long been referred to as the “good” cholesterol. This is due to the fact that HDL cholesterol carries cholesterol from tissues to the liver, where it is reprocessed and removed from the body.

The study

The Tufts Medical Center’s Molecular Cardiology Research Institute examined data from studies on a total of 76,265 intervention-group participants and 69,478 controls. The results of this meta-analysis of 24 randomized controlled trials found cancer risk decreased 36% for every 10 mg/dl increase in HDL cholesterol.

How does HDL decrease cancer risk

Continue reading ‘Increase HDL Cholesterol to Reduce Cancer Risk’ »

New results indicate individuals with low LDL cholesterol have a longer lifespan.

A study published in the Annals of Surgery and conducted at the University of Minnesota Medical School between 1975 and 2000 evaluated 838 heart attack survivors between the ages of 38-60 years-old. Out of the 838 participants 417 were instructed to go on a diet and 421 were instructed to diet combined with a partial ileal bypass surgery which bypasses the small intestine and location for cholesterol absorption. This is not a common surgery and typically reserved for high-risk heart attack patients who cannot tolerate statin medications. After 25 years, the participants in the second group had an increased life expectancy of one year.

Continue reading ‘Lower LDL Cholesterol and Live Longer’ »