How much cholesterol are you eating?

Any idea how much cholesterol you are taking from your meals? What is the recommended daily intake?

The recommended daily cholesterol consumption is 300mg based on American Heart Association.

Are you taking too much cholesterol? Having a low cholesterol diet helps to reduce LDL (Low-density Lipoprotein); bad cholesterol and increase HDL (High-density Lipoprotein). good cholesterol. Excessive bad cholesterol are deposited along the arteries which causes narrowing of arteries, serious condition can lead to heart attack and stroke. On the other hand, good cholesterol breaks down bad cholesterol and protects the heart.

Therefore, it is important to balance good and bad cholesterol intake and exercise regularly to stay healthy.

Know your Food Cholesterol content:

1. Eggs
2. Dairy Produce
3. Meat
4. Oil
5. Seafood
6. Others

Eggs

	Per item/Cholesterol (mg)
Egg	266
Egg Yolk	266
Egg White	0
Duck Egg	619
Quail Egg	74
Quail Egg Yolk	74
Quail Egg White	0

Dairy Produce

	Per 100g/Cholesterol (mg)
Butter	260
Cheese	100
Cream	140
Ice cream	45
Milk	13

Meat

	Per 100g/Cholesterol (mg)
Beef	65
Beef (Fat)	99
Chicken Breast	39
Chicken Thigh	95
Chinese Sausage	150
Cow Brain	2054
Cow Kidney	387
Ham	62
Lamb Liver	323
Mutton (Fat)	138
Mutton (Lean)	70
Pigeon	90
Pig Liver	368
Pork (Lean)	77
Spare Rib	105

Oil

	Per 100g/Cholesterol (mg)
Chicken Fat	74
Pork Fat	56
Vegetable Oil	0

Seafood

	Per 100g/Cholesterol (mg)
Clam	65
Crab meat	100
Canned Abalone	103 – 170
Cuttle Fish	231
Jellyfish	16
Lobster	85
Prawn	154
Pomfret	80
Sea Cucumber	0
Squid	48
Tench	81

Others

	Per 100g/Cholesterol (mg)
Vegetables	0
Melons	0
Fruits	0
Grains	0

Crash dieting – is it safe?

Crash dieting, otherwise known as living on starvation rations, is back in the news – but with a twist this time. Coroners reported last week on the deaths of two women who were on a severely-restricted calorie intake diet to lose weight fast. Yet despite these fatalities, doctors and obesity experts are queuing up to reassure the public about the safety of the modern equivalent of eating cabbage soup for a week to get into that little black dress.

This sudden enthusiasm reflects the extent of the UK’s recent wake-up call to the dangers of obesity. One in four of the population is now clinically obese (having a BMI of 30 or more with a waist measurement of more than 94cm for men and 80cm for women) putting them at significantly greater risk of heart disease, some cancers, arthritis and diabetes.

Instead of constant harping on about the dangers of excessive weight loss, a landmark report from the National Institute for Health Clinical Excellence in July 2008 made it clear that our capacity to deny the flab in the mirror poses a far greater health risk. Once we’re over a certain weight, we’re no longer being urged to lose weight slowly but surely. Fat people are more motivated to stay on track the more sensational the speed with which they drop dress sizes. But is it really a good idea to crash diet?

At 17st 7lb, Samantha Clowe, 34, had a BMI of 37 when she went started a very low calorie diet (VLCD) because she “didn’t want to be a fat bride”. She died of heart failure in Leeds last year after shedding 3st, 11 weeks into a diet that allowed a daily intake of just 530 calories in soups and shakes – a quarter of the recommended daily calorie intake for a woman.

Her brother Daniel claimed there was “too much pressure on women to be like skinny celebs”, while the coroner cautiously implied in his report last week that her death “may be related to her low-calorie diet and weight loss”. But doctors disagreed. “Samantha’s death tragically shows the real dangers of being obese,” commented Dr David Haslam, chair of the National Obesity Forum. “The truth is the number of sudden deaths among the obese … is significantly higher than those that occur among people on VLCDs,” said Professor Iain Broom, director of the Centre for Obesity Research at Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen.

The following day, the Derby Coroner’s Court reported on the death of Susan Alderson, 49, a diabetic with liver problems, who used another way to lose weight fast: gastric banding. This involves having a silicone loop tightened three-quarters of the way up the stomach so people feel full after eating relatively little. At 16st, Susan had a BMI of 44 and had been advised to have the operation for health reasons at Derby City General Hospital in January, but died of internal bleeding hours after surgery.

Once again, the tragedy seems unlikely to halt the meteoric rise in the popularity of the procedure, not least since the TV presenter Fern Britton admitted that it was a gastric band that had shifted 5st in 2006. The private sector, which has invested heavily in obesity surgery, can also rightly claim to have made this operation safe: while one in 200 gastric band operations in the NHS are still thought to be fatal, some private sector providers insist they have a zero mortality rate as a result of extensive pre- and post-surgical care.

What really counts, however, is the level of support in changing the way people feel about themselves and the food they eat. The benefit of a crash diet, it seems, is that enforcing a reduced appetite gives a breathing space to people who have obsessed about food for years. With sufficient daily nutrients to keep them healthy, the key to successful and sustained weight loss is the extent to which they use this transition period to develop a healthy diet and a balanced lifestyle, getting used to being thin and active again. Without such changes, the weight will pile back on.

Providing this support is not necessarily straightforward. “People who maintain a clinically obese body weight have a habit of consuming body-builder levels of calories and of course that has to change,” says registered dietitian, Cirian-Marie Beddoes, head of Weight Management Services at The Hospital Group.

“Severe calorie restriction carries risks, particularly if the few calories consumed are low-quality,” explains Beddoes. “You can consume 1,000 high-quality calories and blossom or the same number of calories in junk food and you’ll be ill.” Her team of dietitians provides two years of one-to-one aftercare, with food diaries and telephone consultations to check for symptoms of malnutrition: hair loss, brittle nails, skin pallor, apathy, moodiness or aggression.

The dietitians see it as a priority to provide psychological support, including neuro-linguistic programming and cognitive behavioural therapy. “These people often feel crap about themselves. Our job is to nurture and nourish their love of food, a healthy balanced diet and being socially and physically active,” Beddoes says. “Changing lives requires intensive and skilled intervention.”

Most VLCD companies such as Cambridge Diet provide little support. LighterLife leaves pre-diet preparation to the GP but does provide group counselling post-surgery, run by graduates of a training programme lasting just four weeks. “Before and after” success stories in ads may hide less-impressive long-term success rates.

NHS obesity treatment is largely restricted to occasional surgery, with increasing use of prescription drugs: Reductil tricks the brain into believing the stomach is full, while Xenical, which has its own support phone line, blocks the absorption of fat, causing unpleasant side effects for anyone taking the drug while eating lots of fat. “The failure of the NHS to invest in obesity services, having put all the funds into anti-smoking, makes my blood boil,” says Beddoes, who moved to the private sector last year.

There are signs of changes. The Department of Health launched its Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives campaign last year. And in Scotland, the Counterweight Programme is a dietician-led service. If you’re thinking of attempting rapid weight loss, consult your GP first. It could be some time, however, before we can rely on the NHS to get us into that little black dress.

extracted from [http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/features/crash-dieting-desperate-measures-1787304.html]

Green Tea Diet Plans

Dieting usually does not involve your favorite beverages such as coffee and green tea. However, it is not always the case. With a bit of planning and perseverance, you can incorporate your favorite coffee and green tea into your diet plan and weight regime. Different diet plans which involve green tea are listed below.

Atkins Diet Plan

The Atkins Diet plan is a low-carb diet plan which works best with caffeine-free coffee and green tea. For effective results, use sugar-free sweetener in your green tea and coffee to keep your carbs down.

Blood Type Diet Plan

The Blood Type Diet Plan is a weight loss diet program which is based on your blood group type. The diet plan has more constrained compared to other diet plan such as the Atkins Diet plan, South Beach Diet plan and Zone Diet plan. As people with different blood group types are advised to consume different type of food and beverages. For instance, people with blood group A and AB, coffee beverage is highly advisable, while, it is not advisable for those with blood group O. On the other hand, Green Tea is suitable with any blood group. However, adding sweeteners into green tea should be avoided.

More information on South Beach Diet plan and Zone Diet plan are discussed below.

Paleolithic Diet Plan

Also known as Stone Age Diet plan, this plan is based on the consumption of simple, unprocessed foods that our Neanderthal ancestors would have eaten. This diet plan is perfect for green tea drinkers. Green tea is simple and 100% natural steamed dried leaves from the Camellia sinensis plant. However, adding sweeteners such as processed refined sugar should be avoided.

South Beach Diet Plan

An idea formulated by Dr. Arthur Agatston, the South Beach Diet plan is neither a low-carb nor low-fats diet plan, it “teaches you to rely on the right carbs and the right fats.”

The diet plan comprises of three main phases – Removing your Cravings, Reintroducing Carbs and A Diet for Life. Drinking sugar-free coffee and green tea during all the phases is one of the ways to carry on loosing weight without sacrificing your daily drink. For coffee lovers, you should switch to decaf, since it assists in maintaining your insulin levels. For green tea lovers, there is no worry as it contains minimal amount of caffeine content.

Sugar Busters Diet Plan

As the name of the diet plan implied, people who adopted this into their diet plan avoid any sugar form of intake. Thus making sugar-free coffee and green tea perfect choice.

The Zone Diet Plan

The Zone Diet plan was created by Barry Sears, a ex-researcher from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The diet plan is similar to South Beach Diet plan as it is based on the maintenance and consistency of insulin levels. Thus, decaf coffee and green tea is advised as they do not spike up your insulin level. Sugar substitutes should be used if necessary.

Water Diet make simple

Water dieting is a simple and free strategy; it is one of the safest dieting methods without side effects. The only ingredient is drinking water. On this diet, a person drinks 12 glasses of water at regular intervals daily.

Benefits of water dieting:

• Assists in tuning the body to accept plain foods; balancing your appetite craving.
• Acts as a food substitute to curb hunger.
• Accelerates metabolic rates for fat burning.
• Aids in detoxifying body impurities.

Let’s begin. It takes only 3 simple steps to get you going.

1. You have to make a promise to yourself to make this a lifestyle habit change.

2. For beginners, we suggest that you add lemon slices to give it a little flavor. Start off with 2 liters of water daily.

3. Increase the water consumption a liter more per week until you reach 4 liters a day. It will sound impossible initially; with bloated stomach and nauseating feeling, however,  this feeling will come to pass.

After a few months of consistency, you will feel and see the results. Your memory sharpens, skin complexion improves, hunger pangs greatly reduced and best of all, your weight loss becomes obvious.

Do note that the water dieting should be performed in the day.

Weight Loss For Teenage Girls – Top 5 Best Diet Tips Ever

Are you hoping to shed some pounds in time for the summer so you can show off your new trim figure? Are you wondering how to keep it off once you have lost it? The information provided in this article; weight loss for teenage girls – top 5 best diet tips ever will enable you to do just that and much more.

If you are overweight and as a result you have lost your self confidence and all your friends – this is for you too. If you will stick with it, you will not only lose the excess pounds but you will gain new friends and a new sense of achievement and self pride.

You will have less anxiety about your appearance and your weight will no longer be ever-present in the back of your mind. You will feel healthier, have more energy and learn to enjoy many new kinds of foods.

Top 5 Best Diet Tips Ever

Set realistic expectations – 3,500 calories is equivalent to one pound of fat. A weight loss rate of 2 pounds average a week is a safe rate ensuring you are only losing fat and not muscle or water. The target and focus should be to consume fewer calories while getting more exercise.

Get enough sleep daily – Adequate sleep will diminish the urge to overeat during the day. Enough sleep will allow your body to burn off unwanted calories. It will slow down the aging process. It will restore, repair and rejuvenate your body.

Exercise regularly – If you haven’t been exercising on a regular basis get together with one of your girlfriends and begin walking. Start by walking for 5 minutes 3 times a week and slowly build it up. Walk slowly enough so you can talk but fast enough so you can’t sing. Develop it into a good exercise program with aerobic exercise, strengthening and toning and flexibility. Choose fun exercises that you enjoy.

Eat a healthy diet – for example layer fruit on the bottom of your ice cream dessert so that you will only take one scoop instead of two and still enjoy it. Eat more fruit, vegetables, lean meat, diary and whole grain foods. Eat less fat and drink less soda. Have weight loss smoothies instead. Don’t go more than 3 – 4 hours without food. Use a 9 inch plate to ensure you have smaller portions.

Weigh yourself regularly – at least once a week. It will help you stay focused and motivated. Depending on what the scales say for any one week you will be able to adjust your food intake and exercise routine accordingly.

Apply this weight loss for teenage girls – top 5 best diet tips ever and you will be happier in a lot of ways.

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3 Hypothyroidism Diet Tips For Your Dieting Success

Have you been on a hypothyroidism diet but are not losing any weight? Or have you just found out that you are hypothyroid and you are afraid that you will start to gain a lot of weight? Read on and I’ll tell you how you can put a stop to any weight gain, kick start your diet program and start losing weight.

Hypothyroidism diet Tip #1. Maintain healthy thyroid levels.

This might seem obvious to you but many people take this for granted. You will need to make sure that you are on some form of hormone therapy and that your hormone levels have stabilized. Without this most of your effort to lose weight will be in vain. Also, if left untreated, the complications from hypothyroidism can be serious.

Hypothyroidism diet Tip #2. Boost your metabolism.

By its very nature the main side effect of being hypothyroid is that of slow metabolism. By boosting your metabolism you are taking steps to do for your body what it cannot do naturally itself. There are a number of ways in which you can boost your metabolism that you can take advantage of right away.

One way is to start exercising. Get to the gym and perform some muscle building and cardiovascular exercises. Another way is to eat smaller portions at meal time but eat more often. Eating 5 – 6 smaller meals throughout the day has the effect of keeping your metabolism at its peak. This one tip alone could be enough to give you and your hypothyroidism diet the push it needs to get moving again.

Hypothyroidism diet Tip #3. Make a plan and stick to it.

With a proper diet and exercise program you will be able to shed those pounds, improve your health and generally feel better. One of the initial side effects of hypothyroidism is that of depression. By exercising and eating correctly you can avoid this often debilitating condition.

Additionally, don’t get caught up in the game of chasing your weight. Too many people can’t resist the urge to look at the scale every day. Don’t do it! You may get discouraged if you do. Your weight fluctuates on a daily basis. This is especially true for people with hypothyroidism. If you must track your weight check it only once per week.

Karen Jones writes for Hypothyroidism Diet Info, a blog for people suffering from hypothyroidism and who are in need of diet information.

Discover more tips and information for jump starting a successful diet by clicking here http://www.hypothyroidismdietinfo.com

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Tips to Spice Up Your Diet

Chicken in wine sauce. Peppery pasta salad. Salmon with dill. It seems that healthy eating has come a long way from cottage cheese and celery sticks, says Jackie Newgent, R.D., a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association and a nutritional consultant in New York City. Newgent offers these tasty, low-calorie ways to spice up your eating without spoiling your diet.

Get sweet on sour. Adding an acid such as wine, fruit juice, or vinegar to food can give it an intense taste boost. “It can be something as simple as adding balsamic vinegar to a raw tomato, which brings out its flavor,” says Newgent. Liven up a cup of soup with a splash of dry sherry or lemon juice, or try an acid-enhanced sauce in lieu of gravy or other high-fat accompaniments. Start by sautéing onions and garlic, then adding wine, lemon, or lime juice, or even a splash of vinegar. Cook for a few minutes until some of the liquid evaporates. Then spoon it over meat, poultry, or fish for a healthy meal that would have even Julia Child smacking her lips.

Sample some spices. Everyone knows that herbs and spices are a great way to enhance flavor, but many are overwhelmed by that vast array of mysterious powders in their kitchen cupboards. “What I usually suggest is that you purchase one extra spice or herb and start working with that,” says Newgent. You could, for example, begin with some dried dill, which “would go with carrots, fish, potatoes, and rice.” Or sprinkle cinnamon over oatmeal or rice. Also, experiment with a fresh herb such as basil. “Chop it up and sprinkle it on your pasta dishes,” she advises. “It goes well with chicken, or anything tomato, and even beans and grains [such as] couscous.”

Perk up plain-Jane veggies. Virtuous, yes, but vegetables can be a bit boring if not prepared properly. Newgent has three tricks to keep them tasty: First of all, instead of just serving one vegetable, mix up a colorful array of vegetables, such as broccoli, peppers, and carrots. Second, “don’t be afraid of butter,” she says. “A lot of people think, ‘If I’m eating healthier, I have to avoid it.’ You want to try and get away from that good food/bad food philosophy.” Just use butter judiciously, she says. “Think teaspoons, not tablespoons.” Finally, add crunch and flavor to vegetables with a topping of toasted bread crumbs (which can also take the place of cheese on

Anne Marie O’Connor

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