LDL and HDL Cholesterol and Heart Diseases

Understanding Cholesterol Video


Cholesterol is a clear evidence of the delicate balance required for biological phenomena. We can not live without cholesterol as it is required for the integrity of cell membranes and for the synthesis of hormones. Cholesterol is made by the body and eaten with animal foods, i.e. the vegetarian body senthesizes its needs of cholesterol.


Since cholesterol is a fatty material and is not dissolved in water , thus it needs a special carrier to be trnsported in the blood stream, these carriers are lipoproteins, either High Density Lipoproteins which clears cholesterol from blood vessels to the liver (Good Lipoprotein), or Low Density Lipoproteins which distributes cholesterol into the body tissues including blood vessels (Bad Lipoproteins).



When LDL cholesterol is higher than 160 milligrams per deciliter, or HDL cholesterol is lower than 40 milligrams per decilliter, cholesterol starts to be precipitated on the intima (the exposed layer of blood vessels) forming plaques which acts as a bed that accumulates constituents of the blood like platelets, thus clogging blood vessels(atherosclerosis).


Atherosclerosis shrinks the space in which the blood moves, moreover it
diminishes the elasticity of the arteries, and both exerts an overburden on the heart to move the same amount of blood, the thing that starts cardiovascular or heart diseases.

Causes of Morning Sickness

Causes of morning sickness revealed - Pregnancy- msnbc.com


If there are other animals known to experience morning sickness, it would not have represented such a problem to medical research. Today's scientific analysis states that morning sickness acts as a defense mechanism the human body evolved to to keep away from dangerous chemicals.

The analysis depended on these facts:

1- No other mammals experience morning sickness and this excludes the probability of a reaction between mother and embryo.

2- The morning sickness triggering factors are related to agents known to harm the human body, examples;
- Sight, smell, or taste of foods that are historically likely to contain foodborne microbes or birth-defect-inducing chemicals
- Alcohol and cigarette smoking

3- The wide range of foods humans eat in comparison to mammals has recalled for a mechanism that keeps dangerous chemicals out of the body, aka, vomiting.

Do Not Promote Extreme Thinness or You May Be Imprisoned!

France may ban promoting extreme thinness - Women's health- msnbc.com


If this bill is legeslied by the Senate in France, the judge will have the power to to imprison and fine offenders up to $47,000 if found guilty of “inciting others to deprive themselves of food” to an “excessive” degree.

This will necessarilly will create about the very low calorie diets. In fact thinning is not tied to a health issue, on the contrary it may be harmful for the general heath. The impact of very low calorie diets on health is dicuused in some detail in the following articles:

1- Why Fight your body to Lose Weight, Just Count 2000 Calories
2- Very Low Calorie Diets
3- Eating 1200-Calories a Day ?


Take care!

Figs Recipes To Never Get Constipation

Constipation is a distressing disorder and Figs and Fenugreek are among the best foods that fight it. Constipation occurs when the body finds it difficult to move and excrete the residual mass of foods, that is left in the large intestine. Conventionally, pills that treat constipation contain ingredients that increase peristalsis of the intestines( spontaneous movement) that pulls contents down. After a while these pills are not as effective as before.


Foods high in fiber content like fruits and vegetables ease the formation of a soft stools, as well as they ease their movement down the intestines. Among the very old known foods that prevents constipation are Figs and Fenugreek.

Changing nutritional habits to include the same food every day is not an enjoyable task, and this why I searched for something not to be boring when used habitually. I found 2 recipes at californiafigs.com that involve figs in food elements used every day, i.e. bread and fat replacement, and here are the 2 recipes:

1- Fabulous Fig Bread

Makes 1 loaf - 22 slices
1 cup water (boiling)
1 cup California dried figs, stems removed, chopped fine or ground
1 cup pistachios1
1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
4 tbsp butter or margarine
1 cup sugar
1 large egg, or 3 tbsp egg substitute
1 tsp vanilla

In a medium-sized heatproof bowl, combine the figs and pistachios; add the boiling water and let cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350o.

In a medium sized bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl, beat the butter until fluffy, and gradually beat in the sugar. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until lightened - 1 to 2 minutes. Add the dry ingredients and beat just until blended. With a spoon, blend in the fig mixture.

Turn butter into a greased 8½" x 4½" loaf pan, and bake until the bread just begins to pull away from the sides of the pan and the top springs back when lightly touched, 1 to 1¼ hour. Cool in the pan on a rack for 15 minutes, and then turn out and cool completely. Wrap in plastic and store overnight before serving. Cut into thin slices.
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2- Dried figs as to replace fat 
When using pureed dried fruits to replace or reduce shortening or oil in baking, remember not to over-mix or over-bake. Purees should be prepared in a food processor, and the sugar in the recipe should be reduced by at least one-third. As a general rule, use only half of the normal amount of shortening, margarine, butter or oil.
For example, if 1 cup of margarine is called for, use only 1/2 cup. Replace the fat omitted with 1/2 that amount of puree. For example, if 1/2 cup is omitted, replace with 1/4 cup fruit puree.

California Fig Puree
2 cups dried California figs
3/4 cup water
2 teaspoon vanilla
Puree figs, water and vanilla in blender or food processor. Makes about 1½cups

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Even better if you include in your habits, boiling Fenugreek seeds and eating them frequently, to never get constipation.

Do We Need a New Body Mass Index to Define obesity?

Are fears of a fat planet overblown? - Diet and nutrition- msnbc.com

Present body mass index gives above 25 for overweight, and above 30 for obese people. Being overweight or obese is an annoying obsession for many people over the whole planet.

Some experts with antagonistic views are skeptical about the severity of obesity problem. They think that too many people are considered fat, with the obese and overweight often lumped together.Experts on both sides of the obesity debate have often criticized WHO's overweight and obesity measures, saying they are too low.

Setting aside the beauty element of the problem and looking at the health element, does obesity definition need a new independently funded body mass index?