Father’s Day Heart Health Update: What your Lipid Panel Isn’t Telling You
FATHER’S DAY HEART HEALTH UPDATE: WHAT YOUR LIPID PANEL ISN’T TELLING YOU
Heart disease is the number one cause of death in men in America. Fathers day is not only a time to reflect on gratitude for our dad’s support but it can also be a time to consider ways to support keeping him around! Cholesterol may not be the greatest marker of true cardiovascular risk! Below are tips and food as medicine support to prevent heart disease, reduce blood pressure and address the root cause of heart disease.
Heart disease is a Lifestyle Disease with Triggers such as:
- smoking
- diet
- exercise
- body weight/body fat
- stress
- blood pressure management
- cholesterol types/relationships
So what is the big deal with cholesterol?
A standard Lipid Panel from the doctor’s office is often misleading or insufficient for prediction of cardiovascular health. Half of the population that has suffered from a heart attack had normal cholesterol levels according to The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Controversial to what most Americans are told, it is not uncommon to see those with “high” cholesterol levels to live a long and healthy heart attack free life. It is now understood that the lipoprotein particles responsible for transporting cholesterol give a better indication of cardiovascular health. Your standard cholesterol panel uses algorithms (calculations) to determine your cholesterol make-up into HDL, Triglycerides, and LDL molecules rather than assessing actual particles present. The bad cholesterol has impact beyond this value and is size-specific for risk factor.
Size Matters!
It is only when these LDL particles become oxidized that they become a threat to our health. Small dense LDL particles are more likely to be oxidized than large buoyant particles. Small dense LDL particles or an increased number of particles put someone at greater risk for atherosclerosis (plaque formation). This could explain why a person can have high LDL numbers with no CVD complications yet another person could have moderate LDL numbers yet suffer from multiple CVD complications. What is a good marker for CVD? LPP particle tests look at size of molecules, a particle count, and assessment of inflammation the root cause of CVD!
What role does diet play in heart health?
What we eat determines inflammation, which is the root of heart disease. It is important to get a variety of foods with different medicinal purposes!
Types of fats matter:
Increase intake of anti-inflammatory Omega 3 unsaturated fats! These include wild caught fish, walnuts, flax seeds, herring, sardines etc
Decrease intake of pro-inflammatory Omega 6 unsaturated fats from corn oil, soybean oil, and safflower oil.
Increase Soluble Fiber and Plant Sterol Intake:
Soluble fiber and plant sterols will lower cholesterol more effectively be encapsulating the cholesterol and excreting it!
Best sources of soluble fiber are from beans, seeds, and nuts.
Almonds are one of the best forms of plant sterols! When eaten as part of a balanced diet, almonds appear to reduce LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels by 28 percent, almost as much as a statin drug does. Also the vitamin E in almonds aid in preventing blood clots and oxidative damage of LDL particles which lead to plaque.
Increase Antioxidant Intake!
Antioxidants is fruits/veggies (berries, beets, leafy greens, banana), help to reduce inflammation and prevent plaque build-up in the arteries. They also improve blood flow by helping blood vessels dilate.
What is the ideal diet for prevention?
It used to be that limiting your dietary cholesterol and fats was the recommendation, but recent research is looking at more successful results with low carbohydrate diets. When our body is busy managing our blood sugar levels, we see spikes in cholesterol levels. Erratic blood sugar levels are tied to a surge in the onset of Metabolic Syndrome or Syndrome X!
Beyond prevention, lifestyle changes can reverse heart disease! Every 6 pounds of weight lost tends to increase HDL by 1 point!
At Naturally Nourished. we treat the root of the disease vs. silencing the symptoms with medications.
So, what are some lifestyle goals to make sure you are defending against heart disease and stroke?
Consume 2-3 fruits and 5 cups veggies/day
Have fish 2-3x/wk and ensure you are taking a sound omega-3 EPA/DHA supplement.
Add ground flax seeds to yogurt or smoothis: 2 Tbsp/day
Increase Fiber Intake to 25-35g/day (aim for both soluble and insoluble)
Minimize processed or fried foods
Minimized refined sugars
Exercise at least 30 minutes a day!
Try incorporating it all with our Banana Bread Smoothie Recipe!
