Fitness By Otis
Orange County, NY
ph: 516-322-2221
Trishoti
News and INFORMATION
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THINKING ABOUT GOING VEGETARIAN
TRY THESE SUBSTITUTES
Milk. Use fortified soy milk, rice milk oralmond milk in place of cow's milk.
Butter. When cooking, replace olive oil, water, vegetable broth, or fat-free cooking spray instead of butter. In baked goods, use canola oil.
Cheese. Use soy cheese.
Eggs. In baked goods, try egg replacers (a dry product made mostly of potato starch). Use the following to replace one egg: 1/4 cup whipped tofu or 1 tablespoon milled flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons of water. For an egg-free omelet use tofu instead of eggs.
Ensuring adequate nutrition
The more restrictive a diet is, the more difficult it is to get all the nutrients your body needs. A vegan diet, for example, eliminates food sources of vitamin B-12, as well as milk products, which are a good source of calcium. Other nutrients, such as iron and zinc, are available in a meatless diet, but you need to make an extra effort to ensure they're in yours.
Here are nutrients that may be deficient in a vegetarian diet and how you can get these nutrients from nonmeat sources:
Protein. Your body needs protein to maintain healthy skin, bones, muscles and organs. Vegetarians who eat eggs or dairy products have convenient sources of protein. Other sources of protein include soy products, meat substitutes, legumes, lentils, nuts, seeds and whole grains.
Calcium. This mineral helps build and maintain strong teeth and bones. Low-fat dairy foods and dark green vegetables, such as spinach, turnip and collard greens, kale, and broccoli, are good sources of calcium. Tofu enriched with calcium and fortified soy milk and fruit juices are other options.
Vitamin B-12. Your body needs vitamin B-12 to produce red blood cells and prevent anemia. This vitamin is found almost exclusively in animal products, including milk, eggs and cheese. Vegans can get vitamin B-12 from some enriched cereals, fortified soy products or by taking a supplement that contains this vitamin.
Iron. Like vitamin B-12, iron is a crucial component of red blood cells. Dried beans and peas, lentils, enriched cereals, whole-grain products, dark leafy green vegetables, and dried fruit are good sources of iron. To help your body absorb nonanimal sources of iron, eat foods rich in vitamin C — such as strawberries, citrus fruits, tomatoes, cabbage and broccoli — at the same time you consume iron-containing foods.
Zinc. This mineral is an essential component of many enzymes and plays a role in cell division and in the formation of proteins. Good sources of zinc include whole grains, soy products, nuts and wheat germ.
The key to a healthy vegetarian diet — or any diet for that matter — is to enjoy a wide variety of foods. Since no single food provides all of the nutrients that your body needs, eating a wide variety helps ensure that you get the necessary nutrients and other substances that promote good health.
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SO WHAT IS CHOLESTEROL?
Cholesterol is a fatty substance that cannot be dissolved in water. It must combine with a protein molecule in your blood called a lipoprotein in order to be transported in the blood.
Low-density lipoproteins (LDL), carry cholesterol from the liver to other body tissues. They contain about 50% cholesterol. LDL particles are involved in the formation of plaques (abnormal deposits of cholesterol) in the walls of the coronary arteries. LDL is known as "bad cholesterol."
High-density lipoproteins (HDL), are made in the intestines and the liver. HDLs are about 50% protein and 19% cholesterol. They help to remove cholesterol from artery walls. Lifestyle changes, including exercising, keeping weight within recommended limits, and giving up smoking can increase the body's levels of HDL cholesterol. HDL is known as "good cholesterol."
Because of the difference in density and cholesterol content of lipoproteins, two patients with the same total cholesterol level can have very different lipid profiles and different risk for heart disease. The critical factor is the level of HDL cholesterol in the blood serum. Some doctors use the ratio of the total cholesterol level to HDL cholesterol when assessing the patient's degree of risk. A low TC/HDL ratio is asociated with a lower degree of risk.
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WHAT'S MY CHOLESTEROL LEVEL?
Your Total Blood (or Serum) Cholesterol Level
Less than 200 mg/dL: Desirable200–239 mg/dL: Borderline-High Risk
240 mg/dL and over: High Risk
Your HDL (Good) Cholesterol Level
With HDL (good) cholesterol, higher levels are better. Low HDL cholesterol (less than 40 mg/dL for men, less than 50 mg/dL for women) puts you at higher risk for heart disease. In the average man, HDL cholesterol levels range from 40 to 50 mg/dL. In the average woman, they range from 50 to 60 mg/dL. An HDL cholesterol of 60 mg/dL or higher gives some protection against heart disease.
Your LDL (Bad) Cholesterol Level
The lower your LDL cholesterol, the lower your risk of heart attack and stroke. In fact, it's a better gauge of risk than total blood cholesterol. In general, LDL levels fall into these categories:
LDL Cholesterol Levels
Less than 100 mg/dL
Optimal
100 to 129 mg/dL
Near Optimal/ Above Optimal
130 to 159 mg/dL
Borderline High
160 to 189 mg/dL
High
190 mg/dL and above
Very High
If you are healthy, but would like to keep your cholesterol low, you can follow this diet:
Heart Healthy Diet
http://nhlbisupport.com/cgi-bin/chd1/step1intro.cgiIf you currently have high cholesterol, here is a diet you can follow to help lower your LDL cholesterol:
Therapeutic Lifestyles Changes (TLC) Diet
http://nhlbisupport.com/chd1/tlc_lifestyles.htm -
DIABETES
Diabetes is a disorder that affects the way your body uses food for energy. Normally, the sugar you take in is digested and broken down to a simple sugar, known as glucose. The glucose then circulates in your blood where it waits to enter cells to be used as fuel. Insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas, helps move the glucose into cells. A healthy pancreas adjusts the amount of insulin based on the level of glucose. But, if you have diabetes, this process breaks down, and blood sugar levels become too high.
There are two main types of diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes: you are completely unable to produce insulin.
Type 2 diabetes: you can produce insulin, but their cells don't respond to it. In either case, the glucose can't move into the cells and blood glucose levels can become high. Over time, these high glucose levels can cause serious complications.
Pre-Diabetes:
Pre-diabetes means that the cells in your body are becoming resistant to insulin or your pancreas is not producing as much insulin as required. Your blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be called diabetes. This is also known as "impaired fasting glucose" or "impaired glucose tolerance". A diagnosis of pre-diabetes is a warning sign that diabetes will develop later. The good news: You can prevent the development of Type 2 diabetes and Pre-Diabetes by losing weight, making changes in your diet and exercising.
41 million adult Americans between the ages of 40 and 74 have pre-diabetes.
The risk factors are the same for Type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetes:
-Overweight or obese
-Sedentary lifestyle
-Family history
-Age
-Race-African Americans, Hispanics and American Indians are at greater risk for type 2 and Pre- Diabetes
-A previous diagnosis of gestational diabetes
American Diabetes Association
Phone: 800-DIABETES (800-342-2383)
Internet: www.diabetes.org -
HEART DISEASE,WOMEN AND EXERCISE
A large-scale, six-year study involving 39,372 American women over age 44 confirms that exercise reduces the risk of coronary heart disease in women.
The study found that the more energy women spent exercising, the lower their risk of developing heart disease, including heart attacks, regardless of other factors.
Among the approximately 23,000 women who did not engage in any vigorous activity, women who walked as little as one hour per week had about half the risk of more sedentary women of developing heart disease.
Intensity was less of a factor than the total amount of time spent walking.
Sources: Archives of Internal Medicine, 2001; 161, 825-831; The Journal of the American Medical Association, 2001; 285, 11, 1447-1454.
Orange County, NY
ph: 516-322-2221
Trishoti