Question from someone about LDL cholesterol

Thought I would share regarding lowering LDL:

Question:
My husband has 121 LDL and 164 Triglycerides although total cholesterol is 199. LDL/HDL ratio is 2.7. If he changes his diet to more fiber rich foods, how quickly can he lower his high numbers? He also has 109 Glucose.
Answer:
Well, if he changes and starts getting at least 25 g of fiber/day, I would give it a couple of months before testing again. Fiber will help improve his fasting glucose (he is in the prediabetes range). Exercise will help everything (at least 150 min/week). If he is the type that will make these changes and stick with them, great. If not, I'd recommend Bios Life Complete or Slim - they are great for lowering cholesterol, they are natural, clinically studied, etc. Bios Life Complete is for improving cholesterol and Bios Life Slim lowers cholesterol with added benefit of weight loss. You can learn more, request a sample, etc. at my website. Good luck!

Jen Birge,MS,RD,CDEwww.realhelpforweightloss.com

Tips for Budget Shopping

1. The best way to save money is to plan ahead. Plan out your meals for one or two weeks. Use a list and only shop off the list. Deviating from the list = more $.
2. Use coupons http://www.coupons.com/ or www.coupons.smartsource.com and/or the coupons in the Sunday paper.
3. Compare unit prices - most list this on the shelf.
4. Buy store brands - these are often the same quality and about 15-18% cheaper.
5. Join a farm co-op. Many communities have farms that allow you to "buy in" - then you have fresh produce for the season.
6. Buy items on sale. I buy Raisin Bran when it's on sale. Mini-wheats when it's on sale, etc.
7. Buy items on sale and freeze - bread is a good example.
8. Avoid junk food - cookies, chips, etc. - these are costly.
9. Watch the check-out process. Cash registers are computers and often they are WRONG. So, make sure you are keeping an eye on the quantity and price of items as they are rung up.

www.realhelpforweightloss.com

Cholesterol Drugs? Childhood Obesity?

The American Academy of Pediatrics says children at the age of eight who fail at dietary changes alone should take cholesterol lowering medication. My advice -try Bios Life Slim first— Bios Life Slim is showing some of its strongest benefits with children. Slim combats childhood obesity on several fronts—addressing many of the symptoms from being overweight and helping to prevent weight gain.

The natural ingredients of Bios Life Slim are good for any age group. However, children six to twelve should consume only half servings of Slim. For children under six, it is recommended you consult your pediatrician about adding Bios Life Slim to their diet.

The foundation of Bios Life Slim is the combination of a patented blend of highly soluble fibers called Biosphere Fiber™. Biosphere Fiber lowers serum cholesterol by reducing the absorption of cholesterol in the food your child is eating. In addition, this fiber complex absorbs bile acids, which are the compounds manufactured by the liver from cholesterol that are necessary for the proper digestion of fat. After absorbing the bile acids, the compounds are removed from circulation and don’t make it back to the liver. As a result, the liver must use up additional cholesterol to manufacture new bile acids. Biosphere Fiber may also reduce the amount of cholesterol manufactured by the liver.

Tips for Weight Loss

Someone asked me today for some tips regarding weight loss. I like to share tips that we know help people lose weight and maintain that weight loss.

• keep a food journal - this makes you aware of what and how much you are eating. Work, but well worth the effort.
• move more (some people call this exercise, but some can't stand the word!) Move as much as possible! Burn more energy and feel better about yourself. Think about it, exercise is one thing you can do that instantly makes you feel better about yourself.
• eat more fruits and vegetables (now, if you have diabetes, watch the fruit b/c it has carbohydrates - you should limit those at each meal). Remember Five A Day? Well, now they say up to 9 servings a day.
• If you eat bread, tortillas, pasta, rice (all those starches) - make sure you chose whole grains. One benefit is the fiber which is so much more filling than the white versions of these products.
• eat breakfast and eat 3 meals/day (eating less puts your metabolism into what I call "starvation mode"
• avoid eating out (overall, restaurant meals have more calories than if you cook at home). If you do eat out, choose salads, lean protein, vegetables, etc. Skip the bread!
• Plan ahead (make a list for the grocery store, take your lunch with you to work, have "back up" meals for when you don't feel like cooking. My backup meal is often soup and grilled cheese with whole grain bread. I have kids and that works well, it's fast.
• Have someone to be accountable to - like a dietitian!
• Most importantly, be patient and don't forget your goals. I had a patient that put small post-its on her mirror, one for each pound she wanted to lose. As she lost a pound, she threw a post-it away. Do something similar, it's a good idea.

When weight loss isn't happening

I recently had a client ask me, "what am I doing wrong?". This person brought food records for me to review, exercised at least 5 times a week and limited their calorie intake to a level that surely would cause weight loss. Well, it didn't. For 2 months this person kept trying, and tried varying calorie levels to "trick their metabolism". Well, when I introduced the idea of Bios Life Slim, they thought "what do I have to lose?". They also have diabetes and liked the idea that it would stabilize their blood sugars. Well, guess what? First month they lost 3 lbs! I am excited to see what happens the next month!