What To Eat To Reduce Your Cholesterol Levels

Posted by Owen Jones | Posted in weight loss | Posted on 04-05-2012-05-2008

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The Western world is under assault from a disease of our own making! Health officials in each Western country are ringing the warning bells about general public levels of obesity, high blood pressure and cholesterol. The foremost culprits of this are said to be over eating, eating junk food and not exercising sufficiently.

At one time, not so long ago, the majority of the sufferers of these issues were middle-aged Americans. That extended to middle-aged Europeans. Then to American children and now it is spreading to European children. None of the warnings concerning eating too much junk food and not exercising enough seem to be having any effect at all.

All of these three conditions are related and that is why heart disease is the primary killer of adults in the West. Cholesterol plays a big part in these conditions. However, not all cholesterol is bad. LDL cholesterol is generally known as the ‘bad cholesterol’ and HDL is called the ‘good cholesterol’, because it helps mop up LDL.

Small amounts of cholesterol are also necessary for the production of vitamin D and bile salts and it is also helpful in the balancing of hormones particularly in women. However, LDL cholesterol occasionally clings to the walls of the arteries and if it is permitted to mount up too much, can block them.

If the arteries become clogged, the heart will have to pump more to get enough blood to where it is required and this can lead to the first stages of high blood pressure.

The best way to get rid of excess LDL is to have high levels of HDL, because HDL captures LDL and takes it back to the liver where it is dealt with and excreted.. HDL cholesterol can be eaten by eating nuts, fish, fresh fruit and vegetables, soya and remarkable spreads that were designed to lower LDL.

However, the best way of reducing LDL is by not eating it in the first place. LDL is most prevalent in saturated fats and hydrogenated trans fats. Saturated fats are usually in red meat and full-fat dairy products like milk, cream, butter and cheese. Trans fats are mostly in junk foodstuffs like potato crisps, potato chips, pies, pasties, hamburgers and hot dogs. Cut these out and that is half the battle for a great deal of individuals.

Replace the red meat in your diet with soya products like tofu, of which 25% grammes a day is said to be able to lessen bad cholesterol by 15-30%. Walnuts and almonds have a similar reputation as do olive oil and rolled oats.

In fact, all grains, pulses and beans are friends in the fight against LDL. In general, the foods that will help you are those that contain plenty of fibre and roughage; fresh is better than tinned (which will contain a preservative such as salt); and white meat or fish is superior to red meat like beef and pork.

Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on several subjects, but is now concerned with low cholesterol diet recipes. If you want to know more, please visit our site at What Foods Lower Cholesterol?

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3 Recipes Involving Cantaloupe

Posted by Owen Jones | Posted in weight loss | Posted on 02-05-2012-05-2008

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The variety of melons called muskmelons consists of a juicy, edible fruit that is characterized by its round shape and a ribbed exterior. Cantaloupes are a type of muskmelons..

Considerable variation occurs in this fruit. Some cantaloupes are large yet others are small; some have pink or yellow flesh but others have white or light-green flesh. The flesh of these fruits contains a lot of water; therefore, their food value is not high, being just a little more than half as much as that of apples.

If melons suitable for the table are required, they ought to be selected with care. To be just at the right stage, the flower end of the melon ought to be a trifle soft while pressed with the fingers. If it is very soft, the melon is maybe too ripe; yet if it does not give with pressure, the melon is too unripe.

Various methods of serving cantaloupes exist. If they are to be served natural as a breakfast food or a luncheon dessert, cut them crosswise into halves, or, if they are big, divide them into sections lengthwise.

With the melons cut in the desired fashion, remove all the seeds but keep the melons on ice until they are to be served. The pulp of the melon can also be cut from the rind yet then diced and used in the formation of fruit salads.

Again, the pulp may be partly scraped out of the melon and the rinds then packed with fruit mixtures and served with a salad dressing for a salad or with fruit juices for a cocktail. The pulp that is scraped out may be diced and used in the fruit mixture.

Recipe 1

FRUIT IN CANTALOUPE SHELLS

During cantaloupe season, a delightful fruit salad can be made by combining a number of different types of fruit with the flesh of cantaloupe and serving the mixture in the cantaloupe shells. Such a salad is a fantastic one to serve if light refreshments are desired or when something unusual is required for a light lunch.

Cut cantaloupes in half crosswise, but, using the French cutter, cut some of the meat into round balls. Dice the rest yet mix with any combination of fruit desired. Place this in the cantaloupe shells after cutting points in the top edge. Garnish with the balls cut from the cantaloupe yet serve with any desired dressing. You can also sprinkle nuts on top to add a variation of textures.

Recipe 2

FRESH FRUIT COMPOTE

1 cup fresh blueberries 1 cup fresh strawberries, halved 1 cup sliced fresh peaches, peeled 1 cup fresh blackberries or raspberries 1 cup watermelon balls 1 cup cantaloupe balls 1 cup seedless grapes 1/2 cup sparkling wine (or sweet) wine, chilled 2 tbs thawed orange juice, frozen, concentrated, undiluted

Mix together all of the fruit in a large glass or ceramic bowl then gently toss to mix. Add the orange juice and wine and lightly stir again. Chill with a wrapping on it for at least 20 minutes. Toss again lightly before serving.

Recipe 3

ERDBEER BOWLE (Strawberry Wine Punch)

1/2 pt strawberries, stemless, rinsed, cut in half 1 tbs granulated sugar 1/2 bottle German Riesling, well chilled 1 tbs brandy (preferably Alsbach Uralt) 1/2 bottle German Sekt well chilled

Bowle is a classic German party wine punch. During the month of May, throughout Germany, bowle is served flavoured with fresh woodruff (Waldmeister), a sweet scented herb with white flowers, which grows especially well in wooded and shady fields away from hot sun. Later, during strawberry season, bowle is prepared with strawberries which grow abundantly everywhere. As German summer season progresses, bowle is willing with other fruits like peaches, chunks of juicy watermelon, pieces of bright orange cantaloupe, or plump raspberries.

Put the strawberries in a substantial covered glass jar (a sun tea jar is fine), sprinkle them with sugar and drizzle them with the brandy. Put them aside to marinate for two hours to allow the sugar to draw out the juice from the berries.

Add white wine, stir, and set aside for two more hours. When finished to serve, pour into a punch bowl. Add Sekt and serve chilled in wide champagne style glasses, making certain to dispense strawberries with the wine.

Owen Jones, the author of this piece writes on a variety of subjects, but is at present concerned with Recipes to Lower Your High Blood Pressure. If you want to know more, go to our website at Gourmet Recipes and Good Health.

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How To Use Relaxing Bathroom Accessories

Posted by Owen Jones | Posted in weight loss | Posted on 26-04-2012-05-2008

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Most people like soaking in the bath, even those people who say that you can not get clean in a bath. It is very soothing, but there are some things that can increase your enjoyment of relaxing in the bath. Most of these accessories for relaxing in the bath work for Jacuzzis. hot tubs, spas and regular baths.

The first thing that helps make a bath more relaxing is bubble bath. You ought to not use bubble bath in a hot tub – hot spa with a filter, because it can clog up the filter, but bath salts are a good alternative to bubble bath. A waterproof pillow also helps you unwind in the bath.

Aromatic bath salts or bubble bath can have a very hypnotic influence, so be sure that you do not fall asleep, particularly if you are indulging in my second favourite way of relaxing in the bath. I like to have a few glasses of red wine in the bath, but in that case you have to be very careful not to fall asleep, especially if you have had a hard day.

If you like a romantic bath alone or with a friend, candles are the way to go. Get the large, thick candles so that they will not burn down or fall over. Candles can be perilous if you do not stand them on candle holders or loose tiles, which is why I advocate thick candles. Again they can be aromatic.

A lot of people like to listen to music in the bath, but be careful of using anything that requires mains power while you are in the water. It is better to use a battery powered or rechargeable device for playing back your music.

If you have a spare CD player, you could build it into an outdoor hot tub and run it off the mains for the pump, but just place it out of reach of the tub. Use a remote if you need to control it. Bathing in the garden is excellent, but we can not all do that.

You can recreate an outdoor ambiance by putting potted plants in the bathroom. Some plants do not like a lot of light, but do like a humid atmosphere. Some orchids come into this bracket, but there ought to be lots of others as well – just enquire at your garden centre.

Mirrors are sexy in the bathroom and will help the room look larger and more full or candles and plants. The bathroom is often the smallest room in the house, so a few mirrors will help make it look bigger.

If you are in a regular bath indoors in the bathroom, you could fit a bubble mat. It is like a shower mat, but it pumps air and recycles water through holes in it, making it react a little like a hot tub spa. A bath bubble mat is no substitute for a spa, but it is better than nothing and is quite cheap.

Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on a number of topics, but is now concerned with the luxury cottage hot tub. If you would like to know more, please visit our web site at Hot Springs Spa Parts

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Water And Dehydration

Posted by Owen Jones | Posted in weight loss | Posted on 23-04-2012-05-2008

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We, as human beings, as very reliant on water. We are approximately 70% water and we cannot live without it. In fact, we can go weeks without food, but merely about three days without water.

One of the sad things about the Western diet is that a great deal of people no longer drink water. They have completely replaced water with sugary soft drinks, which of course contain enough water but also contain too much sugar or sugar substitute.

The first step that these people have to take in order to get back on track is to give up this silly, childish habit and begin drinking plain water again. It has been estimated that around two-thirds of people do not drink enough water, which means that they are in a permanent state of partial dehydration.

Water has several important functions in our bodies, but one of the most important ones is to flush out toxins. It is worth knowing that if you feel thirsty, your body has reached a state where it is crying out for water. In other words, it has already passed the state where it requires water, so endeavour not to wait until you are thirsty before you take a drink.

Another fact is that tea, coffee and alcohol (some of our most well-liked adult drinks) are diuretics, which is to say that they force urination, often more than they replace. So you can put 250mm in but you may lose 270mm. This is naturally not the purpose of drinking if you are thirsty

Exercise is another reason why we lose water. In fact, just by being alive, we lose water due to body heat and evaporation, but whilst we are actually doing something, we lose water fairly rapidly. You may get worried about drinking water before going to sleep, but if you can do it, it is a very healthy thing.

If you wake up a bit groggy each day and have to have breakfast, tea or coffee before you can actually wake up, it might be because of dehydration, not because you have problems waking up. Being dehydrated causes drowsiness and lack of concentration.

In fact, dehydration is a major killer in the Third World. This is not because there is no water, but because the water is contaminated. This contaminated water causes diarrhoea which causes dehydration. It is vital to continue drinking when you are sick even if you do not feel like eating.

It is suggested that we drink at least eight glasses of water (say, of 250mm each) a day. More if you are exercising or sick. It sounds like a great deal of water, but most individuals are awake for about 16 hours a day, so eight beakers works out to just one each two hours.

It is more of a difficulty to get into the habit of drinking water on a regular basis than it is to really do the drinking, but once you have acquired the habit, you will feel better on a day-to-day basis. It will not prevent you from getting sick, but your general degree of health will improve, because you are getting rid of toxins.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on a number of topics, but is now concerned with Sundance hot tubs. If you would like to know more, please visit our web site at Hot Springs Spa Parts

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Day Spas And What They Offer

Posted by Owen Jones | Posted in weight loss | Posted on 23-04-2012-05-2008

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Are you feeling a bit jaded? A bit run-down or even worn out? Do you feel like you ought to have a holiday, yet you do not have the time or do not have the money just now? Well, a trip to a day spa might be the answer. Most women have been to a beauty salon and so have some men, yet fewer individuals of both sexes have been to a day spa.

A day spa is an extended version of a beauty salon. The extra amenities usually involve water in some way or oil – something liquid. However, day spas resemble beauty salons in that they normally offer all of the treatments that a beauty salon offers and pampering is the prime object.

It is the pampering as much as anything that can wash your cares away for a while and make you feel as if you have just come back from a short vacation. Four hours at a day spa can be more relaxing (and far better for you) than a weekend away on the town.

If you have never been to a spa before, it is worth doing a local search on the Internet and seeing what web sites come up. A good site should list the treatments that they offer, their prices and any special offers (often called day packages). It ought to also mention whether you need to book up or just call in.

The prices may appear outrageous at first, but it is worth checking how long the procedure takes and whether there are any special preparations or oils involved, because they may be costly. Day packages can reduce the price of a number of related treatments quite significantly. If you still find it costly, maybe you could plan a visit for a couple of weeks in advance.

Something else that you should factor in while thinking about day spas and costs is the tranquility. Most spas have strict rules concerning noise. So, no small children, no shouting, no cell phones or pagers, no radios or Walkmen, just soothing background music. Everything in a day spa is meant to make you feel pampered, cared for, less stressed and much more relaxed.

So what services can you expect to find at a day spa? Well, everything that you would expect to find at a beauty salon for a start off, so that includes manicure, pedicures, hair styling, facials and make-up or make-overs.

However, a spa should also provide massages of various sorts like a full body massage, an oil massage, a Thai massage, a foot massage and maybe others too. They may also have a steam box or a sauna and / or Turkish Baths, mud wraps, herbal wraps, mud baths and even flotation chambers. Lots of spas offer aroma therapy and offer complimentary healthy drinks like fruit and vegetable juices too. Some might even have a swimming pool as well.

Detoxes feature fairly often at most spas and some may offer colonic irrigation too. However, the best value for money are the day packages or one-off specials, which permit you to combine a number of treatments for one discounted payment.

Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on a variety of subjects, but is now concerned with portable hot tubs spas. If you would like to know more, please visit our site at Hot Springs Spa Parts

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The Wonders Of Hot Tubs

Posted by Owen Jones | Posted in weight loss | Posted on 22-04-2012-05-2008

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It is nice to soak in a hot tub, is it not? After a long day at work or sorting the family out – running the kids to and from school and then to the scouts, sports club or music lessons. Being stuck in traffic on the way home or waiting in the queue at the supermarket, a long soak in a hot tub helps wash it all away.

Imagine then what a hot tub spa or Jacuzzi could do? Sitting in a hot spa tub with a long cool drink whilst half a dozen jets are blasting hot water and bubbles at you, massaging you gently, taking the stresses of the day away.

You could place one in the garden or in the bathroom. You could even get a portable hot spa tub and move it into the garden in the summer and back inside in the winter. If you enquire of most individuals what they want to have in the way of home improvement, a swimming pool would probably be number one and a hot spa tub number two.

There again, a lot of individuals do not have the room for a swimming pool and a Jacuzzi is a great deal cheaper than a swimming pool too. Water has a calming influence on individuals. Perhaps it is a primordial memory of when we came out of the sea millions of years ago or perhaps it is a more recent memory of being in the womb.

Whatever the reason or even combination of reasons, individuals like to be in, near or on water, it relaxes and invigorates us. And frothing, bubbling water is even more relaxing and even more revitalizing. Hence the popularity of hot tub spas.

Another reason may be gravity. All day long we are lumbering about, every foot step sending shock waves into our body and gravity pulling down on so that we feel each ounce of our weight, but once we are in water, we are buoyed up and the effects of our weight and of gravity are experienced far less.

In fact, up to 30% less. Additionally, we are ninety-odd percent water, so no surprise we feel tranquil in a hot tub. But that is not all that a soak in a hot tub does. It warms you right through, through to the marrow and that relieves minor aches and pains. The reduction in gravity is also said to be a relief to sufferers of arthritis.

There are possibly other reasons as well why people feel more relaxed in a tub of hot water, especially a whirlpool type spa tub, but one for me is that I will not get out of the tub for anything with the exception of to get another drink. Once I am in there, I do not care if the phone rings or the door bell goes. The house would have to be on fire to get be me out before my skin resembles a wrinkled old prune.

Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on a variety of topics, but is now concerned with second hand hot tubs. If you would like to know more, please visit our site at Hot Springs Spa Parts

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Buying A Hot Tub

Posted by Owen Jones | Posted in weight loss | Posted on 22-04-2012-05-2008

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For most people, purchasing a hot tub spa, also known as a gazebo, a hot spa or a Jacuzzi, is a first time event. This makes it rather a daunting undertaking, because they are not cheap and there are numerous variables.

You have to do research on the different sorts of jets, the power of the pump that is best for you, the location, whether to put a deck around it or not et cetera, et cetera. In this article, we will take a look at some of these points to make purchasing a hot tub easier for you.

The first thing to think about is size. This usually depends on two items: where you are going to put the hot tub and how many individuals are going to be using it at a time. If you are hoping to put it above the ground floor inside your home, you will have to check the weight of the spa while it is full of water and people to see whether your floor will take that weight without reinforcement. If the climate is decent where you live, the garden is the best place to put it.

The next consideration is cost. There is a overwhelming choice of hot tubs and a wide range of prices as well. If you find that the price of a new hot tub is simply out of your budget, what about purchasing a second hand one?

There is rather a large second hand market in Jacuzzis because hotels, health spas and some home owners have to renew their models. You might be lucky enough to find quite a luxurious second hand model for less than the price of a new cheap one. Enquire at a local installer’s for details.

The next thing is the material that the actual tub is made from. This is not inevitably the same as the housing or cabinet that goes around the tub. Traditional-style hot tubs are made from local hardwoods such as cedar, oak, redwood or teak, but they are heavy and leak a little.

Contemporary materials used are a mixture of plastic and fibreglass moulded into comfortable seating arrangements. They are lighter and do not leak (or should not).

Then you can think about the housing. Is the hot tub spa going to be on its own somewhere or is it going to be built in? if you are going to build it in, what are you going to build it into? A deck? Hardwood, softwood, concrete and tiles?

Then there is the routine maintenance of the tub. This is not arduous but it is essential, so if you are building your tub into something, bear in mind that you will need access to various parts of it. Check the manual of the tub that you buy to learn which parts will require maintenance and cleaning.

Normally, this involves cleaning the jets, adding chemicals to the water, renewing filters and perhaps renewing a seal on the pump, which could be assigned to an engineer in an annual service contract.

Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on a number of subjects, but is now concerned with second hand hot tubs. If you would like to know more, please visit our site at Hot Springs Spa Parts

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How About A Costa Rican Health Spa Or Retreat?

Posted by Owen Jones | Posted in weight loss | Posted on 21-04-2012-05-2008

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Have you ever thought about getting away from it all and going on a huge detox mission? There is a lot to be said for giving your body a break from all the pollution, smoke, noise, fast-paced lifestyle and stress and the substances that we use to handle that stress like alcohol, tobacco, coffee and worse. It is not so bad while your body is young, but as it gets older, it becomes less capable of countering all the stuff we give it to deal with.

Costa Rica might sound like a long way to go to visit a spa or health resort, but it is only a flight away. The reason for selecting Costa Rica is because it is like a home from home for Americans, and the atmosphere is a great deal slower and more easy-going. There are lots of health spas and retreats to choose from in Costa Rica and a brief search on the Internet will reveal many of them.

Spanish is the foremost local language, but English is spoken by more than ten percent of the adult population and tourist facilities are well developed in the form of exchanging currencies, restaurants and hotels. The country is unpolluted and environmentally friendly.

For example, according to Wikipedia, Costa Rica is ranked third in the world and first among the Americas in terms of the 2010 Environmental Performance Index and in 2007, the government announced that it intended for Costa Rica to be the first carbon neutral country by 2021. Moreover, the Happy Planet Index rates Costa Rica as number one in the world and also as the “greenest country in the world”.

Where better could you go to escape pollution and stress than a health spa or retreat in such a country? Many of the resorts offer stress reducing schemes that include methods of relaxation such as yoga, meditation, reiki, massage and tai-chi, although there are lots of places offering water sports such as diving, sailing and surfing. There is fantastic diving to be had in warm, clear water, which is teaming with flora and fauna.

Prices are low when compared with the United States. You can get a hotel or a room in a retreat for $25-$50 and up and a good meal will cost $2-$4. There are all sorts of food but particularly the types of food associated with Spanish and American cuisine. Vegetarians are well catered for as well and there is fish and other seafood in profusion for those who rather it to meat.

Some of the health spa resorts have accommodation for you to rent whilst others offer only day time courses. The retreat style resorts are live-in and many are similar to communes. The facilities vary from being ‘hippyish’ and pretty fundamental in some of the retreats to being as up-to-date as anywhere in the world in the health spas, offering swimming pools, gymnasiums and hot tub spas.

All in all, if you are thinking of going abroad for a healthy, restful break, a vacation in Costa Rica ought to be on your short list.

Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on a variety of subjects, but is now involved with portable hot tubs spas. If you would like to know more, please visit our web site at Hot Springs Spa Parts

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3 Delicious Vegetarian Main Courses

Posted by Owen Jones | Posted in weight loss | Posted on 12-04-2012-05-2008

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Here are three delicious vegetarian main courses:

No. 1: Portabello Mushroom Lasagne

6 Servings

1 pound ground soya 4 vegetarian sausages (mild or hot) 1 medium onion garlic salt to taste pepper to taste 6 large Portabello mushrooms 1 substantial container ricotta cheese 1 egg Plenty of grated mozarella cheese Canned spaghetti sauce (or make your own)

How to Prepare:

Preheat oven to 350F degrees Remove soya sausage meat from skins. Brown soya sausage and minced soya beef with onions, adding garlic salt and pepper to taste. Wash mushrooms and scrape out the black gills.

Beat egg into ricotta cheese. Spread a small amount of spaghetti sauce in a large baking dish or shallow roasting pan to prevent sticking.

Generously fill each mushroom cap with ricotta mixture and place in the baking dish or roasting pan ricotta side up. Top each cap with a handful of the grated mozarella. Then top every cap with a liberal amount of the soya meat/onion mixture. Top each cap with another handful of mozarella.

Pour spaghetti sauce on top of every cap and in the bottom of the pan. Top with the remaining mozarella cheese.

Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes. Permit to cool for about 10

No. 2

Baked Tomatoes With Proven?ale Stuffing

4 Servings

4 md tomatoes – unpeeled, cored, pulp removed 1 T olive oil 3/4 c onions, chopped 2 cloves garlic, ground 1/2 T fresh parsley, chopped 2 t fresh basil, chopped 1 1/2 t fresh thyme, chopped 1/2 t salt 1/4 t black pepper 3/4 c bread crumbs 1/4 c plus 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

Bring the oven to 375F. Core tomatoes and scoop the insides out to leave whole skins.

Heat skillet with oil to medium heat and saute onion with garlic for around 3 minutes. Stir in tomato cores, herbs and seasonings. Saute for around 4 minutes or until the liquid evaporates.

Remove from heat and stir in breadcrumbs and a cup measure of the Parmesan cheese. Reserve the rest of the cheese for later.

Stuff the tomatoes with the mixture and sprinkle evenly with the remaining measure of Parmesan cheese.

Bake for around 15 minutes.

No. 3

Franconia Root Vegetables

6 Servings

6 lb potatoes, peeled 1 1/2 lb small carrots, trimmed and scraped (or substantial carrots, cut carefully in ovals) 1 lb small turnips, peeled, sprout end (or large turnips, trimmed 12 small white onions a little margarine 1 t dried thyme leaves, crumbled Salt and freshly minced pepper to taste 1/4 c parsley, chopped 1 large marrow, cored

Drop potatoes into a saucepan of cold, salted water. Over high heat, bring water to a boil, lower heat to medium |and cook potatoes for 12 minutes. Drain, let cool for a few minutes, pat dry, and cut into quarters (or halve horizontally and trim each half into ovals).

Meanwhile, drop carrots, turnips, and onions into boiling salted water to cover. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and boil until barely tender (10 to 15 minutes, depending on size). Drain, at once cool under running water, and set vegetables aside.

About one hour before marrow will be served, place potato quarters in margarine (at least 1/2 cup) and turn them to coat. (If you are allowed you can use a little unsalted butter).

Position in oven (wherever there’s room, including the bottom shelf) and roast for 45 minutes, turning each 10 minutes or so to brown all sides uniformly. Add carrots, turnips, and onions. Sprinkle with thyme, salt, and pepper.

Continue roasting and turning frequently until vegetables are tender and evenly browned (about 15 minutes or slightly longer). Using tongs (or a slotted spoon) and draining off excess fat, remove to serving dish and sprinkle with parsley.

Owen Jones, the author of this article writes on a number of subjects, but is at present concerned with Recipes to Lower Your High Blood Pressure. If you want to know more, go to our web site at Gourmet Recipes and Good Health.

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Methods To Reduce Cholesterol Without Medication

Posted by Owen Jones | Posted in weight loss | Posted on 11-04-2012-05-2008

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Most individuals think that cholesterol issues just affect older individuals, but this is not true. High degrees of cholesterol can also be discovered in the young. In one study, 75 % of those checked had a yellow waxy substance in their blood – LDL cholesterol – it is considered to be a reliable indication of future heart problems. The surprising thing about this study was that they were all fit American soldiers with an average age of just 21.

Now we do need some LDL cholesterol because it is used by the body to control some important functions and we definitely need HDL cholesterol because it assists regulate LDL cholesterol. The only issue is the volume of these substances. High levels of LDL have been linked to atherosclerosis, which leads to heart disease.

If you would like to begin working on your cholesterol levels in a maintenance type of way, you can do so with the aid of exercise and diet. The exercise element does not have to be arduous. Walking for an hour a day will do the trick if it is in conjunction with healthy dieting.

The diet ought to include plenty of fibre and roughage because not only will it lower LDL cholesterol, but it will also help your bowels to function properly which reduces your chance of acquiring bowel cancer, the rate of which is rising these days.

Foods that are rich in fibre and roughage are fruit and vegetables, particularly greens; beans, pulses and grains, particularly oats as in porridge; nuts and soya. It is quite easy to raise your intake of these foods without drastically changing you normal diet, although it is wise to substitute skinless chicken and fish for beef and pork.

For example, you could eat porridge for breakfast and add a handful of barley to your soup. You could add a few leaves of lettuce to your sandwich and eat fruit as snacks throughout the day. You could have beans on toast every now and again. Whole grain bread, obviously.

Some foods have a particularly healthy reputation for lowering cholesterol levels. Avocado is one because it contains a great deal of mono-unsaturated fats which raise the degree of HDL and HDL counteracts LDL. Raw carrots are another one. Raw carrots contain lots of pectin, which reduces LDL. Pectin is also there in substantial quantities in citrus fruits, apples and berries such as strawberries, raspberries and red and black berries.

Then there are other famously healthy foodstuffs like garlic and shitake mushrooms which are also considered to ward off cancer and boost the immune system as a whole. Ginger is another healthy food that is easily incorporated into dishes.

Nuts, particularly walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans and almonds are high in Omega 3 fatty acids which has a beneficial impact on LDL cholesterol. Sesame seeds contain phytosterols, which also lowers LDL. Other foodstuffs containing phytosterols are: celery, lettuce, asparagus, spinach and tomatoes.

You ought to strive to eat mono- and poly-unsaturated fats as they will improve your HDL. You can find these fats in cannola, safflower, soya bean and olive oil. They also contain Omega 3. Other sources of Omega 3 are fish, especially the fatty fish like tuna, salmon and mackerel.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on numerous topics, but is now concerned with food that lowers cholesterol. If you want to know more, please visit our site at What Foods Lower Cholesterol?

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