I just found out that my wife’s surgery went through without a hitch.
She’ll be in the hospital for a few days still.
The real healing will be in the days, weeks and months that follow as she and I commit to the lifestyle changes we’ve only toyed with until now.
I refuse to lose her, or even risk her health any further.
Tomorrow my wife has her surgery.
I don’t think either one of us will sleep a wink tonight.
One thing that is really encouraging is to know how many people are praying for us, who care, who are sending their thoughts and wishes for a successful procedure and a speedy recovery.
We now have a CaringBridge web page where you all can check on her progress. I’ll be providing updates as I learn more. I know she’ll love to read your comments, thoughts, prayers and wishes for her, once she’s up and able to function.
She should be back home by the weekend… where the long road to recovery will truly begin.
Stay tuned…
When I was 20 or so, I had a blurry, abstract vision of what marriage was like: husband relaxing in leather chair reading paper in one room, children playing noisily in another room, wife in yet another room cheerfully going about her business. Everyone content, everyone occupied. And everyone keeping safe distances; each giving nothing and requiring nothing.
“Marriage is a lot of work,” people would say. And I’d nod and consider those words, but never appreciate them. “Marriage can be really hard,” they’d say. How hard could it be, if two people love each other enough? What more is there?
A lot more.
Even at this late point in my life, I am still learning what “a lot of work” means. And even if the circumstances are extremely troublesome, the work isn’t unpleasant when it is for the benefit of someone you love dearly.
In December of 2008, just after Christmas, my wife had a heart attack. She was attended to by the best team in the Pacific Northwest, and after placement of a stent in the blocked heart vessel, she was pretty much good as new.
Until just recently, when we discovered that the stent has closed over with scar tissue, bringing her pretty much right back to where she was. Ever the tough cookie, her body responded by growing brand new blood vessels in an attempt to bypass the blockage. Amazing, how God designed us that way.
She’s scheduled for bypass surgery on Tuesday.
I don’t mind saying that I’m pretty scared. And so is she. Even though we know that the hospital is widely known for superior cardiac care. Even though we know that the surgeon is one of the best in the business, and he assured us that this operation is “a chip shot.”
Even so: this is very, very scary.
But I must be strong and confident and protect my wife, and provide the bedrock foundation that she needs right now, and before her surgery, and when she wakes up afterwards.
And while she’s away recuperating at the hospital over the following week, I’ll need to be firm and efficient at home directing kids to their tasks and ensuring that she has a calm, clean and pleasant home to return to. And I’ll need to be sure the bills are paid, the meals are cooked, the lawns are mowed, the laundry is washed and the dishes are done. And I must tend to the deadlines I have at work. And I must bring the kids to the hospital to visit their mom, to cheer and encourage her to do her part in getting well and coming home.
This is my work. It is part of the vows that I took. It is hard work. It takes a lot to keep it together and do it all correctly.
But for her, I would do it all a thousand times over for the remainder of our life together, and I’ll smile just knowing I can keep her.
Posted in health, life, marriage, Myocardial Monday, ponderings, stress
Some time ago I mentioned quinoa as an amazing little protein-packed grain, a virtual powerhouse of nutrition in a simple and versatile package.
It isn’t a grain, technically, because it isn’t the product of a grass plant (like wheat, corn or oats are for example). But it’s treated the same and it can be used just the same.
So it goes that we figured out a way to use it as a breakfast item.
It started simply enough: we like oatmeal for breakfast. It’s got that wonderful oat bran and soluble fiber that’s so heart healthy. But it’s a little boring. How to amp it up? Toast!
That is, toast the oats before you cook them. This brings out a whole different side to oats’ taste profile. Once we tasted the glory of toasted oats, we figured we could toast some quinoa and toss that in as well. Even better!
Adding flax seed meal and walnuts boosted both the nutrition and the flavor by adding Omega-3s and a wonderful nuttiness. And in our house, more nuttiness is a trademark.
This, in my mind, represents the height of morning nutrition:
Toasted Oats and Quinoa Cereal
2 cups pre-washed quinoa
2 cups old-fashioned oats
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 cup flax seed meal
In a medium-sized frying pan, toast the quinoa over medium heat. I like to do this about 1/2 cup at a time so it’s easier to move around. It will likely pop and jump around like itty-bitty popcorns as it toasts, so watch out for escapees. I use a fry screen to keep their excitement contained. The quinoa should turn from a light tan to a richer brown; don’t let it go too far.
When that’s done, dump it into a large metal bowl.
Toast the oatmeal about 1/2 cup at a time in the same pan. It won’t do anything while it’s toasting other than lie there and burn, so keep it moving. Dump it into the bowl with the quinoa when it’s done.
Pour the flax seed meal and chopped walnuts into the bowl with the quinoa and oats, and stir.
You’re ready to go. Note: This batch yields 24 servings! You can store it in a plastic zip-top baggie for later use.
To prepare two servings:
Bring 1 cup of salted water to a boil
Add 1/2 cup of the toasted quinoa and oats cereal
Reduce to medium low heat, simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.
Let stand, covered, for one minute.
Serve with milk and a smidge of brown sugar or raisins if you like.
Rico!
Posted in food, Myocardial Monday
Last time I talked about inflammation, and how it can lead to serious health problems; and how it can be greatly reduced given a little effort.
Today we’re going to look at sugar.
I talked about sugar some before when I discussed High Fructose Corn Syrup. Today I’m going to go a little more in depth about sugar in general, and what it does to your poor body in excessive quantities.
I want to say that again: in excessive quantities.
The reason I emphasize that is to be sure everyone understands that sugar in and of itself is neither evil nor harmful, in moderation.
What is sugar?
Sugar is actually a name given to lots of different specific molecules that taste sweet. I say “sugar” and most people (myself included) envision a pile of white granules. This is table sugar, or Sucrose. Sucrose itself is constructed from two other sugar molecules, Glucose and Fructose.
Here’s a model of glucose:
Kind of looks like a duck, doesn’t it?
Anyway. It’s a carbohydrate. Meaning, it is a molecule made up of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms.
All of the different kinds of sugar have construction similar to this one: a number of carbon atoms, same number of oxygen, and twice as many hydrogen. The kinds of sugars we’re interested are saccharides, which can come singly (like glucose) or doubly (like sucrose). When they get more than a few of them connected together, they stop being sugars and start being starches. Which goes to the point that starchy foods are carbohydrates too, and because your body just rips them apart and turns them into sugars anyway, they’re going to contribute to the, er, bottom line just as well as plain old sugar will.
So what?
So like I said, sugar isn’t a bad thing in limited quantities – and given the proper accompaniment.
The problem we have these days is that because of the easy access to foods containing sugar, whether plain candy, processed junk or even whole foods, we’re all consuming a whole lot more sugar than our poor little helpless bodies can deal with.
What was once a natural, sparse and relatively gentle energy source is now more like a missile barrage: where fruit sugars and more complex carbohydrates (each bringing along helpers such as fiber and vitamins) enter your bloodstream in a relatively calm and slow manner, refined sugar comes rocketing in so fast that your system gets overloaded and starts shipping most of it off to storage – as fat.
Fat, you say?
Yup. Your body’s cells (primarily the muscle cells) use sugar as fuel. Insulin comes along and rings the doorbell, sort of, so the cell will let the sugar in. But your cells don’t overeat. What they don’t consume, they shut out. In fact, they eventually start disconnecting their doorbells: the insulin receptor sites start to decrease in number and efficiency as they sense a sugar overload.
This is where things get ugly: all that extra glucose hanging around in your bloodstream starts making a racket, so your poor pancreas starts sending out more insulin, which is just ignored. Eventually, this cycle gets turned around when the body’s fat cells finally wake up and tell the sugar “All right, you can hang out here if you promise to be quiet.” Those fat cells really never get tired of letting sugar in. They can always get bigger. It’s not at all difficult to convert sugar into fat, and it’s a much more efficient way to keep it safe for later.
To add to the fun, there’s another little messaging system that gets all whacked out by the sugar fest. Fat cells secrete the hormone called “Leptin”, which is believed to be one of the things that our body uses to tell the brain “Hey, brain? We’re really not hungry right now. We’ve got some reserves to work off, kay? Thanks!”
Only, high insulin levels, such as those that you get during a sugar binge, interfere with the brain’s reception of Leptin. So your body will go right on thinking it’s starving, even if it grows to the size of a Buick.
Well, I can handle a little fat.
Everyone does. It’s natural, and necessary. Trouble is, by the time it’s noticeable, it isn’t “a little fat” any more: it’s a problem. Particularly when it comes to the spare tire. Belly fat (visceral) is the worst kind, because it is more active in your daily metabolic processes than the fat layer that sits under your skin (subcutaneous). Your body’s portal vein (it goes from stomach, intestines and other gut-related organs to the liver) runs right through that wad of blubber, so the fat has a chance to dump its inflammation-promoting interleukin 6 directly into your bloodstream. IL-6 causes increased production of c-reactive protein, which in turn increases the systemic inflammation I talked about last time. IL-6 also encourages insulin resistance, like I mentioned earlier.
I can always get liposuction.
Sorry, Charlie, no dice. Scientists checked on that and have found that removing subcutaneous fat does not significantly impact the production of IL-6, CRP or any of the other bad fat by-products. Because they can’t suck belly fat out; it’s too intertwined with your guts.
I suppose it gets worse, right?
Indeedy do. Guess what happens to the sugar that doesn’t find its way into fat cells? It wanders around in the blood stream getting into trouble, like unsupervised teenagers.
Recent research shows that extra glucose molecules that are just bumming around start getting chummy with certain proteins in your blood, reducing nitric oxide in the blood vessels. Blood vessels are more than simple tubes, as they can tighten or relax depending upon the blood flow needs of individual areas of the body. Nitric oxide is needed for the relaxing part. Tense blood vessels lead to greater hypertension (high blood pressure), and then everything that is associated with high blood pressure: gradual destruction of blood vessels in the eyes, kidney.
Another way the excess glucose causes problems is in roughing up the blood vessel walls, damaging them to the point where we get inflammation (yep – inflammation again), buildup of plaque and narrowing of arteries as well as creation of clots which lead to heart attack and stroke.
AND, as if that wasn’t enough, it turns out that too much insulin in the bloodstream also contributes to plaque buildup in the arteries – explaining heart disease in diabetics. It also increases cellular proliferation in cancers.
What’s the cure for all this?
Glad you asked! The best remedy is to visit with our old friends diet and exercise.
I was afraid of that
Yes indeed!
Naturally, cutting down on sugar intake is going to make the most impact. Anything with refined sugar or high-fructose corn syrup is high up on the list of things to avoid. But any kind of high carb food, whether it’s fruit juice or white bread needs to be consumed in moderation. And whole grains and whole fruits are important in the diet as they bring fiber, which helps slow down the absorption of sugar.
Further, exercise can reverse the trend. When they’re used a lot, your muscles will “up regulate”, meaning they’ll wire up their insulin doorbells again and start letting in the sugar. It’s basically a supply and demand thing. Where before they weren’t demanding much because they weren’t being asked to do much, with exercise they’ll start demanding more, and will take the sugar that would have otherwise become fat or otherwise be troublesome.
Make those muscles work for your health. Make them suck up that sugar.
And I’m not even talking about 30 minutes every day at the health club. I’m just saying do more moving. That’s all. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Park one row farther out in the parking lot at the mall. Fidget. Stretch. Do stuff wherever, whenever you have ten seconds to spare. It’ll make a difference. Naturally, though, the more consistently and vigorously you exercise, the better.
Good luck and good health to you all.
Posted in Myocardial Monday
A few days after Christmas of 2008, Michael’s Mommy suffered a heart attack. By the grace of God, she lives to tell the tale. As a continual reminder of how your diet can affect your body, we here at Being Michael’s Daddy have declared the last Monday of the month to be “Myocardial Monday.” Here we’ll offer information about food and nutrition in hopes that it will help others avoid facing what could be a fatal condition. Yes, I know it’s not the last Monday of the month. I’ve been busy.
Today we’re going to explore a buzzword that seems to be one of the latest health concerns: inflammation.
What is inflammation?
Inflammation is a swell thing.
Actually, in many cases, it isn’t so swell.
Inflammation is your body’s response to injury: It’s sending in the cavalry. White blood cells are sent to an area where there’s an injury in the body. In some cases, you can see or feel the inflammation: sinus problems, arthritis, a welt on the hand, swelling from a bee sting. These white blood cells arrive at the scene, and move in, doing their work in preventing infection and releasing chemicals that fix things up.
So what? A little bump or a stuffy nose. What’s the big deal?
The problem occurs when there are inflammatory actions in blood vessels. When the inside of a blood vessel becomes inflamed, the swelling that occurs impacts the flow of blood through the vessel.
Imagine a busy street downtown mid day. A pot hole appears out of nowhere, and workers are dispatched to fix it up. What are they going to do? Shut down at least one lane of traffic. Now you have a traffic jam. Let’s hope the pothole doesn’t get any bigger, or they’ll have to close down two lanes – or worse – the whole street. And if so, let’s hope that street doesn’t lead to something vital, like, say, your heart. Or your brain. That would be the start of a really bad day.
Yikes, that’s horrible!
Oh, but it gets worse.
The injured areas inside blood vessels tend to snag LDL cholesterol that’s gliding along in the blood. As these little fat globs collect, they oxidize and explode, then build up and calcify, turning into plaque which then gets covered over with a layer of asphalt – err, scar tissue. This alone is enough to completely close off a vessel. And there’s your heart attack, embolism or stroke.
Isn’t there some way to roto-rooter them off?
You wouldn’t want that. If one of these little plaque bombs gets dislodged, it goes floating on down your blood stream in one big clump until it gets to a vessel it can’t squeeze through – which will cause a heart attack, embolism or stroke.
Hold on – ibuprofen reduces inflammation. Can’t I just take that?
For the occasional headache or muscle ache, yes. But not for this. Popping NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatories) every day will actually have the opposite effect, as it interferes with your body’s ability to control its inflammatory response, which will ultimately make matters worse.
And it doesn’t stop there.
There are studies that link chronic inflammation with development of cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, and a whole slew of health problems.
Take a look:
I’m doomed.
Now, now. Let us not abandon hope. I wouldn’t have brought you this far without offering the lifeline.
One of the best things you can do to fight the inflammation is adjust your lifestyle.
Eating the rights foods: Get plenty of Omega 3’s, like those in Salmon and cold water fish, flaxseed and walnuts; fiber in whole grains and fresh fruit; antioxidants found in fresh grapes, blueberries, broccoli and soy products. I’ve discussed Omega 3’s and fiber in past Myocardial Monday posts. I’ll get to the purpose of antioxidants in a future post.
Stay away from sugar, particularly high fructose corn syrup and white refined sugar. Not because they’re so horrible in and of themselves, but because they’re so easily absorbed and bring nothing with them to help the body deal with them.
Sugar? What’s that got to do with inflammation?
Glad you asked. But you’ll have to wait until next time, when I discuss Type II Diabetes, and the horror that is sugar.
Studies indicate that turmeric may prove helpful in preventing buildup of atherosclerosis, or blocked arteries. It lowers LDL and inhibits its oxidation, which is good: oxidized LDL is what sticks to artery walls and causes blockage. By the way, it’s pronounced “TER – mer – ick”, not “TOO – mer – ick”. But whatever.
Inflammation may sound like a fairly innocuous issue, but being aware of it is critical. While it is a normal body process, when it gets out of control it can cause all kinds of problems. Just a few little adjustments can make a huge difference in the length and quality of your life.
Posted in food, health, Myocardial Monday
A few days after Christmas of 2008, Michael’s Mommy suffered a heart attack. By the grace of God, she lives to tell the tale. As a continual reminder of how your diet can affect your body, we here at Being Michael’s Daddy have declared this day to be “Myocardial Monday.” Here we’ll offer information about food and nutrition in hopes that it will help others avoid facing what could be a fatal condition.
Today I highlight a couple of things that are now big stars in our home’s healthy living foodie lineup.
Smart Balance
I like butter. Scratch that – I love butter. It’s so dang creamy and yummy and delicious. And it’s better than stinky old margarine with its synthesized, unnatural, laboratory-born saturated fats. Gimme those good old fashioned natural saturated fats any day.
Well… except for the fact that butter is little more than a big old bolus of triglycerides and it doesn’t take much of it to really clog up your arteries. Not much at all. I don’t see how Paula Deen survives from day to day, with those recipes.
Anyway…
Now, I’m not one to jump on the bandwagon of any particular “healthy” product. Least of all, one that’s supposed to be as wonderful as Smart Balance purports. I’ve heard the claims, about its wonderfulness and taste and spreadability and healthy balance of Omega Threes and all that.
Puh. I tried it once years ago when it was introduced, and it was a gag fest. It was horrible. It was something I abruptly scraped off of my tongue and wish I could have erased from my brain for eternity.
But then just last year, my wife has this heart attack, see, and it got us thinking that maybe we should start sniffing around the healthy foods again.
And so we bought some of it, as a “butter alternative”.
And we tried it.
And guess what? It’s good.
And by that, I don’t mean “it’s an acceptable substitute,” or “I guess it’ll do, since I can’t have butter,” or even “I’m trying to be healthy and I have to convince myself it doesn’t taste like waxy slug vomit.”
What I actually mean is “It’s really good.”
Really.
No, really. They must have changed the formula somewhere down the line, because it doesn’t taste healthy, or even unpleasant. It’s actually something we like to consume. With moderation, of course.
Please, please, please, try it yourself. You’ll find it in the dairy section of your store right by the butter and margarine.
Quinoa
I wanted to call this “kwin NO ah” but have learned better. It’s pronounced “KEEN wah”. This is a little grain-like morsel of goodness that’s been a staple food in the Andes for thousands of years. Quinoa looks like bird seed. But – it’s not a grain (Gasp! Say it isn’t so!). Ah, but it is so. The plant is related to beets and spinach. Since it isn’t a grass, the seeds aren’t classified as a grain.
What’s so amazing about this thing?
It’s a protein powerhouse. Compared to grains like wheat, rice, rye and oats, it’s highest in protein and lowest in carbohydrates. It is higher in lysine than wheat and is similar to milk in balance of amino acids. Lower in sodium and higher in calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, iron and other minerals than wheat, barley or corn. It’s gluten-free, and is considered a “complete” protein – that is, it has all the proteins your body needs. It is, for all intents and purposes, a perfect food for humans.
But it cooks like rice or oatmeal, and can be used in the same ways. It can be eaten raw (not that I recommend this, unless you sit on a perch in a small cage and nosh on a cuttlebone from time to time) or ground into flour, or cooked in a risotto.
At our house, we mix two cups of Quinoa with an equal amount of rolled oats and roast it in a pan for ten minutes, stirring often. This imparts a nice, nutty flavor. Then we stir in half a cup of flaxseed and keep it in a gallon Ziploc bag, so that when breakfast time comes around, I just put ½ cup of it into a cup of salted boiling water and let it cook for 15 minutes. A light little sprinkle of brown sugar, maybe some raisins and milk, and voila – breakfast. Breakfast that’ll keep you going until lunchtime with no problem at all. And I’m a snacker, so that’s saying something.
If you follow the “Inflammation Factor”, you might be a little discouraged to see that Quinoa is considered “highly inflammatory.” By this, they don’t mean that it makes up scandalous accusations towards its fellow cereal products. The inflammation factor of a given food refers to its tendency to contribute to systemic inflammation in the body, which can lead to heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s, osteoporosis and a host of other problems. This particular field of diet study is not widely studied at this point, but it’s just a matter of time. In any event, there are a whole lot of foods that are far worse for being inflammatory. Like white bread, for instance.
I will go into more detail about the health implications of inflammation in a future Myocardial Monday post, but suffice it to say that Quinoa’s nutritional level overshadows its alleged inflammatory concerns.
Quinoa is a very healthy grain alternative that packs a lot of nutrition in a small package, and it’s still relatively inexpensive to buy in bulk.
Posted in Myocardial Monday
Okay.
The fact is, today, I got nothin’. I’m tired, Michael’s going through this delightful new phase of being even more of a pill than we’ve previously been treated to, and I’m tired. Did I mention that I was tired?
So I’m punting, and falling back on my original promise to provide recipes. Here’s a recipe.
It’s actually pretty good; this one is for pancakes that are lighter on the carbs and heavier on the protein than your run-of-the-mill flapjacks. The secret is that they’re made from yogurt and cottage cheese. I probably lost a few of you right there, but you have to trust me. It’s not mine, I confess: it’s from “Eat This, Not That.”
2 cups blueberries
1 cup cottage cheese
1 cup plain non-fat yogurt
1 cup flour (I use a blend of whole wheat and white)
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
juice of one lemon
1/2 tablespoon baking soda
pinch of salt
Combine the blueberries, water and sugar in a saucepan and cook over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring often, until the blueberries begin to break apart. Set this aside.
While your skillet is heating, in a large bowl, beat together the cottage cheese, yogurt, eggs and lemon juice. In a smaller bowl, mix the baking soda, flour and salt. Stir the flour mixture into the dairy and mix just until it comes together.
Coat the skillet with non-stick spray and drop the batter in large spoonfuls. Flip when the tops bubble, 3 to 5 minutes. Serve with warm compote.
Yummy.
Oh – didja know? If you (as did I) find yourself in the situation in which you open your tub of cottage cheese and find that some lower and greener form of life is busily enjoying it, you can make your own cottage cheese. Amazing but true.
To make one cup:
1 quart of milk
1/4 cup white vinegar
pinch of salt
In a large saucepan, heat a quart of 1% milk over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it reaches 135 degrees. Take it off the heat, and stir in the vinegar. Let it cool for about ten minutes. Toss in the salt, stir it around, and then strain off the liquid. Voila, cottage cheese.
Enjoy.
Posted in Myocardial Monday
A few days after Christmas of 2008, Michael’s Mommy suffered a heart attack. By the grace of God, she lives to tell the tale. As a continual reminder of how your diet can affect your body, we here at Being Michael’s Daddy have declared the last Monday of the month to be “Myocardial Monday.” Here we’ll offer information about food and nutrition in hopes that it will help others avoid facing what could be a fatal condition. Yes, I know it’s Wednesday. Deal.
What’s An Omega 3?
It sounds like the name of the planet the rocket ship lands on in a B-grade 1950’s-era science fiction movie: “Gamma Quadrant Control, this is X One. We have landed on Omega 3. No sign of intelligent life, but there are a lot of fish.”
Ha.
Anyway. We’ve all heard talk about Omega 3’s and how great they are, and how some products have lots of them, and all that good stuff. But what exactly is it?
Omega 3 refers to a particular group of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. You remember fatty acids, right? Long molecular chains made up of carbon atoms and hydrogen atoms as the “fatty” part, with one end holding onto a couple of oxygens and a hydrogen to make up the “acid” part. If you didn’t take organic chemistry, the reason for the “3” in the name will make zero sense.
The Omega 3 fatty acids you’re most likely to encounter are alpha-linolenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid. You might have seen the last two abbreviated as EPA and DHA. Not that the names are terribly important or anything, but it’ll drag in some Google hits for me.
What Makes Them Essential?
Your body cannot make them from other stuff, but it needs them anyway. So it’s expecting that you’re going to eat something with them in it. It’s “essential” that you eat foods containing these acids if you’re fond of remaining healthy. Scientists actually started figuring out the essential nature of nutrients like this back in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s.
Why Do I Need Them?
Last time, I talked about raising your HDL and lowering your LDL and triglyceride levels. Consumption of Omega 3’s is one of the best and easiest ways of doing this.
Omega 3’s also play a major role in nerve cell processes, making them critical for brain function, as well as the absorption and distribution of calcium for stronger bones.
This magic set of oils has been shown to markedly improve a horde of human development/health areas:
It’s like a miracle food. And it’s so easy to get!
What Do I Have To Eat?
Of course, be sparing. You only need so much of anything, and even though they’re the best kind of fat, Omega 3 fatty acids are still going to contain calories, and are still going to add to the bottom line, so to speak. What I’m getting at here is that Omega 3’s should be the fat you get instead of saturated fats, hydrogenated fats and trans-fats. So swap out the margarine for Smart Balance, for example. Cut back on the bacon and the butter.
What About Fish Oil Supplements?
Yes, but don’t think they’re the end-all. Whole foods are best; your body naturally does better with the original source than it ever can with the isolated ingredient. It’s like Gladys Knight showing up without the Pips – sure she can sing, but she sounds better with the backup group. Your body will absorb about 90 percent of the Omega 3’s it gets from Salmon or Flaxseed, versus about 50% if you take Omega 3 supplements. Furthermore, it is possible to get TOO MUCH of this good stuff from supplements, and wind up with some other problem, like a proclivity toward bleeding. Check with your doctor before taking this or ANY supplements. Really.
What About Omega 6 And Omega 9?
Omega 9 oils are considered “non-essential”. Not that you don’t need them, but your body can make them out of leftover Omega 3 parts.
Omega 6 acids are essential, but watch out: like most things, more is not better. Balance and moderation are the key here: keep your intake of Omega 3 up to balance out the Omega 6. Like, 4 to 1 at least. Grass-fed beef and free-range chicken produce meat and eggs (the chickens, that is) that are of good Omega 3 to Omega 6 balance, since they’re eating what they would naturally.
So get out there and have Salmon with Walnuts for dinner tonight, and be healthy!
Posted in Myocardial Monday
A few days after Christmas of 2008, Michael’s Mommy suffered a heart attack. By the grace of God, she lives to tell the tale. As a continual reminder of how your diet can affect your body, we here at Being Michael’s Daddy have declared this day to be “Myocardial Monday.” Here we’ll offer information about food and nutrition in hopes that it will help others avoid facing what could be a fatal condition.
HDL… LDL… Triglycerides… Cholesterol… Wha???
These little buzzwords are a source of confusion for us all. You’re supposed to reduce them. Or something. What the heck are they and why do we still have them around if they’re so bad? Can’t the government stop production of these things? What are we going to do? Calgon take me away!
Okay, let’s slow down and take this one step at a time.
What’s a Triglyceride?
Excellent first question! Starting off with the simplest thing is the best way to get started.
First, let me back up just one step and explain what a “fatty acid” is. It’s simply a molecule with has an acid on one end, and a big long “fat” chain on the other end. It’s actually not as terrifying as it sounds. For example, olive oil is made up of fatty acids. So is butter. Bacon has a lot of it too. Mmmm… fatty acids…
Anyway.
Triglycerides are a triple-whammy combo of three fatty acids hooked together with a glyercol molecule. It’s a Costco shrink-wrap of fatty acids. These little buggers account for most of the fats we humans digest, and they’re found in meats, vegetables and other foods. For example, chocolate contains triglycerides. The triglyceride in cocoa butter happens to have the perfect melting point for feeling creamy in your mouth, instead of feeling like bacon grease.
On their own triglycerides are too big to digest, but the pancreas takes care of that. It puts out an enzyme that smashes it apart, allowing the disconnected fatty acids free passage into your bloodstream. Oh, and if your body isn’t getting enough of them, your body will create triglycerides out of other things like sugar. And if it’s getting plenty of them, it’ll just store away what it can’t use right now. In your thighs. Isn’t that nice of it?
What’s Cholesterol?
Cholesterol is yet another molecule made up of lots of rings of carbon. It’s like a wax. Your body really needs this stuff, using it to build up cell walls, protect nerves, make vitamin D, generate hormones and a number of other very important things.
Your body makes its own cholesterol; you don’t need to get it from foods. The liver makes it, the intestines make it, and a couple other organs can make it as well.
Problem is getting it from where it’s being made to the rest of the body. Being a waxy sort of thing, it doesn’t mix with the blood so good. It needs a boat.
What’s HDL and LDL?
Both HDL and LDL are “lipoproteins”; that is, fatty proteins. A lipoprotein is a molecule with a protein on one end and a fat chain on the other. Here’s your boat, Mr. Cholesterol! HDL and LDL are molecules shaped like big bowls, and they’re perfectly suited for carrying fatty stuff through the bloodstream.
The HDL and LDL boats hold the cholesterol or triglycerides inside them and float along in the bloodstream, delivering their little packets of fatty goodness to whatever part of the body needs them.
Oh, good. Dexter has just asked to run the projector. Class, pay attention! And no gum-chewing during the film.
When LDL particles have delivered their passengers, they’re modified slightly and in the process get sticky. They start loitering on artery walls and harassing blood cells that are trying to get through. But our good friend HDL comes along and hauls them off before they get too rowdy. Assuming there are enough HDLs coming by. So you can see that LDL brings the fat to the party, and HDL comes along to clean up afterwards and get rid of the garbage. You may have heard that you want a higher HDL than LDL, and this is exactly why: there has to be enough garbage collectors to handle the waste made by the deliveries.
Can I get the Cliff Notes version?
Sure.
Cholesterol is important; your body needs it.
You can avoid cholesterol in foods, but your body makes it anyway.
Triglycerides are in just about every fat you eat, and your body can make them as well.
HDL and LDL are the transporters of cholesterol and triglycerides, and your body makes those too.
Too much of any of this is a bad thing, and can clog up your arteries. That leads to heart attack and/or stroke.
To be healthy, you have to have a proper level of HDL, LDL and triglycerides.
What should I do?
There are plenty of things you can do to get your cholesterol in check.
Take care of yourself!
Posted in Myocardial Monday