<a href="http://www.betterhumans.com/News/news.aspx?articleID=2003-12-22-8" title="Betterhumans > News > Cholesterol-free Mouse Engineered">Cholesterol-free Mouse Engineered</a>: “Too much cholesterol may be bad, but mice engineered to lack cholesterol completely have proven just how essential the compound is for health.
“Quark Biotech of Fremont, California together with scientists from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden and the Sackler School of Medicine in Israel were surprised that their cholesterol-lacking mouse survived and developed into adulthood at all…
“Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like steroid found in every cell of the body. It is used to help digest fats, strengthen cell membranes and make hormones.
“It is primarily synthesized in the liver, although other sites include the intestines, adrenal glands and reproductive organs.”
Managing cholesterol levels
Managing cholesterol levels important for heart: “Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol is the bad kind and tends to build up fatty deposits, called plaques, on the walls of the arteries. High-density lipoprotein is the good kind of cholesterol, which has at least two benefits. It tends to remove the fatty deposits from the artery walls and carry the fat back to the liver where it can be eliminated, and it also is able to stabilize existing plaques so they don’t rupture and start the sequence that can result in a heart attack or stroke…
“LDL and total cholesterol are still important risk factors, and if LDL cholesterol is high, lowering it helps prevent heart attacks and strokes at all ages. That said, the research clearly demonstrates that maintaining high HDL levels protects against cardiovascular disease. For both men and women, an HDL level of less that 40 milligrams per deciliter increases the risk, and a level of 60 mg/dL or more is considered protective. According to Donald A. Smith, MD, a cholesterol expert at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, for every 1 mg/dL increase in HDL, there is a 2- to 4-percent reduction in the risk of heart disease.
“So, how can you pump up your HDL? One proven booster is aerobic exercise. The effect on HDL is directly related to the amount of exercise. Another helper is moderate alcohol consumption. That means one drink a day for women, and no more than two drinks for men. What you drink doesn’t seem to matter, it’s the alcohol content that counts. If you don’t presently drink alcohol, however, this doesn’t mean you should start drinking.
“Triglycerides, another form of blood fat or lipid, should be kept below 150 mg/dL because there is an inverse relationship between HDL and triglycerides. If the triglycerides are high, HDL is probably low. You can lower triglycerides by losing weight and by limiting sugars (like those in fruit juices, soda, desserts and candy) and simple starches. Trans-fatty acids also lower HDL, so most commercially prepared baked goods are on the not-so-good list. Last, but not least, if you smoke, quit!”
Food Log
Breakfast was a few dried apricots and a few dates, a glass of orange juice, and a piece of toasted Italian bread. I weighed in at 160 pounds.
<ins datetime="2004-01-06T13:27:00-05:00">Lunch was a 4½ mile walk around campus (combining my lunch walk with visits to four telecommunications closets for pending designs). I am going to have an orange in a bit. My Mother always sends us a bushel of oranges from <a href="http://www.sunharvestcitrus.com/" title="Sun Harvest Citrus - Fresh Florida Citrus fruit and gift packages.">Sun Harvest Citrus</a> for Christmas. This year’s arrived yesterday, so this will be my first.</ins>
<ins datetime="2004-01-06T20:19:00-05:00">Dinner was a mixed green salad with <a href="http://www.newmansown.com/4a15_lightbalsamic.html" title="Newman's Own - Lighten Up - Light Balsamic Dressing">Newman’s Own Light Balsamic Vinaigrette</a>, a slice of Gretchen’s Italian bread, and two <a href="http://www.godiva.com/welcome.asp" title="Chocolate Gifts from Godiva">Godiva</a> chocolates.</ins>
Diet Doghnuts?
<a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB107325539963197900-search,00.html?collection=autowire%2F30day&vql_string=doughnut%3Cin%3E%28article-body%29" title="WSJ.com - Despite Best Efforts,
Doughnut Makers Must Fry, Fry Again”>Despite Best Efforts,
Doughnut Makers Must Fry, Fry Again: “Robert Ligon, a 68-year-old health-food executive, is scheduled to begin serving 15 months in a federal prison Tuesday. His crime: willfully mislabeling doughnuts as low-fat.
“Exhibit A: The label on his company’s ‘carob coated’ doughnut said it had three grams of fat and 135 calories. But an analysis by the Food and Drug Administration showed that the doughnut, glazed with chocolate, contained a sinfully indulgent 18 grams of fat and 530 calories…
“The low-fat doughnut is the Holy Grail of the food industry. Food companies have been able to take most of the fat out of everything from cheese to Twinkies. But no one has succeeded in designing a marketable doughnut that dips below the federal low-fat threshold of three grams per serving. Doughnuts typically range from eight grams of fat for a glazed French cruller to more than double that for a cake-like doughnut.
“Perhaps no other bakery good is so dependent on fat. After the batter is shaped into rings and dropped into hot oil, the deep-frying process preserves the shape, gives the doughnut a crust and pushes out moisture, allowing for the absorption of fat. The fat itself is responsible for most of its flavor. A doughnut contains as much as 25% fat; the bulk of that is the oil absorbed during frying, according to the American Institute of Baking, a research and teaching outfit funded by the baking industry.
“The low-fat doughnut, declares Len Heflich, an industry executive at the American Bakers Association, is ‘not possible.’”
Food Log
Breakfast was a few dried apricots and a few dried dates. I weighed in at 160 pounds.
<ins datetime="2004-01-05T19:27:00-05:00">No lunch today, though I did take a 3 mile walk around campus. Dinner was butternut squash and vegetable au gratin and a slice of Italian bread with two <a href="http://www.godiva.com/welcome.asp" title="Chocolate Gifts from Godiva">Godiva</a> chocolates for dessert.</ins>
Food Log
Breakfast was a few dried apricots and a few dried dates, a glass of orange juice, and a bowl of steel cut “Irish” oats with a little milk and some walnuts. I weighed in at 160 pounds.
Lunch was a redo of yesterday with Gretchen and I splitting the last <a href="http://www.saranac.com/paleale.html" title="SARANAC" rel="external">Saranac Pale Ale</a>. The last for how long? Who knows?
<ins datetime="2004-01-04T18:34:00-05:00">Dinner was Lo Mein with a <a href="http://www.godiva.com/welcome.asp" title="Chocolate Gifts from Godiva">Godiva</a> chocolate for dessert.</ins>
Roasting Peppers
<a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/01/02/earlyshow/saturday/chef/main591130.shtml" title="CBS News | Flavorful Organic Food | January 2, 2004�21:15:08">Roasting Peppers</a>: “To roast a bell or chile pepper, rinse and dry the pepper and place over an open flame, or under the broiler. Cook, turning with tongs, until the outer skin of the pepper is completely charred. Transfer the pepper to a paper sack, seal, and allow the pepper to steam for about 10 minutes. If you don’t have a paper sack, you can also place the peppers in a bowl and cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Gently rub the charred skin from the pepper, and rinse gently to remove any charred residue. Roasted peppers will keep, refrigerated for about a week.”
Seafood Watch
<a href="http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/seafoodwatch.asp" title="Monterey Bay Aquarium: Seafood Watch Program - A Consumer's Guide to Sustainable Seafood">What is Seafood Watch?</a> “A program of Monterey Bay Aquarium designed to raise consumer awareness about the importance of buying seafood from sustainable sources. We recommend which seafood to buy or avoid, helping consumers to become advocates for environmentally friendly seafood. We’re also partners of the <a href="http://www.seafoodchoices.net/">Seafood Choices Alliance</a> where, along with other seafood awareness campaigns, we provide seafood purveyors with recommendations on seafood choices.”
| Best Choice | Caution | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Catfish (Farmed) | Clams (wild-caught) | Caviar (wild-caught) |
| Caviar (Farmed) | Cod, Pacific | Chilean Seabass/Toothfish |
| Clams (Farmed) | Crab, Blue | Cod, Atlantic/Icelandic |
| Crab, Dungeness | Crab, Imitation/Surimi | Crab, King (Imported) |
| Crab, Snow (Canada) | Crab, King (AK) | Flounders (Atlantic; except Summer Flounder) |
| Crab, Stone | Crab, Snow (U.S.) | Grouper |
| Halibut, Pacific | Flounder, Summer/Fluke | Halibut, Atlantic |
| Lobster, Spiny/Rock (U.S., Australia) | Lobster, American Maine (All Sources) | Monkfish |
| Mussels (Farmed) | Mahi-Mahi, Dolphinfish/Dorado | Orange Roughy |
| Oysters (Farmed) | Oysters (wild-caught) | Rockfish Rock Cod/Pacific Snapper (Pacific; trawl-caught) |
| Salmon (CA, AK; wild-caught) | Pollock | Salmon, (farmed/Atlantic) |
| Salmon (canned) | Scallops, Bay | Sharks |
| Sardines | Scallops, Sea | Shrimp (imported) |
| Shrimp/Prawns (trap-caught) | Shrimp/Prawns (U.S. farmed or U.S. trawl-caught) | Snapper, Red |
| Striped Bass (Farmed) | Sole (Pacific) | Soles (Atlantic) |
| Sturgeon (Farmed) | Squid | Sturgeon (wild-caught) |
| Tilapia (Farmed) | Tuna (canned) | Swordfish |
| Trout, Rainbow (Farmed) | Tuna, Albacore/Yellowfin/Bigeye (longline or purse seine-caught) | Tuna, Bluefin |
| Tuna, Albacore/Yellowfin/Bigeye (troll/pole-caught) |
Food Log
Breakfast was a few dried apricots, figs, and Christmas cookies, with at glass of orange juice.
<ins datetime="2004-01-03T13:06:00-05:00">Lunch was a serving of bite sized tortilla chips (18 chips each) with some of our homemade cooked tomato salsa (about half a cup each) and a bean and cheese quesadilla, with a <a href="http://www.saranac.com/paleale.html" title="SARANAC">Saranac Pale Ale</a> to drink and a <a href="http://www.godiva.com/welcome.asp" title="Chocolate Gifts from Godiva">Godiva</a> chocolate for dessert.</ins>
<ins datetime="2004-01-03T18:34:00-05:00">Dinner was a pasta salad with a slice of Italian bread and two glasses of <a href="http://www.champagne-roederer.com/style/us/flash/brutprem.html" title="Brut premier">Louis Roederer Champagne Brut Premier®</a> to drink and a <a href="http://www.godiva.com/welcome.asp" title="Chocolate Gifts from Godiva">Godiva</a> chocolate for dessert.</ins>
Simple choices can boost nutrition
<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2004/HEALTH/diet.fitness/01/01/foods.2004/index.html" title="CNN.com - Simple choices can boost nutrition in 2004 - Jan. 2, 2004">Simple choices can boost nutrition in 2004</a>: “Many try to cut down on the intake of carbohydrates, staying away from pasta and refined sugars. But the next time you’re at the supermarket, eliminate pasta from that guilty-pleasure list by choosing whole wheat pasta, which is high in fiber.
“Choosing whole wheat pasta contributes to a lowered risk of heart disease, reduced complications linked to diabetes, a lower likelihood of having cancer and better gastrointestinal health because of more fiber.”