Author: Dr. Randall Snook

Tips To Lower Your Cholesterol Without Medication

High cholesterol is a major risk factor for the development of a heart attack or stroke due to plaque formation in your arteries (atherosclerosis).

Here are some simple ways to reduce your cholesterol that are non prescription’ to start lowering your risk for heart attack and stroke:

  • Portion control: use your hand as a guide to the size of portions of meat (palm), fruit (fist), and veggies (cupped hand).
  • Serve up mostly heart healthy foods: 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables per day.
  • Go to the sea twice a week: eat fish twice a week, good for omega-3 fatty acids.
  • Whole grains: oatmeal or whole grain cereal to start your day and brown rice, quinoa or whole wheat pastas/breads.
  • Go nuts: a handful of almonds daily.
  • Unsaturated fats: you need 25-35% of your calories to come from fat, use only canola, olive and safflower oils.
  • Beans, beans: eat fewer potatoes and more beans.
  • Exercise: 30 minutes of vigorous activity 5 times a week and walk or take the stairs instead of driving or elevators.
  • If you are ‘eating out’ at a restaurant: pick a dish that is broiled, baked, steamed, or grilled, not deep fat fried.
  • Reduce your stress.
  • Lose weight.
  • Follow your Doctors’ advice.

Diet, exercise and weight loss are always ‘sure fire’ ways to help lower your cholesterol and reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke.

Here is also an extensive list of foods and other products known for lowering cholesterol:

Mayo Clinic Likely Effective List:

  • Artichoke
  • Barley
  • Beta Sitosterol-from certain margarines and ‘Promise’
  • Blond Psyllium-from seed husks and ‘Metamucil’
  • Garlic
  • Oat Bran-from oatmeal and whole oats
  • Sitostanol-from certain margarines and ‘Benecol’
  • Others-Fish oil, flaxseed (ground), green tea extract, red yeast rice

WebMD Effective List:

  • Niacin (Vitamin B3)
  • Niacinamide (Vitamin B3)
  • Kefir

WebMD Possibly Effective List:

  • Alfalfa
  • Almonds
  • ArtichokeAvocado
  • Barley
  • Beta Glucans
  • Chocolate
  • Flaxseed
  • Red Wine
  • Safflower
  • Soy
  • Post Fermentation (dark) Tea

Incorporate these recommendations and products/foods into your life and you can make a difference in reducing your risk for heart attack and stroke!

How Do I Quit Smoking And What Are Some Alternative Ways To Do So?

The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report 5 million people worldwide die every year from smoking or the complications from smoking.

The best way to quit smoking is never to start smoking or prevent yourself from ever starting.

But if you are already a smoker, here are some tips and alternative ways to quit:

  • Nicotine replacement therapy in the form of patches, gum, lozenges, nasal spray or the medications bupropion (wellbutrin) or varenicline (Chantix).
  • Oral fixation replacement. Chew on things like gum, toothpicks, mints and lozenges. Look for sugar free ones to avoid excess calories.
  • Hypnosis or hypnotherapy. You must be open to this method. Make sure you seek a licensed therapist.
  • Acupuncture can ease withdrawal symptoms and cravings.
  • Herbal remedies. Valerian root, St John’s wort, oat straw, lobelia and peppermint tea to name a few. All are mostly calming and relieve the anxiety of nicotine withdrawal.

I do not recommend alternative cigarettes as each has it’s own hazards very similar to regular cigarettes:

  • Clove cigarettes contain a whopping 60% tobacco and only 40% clove.
  • Herbal cigarettes have some of the same toxins of regular cigarettes like tar and carbon dioxide.
  • Light cigarettes are not safer as most smokers take deeper breaths with these or will smoke more to begin with, worsening there addiction.
  • Electronic cigarettes have the same carcinogens and toxic chemicals including diethylene glycol (antifreeze).

The Best Way To Stop Smoking Permanently:

  • Make a game plan. I tell my patients to set a specific quit date. Make it one that has some significance, birthday, holiday or anniversary.
  • Make a list of reasons to quit or motivating factors. It does not matter what they are, just write them down. You must be ready to quit!
  • Nicotine replacement therapy is critical for the nicotine withdrawal.
  • Get help. Support groups and help from spouse, family, friends or even professional help groups can give you the courage to get over the hump!

Always remember, it is never too late nor too early to stop smoking!

Ask your Doctor for help and make sure you are truly committed to quitting as this will increase your chances of becoming a successful Nonsmoker!

Is Your New Year’s Resolution To Break A Bad Health Habit?

A habit is a choice we deliberately make at some point and then stop thinking about but continue making every day.

A habit is a formula our brain automatically follows: when I see a Cue, I will do a Routine in order to get a Reward.

We all have habits….good and bad.

How can you begin to identify and modify those habits you want to change and improve your health and happiness?

The core of all habits have been found to be three parts of a loop:

  • a cue
  • a routine
  • a reward

An Example: I take a break from work every day to go to the break room and eat something (cookie or candy) and talk to coworkers.

The framework to changing this habit has these steps:

  • Identify the routine: you get up from the desk, walk to the break room, grab a snack, eat it and talk.
  • Experiment with the reward: mix it up by doing something different when you get to the break room, or even go somewhere else.
  • Isolate the cue: identify this by asking five simple questions 1. where are you 2. what time is it 3. what is your emotional state 4. who else is around 5. what action preceded the urge.
  • Have a plan: write it out. Now that you have identified the reward triggering the behavior, the cue triggering it, and the routine itself, shift the behavior with a plan that eliminates the undesirable behavior in the loop.

This technique can be used to help reduce overeating, smoking cessation, drinking too much alcohol, improve exercise routines or stop watching too much television or too much time playing video games.

Try it and see how you can change bad health habits.

Be patient with this system as you may find yourself occasionally falling back into the old habit, but with time, you can change that bad health habit into one that is not only healthy but will make you a happier person!

Have You Had Your Vitamin D Level Checked Recently?

Vitamin D deficiency in America has become a widespread problem.

A recent CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) report indicated that 1/3 of Americans aren’t getting enough vitamin D.

One quarter were at risk for vitamin D inadequacy and 8 percent at risk for deficiency.

Individuals with darker skin tones are even more likely to be low in vitamin D than those with lighter skin.

Low vitamin D levels can occur when:

  • The recommended intake is low over time
  • A person has limited sunlight exposure
  • The kidneys cannot convert vitamin D 25(OH) to its usable form
  • The absorption of vitamin D in the gut is inadequate
  • Vitamin D deficient diets like in milk allergy, lactose intolerance, ovo-vegitarianism and veganism

Vitamin D deficiency results in:

  • Ricketts in children resulting in soft bones and skeletal deformities
  • Osteomalacia in adults resulting in weak bones, bone pain and muscle weakness
  • May contribute to obesity and reduced mental clarity

Groups who are at risk of vitamin D deficiency:

  • Breast fed infants
  • Older adults
  • People with limited sun exposure
  • People with dark skin
  • People with fat malabsorption
  • People who are obese or have undergone gastric bypass surgery

Adequate levels of vitamin D can help promote good health as it:

  • May prevent certain cancers such as colon, prostate and breast, and prevent cardiovascular disease
  • May enhance the immune system
  • Promotes skeletal health by the prevention of osteoporosis and may enhance physical performance
  • May have a role in the prevention of type I and type II diabetes, glucose intolerance, hypertension and multiple sclerosis

Where can you get vitamin D? Here is what is described as the dietary guidelines for Americans:

  • Emphasize a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products. Milk is fortified with vitamin D and many ready-to-eat cereals and some brands of yogurt and orange juice. Cheese naturally contains small amounts of vitamin D
  • Includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts. Fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, and mackerel are very good sources of vitamin D. Small amounts of vitamin D are also found in beef liver and egg yolks.
  • Is low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt (sodium), and added sugars. Vitamin D is added to some margarines.
  • Stays within your daily calorie needs.

How much is vitamin D is recommended for children and adults per day?

  • Children 400 IU per day
  • Adults 600-1000 IU per day

So have your vitamin D level measured today and make sure you are getting adequate vitamin D intake in your diet for good health!

Are You Suffering From Thyroid Dysfunction (Hypothyroidism) And You Didn’t Even Know It?

Millions of Americans suffer from the symptoms of thyroid dysfunction without ever knowing it.

In fact, it is estimated that more than 30 million women and 15 million men have an underactive thyroid or hypothyroidism.

Our endocrine system is made up of the glands that produce the hormones that circulate in our bodies that are responsible for growth, repair, metabolism, energy and reproduction.

The thyroid is one of these glands that when underactive can affect our health systemically in a negative way.

What are some of the less conspicuous symptoms of a low thyroid?

  • Feeling blue or unmotivated.
  • Constipation.
  • Difficulty sleeping.
  • Overweight and having trouble shedding pounds.
  • Low body temperature, joint aches, edema, light sensitivity.

How can you find out if you have hypothyroidism? Ask your Doctor to run the following blood tests:

  • TSH
  • Free T3
  • Reverse T3
  • The thyroid antibodies TPO (Thyroid Peroxidase Antibody) and ATA (Anti Thyroglobulin Antibody) to rule out Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis
  • Celiac comprehensive panel to rule out concomitant celiac disease

How can my diet help me get started in repairing my underactive thyroid?

  • Completely remove gluten from your diet.
  • Eat foods with thyroid friendly vitamins and minerals such as Vitamin D, iron, selenium and zinc.
  • Avoid foods that inhibit thyroid health such as raw cruciferous vegetables, soy, sugar and caffeine.

You may require medication to supplement your underactive thyroid in the form of T4 (levothyroxine), T3 (cytomel) or a combination of T3 and T4 (Armour thyroid).

The bottom line is ask your Doctor to routinely screen you for your thyroid function to prevent you from suffering from this very easily diagnosed and treatable problem of hypothyroidism.