PURE FOODS n' VIMALA'S KITCHEN

PLEASE DON'T FORGET OUR HUNGRY FOLKS...whatever you are able to do to help is greatly appreciated.

I give to our area Food Banks, The Red Cross and The Salvation Army who are always on the front lines of those who are in deep need. Goddess Blessings on your Giving.

HUNGRY AMERICANS!!!!!

This winter, a record 49 million Americans are going hungry because of the economy.²

Our country needs change that gets to the root of the problem, but we also need to help people survive the immediate crisis.

Here's a way to help: Feeding America is the nation's leading network of food banks—including one near you. For every $1 you donate, Feeding America can help provide 7 meals to men, women, and children facing hunger in our country.

Please contribute to Feeding America as generously as you can. Click here to make a tax-deductible donation before the end of the year:

http://help.feedingamerica.org/moveon

2. "Hunger in U.S. at a 14-Year High," The New York Times, November 16, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/17/us/17hunger.html

HDL vs. LDL Cholesterol

How "Good" and "Bad" Cholesterol Can Help or Harm Your Arteries.

Take the RealAge Cholesterol Assessment to learn your risk for heart disease

Take the Assessment

THANK YOU REAL AGE FOR THE WONDERFUL EDUCATION TO HELP OUR HEALTH STAY STRONG!

All cholesterol isn't the same. There's "good" HDL cholesterol and "bad" LDL cholesterol. Both types of cholesterol molecules travel through the bloodstream in globular packages in combination with lipoproteins, and they perform different functions.

HDL Cholesterol

High-density lipoproteins (HDL) are small, dense molecules responsible for transporting cholesterol to the liver.

HDL is good for your body because it helps remove cholesterol from the arteries and protects against dangerous blockages (plaques) in the arteries. HDL cholesterol is also less likely than other forms of cholesterol to oxidize and leave sticky plaques on artery walls.

"Your good HDL cholesterol hustles your bad LDL cholesterol to your liver to disposal before it can plant itself like barnacles in your arteries," says YOU Docs Mehmet C. Oz, M.D., and Michael F. Roizen, M.D.

People who exercise, don't smoke, and maintain a healthy weight tend to have higher levels of this “good” cholesterol. Low HDL levels can be a risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD), while high levels (>60 mg/dL) help reduce CHD risk.

Here's why exercise is a powerful way to improve your cholesterol.

LDL Cholesterol

Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) carries the majority of cholesterol through your bloodstream and delivers it to the cells of the body. These molecules are larger, less dense, and less stable than HDL. They readily oxidize and deposit plaques on arterial walls to likely to clog arteries and lead to cardiovascular disease. That's why LDL is known as the "bad" cholesterol. Follow the links for a healthy YOU.

Our family really celebrates during the holiday season! We have four birthdays during that special time after the winter solstice. In February we decide that we have had enough cake and ice cream and we turn our attention once again to lowering our cholesterol levels. However, I am a lover of cholesterol during the winter, it seems to make me warm. Here are some very tasty foods that you can find plentiful especially during the winter. I love to share my Real Age newsletters with you and encourage you to join Real Age too.

UPDATE FROM REAL AGE: www.realage.com/health-guides/foods

LOWERING LDL CHOLESTEROL LEVELS
REAL AGE

If you have unhealthy cholesterol levels (or want to prevent them), one of the first things you should examine is your diet. Are you eating foods that help reduce cholesterol? Or avoiding the ones that cause unhealthy cholesterol levels to creep higher? If not, we've got 10 cholesterol-lowering foods you should grab next time you're at the grocery store. Bonus: Lowering your bad (LDL) cholesterol can make your RealAge 3.3 years younger if you're a man, 0.6 years younger if you're a woman!

Almonds

Almonds are pretty hardworking nuts when it comes to lowering your cholesterol. First, they're rich in unsaturated fats that help raise healthy HDL cholesterol while lowering unhealthy LDL. Second, these fats also help make LDL cholesterol less likely to oxidize. Which is a fabulous thing, because when LDL oxidizes, it's more likely to gunk up your arteries and cut blood flow to the heart. Snack away. But do keep an eye on portion size. Almonds are high in calories, and all you need are a couple of ounces a day to reap benefits

Orange Juice

OJ manufacturers are doing everything they can to make their health food more appealing -- including fortifying their juice with plant-derived cholesterol-busting compounds known as phytosterols. A review of 84 scientific studies revealed that getting 2 grams of phytosterols a day - the amount in a couple 8-ounce glasses of sterol-fortified OJ -- could help lower harmful LDL levels by more than 8 percent. Check with your doctor first regarding whether citrus will interact with any of your medications. If it does, look for sterol-fortified margarine, milk, soymilk, cheese, or breads instead

Olive Oil

This oil is a nutritional superstar -- rich in antioxidants and heart-healthy monounsaturated fats that help lower "bad" LDL cholesterol and increase "good" HDL. In fact, in a study of people with high cholesterol, blood samples showed less potential for harmful clotting just two hours after the study subjects ate a meal with olive oil. That's because olive oil is rich in phenolics, plant substances that makes blood less likely to clot. All you need is about 2 tablespoons a day for benefit (use it in place of other fats).

Steamed Asparagus

There's nothing wrong with a platter of crudités or a salad if you want to improve your diet, but steaming may help improve the cholesterol-lowering capabilities of some produce, including asparagus. Other veggies that get better after a short bout in the steam: beets, okra, carrots, eggplant, green beans, and cauliflower. Researchers think steaming these veggies may help them do a better job of binding bile acids, which means your liver needs to use up more LDL cholesterol into order to make bile. That translates into less circulating LDL in your bloodstream.

Oatmeal

Your mama was right. Starting the day with a bowl of warm, toasty oatmeal is a smart move. Of all the whole grains, oats are the best source of soluble fiber -- the kind that forms a gel to prevent cholesterol from being absorbed into your bloodstream. Shoot for five to 10 grams of soluble fiber per day. If you have 1¼ cups of cooked oatmeal for breakfast, you'll start your day with 5 grams of the stuff. Top your oatmeal with a chopped-up apple for an extra 3 grams of fiber, and you're set.

Pinto Beans

Next time you make chili, add pinto beans to the pot. They're packed with soluble fiber to help drive down cholesterol. And in a study, people who ate a half-cup of pinto beans a day lowered their total cholesterol by 8 percent in just 12 weeks. Ole! (Tip: If you use canned beans, rinse them to wash away excess sodium.)

Blueberries

You've heard by now that blueberries are a nutritious superfood. One reason why they're so great? They help keep your arteries clear by reducing blood levels of artery-clogging LDL. Researchers suspect it's because the berries support liver function so well. The end result: cholesterol gets swept out of your system much more easily. Enjoy blueberries fresh, frozen, or freeze-dried. They still have the same benefits.

Tomatoes

Include lycopene-rich tomato products in your diet every day for a few weeks, and you may knock your bad LDL cholesterol levels down by as much as 10 percent, according to a recent study. Researchers think the lycopene in tomatoes inhibits LDL production while at the same time helping break down this artery-clogging fat. You'll need to consume at least 25 milligrams of lycopene a day for cholesterol benefits. That's about a half cup of tomato sauce. Bring on the marinara

Avocado

We always keep ripe avocados in the RealAge kitchen. Why? They're chock-full of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats that help knock down bad LDL cholesterol and triglycerides while boosting healthy HDL cholesterol. Even better, we love the fruit's (yep, it's a fruit) mild flavor and creamy texture. Mash avocado into guacamole, add slices to a sandwich, chop it up in a salad, or -- for a tasty snack -- simply spread a little on whole-grain crackers with a tiny pinch of coarse sea salt.

Dark Chocolate

If you're a chocoholic, here's some good news. Study after study confirms dark chocolate is pretty amazing, healthy stuff. It's full of flavonoids, which are antioxidants that help lower cholesterol. It also has oleic acid, the same type of heart-healthy monounsaturated fat found in olive oil. To improve your cholesterol, just have a little nibble -- up to 1 ounce of dark chocolate a day. And check the label to make sure your chocolate is at least 70 percent cocoa. Cocoa is the stuff with all the heart-healthy ingredients.

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Breast Cancer? Breast Health! the Wise Woman Way

Breast Cancer? Breast Health!
Author: Susun S. Weed. Foods, exercises, and attitudes to keep your breasts healthy. Supportive complimentary medicines to ease side-effects of surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, or tamoxifen. Foreword by Christiane Northrup, M.D. 380 pages, index, illustrations. retails $21.95 www.ashtreepublishing.com

Eat This to Reduce Breast Cancer Risk

By RealAge

Considering the blood sugar, cholesterol, digestive and appetite-controlling effects of fiber, who wouldn't sing its praises? Well, get ready to hum another bar.

The new verse is written mostly with ladies in mind. Research has revealed that dietary fiber may help reduce the risk of breast cancer, which is the most common type of cancer in women.

A Clear Link
After analyzing data from 10 large studies, researchers found a clear connection between dietary fiber consumption and risk of breast cancer. In reviewing the research they discovered that women with the most fiber in their diet were 11% less likely to develop breast cancer than those with the least. So, ladies, are you getting 30 to 35 grams of fiber a day?

How to Get There
If you eat about 2,000 calories a day, here's what you can to do consume at least 30 grams of fiber:

Grab a cup of oatmeal (4 grams) with a half a cup of raspberries (4 grams) for breakfast.
Snack on an ounce of almonds in the afternoon (3.5 grams).
For dinner, have a medium-sized baked potato with the skin (5 grams), and top it with half a cup of black beans (8 grams) and a half a cup of cooked spinach.

Find more delicious ways to bump up your fiber intake with these tasty options.

Extra fiber got you gassy? Try this to help keep you from feeling bloated.