Editorial
Front Page - Friday, October 2, 2009
Kay's Cooking Corner
Kay Bona
Ok — I won’t bore you every week ranting about what you should and shouldn’t eat, but I do want to write one more thing — mainly because last week I stated that
exercise alone will not keep cholesterol at a good level. Some people have the idea that if they are
exercising and keeping their weight down, then everything should be hunky-dory. I wish it was that easy.
The hard part though, is exercise, weight control and what you eat. One of the toughest things to do (in my opinion) is to know exactly what you are putting into your body. Hard because it takes reading, paying attention to certain foods and control. (I hate that word!) Having control is relatively easy if it involves something other than food and/or stopping a bad habit.
There are several factors that cause high cholesterol; some we can control and some we can’t. Here are some proactive steps to controlling cholesterol:
• What you eat: Researchers aren’t exactly sure how a diet high in saturated fat leads to high cholesterol in the blood, but they do know that high cholesterol in the blood causes atherosclerosis (hardening or narrowing of the arteries). Fats that lead to atherosclerosis include saturated and trans fats, and cholesterol found in egg yolks, meat, and cheese. Read the labels — they usually give the cholesterol level.
• Weight: Obesity increases LDL (lousy) levels, reduces HDL (happy) levels, and increases the total cholesterol level. Watch your weight.
• Exercise: Sedentary lifestyles and lack of exercise raise cholesterol. Exercising helps lower the LDL level, raise the HDL level and maintain weight.
• Diabetes: Diabetes can worsen cholesterol levels, plus it’s an additional risk for coronary heart disease. If you have both diabetes and high LDL levels, the risk of coronary heart disease dramatically increases.
• High blood pressure: Hypertension, along with high cholesterol, increases the risk of heart disease and heart attack.
• Smoking: Cigarette smoking decreases HDL levels and is, in itself, an additional risk factor for atherosclerosis and heart disease.
Due to heredity, some people are destined to have high cholesterol. I have a few friends that, even after diligently watching their diet,
struggle with their cholesterol. Drug therapy is their only choice.
If cholesterol-lowering drugs are needed, implementing a healthy lifestyle, or the TLC diet (therapeutic lifestyle change), can greatly enhance the performance of these drugs. This particular diet includes getting at least 30 to 60 minutes of exercise daily, smoking cessation, maintaining a healthy weight,
limiting alcohol and sodium intake, increasing consumption of fruits and vegetables, and day eating fish twice a week.
The TLC diet has been shown to improve cholesterol levels. It is low in saturated fat (less than 7 percent of calories) and cholesterol (less than 200 mg/day), and it’s rich in soluble fiber (5 to 10 g/day) and plant stanols/sterols (2 g/day), which can be found in commercial margarines. Adhering to the TLC diet is effective in reducing cholesterol by 20 to 30 percent.
Amy, our Denverite daughter, loves Thai food. Here is a dish that is heart healthy and delicious!
Thai Asparagus Chicken
1/3 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon sesame oil
4 Tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup rice vinegar
2 green onions, chopped
1 fresh jalapeño pepper, chopped
5 Large cloves garlic, chopped
4 teaspoons fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
2-4 skinned, boneless chicken breast cutlets
1/2 pound fresh spinach linguine, cooked
1 pound fresh asparagus, steamed and cut into bite-size pieces
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Combine first eleven marinade ingredients. Marinate chicken about 30 minutes, reserving 1/3 cup of marinade for garnish. Sauté chicken in non-stick pan until cooked through.
Arrange pasta in large bowl, and toss with 1 tablespoon of marinade. Place chicken on pasta, and cover with asparagus. Warm remaining marinade, and pour over top. Garnish with cilantro.
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