By Staff
September is National Cholesterol Education Month. This week would be a good time to find out if you are cholesterol smart.
I have decided to give you an opportunity to test your knowledge of cholesterol. The results will give you a good idea of what you may need to give some attention to in the area of your cholesterol numbers.
Test how much you know about high cholesterol with the following questions. Circle either true or false.
1) T F High blood cholesterol is one of the risk factors for heart disease that you can do something about.
2) T F To lower your blood cholesterol level you must stop eating meat altogether.
3) T F Fish oil supplements are recommended to lower blood cholesterol.
4) T F Saturated fats raise your blood cholesterol level more than anything else in your diet.
5) T F All vegetables oils help lower blood cholesterol levels.
6) T F Reading food labels can help you eat the heart health way.
Here are the answers to the questions. You may be surprised at some truths found here.
1. True. High blood cholesterol is considered a controllable risk factor for heart disease. High blood, cigarette smoking, diabetes, overweight, and physical inactivity are the others.
2. False. Although some red meat is high in saturated fat and cholesterol, you do not need to stop eating it or any other single food. To cut back on the amount of saturated fat and cholesterol that you eat, choose lean cuts of meat with fat trimmed and watch portion sizes
3. False. The use of fish oil supplements has not been proven to reduce blood cholesterol levels. However, fish is a good food choice because it is low in saturated fat.
4. True. Saturated fats raise your blood cholesterol level more than anything else. So, the best way to reduce your cholesterol level is to cut back on the amount of saturated fats that you eat. These fats are found in animal products such as butter, cheese, cream, fatty meats, ice cream, and whole milk. They are also found in some vegetable oils - coconut, palm and palm kernels oils.
5. False. Most vegetables oils – canola, corn, olive, safflower oils - contain mostly mono- and poly-unsaturated fats, which help lower blood cholesterol. However, a few vegetable oils - coconut, palm, and palm kernel oils - contain more saturated fat than unsaturated fat.
6. True. Look on the nutrition label for the amount of saturated fat, total fat, cholesterol, and total clarifies in the serving of the product. Use this information to compare similar products. Also, look for the list of ingredients. To choose foods low in saturated fat or total fat, go easy on products that list fats or oil first, or that list many fat and oil ingredients.
Source: Facets, September 2007
Recently while attending a Sunday morning service at a local church I noticed some interesting tips on the back of a hand fan. It was entitled &#8220How to Get Along With People” (author unknown).
The message was so inspiring and timely, that I wanted to share it with all of you. (I think you should cut this article out and save it for future reference). Here are the 10 tips on How to Get Along With People:
Keep skid chains on your tongue: always say less than you think. How you say it often counts more than what you say.
Make promises sparingly and keep them faithfully, no matter what it costs you.
Never let an opportunity pass to say a kind and encouraging thing to or about somebody. Praise good work done, regardless of who did it. If criticism is needed, criticize helpfully, never spitefully.
Be interested in others: interested in their pursuits, their welfare, their homes and families. Let everyone you meet however humble, feel that you regard him as one of importance.
Be cheerful. Keep the corners of your mouth turned up. Hide your pains, worries and disappointments under a smile. Laugh at good stories and learn to tell them.
Preserve an open mind on all debatable questions. Discuss, but not argue. It is a mark of superior minds to disagree and yet be friendly.
Let your virtues speak for themselves, and refuse to talk of another's vices. Make it a rule to say nothing of another unless it is something good.
Be careful of another's feeling. Wit and humor at the other fellow's expense are rarely worth the effort.
Pay no attention to ill-natured remarks about you. Simply live that nobody will believe them. Disordered nerves and a bad digestion are a common cause of backbiting.
Don't be too anxious about your dues. Do your work, be patient and keep your disposition sweet, forget self and you will be rewarded.
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