In the United States, the most common type of heart disease is coronary artery disease (CAD), which leads many to heart attacks. You can greatly reduce your risk for CAD through lifestyle changes and, in some cases, medication. CAD consists of cholesterol and placque build up, even tar if a smoker,  that can be deadly in time with blocking the arteries called atherosclerosis.  This in time left untreated can lead to a heart attack or even silent heart attack.  CAD also is the brittling of the arteries causing narrowing of the arteries called arteriosclerosis.  Here it is the ending result is the blood supply is affected in not getting enough oxygen to the tissue, in particular the heart for CAD.

It is still the number one killer even greater than cancer in both men and women today.  This disease should be rare do to a lot of cardiac disease is inflicted upon humans through being overweight through just bad healthy habits practiced.  Obesity can cause diabetes II, heart disease, high blood pressure, and more.  High blood pressure is called the “silent killer” because it often has no warning signs or symptoms, and many people don’t realize they have it. That’s why it’s important to get your blood pressure checked regularly.  The good news is that you can take steps to prevent high blood pressure, or to treat it if it is already high.

What we can do is make some changes in our living.  We westerners create an increase in diabetes, heart disease and some cancers.  AMERICA WE NEED TO WAKE UP AND MAKE A CHANGE.  TO THE MAIN CULPRITES we are talking about sugars and fat (OUR DIET).  GLUCOSE and LIPIDS!.  The typical American diet is consisted and loaded with sugar and fats.  Lack of exercise and stress doesn’t help the situation.  Get peace of mind through again making changes in your life if you are striving to become healthier.  Let’s look at cholesterol = 2 types HDL and LDL.  LDL is the bad cholesterol.  Know if your LDL is type A or type B.  If you have a high HDL level and a low LDL that is good but ask your doctor to see if you can get a blood test checking both type A and type B of your cholesterol that will give you the knowledge if you need to take an action.  Go to CDC.org to see the different number ranges of both men and women on their levels and more.  Just knowing your cholesterol level isn’t enough but does give the doctor some direction.  Knowing if your type A or type B LDL helps even more with knowing your risk of heart disease.

Cholesterol only becomes a problem if the LDL gets too high with high pattern type B which is worse with stress and smoking and processed foods in high amounts eaten. Particles called lipoproteins carry cholesterol in the blood. There are two kinds of lipoproteins you need to know about: LDL and HDL. The plasma lipoprotein particles classified under

high-density (HDL) and low-density (LDL) lipoproteins enable fats to be carried in the blood stream. 

-Low-density lipoproteins (LDL) cholesterol

make up the majority of the body’s cholesterol. LDL is known as “bad” cholesterol because having high levels can lead to a buildup in the arteries and result in heart disease.

-High-density lipoproteins (HDL) cholesterol

absorb cholesterol and carry it back to the liver, which flushes it from the body. High levels of HDL, or “good” cholesterol, reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Apolipoprotein A1 (apoA1) is the major protein of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and apoB is among the major proteins of very low-, low- (LDL), and intermediate-density lipoproteins. Because of their associations with the respective lipoproteins, apoA1 is inversely and apoB is positively associated with cardiovascular risk (2). In fact, evidence suggests that apoA1 and apoB are better predictors of heart disease risk than are HDL and LDL cholesterol levels (3-5). Apolipoproteins may also offer advantages over lipoprotein cholesterol measurements because they are direct measurements, whereas LDL, for example, is calculated from other lipoproteins from a fasting blood sample.

You can take several steps to maintain a normal cholesterol level.

Get a blood test.

Eat a healthy diet.

Maintain a healthy weight.

Exercise regularly.

Don’t smoke.

Treat high cholesterol.

Dietary proteins are first broken down to individual amino acids by various enzymes and hydrochloric acid present in the gastro-intestinal tract.^[1] These amino acids are further broken down to α-keto acids which can be recycled in the body for generation of energy, and production of glucose or fat or other amino acids. This break-down of amino acids to α-keto acids occurs in the liver by a process known as transamination, which follows a bimolecular ping pong mechanism.  Wikipedia

Let’s not forget with enzymes they also break proteins down in our body:

Thebreaking down of proteins=Trypsin Proteins are large biological molecules consisting of one or more chains of amino acids.  Proteins perform a vast array of functions within living organisms, including catalyzing metabolic reactions, replicating DNA, responding to stimuli, and transporting molecules from one location to another.  Trypsin is a enzyme catalyst, which allows the catalysis of chemical reactions.   The ending product of the break down is amino acids not sugar.  Know high on a protein diet continuously for years can hurt the body also.                                                                                                                                                             Enzymes deal with breaking down our foods because they take a major role in what we call the process digestion in the human body.  but notice what the ending result is of mostly every ingredient in our 4 food groups is; SUGAR.  It because of the food has some sugar in it but also the chemical reaction with the enzyme to allow the food to break down into smaller compounds to be utilized in the body with send through the entire digestion process.

There are risks with eating just high protein diets for long periods of time.  You put yourself at risk for:  Osteoporosis:  Research shows that women who eat high protein diets based on meat have a higher rate of bone density loss than those who don’t. Women who eat meat lose an average of 35% of their bone density by age 65, while women who don’t eat meat lose an average of 18%. In the long run, bone density loss leads to osteoporosis.

Kidneys:  A high protein diet puts strain on the kidneys.  It is well known that patients with kidney problems suffer from eating a high protein diet which is due to the high amino acids levels.   A high-protein diet may worsen kidney function in people with kidney disease because your body may have trouble eliminating all the waste products of protein metabolism.

However, the risks of using a high-protein diet with carbohydrate restriction for the long term are still being studied. Several health problems may result if a high-protein diet is followed for an extended time:

Some high-protein diets restrict carbohydrate intake so much that they can result in nutritional deficiencies or insufficient fiber, which can cause health problems such as constipation and diverticulitis.

Some high-protein diets promote foods such as red meat and full-fat dairy products, which may increase your risk of heart disease.

If you want to follow a high-protein diet, do so only as a short-term weight-loss aid.  Also, choose your protein wisely. Good choices include fish, skinless chicken, lean beef, pork and low-fat dairy products. Choose carbs that are high in fiber, such as whole grains and nutrient-dense vegetables and fruit.

It’s always a good idea to talk with your doctor before starting a weight-loss diet. And that’s especially important in this case if you have kidney disease, diabetes or other chronic health condition.

So if you want to continue on high protein diets longer than 6 months know how to alkalize the body chemicals to decrease the proteins and there are supplements that can do that via the pharmacy or look up even online.

If you’re interested with wanting Dr. Anderson and myself in getting you started go to heathyusa.tsfl.com and just take a peek at no charge, no hacking, no donations, no subscription just letting you know what we offer; you may just like what you see.  I did it and lost 22lbs.  I feel better and healthier.  You may just pass it over to family and friends spreading the good news that could just make our country a healthier one.

Enzymes are vital for processes to take place in our body without them they couldn’t take place.  What are enzymes exactly?   We have an many enzymes  in our body from our saliva to our pancrease.  Enzymes are specialized proteins that are produced by living cells to catalyze reactions in the body=breakdown.   Protein in the form of an enzyme acts as a catalyst.  A catalyst in action brakes down something, any chemical substance affected with the speed of reaction without being permanently altered by the reaction.  For a chemical or biochemical reaction to occur, a certain amount of energy is required=the activation energy.  Energy can be transformed from one state to another.  The role of an enzyme is to decrease the amount of energy needed to start the reaction.  Exactly how enzymes lower activation energies is not completely and fully understood but it is known that an enzyme attaches itself to one of the reacting molecules, this is called a substrate complex.  Thousands of enzymes exist but each kind can attach ONLY to one kind of substrate.  The enzyme molecule must fit exactly with the substrate molecule (just like how pieces in a jigsaw puzzle have to fit in their specific space of the picture).  Well, if the substrate and enzyme don’t perfectly match or fit properly no reaction takes place.  When they do fit perfectly the substrate molecule can react with other molecules in a synthesis reaction and when completed the enzyme is free to move on elsewhere to connect with another substrate molecule.  This whole process takes place quickly.  Clearly, enzymes are essential to the body’s overall homeostasis. (In order to lead a healthy life, we need to bring a balance in the way we lead our lifestyle.  Homeostasis is nothing but a mechanism which helps the human body maintain a balance between the internal and external environment).  Enzymes quickly perform catalyze chemical reactions and they also govern the reactions that occur.   Enzymes are named by adding the suffix “ase” to the name of their substrates.  For example there is:  The breaking down of starches = the enzyme that does this function is amylase.  (Know this about amylase, it is present in human saliva where it begins the chemical process of digestion; that starts in our mouth. Foods that contain much starch but little sugar, such as rice and potato, taste slightly sweet as they are chewed because amylase turns some of their starch into sugar in the mouth. The pancreas also makes amylase (alpha amylase) to hydrolyse dietary starch into disaccharides and trisaccharides which are converted by other enzymes to glucose to supply the body with energy.  There is even b and y amylases. Ending product on enzymes breaking down starches or carbohydrates gives us one thing only sugar.)                                                                                                                                                      The breaking down of sugars, like sucrose = the enzyme is sucrase.  The ending product of the enzyme is it breaks down complex sugars to more simple sugars in the body.                                                                                                                                                                             The breaking down of fats (lipids) = the enzyme is lipase.  Lipase perform essential roles in the digestion, transport and processing of dietary lipids in most if not all living organisms (example (triglycerides, fats, oils).Most lipases act at a specific position on glycerol backbone of lipid substrate (A1,A2 or A3 in the small intestines).  For example, human pancreatic lipase (HPL) is the main enzyme that breaks down dietary fats in the digestive system, converts triglyceride substrates found in ingested oils to monoglycerides and two fatty acids.  Know that glycerol is a simple sugar compound.                                                                   

Enzymes deal with breaking down our foods because they take a major role in what we call the process digestion in the human body but notice what the ending result is of mostly every ingredient out of 3 of our food groups, which is SUGAR.  It’s because of the food already having some sugar in it but more importantly also the chemical reaction with the enzyme to allow the food to break down into smaller compounds to be utilized in the body=simpler sugar compounds which also plays a part in the entire digestion process.

So know sugar in the body is our fuel for energy but with our digestion process, in how it works is like this:  when the body gets a meal within 1 hour digestion starts in the stomach and complete in 6 to 8 hours depending on how large the meal is, especially if 3 large meals a day.  The foods if contain starches, fat, lipids they all break down to simple sugars that transfer to the bloodstream and whatever energy the body needs at that point the tissues with cells utilize it but when enough sugar is used and we have excess in the blood we than have the body store the extra sugar that first converts the glucose (active sugar) to glycogen (inactive sugar) in our liver.  The liver is only so big and when it reaches its optimal level of storage than the sugar gets stored in our fat tissue = WEIGHT GAIN.  This is the problem with people in America not understanding this process.  Plus as most people get older from 30 than to 40 years old and every 10 years after that till heaven we put cellulite on the body for 2 major reasons not eating as healthy due to the bikini and speedo fit not being the priority in life but getting the feet up after a hard day’s work is.  The other reason is we aren’t as active as when we were 20 or 30 years old and the metabolism naturally slows down unless you’re a Jack la Lanne.

How do we deal with this to prevent obesity?  Do what I did go on a 6 small meal diet.  Eat a meal every 3 hours with keeping fat, calories/sugar, carbohydrates in proper proportions to prevent excess sugar in the meals to not allow fat storage=weight gain.  Of course some exercise or activity daily or every other day helps tone the muscle and not let it flab due to cellulite.  Live healthier habits of living not a month, 3 months or 6 months but make it your daily routine with treating yourself to foods you don’t eat daily to maintain a good weight and increase your health status to allow you to live a happier, longer and more exciting life.  Dr. Anderson with his book “Dr. A’s Habits of Health” with me as your medifast coach show you how easy it is.   You learn all 4 food groups and how to divide them up in your meals with first starting with medifast foods 3 to 6 months and when you feel you have reached the weight you want to be at with knowing the routine you can stop or continue with regular foods and medifast for snacks only, maybe.  You make all the choices.

Q. What makes cholesterol good or bad for your health?
A. Cholesterol travels through the bloodstream packaged inside a protein        called a lipoprotein. There are two kinds of lipoproteins that are important when        discussing cholesterol—         bad (LDL) cholesterol        and         HDL (good) cholesterol. LDL cholesterol is considered “bad” because too much of it in your bloodstream        can contribute to plaque buildup        in your         arteries        over time, also known as         atherosclerosis. 

In our body we have cholesterol which is a type of fat.  In certain foods is cholesterol depending on the food you buy. Your total cholesterol includes LDL (low-density lipoprotein) and HDL (high density lipoprotein) cholesterol.  Let’s differentiate the two, LDL is bad cholesterol because it can build up in the arterial walls and form plaque in time.  That build up in the arteries will reduce blood flow and increase your risk to heart disease, especially eating frequently the wrong foods with high and bad cholesterol over years (Example. coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, and eating like this for years can lead to a heart attack or from s/s arising scarring the person to go to the doctor and find out they have blockages & need surgery.  The s/s arising scarring the person can range from chest pain, and can be radiating down the arms,  sweating profusely, weakness/fatigue increases in your life, dizziness, you feel like you’re going to fall or actually due to the fatigue/weakness=low B/P due to the blockage or the heart just working too hard in doing its function since the cardiac output is decreased from the blockage) Take one of my dear friends who I have known almost 35 years who was a workaholic 10to14hr/7 days a week for at least 25 years and this week he had to undergo surgery for a coronary artery blockage bypass for  5 vessels blocked 80% to 100%.  He had a successful bypass done but now has a long rehab hall to get better due to high cholesterol eating, smoking (that both play an impact in plaque & tar build up in the vessels) but he also was obese about 50lbs.  This could have been prevented if he changed his diet, watched his weight, and quit smoking years ago but that takes discipline, making sacrifices=all within your hands to allow for healthy habits now (prevention) or later when problems occur (treatment), if caught in time. There is a way out of this happening to you.                                                                                                                                           HDL (high density lipoprotein) cholesterol is also known as good cholesterol because it is thought to help remove bad cholesterol from the body; if you decide the right foods in the right portions that will have more HDL than LDL in them.  Differentiating the 2, now another component to keep in mind is risk factors that can put you at risk for heart disease and your doctor will determine what additional risk factors you have putting you at risk for heart disease.  These risk factors can be modifiable (controllable by individuals) or non-modifiable (non-controllable by individuals).

Modifiable Risk Factors=High B/P, Diabetes, Low HDL=good cholesterol, High LDL=bad cholesterol, smoking, eating foods high in SATURATED FAT & CHOLESTEROL, lack of any activity in your life (your regular routine doesn’t count), & harmful use of alcohol.

Non-modifiable Risk Factors=4 types only which are:  1-Heredity (The higher the risk is when the heredity is closer to you in your family tree=Nuclear family–mom, dad, and siblings). 2-Age (Men aged 45y/o or older & Women aged 55 y/o or older) 3-Gender (It may affect your risk, for years heart disease was considered a man’s disease but we now know that heart disease is the leading cause of death for women as well as men.  Although men tend to develop coronary artery disease earlier in life, after age 65 the risk of heart disease for both genders is equal.

) 4-Race (Heart disease is higher among African Americans, Mexican Americans, American Indians, native Hawaiians, and some Asian Americans compared to Caucasians).

The answer to prevention or treatment of cardiac disease is changing or modifing your diet, if it’s unhealthy 100% or just partially.  The answer includes exercise (from just walking or if you like working out, even better) and if needed medication but your doctor will decide.  All these changes can modify your blood lipid profile=cholesterol control, which helps increasing your heart to a better tolerance with activity, stress and simply functioning.  Recommended is going to a cardiologist for people diagnosed with heart conditions or your general practitioner with any illness/disease before making changes to help guide you towards the right choices.  Your doctor can help you in determining which prevention or treatment plan is best for you.

Foods high in cholesterol=Fast foods, whole fat dairy products-milk/cheese/butter/mayonnaise/ bacon/processed deli meats/salad dressings and shortenings.

The key is to be living a healthy life.  This consists of diet, exercise or activity and healthy habits learned and practiced routinely in your life that will help prevent or assist in treating cardiac disease.  The better we treat ourselves regarding health the higher the odds we will live a longer and healthier life.  There is not just one food to eat or one type of exercise to do or one healthy habit to keep you healthy, there’s choices.  Come onto my website which is no fee, no charge, no hacking, just letting you check us out to look further in understanding how to take a shape for your life with Dr. Anderson and even myself as your health coach in helping you learn what healthier habits or changes you want for a healthier way of living.  It allows you to make all the decisions in what you want to do regarding what to eat (diet), exercise/activity, and what healthy habits you want to add in your life.  We just provide the information and healthy foods in your diet, if you decide you want it.  You make all the choices.  Wouldn’t you want less disease/illness for yourself and for others throughout the nation including the future generations.  Thank you for lending me your ear in listening how we can help you get healthier and make a healthier USA.  Click onto heathyusa.tsfl.com and I hope to hear from you soon.

“Winter is coming and it’s time to prepare your home for the coming chill. There are a few things you can do to help take the bite out of what lies ahead. Sealing leaks in windows and doors and checking your furnace, water heater and chimney will help to make your home more energy efficient, keep your family comfortable and hopefully lower those heating bills.”

Kim Smith Hardwarians from True Value