Cholesterol Expert Lisa Nelson, RD, LN shares Cholesterol management news and commentary at CholesterolNetwork.com. The HealthCentral Network, Inc. (www.HealthCentral.com) is one of the top health destinations on the Web, with more than 35 condition-specific, wellness and general health Web properties. http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/c/42538 http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/c/42538/rss self application/xml en-us 15 120 19 http://www.healthcentral.com/images/hc_logo_sm.gif http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/c/42538 http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/c/42538/102981/cholesterol Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:59:00 -0500 Lisa Nelson, RD, LN Olympian Mark Spitz, swimming champion, won 7 gold medals at the 1972 Olympic Games. This long standing record was just recently surpassed by Michael Phelps with 8 gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.   Mark Spitz is now retired and turns 60 years-old on February 10th. Back in 2002, Mark was diagnosed with cholesterol levels above 300 mg/dl. He worked with his physician to lower his levels through exercising and medication... http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/c/42538/102981/cholesterol http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/c/42538/101179/cholesterol Tue, 19 Jan 2010 11:27:00 -0500 Lisa Nelson, RD, LN Cholesterol has been strongly linked to heart disease and causes quite a bit of fear when someone learns their cholesterol levels are elevated. However, some cholesterol issues have been misunderstood. Let's clear up a few of these misconceptions.   Myth #1: Dietary cholesterol is dangerous.   False. If you do not consume cholesterol in your diet your body will produce the cholesterol it needs. The lower your dietary... http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/c/42538/101179/cholesterol http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/c/42538/100394/bar-blunders Mon, 11 Jan 2010 18:50:00 -0500 Lisa Nelson, RD, LN When trying to lose weight a salad can be a great choice to include as a regular part of your meal plan - either as a vegetable side or the main entrée. However, a salad can quickly become a weight loss disaster if you make the 7 mistakes below! Mistake #1 - Selecting iceberg lettuce. Iceberg lettuce is one of the most common forms of lettuce you'll find in grocery stores and salad bars. Unfortunately iceberg lettuce provides minimal... http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/c/42538/100394/bar-blunders http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/c/42538/97925/trans-fats-21 Mon, 14 Dec 2009 13:44:00 -0500 Lisa Nelson, RD, LN A study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that most American's know they need to avoid trans fats, but only 20% actually knew which foods contained trans fats. A University of Colorado researcher, Dr. Robert Eckel, surveyed 1,000 US adults. Here's what he found: 92% of Americans have heard of trans fat. 73% of Americans know trans fats increase the risk of heart disease. 77% of Americans know saturated... http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/c/42538/97925/trans-fats-21 http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/c/42538/96794/grains-benefit Tue, 01 Dec 2009 16:44:00 -0500 Lisa Nelson, RD, LN When it comes to lowering high cholesterol fiber plans a critical role, specifically in regards to LDL cholesterol. Dietary fiber binds to cholesterol to remove it from your body. Research has shown that for every 1-2 grams of daily soluble fiber intake, LDL cholesterol is lowered 1%.   Research from the University of Scranton has identified a new benefit to eating a diet high in whole grains. They have found whole grain cereals and... http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/c/42538/96794/grains-benefit http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/c/42538/94847/healthy-habits Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:44:00 -0500 Lisa Nelson, RD, LN Here are three tips to implement this holiday season to stay on track with your heart health goals.   1. Plan Ahead   Think about where you'll be, who you'll be with, what foods will be available, and what foods you really look forward to versus those you wouldn't be bothered to skip. What triggers you to overeat during the holidays and how can you reduce the triggers? Once you've evaluated all these issues make a plan of... http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/c/42538/94847/healthy-habits http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/c/42538/92455/cholesterol Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:46:08 -0400 Lisa Nelson, RD, LN Eating a diet high in fiber supports a lower cholesterol/LDL cholesterol levels, blood sugar control, promotes digestive health, and has the potential to decrease risk of colorectal cancer (studies are showing mixed results so far).   For your heart health success, let's take a moment and evaluate the fiber content of your food choices.   To determine your average daily fiber intake grab a piece of paper and write down what you... http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/c/42538/92455/cholesterol http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/c/42538/90743/cholesterol Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:11:00 -0400 Lisa Nelson, RD, LN Cholesterol is often viewed as "bad" these days and many people are doing everything they can to lower cholesterol levels as much as possible. This isn't necessarily a good thing.   Cholesterol is essential for many normal bodily functions. Enzymes use cholesterol to produce vitamin D, steroid hormones (estrogen, progesterone, testosterone), stress hormones, and bile acids for digestion. Cholesterol forms a membrane that surrounds all... http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/c/42538/90743/cholesterol http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/c/42538/87171/cardiovascular Tue, 22 Sep 2009 12:43:00 -0400 Lisa Nelson, RD, LN I was recently asked the following question. If you are faced with heart disease or concerns about high cholesterol I thought you may also enjoy knowing the answer, which I've included below. How does high cholesterol lead to cardiovascular disease?   Let me see if I can explain and keep the process easy to understand!   First the endothelium (thin inner lining of your blood vessels) becomes damaged and inflamed. This damage... http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/c/42538/87171/cardiovascular http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/c/42538/84403/eggs-good-bad Wed, 26 Aug 2009 16:48:00 -0400 Lisa Nelson, RD, LN All right you have high cholesterol, so can you eat eggs or not? A little while ago, someone here on Health Central asked a question similar to this. I thought I'd expand on my answer and share it with everyone, so if you're confused about the whole cholesterol and egg issue you can better determine the right answer for your situation. To lower cholesterol, it's frequently recommended to limit egg intake, specifically the egg yolk. Egg yolks... http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/c/42538/84403/eggs-good-bad