Cholesterol is an integral part of our bodies, but it’s important to differentiate between the “good” and “bad.” Understanding the difference between high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL)—often labeled as good and bad cholesterol, respectively—helps you make better choices for your health.

Explore the health impacts of good and bad cholesterol to learn actionable tips for managing cholesterol effectively to keep your heart and body in optimal shape.

What Is Cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance found in all the cells of your body. It’s essential for making hormones, vitamin D, and substances that help digest food.

However, some might be referring to two different types of cholesterol when they talk about it. Good cholesterol (HDL) removes excess cholesterol from your bloodstream, while bad cholesterol (LDL) builds up in your arteries, increasing your risk of heart disease.

HDL and LDL are necessary in the body, but require balance to maintain good health. Cholesterol keeps your cell membranes functioning and is vital for producing estrogen, testosterone, and other key hormones.

Factors Influencing Cholesterol Levels

Several factors come into play when it comes to your cholesterol levels. Diet is pivotal—foods high in saturated fats, trans fats, and cholesterol increase LDL levels, while omega-3s and other healthy fats improve HDL.

Your lifestyle also matters—tobacco and alcohol consumption and physical activity levels all have direct effects on cholesterol. Tobacco and alcohol cause an increase in LDL while regular physical exercise increases HDL. Genetics is another key factor, as your body partially inherits its ability to regulate cholesterol. Therefore, your genes may predispose you to higher LDL levels even if you follow a healthy lifestyle.

Typically, people are referring to lowering bad cholesterol and increasing good cholesterol when they talk about managing cholesterol, using supplements, and frequent physical activity. Understanding the impact cholesterol has on the body is the first step to ensure you lead a healthier lifestyle without worrying about it.

Differentiating Between Good and Bad Cholesterol

HDL is known as “good cholesterol” because it helps clear LDL and other harmful substances from your blood. HDLs are in nuts, seeds, olive oil, and similar healthy foods. LDL, on the other hand, is “bad cholesterol” because it leads to plaque buildup in your arteries.

Consuming processed foods, fried items, and excessive amounts of red meat and full-fat dairy can increase LDL in the body. Knowing the difference and adjusting your diet makes cholesterol easier to manage.

Strategies To Improve Cholesterol Levels

Improving your cholesterol involves a combination of dietary and lifestyle changes. Start with your diet—focus on eating more fiber-rich fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and unsaturated fats, like those found in avocados and nuts.

Try different recipes and put healthy ingredients into your cooking repertoire. For instance, avocado oil has many benefits, such as reducing LDL and strengthening the heart. Save sugary foods, fried items, and processed snacks for special occasions to avoid eating them frequently.

Understanding how good and bad cholesterol impact your health is an important step toward well-being. Focus on building healthy habits and monitoring your cholesterol levels to keep your health at its peak. Start with small, impactful changes to your diet and lifestyle, and don’t hesitate to consult a health-care professional.

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Types of Fiber

The magic of a high-fiber diet resides in its ability to supercharge the body from the inside out. But what exactly does “high-fiber diet” mean? Think of it as a meal plan that prioritizes foods possessing a naturally high fiber content, such as whole grains, legumes, fruits, and veggies. 

The fiber within these foods is soluble or insoluble, and both types are crucial for different pathways in the body. Soluble fiber, found in foods such as beans, citrus fruits, oats, peas, apples, and carrots, dissolves in water and forms a gel-like substance, which can lower cholesterol and glucose levels. Insoluble fiber, comprising foods such as whole-wheat flour, wheat bran, nuts, and many vegetables, doesn’t dissolve in water. Instead, insoluble fiber adds bulk to your stool, which helps prevent constipation.

Health Benefits of Fiber

A fiber-rich diet acts as the ambassador of gut health. Its ability to facilitate smooth, efficient digestion is impossible to overstate. Fiber ensures that your digestive system runs like a well-oiled machine, preventing constipation while also potentially reducing the risk of developing diverticulitis, an inflammation of the intestines.

Additionally, one of the most talked-about attributes of a high-fiber diet is its pivotal role in weight management and diabetes. Fiber makes you feel full for longer, which helps stave off unnecessary snacking and overeating. Furthermore, by slowing digestion and sugar absorption, it can contribute to better blood sugar control, a game-changer for individuals managing diabetes.

Studies consistently show that a fiber-heavy diet can lead to a reduction in heart disease risk. Fiber helps manage cholesterol levels and reduces systemic inflammation, both key factors in heart health. Moreover, areas of the world with high fiber consumption have seen lower incidences of certain types of cancer, especially those affecting the digestive system.

How To Transition Your Diet

Shifting toward a high-fiber diet doesn’t have to be an immediate overhaul. Implementing consistent, easy ways to incorporate more fiber into your diet can yield significant results. Begin by swapping refined grains for whole grains, incorporating more legumes into your meals, and making it a habit to include fruit and vegetables at every meal or as snacks. Even starting your day with a high-fiber cereal can set a nutritious tone for the rest of your meals.

In between meals, ensure your snacks are fiber-rich too. Think nuts and seeds or even a simple apple or carrot. For hydration, reach for water or herbal teas instead of sugary drinks, which can deplete the overall nutritional quality of your diet.

When you embrace the health benefits of a high-fiber diet, you’re embarking on a journey that fuels your body and nourishes your mind. Your future self will thank you for taking this proactive step toward health-conscious eating. The fiber-forward path is rich and rewarding, so elevate your eating habits by prioritizing fiber, and revel in the robust health benefits that follow.

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With the new year fast approaching, many of us will reflect and may feel like we need to kickstart our fitness and wellness journey. We may also just want to get back into it after going through a slower dip currently. Remember life has ups and downs, so don’t get too down if you feel like you have ‘fallen off the band wagon‘ or found your fitness level reducing because of other priorities.

The good news is that no matter where you are at, you can always start from there and make some great progress! The 5 tips below will hopefully aid in getting you up and ‘running’ and keep the motivation going!

1 Have a plan/goal and Track it

This may seem cliche, but taking a step back before rushing to the gym and planning out what exactly you want to achieve, and then how to go about it may prove quite beneficial to your journey. This helps to give you a clear roadmap or path to follow when starting out and in turn makes the whole transition or process a lot easier and smoother. 

Remember it does not have to be super strict or perfectly planned out at first. You can always refine it as you go on and find what works for you and what doesn’t. Planning out your training days as well as your nutrition and meals can really help with saving you time. You can also check this diet guide on what to eat before a big gym session to help you achieve your body goals.

2 Get a workout buddy

One of the biggest challenges we tend to face when trying to get (back) into fitness can be the loneliness aspect of it. Naturally we want someone to do it with us and have a sort of support system to make things easier and to help keep us motivated and accountable. Therefore, try to find a buddy who will come join you. It would be great if they could workout with you, but even if its your wife or child for example, they can do their own thing but getting ready and going with them, can certainly help as well.

The motivation and accountability of doing it all with someone will most definitely help with your journey!

3 Do what you enjoy

When thinking of getting fit or getting back into fitness, our immediate thought goes straight to the gym and that we have to attend the gym in order to get fit. This is really not the case. Certainly weight lifting helps a great deal with muscle development and a whole lot of other benefits but this doesn’t have to be the core focus of your workouts. IF you do not enjoy the gym, find something or some sport that you really enjoy and that you can keep doing for a long time. You can also change it up and try something else if you find that you get bored with a certain movement. 

There are so many things you can do on a regular basis to keep fit such as walking, surfing, tennis, soccer, badminton, martial arts and the list goes on. Make sure you have fun while doing it!

4 Start small and build it up

With both the gym/workout aspect and your diet, it is so important to remember that small gradual change are best. Do not try to rush the journey and make massive changes too quickly.

It takes time and we can become impatient when the progress is slow or halts, but the key is consistency and to keep at it.

5 Find what motivates you

There are many things that can provide motivation, and we each have to find what works best for us. IT could range from almost anything such as motivational videos or podcasts, having a tasty smoothie after a workout, getting dressed in those lovely workout clothes or whatever works for you. Another great aspect of motivation is to understand why you are doing it. Maybe it’s for your kids to be able to keep up with them for example. Knowing your why and reflecting on it every now and again can help to keep you motivated and keep you going on your journey!

Conclusion

The above are five simple tips to help you on your journey and help get you started or back into things, but there are many more aspects to it. Once you get started you may naturally start to research more things and progress more and more on your journey.

Keep it up and keep going with it and remember not every day or every session has to be perfect or intense. Life goes up and down and so does your body and mood, so we have to adapt and stay flexible!

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Nutrition is super important for health and for weight loss and even muscle gain. Forget exercise if you’re not eating the right food.  Traditional medicine is often based around consuming specific foods, particularly herbs.

Even the World Health Organization recognizes the importance of herbal medicine as a complement to modern medical practices. There are countless herbs that can help support body function and serve as preventative medicine. 

1. Rosemary

Rosemary is a Mediterranean herb with pointy, needle-like leaves. As a perennial plant, it lives more than 2 years, making it perfect for a home herb garden. It’s easy to grow, pest-resistant, and aesthetically pleasing. This herb is rich in antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory properties.

2. Ginger

Asian people have known about the benefits of ginger for hundreds of years. This root provides a powerful, spicy flavor that helps fight a variety of human health threats. It has antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties, but people commonly use it to treat stomach issues. Ginger tea is super easy to make and can calm the stomach lining.

3. Garlic

Not only can garlic fight off imaginary monsters like vampires, but it also fights real ones, like colds and cancer. Garlic has allium, a category of compounds that have a variety of anti-cancer effects. They can help send messages to human genes that stop tumor formation. They can reduce inflammation, making the body less susceptible to cancer. They can slow the growth of cancer cells. The list goes on, but more research is still needed.

4. Cinnamon

Cinnamon is a well-known, spicy herb that warms up many desserts. It can easily be added to any drink, from coffee to smoothies and oats. It has antioxidants, is anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial. It’s basically good for treating everything, from neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s to HIV-1. It’s among the most powerful herbs on the planet.

5. Oregano

Oregano is a popular ingredient in Italian food, which makes sense since the Mediterranean diet is among the healthiest in the world. It can easily be chopped and added to almost any dish. 
Oregano is great for fighting infection, something to keep in mind as flu season fast approaches. Viral infections like the flu and common cold don’t have simple remedies, but the antiviral properties of oregano can strengthen the body to better fight off the virus.

More of the Healthiest Herbs

Thanks to their powerful flavors, incorporating the healthiest herbs into your diet is not only easy, it’s advantageous. Forget excessive sugar and salt, these herbs are all you need to make food taste better. There are thousands of healthy herbs out there, but this list includes the easiest ones to find and use. And don’t forget, you could always grow your own!  

Photo credits:

• Calum Lewis
• Annie Spratt
• Mae Mu

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With Keto diets and Intermittent Fasting both becoming popular forms of dieting for weight loss and overall health benefits, many are beginning to question which is better and what each involves. In broad physiological terms, the goal of the two methods is the same, but they often use different methods to get there.

Overall the goal of both Keto and Intermittent Fasting is to encourage your body to burn fat for energy instead of burning sugars. Many experts now agree that using the two together may help to promote further weight loss and be highly beneficial to your overall health. However, both Keto and Intermittent Fasting require a higher level of personal commitment than other diets, so it’s also about finding the best regime for your lifestyle.

What is Keto

Before you decide which diet to follow, it’s important to understand how both regimes should be followed and the biological processes that make them effective.

A Keto diet involves lowering your carbohydrate intake to below 50 grams of carbs per day and increasing your fat intake. Protein intake remains moderate. On a standard nutritional plan, your body is burning sugars (generated from carb intake) to burn energy and fuel your body. In Keto, the idea is to “train” your body to burn fat for energy instead.

By lowering carb intake and increasing fat intake, your body enters a state known as “ketosis.” This state of ketosis is reached when your body begins burning ketones (produced by fat intake).

Benefits of Keto

Some of the benefits of ketogenic diets can be:

• Weight loss
• Improved immune system
• Prevention of long term illnesses (e.g. diabetes)
• Improved heart health
• Higher energy levels
• Improved brain function
• Appetite regulation

Studies have shown that dieters following a ketogenic diet lost up to three times more weight than those on higher carb diets. These highly positive results in weight loss and the compatibility of Keto with clean living are what made the diet so popular.

Drawbacks of Keto

The only major drawback of Keto is that it’s usually not suitable for pregnant women or those with an existing Type 2 diabetes diagnosis. Any other “drawbacks” you hear about Keto are usually just temporary side effects of making a drastic change to your nutritional intake.

These temporary side effects may include:

• Dehydration
• Headaches
• Leg cramps
• Bad breath
• Fatigue
• Drowsiness
• Reduced physical performance

Most people can quickly alleviate or prevent these side effects by:

• Drinking plenty of water and salting their food
• Introducing enough variation to their diet for proper micro nutrient intake
• Easing gradually into Keto

The Keto diet is highly compatible with a vegan lifestyle, especially because vegans are accustomed to making sure they keep their micro nutrient intake stable through varied sources of fats and proteins.

If you want to know more about getting started on a Keto diet, check out the handy infographic from Total Shape on Keto beginners which is super helpful.

What is Fasting?

While Keto is a nutritional plan focused on specific portion sizes of carbs, proteins, and fats, Intermittent Fasting is a pattern of eating. It does not restrict food types, but provides windows of time where it is acceptable to eat, and windows of time when you should fast.

Intermittent Fasting plans usually follow cyclical periods of eating and fasting, so there are lots of different fasting plans you can follow. For example:

• 16/8 – 16 hours of fasting followed by 8 hours where you can eat.
• Alternate day fasting (fasting for one day and resuming normal food consumption the next, and so on)
• Weekly fasting (fasting one day per week).

Like Keto, fasting promotes fat loss because it allows your body to reach a state where it starts to burn fat for energy instead of sugars.

Benefits of Fasting

Many of the benefits of Intermittent Fasting are similar (if not the same) to Keto. Benefits can include:

• Reduced risk of cancer
• Not food restrictive
• Body fat loss
• Reduced risk of Type 2 diabetes
• Healthier immune system
• Healthier heart
• Improves brain function

If you’re vegan, you may prefer Intermittent Fasting because it only dictates when you eat, not what you eat. So you can continue your preferred vegan diet as normal with added health benefits.

Drawbacks of Fasting

The only drawback of Intermittent Fasting is how it might fit in with your lifestyle. But the hours are flexible and there are plenty of plans to choose from, so it’s a mental barrier more than anything else. For example, if you like to socialize after work in the evening, simply choose a fasting plan and schedule that allows your socializing time to fit into your eating window.

Keto and Intermittent Fasting Together

You may prefer to choose one over the other due to medical conditions or lifestyle considerations. But combining Keto and Intermittent Fasting may produce the best results. It is also advisable when following a keto diet to perhaps adhere to it for a limited time and then switch back to a normal diet, to ensure you still take in a varied diet with all the different macro nutrients. When doing that remember when switching to do so gradually and not do an abrupt change.  

It’s thought that combining Keto and Intermittent Fasting can:

• Increase body fat loss
• Help maintain muscle during weight loss
• Boost energy levels further

The only thing standing in your way is the added pressure of combining two high-commitment regimes. So, why not start with one and then add the other later on? Don’t be afraid to try them out for a few months and see what you prefer and how you react to them. Some people like them some people don’t. The only way to find out is to try it, after you have done your research though!

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Sugar is hiding everywhere in today’s widely-accepted diet, but meanwhile its devastating effects are creating more deaths than automobile accidents.

In this eye-opening talk, Dr. Jody Stanislaw, a Naturopathic Doctor who has been studying the negative effects of sugar since being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 7, dives into how the widespread negative effects of sugar are effecting us all, and what you can do about it. Dr. Jody Stanislaw received her Doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine in 2007. She is a Certified Diabetes Educator, Type 1 Diabetes Specialist, and a founding board member of the Low Carb Diabetes Association.

Having lived with Type 1 Diabetes since the age of seven, she has dedicated her career to helping others with Type 1. From her 30+ years of experience, she teaches life-changing information about how to successfully manage Type 1 that most physicians have never learned, and the millions struggling with Type 1 desperately need to know.

The good sugar: ?

Photography Credits:

• Photo by Ali Yahya on Unsplash
• Photo by Francesco Gallarotti on Unsplash
• Photo by William Felker on Unsplash

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There are so many arguments about what are the best foods to eat before and after a workout, and there are so many people with a set idea of eating or drinking certain things after working out with no room to change or try anything different. You don’t have to change everything you’re doing, if it currently works then carry on, but do not be afraid to try something different and experiment.

Here we will have a look at the different foods and drinks that you can consume before and after a workout and what could work best.

We must also remember that your specific goal, be it muscle building or weight loss, as well as YOUR own body type and weight will determine what you eat and more importantly HOW MUCH of each macro-nutrient you eat, not only for your pre and post workout meals, but also for every single meal you eat throughout the day.

Pre workout Nutrition

Let’s start with pre workout nutrition. When you weight train you exert a lot of energy, and thus your body will need energy, so do not be scared to eat some carbohydrates before training, even when dieting down.

Photo credit: Your House Fitness 

There are 2 types of pre workout meals, depending on the time of day you train. These are:

1. Your first meal of the day, i.e. breakfast. So if you workout first thing in the morning this will act as your ‘breakfast’ pre workout meal.
2. If you train in the afternoon or evening, then the meal you eat directly prior to your training will be your ‘during the day’ pre workout meal.

For both options, the best is to have a balanced meal containing protein, some complex carbohydrates as well as some fat about an hour or an hour and a half before you workout. You do not want to have too big of a meal and anything too heavy which will cause your stomach discomfort while you exercise.

You could alternatively have a protein shake, but the reason I wouldn’t recommend taking a shake or any liquid form of food before working out is so that you can keep fuller throughout your training. I have experimented with both and tend to become very hungry during my workout if I have a protein shake (even with some carbohydrates) and this can sometimes affect my energy and strength levels.

BUT on the other hand there are many people who would rather not eat anything before their workout as they become uneasy and their stomach does not handle the food well while they are training. If this is you, don’t worry, maybe try a protein shake or some form of liquid shake and see if you can manage that to start off with.

For the first option, the breakfast pre workout meal, here is an example of a meal you could have:

• 2 slices whole-wheat toast/Bowl of oats
• 1 banana
• Small protein Shake/1 Tsp of peanut butter

This is a great combination of protein, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates and fat to get you started for the day and get you going for your early morning workout.

For the second option, the during the day pre workout meal, we will assume you would have eaten at least one or two other meals already throughout the day. So in an effort to not complicate things, an example of a simple meal could be:

• 1 Apple
• A portion of chick peas/butter beans
• A portion of rice/Sweet potatoes/Cous cous

Post workout Nutrition

After a strenuous and intense exercise session, your body (and muscles) needs nutrients and amino acids to help them repair and recover, so the sooner you feed your muscles after training the better.

For post workout, I recommend a liquid meal FIRST (straight after your gym session). The reason being the liquid will digest quicker than a full meal, and you want to get the nutrients to your muscles as quick as possible to start the recovery and growth process. Then about an hour and a half to two hours after your liquid meal, you can eat a whole food meal consisting of protein and carbohydrates.

So lets start with the liquid meal. The easiest option is to take a protein shake. Mix some whey protein with some water or even better with some milk. To this you can also add some simple carbohydrates, such as apple juice or just plain glucose. There are many studies showing that taking in a simple carbohydrate source will ‘spike’ your insulin, driving more nutrients into your muscles. But honestly I believe you can use almost any carb source, even a low gi source like oats. There is also a few studies showing that, by consuming your protein first, then after a few minutes, taking in your carbohydrates, will elevate your growth hormone levels. Something to think about.

Experimenting

I have experimented with a few things regarding a post workout meal. I wanted to see if I would experience any different or beneficial results by consuming different things.

I tried each of these for a few months:

1. Whey protein with glucose

Versus

2. Whey protein with oats

I never saw or felt much of a difference, thus the reason I stated you can use almost any carb source.

I then tried this:

1. Whey protein

Versus

2. Plain organic full cream milk  (about 500 – 800 ml)

Versus

3. Whole food meal (Rice/Potatoes and Chicken/Fish)

With this, I really wanted to see if the benefits of this ‘post workout whey shake’ would over power drinking just plain milk or eating a normal whole food meal after a workout. Again I never saw or felt much of a difference.

The one problem with marketing nowadays is that many people have been bombarded (by supplement companies) with the idea that after training the ONLY thing you MUST consume is a protein shake.

Has it ever happened that you came home after gym, and forgot you had run out of whey protein? With all hell braking loose, you jumped in your car and raced to the nearest pharmacy to pick up some whey protein in order to have your ‘post workout shake’ in time, so you do not miss that perfect ‘window of opportunity.’

The Conclusion

By all means if you can get your hands on some rice/pea protein, it’s a good thing to have post workout as it does contain all the branch chain amino acids you need as well as glutamine to help you recover. But if not or if your whey suddenly finishes, do not worry so much and run around screaming, just blend your own smoothie with fruit and peanut butter (you can use soya milk or almond milk with it) OR alternatively just eat a whole food meal.

After training, your muscles have been severely strained and broken down so they will absorb a lot of what you feed them, even if you think it’s going to take ages to digest. Too often people tend to over complicate things. Keep things simple.

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