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Anti Oxidants: Cooking for the Heart, Mediterranean Diet

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Anti Oxidants: Cooking for the Heart, Mediterranean Diet

Postby Alexandria » Thu Mar 08, 2018 1:34 am

According to a Spanish book called, Cocina Corazon, Dieta Mediterránea, Cooking for the Heart, The Mediterranean Diet, Written by: The Spanish Foundation of Cardiology, La Fundacion Española de Cardiologia, here are some quick suggestions to assist in this genetic dilema, and in reducing high blood pressure & high cholesterol :

Vitamin E: Evoo, walnuts, almonds, green vegetables and salad greens ( leafy dark green ) ..

Vitamin A: Carrots, spinach, broccoli and fresh apricots ..

Vitamin C: Lemons, oranges, tomatoes, red and green bell peppers ..

Anti Oxidants: Onions, non shiny apples, and a glass of red wine per evening ..

My dad had high cholesterol yet his blood pressure was normal low .. So, it can be complex however, controlled by reducing animal fats, sugars and dairy products.

Some fish which are highly suggested are:

Fresh Cod fish
Sardines ( Fresh and tinned with Evoo )
Fresh salmon
Fresh red tuna
Hake

Also, highly suggested are legumes or beans .. Especially lentils and chick peas ..
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Re: Anti Oxidants: Cooking for the Heart, Mediterranean Die

Postby jeral » Thu Mar 08, 2018 11:31 am

Sounds rather like a balanced diet really, doesn't it? I'm surprised it doesn't mention Vit B since it's said by some to calm the nerves. Perhaps it's not mentioned because it's in a variety of foods so probably get some whatever is eaten.

I hope your dad and family have shaken off the winter bug now.

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Re: Anti Oxidants: Cooking for the Heart, Mediterranean Die

Postby Alexandria » Thu Mar 08, 2018 12:26 pm

Jeral,

Good morning.

It is quite a complete book for its small size, and I could not mention all the vitamins ..

However, several foods containing The Vitamin B Group are listed ..

Thank you for all your feedback .. :thumbsup


Have a lovely day ..
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Re: Anti Oxidants: Cooking for the Heart, Mediterranean Die

Postby Stokey Sue » Thu Mar 08, 2018 2:26 pm

Diet and health are complex, not least because you can seldom do your investigations using enough people (you really need 10s of thousands)

One of the things about the Mediterranean paradox - that round the sea people get less heart disease than they do further north - is that as well as the diet being different so are the climate and the genetics, so it really not clear why people focus so hard on the diet. There is a respectable theory that sunshine is also important, more sun promoting health (not just vitamin D, though that is significant).

As a former biochemist I am very sceptical of the idea that all anti oxidants are good, that's just not the way the body works. Chances are if a liver cell wants an anti oxidant it wants one specific one, and a cell in the heart may want a different one. The human body may not have a use for a random selection of plant anti oxidant chemicals. I see the book picks out specific ones, such as vitamins C and E which makes more sense to me

It all comes back to my usual mantra
Eat [real] food. Not too much. Mostly plants

And don't forget to move!

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Re: Anti Oxidants: Cooking for the Heart, Mediterranean Die

Postby Alexandria » Thu Mar 08, 2018 4:51 pm

Stokey Sue,


I agree that exercise is vital to good health whether it be a good walk or a sport such as bicycling or a routine at the gym.

Unfortunately high cholesterol and high blood pressure are very individual and also genetic ..

However, animal fats in general are fatal to lowering and maintaining on a steady diet ..

Thank you for your feedback ..

:thumbsup :thumbsup
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Re: Anti Oxidants: Cooking for the Heart, Mediterranean Die

Postby Petronius » Thu Mar 08, 2018 6:35 pm

Well, Alexandria what a co-incidence. I was just about to post on Chatterbox but this seems a more appropriate place.

I have low cholesterol. 2.7. No idea why, but when I had a pre-op for cataract my blood pressure was high, that’s not happened before. Didn’t think it could happen; low cholesterol and HBP.

The Mediterranean Diet features a lot in our thinking about food. We try to eat fish every week and I certainly keep up veg and fruit.

But does it make a difference? Here’s some statistics.

Life expectancy in the UK (2015) is marginally better than that of Greece - 81.6yrs, versus 81.59.

According to Forbes, Greece ranks 16 on a 2007 list of obese countries with a percentage of 65.5% of its citizens with an unhealthy weight.

That intrigued me, so went searching for reasons and come across the Occupation Syndrome - during the Occupation the Greeks were starving particularly in urban areas. When the Allies came in they brought with them plenty of food, but mainly American and they've been hooked every since.

A friend sent me this video on why we shouldn’t consume any oil at all not even olive oil.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_o4YBQPKtQ

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Re: Anti Oxidants: Cooking for the Heart, Mediterranean Die

Postby Pampy » Thu Mar 08, 2018 7:43 pm

I have low cholesterol and high BP too.

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Re: Anti Oxidants: Cooking for the Heart, Mediterranean Die

Postby Lusciouslush » Thu Mar 08, 2018 8:12 pm

Snappo...............!!

It's not all cut & dried text book stuff - & it's not all about diet, however good, it's about what your body can absorb, & what your family genes have passed on to you.

Thank gawd the current thinking now is cholesterol is not the huge devil it was made out to be - in fact it seems rather good - different strokes for different folks.

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Re: Anti Oxidants: Cooking for the Heart, Mediterranean Die

Postby Petronius » Thu Mar 08, 2018 9:28 pm

Thanks Pampy, makes me feel better.

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Re: Anti Oxidants: Cooking for the Heart, Mediterranean Die

Postby Renée » Fri Mar 09, 2018 12:07 am

I do think that a cold climate leads to more heart problems, because from what I've read, cold weather thickens the blood. Is this why Mediterranean people have less heart disease?

I do, most of the time, follow a Mediterranean diet, but sometimes go off track, especially during the winter. If I'm feeling a bit down or recovering from an illness, I seem to crave all the wrong foods.

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Re: Anti Oxidants: Cooking for the Heart, Mediterranean Die

Postby Joanbunting » Fri Mar 09, 2018 3:32 pm

Renée wrote:I do think that a cold climate leads to more heart problems, because from what I've read, cold weather thickens the blood. Is this why Mediterranean people have less heart disease?

I do, most of the time, follow a Mediterranean diet, but sometimes go off track, especially during the winter. If I'm feeling a bit down or recovering from an illness, I seem to crave all the wrong foods.


The people of Nice would have loved your reassurance recently Renne when they were under a blankey=t of snow!!

I suppose it could be said we should be eating a Mediterranean diet because we're in Provence. Well we sort of do but there are drawbacks. We are 50 or so Kms from the sea with a range of mountains between. It can get blinking cold here - lowest this winter has been -5C. Fish is very expensive hence so much salt cod. However there is a traditional Provencal diet which is healthy but different and quite frankly often tedious. It involves pulses - mainly chick peas and lentils, vegetables and fruit which can be stored - so pumpkins, squash, cardoons, chard, Jerusalem artichokes and parsnips. Fruit is limited to quinces which store well or bottled along with other summer fruits or dried. Of course you musn't forget the almonds, olives, oil and the preserved fruit There is of course plenty of wine.

Cheese is mostly goat with some , a very little, ewe. Chicken and their eggs and of course every family had their pig. These meats , along with game, especially wild boar were for high days and holidays.

Any period of gloomy cold however, is taken as a personal affront Despite indications to the contrary the local people work and always have extremely hard and are skill ful and resourceful and I suspect that is why so many live to a ripe old age. Heart attacks and strokes rarely seem to feature on death notices and younger people who die usually do so of things like cancers (they are dreadful smokers) or traffic accitdents - they are dreadful drivers as well!

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Re: Anti Oxidants: Cooking for the Heart, Mediterranean Die

Postby Stokey Sue » Fri Mar 09, 2018 5:04 pm

Exactly Joan
And the cancer thing crops up in the French family
They whisper about how the family is doomed to die of cancer
Well, of course they do
They are tall skinny active people with no tendency to heart disease or stroke or diabetes
And they mostly smoke like chimneys and drink like fishes
So they tend to make it into their seventies, then that catches up with them as you'd expect, and their good diet only protects them so far

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Re: Anti Oxidants: Cooking for the Heart, Mediterranean Die

Postby Pampy » Sat Mar 10, 2018 1:22 am

Another facet to the discussion...http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-43323098

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Re: Anti Oxidants: Cooking for the Heart, Mediterranean Die

Postby Petronius » Sat Mar 10, 2018 11:58 am

And a few more

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-43308729

And this one in terms of Cholesterol

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/

As a follow up to Pampy's link, the Mid Victorians ate huge quantities of food, somewhere there's a research paper on it, yet life expectancy (beyond the age of 5) was quite high. They worked hard and walked everywhere – most of them.

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Re: Anti Oxidants: Cooking for the Heart, Mediterranean Die

Postby Stokey Sue » Sat Mar 10, 2018 12:36 pm

Petronius wrote:
And this one in terms of Cholesterol

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/


That link just goes to the front page Petronis

Pampy wrote:Another facet to the discussion...http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-43323098


Again - just diet?
Obviously important, but also more vit D from running round with arms and legs exposed, probably cleaner water, certainly cleaner air, and despite the lack of mains drainage I'd take my chances with a proper earth closet sooner than the ordure and rats prevalent in an urban tenement

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Re: Anti Oxidants: Cooking for the Heart, Mediterranean Die

Postby Pampy » Sat Mar 10, 2018 4:30 pm

I wasn't presenting it as fact - just yet another viewpoint, whether it be right or wrong.

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Re: Anti Oxidants: Cooking for the Heart, Mediterranean Die

Postby Petronius » Sat Mar 10, 2018 7:37 pm

Stokey Sue wrote:
And this one in terms of Cholesterol

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/

That link just goes to the front page Petronis


Oh, I wouldn't want that. ;) Thanks Sue, hope this works,

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/artic ... sease.html

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Re: Anti Oxidants: Cooking for the Heart, Mediterranean Die

Postby Stokey Sue » Sat Mar 10, 2018 9:15 pm

Pampy wrote:I wasn't presenting it as fact - just yet another viewpoint, whether it be right or wrong.


No I didn't think you were, but I thought the article was a bit extreme in ascribing all the advantages of a rural life to the diet

I don't think I agree with all that Petronius
Some of it is a bit vague - 1 portion of cruciferous veg + 2 of green veg for example - are the other green veg not to be cruciferous?

A quarter teaspoon of "herbs and spices" - unspecified and a very small amount

Beans /legumes - three servings - again if you have garden peas or French beans do you count those in green veg, legumes, or other veg? Three seems more than I've seen elsewhere

I'm sure 90 minutes exercise daily is good for you, but it is far in excess of standard recommendations I think?
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Re: Anti Oxidants: Cooking for the Heart, Mediterranean Die

Postby strictlysalsaclare » Sun Mar 11, 2018 12:29 pm

Pardon my ignorance but what the heck are cruciferous veg? The only time that article mentioned then was in that list that Stokey Sue kindly copied!

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Re: Anti Oxidants: Cooking for the Heart, Mediterranean Die

Postby Petronius » Sun Mar 11, 2018 1:06 pm

Brassicas, SS. To be honest most of the article confuses me. :?:

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