 (ARA) – Heart disease remains the number one killer of both men and women in the United States. Elevated cholesterol levels are a major risk factor in developing heart disease and contributing to heart attacks.
More than 100 million adults in the U.S. have counts the American Heart Association considers borderline high: more than 200 mg/dl, and 40 million people have cholesterol levels of 240 or higher.
We’ve all heard that a heart-healthy lifestyle begins with a good diet and exercise. Saturated fats in high-fat dairy foods raise levels of total cholesterol and the “bad” cholesterol LDL. Trans-fats not only raise the LDL but also lower the protective “good” HDL cholesterol. So we want to cut back on both.
But diet and exercise alone often will not bring cholesterol levels in the blood into a safe zone. There are a number of safe, natural approaches to cholesterol control, according to Robert E. Kowalski, author of the New 8-Week Cholesterol Cure.
Kowalski introduced oat bran to the American diet in 1987 with his best-selling book. The soluble fiber in such foods yields an additional 5 to 10 percent cholesterol drop, he says; and today, the author champions the use of plant sterols, natural extracts that have been proven to block the absorption of dietary cholesterol. “Studies routinely show a cholesterol reduction averaging 10 percent or more,” says Kowalski.
“One great way to get these plant sterols into your heart-healthy diet is to replace milk with the delicious beverage, Rice Dream Heartwise,” he says. Each 8-ounce serving contains 650 milligrams of Corowise plant sterols. Foods that contain at least .4 grams (400 milligrams) per serving of plant sterols, consumed twice daily with meals, for a daily total intake of at least .8 grams (800 milligrams), as part of a diet low in saturated and trans fats and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease.
Replacing milk with Rice Dream Heartwise not only cuts out the fat and cholesterol found in dairy foods, but also provides these exciting plant sterols. Kowalski points out that Rice Dream Heartwise works wonderfully in many recipes, as well as in cereals and as a beverage.
Start with a Heart-healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables, plenty of whole grain foods, fish at least twice weekly, and lean choices of meat and poultry, the author says. Then add plant sterols in foods such as Rice Dream Heartwise, available in supermarkets nationwide. For more information on Rice Dream Heartwise, log onto
www.imaginefoods.com.
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