Hiroyuki Morita writes:
Mr and Mrs Mine have several problems connected to their everyday food. Monday through Saturday they usually skip breakfast. At lunch Mrs M eats a simple meal, usually a bowl of rice with some meat (usually beef or pork) and a sweet dessert, cake, cookies or ice cream. Mr M's lunch is usually a hamburger or fried chicken or fried fish. Very often her dinner is a combination of snack food and sandwiches -- she especially likes cheese or eggs and butter or margarine on her bread. They need to understand their diet is completely unbalanced, and this unbalanced diet causes problems of their health.
Mr M has high blood pressure and occasionally experiences angina chest pains. He says he has no opportunity to do regular exercise, and he is a heavy smoker, as well. And Mr M has low levels of HDL but his LDL level is 170. HDLs are believed to remove excess cholesterol from the body; therefore higher levels of HDLs are also believed to be associated with lower rates of heart disease. LDLs carry cholesterol in the blood to body cells. High levels of LDLs are usually associated with an elevated blood cholesterol and an increased risk of heart disease due to cholesterol and fat being deposited in the arteries. These fatty deposits decrease the interior size of the arteries so the blood supply is reduced, thus increasing the risk of heart disease and stroke. And an LDL cholesterol level of less than 130 is best. An LDL level of 160 or higher means high risk for heart disease. So, Mr.M's LDL level of 170 is dangerous.
On the other hand, Mrs M has both high HDL and LDL levels; her LDL is 165. Several aunts and her mother have developed complications with various cancers, including cancer of the breast. Fats that are common in some diets have been linked to an increased risk of developing breast cancer. A study of nearly 700 postmenopausal European women found that those whose bodies contained the highest levels of trans fatty acids were 40 percent more likely than those with the lowest levels to develop breast cancer.
LDL and HDL are in animals' meat, milk, and oil, but vegetables have almost no cholesterol. Substitutes for cholesterol, vegetables have many kinds of vitamins and minerals. For example, the Mines should take choline that helps prevent fat deposit. choline is found in lecitin, yolk, brewer's yeast, and wheat germ. Of course, they should take cholesterol at least at a minimum point. But since they now have a totally unbalanced diet, they should reduce their cholesterol intake. And more, this links to preventing breast cancer.
In short, Mr and Mrs M's problem is a high level of cholesterol. In order to lower their cholesterol level, they should eat more healthy food like fruits, vegetables, broiled or grilled fish, skinless chicken and less fried meats, oats, wholegrain breads, etc. Eating healthy food can help lower their LDL cholesterol level. And , because they can raise their HDL cholesterol level by exercising, they should have more opportunities to do regular exercise.
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