Kasia the Expert

      You probably already know that consuming too much cholesterol may have an impact on heart health. But what is cholesterol anyway? Is it fat? Does it have calories? If it's not a fat, what is it? Here's the scoop on the mystery nutrient.

The answer is, cholesterol is not a fat and therefore does not have calories. If cholesterol is not a fat, or another macronutrient, then what is it? Cholesterol is a fat-like substance called sterol. There are two types of cholesterol: blood (serum) cholesterol and dietary cholesterol.

Blood (serum) Cholesterol - this type is produced by our liver. You will likely hear about blood cholesterol at your annual physical. Specifically, your healthcare provider may discuss the total cholesterol as well as, "good" cholesterol or HDL (high-density lipoprotein) and "bad" cholesterol or LDL (low-density lipoprotein). I like to thinkof the good cholesterol by remembering the H in HDL as "healthy" and conversely, the L in LDL as "lousy". Total cholesterol consists of both HDL and LDL cholesterol.

Dietary Cholesterol - Just as our bodies contain cholesterol, so do the bodies of other animals. As such foods and beverages of animal origin like eggs, meat, poultry, fish and dairy contain cholesterol. Dietary cholesterol is not found in egg whites and foods of plant origin, such as, vegetable oils, margarine, grains, fruits, vegetables, beans or peas.

The Heart-Smart Take Home Message - A lot of focus is placed on cholesterol, both in your body and in your diet. The best way to keep your blood cholesterol healthy is to limit dietary cholesterol to less than 300 mg per day. But that's not all. Other nutrients also affect your blood cholesterol, such as, soluble fiber, saturated fat and trans fat. To help control your blood cholesterol, use Nutrition Facts Panel to choose foods with soluble fiber, unsaturated fats instead of saturated fat and as little trans fat as you can.

     Travelling by way of trains, planes and automobiles for your job, grabbing the first thing to eat on the road and working long hours in between, usually leaving no time for the gym--sound familiar?  A co-worker of mine recently began monitoring his high blood pressure.  He is not alone--according to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, high blood pressure affects 1 in 3 Americans and can lead to problems, such as coronary heart disease, heart failure, stroke and kidney failure.

What is high blood pressure and why is it important?  It's the force of blood pushing against the artery walls as the heart pumps it throughout the body.  For healthy people, normal blood pressure is less than 120/80 millimeters of mercury--which are units of pressure.  It rises and falls throughout the day, however, if it rises and remains elevated over time, it makes the heart work too hard and can also cause arterial walls to harden.

What can I do to maintain a healthy blood pressure?   It seems that all roads lead back to adopting a healthy lifestyle:

• Maintain normal body weight - aim for a Body Mass Index (BMI) between 18.5 - 24.9.  Find your BMI at http://www.startmakingchoices.com/tools/health-calculator.jsp
• Follow a meal plan rich in fruits, veggies, low-fat dairy and whole grains.
• Control sodium intake and increase potassium intake-research shows that diets containing foods that are a good source of potassium and that are low in sodium may reduce the risk of high blood pressure and stroke.
• Exercise regularly- at least 30 minutes per day, most days per week.
• Moderate your alcohol consumption-if you choose to drink alcohol, Dietary Guidelines 2005 recommends one drink a day for women of all ages and two a day for men under the age of 65.

     Blood pressure tends to rise with age, so it's good to keep in mind that the younger you adopt these habits, the better! 

   I noticed my co-workers these days have truly embraced the idea of bring-your-own lunch to work. While there might be many reasons for this brown bag comeback, it made me wonder about how to plan for a heart-friendly version of some brown bag favorites.

   We know that reducing risk of heart disease is about maintaining a healthy weight, increasing physical activity and adopting a heart healthy diet that's low in saturated fat and cholesterol, as low as possible in trans fat, sodium controlled, and rich in whole grains, fruits and vegetables.

Here are just a few heart healthy ingredients for a lunch brought from home.

Build a Sandwich

• Start by choosing whole grain bread, whole wheat pita or a whole grain tortilla.
• Add a small amount of a low-fat or fat-free spread: mayonnaise, mustard, hummus.
• Layer with extra lean and sodium controlled deli meat, grilled chicken breast or grilled veggies.
• Add variety with chopped romaine lettuce, spinach, sliced cucumber and tomato.
• OR, pack one of the six varieties of Healthy Choice Panini. A heart-healthy option made with whole grain it's a perfect solution when you just don't have time to build a sandwich from scatch.

Add a Few Sides

• Veggies: start with traditional carrots, celery, or cherry tomatoes and add variety with radishes, bell pepper slices or jicama sticks - a root vegetable with white, crunchy flesh that can be found in the produce section of a supermarket.
• Whole grain cereal bars or 94% Fat Free microwavable popcorn.
• Look for the brown bag frindly fruit, the kind wrapped in its own "container": bananas, oranges, pears and apples or your favorite fruit cup packed in light syrup or juice.
• Remember all important dairy foods: enjoy a cup of lite yogurt, a piece of string cheese, or pack a small container with 8 ounces of low fat milk.

Build a lifetime of heart healthy eating habits by making a portable lunch in the comfort of your own kitchen!