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Hi, my name is Stacey Sowa and I am a graduate student here at
Eastern Illinois University.
Today, I'm going to talking about high cholesterol
and show you how to make a simple recipe that is
heart-healthy and contains ingredients that are
shown to help lower total cholesterol in the body.
High cholesterol is a growing problem for people in America.
It is estimated that a 102 million Americans
have high cholesterol.
Cholesterol is a soft, fatty substance that
comes from two sources.
The body produces cholesterol in the liver and it is also found
in food sources such as meat, poultry, fish, dairy and eggs.
Total blood cholesterol is made up of three components,
LDL or low-density lipoprotein, HDL or high-density lipoprotein
and triglycerides.
A desirable level of total cholesterol is below
200 milligrams per deciliter.
An optimum level of LDL cholesterol is 100 or less.
LDL cholesterol is often referred to as bad cholesterol.
The higher the numbers of LDLs in the blood the more likely
it is that cholesterol is building up in
the arteries that lead to the heart and brain.
This can eventually block blood flow to the heart and brain
causing a heart attack or stroke.
LDL levels can be lowered by limiting the amount of
high fat foods in the diet, reducing the use of
high cholesterol foods and eating more soluble fiber
like that found in oats, beans, fruits and vegetables.
A desirable range of HDL cholesterol
is between 40 and 59.
HDL cholesterol is often referred to as good cholesterol.
You can increase the number of HDL's in the blood
by losing access weight and exercising regularly.
HDLs attach to cholesterols and carry them to the liver where
they are removed from the body.
A desirable triglyceride level is 150 or less.
An elevated triglyceride level is a secondary risk factor
for heart disease.
Triglyceride levels can be lowered by reducing
the intakes of high sugar foods, increasing
fiber intake and avoiding alcohol consumption.
I'm now going to show you how to make a fruit and yogurt parfait
that contains oatmeal, flax seed, and fruit that are all
shown to help lower total cholesterol in the body.
You will need 3 tablespoons of quick oats, 1 1/2 tablespoons
of flax seed, a 6-ounce container of non-fat
or low-fat yogurt, and any fruit of your choice.
You also need a metal spoon, a measuring spoon,
and some sort of glass to prepare the parfait in.
You start off by taking 3 tablespoons of quick oats
and putting them at the bottom of the container.
You then take the yogurt and add 1/2 of the container
on top of the oats.
You want to try and make sure that the oats stay flat
and that the yogurt doesn't mix too much with it.
You're then going to take the 1 1/2 tablespoons of flax seed.
Flax seed is high in Omega-3 fatty acids which are great
for your heart, and you can buy this at most grocery stores.
I bought it at County Market here in town.
And here it is up here.
I like to keep my container in the refrigerator in a
plastic container to restore its freshness
for a longer period of time.
When you have the flax seed flat in your glass,
you're then going to want to add the remaining yogurt.
You can use any flavor of yogurt and fruit, but I used strawberry
and banana, so that's why I chose to use strawberries.
And then I cut these up ahead of time.
You can cut them any way you like.
I cut them into small wedges.
Then just put them on top.
And there you have a heart healthy,
fruit and yogurt parfait.
For more information on high cholesterol, contact the
American Heart Association at www.americanheart.org.
Thank you.
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