(Family Features) Getting your cholesterol checked, and talking with your doctor about steps to control high cholesterol, could save your life. If you, or someone you love, have experienced a heart attack or stroke, you know how life-changing those moments can be. What many don’t realize is high LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol often plays a silent role behind the scenes. Taking control of cholesterol numbers starts by knowing your LDL number and working with your doctor to put together an appropriate treatment plan. Your body produces all the cholesterol it needs to stay healthy. Cholesterol helps make new cells, some hormones and substances that aid in food digestion. However, having too much cholesterol can contribute to serious health risks. Knowing more about cholesterol and its role in your body and overall health can help you protect yourself from potential life-threatening conditions like heart attack or stroke – even if you’ve already had one. Learn more with this information from the American Heart Association’s “Lower Your LDL Cholesterol Now” initiative, nationally sponsored by Amgen, so you can take control of your heart health. Know Your Numbers Keeping tabs on your cholesterol is an important step toward managing potentially serious risks to your heart, brain and overall health. LDL cholesterol, also known as “bad” cholesterol, can cause fatty buildup called plaque in your arteries. Nearly 1 in 3 adults in the U.S. has high LDL (bad) cholesterol, but many don’t know until it’s too late. Having too much LDL (bad) cholesterol can silently increase your risk for heart attack and stroke when it goes unchecked, but you have the power to change that. “A lot of people don’t realize they have high LDL (bad) cholesterol because it doesn’t have symptoms,” said Dr. Amit Khera, American Heart Association national volunteer expert and cardiologist. “That’s why I always encourage my patients to get their cholesterol checked and have honest conversations with their doctors. Knowing your LDL number is one of the most important things you can do to protect your heart.” Studies show an LDL at or below 100 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) is ideal for most adults. If you have a history of heart attack or stroke and are already on a cholesterol-lowering medication, your doctor may aim for your LDL to be 70 mg/dL or lower. Get Tested Don’t wait; schedule a cholesterol test as soon as possible. High cholesterol often has no symptoms, so it’s important to get your cholesterol checked even if you feel fine. In fact, the American Heart Association recommends all adults 20 and older have their LDL (bad) cholesterol checked every 4-6 years as long as risk remains low. If you have had a heart attack or stroke, talk to your doctor about the right frequency of testing. A blood test to measure your cholesterol numbers, called a “fasting” or “non-fasting lipid profile or panel,” assesses several types of fat in the blood. The test gives four results: total cholesterol, LDL (bad) cholesterol, HDL (good) cholesterol and triglycerides (blood fats). Talk to Your Doctor Your doctor is there to help you reach your health goals, including keeping your LDL (bad) cholesterol at a healthy number. Making decisions together is the best way to create a treatment plan you’ll be more likely to stick to. If you don’t understand something, ask for further clarification. Discuss your risk factors, including your personal and family medical history. Having a candid conversation about your lifestyle can also help pinpoint potential risk factors and areas you can work to reduce your risk and improve your health. If your LDL cholesterol number is high, your doctor may recommend treatment options. Together, you can review the benefits, risks and side effects to decide on the treatment plan that works best for you. Take Action Early The sooner you manage high LDL (bad) cholesterol, the more you can reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke. Proactively monitoring and taking steps to slow or reverse your numbers can halt or delay buildup in your arteries. In addition, treatment options can be more effective when a high LDL number is detected early. Learn more about the steps you can take to combat high LDL (bad) cholesterol at heart.org/LDL
Living with High LDL (Bad) Cholesterol
If your LDL (bad) cholesterol is elevated, lifestyle changes can help lower your overall risk of heart disease, but may not be enough to counteract individual risk factors such as genetics and family history. Check your LDL (bad) cholesterol number then talk to your doctor about next steps, including these changes to take back control of heart health. Eat a Heart-Healthy Diet From a dietary standpoint, the best way to lower your cholesterol is to follow a balanced diet, which is low in saturated fats, trans fats and cholesterol. Following a heart-healthy diet means limiting your intake of fatty meats and dairy products made with whole milk. Choose lean cuts of meat and skim, low-fat or fat-free dairy products instead. It also means limiting fried foods and cooking with healthy oils, such as liquid vegetable oils instead of butter or coconut oil, which are high in saturated fat and cholesterol. Be More Physically Active A sedentary lifestyle lowers HDL (good) cholesterol. Less HDL means there’s less good cholesterol to remove bad cholesterol from your arteries. At least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise a week is enough to lower both cholesterol and high blood pressure. Brisk walking, swimming, bicycling or even vigorous yard work can fit the bill. In addition, the American Heart Association recommends adding moderate- to high-intensity muscle-strengthening activity – such as resistance training or weightlifting – at least two days each week. Quit Smoking When a person with unhealthy cholesterol numbers also smokes or vapes, the risk of heart disease increases even more. Smoking also compounds other risk factors for heart disease, such as high blood pressure and diabetes. By quitting, smokers can lower their triglycerides and increase their HDL cholesterol numbers. Quitting can also help reduce damage and improve how the arteries function. Lose Weight Living with excess weight or obesity tends to raise the chances of increasing LDL (bad) cholesterol and lowering good cholesterol. Weight loss of even 5-10% may help improve some cholesterol numbers and other heart disease risk factors. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock (patient with doctor) SOURCE:American Heart Association
Writing builds resilience by changing your brain, helping you face everyday challenges
Writing builds resilience: Discover how writing changes your brain and strengthens resilience. Learn 5 science-backed writing techniques to process emotions, reduce stress, and navigate everyday challenges with clarity and purpose.
Writing builds resilience by changing your brain, helping you face everyday challenges
Emily Ronay Johnston, University of California, Merced Ordinary and universal, the act of writing changes the brain. From dashing off a heated text message to composing an op-ed, writing allows you to, at once, name your pain and create distance from it. Writing can shift your mental state from overwhelm and despair to grounded clarity — a shift that reflects resilience. Psychology, the media and the wellness industry shape public perceptions of resilience: Social scientists study it, journalists celebrate it, and wellness brands sell it. They all tell a similar story: Resilience is an individual quality that people can strengthen with effort. The American Psychological Association defines resilience as an ongoing process of personal growth through life’s challenges. News headlines routinely praise individuals who refuse to give up or find silver linings in times of hardship. The wellness industry promotes relentless self-improvement as the path to resilience. In my work as a professor of writing studies, I research how people use writing to navigate trauma and practice resilience. I have witnessed thousands of students turn to the written word to work through emotions and find a sense of belonging. Their writing habits suggest that writing fosters resilience. Insights from psychology and neuroscience can help explain how.
Writing rewires the brain
In the 1980s, psychologist James Pennebaker developed a therapeutic technique called expressive writing to help patients process trauma and psychological challenges. With this technique, continuously journaling about something painful helps create mental distance from the experience and eases its cognitive load. In other words, externalizing emotional distress through writing fosters safety. Expressive writing turns pain into a metaphorical book on a shelf, ready to be reopened with intention. It signals the brain, “You don’t need to carry this anymore.”Sometimes you can write your way through difficult emotions.Grace Cary/Moment via Getty Images Translating emotions and thoughts into words on paper is a complex mental task. It involves retrieving memories and planning what to do with them, engaging brain areas associated with memory and decision-making. It also involves putting those memories into language, activating the brain’s visual and motor systems. Writing things down supports memory consolidation — the brain’s conversion of short-term memories into long-term ones. The process of integration makes it possible for people to reframe painful experiences and manage their emotions. In essence, writing can help free the mind to be in the here and now.
Taking action through writing
The state of presence that writing can elicit is not just an abstract feeling; it reflects complex activity in the nervous system. Brain imaging studies show that putting feelings into words helps regulate emotions. Labeling emotions — whether through expletives and emojis or carefully chosen words — has multiple benefits. It calms the amygdala, a cluster of neurons that detects threat and triggers the fear response: fight, flight, freeze or fawn. It also engages the prefrontal cortex, a part of the brain that supports goal-setting and problem-solving. In other words, the simple act of naming your emotions can help you shift from reaction to response. Instead of identifying with your feelings and mistaking them for facts, writing can help you simply become aware of what’s arising and prepare for deliberate action. Even mundane writing tasks like making a to-do list stimulate parts of the brain involved in reasoning and decision-making, helping you regain focus.
Making meaning through writing
Choosing to write is also choosing to make meaning. Studies suggest that having a sense of agency is both a prerequisite for, and an outcome of, writing. Researchers have long documented how writing is a cognitive activity — one that people use to communicate, yes, but also to understand the human experience. As many in the field of writing studies recognize, writing is a form of thinking — a practice that people never stop learning. With that, writing has the potential to continually reshape the mind. Writing not only expresses but actively creates identity. Writing also regulates your psychological state. And the words you write are themselves proof of regulation — the evidence of resilience. Popular coverage of human resilience often presents it as extraordinary endurance. News coverage of natural disasters implies that the more severe the trauma, the greater the personal growth. Pop psychology often equates resilience with unwavering optimism. Such representations can obscure ordinary forms of adaptation. Strategies people already use to cope with everyday life — from rage-texting to drafting a resignation letter — signify transformation.
Building resilience through writing
These research-backed tips can help you develop a writing practice conducive to resilience: 1. Write by hand whenever possible. In contrast to typing or tapping on a device, handwriting requires greater cognitive coordination. It slows your thinking, allowing you to process information, form connections and make meaning. 2. Write daily. Start small and make it regular. Even jotting brief notes about your day — what happened, what you’re feeling, what you’re planning or intending — can help you get thoughts out of your head and ease rumination. 3. Write before reacting. When strong feelings surge, write them down first. Keep a notebook within reach and make it a habit to write it before you say it. Doing so can support reflective thinking, helping you act with purpose and clarity. 4. Write a letter you never send. Don’t just write down your feelings — address them to the person or situation that’s troubling you. Even writing a letter to yourself can provide a safe space for release without the pressure of someone else’s reaction. 5. Treat writing as a process. Any time you draft something and ask for feedback on it, you practice stepping back to consider alternative perspectives. Applying that feedback through revision can strengthen self-awareness and build confidence. Resilience may be as ordinary as the journal entries people scribble, the emails they exchange, the task lists they create — even the essays students pound out for professors. The act of writing is adaptation in progress.Emily Ronay Johnston, Assistant Teaching Professor of Global Arts, Media and Writing Studies, University of California, Merced This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Wishing you all a Happy Thanksgiving! As we gather with loved ones to express gratitude and share a meal, let’s take a moment to appreciate the blessings in our lives. It’s a time to reflect on the goodness that surrounds us and cherish the moments of joy and togetherness. Whether you’re celebrating with family, friends, or even virtually, may this Thanksgiving be filled with warmth, love, and laughter. Let’s remember to extend kindness and lend a helping hand to those in need, spreading the spirit of gratitude and generosity. Enjoy the holiday and create beautiful memories. Happy Thanksgiving!
Rod: A creative force, blending words, images, and flavors. Blogger, writer, filmmaker, and photographer. Cooking enthusiast with a sci-fi vision. Passionate about his upcoming series and dedicated to TNC Network. Partnered with Rebecca Washington for a shared journey of love and art.
Don’t let food poisoning crash your Thanksgiving dinner
Safe thanksgiving dinner: Protect your Thanksgiving guests from foodborne illness with these expert food safety tips. Learn why you shouldn’t wash your turkey, how to avoid the danger zone, and essential prep strategies to prevent the 48 million annual cases of food poisoning in the U.S.
Don’t let food poisoning crash your Thanksgiving dinner
Lisa Cuchara, Quinnipiac University Thanksgiving is a time for family, friends and feasting. However, amid the joy of gathering and indulging in delicious food, it is essential to keep food safety in mind. Foodborne illnesses can quickly put a damper on your celebrations. As an immunologist and infectious disease specialist, I study how germs spread – and how to prevent them from doing so. In my courses, I teach my students how to reduce microbial risks, including those tied to activities such as hosting a big Thanksgiving gathering, without becoming germophobes. Foodborne illnesses sicken 48 million Americans – 1 in 6 people – each year. Holiday meals such as Thanksgiving pose special risks because these spreads often involve large quantities, long prep times, buffet-style serving and mingling guests. Such conditions create many opportunities for germs to spread. This, in turn, invites a slew of microbial guests such as Salmonella and Clostridium perfringens. Most people recover from infections with foodborne bacteria, but each year around 3,000 Americans die from the illnesses they cause. More routinely, these bugs can cause nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps and diarrhea within hours to a couple of days after being consumed – which are no fun at a holiday celebration.
Foods most likely to cause holiday illness
Most foodborne illnesses come from raw or undercooked food and foods left in the so-called danger zone of cooking temperature – 40 degrees to 140 degrees Fahrenheit – in which bacteria multiply rapidly. Large-batch cooking without proper reheating or storage as well as cross contamination of foods during preparation can also cause disease.Put that bird right in the oven as soon as you’ve stuffed it to keep bacteria from multiplying inside.kajakiki/E+ via Getty Images Not all dishes pose the same risk. Turkey can harbor Salmonella, Campylobacter and Clostridium perfringens. Undercooked turkey remains a leading cause of Thanksgiving-related illness. Raw turkey drippings can also easily spread bacteria onto hands, utensils and counters. And don’t forget the stuffing inside the bird. While the turkey may reach a safe internal temperature, the stuffing often does not, making it a higher-risk dish. Leftovers stored too long, reheated improperly or cooled slowly also bring hazards. If large pieces of roasted turkey aren’t divided and cooled quickly, any Clostridium perfringens they contain might have time to produce toxins. This increases the risk of getting sick from snacking on leftovers – even reheated leftovers, since these toxins are not killed by heat. Indeed, each November and December outbreaks involving this bacterium spike, often due to encounters with turkey and roast beef leftovers.
Don’t wash the turkey!
Washing anything makes it cleaner and safer, right? Not necessarily. Many people think washing their turkey will remove bacteria. However, it’s pretty much impossible to wash bacteria off a raw bird, and attempting to do so actually increases cross contamination and your risk of foodborne illness. Since 2005, federal food safety agencies have advised against washing turkey or chicken. Despite this, a 2020 survey found that 78% of people still reported rinsing their turkey before cooking – often because older recipes or family habits encourage it. When you rinse raw poultry, water can splash harmful bacteria around your kitchen, contaminating counter tops, utensils and nearby foods. If you do choose to wash turkey, it’s critical to immediately clean and disinfect the sink and surrounding area. A 2019 USDA study found that 60% of people who washed their poultry had bacteria in their sink afterward – and 14% had bacteria in the sink even after cleaning it.A few food prep precautions can help keep the holiday free of gastrointestinal distress.Drazen Zigic/iStock via Getty Images Plus
Food prep tips for a safe and healthy Thanksgiving
Wash your hands regularly. Before cooking and after touching raw meat, poultry or eggs, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Improper handwashing by people handling food is a major source of bacterial contamination with Staphylococcus aureus. This bacterium’s toxins are hard to break down, even after cooking or reheating. Thaw turkey safely. The safest way to thaw a turkey is in the refrigerator. Allow 24 hours per 4-5 pounds. There’s also a faster method, which involves submerging the turkey in cold water and changing the water every 30 minutes – but it’s not as safe because it requires constant attention to ensure the water temperature stays below 40 F in order to prevent swift bacteria growth. Stuff your turkey immediately before cooking it. Stuffing the turkey the night before is risky because it allows bacteria in the stuffing to multiply overnight. The toxins produced by those bacteria do not break down upon cooking, and the interior of the stuffing may not get hot enough to kill those bacteria. The USDA specifically warns against prestuffing. So cook stuffing separately, if possible, or if you prefer it inside the bird, stuff immediately before roasting, making sure it reaches 165 F. Cook food to the right temperature. A thermometer is your best friend – use it to ensure turkey and stuffing both reach 165 F. Check casseroles and other dishes too. It’s best not to rely on an internal pop-up thermometer, since they can be inaccurate, imprecise and could even malfunction. Avoid cross contamination. Use separate cutting boards for raw meat, vegetables and bread. Change utensils and plates after handling raw meat before using them for cooked foods. Keep food at safe temperatures.Serve hot foods immediately, and make sure hot foods are served above 140 F and cold dishes below 40 F to keep them out of the microbial danger zone. Be cautious with buffet-style serving. Limit food time on the table to two hours or less – longer than that, any bacteria present can double every 20 minutes. Provide dedicated serving utensils, and avoid letting guests serve with utensils they have eaten from. Be mindful of expiration dates. Don’t forget to check dates on food items to make sure that what you are serving isn’t expired or left from last Thanksgiving. Educate guests on food safety. Remind guests to wash their hands before preparing or serving food, and politely discourage double-dipping or tasting directly from communal dishes. Thanksgiving should be a time of gratitude, not gastrointestinal distress. By following these simple food safety tips, you can help ensure a safe and healthy holiday. Lisa Cuchara, Professor of Biomedical Sciences, Quinnipiac University This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Our Lifestyle section on STM Daily News is a hub of inspiration and practical information, offering a range of articles that touch on various aspects of daily life. From tips on family finances to guides for maintaining health and wellness, we strive to empower our readers with knowledge and resources to enhance their lifestyles. Whether you’re seeking outdoor activity ideas, fashion trends, or travel recommendations, our lifestyle section has got you covered. Visit us today at https://stmdailynews.com/category/lifestyle/ and embark on a journey of discovery and self-improvement.
Emily Ronay Johnston, Assistant Teaching Professor of Global Arts, Media and Writing Studies, University of California, Merced This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
