1. 2 cans (15 oz.) Black Beans
2. 2 cans (15 oz.) Crushed tomatoes
3. 1 can (15 oz.) Corn
4. 1 Jalapeno pepper
5. 1/2 cup of Cilantro
6. 3 Green onions
7. Tablespoon of garlic
8. Cumin
9. Paprika
10. Black Pepper

Instructions

1. Rinse black beans and corn
2. Chop jalapeno pepper, cilantro, and green onions
3. Mix ingredients into a bowl.
4. Season to taste.

The reason for the decrease in LDL levels in the bloodstream is because plant sterols block the absorption of cholesterol in the digestive tract. They are able to do this because, at the molecular level, they resemble cholesterol. The digestive tract (in particular, the intestines) are lined with receptors that chemically bind with cholesterol and plant sterols, and absorb them into the bloodstream so they can be used by the body. As a result, if plant sterols are ingested at the same time that a food with cholesterol (essentially any animal product) is also ingested, the plant sterols and stanols are as likely to bind to the receptors in the intestines as the cholesterol, and, if they do, the cholesterol will continue through the digestive tract, and ultimately will be purged from the body as waste. That is why there is a maximum limit of 2 to 3 grams; any more than that would end up not binding to the receptors, and would become waste. Also, if you already take a cholesterol absorption inhibitor, the added plant sterols and stanols will not be very effective if at all. Basically, there is only so much cholesterol that can be absorbed into the bloodstream. Once that is blocked from being absorbed, there isn’t more to be absorbed. Also, if you are a strict vegetarian or vegan, in that you do not eat any animal products (including fish or shrimp, etc.) you are not ingesting any cholesterol. As a result, taking phytosterols will be of minimal value.

Phytosterols can be ingested in many forms. The obvious source is directly from food. Getting nutrients directly from whole foods is always the best way. The problem with this is that the amount of phytosterols contained per unit weight of food is low. You would have to eat quite a lot of food (with all the calories that come along with it) to arrive at the required 2 to 3 grams a day. While plant sterols are healthy, extra calories are not. For example, in order to get 2 grams of plant sterols, you need to eat 100 pounds of vegetables.

Food producers have enriched food products, such as margarine and orange juice, with phytosterols. They do make good substitutes for their counterparts, but they still do not supply enough phytosterols to be effective.

The only effective way to consume phytosterols is through supplementation. Typical plant sterol and stanol supplements come in quantities of around 500 to 750 mgs a pill. To reach the required 2 to 3 grams, you would have to take 3 or 4 pills a day. As stated previously, it is best to ingest the pills with a meal to achieve maximum efficacy.

Plant sterols and stanols offer a natural and very effective way to reduce your LDL cholesterol levels. It is actually amazing that phytosterol supplements are not as known as they should. Especially in contrast with statin medications that are advertised and prescribed heavily. They work in complementary ways, so even if you take statins, you can reduce your LDL cholesterol levels considerably in a very natural way. Phytosterol supplements are also considerably cheaper than statins, with no side effects.

About 70% of the surface area of the Earth is water, and the oceans hold about 96.5% of all the water on the Earth. One would be led to believe there is plenty of water to use. This is not the case. Firstly, the water in the oceans is salt-water, which is not very useful (other than swimming!). Of the remaining 3.5% of the water on the Earth, about half (or 1.75%) is trapped in polar ice-caps and glaciers. Much of what is left is either in the ground, in the atmosphere, or in plants (and animals). In the end, only about 0.8% of the water on the Earth is in lakes, rivers, and aquifers, and is usable to us. That is an amazing figure. Less than one percent of the water on the Earth is usable! When you realize this, you can start to understand why we might need to be more careful with how we use water.

Whatever the source of water, it has to be cleaned (treated) either by the large municipal treatment plants, or for those who have their own wells or collect rainwater, by residential treatment systems, before it can be used. After use, water is returned to the treatment plant via the sewage system, either through residential drainage or street drainage, and the cycle repeats. Some of the water also returns to the treatment plant through the Water Cycle, either by evaporation into the atmosphere, or by run-off.

It takes a considerable amount of energy to clean water, and the more water that has to be cleaned, the more energy that is needed. In Austin, Texas, water and wastewater costs have increased a staggering 100% between 2000 and 2012, and rates are scheduled to be increased even further! The increase is in large part due to costs related to paying for new and existing water treatment plants. The problem is exacerbated by the increase in population requiring more and more water. If we can reduce the amount of water that has to be cleaned, we can reduce the cost of water.

Texas has in been in drought conditions for about two years, which has had major impact on water supplies. There are currently 20 water systems in Texas that are in imminent danger of running out of water. Some have already run out of water. When this happens, municipalities have to take drastic measures, such as trucking in water, in order to cope. It has been estimated that central Texas has just months until lake levels are so low as to require severe usage cutbacks. Weather patterns that were hoped to form did not materialize, which has meant much less rainfall than predicted. We are near historic lows in lake levels.

Due to the extreme drought in the past years, desalination (the removal of salt from salt-water) has been getting more attention. Unfortunately, at this time, it does not seem that desalination is feasible. It is still very energy intensive, and, thus, too costly. Currently less than 1% of Texas water supply comes from desalination. Possibly as technologies improve and become more efficient, and the cost of other sources of water increase, desalination will become more prominent.

There are a number of ways to conserve water. Turning off the faucet when you brushing your teeth or when soaping up in the shower, fixing leaky faucets and toilets, using efficient dishwashers, etc. can, and do, lead to even thousands of gallons a year for a family. However, the most effective way to conserve water is on outdoor watering. Replacing lawns with indigenous plants that are accustom to drought conditions is the best way to go. However, that is not a generally accepted solution. If you have a lawn, make sure that your sprinklers are functioning properly (not leaking, and actually watering the lawn), limit the amount of time the sprinklers are on, and water in the early morning before dawn so that the water has a chance to be taken up by the grass. From my experience, you can dramatically reduce your water consumption if you follow these guidelines. Monitor your water usage carefully month to month to be as optimal in your water usage as possible. It will save you LOTS of money!

Water conservation is the easiest way to ensure a supply of usable freshwater in the future. Building new water treatment plants won’t increase the amount of water available to us. Clearly, technologies such as desalination can help, as well as fixing leaky infrastructure, but it will only be through reducing our consumption that we will have a sustainable supply of water. The most effective way to conserve water is how you use it to water your lawn. Compared to other uses, watering the lawn is by far the largest chunk of water usage. If you carefully monitor your usage, you will reap lots of savings, and the environment will be all the better for it.

• Monday, November 12th
  • East Austin Studio Tour
• Thursday, November 15th
  • Texas Green Network Post-Election Wrap-up w/Karen Huber, Eddie Rodriguez and Mark Strama
• Friday, November 16th
  • The Global Warming Tour featuring Aerosmith with Cheap Trick
• Saturday, November 17th
  • SFC Farmers’ Market at Sunset Valley – 9:00am – 1:00pm – Burger Stadium Parking Lot 3200 Jones Road near 290 east and Brodie Lane Sunset Valley, TX 78745
  • SFC Farmers’ Market Downtown – 9:00am – 1:00pm – Republic Square Park, 422 Guadalupe St. Austin, TX 78701
  • Barton Creek Square Mall – 9:00am – 1:00pm – 2901 S. Capitol of Texas HWY 360 at Loop 1 Austin, TX 78735
  • Austin Open Air Market – 9am-1pm – Hwy 183 (Research Blvd.) and N Capital of Texas Hwy
• Sunday, November 18th
  • HOPE Farmers Market – 414 Waller St corner of E. 5th and Waller Austin, TX 78702
  • Austin Open Air Market – 10am-2pm – Hwy 183 (Research Blvd.) and Great Hills Drive

My intent for this post is to condense all that I have learned about heart disease, the root cause, and things you can investigate on your own to help you prevent your, or your loved one’s, heart disease.  My belief is that it can be prevented, not just managed.  Managing heart disease is a slippery slope, and a dangerous bet.  Over time, as the symptoms don’t recur, one starts to think their heart disease has been cured.  Unfortunately, heart attacks happen from one second to the next, without any warning.  It is best to address the underlying causes of heart disease, rather than addressing just one (albeit important) factor.

So when I say “heart disease”, what do I mean?  There are numerous diseases of the heart, but the specific one I am talking about is atherosclerosis, which is the hardening of the (in this case coronary) arteries.  Atherosclerosis occurs when fat, cholesterol, and other substances build up in the walls of the arteries and form hard structures called plaques.  These plaques grow in size to the point that they obstruct blood flow that can, at a minimum, cause fatigue, and, at worst, cause a heart attack, and possibly death.

It used be believed that plaque would grow from 0% to 100% obstruction, and only when full obstruction of the artery was achieved would a heart attack would occur.  That is not the case.  We now know that plaque build-up goes from 0% to around 40% to 50% when the likelihood of heart attack increases dramatically.  The reason for this is because when the plaques get large enough, they get struck by the blood flowing through the artery.  In fact, when you workout, your blood density increases, increasing the “punch” against the plaque mounds.  Essentially, the plaque rips open, releasing the trapped substances into the bloodstream.  These fatty substances coagulate inside the artery causing a blockage (referred to as a thrombosis).  Anything downstream of the blockage (i.e., parts of your heart) is then starved for oxygen and start to die (myocardial infarction).  This is a heart attack.  If the blockage is not removed quickly (via angioplasty for example), the heart will stop and death ensues.

It is often the case, as it was with me, that the first time you find out you have atherosclerosis is when you have a heart attack, or, if you’re fortunate, you get some warning in the form of chest pain (referred to as angina).  Often people ignore the chest pain since they can feel like what you feel when you workout hard.  Essentially, it is the same reason behind this, your muscles (in this case the heart muscle) are lacking oxygen.  The chest pain subsides, and you forget about it.  It is only when you get a full blockage (i.e., a heart attack) that you are in big trouble.

Knowing what happens after a plaque is dislodged is one (terrible) thing, it is a whole other thing to know how and why it got there in the first place, and how to prevent arterial plaque buildup in the first place.  Arterial plaque buildup is a complex process, but it starts with damage to the lining of the arteries (called the endothelium).  The arterial lining is damaged by a process called oxidative-stress, which occurs when free-radicals chemically bond to the endothelial cells of the arterial lining.  Free-radicals, which enter the bloodstream via food, air, and through the skin, are molecules that are unstable, and thus have a tendency to bond with other molecules, in this case, the molecules making up the endothelial cells.

The next step in the plaque buildup process happens when LDL enters the damaged endothelium, and starts to accumulate in the artery wall.  In fact, it is the small-sized LDL that are the culprits.  You can take blood tests to determine your lipid profile.  You want your HDL levels to be high, and your LDL levels low, and in particular, your small-sized LDL levels to be low.

The last step, ironically, involves the body attempting to fix the arterial damage.  White blood cells swallow and try to digest the LDL in attempt to protect the artery.  Over time, more LDL and white blood cells collect in the damaged area forming plaque.  The plaque contains cholesterol, cells, and other debris.  Unless stopped, the plaque continues to grow until they obstruct blow flow to cause angina, or rupture to cause a heart attack.  So that is the discussion about how and why plaques form.  Now let’s discuss how to prevent and reverse plaque buildup.

At this point in the post, I should say that if you have good or low blood-pressure, and your cholesterol levels are optimal, consider yourself lucky.  You probably don’t have to change anything about your lifestyle or diet.  Lucky you!  The rest of us need to take heed.  It is very likely that if you are like me, you have a condition known as endothelial dysfunction.  Endothelial dysfunction results in reduced blood vessel elasticity (vasodilation), increased sensitivity to cholesterol damage and, thus, plaque buildup, and increased likelihood of plaque rupture.  Basically all the things that lead to heart attacks.  Therefore, in order to prevent heart disease, you need to get your endothelium to function properly, and minimize the damaging effects of cholesterol.

Endothelial function (and dysfunction) is a relatively new area of science, but the body of science has increased considerably in the last 25 years.  It is now universally believed that endothelial dysfunction contributes to the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis.  The science of endothelial function can be difficult to follow, but the essence of it involves the manufacture and use of Nitric Oxide (NO) by the endothelial cells.  NO gets depleted as we grow older.  Men over 40 and women over 50 have considerable reduction in NO.  NO has many functions and benefits, including cardiovascular function.  Therefore, the way to get the endothelium to function properly is to increase NO.  One way to do this is by exercising.  When you run or lift weights, your muscles need more oxygen, which is supplied by the blood.  As the heart pumps with more pressure to supply the muscles with blood, the endothelial cells release NO into the blood, which relaxes and widens the blood vessel wall allowing for more blood to pass through.

Another way to increase NO is by diet.  In particular, by consuming the amino acids L-Arginine and L-Citrulline.  Nuts, cereal and fruits contain L-Arginine, and peanuts and watermelon rine contain L-Citrulline.  Recommended dosages of L-Arginine are between 6g to 12g a day, and 2g to 15g a day for L-Citrulline.  Given these relatively large doses, it difficult to consume enough L-Arginine and L-Citrulline from foods alone.  You will probably have to take supplements in order to consume enough of these amino acids to make them effective.  These amino acid supplements can be purchased and vitamin and some grocery stores.

The other prescription for preventing heart disease is to minimize the effects of cholesterol (LDL).  Reducing your LDL levels is an obvious way to achieve this.  The fewer LDL you have in your blood stream, the less likelihood that it can do damage.  There are two ways to reduce LDL.  First, you can eat foods that are low or absent of cholesterol.  Only animal products contain cholesterol; therefore, if you only eat plant foods, you will not add to the cholesterol that your body produces.  If you are like me and produce way too much cholesterol, you probably want to limit the amount of meat, dairy, and even fish that you eat (in particular, shrimp).  Personally, I almost only eat plant foods:  fruits, vegetables, nuts, and grains.  I obtain protein from plant proteins.  I sometimes eat salmon since it is high in Omega-3 fatty acids, has been shown to increase HDL (the good cholesterol), and is low in LDL if steamed, grilled, or broiled.

The second way to reduce LDL levels is to take statins.  Statin drugs interfere with the body’s ability to produce cholesterol.  Statin drugs are very effective in lowering LDL levels; however, they also have negative side-effects.  Unfortunately, statins interfere with the production of CoQ10.  If you are prescribed statins be sure that you take CoQ10 supplements.  CoQ10 is found in every cell in the body.  Cells use it to produce energy your body needs for cell growth and maintenance.  If you take statins, but do not supplement CoQ10, you will likely feel muscle pain.  Since the heart is a muscle, low levels of CoQ10 can adversely affect the heart.

The other way to minimize the effects of cholesterol is to eat foods or take supplements that are high in antioxidants.  As I discussed previously, free-radicals are a primary cause of arterial lining (endothelial cell) damage.  Without getting too complicated, antioxidants chemically neutralize free-radicals so that they don’t interact and damage the endothelial cells.  Foods and supplements can be ranked in terms of their ability to neutralize free-radicals using a measure called the Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC).  There is lots of information on the net that you can research.  As for supplements, Pomegranate, Acai Berry, and Vitamin C are among the supplements that are safe and often recommended.

This post worked back from what causes heart attacks to ways to prevent these causes from happening.  The good news is that there is evidence that these causes of heart disease can reversed.  The endothelium can be made to function properly by reducing the damaging effects of LDL and free-radicals, and increasing Nitric Oxide levels in the blood.  If you switch to a low cholesterol diet, eat foods and supplements rich in antioxidants, exercise, take Nitric Oxide enhancing supplements, and take statins if prescribed to you, you can prevent and reverse heart disease.

The degree to which you do all these things depends on your risk factors.  If you have ever had heart attack or an angioplasty, it would be very wise of you to be very aggressive in making these changes.  If you have demonstrated risk factors, such as high LDL and high blood pressure, I would urge you to make these lifestyle changes.  Remember that for too many people, the first time they find out they have heart disease is when they suffer a heart attack.

I hope you have found this post informative.  Please check back for other posts on our blog.

Environment & Sustainability

The environment is…well…our playground.  Without it all else is moot.  So discussions about the environment will be a key theme in our blog.  We will discuss what we can do to keep it as healthy and beautiful as we can.  Issues related to sustainability are central to this goal.  What can each of us do in our everyday lives to help to preserve, conserve, and improve the condition of our environment so that all of us can enjoy and benefit from the healthiest environment around us.

Health, Nutrition & Fitness

This blog will discuss how to maximize our enjoyment of our playground, our world; how to live a long and healthy life, with maximum capabilities.  We subscribe to the belief of “squaring the curve”.  That is, if you plot your capabilities (ability to walk, run, play sports, etc.) versus your age, you want to see the curve be a high and straight line for as long as possible, and only near the end does it fall.  In other words, be in command of all of your capabilities for as long as you can.  In this way, you can enjoy the world and everything in it for as long as you can, the most that you can.  To this end, this blog will discuss health, nutrition & fitness from the perspective of medical studies, healthy eating and lifestyles, nutrition plans, recipes, workouts, and much more.

Community & Events

Lastly, our blog will discuss our community, and events.  A major part of enjoying your world is having friends with whom to enjoy it.  That is, your community.  We are located in Austin, Texas, so we will largely (but not exclusively) discuss local issues and events.  Austin is such a vibrant, environmentally and health conscious city.  We have a diverse, and tightly knit community.  In this blog, we will highlight the Austin, and surrounding area, making you aware of all the fun and socially important events that are happening.

We hope you enjoy our blog, and our wish is that you will find it useful in your life to help you live a long, healthy, and inspired life alongside your family, friends, and community!