Heart Disease

Is celery high is salt? I am on a salt-free diet and the least bit of salty foods makes me retain water. I love to eat celery, but I don't put salt on it. Yes, celery contains 35.2 milligrams of sodium in one stalk, but compared to other foods like ham is it not too...

What is your opinion of Dr. Dean Ornish's diet for reversing coronary heart disease? Is it possible to get too little fat in your diet? If so, what are the symptoms? First, talk to your doctor before starting any diet or exercise. Dr. Dean Ornish's diet incorporates whole plant-based foods (vegetarian) rather than processed foods (veggie...

My total cholesterol has been measured a large number of times (as a benefit of being a regular blood donor). It varies from a low of 109 to a high of 150. The only time my HDL has been measured it was 43. My question is... Am I doing OK or should I be concerned? Blood...

I'm worried that I'm drinking too much coffee. How much is too much? The current recommendations regarding caffeine are less than 15 ounces of coffee or less than 30 ounces of tea per day. In 2002 (latest results available), the average man drank the equivalent of 10 ounces of coffee or 22 ounces of...

Thanks for your speedy reply. My question too is why is my thyroid now hyperactive? I am to get a second opinion, but asked my doctor to repeat the tests before getting a second opinion. Unfortunately (I forgot to mention this) I already have high blood pressure. If I get put on Cortisone this is...

I have a question regarding brandy (liquor). How can brandy taste so sweet and not have any carbohydrates? Also, where do the calories come from, if brandy does not have any protein, carbohydrates or fat? Thanks. Brandy is made from distilled wine or fermented fruit juice and is aged in a barrel. Even though there...

I work shift work and my doctor told me to cut down on coffee. I bring a thermos of coffee to work, so I do need the caffeine. But, it's giving me irregular heartbeats. Should I just cut the coffee out cold turkey? Symptoms of too much caffeine (a headache, tremor, nervousness, irritability, increased sensitivity),...

Can you please expand on your explanation of the relationship between sugar, alcohol, and triglycerides? Parts of your brief overview don't make sense to me. For one thing, you said that the direct absorption of alcohol causes the liver to reduce its sugars production, leaving the body to turn to fat as an alternate fuel...

I've always been overweight (10-15 pounds), so I try to eat as little fat as possible. However, I know that I need to eat some fat in order to get the essential fatty acids. I was just wondering if there was any way to tell if my diet is actually low in fat and...

Do you have any idea how much salt is in softened water? We recently had a water softener installed in our house. After watching my husband pour those 40-pound bags of salt in the tank, I began wondering how much salt we are getting in our drinking and cooking water. Softened water is about ten...