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South Macomb Internal Medicine

South Macomb Internal Medicine

Warren, MI

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High Cholesterol

Food Safety, The Perfect Picnic Salad & Updating Your BBQ Traditions!

June 12th, 2021

By Nanette Cameron, RDN

Food Safety

 

Picture this for a dose of wonderful nostalgia:

A nice summer day, the grill is fired up, the friends arrive with a couple dishes to pass like potato salad (yum), and a nice big seven layer dip with some deviled eggs!  The sun is out, the pool is refreshing, music is playing, the drinks are flowing…  And the hot dogs have just come off the grill with just the slightest bit of char, and the burgers are dripping with melted cheese.  Delicious!

What a day.  A couple hours go by and you notice that there is still food left.  You’re going in for seconds.  The beer is on ice but the potato salad has been baking on the table in the hot sun next to the few remaining deviled eggs.  You grab another dog, put some potato salad on your plate and you’re pretty sure no one is looking so you just pop another deviled egg while standing by the food so you don’t get in trouble.  Hot dogs, burgers with a side of food poisoning from food borne illness makes for a great night of elevated cholesterol and indigestion with antacids for dessert – right?  Well actually the dessert was the pie and the cake that you ALWAYS have room for.  At 2 AM you’re swearing you’ll never do this again (until the next invitation).

If you are still doing this – you don’t even have to admit out loud that you are – it’s time to make some changes because this routine is absolutely dangerous short term AND long term and easily avoidable.  Long term because we know this is not a sustainable way to eat without consequences to your health such as high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes.   Short term because food borne illness is very real and food safety is not practiced nearly enough.

Food Safety – 3 things you need to know:

Temperature: Danger zones are between 40 and 140 degrees.  A nice 80 degree day turns your potato salad into a petri dish – you need to keep cold food below 40 and heat hot food to above 140 to avoid food poisoning.

Time: Bacteria can start to grow on food within 2 hours.  Don’t keep food sitting out that long.

Fully cooked:  So important to cook meats properly – chicken, pork and ground beef in particular should be cooked thoroughly – above 165 degrees for all three, and you can even use a thermometer to confirm they are cooked all the way through.

 

Time to update your old school BBQ traditions for the 21st century and the post-pandemic age now that we’re gathering together again.  And since some time has passed since your old routine for these things, now is the perfect time to start anew with some fresh new habits.

Here are a couple of ways to do it:

Here are some tips for a healthy cookout at EatRight.org – take a minute to read this.  And here is my go-to salad that I make and bring with me when I’m invited to one!

PERFECT PICNIC SALAD

Makes 4 servings

1 Cup red grapes sliced in half

1 can (15 ounces) small white beans, drained

½ cup diced celery

¼ cup minced green onion, thoroughly washed before chopping

2 Tbsp. Chopped fresh parsley

Lemon mustard dressing

Lettuce leaves

Lemon Mustard dressing

Combine:

2 Tbsp. Canola oil or Olive oil

2 Tbsp. Lemon juice

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

¼ tsp. Salt 

¼ tsp. Pepper

Combine all ingredients except lettuce and dressing.  Mix well.  Add dressing and toss.  Serve over bed of lettuce.

Nutrition per serving:

Calories

248

Protein

10 g

Fat 

8 g

Carbohydrates

37 g

Fiber

9 g

Sodium

170 mg

I hope you start on your path to a healthy summer with friends and family!

***************************************************************************************************************************

South Macomb Internal Medicine

28401 Hoover Rd.  Warren, Michigan 48093

Phone: (586) 276-7530

South Macomb Internal Medicine has been designated a Patient Centered Medical Home by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.

Join us on Facebook at facebook.com/SMIMdoc for updates, articles and fun!

Call us and ask to be added to our email newsletter that comes out every couple weeks!

Telehealth and virtual appointments are still available.

Nutritional services are also available with Nanette Cameron, RDN. Don’t forget to ask us for a $25 gift certificate for trying dietary services with Nanette the first time for patients who have insurance coverage!

Feel free to click on the categories and keywords below to find more content as we add more to the website!

Filed Under: Heart Health, Nutrition Tagged With: Cholesterol, Doctor, Doctor's Office, Food Safety, Healthy Eating, High Cholesterol, Internal Medicine, Internist, Macomb, Macomb Doctor, Medical Practice, Metro Detroit, Metro Detroit Doctor, Michigan, Nanette Cameron, Nutrition, Nutrition Tips, Warren

Why High Cholesterol Needs To Be Taken Seriously and What You Can Do About It

January 29th,2021

High Cholesterol

High Cholesterol is serious business

Cholesterol is a substance that exists in the lipids, or fats, in your blood and your body uses cholesterol to build healthy cells. However, having high cholesterol can increase your risk of heart disease.

A person with high cholesterol tends to develop fatty deposits in their blood vessels, which can eventually clog the vessels and make it difficult for enough blood to flow through the arteries. The heart in this situation may not get as much oxygen-rich blood as it needs, which increases the risk of a heart attack. Also, decreased blood flow to your brain may cause a stroke.

High cholesterol can be inherited, and it may often be the result of unhealthy lifestyle choices. It is largely preventable and treatable. A healthy diet, regular exercise and sometimes medication can go a long way toward reducing it.  Here is a recent article from Harvard Medical School entitled 11 Foods That Lower Cholesterol.  We also have Nanette Cameron available to help – she is our nutritionist and she has even published a cookbook called The Perfect Day.  Just ask us for a $25 gift certificate along with a copy of her book for trying dietary services with her the first time for patients who have insurance coverage!  Nanette is also available virtually!

NO SYMPTOMS

High cholesterol has no symptoms. A blood test is the only way to detect it.

Cholesterol test – A blood test is taken after you have fasted for a certain number of hours. It measures your total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL, and HDL levels. Cholesterol’s components — LDL, HDL, and triglycerides — work together for the healthy functioning of your body. But too much or too little of these fats can lead to artery damage and cardiovascular disease.

There are three main components of cholesterol:

  • LDL (low-density lipoprotein):  L for “lousy” cholesterol, because it can damage your cardiovascular system. LDL carries most of the cholesterol in the blood to be stored away for future use.
  • HDL (high-density lipoprotein): H for “healthy” cholesterol that carries cholesterol from the body to the liver, where it is eliminated.
  • Triglycerides: The most common type of fat in your body, triglycerides, transport (carry) and store fat in the blood. When you eat excess calories, especially sugar and alcohol, they are stored as triglycerides.

There are two main ways to manage cholesterol (many patients require both): medication and changes in lifestyle which we discussed earlier. Medications are commonly prescribed if you are at high risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD), or you are at moderate risk and have additional risk factors.

Our doctors will personally assess your individual situation and make
a plan that will help you manage your cholesterol effectively.

***************************************************************************************************************************

South Macomb Internal Medicine

28401 Hoover Rd.  Warren, Michigan 48093

Phone: (586) 276-7530

South Macomb Internal Medicine has been designated a Patient Centered Medical Home by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.

Join us on Facebook at facebook.com/SMIMdoc for updates, articles and fun!

Call us and ask to be added to our email newsletter that comes out every couple weeks!

Telehealth and virtual appointments are still available as well as nutritional services with Nanette Cameron, RDN. Don’t forget to ask us for a $25 gift certificate along with a copy of Nanette Cameron’s cookbook The Perfect Day for trying dietary services with Nanette the first time for patients who have insurance coverage! Nanette is also available virtually!

Feel free to click on the categories and keywords below to find more content as we add more to the website!

Filed Under: Heart Health, Nutrition Tagged With: Cholesterol, Doctor, Doctor's Office, Harvard Medical School, HDL, Healthy Eating, High Cholesterol, Internal Medicine, Internist, LDL, Macomb, Macomb Doctor, Medical Practice, Metro Detroit, Metro Detroit Doctor, Michigan, Nutrition, Nutrition Tips, Patient Centered Medical Home, Warren

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South Macomb Internal Medicine
28401 Hoover Rd
Warren, MI 48093

Phone: (586) 276-7530

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