Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Statin Drug Update

Last April (April 2009) I wrote a post about the dangers of statin drugs used to control (reduce) cholesterol.  Last week, the day before the health "care" bill passed, the FDA announced that one of the most popular statin drugs sold in America causes so much kidney damage that it might kill you.  The Food and Drug Administration says the highest available dose of the cholesterol drug Zocor can cause muscle damage as well as severe and potentially lethal kidney damage.

The FDA stated that statin drugs like Zocor (the generic version is simvastatin) are known to cause muscle damage in some patients.  The risk is greater when patients are taking 80 milligram doses of Zocor. The risks include rhabdomyolysis, a form of muscle damage that can lead to kidney damage or failure, and death.

Please go back and reread my April 2009 post . . .

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Omega 3 for Heart Attack Survivors

A recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition indicates that heart attack patients who had the highest intake of Omega-3 fatty acids from food rather than supplements had a 47 percent lower risk of ventricular ectopy. Ventricular ectopy is a form of heart rhythm abnormality that can result in sudden death. The best natural sources of Omega-3s are walnuts (I eat a small handful, about 1/4 cup, a day), kale and brussel sprouts (yum), salmon, herring and mackerel. I suggest that you include at least three serviing of Omega-3 rich food in your diet every day.

Source: Smith, P. J., et al. (2009) "Association Between n-3 Fatty Acid Consumption and Ventricular Ectopy after Myocardial Infarction," American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Zucchini Delight


You might be thinking, “Oh no, not Zucchini again.” I love Zucchini in all of its wonderful varieties and missed it tremendously during the few months when I couldn’t find it in the grocery store . . . and early March is way too early to get it out of my garden. Tired of steamed, stir-fried and boiled (yuck) zucchini? Try our recipe for Zucchini Delight.



Wash and grate two large zucchinis (skin on)
Chop ½ of one red onion
Combine with one egg and three tablespoons of butter
Salt and pepper to taste


Fry until brown (about three minutes on each side) in olive oil









Serve with garnish.
Now that is yummy!