Health
and Travel Insurance
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Carolyn Gretton
Blue Angel Solutions
is pleased to present
HEALTHY TIPS, an
informative series of
tips, insights and
suggestions related to
your health and
well being.
Welcome To...Healthy Tips
Check back on the first of
each month for a new Healthy Tip. We hope you enjoy them and here's to your health.
The Strawberry Factor
December 2024
The berry that takes down triglycerides and LDL
Strawberries are one of my favorite fruits. I have a cup of frozen organic strawberries every day in my morning smoothie, and when summer comes, I hit the local organic farm every week of the season to pick my own.
The great thing about strawberries is they’re not just juicy, sweet and tasty. They have a ton of health benefits.
Research shows they’re great for lowering blood sugar and supporting the health of our blood vessels. A study in mice indicate they can reduce colon inflammation caused by inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
And they contain an antioxidant, fisetin, that has been shown to protect the brain and even defend against pain and osteoporosis.
Now there’s evidence their effects on triglycerides and LDL reinforce the health benefits of strawberries…
Strawberries protect your brain and heart
Even when you get your cholesterol checked, you may have incomplete information about your true risk. Apo B and Lipoprotein A are tests worth having — although few physicians are aware of these tests and actually order them.
Lipoprotein A is a genetically determined risk factor that can only be uncovered with a blood test. It affects about 1 in 5 Americans. And if you don’t test for it, you won’t know if you’re at increased risk of developing plaque buildup prematurely. You need this tested only once in your lifetime.
Apo B helps determine how confident we are that your LDL reading is a true representation of risk. Apo B can change with lifestyle adjustment. Timing and appropriateness of Apo B testing is something that your doctor should weigh in on. Apo B and Lipoprotein A (Lp(a)) are both assessed with blood tests that are not expensive and are typically covered by insurance (but always good to check with your specific plan).
Make sure they’re ‘clean’
Triglycerides and LDL can be the hardest components of cholesterol to keep straight, so this is great news. But there’s one big caveat when it comes to consuming strawberries…
For years, strawberries have topped the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen list of foods most contaminated with pesticides. These include chemicals that have been linked to cancer and reproductive damage, or that are banned in Europe.
To avoid these pesticides, I eat organic strawberries. But I’m aware that this doesn’t completely eliminate my risk. If the strawberry seedlings grown on organic farms were not started there, there’s a good chance they started growing in soil pumped with toxic fumigants before they were transferred to organic soil.
There are a few things you can do to reduce your risk of pesticide exposure from strawberries:
1) Wash your berries. This may not completely guarantee pesticide-free exposure, but it definitely will help remove them. Rinse your berries in a bowl of water with a little bit of white vinegar and add a slice or two of lemon to counteract the vinegar taste.
2) Meet your local farmers. Talk to the farmers at your local farmer’s market to find out their growing practices. That will tell you where you can purchase the “cleanest” strawberries.
3) Grow your own. If you have the space, you can grow strawberries in hanging baskets or in any container large enough to space your plants about 8-10 inches apart, spread the roots out and cover them with soil. Vegetable-growing compost works well for growing strawberries.