Get the Skinny on Triglycerides

People who see their doctors for routine wellness exams typically undergo certain blood tests during that process. In addition to a complete blood count (CBC), doctors frequently request lipid panels that indicate cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

While cholesterol is a familiar term, triglycerides may be more of a mystery to the average Joe.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, triglycerides are lipids (waxy fats) that provide energy to the body. The body produces triglycerides and also gets them through food. Triglycerides are actual fats, while cholesterol is a waxy, odorless substance made by the liver. Since cholesterol cannot mix or dissolve in the blood, the liver puts cholesterol together with triglycerides to move the fatty mixture (lipoproteins) throughout the body.

When a person eats, any extra calories not used for energy are converted into triglycerides, which are stored in fat cells. Later, hormones release these triglycerides as energy between meals. Individuals who regularly eat more calories than they burn, particularly from high-carbohydrate foods, may have high triglycerides.

According to the Mayo Clinic, high triglyceride levels may contribute to a hardening or thickening of the arteries, which is a condition known as arteriosclerosis.

For healthy adults, normal triglyceride levels should be under 150 mg/dL. Values of 151 to 200 mg/dL are considered borderline high, and anything over 201 is high or very high. In addition to arteriosclerosis, high triglyceride levels can raise the risk of cardiovascular disease and pancreatitis.

March is RED CROSS MONTH Turning Compassion into Action

March is Red Cross Month, a time to remind everyone of the work of the Red Cross organization does in communities across the country and around the globe–and how they depend on public support to help people in need. The Red Cross may provide medical care, food, shelter, and other services to communities until they get back on their feet after a disaster or medical pandemic.

The Red Cross also is often instrumental in organizing blood collection drives. We invite you and others to join the Red Cross mission by volunteering, giving blood, learning lifesaving skills, or making a financial donation. You don’t have to wait until next March to help people in need.

Visit redcross.org.

Overeating, having a family history of high cholesterol, drinking alcohol to excess, being overweight or obese, and having unmanaged diabetes can contribute to high cholesterol levels. Smoking, the presence of thyroid disease and certain medications, like diuretics and hormones, also may raise the risk of developing high triglyceride levels.

Lifestyle changes similar to those recommended to manage high cholesterol can help people lower their triglyceride levels. These include eating a nutritious diet, doing aerobic exercises regularly and maintaining a moderate weight. Individuals should avoid simple carbohydrates, such as those made with white flour, fructose, trans fats, and hydrogenated oils or fats.

Low triglyceride levels are not typically a cause for concern. But in these instances malnutrition or malabsorption could be the culprit.

Individuals should undergo routine health screenings to determine if high triglycerides are part of their lipid panels.

St. Patrick’s Day is an opportunity to honor St. Patrick and celebrate the Irish diaspora and culture. From lively bagpiping to delicious foods to spirited parades, St. Patrick’s Day features many chances for merriment, which can even extend to private parties held at home. The following are some recipe ideas to ensure this St. Patrick’s Day is as jovial as ever.

Classic Irish Coffee

Yield: 2

1/3 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

1/4 cup whiskey, preferably Irish

2 cups hot freshly brewed coffee

Whip the cream and brown sugar in a medium bowl with a whisk until soft peaks form. Divide the whiskey between 2 mugs and top with the hot coffee. Spoon the whipped cream over top and serve hot.

Source: www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/classic-irish-coffee-5484734

Shepherd’s Pie

Yield: 8 servings

1 1⁄2 pounds russet potatoes

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 cup chopped onion

2 carrots, peeled and finely diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1⁄2 pounds ground lamb

1 3⁄4 teaspoons kosher salt

3⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons tomato paste

1 cup chicken broth

2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1⁄4 cup half-and-half

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 large egg yolk

1⁄2 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen

1⁄2 cup English peas, fresh or frozen

1. Heat oven to 400 F.

2. Peel the potatoes and cut them into 1⁄2-inch dice. Put them in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Set said pan over high heat, cover and bring to a boil. Uncover, drop the heat to maintain a simmer, and cook until tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

3. Heat the oil in an 11-inch sauté pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onion and carrots and sauté just until they begin to take on color, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and stir to combine. Add the meat, salt and pepper, and cook until browned and cooked through, approximately 3 minutes.

4. Sprinkle the meat with the flour, toss to coat, and continue to cook for another minute. Add the tomato paste, broth, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, and thyme and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then decrease the heat to low, cover, and simmer slowly until the sauce is thickened slightly, 10 to 12 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, combine the half-and-half and butter in a microwave-safe container and nuke until warmed through, about 35 seconds.

6. Drain the potatoes and return them to the saucepan. Mash the potatoes (a masher is an excellent tool for this, though a hand mixer will do), then add the hot half-and-half mixture, as well as the salt and pepper. Mash to smoothness, then stir in the egg yolk.

7. Add the corn and peas to the meat mixture and spread evenly in a 7-by11-inch glass baking dish. Top with the mashed potatoes, starting around the edges to create a seal to prevent the mixture from bubbling over, and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Place on a half sheet pan lined with parchment paper on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 25 minutes, or just until the potatoes begin to brown. Remove to a cooking rack and let rest for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Source: Chef Alton Brown, Good Eats season 12

Irish Boxty

Yield: about 10

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

5 large eggs

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

2 teaspoons flaky sea salt, for garnish

1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar, for garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-by-9-inch baking pan with cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on 2 of the sides. Spray the parchment with cooking spray.

2. Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder and kosher salt in a medium bowl until combined.

1 1/4 cups raw potatoes, peeled

1 1/4 cups cooked potatoes, mashed

1 1/4 cups flour

2 1⁄2 teaspoons salt

3 1⁄2 cups milk

1. Grate the raw potatoes into a muslin cloth and squeeze as much liquid as possible into a bowl. Let liquid stand for 20 minutes.

2. Gently pour off the liquid and keep the starch that settled in the bottom of the bowl.

3. Add grated potatoes to mashed potatoes and flour. Add starch and salt to mix.

4. Slowly add 3⁄4 of the milk to form a batter of pouring consistency. Depending on the potato, you may not need to use all the milk. If the batter is too heavy, add more milk.

5. Leave batter resting for 30 minutes.

6. Drop a ladle full onto an oiled nonstick pan over medium heat and cook on the first side for 2 minutes (this depends on how heavy the batter is and how much you use). Check color (it should be a nice golden color) on the bottom. Adjust heat if necessary.

7. Turn and cook on the other side for 2 to 3 minutes more.

8. Boxty pancakes are best left overnight in a fridge and reheated in a pan in good butter. Source: Chef Pádraic Óg Gallagher of Gallagher’s Boxty House in Dublin

Guinness Brownies

Yield: 16 brownies

Nonstick cooking spray, for greasing the pan

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tablespoon instant espresso powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

One 11.2 ounce bottle stout beer, such as Guinness® Extra Stout

1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

3. Slowly pour the Guinness into a medium saucepan, trying to make as little foam as possible. (Hold the pot at an angle and press the lip of the bottle to the side of the pot and slowly pour. This should help eliminate foam.) Bring the beer to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until thickened and reduced to 1/3 cup, 12 to 13 minutes (you may need to pour the beer into a liquid measuring cup a few times to make sure it is reduced enough). Add the butter and whisk constantly until melted, about 1 minute. Add the bittersweet chocolate and whisk constantly until melted and smooth, about 2 minutes.

4. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the granulated sugar until combined. Whisk in the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract until just combined. Add the flour mixture and stir slowly until combined, taking care that none of the flour spills out of the pot. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan.

5. Bake until set on top, the brownies have slightly pulled away from the sides and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs, 30 to 35 minutes. Sprinkle the flaky sea salt on top.

6. Let cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then use the parchment overhang to remove the brownies from the pan to a cutting board and let cool completely, about 30 minutes.

7. Use a fine-mesh sieve to sprinkle the confectioners’ sugar on top of the brownies and slice into 16 squares.

Source: www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/guinness-brownies-12348094