The majorities of baby boomers are looking for a way to loose weight and lower their cholesterol. Both of these are two important factors in heart disease, which still remains the number one killer in the United States. The good news is that you can dodge heart disease through your food choices. Below are six foods that can help boost your heart health.
Many studies have proven the variety of health benefits given by fish, ranging from joint inflammation in arthritis sufferers to brain development in babies. The omega-3 fatty acids found in fish support circulation and improve blood vessel function. Researchers have also determined that omega-3s can prevent heart-attack deaths as they stop the electrical disturbance that causes death and half of all heart attacks are due to these arrhythmias. Each week, you should eat one to two 3-ounce servings of fatty fish such as an Alaskan salmon, anchovies, herring or mackerel. By baking or poaching these fish at low heart you can help to preserve the omega-3s. For vegetarians, omega-3 rich flaxseeds can be added to oatmeal, smoothies, or salads. For those who don’t care for fish there are omega-3 oil supplements available as well.
Have you ever wondered why oatmeal is so good for you? In your body, this gluey beta-glucan, which is soluble fiber, binds to bile acids found in the intestines and stomach and excretes them as waste. In order to make more bile acids, the liver needs cholesterol and takes it from the blood. This results in lower blood cholesterol levels. You need 3 grams of soluble fiber each day to reduce your cholesterol by five percent. A cup and a half of cooked oatmeal is a good size serving that can be jazzed up in flavor with frozen berries, non-fat plain yogurt, almonds and much more.
High-glycemic foods like potatoes, white bread, and white rice should be avoided because you get a harmful burst of glucose and insulin that’s harmful immediately after eating them. These bursts tire out the pancreas in the long run and increase the risk of diabetes and heart disease. Research also shows that having high-glycemic foods at one meal will make you even hungrier and eat more at the next, which is why these foods are associated with weight gain. People with excess fat are much more likely to develop heart disease and stroke even if there are no other risk factors. Because of this, focusing on true grains such as brown rice, quinoa, and barley and choosing them over refined grains as much as possible.
Nuts are important for their unsaturated fats and their ability to help lower cholesterol. Walnuts actually contain omega-3 fatty acids, while almonds boost calcium, helping the heart muscle to contract, and Brazil nuts have selenium, which is a heart-protective antioxidant. About one ounce each day of nuts is good for you, but they do have a lot of calories so make sure to go easy on them. If you have a nut allergy, topping you salad with olives is a good alternative, as they contain unsaturated fats.
Beans also contain soluble fiber like oatmeal which helps to reduce cholesterol and keep arteries clear. By choosing the protein from beans instead of meat, you can cut back on saturated fats which raise cholesterol. Eating beans four to five times a week is recommended, as they can be added to a lot of meals. If you don’t tolerate beans well, try adding kombu, a sea vegetable, to them to help break down the components that cause gas. Your body also does adapt to beans over time, so try building up your bean servings slowly. Food enzymes can help reduce gas as well so don’t forget to take your enzymes.
Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and other berries all have strong antioxidant properties that can help fight heart disease and are also low in calories and high in fiber. Eating two cups of fruit each day for general health is recommended, but you should eat as many berries as you can tolerate. Free radicals can break down cholesterol that is flowing in your blood and make them sticky so to deposit on the arterial walls of your blood vessels. Fight this with antioxidant rich foods to reduce cholesterol build up.
Eating healthy is one step in boosting heart health and overall cardiovascular health. Exercise is also important in keeping your body strong and vibrant so one can live a healthier longer life.
The Importance Of Healthy Foods And Healthy Eating Habits For Children
Posted on 19 January 2010
Many parents feel having trouble with healthy foods and healthy eating habits in their children. Not all children like healthy foods. Often we find a child who will not eat vegetables, fruits, or fish. Actually, the first must be recognized by the parents is that parents need to adjust the amount of nutrients that are consumed by their children for nutritional needs of each child is different. There are at least minimum standards that must be consumed for the child is fat, protein and carbohydrates. These nutrients can be obtained from the variety of foods consumed. Fat consumption to 30% of the total energy in a day is needed to absorb important vitamins such as A, D, E, and K.
Parents should not be afraid to give fat intake in children as long as the recommended portion. This is because children are individuals who are still growing physically and emotionally so that required different types of food composition.
Parents are expected to avoid the habit of unhealthy eating. Avoid giving unhealthy foods like junk food. In addition to the cooking process is not well cooked, junk food has a high salt content and various other chemicals such as preservatives, colorings, and artificial sweeteners. In fact, the habit of eating unhealthy foods has the potential to cause serious diseases such as cancer, obesity, cholesterol, stroke, gout, allergies or diabetes.
Establishing healthy eating to children, introduces healthy foods, as well as teaches children to make healthy food, indirectly create richer insight into the child. He knew what healthy foods to choose and where unhealthy foods to avoid
Healthy Eating Habits for Children, What should parent do?
Psychologically, eating behavior arises because children imitate the eating habits of other family members. For example, parents who like sweet foods will make the children fan of sweet foods as well. Habits of parents wash their hands before eating; will also be imitated by children.
In providing optimal nutrition for children, the mother of creativity is required. Therefore, mothers should adjust the intake of good nutrition for children, including quite understand how to deal with children when they do not want to eat.
As the process of learning, healthy eating habits provide many benefits to children, including self-confidence. Since childhood, children begin to learn to hold his own spoon, scoop the food, and sat in his chair (each time to be fed). Provide opportunities to the preschoolers to determine or choose the desired own food. At school age, cooking activities will also enhance self-esteem of children. Children become more proud when they can make their own healthy food. Also parents should also be more creative in serving healthy food for children.
What used to eat children today, will determine future health. Because of that, make it a habit to create healthy eating habits and give children a nutritious meal. Teach children to avoid unhealthy foods. Get used to read the composition of foods listed on the packaging. This can also be taught to children of school age, when he bought his own food that will consume.
I am Emma Arsanti. I am a blogger spesialized in healthy natural foods. Nowadays, people consume many kinds of foods but they didn’t realize that foods maybe not good for the health. Healthyfoods are not expensive, especially if we compare with our health. Get the latest information about healthy foods on http://healthyfoods-first.com
Foods That Can Improve Mental Health
Posted on 17 January 2010
Mental health can be attributed to many things, and one of those things is diet. This has warranted the most attention from the mental health community than perhaps any other form of therapy. Nutritional awareness and increased popularity of non-pharmaceutical solutions to health problems has led to a great deal of press and some pretty strong claims on both sides of the mental health argument.
1. Eating Patterns
It’s no secret that eating habits are related to mood – people tend to eat when they are sad or depressed for example. Things like poor nutrition, a failure to eat on an appropriate schedule and other factors are common to both.
2. Low Carbohydrate Diet
Certain diets have a discernible impact on mood and mental health. The popular low carbohydrate diets that are often vaunted as a great means of promoting weight loss, for instance, may increase the risk of depression. This is because foods rich in carbohydrates tell the body to produce chemicals including tryptophan and serotonin. These substances create a sense of well being in a person and their absence can have a dramatic impact on mood. Many people who cut carbohydrates from their diets may experience depressive symptoms as a result of the shortfall in these substances. The impact of carbohydrate intake on depression remains somewhat unclear. Of course, it does serve as an example of the way our bodies interplay with food can influence our emotional state.
3. You Are What You Eat
We have all heard the old clich» that you are what you eat. As with most oft-repeated phrases, its popularity is largely based on its accuracy. What we take into our body does have a profound impact on how well it functions. Although we often tend to think of mental health problems as being divorced from the physical realm, they do originate in the body. It only makes sense to consider how various nutrients and dietary habits may affect depression and other mental health concerns.
4. Vitamins
Certain vitamins also seem to be linked with depression. The B vitamin group, in particular, is often mentioned alongside depression. This is because B vitamins are key to the functioning of our nervous systems. Vitamin B6 is one example. Research has demonstrated that those suffering from depression often have very low levels of Vitamin B6 in their systems (as well as low levels of the aforementioned seratonin). Although most citizens living in industrialized nations generally to manage sufficient dietary impact of B6, certain medications (including birth control pills and hormone replacement therapy drugs) actually interfere with B6 ingestion.
5.Overhaul Your Diet
Far too many people eat out. It might shock you to actually discover how many calories are in a single hamburger these days. Eating a healthy and well-rounded diet consistent with recognized nutritional recommendations may be a good way of battling depression. A failure to restrict your diet to healthy choices may make you fat, and being fat might make you more depressed – being depressed makes you eat, and the vicious cycle continues. Break the cycle!
Embrace Great Foods in Your Diet to Progress Your General Health
Posted on 16 January 2010
Although many people think of the term ’super food’ as a modern phenomena, records show that the term has been in use since at least 1945, and possibly early if we allow the hyphenated version, ’super-food’.
So what are they, and are they really all that ’super’?
In modern times, the term is generally used to indicate that a food has nutritional properties that are above and beyond those needed just to sustain life – usually that they contain vitamins and nutrients that have been proven to reduce the risk of disease and promote good health.
The claim is that ‘Super foods’ are jam packed with nutrients and have great health giving properties. They are also supposed to boost our energy levels, prevent illness, boost brain power and repair cell damage.
If you want to test this theory out for yourself, look for ways to get the following super foods into your diet.
1. Brazil nuts – These contain selenium which helps to protect the body against certain cancers, Alzheimer’s disease and depression. For More details login on to www.breakfasts-recipes.com. Nuts help to reduce our risk of heart disease and can help to control our appetites. Look for free recipes online which make use of this wonderful nut.
2. Olive oil – Olive oil is a mono-unsaturated fat which helps to lower cholesterol. It is a source of antioxidants which help to fight the signs of ageing and protect us from damage caused by free radicals like smoking and pollution. Olive oil is a main ingredient in the healthy Mediterranean diet so look for Mediterranean diet free recipes online.
3. Apples – The humble apple is high in Vitamin C, which is an antioxidant, and high in pectin, a soluble fiber which keeps the digestive system in good working order and helps to lower cholesterol.
4. Seeded Wholegrain Bread – The fiber in the bread keeps the digestive system healthy, the seeds are a source of essential fatty acids and phytoestrogens in linseeds and Soya can help relieve symptoms of the menopause. These high fiber breads also help to control appetite.
5. Baked beans – Baked beans are brilliant. The tomato sauce is rich in leucopenia, an antioxidant which protects the body from prostate cancer and heart disease. Insoluble fiber in the beans helps to keep the digestive system healthy. Beans are also rich in calcium, iron and protein. Serve baked beans on seeded bread toast for a great super food meal!
6. Tea – Both black tea and green tea is rich in antioxidants. An antioxidant in tea, catching, helps to keep our arteries healthy and stops blood clots forming.
7. Bananas – Bananas are high in potassium which is essential for healthy hair and skin and also helps to lower blood pressure. Bananas are also high in antioxidants and are a great source of energy. Bananas can be used in low fat recipes to replace half the fat content in cake recipes.
8. Yogurt – Yogurt is a great source of calcium which is essential for healthy teeth and bones. Bio yogurts also help the digestive system by topping up the amount of friendly bacteria present in the intestines. Make your own yogurt – find free recipes online.
9. Salmon – Salmon is an oily fish and oily fish are often known as “Brain food” because eating oily fish regularly helps to prevent dementia and depression. You can also go to www.cajuns-recipes.com. Eating oily fish also reduces the risk of heart disease, build up of plaque on the walls of the artery and lowers triglyceride levels.
10. Broccoli – This vegetable is high in folic acid which is thought to lower the risk of heart disease and photochemical which help to prevent cancer. Broccoli also contains the antioxidants Vitamin C and lute in which is thought to delay the onset and progression of AMD, age related macular degeneration.
