Raspberries to Promote Heart Health
Raspberries are low calorie, convenient, great tasting, and provide a variety of nutrients. An excellent addition to your diet.
Fiber to lower cholesterol
Fiber is a key nutrient to combat high cholesterol levels and promote heart health. Dietary fiber binds to cholesterol in circulation and helps remove it from the body. Raspberries provide 12.5 grams/100 kcal (Calories).
For comparison…
High fiber cereals = 6 g fiber/100 kcal
Apple = 4.6 g fiber/100 kcal
Banana = 2.9 g fiber/100 kcal
Grapes = 1.3 g fiber/100 kcal
Most American’s consume about half the daily fiber recommendation of 25 to 35 grams per day. Raspberries are a useful tool for easily increasing your fiber intake. One cup of raspberries provides 8 grams of fiber.
Anthocyanins to lower blood pressure
Endothelial function is compromised with atherosclerotic disease. By providing the body with enhanced oxidative defenses, such as anthocyanins, you increase the nitric oxide released to relax blood vessels leading to vasodilation. This vasodilation promotes lower blood pressure levels. The anthocyanins found in raspberries have been shown to promote vasodilation of blood vessels in studies.
A little chemistry explanation
Quick chemistry lesson so you can better understand a couple terms.
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Does Plastic Surgery Affect the Heart?
I read an article in Time magazine recently discussing how plastic surgery procedures are now going to be the norm for a majority of Americans. I really didn’t enjoy the message of the article, but the fact is people do have plastic surgery…including those who may have heart issues.
This guest post is provided by Phoebe Damien, content marketer who works in AcceleRank Web Solutions. A teacher by day and a blogger by night, Phoebe is helping businesses with content marketing. A blogger and a runner, Phoebe is also a vegan.
Does Plastic Surgery Affect the Heart?
Just like any other operation plastic surgery is a major surgery and is associated with some risks. Patients with a heart condition may be at a higher risk of developing complications such as blood clots or deep vein thrombosis. But this does not mean that such people cannot have a facelift due to their history.
First we need to understand what plastic surgery is and the various procedures. Basically, plastic surgery is a reconstructive procedure used to correct abnormal structures in the body. It is typically performed to improve functions; however it is sometimes performed when a normal appearance is desired. There are different types of surgeries that can change or enhance your look. The popular procedures that are common today are rhinoplasty, liposuction, eyelid surgery, facelifts, breast augmentation and tummy tuck.
Patients must be screened beforehand to ascertain their medical fitness. They should also have appropriate post care after the surgery to help them with the recovery process. It is a safe procedure for perfectly healthy individuals with no history of heart disease.
Add Mushrooms to Your Diet to Reduce Heart Disease Risk
More research is linking vitamin D deficiency as a risk factor for heart disease.
Not truly a vitamin, Vitamin D acts as a hormone that regulates over 200 genes. Some functions of vitamin D include:
- Aids in absorption of calcium within in intestinal track
- Necessary for blood clotting
- Aids in secretion of insulin from the pancreas to regular blood sugar levels
- Stimulates mineralization of bone cells
- Necessary for thyroid function
What causes vitamin D deficiency?
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25 Year Cardiology Study Links Prehypertension in Young Adults to Heart Problems Later in Life
Dr. Freeman shares what young adults can do now to prevent heart problems later in life.
What are the results of this 25 year cardiology study linking prehypertension in young adults and heart problems later in life?
Prehypertension can lead to adaptive changes that result in structural alterations in the cardiovascular system, including heart muscle structure, coronary vasculature, and conduction system of the heart over time. Structural changes eventually lead to functional changes resulting in disease: coronary artery disease, angina, myocardial infarction, cardiac arrhythmias, and congestive heart failure.
What does this study mean for young adults?
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Dining Out and High Blood Pressure
Did you know dining out increases your risk for high blood pressure?
Why?
Restaurant foods, whether it be a sit down meal or drive-thru, are typically high in both salt and fat.
A study published in the American Journal of Hypertension is the first to show a direct connection between dining out and high blood pressure.
Up to this point, studies have linked dining out to a higher intake of calories, salt, and saturated fat…all of which are linked to high blood pressure.
Researchers focused on young adults. High blood pressure earlier in life has been associated with future high blood pressure and heart disease risks. Researchers wanted to determine the impact of lifestyle factors on prehypertension and hypertension in young adults.
Prehypertension is defined as a systolic blood pressure between 120-139mm Hg and/or a diastolic blood pressure between 80-89mm Hg. Hypertension — another term for high blood pressure – is defined as a systolic blood pressure greater than or equal to 140mm Hg and/or a diastolic blood pressure greater than or equal to 90mm Hg.
Please note the “and/or” used above. Both numbers do not have to be elevated to be diagnosed with prehypertension or hypertension. If systolic alone is high, that can lead to a diagnosis. If diastolic alone is high the same applies.
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5 Healthy Summer Habits to Maintain this Fall
Don’t let healthy summer habits fade away as you move into the fall. Fall often means shifting gears from summer activities into a more structured fall routine. How can you maintain healthy summer behaviors while stepping into fall?
#1 Complete Your Workout First
Summer is hot. You don’t want to be outside working out in hot mid-day temperatures, so you complete that workout early in the day to avoid the heat. Maintain this habit in the fall. By completing your workout first thing every day you are more likely to complete it versus waiting and having other priorities bump it off the to do list.
#2 Eat Breakfast Daily
More relaxed summer routines allow more time for a leisurely morning breakfast. Don’t push breakfast aside in the fall time crunch of getting kids out the door for school and yourself off to work. Breakfast “breaks the fast”, meaning it is the jump start your metabolism needs daily.
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