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Heart Disease – More Good News For Chocolate Lovers

Published January 19, 2010 | By Lisa Nelson, RD

Good news for chocolate lovers, it may just increase your likelihood of surviving a heart attack. Yes, you did read that correctly. A recent joint study between the United States and Sweden looked a chocolate consumption for individuals 12 months prior to having a heart attack. They found individuals who consumed chocolate twice a week to be 66% less likely to die from the heart attack.

I honestly can’t believe money was invested in this research, but the findings are interesting. Not only did they look at the 12 months prior to a heart attack they also followed the 1,169 study participants for eight years. The data showed as chocolate intake increased over the eight year period death from cardiac causes decreased. A 27% reduced risk was found for those who occasionally consumed chocolate (less than once a month) and 44% reduced for individuals consuming chocolate once a week.

We’ve heard the benefits of dark chocolate before and how dark chocolate is high in antioxidants. This study did not differentiate between dark and milk chocolate intake. However, Swedish milk chocolate contains about twice the level of cocoa solids found in US dark chocolate.

Just don’t forget the antioxidants found in some forms of chocolate come with a big negative – added fat and calories. Moderation, moderation, moderation!

Please share your comments and thoughts below!

All the best,
Lisa Nelson RD
Heart Healthy Tips
http://www.hearthealthmadeeasy.com

Posted in Heart Health | Tagged chocolate, heart attack

High Fiber Diet – Whole Grains Provide More Than Just Fiber

Published January 14, 2010 | By Lisa Nelson, RD

New research from the University of Scranton has identified a new benefit to eating a diet high in whole grains. They have found whole grain cereals and snacks to contain high levels of antioxidants, specifically polyphenols.

Whole grain cereals were identified to have the highest antioxidant levels with oat based cereals containing the high levels followed by corn and wheat.

As far as snacks, popcorn was rated high as it provided five times the level of antioxidants compared to all other snacks tested. More heavily processed snacks lost most of their antioxidant properties during production. Just remember, keep the butter and salt added to your popcorn minimal.

All the best,
Lisa Nelson RD
Heart Healthy Tips
http://www.hearthealthmadeeasy.com

Posted in Heart Health | Tagged antioxidants, fiber, high fiber diet, whole grains

Weight Loss – 3 Tips for a Healthy New You in 2010

Published January 11, 2010 | By Lisa Nelson, RD

This is the year you are going to be successful! You just need to rethink a few of your ideas regarding healthy eating. To be successful with your healthy eating and weight loss plan you need to keep it simple.

Here are three tips to get you started on the right path this year:

Focus on nutrient dense foods.
Select nutrient dense foods to promote your overall health and weight loss. The nutrient density of a food is measured by the amount of nutrients a food contains versus the number of calories. For example, fruit is very nutrient dense while potato chips have a low nutrient density.
Lose the diet mentality.
Diets typically backfire. If you lose weight by following a diet it’s very likely you will gain the weight back. Studies even show you will gain back more weight than you lost. Following a diet can lead you to start obsessing about food and eventual binge-eating patterns. Instead of “going on a diet”, focus on healthy new eating habits.
Eat well-balanced small meals.
Keep your metabolism high by eating 5-6 small well-balanced meals everyday, instead of the standard 3 large meals with no snacks. This allows your body to burn calories efficiently versus storing extra energy as fat. Shoot for a small meal or snack every 3-4 hours.

As a special New Year’s bonus you’ll recieve a complimentary copy of the Calorie Counter for Dummies when you sign up for a Mini Diet Makeover. Learn more here – https://www.lisanelsonrd.com/minidietmakeover.html

All the best,
Lisa Nelson RD

Posted in Heart Health | Tagged diet, lose weight, new year's, resolution, weight loss

Weight Loss – 5 Tips to Stay Motivated in 2010

Published January 10, 2010 | By Lisa Nelson, RD

New Year’s is just around the corner and you know what that means. . .New Year’s Resolutions! Every year you set a goal to make a change for the better. This should be a time of great excitement; however, you may be approaching it with a sense of dread instead. Will you achieve your goal? Or will it end up being another resolution that falls to the wayside?

The statistics are not very encouraging. Most people give up on their New Year resolutions within three weeks. According to one discouraging study, only 8% of American’s actually achieve their New Year resolutions!

How will you keep yourself motivated and make this the year you achieve your goals?

Here are five tips to stay motivated:

1. Set realistic goals.

Set a goal you know you can achieve. If you are currently inactive, it’s unrealistic to set a goal to run 5 miles three times a week. Instead, set a goal you can achieve, such as “I will walk 30 minutes 3 days a week.” Realistic goals can be motivating because once you achieve your goal you can set a new one! This allows you to “see” the progress you’re making. Which brings us to the next important strategy. . .

2. Set measurable goals.

Measurable goals make it possible to track your progress. For example, instead of setting the goal “I will eat out less this year” change it to “I will eat out no more than once a week this year”. By setting measurable goals you can easily track if you are sticking with your goals.

3. Write your goals down.

Writing down your goals makes them “real” versus keeping a mental list. Post your resolution where you will see it everyday as a reminder and added motivation.

4. Tell a friend.

Share your goals with others. This provides a sense of accountability. It’s much easier to let yourself down, but when you’ve shared your plan with someone else, there’s often an increased desire to succeed.

5. Reward Yourself!

When you achieve a goal, reward yourself. It’s important to recognize your accomplishments and treat yourself. Just make sure your treat is in line with your goal. If you want to lose weight, this isn’t the time to treat yourself to an ice cream sundae. Consider other small rewards you’d enjoy, such as a good book, new music CD, or new pair of shoes.

As a special New Year’s bonus you’ll recieve a complimentary copy of the Calorie Counter for Dummies when you sign up for a Mini Diet Makeover. Learn more here – https://www.lisanelsonrd.com/minidietmakeover.html

All the best,

Lisa Nelson RD

Posted in Lose Weight | Tagged goals, lose weight, motivation, new year's, resolutions, tips, weight loss

Heart Health – How Much Should You Limit Added Sugar?

Published December 31, 2009 | By Lisa Nelson, RD

Leading organizations, such as the American Heart Association, has been recommended sugar intake be reduced for quite some time due to the direct link to increasing obesity rates. However, an actual limit or recommendation on sugar consumption had never been established until recently.

It’s now recommended that added sugars, this would be the sugar added to foods during processing, be limited to no more than 100 calories per day for women and no more than 150 calories per day for men. This means limiting added sugars to 5-9 teaspoons per day.

Might not seem like a big deal until you compare this recommendation to the current average amount of added sugar consumed US individual daily – 22 teaspoons. Twenty-two teaspoons of sugar equals about 350 extra calories each day. To give you a reference – 1 can of regular soda provides 130 calories of added sugar.

Unfortunately distinguishing between added sugars and naturally occurring sugars can be tricky. Added sugars are often identified as “syrup” on food labels.

All the best,
Lisa Nelson RD
Heart Healthy Tips
http://www.hearthealthmadeeasy.com

Posted in Heart Health | Tagged added sugar, how much, recommendations, sugar

Weight Loss in 2010: The Non-Diet Way

Published December 30, 2009 | By Lisa Nelson, RD

A Non-Diet New Year’s resolution? Yes, you’ve read this correctly. More typically, your friends, family, and perhaps you would be kicking off the New Year with the latest fad diet to change your appearance and achieve a more socially accepted thin figure. Before making this decision you should consider that dieting often leads to some unwanted side effects, such as low energy levels, feelings of deprivation, low blood sugar, and cravings for those favorite foods that you won’t allow yourself to eat. Some people may even experience overeating or binge eating as a result of going through periods of low nutrition or deprivation. To top it off, the weight loss that you may achieve is most likely temporary. Coming off a diet usually means that you will return to the previous eating patterns that you were dissatisfied with and that drove you to diet in the first place.

You can make your New Year’s resolution more reasonable by adopting the Non-Diet way to achieve a healthy figure, and peace with food and your body. Rather than a love-hate relationship, try learning to develop a more healthful relationship with food.

Listen to your body’s hunger and fullness cues.
Learn how to identify and respond appropriately to these cues and make more informed decisions about when to start and stop eating.
Follow your taste preferences.

All foods can fit into a healthful eating plan when eaten in moderation. Balanced eating, including carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, can curb your appetite, result in feeling satisfied after eating, improve energy, stabilize blood sugar levels, and also help to maintain a weight that is appropriate and healthy for you.

Along with your newly adopted Non-Diet approach to eating, challenge yourself to explore forms of movement that you find enjoyable. Your weight management goals will be met more easily by incorporating regular activity that you look forward to doing.

Keep your personal weight goals realistic. You may want to evaluate your own ideas about thinness and move more towards accepting that health results from sound nutrition and activity practices and comes in bodies of all shapes and sizes.

Now, how are you going to make your New Year’s goal a reality in 2010? Join dietitians Ursula Ridens RD and Lisa Nelson RD for the free teleclass “5 Steps to Kick Start Your Weight Loss in 2010!”. You’ll learn exactly how to move from where you are now to where you want to be by the end of 2010. Go to https://www.lisanelsonrd.com/newu/newyearcall.html to sign up! Come prepared to participate!

All the best,
Lisa Nelson RD

Posted in Lose Weight | Tagged diet, dieting, new year's, resolutions, weight loss

Heart Disease – More Good News For Chocolate Lovers

High Fiber Diet – Whole Grains Provide More Than Just Fiber

Weight Loss – 3 Tips for a Healthy New You in 2010

Weight Loss – 5 Tips to Stay Motivated in 2010

Heart Health – How Much Should You Limit Added Sugar?

Weight Loss in 2010: The Non-Diet Way

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