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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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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Water is the most essential nutrient. How much water do you drink?
When it comes to heart health, what you drink is just as important as what you eat.
Many adults struggle to consume enough fluids daily. A study using NHANES data found adults on average consume about four, 8-ounce glasses (32 fluid ounces) of water daily. The Institute of Medicine recommends approximately 91 ounces daily for women and 125 ounces daily for men. Exact fluid intake needs vary between individuals. Keep in mind these values, 91 and 125 ounces, account for ALL fluid intake throughout the day, not water alone. Fluid needs increase with exercise and hot climates.
Water is the most essential nutrient.
Water is needed for every cell in the human body to function properly. The body is comprised of 50 to 75% water. Water regulates body temperature, cushions and protects our joints and organs, aids in digestion, forms the basis of blood, and is contained in lean muscle, fat, and bone.
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Use Waist-to-Height Ratio to Predict Your Heart Disease Risk
The waist-to-height ratio is used to measure body fat distribution. A higher ratio is related to increased risk of heart disease due to abdominal obesity.
Waist-to-height ratio and BMI are both popular screening tools for health risks connected to obesity. These methods are quick and cost efficient to use.
Researchers presenting a study with more than 2900 individuals at the 2015 European Congress on Obesity determined waist-to-height ratio measurements to be more accurate and more efficient for identifying heart disease risk when compared to using BMI alone.
When using BMI measurements, 41% of men and 29% of women in the study were classified as “normal”, but had waist-to-height ratios above normal. Researchers determine this would equal 12% of the population being misclassified as normal if only BMI measurements were utilized to assess risk.
