Heart Disease – More Good News For Chocolate Lovers
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
High Fiber Diet – Whole Grains Provide More Than Just Fiber
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
Weight Loss – 3 Tips for a Healthy New You in 2010
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
Heart Health – How Much Should You Limit Added Sugar?
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
Lower Blood Pressure – More Benefits Linked to the DASH Diet
I have shared in the past how the DASH Diet is one of the best tools you can use to lower and control high blood pressure. A new study found that the DASH Diet not only promotes improved blood pressure levels it also fights kidney stones.
Three large studies including over 240,000 men and women participants were evaluated and individuals whose diets most closely followed the DASH Diet plan had a 40-45% reduced likelihood of developing kidney stones compared to individuals following diets in direct contrast to the DASH Diet.
Researchers also took into account calcium intake. Calcium is involved in the formation of a common type of kidney stone – calcium oxalate kidney stones. Regardless of calcium intake those who followed the DASH Diet were less likely to develop kidney stones.
For individuals who have developed kidney stones or at risk of developing kidney stones a common dietary recommendation is to avoid foods high in oxalate, such as spinach and almonds. This more recent review of research indicates this may not be necessary. The DASH Diet strongly emphasizes a diet high in fruits and vegetables. Researchers point out that a diet high in fruits and vegetables increases urinary citrate production which inhibits the formation of kidney stones containing calcium.
To learn more about the DASH Diet – DASH Diet Plan.
All the best,
Lisa Nelson RD
7 Natural Ways to Lower Blood Pressure
http://www.lowerbloodpressurewithlisa.com
Heart Health Tips for Flavonoids
Flavonoids are a type of antioxidant found in fruits, vegetables, and certain beverages. Flavonoids are a hot topic because of their reported antiviral, anti-allergy, antiplatelet (blood clotting), anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor (cancer), and antioxidants health benefits. Many of the beneficial effects of fruits, vegetables, tea, and red wine are linked to flavonoids versus known nutrients and vitamins.
Antioxidants protect cells against damage caused by free radicals, which lead to oxidative stress and cell damage. Oxidative stress is linked with cancer, aging, atherosclerosis, ischemic injury, inflammation, and neurodegenerative diseases. For example, the oxidation of LDL cholesterol plays a critical role in the development of heart disease.
Flavonoid Sources:
High Flavonoid Content (>50 mg/100 g of food)
Onion, kale, green beans, broccoli, endive, celery, cranberry, orange juice
Medium Flavonoid Content (1-5 mg/100 g of food)
Salad, tomato, bell pepper, strawberry, broad bean, apple, grape, red wine, tea, tomato juice
Low Flavonoid Content (<1 mg/100 g of food) Cabbage, carrot, mushroom, pea, spinach, peach, white wine, coffee If you struggle to eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables everyday consider supplementing your diet with Juice Plus to boost your daily antioxidant intake.
All the best,
Lisa Nelson RD
Heart Healthy Tips
