4 Heart Healthy Ways to Celebrate National Nutrition Month
March is National Nutrition Month. During this month, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics focuses attention on the importance of informed food choices and the role healthy eating and physical activity play in weight management and disease prevention.
Implement the 4 steps outlined below to move forward with your diet and lifestyle goals to promote heart health.
1. Plan ahead
A significant hurdle for improving food choices is time. The week is busy and as you run from one activity to the next, food preparation can fall to the side and you end up turning to quick and easy processed meals or dining out. There are choices that hinder achieving your goals.
Plan ahead by preparing meals in bulk on the weekends and freezing for quick, easy, healthy meal choices when you are in a crunch.
2. Clean out your cupboards
Don’t rely on willpower. Purge the unhealthy foods from your cupboards so they are not tempting you. Don’t use the excuse of my kids or spouse wants this on hand. If it’s not a good choice for you, it’s not a good choice for them. Save those less healthy options for special occasions, you don’t need to have them on hand constantly.
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5 Steps for Heart Health, Starting Now
On the road to heart health, start with weight control. Reaching and maintaining a healthy weight promotes overall health and prevents many diseases, including heart disease. Living with extra weight, puts an increased burden on your heart muscle. Being overweight or obese puts you at increased risk for high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, and other health
Here are five additional steps you can take for heart health:
1. Exercise more.
Being inactive is a major risk factor for heart disease. Regular exercise, particularly aerobic exercise, has many heart related benefits. For example, exercise will strengthen your heart, improves circulation, and lowers blood pressure.
2. Cut back on salt.
Salt can hide in places you may not expect. Read food labels. For some individuals, a high sodium diet is linked to high blood pressure. High blood pressure puts excess work on the heart and can lead to stroke and heart failure.
3. Avoid trans fat.
Trans fat increase LDL cholesterol, increase triglycerides and lowers HDL cholesterol. The FDA no longer recognizes trans fats as “generally recognized as safe” for use in food. Read food labels and select heart healthy oil when cooking, such as olive oil or canola oil.
Heart Health: Are you selecting whole grains?
By selecting whole grains you consume more nutrient dense foods that provide higher fiber content . . . all of which equals a heart healthy choice. Whole grain products contain all layers of the whole grain – the bran, the germ, and the endosperm. When it comes to selecting whole grains, you have many more options than just being sure to grab 100% whole wheat bread when grocery shopping. There are many whole grain varieties available to you.
Oats
Oats almost never having the bran or germ removed during processing. This means when you read a food label and see oats or oat flour listed as an ingredient, it’s safe to know this is a whole grain ingredient. Oatmeal has been linked to lower cholesterol levels.
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A Healthy Heart Equals a Healthy Mind
You’ve heard or read over and over that you have to eat right and exercise to keep your heart healthy. Well, not only do unhealthy habits impact your heart they also affect your brain.
French researchers studied 5,123 men and women over a 17-year period of time. Participants with the greatest number of unhealthy behaviors were three times more likely to have poor thinking abilities and twice as likely to have memory problems compared to those living healthier lifestyles.
There are four lifestyle factors associated with negative health effects:
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7 Tips to Lower Cholesterol & Still Enjoy Thanksgiving
The holidays are here again, so let’s review some tips so you stick with your diet to lower cholesterol levels AND still enjoy a satisfying Thanksgiving meal.
Tip #1: Pass the Gravy
Traditional gravy is a high fat source. To make your gravy a little healthy, use a spoon to remove fat from meat and poultry dishes prior to mixing up your gravy. Another option to remove the fat is to freeze the pan drippings and then remove them before making gravy. Next, don’t go overboard. Add a little gravy for flavoring and pass it on.
Tip #2: Trim the Turkey
Limit your turkey to about 4 ounces. This would be right around the size or a deck of cards. Select white turkey meat without the skin to cut back on unnecessary fat calories.
Tip #3: Stuff the stuffing right
Boost your veggie intake by sautéing a lot of veggies into your stuffing. Some veggies may include finely diced celery, carrots, and onions.
Healthy Holidays – How to Make Heart Healthy Choices When Traveling
Christmas is just around the corner which may mean a road trip for you. Here are a few tips on how to make heart healthy choices when on the road this holiday.
1. Fast Food Restaurants
Road trips frequently mean stops for fast food. Fortunately you can find nutritious options at several fast food restaurants if you order wisely. Select fast food places like Subway or Quiznos for sandwiches made on whole grain bread with lean meat and plenty of veggies. Salads are an option at many fast food restaurants, but avoid salads covered with tortilla chips, deep fried meat, and covered in dressing.
2. Convenience Stores
