Tag: Healthy

Should We Be Lowering The Amount Of Salt In Our Diets?

Salt has always been suspected of causing health problems if too much is consumed.

Recent studies have shed new light on how reducing salt intake can reduce blood pressure and ultimately the incidence of strokes and heart attacks.

Salt was originally discovered by the Chinese as a way to preserve food over 5000 years ago.

With the advent of refrigeration, salt consumption declined.

With the rise of consumption of processed foods in Western society, salt consumption has again risen to dangerously high levels.

The current average intake of sodium in the US is greater than 3400mg per day.

Current recommendations are to limit total sodium to 1500mg to 2300mg per day (the American Heart Association recommends no more than 1500mg per day for everyone).

75% of our sodium consumption comes from eating processed foods, not the salt shaker.

The USDA is asking the food industry to voluntarily act to reduce the sodium content in foods and implement mandatory national standards to lower sodium content.

Other countries including Japan and Finland have lowered their consumption over the past 40 years and seen significant reductions in blood pressure, strokes and heart attacks.

How can you reduce your salt intake:

  • Pass up processed foods.
  • Cut back on condiments.
  • Beware of dressings and sauces.
  • Opt for alternatives such as pepper, salt free herbs, and spice blends.
  • Forgo fast food.
  • Choose low sodium, sodium free, or reduced sodium products.
  • Read your labels for the actual sodium content and add it up!

To stay healthy, try to reduce your total sodium to 1500mg to 2300mg TOTAL per day!

 

Simplify Your Life To Reduce Your Stress And Improve Your Health!

How can you decrease your stress?

Simplify your life and de-clutter your life and mind and you can significantly improve your health.

Now that we are past the Holiday Season of hustle and bustle, it’s time to simplify.

Discover the value of living a more balanced, less stressful, deliberate and thoughtful life.

Here’s what to do:

  • Clear the clutter. Pick one area of your home and take a hard look. Clear out the items you are not using and either donate, sell, store or throw away.
  • Switch off the media. Turn off the TV’s, radios, smart phones, laptops and video games. This is audio-visual clutter.
  • Clear your calendar. Only say yes to activities you really care about and learn to say no. Too many activities is often the cause of great stress.
  • Stop the multi-tasking. This is a form of mind clutter. This happens when our attention gets spread too thin and we are unable to get into the “zone”.

Clutter not only causes us to be irritated by not being able to find something but also sends a visual message that our life is out of control.

Disorder brings about procrastination which only perpetuates more chaos.

To make matters worse, when you’re under stress, cortisol, our main stress hormone, short-circuits your brain leading to forgetfulness, irritation and meltdowns.

It’s not just the home that gets cluttered but your mind as well can be overcrowded with junk.

So simplify, simplify, simplify! The road to better health is as simple as that!

How To Survive The Holiday Feeding Frenzy Without Completely Blowing Your Diet!

Throughout the holiday season, temptations are everywhere — a busy social schedule, office and school parties, family functions, and neighborly gestures of sweets and treats. You need a strategy for dealing with the abundance of calories that are part and parcel of the holiday season.

Most people gain 2-5 pounds each year during the feasting season that starts at Thanksgiving and ends New Year’s Day.

The plan: Aim to hold steady at your current weight and focus on not gaining any additional pounds by Jan. 1.

It is so hard to resist temptation, but it gets easier if you’re equipped with a plan. Follow these tips to help you survive family gatherings without sabotaging your diet:

  • Review your eating plan and see if you can reserve a few food items during the week to save up for the holiday feast. Getting hungry between meals can lead to bingeing, and we sure don’t want that to happen!
  • Portion control is critical to prevent weight gain. Enjoy small portions of foods high in fat and calories, share a dessert, limit alcohol, and fill up on simply prepared, nutritious selections like turkey breast and vegetables.
  • Enjoy a small but filling meal before the gathering to prevent overeating. A salad, a bowl of vegetable soup, or a sandwich on whole-grain bread are all good examples of mini-meals.
  • Don’t stand near the buffet or appetizers at a holiday gathering. It’s hard to know when you’ve had enough food when you stand around nibbling!

Other ways to set the stage to eat less or maintain your same weight:

  • Make time for exercise.
  • Bring a healthy dish.
  • Host a nutritious party.
  • Don’t fall for the “eat, eat, eat” from family members.
  • Make new traditions, start the day with a family activity or a walk, make lighter recipes, and most important, move food out of the limelight and focus on the love and fellowship of family and friends.

Remember, the real reason we gather is to celebrate the holidays, together.

Halloween: Can I Lose Weight Eating Candy?…..Well Maybe?

Some weight loss studies show that including a little candy in your diet can make a diet easier to follow.

BUT, for the best results allow no more than 100-200 calories a day for your candy treat: a small snack-size chocolate bar.

The truth of the matter is CHOCOLATE can be HEALTHY!

Not all chocolate has the benefits. The best for your health is solid dark chocolate.

The health benefits come from the flavanoids, a phytochemical found in the cacao bean from which cocoa is produced.

Dark chocolate has the highest percentage of cocoa and therefore the highest percentage of flavanoids.

What does it help health wise?

  • Heart health
  • Blood pressure reduction
  • Reduces LDL (bad cholesterol)
  • Increases blood flow to the brain
  • May improve blood sugar

How much chocolate per day do I get? One ounce of dark chocolate.

Amount of flavanoids depends on the concentration of cocoa:

  • Inexpensive milk chocolate has a mere 7%
  • Most milk chocolate has 50%
  • Dark chocolate has 70%+!

So….Eat that dark chocolate daily and help you health!

The Spice of Life… and Health?

Certain spices and herbs not only can make your food have zing to it but can also contribute to better health.

Using spices and herbs can help you cut back your use of fat, sugar, and salt in your cooking, helping your waistline, blood pressure and overall health.

Here are some examples of spices and herbs found in most kitchens that can have health benefits:

  • Basil used in pizza and pesto has anti-inflammatory properties, contains flavonoids which can shield a persons cells from radiation, antibacterial capabilities.
  • Cinnamon for baked treats and warm beverages, has implications it can help lower blood glucose levels, increase insulin sensitivity and improve lipid profiles.
  • Cilantro found in salsas, guacamole and salads, contains anti-inflammatory properties, is a good source of iron, magnesium, and manganese, can also help control blood sugar and cholesterol.
  • Chili pepper or powder used to turn up the heat in food does that to you as well, raising your temperature and heart rate thought to increase your metabolism. Capsaicin, found in peppers, accelerates energy expenditure, increases fat oxidation, decreases fat intake, and has anti-inflammatory capabilities.
  • Garlic, for the Italian in all of us, has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antiviral capabilities. It can also lower cholesterol, lower your risk for some cancers and fight heart disease.
  • Parsley, sometimes sitting lonely at the edge of the plate, is a great source of vitamins A, C, and K and contains antioxidants for heart health.
  • Mint seen in tea, ice cream, toothpaste and more, contains vitamins A and C, has antioxidants and can decrease your risk for some cancers, treat upset stomach and heartburn, loosen congestion and calm the soul.
  • Ginger found in asian dishes has good gastrointestinal relief and may play a role in preventing inflammation. Due to its antioxidant properties it may also help prevent some cancers and boost immunity.
  • Tumeric (curcumin) found in curry powder, the curcumin, which gives tumeric its yellow color, may reduce your risk for some cancers, reduce the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease, and has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits as well.

So spice up you life and foods with this wonderful list of herbs and spices and get healthy!