MAKE TIME FOR PM BATH SOAKS

This may surprise you but according to a study in the journal Heart a daily nighttime soak in the tub might even lower one's stroke risk. They found that a warm bath every day encourages circulation and blood vessel flexibility to decrease stroke risk by up to 46%. Said bath before bed is a good idea as it triggers a drop in body temperature afterward that helps one sleep better. That's good idea as research in the Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases suggests that ample sleep is a safeguard against stress and inflammation to further reduce one's stroke risk. You may want to find time for that nighttime soak. 

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IF YOU START YOUR DAY WITH CEREAL...

If you are a cereal person and you like to start your day with a quick bowl of cereal, be sure you are eating whole-grain cereal. A study a few years ago showed that a high intake of the fiber found in whole grains reduced the risk of dying of heart disease, even pneumonia. When choosing your morning cereal, choose one made with whole grains.

Fiber is what gives whole grains their power. Fiber is believed to work by keeping blood sugar steady, lowering blood pressure, cutting blood fats and fighting inflammation. If you follow this blog, you know the importance of fighting inflammation.

There are other sources of whole grain fiber foods such as oatmeal, wheat germ, bran, brown rice, popcorn, whole grain breads, pastas, etc. It is important to look for whole grain foods while passing up the refined ones.

 

A selection of whole grain cereals

GOOD NEWS IF YOU ENJOY AVOCADOS

If you love avocados and the guacamole made from them, more good news for you! According to research reported in the Journal of the American Heart Association, enjoying an avocado every day does your body good. It was a short study, but the results were obvious. The researchers asked volunteers to include one avocado in their diet every day for six months. The result, they found that including one avocado a day improved the volunteers overall diet quality.  That is a factor that has been linked to a reduced risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, even some types of cancer. Penny Kris-Etherton, Ph.D., the study author stated, "Incorporating an avocado per day did not cause weight gain and also brought about a slight decrease in LDL cholesterol--all important findings for better health."

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CAN HOW WELL YOU SLEEP AFFECT YOUR HEART?

Yes, sleeping well plays an important role in heart health. Sleeping poorly increases inflammation and can negatively affect blood pressure, diabetes and weight. Below are some ways to set yourself up for good sleep. If good sleep is a problem for you, check out the helpful hints below.

• Keep to a regular sleep-wake schedule seven days a week.
• The following things can mess with your sleep so avoid them; caffeine, a large meal, and alcohol.
• Stay away from your digital devices for at least an hour before your bedtime.
• Find some non-stimulating wind-down activities that relax you and tell your brain it's time to settle down.

If sound sleep seems to continue to be a problem for you, you may need to see your health care provider for further help.

Here's to a good sleep!

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INFLAMMATION AND HEART RISK=A BAD COMBINATION

Another reason to treat inflammation in the body is that inflammation and heart risk go hand in hand. There is the fleeting inflammation our bodies use to fight off injury but that is not what we are talking about. There is also chronic inflammation or inflammation that becomes constant, and it can have a negative impact on the heart. Untreated chronic inflammation does play a role in cardiovascular changes that may up one's heart disease risk. Your doctor may do blood work to check the inflammation in your body. What can you do? Exercising regularly and eating a healthy diet that includes plenty of fruits and vegetables are good anti-inflammatory habits to establish.

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WOMEN AND HEART DISEASE

Women are you aware you have what some cardiologist call "bonus" heart disease risk factors? In additions to the risk factors, you share with men. such as high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, high cholesterol, etc women have a few more. Nieca Goldberg M.D., a NYC cardiologist says doctors don't talk enough about the sometimes pregnancy-related complications such as preeclampsia, preterm birth, and gestational diabetes that can affect health years later. If you ever suffered any of those complications after giving birth, you should mention them even years later if talking to your cardiologist or any doctor discussing your heart health.

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GET YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE CHECKED

 Do you get regular blood pressure checks? If your answer is no, you need to add that to your medical regimen. I am amazed at the number of people who rarely go to the doctor or have regular checkups. You don't have to be sick to go for an annual or semi-annual checkup. One of the first things they usually do when you go to the doctor, is to check your blood pressure. Even if you are a healthy person who doesn't have to see a doctor except occasionally, make sure your blood pressure is checked several times a year. Most pharmacies have a free blood pressure check machine in their facility. Use it occasionally.

High blood pressure raises your risk of having a heart attack or stroke. The American Heart Association actually calls high blood pressure a "silent killer" because there are usually no symptoms. Having your blood pressure checked regularly is very important for good heart health.

Not as often, but low blood pressure can be a problem, too. Wherever you do it, have your blood pressure checked on a regular basis. It's the smart thing to do. Lifestyle and diet play a big part in one's blood pressure. If you have a blood pressure problem, you may need to make some changes in your lifestyle and/or diet.

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FIVE TIPS FOR EATING WITH YOUR HEART IN MIND

Who among us wouldn't like to lower our heart disease risk? There are several risk factors we can't control, genetics for example, but we can control our diet. Nieca Goldberg, M.D., medical director of Atria NYC and a clinical associate professor of medicine at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, says that building your meals with the right foods can do wonders for your heart health and even lower your heart disease risk. She suggests the following five ways to do just that:

1. Cut way back on processed foods.
2. Reduce the amount of salt you eat (Number 1 will help a lot with this).
3. Cut back on simple carbs such as white rice, bread, pasta, and sugar.
4. Eat at least five servings of fruits and veggies a day for fiber and important nutrients.
5. Eat less saturated fat (found in fatty meats and high-fat dairy products).
6. 
   

There is nothing complicated about those five suggestions. Those are really pretty simple ways to protect your heart.

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THINK PINK AND RED FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

Our colors today are pink and red. According to Maggie Moon, a Los Angeles-based registered dietitian and author of The Mind Diet: 2nd Edition red and pink pigments indicate the nutrient lycopene. She continues by saying, "Lycopene protects cells from damage and may help prevent Alzheimer's disease, prostate cancer, and heart disease."

A 2022 review published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, consuming a serving of lycopene-rich tomatoes every day is associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases.

When shopping at your favorite grocery store or market, add cherries, red bell peppers, strawberries, tomatoes, watermelon, etc. See the chart below for more ideas.

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'PURPLE PROTECTION' FRUITS AND VEGETABES

This is another in our series about various colorful fruits and vegetables. Today's color is purple. The color purple in fruits and vegetables may be a sign they provide resveratrol, a type of antioxidant that may help the heart. Per a 2021 review in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, resveratrol may help delay the progression of plaque buildup in the arteries and improve blood pressure.

The anti-inflammatory resveratrol found in prunes, which are dried plums, may also help our bones. "Studies have found that eating about 5 prunes daily is associated with better bone strength among postmenopausal women," stated by Samantha Cassetty, RD.

When shopping at your local grocery store or market, consider adding some prunes, plums, grapes, eggplant, etc to your cart or basket. See even more options on the chart below.

PISTACHIOS AND HEART DISEASE

Research shows that pistachios help to lower one's risk of heart disease.  Researchers at Penn State University found that adults who got 20% of their calories from pistachios reduced their LDL cholesterol by 12%.   For an 1800 calories a day diet, that would mean eating about 1/2 cup of pistachios.  You may not want to eat that many pistachios a day, but including them in your diet on a routine basis would probably be a good idea.

By the way, did you see yesterday's post about pistachios and vision?

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FISH AND CORONARY HEART DISEASE

 While poultry gets so much attention for those looking to eat healthy, did you know fish is the real health star? That's right, and not just fish but fatty fish. We tend to shrink back when the word fatty is used but research links the consumption of fatty fish, ie salmon, mackerel, etc, with a reduced risk of death from coronary heart disease. You may want to up your consumption of fatty fish for heart health.

PS, I feel like a hypocrite for even posting this. I do not eat fish, or poultry for that matter, and yes, my heart would no doubt be happier if I did. This is a 'don't do as I do, do as I say' post.

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CINNAMON FOR YOUR HEART

 According to scientists, you are three times more likely to stay active and independent well into your 90s if you keep your heart and arteries healthy. The simple spice, cinnamon, can help you with that! According to scientists at the University of Tennessee, cinnamon can help balance blood pressure, cholesterol and triglycerides; nourishes heart tissues and prevent plaque buildup in arteries. Before you get too excited, this means you should add 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon to your daily diet and your heart could be beating more strongly in as little as two weeks. No mention was made to suggest cinnamon rolls would be helpful!

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EASY WAYS TO GET MORE SPINACH INTO YOUR DIET

We all know spinach is good for us but many of us don't like to eat it.  Personally, I love spinach and could eat it every day.  I know that is not the norm.  Whether you like spinach or not, it is important to include it in your diet.  The American Heart Association recommends spinach (and other green leafy vegetables) as part of a heart-healthy diet as they provide good sources of vitamins A and C.  Spinach also a good source of iron, as was noted in a previous post on healthy foods for anemics.  Spinach also contains flavonoids and beta-carotene both of which are important to maintaining good health and preventing disease!  If you don't want to eat a spinach salad or a whole serving of cooked spinach, here are some easy ways to work spinach into your diet.  Whatever method you choose to use, just be sure to include spinach into your diet on a regular basis.  Try to include it at least once a week, starting out slowly if necessary.  Try these little tips:

• Use supermarket bagged spinach to save time if you don't like the rinsing, drying, stemming, etc required in bunches of fresh spinach.
• Coarse chop and toss into scrambled eggs and/or omelets.
• Sauté with garlic until just wilted and toss into tarts, casseroles, etc.
• Add chopped spinach leaves to rice and/or pasta dishes.
• Toss a handful of fresh spinach leaves into soups right at the end of the cooking time.  Chop up if you don't want to get a whole leaf in your spoonful of soup!
• Coarsely chop, toss in a little olive oil and put on pizza.
• Use fresh baby spinach leaves in smoothies.
• Chop and toss with onion and garlic.  Add to browned sausage and or ground beef or turkey and use as a filling in little handheld personal pies.  You could even use refrigerated pie crust or pizza dough without having to make your own.

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WHAT DOES "EXTRA LIGHT" OLIVE OIL MEAN?

The words "light" and "extra light" when applied to olive oil, do not have anything to do with calories but everything to do with color and flavor.  Extra-virgin olive oil is darker in color and has a robust flavor.  Extra-light olive oil is usually blended with a lower quality olive oil and therefore is lighter in color and flavor.

No matter what olive oil you choose whether extra-light or extra-virgin it will contain 120 calories and 14 g fat - 10 g of that the heart-healthy or good fats - per tablespoon.

WOMENS TOP CAUSES OF DEATH IN US

Women are often lead to believe that breast and ovarian cancers are their major health concerns. Not so. Women need to be concerned about their overall health the same as men. According to the statistics in 2021 the number one cause of death for females overall (all ages, racial and ethnical females) was heart disease. That was followed by cancer, covid-19 (note 2021 was during the covid crisis), stroke, and Alzheimer's disease. Women pay special attention to your entire body where health is concerned.

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HEART DISEASE EQUAL FOR SEXES

Heart disease was long thought to be more prevalent in men than women, but we know that is not true.  Heart disease is currently the #1 killer of both sexes nationwide.  And would you believe something so simple as sprinkling slivered almonds on your morning cereal can benefit your heart?  As with all good things, don't go overboard.  However, a sprinkling of this healthy nut can lower the risk of heart disease by reducing levels of harmful LDL cholesterol.  Also, the antioxidants and vitamin E that are found in the skins of almonds might prevent plaque from forming on the artery walls.  And make sure that cereal you sprinkle them on is whole grain which will help keep your blood pressure in check (a big risk for heart disease!).  Have that with low-fat milk!

 File Photo sliced almonds with skin on. Use almonds in the skin.

WHAT ARE CARBS?

We hear so much about carbs, especially if you are diabetic, but do you really know what a carb is?

First of all, carb/s is a shortened term for carbohydrates.  Okay, so, what is a carbohydrate? A carbohydrate, along with protein and fat, is one of the 3 macronutrients supplying our bodies with the calories they need to function.  That's right; our bodies must have calories to function properly.  Simply put, carbohydrate foods are the sugars and starches.  So, fruits, vegetables, grains, potatoes, etc are carb foods.  Many foods, milk for example, contain all 3 of the macronutrients of carbs, fat, and protein.

Diabetics are told to watch their carbs and to avoid refined carbs. When you eat foods high in poor quality carbs, such as refined sugar, bleached white flour, white bread, etc, they can raise your blood sugar.  This may cause your insulin to spike to higher-than-normal levels.  Over time, excessive sugar in the blood can be damaging to the body leading to obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.  Pictured below are some examples of healthy carbs.

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AVOCADO HELPS TO CONTROL HUNGER

Scientists at Loma Linda University in California found that including about a half of an avocado in a meal can reduce the desire to eat by up to 40%. Avocados are high in heart-healthy monounsaturated fat which works to curb hunger pangs. There are many ways to enjoy avocados in your diet. Here in Texas, we love our guacamole but that's just one way to enjoy avocados. Avocados are great sliced on salads, tacos and soups. They are also tasty by themselves. My little great-granddaughter loves avocados cubed and placed on her dinner plate. Avocado toast is also popular. There are many ways to enjoy avocados.

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EGGS FOR SATIETY

This is the second post about a food that will help you feel full longer, keeping hunger pains away thus keeping you from reaching for a snack an hour after your meal. Today's food is eggs, a great breakfast food. One of the great things about eggs is the variety of ways they can be prepared. If you don't enjoy them one way, try another way. I personally can't stand to eat a fried or poached egg. But I do enjoy scrambled eggs, deviled eggs and an egg on a sandwich. An egg is very versatile.

An American Journal of Clinical Nutrition investigation found that people who ate two eggs for breakfast during a three-month study period reported less hunger and increased satiety post-breakfast than did those who consumed an egg-free meal. And here's an important thing to know, the high egg diet had no detrimental impact on blood cholesterol numbers (I'm sure they weren't fried in bacon fat.). Other benefits of eggs; they provide lots of protein for relatively a few calories, a high protein breakfast can reduce levels of circulating ghrelin, an appetite-stoking hormone.

Note, if you are at risk of heart disease you should probably eat eggs in moderation.

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