DO YOU DRINK ALCOHOL?

Do you drink alcohol? If you do, you need to read the rest of this post. There are many reasons to stop drinking alcohol or to cut back on the amount. Here are a few reasons you may not have considered or even known. Alcohol can cause inflammation in the body and inflammation is responsible for a lot of health problems. Alcohol is known to increase inflammation in the intestines, disrupting gut bacteria. Alcohol can change brain structure and function. It can raise blood pressure and increase the risk of stroke and heart disease. Experts recommend no more than one alcoholic beverage per day for both men and women.

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#1 HEALTHIEST FRUIT - BLUEBERRIES

This is a follow up to yesterday's post about the healthiest-ranked fruits. Number one on this scientific ranking list is blueberries. The following is taken directly from the Health Guide article.

"Blueberries have long been considered one of the best fruits to consume (and not just because they're delicious): Decades of research show that feasting on them can significantly improve and protect your health. Eas=ting just one cup of blueberries per day is associated with a lower risk for several health conditions, including Type 2 diabetes, strokes, and heart disease. Blueberries are high in fiber, vitamin C and other key nutrients, and serve as a concentrated source of potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds."

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FRUITS AND VEGGIES MAY HELP PREVENT A STROKE

Stokes can be very debilitating, and they usually strike suddenly. Canadian researchers found that women who added one cup of nutrient-rich fruits or vegetables to every meal cut their risk of stroke by as much as 37%. If you can't manage that, they suggested a can of V8 every day. They even stated that unless you are on a low-sodium diet choosing the low-sodium version isn't necessary.

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HONEY FOR THE HEART?

 According to an article in the Journal of Medicinal Food, swapping honey for sugar can cut the levels of artery-clogging triglycerides thus cutting the risk of heart disease and stoke by 20%. The credit goes to the antioxidants in honey. I'd say that's a good reason to use more honey and less sugar.

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HOW TO OUTPACE A STROKE

Did you realize that every 40 seconds someone in the United States suffers a stroke? This information came from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The good news is about 80% of these strokes are preventable! Two major factors contribute, independently, to most strokes.  These two factors are high blood pressure and high cholesterol. (Not a good thing for me as I have both and a history of stokes in my family.) Philip Ades, M.D. cardiologist, stated, "Hypertension damages blood vessels and high cholesterol can cause the buildup of fatty deposits that narrow arteries. That information can be scary but there are ways to work toward keeping your arteries strong and resilient.

• Snack on walnuts. According to research at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard School of Medicine, eating 1-ounce of walnuts at least once a week was associated with a 17% reduction risk of stroke. Walnuts are a good source of heart-healthy alpha linolenic acid, a plant-based type of omega-3.
• Balance your work-life. Working more than 10 hours a day for 50 days out of the year was associated with a 29% greater risk of having a stroke according to a French survey. It appears the chronic stress and on-the-job demands negatively impacts vascular function and possibly increases the inflammation in your body.
• Faster walking. Are you a tortoise when walking? The Journal of Sport and Health Science found in a recent review that those who walked at a faster pace (3 1/2 mph) had a 44% reduced likelihood of a stroke compared to the tortoise walker (1 mph). Walking speed is an indicator of your overall aerobic fitness and blood vessel function.
• More Bananas. For decades it has been recommended that we curb sodium to control hypertension or high blood pressure. It is now suggested that we increase our potassium intake while we cut back on sodium. Getting nearly twice as much sodium as potassium is associated with a 22% greater stroke risk according to research in the journal Clinical Nutrition while consuming more potassium lowers this risk. It is suggested you limit your sodium to 2,300 mg a day and aim for 4,700 mg potassium. 

HEALTHY FISH AND CHIPS ALTERNATIVES

According to Janet Bond Brill, R.D., author of the best-selling book Cholesterol Down, "What you buy and how you prepare food is the difference between preventing heart disease and causing it."  She suggests you eat fish but that you bake it instead of frying it.  She also suggests swapping sweet potatoes for white potatoes.  Here are Fish and Chips recommended substitutions.

• Bake your fish.  Packed with lean protein, white fish like cod, halibut, flounder or haddock are great, but people who eat fried fish more than once a week have a 44% greater risk of stroke than those who rarely fry their fish."  WOW!
• "Swap sweet potatoes for white potatoes, use extra-virgin olive oil to roast them and sprinkle with fresh rosemary, cinnamon, or other herbs and spices instead of salt for flavor."

DIABETES AND HEART DISEASE

A few years ago, when I had my annual extreme physical, they asked a lot of questions about my heart then did an echocardiogram.  A little over an hour later, I received a call giving me a time for an appointment with my cardiologist.  That got me noticing some things about diabetes and heart disease, such as the fact that if you are a diabetic you are 2 to 4 times more likely to die of heart disease than the nondiabetic.  In fact 65% percent of diabetics who die, die from heart disease.  Wow, I didn't know that. Too much glucose in the blood can damage the heart and blood vessels leading to heart disease and stroke.  Since my dad (who was not a diabetic) died of a ruptured aorta and my mom (who was a diabetic) died after having a massive stroke, these facts got my attention.

Diet plays a major role in controlling diabetes and avoiding the problems it can cause.  Eat right by eating lots of fresh (or frozen) fruits and vegetables.  Use only whole grain rice, pasta, cereals, lean meats, fish, poultry.
Avoid foods high in trans fats, saturated fats, fat meats, sugar, and commercially baked goods.

You can have a lot of control over your disease by the way you eat.  After all it is your life, you are protecting!

Should It Be A Banana A Day to Keep the Doctor Away?

 

Instead of eating an apple each day for optimum health, the adage should state that a banana each day keeps the doctor away.  Here we examine why.  The banana health benefits far outweigh those of the apple because it has many more vitamins and nutrients than their round counterparts.  

If you are diabetic, you may have been told to only eat half a banana at a time.  Here is the reason why; a banana has twice the carbs as an apple and also more natural sugar.  So, beware of that if you are a diabetic.  But here is the good news, a banana has five times as much Vitamin A and iron and three times as much phosphorus as an apple. In addition, bananas are also rich in potassium. 

The banana a “super food” that is an integral part of a healthy daily diet regimen.

Because of the abundance of vitamins and minerals, bananas are a great source of natural energy. Eating only two bananas will give you enough energy to exercise or workout for an hour and a half.  Note: If you are a diabetic and you eat two bananas you had better workout for an hour and a half!

Bananas are also ideal for eating during that midday lull when you feel tired and sluggish.  Instead of drinking caffeine or having a sugary snack, bananas provide a level of energy that lasts longer without the dramatic crash caused by caffeine and/or sugar.

Would you believe bananas are a brain food?  Because they are rich in potassium, bananas help the body’s circulatory system deliver oxygen to the brain. This also helps maintain a regular heartbeat and a proper balance of water in the body. 

Potassium is also helpful for reducing strokes and regulating blood pressure because of the way it promotes circulatory health.  Bananas are one of the foods commonly recommended for anyone suffering with high blood pressure.

The above are just a few of the benefits of eating bananas.  Are bananas a regular part of your diet?

Note: some of the above information was gathered from LifeScript

APPLES & PEARS FOR STROKE PREVENTION

We all know apples are good for us for many different reasons.  There's the quercetin that can protect brain cells from tissue-damaging free radicals, one average apple contains 16% of your daily fiber requirement, etc.  But a study published a few years ago by Wageningen University in the Netherlands, shows that white-fleshed fruits (apples and pears are the best examples given) may help reduce your risk of having a stroke by around 50%!  Now that is good news.  What a tasty way to cut your risk of stoke.  Just another reason to make sure you are eating these tasty fruits.

Personal note: One of my late mother's favorite snacks was an apple with peanut butter. Yet she had a stroke at age 76. Strokes ran in her family. But I still say eating an apple or pear a day is a good idea.

EASY WAYS TO ADD WHOLE-GRAINS

You probably get tired of reading about whole grains on this blog.  Well too bad because here I go again. I do so because adding whole grains to your diet on a daily basis is essential to good health!  You may say, "I don't like whole-grains, I can't have wheat, etc."  Well, here is an easy way to sneak whole grains into foods that you and your children will not even notice.  When making a meatloaf, meatballs, or burgers, mix in 3/4 cup of uncooked oats (quick oats are fine and are smaller, thus less noticeable) per 1 pound of meat.  If you choose to use breadcrumbs, be sure you are using whole-grain bread to make the crumbs. 

Whole grains are packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber, all essential to good health.  Whole grains have been proven to reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and they can assist with weight control, too.

If you have a hard time transferring from all-purpose flour to whole-wheat, give white whole wheat flour a try.  It is made from hard white Spring wheat rather than the traditional red wheat.  It bakes up lighter in texture than does the traditional whole-wheat flour.

Another way to get more whole grains into your diet is to make less side dishes with white rice, potatoes, and regular pastas.  Make more side dishes with brown rice, whole-grain pastas, and start adding risottos, pilafs, etc to your meals using barley, brown rice, bulgar, or quinoa.

Make changes gradually if you have to but make them.  Your body will thank you by feeling better, performing better, and lasting longer.  That is a pretty good trade-off!

WOMEN AND WALKING

Almost all of us can walk.  If you can walk, you need to be doing so.  I am a big advocate of taking a far from the door parking space at the mall, carrying in groceries, etc, one bag at a time, taking the stairs when possible, etc.  These simple things keep you moving and give you much needed exercise.  But I am talking about real walking here, at least 20 to 30 minutes at a time.  Consider these facts:

• According to a Harvard Medical School study, walking just three hours a week cuts the risk of heart attack and stroke in women ages 40 to 65 by 40%.
• Women who walk 40 to 45 minutes 5 times a week are sick with colds or flu only half as often as sedentary women.  This information comes from Appalachian State University.

Just those two statistics alone should be enough to get one moving!  And there are many more benefits to walking.

The good thing about walking is that it is available to almost everyone.  No expensive equipment, a gym is not required, etc.  According to Kathy Smith, a fitness instructor, "Walking is an equal opportunity exercise.  There aren't any biases against uncoordinated people, and everyone knows how to do it.  It's a 'no excuses' workout because you don't need equipment or a gym."

The statistics in this post are on women.  However, walking is a good exercise for men, women, and children!

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STRAWBERRIES

Strawberries are the most popular berries in the United States. Not only are they the most popular they are also a healthy choice. Strawberries are loaded with antioxidants, a good source of vitamin-C, and good news for diabetics, they are on the low glycemic index. Following are more health benefits of eating strawberries.

• Because of their high potassium content, strawberries can help lower blood pressure.
• Strawberries are heart healthy. One to two cups daily can help to lower LDL cholesterol. In one study, eating three servings a week decreased the risk of heart attack in women by 32%.
• The antioxidants in strawberries can reduced blood clot formation which can help prevent strokes.
• One study showed that eating 37 strawberries daily significantly lowered the risk of  developing complications from diabetes such as neuropathy and kidney disease. Eating two to three servings of strawberries per week lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
• The antioxidants in strawberries can help lower inflammation and block tumor growth.

1 1/2 cups, considered a serving of strawberries, has 58 calories, 14 grams carbs, and 4 grams fiber.

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SILENT STROKES

A study published in the journal Neurology found that a quarter of older adults may suffer from so-called silent strokes, small areas of damaged brain cells that may contribute to memory loss, a symptom of Alzheimer's and dementia.  This information shows how important it is that we take measures to prevent strokes therefore keeping our brains healthy and hopefully ward off memory problems as we age.

This study consisted of 658 men and women all age 65 or older.  None of the subjects had been diagnosed with dementia or serious memory problems.  174 of these men and women showed evidence of silent strokes.  Silent strokes do not cause any obvious symptoms.

To take care of your brain and hopefully lower the risk of stroke, work on the following steps:

• If you are a smoker, stop!  If you don't smoke, don't start!  Smokers definitely have an increased risk of stroke and Alzheimer's.
• Get regular exercise and do your best to maintain a healthy weight.
• Keep your blood pressure under control.  This is where diet comes in.  Avoid or reduce the amount of salt in your diet and follow any instructions from your doctor if you currently have high blood pressure.
• Lower your cholesterol levels.  High levels of bad (LDL) cholesterol are associated with stroke risk.  Again, your diet is key here.  Follow doctor's orders and make necessary dietary changes!

It is your life.  You are responsible for your own diet and exercise!!

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INFLAMMATION - SYSTEMIC (CHRONIC)

Systemic inflammation can wreak havoc in any part of your body.  Dr. Floyd Chilton of Wake Forest Baptist Health School of Medicine in North Carolina says, and I quote here, "If the haywire inflammatory process happens in the heart, you wind up with heart disease; if it happens in the joints, it's arthritis; in the brain, it might be dementia."  Widespread inflammation can be a symptom of lupus, an autoimmune, chronic inflammatory condition.  It is also widely believed by the medical community that chronic inflammation plays a significant role (either as a cause or effect) in many diseases such as type 2 diabetes, arthritis, Chron's disease, heart disease, cancer, and stroke.  The last three are America's top 3 killers.

It is recommended that we drink green tea daily.  Green tea is full of potent antioxidants that help stop inflammation.  If you suffer from arthritis, as an example, would you believe something as simple as a few cups of green tea daily could help you battle the disease?  That is a fairly inexpensive and simple medicine!

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POTASSIUM & STROKE RISK

Eating plenty (at least your daily requirement) of potassium rich food may cut your risk of having a stroke by 21% and lower your risk of heart disease, according to recent studies.  This is a general statistic for the overall population, not specific just to those at a higher risk of stroke.  Having taken care of my mother after she suffered a massive stroke, let me assure you that it is well worth loading up on these tasty potassium-rich foods to cut your stroke chances by any percent!  A few of the potassium rich foods are, bananas, spinach, potatoes, sweet potatoes, poultry, cantaloupe, kidney beans, tomatoes, raisins, mushrooms, etc.  Now I know there are some of those foods you like!  If not, you have a real problem with your diet and should set out to change it immediately!

Potassium also helps to blunt the effects of sodium making it important in reducing high blood pressure.

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POTASSIUM AND STROKES

Are you eating enough potassium-rich foods ie bananas, sweet potatoes, pork, spinach, and more? Foods rich in potassium may cut ones risk of stroke by up to 21%. They may also lower the risk of heart attack. These are tasty foods so be sure to include them in your diet. Below are many of the potassium rich choices.