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Making Better Food Choices

I’m always looking for ways to make sure I have healthier things in the house for Hailey to eat. As a working single mother I’m not always home to make sure she makes good choices. The easiest way to make sure Hailey is eating things that are good for her when I’m not around is to make sure unhealthy items never make it into the house.   Packaged foods in general are rarely healthy, most contain too much salt, sugar or trans fats. Store bought cookies are high in calories and trans fats and loaded with sugar and preservatives. If … Continue reading →

3 Favorites Get The Thumbs Up

Recently on the radio,I heard a food expert talking about the benefits of certain foods- in particular certain vegetables. Now I’ve always been a rap for my veggies. I was always a child that happily ate my vegetables, with the exception of peas. But that’s another story. It’s always good to know that what you like is actually good for you and can help keep you healthy. Two of the vegetables he mentioned I use a lot, broccoli and lentils. I steam broccoli as a side dish to whatever meat or fish we’re having. Many of you will know I … Continue reading →

Toddlers and Vegetables

Is your toddler eating enough vegetables? If the answer is “no,” doctors say it’s more than likely because you are not consuming proper amounts of healthy veggies. According to a new study, only 32% of adults in the United States meet the minimum requirement for vegetable consumption? This, despite the fact that there are numerous studies, which recommend that Americans eat more vegetables. What’s more, researchers point out that toddlers learn by example and if mom and dad are not eating veggies, then there’s a good chance tots won’t want to eat them either. Or, in many cases, since parents … Continue reading →

Calming Tachycardia

Tachycardia is any heartbeat faster than one hundred beats per minute. It can come on suddenly, and may bring shortness of breath, nausea, sweating, and panic. There are different kinds of tachycardia — some life-threatening and some not. If you are experiencing rapid heartbeat, you should talk to your doctor. A visit to the office and a few tests can rule out dangerous types of tachycardia. If you have a NOT life-threatening form of tachycardia — paroxysmal atrial tachycardia — these tips may help calm your racing heart. Cut back (or cut out) stimulants like coffee, tea, and soda. Overuse … Continue reading →

Sneaky Sodium Cuts

A tip of the hat to the Sneaky Mama — she’s got lots of great tips for sneaking healthy stuff into your favorite recipes! I’m thinking today about sneaking something OUT of my favorite foods: salt. Cutting your added salt intake by half can make a big difference in your risk of stroke, heart disease, and heart failure. According to a study from Shiraz University in Iran, just six weeks of reducing your salt intake can lower your systolic blood pressure by eight percent. That cuts your stroke risk by a third and your heart disease risk by a quarter. … Continue reading →

The Right Incentive Can Help You Fight Heart Disease

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Are you at risk for heart disease? Are you already suffering from some form of heart disease — like high blood pressure or high cholesterol? Here’s a more important question: what are you doing about your heart disease risk, and why? Are you losing weight, eating a healthy, balanced diet, and exercising regularly? Or are you just coasting along and not making any lifestyle changes in order to reduce your risk? Cardiologists report that having the right incentives for fighting heart disease are just as important (sometimes more important) than anything else. Look at my mom, for example. She has … Continue reading →

Coated Stents

Stents are the tubes inserted into arteries to help them stay open after angioplasty (surgery to remove clots). Right now, surgeons are using stents coated with drugs. Italian researchers are trying out a new type of coated stent with some success. These new stents are coated with a special compound that is designed to help prevent thrombosis (the formation of clots) and restenosis (the buildup of deposits that can clog blood vessels). The compound was developed by CeloNova Biosciences here in the United States and tested out by the University of Catania in Italy. The coating was designed to reduce … Continue reading →

Not Enough People Know the Signs of a Heart Attack

A survey from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control found that too many Americans don’t know all the warning signs of a heart attack. Do you? More bad news from the CDC when it comes to heart attacks: More than nine hundred thousand Americans have heart attacks each year. More than one hundred and fifty thousand Americans die from a heart attack each year. Approximately seventy five thousand Americans die within an hour of symptom onset. Quick action and awareness of the symptoms are critical if you’re going to survive a heart attack. In case you weren’t sure, the five … Continue reading →

Foods that Increase Inflammation

A few weeks ago, I took a look at inflammation in the body and how it affects your appetite. What is inflammation? Basically, inflammation is when your immune system kicks into overdrive. Something sends your body into defense mode, and that’s a problem — your immune system cells stay activated when they aren’t needed. Inflammation can be a warning sign for heart disease (it can weaken artery walls in your heart) and other serious health issues! Inflammation can also trigger major medical problems. Certain foods can make things worse. On the positive side (if there is a positive side here), … Continue reading →

Lower Your Risk of Heart Disease with a Good Meal

You like to eat, right? For many people, a good meal with friends or family is one of life’s finest pleasures. There are some meals that can help reduce your risk of heart disease — ensuring that you will be around for many meals with friends and family to come. Cut back on salt. Too much salt can put you on the path to high blood pressure. High blood pressure is key in causing heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. Check the sodium content of packaged foods like frozen dinners, canned soups, and snack foods. Limit your intake to 1500 … Continue reading →