Posts Tagged ‘Trans Fats’

Heart Patient Diet: The Top 5 Dos and Don’ts of Heart Healthy Dieting

Sunday, August 28th, 2011
Earth Cuisine for Longevity

Image by Barry Gourmet and Raw via Flickr

Those with heart problems must be very careful what they consume each day. This is because, if they want to heal their heart and to live a long life, its necessary to follow a heart patient diet. Some folks may be unsure as to what exactly they need to include in their diet each day.

Following are the top 5 do’s and don’t to keep a healthy heart. Follow them to achieve optimal health!

To Your Heart’s Health,
Monique Hawkins

The Dos and Don’ts of Heart Healthy Dieting
By Melanie Ullman

With the growing incidence of heart diseases across the globe, there has been a corresponding increase in the awareness about heart healthy lifestyle. Cardiovascular exercises and stress alleviation activities such as Yoga do help, but unless these activities are coupled with the right kind of diet, they will not be effective in preventing heart diseases. Therefore, nowadays, more and more people have been opting for heart healthy dieting in order to maintain their heart healthy and functional. If you are not sure what all foods are safe for your heart, then read on and discover the do’s and don’ts of heart-healthy dieting -

1. Limit your intake of unhealthy fats

It is essential to limit the blood cholesterol levels in your body in order to eliminate the risk of atherosclerosis, heart attack or other coronary diseases. It is best to limit your intake of unhealthy fats such as butter, coconut oil, palm oil or margarine to aid in lowering the blood cholesterol levels in your body. Doctors recommend restricting saturated-fats to less than 7% and trans-fats to less than 1% of your daily calorie intake. You can use healthier alternatives such as olive oil or canola oil or any other monounsaturated fats in moderate quantities for your cooking needs. Polyunsaturated fatty acids derived from walnuts or flaxseeds, are also permissible under heart healthy diets because they are rich in Omega-3-fatty acids that are great for your heart’s health.

2. Opt for low-fat proteins

It is essential to opt for low- fat dairy products such as low-fat milk, low-fat yogurt, low-fat cream, low-fat cheese, etc if you want to reduce your blood cholesterol levels. Always opt for fish or lean meat instead of high fat meat if you are a non-vegetarian. Consuming fishes like mackerel, herring and salmon is considered the best option because in addition to being excellent protein sources, these fishes are also rich in Omega-3-fatty acids that are great for your heart’s health. Lentils, soya beans, and peas are also excellent low-fat protein options.

3. Increase your intake of fresh fruits and vegetables

Taking plenty of fresh fruits like apples, oranges or bananas and fresh vegetables like carrots, broccoli, or green vegetables everyday will have wonderful impact on your heart. Always opt for foods with high dietary fibers as the fiber tends to reduce blood cholesterol. Try and consume them raw (with minimum cooking or high fat seasoning and garnishing) so that you are able to derive the goodness of all the vitamins and minerals in the fruit or vegetable. Snacking on fruits and vegetable salads is permissible for as many times in a day as is necessary for you these foods contain substances that prevent cardiovascular diseases.

4. Opt for whole grain products

Always opt for whole wheat flour, oatmeal, whole-grain bread or pasta, brown rice, or any other whole grain products, because they are rich in Vitamin-B, Vitamin-E, as well as a lot of minerals that are highly beneficial for the good health of the heart.

5. Reduce your intake of salt

It is essential to limit your salt intake to less than 1 teaspoonful in a day (less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium salt) because higher dietary sodium salt intake can lead to high blood pressure, which may in turn trigger a cardiovascular diseases and heart ailments. Therefore, it is best to avoid using salt laden sauces, chips, deep-fried snacks and soups, that can shoot up your blood pressure instantly.

Heart-healthy dieting is not so bad after all – all you need to know is, what to eat in plenty and what to avoid. Eventually, as you continue with heart-healthy diets, you are going to love the taste of your food because you will be assured that each morsel you are eating, is aiding in strengthening your heart and making it function even better.

Click here for information about Smart-Heart Diet http://www.americanheartdiets.com/fish-for-a-diet-and-good-for-the-heart/or a Heart Patient Diet http://www.americanheartdiets.com/heart-patient-diet/].

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Heart Disease Diet-Heart Health Tips for National Heart Month

Sunday, February 20th, 2011

It is February, National Heart Month. Here are some simple ideas for improving your cardiovascular health not only for this month, but also for the rest of your life. Every little bit helps, so don’t fret if you aren’t as successful as you’d like. Just give these tips a try, relax, and let the heart healing begin.

Cook at home. It doesn’t take that much time if you plan well. A large pot of healthy vegetable and bean soup or chicken and vegetable stew can be divided into smaller portions and frozen for several meals. If you plan each cooking session to provide three meals, you’ll only have to cook two or three times each week. Cooking at home allows you to pick healthy ingredients.

Keep a positive attitude. Excess worry, anger, and anxiety are all emotions that can damage the heart. Stress hormones are released that trigger physical responses that are great when facing a charging wild animal, but not so great if when these hormones are continually being released into the body. Take a realistic look at your life and try to maintain a balanced outlook. And laugh more!

Move your body. A quick walk up a flight of stairs or across the parking lot is much better than taking the elevator or parking right in front of the door. Getting your muscles working helps keep improve blood circulation and strengthens the heart.

Add heart healthy herbs to your cooking. Herbs aren’t just for flavoring, many of them have a wide range of health benefits. One of the all time heart healthy favorites is garlic. Use it raw or buy it dried, just be sure to avoid garlic salt. Experimenting with herbs livens up your food and improves health.

Add yoga to your exercise routine. The slow movements are less stressful on joints and each move improves not only flexibility and strength but also promotes a healthy heart. Recent research shows that yoga improves circulation and lowers blood pressure.

Never, never eat trans fats. Partially hydrogenated oil is a man-made substance that more and more research shows is the worst fat, far worse than saturated fat for heart health. Cities have banned its use and some major retailers are cutting it from products in the stores. Don’t rely on labeling on the front of the package, flip the package around and read the ingredients. Put it back on the shelf and by an alternative product if you see partially hydrogenated oil or margarine as an ingredient.

Add soluble fiber to your diet. This fiber is known to bind to cholesterol in the digestive tract and remove it from the body. Found in a wide variety of foods, apples and oats are great sources. Legumes are another, add them to soups and stews, or on salads for a heart healthy meal.

Follow these heart healthy tips and you will promote good health for the rest of your life.

To Your Heart’s Health
Monique Hawkins
540-858-2885
Skype: Monique371

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Healthy Heart Diet-I Just Found Out To Make a Heart Healthy Salad

Monday, August 30th, 2010
Romaine lettuce (Lactuca sativa var. longifolia).
Image via Wikipedia

Most people who have heart problems likely realize they need to be on a heart healthy diet. I just found out how you can make a heart healthy salad. Here is how you build a heart healthy salad.

First, we’ll look at a typical salad and the mistakes people make thinking all salads are healthy. A typical salad bar salad starts with a bed of iceberg lettuce, a nutrient poor food that zoos even stopped feeding the animals. Then most people pile on the cheese, full of fat and maybe not even real cheese but processed cheese food full of partially hydrogenated oils. Next, many people add lots of croutons which are high  in fat and contain white flour, and drench it with a hearty helping of creamy dressing which also is high in  fat and probably loaded with trans fats.

This is NOT a heart healthy salad.  Not one thing in it is going to benefit the heart and cardiovascular system. You can say you ate a salad for lunch,but it wasn’t much better than a big fast food burger for your heart.

The prevalence of cardiovascular diseases in the United States has been linked to our diet and learning a few tips to help prevent high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, and cholesterol build up can be life saving.

 The very first thing to remember is color. Deep green, bright red, purple,orange, and yellow colors in vegetables are caused by plant pigments. Each and every one of the phytochemicals that make up complex plant colors act as antioxidants. Current research indicates that not only heart disease and stroke but also other debilitating diseases like cancer may all be caused by free radical oxidative damage wreaking havoc on our cells. Antioxidants neutralize and stop the oxidative stress chain reactions caused byantioxidants. So pile on the colorful vegetables and fruits. Red cabbage, dark green spinach and other deeply colored greens, orange peppers andcarrots, broccoli, whatever vegetables you enjoy. Don’t forget a tiny bit of hearth healthy cayenne if you like spicy. Be sure to add onions that have proven heart healthy properties.

A little cheese, Parmesan or mozzarella, goes great on top of a salad, but just add a small amount and use real cheese. If you are building a dinner salad then add some lean grilled chicken. A perfect heart healthy addition is wild caught Alaska grilled salmon high in heart healthy Omega 3 oils.

Avoid fried or breaded additions; these are full of unhealthy fats.

 If you need a little crunch on the salad look for raw nuts and seeds.

Walnuts, sunflower seeds, almonds, or pumpkin seeds all benefit the heart and cardiovascular system. Don’t buy roasted or salted.

Finally, the dressing. The ideal dressing is a simple dash of olive oil and a bit of red wine vinegar. The trick is to sprinkle the salad with herbs; oregano, thyme, parsley, whichever herbs you enjoy. Then a sprinkle of garlic powder or pieces of roasted garlic, also proven to benefit the heart, and you have a truly heart healthy salad!

To Your Heart’s Health

Monique Hawkins

540-858-2885

mentormonique@gmail.com

Remember to sign up for my “You Deserve To Have A Healthy Heart” Newsletter! P.S. For more information about Vita Che, the natural Roto Rooter for your arteries, visit this online nutrition store at http://699456.shopvitamark.com

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Heart Disease Treatments-These Foods Lower Cholesterol

Thursday, April 8th, 2010

One of the easiest heart disease treatments is work on actively lowering your cholesterol. High cholesterol many times can lead to heart disease. Therefore, it is very important that we pay close attention to what we put in our mouths.

The following article covers a list of foods that will naturally lower your cholesterol levels. The best thing: no medication needed!

A List of Foods That Lower Cholesterol – If You Have High Cholesterol This List is a Must By Rob D. Hawkins

You really don’t have to travel to a far away land filled with danger and intrigue, armed with a treasure map borrowed from the national archives to compile a list of foods that lower cholesterol. Everything you need to put a whipping on high cholesterol levels can be found at your local grocery store or super market. Not quite as sexy, but every bit as effective. But first we should examine what we are trying to avoid, when visiting our local grocery store filled with crazed shoppers armed with very large buggies with at least one bad wheel.

The two fats we will need to avoid are saturated fats and trans fats. Saturated fat could easily go by the alias of big and fat! These fats are solid at room temperature. All meat contains some saturated fat with the well marbled variety winning the gold star for artery clogging prowess. Saturated fat can also be found in abundance in butter, cream, and cheese. Needless to say none of these foods will make it on our list of foods that lower cholesterol.

Our next really dangerous villain goes by the name trans fatty acid but his friends simply call him trans fat. These fats are made in the hydrogenation process that solidifies liquid oils for use in preparation of many food products. Trans fatty acid can be found in such family party favorites as cookies, doughnuts, and crackers. As you may have guessed these food will be left of our list of foods that lower cholesterol as well.

You probably wonder how we can compile a list of delicious foods now that all the fun stuff has been eliminated. It may not be as difficult as you think.

*Fish: Not any fish will do! While the aquarium fish may be appealing for your cat they will not do much for your cholesterol. On the other hand cold water fatty fish high in omega 3 oils raise good cholesterol (HDL) and decrease triglycerides (fatty material that circulates in the blood). Salmon, herring, and mackerel are all very good sources.

*Fruits and Vegetables: How many times do I have to tell you to eat your fruits and vegetables? I’m sure you heard it growing up at least a million times, right! Fruits and vegetables only contain tiny amounts of fat, and most it is unsaturated. Avocados, apples, pears, pomegranates, and blueberries all make our list of foods that lower cholesterol.

*Nuts: Studies from both Loma Linda University and Penn State University confirm that certain nuts do indeed lower cholesterol. Omega 3 fats and antioxidants found in nuts lower bad cholesterol levels (LDL) while working to reverse prior arterial damage caused by saturated fat. Some heart healthy favorites are walnuts and almonds.

*Give me Olive Oil: No, not the rail thin cartoon character but instead the kind that comes in a bottle that you can find on isle 5 in your grocery store. Studies show olive oil lowers bad cholesterol while leaving good cholesterol undisturbed.

Well, there you have it our list of foods that lower cholesterol. Nothing real fancy but the above foods will positively give you an excellent foundation to build your low cholesterol diet around. Additionally, many natural health minded individuals have found that by combining smart diet choices with natural cholesterol reducing remedies they have been able to jump start their cholesterol reducing program. Natural cholesterol reducing remedies are a safe and effective alternative to hard to manage statin drugs and are certainly a natural option worth learning more about.

Rob D. Hawkins is an enthusiastic advocate for the use of safe and effective high quality alternative health products and natural living, with over 10 years experience in the field. Learn more about natural remedies and natural health at http://www.Purchase Remedies.com

These foods will call for a lifestyle change for some. However, the sacrifice is necessary if you want to keep a healthy heart!

To Your Heart’s Health
Monique Hawkins
540-858-2885
mentormonique@gmail.com
Remember to sign up for my “You Deserve To Have A Healthy Heart” Newletter!

P.S. For more information about Vita Che, what I call the Roto Rooter for your arteries, visit this online nutrition store at http://699456.shopvitamark.com

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