1. Eat heart-healthy foods – Be sure to eat five to nine servings of fruits and vegetable everyday. Not only do they contain antioxidants to boost health, but they also curb appetite. A two-for-one benefit is a surefire way to get that cholesterol down.
2. Fish – They are low in saturated fat and high in omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids help lower a type of fat in the blood, lower cholesterol, and slow the growth of plaque in arteries. So be sure get your double dose of fish a week.
3. Work out without exercise – The word exercise can scare many people. So instead of exercise, try some physical activities that really get the heart going. Gardening, dancing, even chores can be really good for the heart.

There are plenty of other tips out there. If you know any, comment on this post!

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Atrial fibrillation is a life-threatening irregular heart rhythm. It causes episodes of fast, uneven heartbeats that can result in chest pains, shortness of breath, and an increased risk of heart failure and stroke. Daily, large consumption of alcohol can lead to this condition.

A large amount of alcohol is categorized as more than 2 drinks a day for men and more than one and a half drinks a day for women. Before this new study, there has not been consistent proof of the link between habitual drinking and atrial fibrillation.

The new study states an 8% increased risk for each drink containing 10 grams of alcohol. Basically, one drink per day increases the chance of developing atrial fibrillation by 8% and two drinks a day raises the risk by 16%. While the study does not state how alcohol consumption affects atrial fibrillation risk, one researcher says it’s best just to avoid alcohol if you’re worried about atrial fibrillation at all.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Sodium has many adverse effects on the body. As salt consumptions goes up, so does blood pressure and risk for other health problems. The heart, kidneys, and blood vessels suffer as well. So the American Heart Association proposes a goal to improve overall cardiac health by 20% and reduce deaths from cardiovascular disease and stroke by 20%. To achieve this goal, the organization has suggested to reduce overall salt consumption to 1,500 mg/daily as one of the guidelines.

Not only does a reduction of salt consumption improve the overall health of the American public, it could also potentially save $24 billion in medical costs a year.

Educating the public and getting the food industry to add less salt to food are the keys to a healthier America.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

What researchers did was compare childhood and adulthood lifestyle factors, like diet and exercise, to determine the stiffening of artery walls. As adults, they were administered pulse wave velocity to measure arterial stiffness.

Pulse wave velocity works by measuring the velocity of blood ejected throughout the wall of the arterial tree when the heart beats. The velocity of the wave is dependent on how stiff the arteries walls are. So the stiffer the arterial wall, the higher the velocity is. This is important because arterial stiffening is closely associated with atherosclerosis, a huge factor in cardiovascular diseases.

Researchers examined 1,622 participants. They were around the age of 3 to 18 and were followed for 27 years. The study highlights the following observations:

• A pattern of eating less vegetables and fruits as a child was associated with a stiffer artery walls even when other cardiovascular risk factors are accounted for
• People who ate more vegetables and fruits as a child had a 6% lower pulse wave compared to those who ate very little vegetables and fruits

With this new evidence, there is even more reason for parents and pediatrician to encourage their children to eat their fruit and veggies.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

According to computer models and clinical data, a daily decrease of 3 grams of salt or half a teaspoon as a teen has numerous health benefits. The American Health Association recommends half to two-thirds of a teaspoon of salt a day. However, most teens eat much more than the recommended amount.

Another computer model suggests a 3-gram reduction in salt intake during the teenage years would decrease the number of hypertensive teens and adults by 44% to 63%. That is about 380,000 to 550,000 fewer teenagers without high blood pressure.

Most of the salt intake comes from processed or prepared foods like cereals, bread, and pastries. Then fast foods are notorious for having high amounts of salt. These foods make up much of the average teenager’s diet.  So there has been a push for food companies to add less salt to their products.

Officials have been pushing for a salt reduction model based on one In the U.K.  Over there, salt in 75 food products will be reduced by 10%, gradually over the next 4 years. By gradually cutting back on salt, you begin to prefer less salt in foods. The push has been made for a similar movement in the U.S.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania studied over 1,200 older women and the effects of chocolate consumption on them. The participants answered a dietary survey to measure how frequently they ate chocolate. Next, they had ultrasound images taken of their carotid arteries to see any changes in artery thickness.

Chocolate consumption was separated into three categories: less than one serving per week, one to six servings per week, and seven or more serving per week. About 47.6% of all participants ate chocolate less than once a week, 35.8% ate chocolate one to six times a week, and 16.6% ate chocolate every day.

Atherosclerosis is a condition of the arties where blood flow becomes constricted due to hardened arteries. 158 women who ate chocolate only once a week suffered from atherosclerosis. However, 90 women who ate chocolate one to six times a week had atherosclerosis and only 42 women who ate chocolate more than seven times a week had atherosclerotic events.

A second analysis revealed women who had chocolate one to six times a week had a lower rate of ischemic heart disease, heart failure, and less atherosclerotic plaque. Chocolate is rich in flavonoids, a substance known to reduce risk for cardiovascular disease. This could be the reason behind the results of the study. Though, everything is better in moderation. So before replacing your entire diet with chocolate, remember to take other steps to improve your heart health.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Red meat, processed meat, and high-fat dairy products had been associated with higher risk of heart disease in this study.  In fact, women who partook in two servings of these foods a day were 30% more likely to develop coronary heart disease. Replacing the amount of red meat intake has great health benefits.

Eating poultry, fish, and nuts instead of red meats had a significant effect on lowering heart disease risk. Some foods go as high as reducing heart disease risk by 30%.

The study followed 84,136 women, ages from 30 to 55 years old, for 26 years. Researchers thought the study was so thorough and combined with their knowledge overall risk factors; researchers think the results could be applied to men also.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

One group was given margarine with low doses of DHA and EPA, omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil. The second group received ALA derived from soybean oil and walnuts. The third group was given margarine with all three fatty acids. The last group was given a placebo margarine.

The end of the study resulted in 14% of the heat attack survivors had experienced another cardiac event. However, women may benefit from fatty acids their margarine. 25% of women were less likely to suffer a cardiac event if they ate the ALA-enhanced margarine, but this finding could be greatly attributed to chance.

An American Heart Association spokesperson said omega-3 enriched margarine is an inefficient means of obtaining omega-3 fatty acids. Margarine on bread increases the chance of weight gain, one of the main causes of cardiac events. Instead of margarine, 2 to 3 servings of fish a week is a great way of getting omega-3 fatty acids in your diet.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Fruits and Veggies:

Be sure to buy and eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables that are deeply colored throughout tend to be higher in vitamins and minerals than others.  When fresh foods aren’t available, choose frozen or canned vegetables and fruits in water without added sugars, saturated and Trans fat, or salt.

Stock up on raw vegetables for snacks such as carrot and celery sticks, broccoli, cherry tomatoes and cauliflower. It’s also a good idea fruits and vegetables that are good sources of fiber, including beans, peas, oranges, bananas, strawberries and apples.

Instead of buying more traditional desserts, try fresh or canned fruits without added sugars, dried fruit without added sugars, and gelatin that contains fruit, instead of baked goods and sweets. While delicious and very good for you, fruit juice is no substitute for the real thing. It doesn’t provide the fiber whole fruit does and it’s not as good at satisfying hunger.

Dairy:

Select fat-free (skim) or low-fat (1%) milk and try to avoid milk that contains added flavorings such as vanilla, chocolate or strawberry, as they usually have added sugars and calories.

Buy fat-free, low-fat or reduced-fat cheeses and use egg whites or egg substitutes instead of egg yolks. Watch out for the saturated and/or partially hydrogenated fats hidden in casseroles, bakery goods, desserts and other foods. Read the Nutrition Facts label to determine the saturated fat, Trans fat and cholesterol content of foods you’re considering.

Meats:

Buy and prepare more fish. You should eat one serving of grilled or baked fish at least twice a week. (A serving is roughly the size of a checkbook.) Good examples of fish to buy include salmon, trout and herring. Choose lemon juice and spices to eat with fish; don’t add cream sauces and stay away from fried fish—it can be high in fat — often Trans fat.

Select more meat substitutes such as dried beans, peas, lentils or tofu (soybean curd) and use them as entrees or in salads and soups. A one-cup serving of cooked beans, peas, lentils or tofu can replace a two-ounce serving of meat, poultry or fish.

Pick up nuts and seeds, which are good sources of protein and polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats – but remember, they tend to be high in calories, so eat them in moderation.

Hopefully this information will make your grocery shopping experience a little easier and a lot healthier!

What other heart healthy grocery shopping tips do you have?

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

One member of the team that released this finding said, “We need to do a better job finding ways to help people not only change their behaviors, but maintain them over a lifetime. As health care providers, we’re pretty good at saying that you are at risk for a disease, you need to lose weight, be more physically active, and eat more fruits and vegetables. While that’s easy to say, it’s not easy for the person to actually translate it into their everyday life.”

Here are some suggestions for easily integrating positive behavioral changes into your everyday life:

• Set realistic dietary and exercise goals

• Keep track of progress toward goals
• One-to-one counseling, which provides customized support to implementing and maintaining lifestyle changes
• Participate in small groups who share the same health-improvement goals
• See a health care provider that uses motivational interview techniques to encourage patients
• Seek counseling on how to manage setbacks
• Maintain recurring follow-up visits with doctors to update them on your progress and discuss concerns

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.