Saturday, February 25, 2012

February is Heart Month

Greetings everyone,

I know its the end of February but I thought it would be important to put this info out there.

February is heart month. With cardiovascular disease quickly becoming the #1 killer of women in the U.S., we need to take a look at what we can do to make our lives more heart healthy.

Nicole offers clients who come into the Hy-Vee grocery store ways to change their diet & their lifestyle. 30% of the clients that Nicole helps have some sort of heart disease. They are looking to reduce their cholesterol naturally without medications. Some have diabetes also.

Nicole recommends these kinds of foods to avoid cardiovascular disease.

Fiber - Fruits & Vegetables along with whole wheat products

Potassium - dark, green fruits & vegetables

Folate - Dark green produce

Most people don't get the 2-3 servings per week of fatty fish. You can get your Omega-3 from which helps fight inflammation. You can also get Omega-3 from flaxseed oil.

If a person has cardiovascular disease, she has the following recommendations.

Know your numbers so that you have a starting point. These numbers would include your weight, blood pressure, sugar levels & cholesterol numbers. She says to challenge yourself to improve these numbers daily by making small changes in your life.

Exercise will improve your good cholesterol. Adding a fish oil will improve your triglycerides. Increasing your consumption of fruits & veggies, whole grain products, oats & beans will help your health if you already have heart disease.

You can also help improve your dietary lifestyle by scheduling a grocery store tour with a dietician at your local grocery store if they offer this service. This may be a complimentary service. This will help you make the correct food choices instead of some bad food choices you are currently making.

Til next time,

Lori

5 comments:

  1. Lori,
    I've stumbled across your blog and I must say I've found your research to be valuable. I don't currently have any concerning heart troubles and I haven't had a vaccine shot in years, but I have heard that fish oil and green veggies are a must have for anyone. I have no problem with getting plenty of fruits and vegetables, but I can't stand the taste of fish oil. Do you recommend any brands?

    Sincerely,
    John Griffin

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  2. Hi John,
    I get Tilapia fillets from Aldi's. They are the sea queen value pack. I coat them in bread crumbs (also from Aldi's) and then back them in butter for about 20 min. I don't like the taste of fish either but I LOVE these fillets cooked this way. If you don't have an Aldi's nearby, perhaps your local grocery store will have them.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks. I'll check it out.

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    2. Hi John,
      salmon is probably the most oily common fish. Eat it raw. Benefits of eating raw food could not be overestimated. Just google something like "Raw fish benefits" or "Raw fish cancer" or "Raw fish heart" etc etc and you'll get tons of information for like months to read.
      I love sushi/sashimi; just get them from some local restaurant or sushi bar which has a good reputation; ideally it should be wild (some think that wild Atlantic salmon is better than Alaskan or Pacific one, but I think there is probably not much of a difference; anyway that's on my list for further research).
      If you've never eaten sushi before try 1 or 2 pieces first and then increase the amount gradually up to whatever your normal dinner size is. (E.g. I ate as much sushi as I could for the very first time - it gave me mild diarrhea next morning which disappeared by itself in few hours without taking any medication :-) )
      I'm stronger believer in eating actual natural products rather than supplements based on them - they work better due to synergistic effects.
      http://www.livestrong.com/article/348449-omega-3-fatty-acids-in-salmon-vs-fish-oil-supplements/

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  3. Hi Alex, thanks for the comment & the link. :)

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