Heart-healthy Foods

This post is for all of you out there who are health concious. It's also especially for my friend, Karley who's on a weight loss plan. Check out her blog: www.shoppingusedtobefun.blogspot.com.

According to CNN, here are the top ten best foods for your heart:

Oatmeal - This fiber-rich superfood can lower levels of LDL (or bad) cholesterol and help keep arteries clear.

Salmon - Super-rich in omega-3 fatty acids, salmon can effectively reduce blood pressure and keep clotting at bay.

Avocado - Packed with monounsaturated fat, avocados can help lower LDL levels while raising the amount of HDL cholesterol in your body.

Olive Oil - Full of monounsaturated fats, olive oil lowers bad LDL cholesterol and reduces your risk of developing heart disease.

Nuts - Almonds, walnuts, and macadamia nuts are all full of omega-3 fatty acids and mono- and polyunsaturated fats.

Berries - Blueberries, raspberries, strawberries -- whatever berry you like best -- are full of anti-inflammatories, which reduce your risk of heart disease and cancer.

Legumes - They're packed with omega-3 fatty acids, calcium and soluble fiber.

Spinach - It can help keep your ticker in top shape thanks to its stores of lutein, folate, potassium, and fiber.

Flaxseed - Full of fiber and omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, a little sprinkling of flaxseed can go a long way for your heart.

Soy - It may lower cholesterol, and since it is low in saturated fat, it's still a great source of lean protein in a heart-healthy diet.

I love salmon, berries, spinach, and nuts! Oatmeal is something I don't mind having as long as there's fruit to go with it. It honestly tastes a bit bland. If you love Italian food, then you're already getting a dose of olive oil. For more information, here's the link to the article: http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/03/23/best.foods.for.your.heart/index.html

HEALTHY EATS

The common adage, 'Live life to the fullest', means so much more if your quality of life is up to par. I've always been very health conscious but moreso in the past few weeks. Here's an interesting article from Men's Health:

Although some guys aren't opposed to smoking some weed, most wouldn't think of eating one. It's a shame, really, since a succulent weed named purslane is not only delicious but also among the world's healthiest foods.

The 10 best foods you AREN'T eating are:

Beets: A powerfood which is a good source of folate and betaine

Cabbage: Contains the nutrient, sulforaphane, which increases your body's production of enzymes that disarm cell-damaging free radicals and reduce your risk of cancer

Guava: It has a higher concentration of lycopene -- an antioxidant that fights prostate cancer -- than any other plant food, including tomatoes and watermelon.

Swiss Chard: A good source of lutein and zeaxanthin. These plant chemicals, known as carotenoids, protect your retinas from the damage of aging, according to Harvard researchers.

Cinnamon: Cinnamon helps control your blood sugar, which influences your risk of heart disease.

Purslane: It has the highest amount of heart-healthy omega-3 fats of any edible plant, according to researchers at the University of Texas at San Antonio.

Pomegranate Juice: Israeli scientists discovered that men who downed just 2 ounces of pomegranate juice daily for a year decreased their systolic (top number) blood pressure by 21 percent and significantly improved bloodflow to their hearts. What's more, 4 ounces provides 50 percent of your daily vitamin C needs.

Goji berries: They have one of the highest ORAC ratings -- a method of gauging antioxidant power -- of any fruit, according to Tufts University researchers.

Dried Plums: Prunes contain high amounts of neochlorogenic and chlorogenic acids, antioxidants that are particularly effective at combating the "superoxide anion radical."

Pumpkin Seeds: Downing pumpkin seeds is the easiest way to consume more magnesium.

I know some of these fancy words for the noted antioxidants/nutrients might puzzle you a little but they are ALL ULTIMATELY great for you!(http://abcnews.go.com/Health/ColdandFluNews/story?id=5334734&page=1)

I love this sushi place downtown called Kaz Sushi. They've got the best Shrimp Tempura I've ever had. I can't recall a time when I hated sushi but after a couple of visits with a few friends, I figured it's not so bad. WHAT SUSHI LOVERS HAVE TO BE WARY OF IS THIS:

10/23/08: Last Thursday, a Japanese sushi chef died after accidentally eating the highly-poisonous liver of the fugu, or puffer fish. While many parts of the fish are tasty and safe, certain organs can be deadly.

The 34-year-old chef was licensed by the Tokyo government to prepare the fugu dish, yet mistakenly thought the liver was safe to eat, according to reporting by The Mainichi Daily News.


For more on the articles above, go to www.abcnews.go.com

Think Before You Eat those Fries!

As my beloved news website (ABC News) reports, the Western diet causes 1 in 3 heart attacks. Researchers reported that a study conducted in over 52 countries, showed people who ate a "Western" diet based on meat, eggs, and junk food were more likely to have heart attacks, while those who ate more fruits and vegetables had a lower risk.

You know what this means: Everything must be consumed in moderation. I love Five Guys little cheeseburger and fries with BBQ sauce but I DON'T GO every single day. As a matter of fact, I haven't been in months. The key to it is balance, whether getting your Coldstones fix for the month or having some McDonald's or Chipotle for lunch; have a salad for dinner.

I'm not an advocate for healthy eating though I can be for healthy living. I've had some very bad days or weeks of nothing but fast food or Mango Gelati's from Rita's but after regaining consciousness from a food coma, I realize no more (of course, until next weekend)! The way I balance is through exercise. I work out about a half hour, three to four times a week. Now, I think to myself, 'All this workout and I have to eat rabbit food?' I just ensure that if I do crave fries & shakes or pizzas & calzones, I'll split it with someone or save the rest for another day. For obvious reasons, you can't save fries for the next day, but what you can do is get a smaller portion so you're not burdened to eat it all.

LESSON OF THE DAY: TAKE CARE OF YOUR BODY BECAUSE IT'S REALLY ALL YOU HAVE. YOU CAN PREVENT ITS DEMISE BY WATCHING WHAT YOU EAT AS WELL AS REGULAR EXERCISE. ALSO, TAKE YOUR TIME WHEN YOU EAT BECAUSE ALL THAT FOOD AIN'T GOING NOWHERE.