Heart Healthy Tips:Fats That Lower Cholesterol

Monounsaturated fats are the healthiest fats. There are two types of cholesterol - one type of cholesterol clogs our arteries, it is known as bad cholesterol or LDL and other type helps in removing these clogs, it is known as good cholesterol or HDL.

Monounsaturated fats decrease your total blood cholesterol but maintain your HDL (good) cholesterol. Monounsaturated fats, therefore, help lower the risk of heart diseases. Olive oil has 75% of monounsaturated fat. Examples of monounsaturated fats are macadamia nuts (80% of fat is monounsaturated), avocados (71%), almonds (70%), canola oil (59%), and peanuts and peanut oil (46%).

Other sources are almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, natural peanut butter, pecans, pistachios, sesame oil and sesame seeds.
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Health Tips of The Day

Health Tips

By R.Barnett on August 8th, 2012 in Wellness tags: health tips, keep in shape | Leave a Comment
Health Tips by Robert Barnett

health tips

The following health tips have helped to keep me in shape and healthy. Genetics is a factor, however, you can definitely help yourself and establish a healthy lifestyle.
Have a strong relationship with God

Regardless of your religious beliefs, a relationship with God is a life built upon a strong foundation.
I try to pray the Rosary everyday.
I try to go to Church on Sundays.

Exercise regularly

I Weight Train at least three times a week.
I try to stretch, do Yoga or Tai Chi as much as possible.

Eat well

I try not to eat red meat, and foods with high saturated fats.
I eat a lot of fruits and vegetables.
I try drinking a lot of water daily.
I take a strong multivitamin daily.
I eat “Zone Bars”, “Shakeology” and “P90X Bars” when I want to snack.

Keep Busy

Even though I am retired, I still work on my websites.
I am a Director of my Homeowners Association.
I have several hobbies I enjoy and I make time to do them.

Go to the Doctor on a regular basis

I have blood tests every year.
I have a colonoscopy every two to three years.
I log in to my Doctor’s gateway and email him when I need advice.
I go to the Dentist on a scheduled basis.
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Vitamins Essential for Women

Like all other nutrients, vitamins are equally necessary for sustaining a healthy body. It is absolutely essential to take in all the necessary vitamins in order to fulfil the nutrient requirement of the body so as to maintain a fit body and a healthy mind. Listed below are the vitamins which are essential for women.
1. Vitamin A

Vitamin A contains carotenoids and retinol which protects your eyes from age-related blindness and prevents macular degeneration. Apart from keeping your eyes healthy, Vitamin A also acts as an antioxidant. It effectively enhances and keeps your immunity in check by getting rid of the free radicals which damage the cells of your body. Vitamin A can be found in most green leafy vegetables and other fruits and vegetables like guavas, pumpkins, carrots and tomatoes.
2. Vitamin B

The three essential vitamins which you cannot do without are: Vitamin B6, Vitamin B9 and Vitamin B12. While Vitamin B6 is responsible for smoothening and strengthening the function of the brain, Vitamin B12 is essential for facilitating the metabolism of the body by helping in the generation of new cells. Vitamin B9, also known as folic acid, is very important especially during pregnancy. Besides producing blood cells and preventing anemia, it ensures a properly developed nervous system and a healthy brain function in the baby. Sources of Vitamin B6 are beans, cereals, oatmeal, meat, bananas and so on. Vitamin B12 can be found in milk, cheese, eggs, fish and meat. Foods like eggs, liver and green leafy vegetables contain Vitamin B9.
3. Vitamin C

Vitamin C is essentially an antioxidant and helps in the process of healing of wounds. In order to repair wounds, a protein called collagen is required which is produced within our body. Vitamin C helps in the formation of collagen. It also helps in the transportation of oxygen to all parts of our body by enabling the production of new blood cells. Vitamin C can be found in citrus fruits like lemons, oranges, grapes and limes, strawberries and tomatoes.

4. Vitamin D

Vitamin D helps in maintaining strong and healthy bones. It regulates bone homeostasis along with calcium and is thus also known as cholecalciferol. Vitamin D is found in sunlight and fish, and it helps in preventing bone-related diseases and osteoporotic conditions.
5. Vitamin E

Vitamin E also acts an antioxidant but its unique property is that it helps in the slowing of the process of aging. Not only does it help in the production of red blood cells, it also ensures the stability of cellular membranes. Foods like nuts, cod liver oil and margarine contain Vitamin E.

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Best Foods for a Toned Body

While exercises are extremely important for getting a toned body, the role of right foods is inevitable. Certain foods over many others feed muscles and help you derive a toned body easily. Here are some wonder foods that can help you tone up and look fit and fabulous.
1. Lean protein

Ever kind of diet designed for the fat or the fit includes proteins. Proteins are the building blocks of muscles and include lean meats from fish, chicken or turkey, protein from tofu, quinoa, leafy greens, sprouts, raw nuts, seeds and beans. About 30 percent of your daily intake of calories must come from the group of proteins.
2. Whole grains

Today, many people are resorting to refined grains as an easy and quick way of creating their regular diet. Replace whole grains in the place of refined grains. This helps in reducing fat from the tummy area. Whole grains are also rich in fiber and therefore facilitate easy digestion. Oatmeal, quinoa and brown rice are good examples of whole grains.
3. Fiber-rich foods

Fiber is an essential component of every day diet. But some foods are highly fibrous than many other foods. Besides aiding digestion, fiber aids in weight loss and hence keeps you feeling fit and toned. Many fruits and vegetables are rich in fiber and include asparagus, cabbage, leafy greens and mushrooms. Include these veggies a lot more in your diet to cut down that accumulating fat.
4. Colon cleansers

Cleansing the colon is important for facilitating effective digestion process. It reduces bloating of the belly and cleanses the colon. Eating raw veggies is an important way to cleanse your colon. Some natural cleansers include bitter herbs, flaxseeds, roots and psyllium husk powder. Sea vegetables and acai berry are other foods that are natural colon cleansers.
5. Mackerel

Oily fish are low calorie proteins and high in omega-3 fatty acids. They are also rich in calcium, selenium, magnesium, potassium, folate and vitamins A and K. When you include mackerel three times a week, you are ensuring your ticket to glowing skin, hair and toned body. Salmon is another alternative if you prefer something less fishy.
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Healthy fats may hep slowdown brain decline

Consuming a diet that is reach in omega-3 like those found in oily fish like salmon may help protect you from memory problems and premature aging. This was according to a study recently published in Neurology, a journal of medicine.

Fish has been known to be a good brain food but the new study is the first research to link levels of omega-3 in the blood with the shrinkage of the brain, decline in brain function, and memory loss which sums up to a higher risk in acquiring Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.

The study involved 1,575 individuals who underwent several brain function tests, brain scans, and blood workup. Other factors were taken into consideration like age, education, gender, smoking, among others.

The human brain naturally declines in size and function with age but participants of the study who had lower levels of omega-3 had a brain volume which is similar to people who are two years older than them. The cognitive tests done with this group also resulted to scores showing that their brain function is similar to people who are three years older.

People with lower levels of omega-3 also showed higher amounts of white matter in their brains. The increased volume of white matter predisposes one to stroke and dementia.

The study though does not mean that we have to gobble up on fish and supplements with fish oil. The research was not designed to make clinical recommendations.

Government guidelines suggest around 8 ounces of seafood every week to help prevent heart problems. Walnuts and flax seeds are also great sources of omega-3.

Experts also want to point out that a good heart means a good brain.
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Tips to having a healthy diet for your heart

Cardiac disease patients have something in common, they did not love veggies and fruits and they consumer so much saturated fats. If you want to avoid any heart illness, you can start eating healthier. You can do it even from your own home and make some good progress with your health. Read our tips if you are committed to loving a healthier diet moving forward:
Less meat

You have to repeat that phrase over and over again. If you want to have a healthier heart, cut your intake of meat. Saturated fats and animal products naturally go side by side.
Read the labels

Heart patients must make it a habit to read the labels before they consume anything. Check the grams of fat and if you see 2g of saturated fat, it should be automatic for you to put that product back to the shelf. This should also be the case for products with 1g of trans fat for every 100 calories. You will find out that a lot of potato chips, cookies, and bake goodies will not pass this standard.
Go green

Being eco-friendly is great but we are referring to loving plant foods that are rich in vitamins, antioxidants, fibers, and minerals. These nutrients can help lower your blood pressure, decrease your cholesterol, and protect your blood vessels from damage.
Watch you weight

A recent study found out that men who are overweight are 72% more prone to heart disease than their lean counterparts in a three-year period. Heart attack risk for obese individuals is even higher. Those with a BMI of at least 33 and over has a 244% greater risk of having cardiac problems compared to their slimmer individuals.
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The Top Herbs Of All Time!

We all know that herbs are by far some of the most powerful things in the world – if you are looking for alternative health remedies, herbs are going to help you out in one way or another. What most people do not know is that there are actually top herbs that can be used for many different things and can help you in many different ways. That is exactly what we are going to explore below – some of the top herbs of the future and how they can truly help you in the long run!

The first herb that is honestly powerful and all around fantastic for you is garlic; garlic is one of the most powerful antioxidant herbs in the world and whether you use it for cooking or you take garlic pills – having it in your diet can help you with everything from cardiovascular disease all the way to high blood pressure.
Number two in the list of the top 10 herbs of all time is hawthorn, a little known but abundantly helpful herb.

The hawthorn plant itself is a flowering shrub which produces berries — and the berries contain the benefits. In fact, they are enormously beneficial to the heart. Studies show that hawthorn can help the heart pump better, due to the fact that the berries will open up the coronary arteries. This ultimately nourishes and strengthens the heart muscles. If you have a rapid heart beat, hawthorn can help slow it down; it can even help failing hearts. It can help to decrease and stabilize high blood pressure, particularly if this occurs in conjunction with an increased diastolic pressure. It can even help low blood pressure and arrhythmia.

However, you do need to use the herb for at least six months. It is said that it is best used in the form of an herbal tonic.
A lot of people do not know that fruit and veggies are things that can absolutely assist you with so many different pains, diseases and even make you healthier all around. For example, if you have gout, which is when your uric acid levels build up in the blood, which often cause inflammation and very severe joint pain, you can treat it with cherries.

Researchers have recently uncovered some new evidence that compounds in cherries that will work on the gout and all sorts of joint inflammations. Just eat a daily serving of cherries or drink cherry juice and not right away, but soon, you should certainly be feeling a lot better and notice a huge difference in the way that you feel.

How it works? Cherries have been proven to lower your uric acid levels that causes your joint pain to be quite frank, you will absolutely feel a heck of a lot better in the end!
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