Food that&#39s good for a healthy heart
Nitin Jain

Here’s a conundrum: While experts agree that high cholesterol and blood pressure are crucial heart disease risk factors, many people who suffer chest pain or even heart attacks have levels that are perfectly normal. This puzzle has prompted researchers to scour the body for other cardiovascular villains. Several have emerged in recent years, but the one that stands out the most is inflammation.

The latest studies suggest that chronic inflammation of the lining of arteries is an important factor in the development of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease. What causes this inflammation is not clear, but the good news is that (1) the advice that is given for lowering cholesterol, blood pressure and triglycerides also works fine for fighting inflammation; and (2) you can tackle all 4 culprits with the help of dietary weapons – http://www.vitaminsdiary.com/nutrients.htm In fact, you can plan your war against heart disease in your kitchen. Here is how:

1. Think like an artist when you choose fruits and vegetables: Eat those with the brightest colors. They have the most heart protective antioxidant pigments. A diet high in fruits and veggies also provides another important heart benefit, salicylic acid, which is the same anti-inflammatory compound created when aspirin is broken down in the body.

2. Increase food sources of omega-3 fatty acids which target high triglycerides in the blood. Good sources of omega-3s include fish such as sardines, mackerel; nuts and seeds; green leafy vegetables; grains like wheat, bajra; legumes like rajma, cowpea, and black gram.

3. Reduce the amount of meats you eat, especially red meats, and always select lean cuts. Use meat as a seasoning for vegetable dishes rather than the focal point of a meal.

4. Cut down on salt and instead use herbs and spices like ginger, garlic, turmeric and fenugreek liberally in your cooking; the first three are naturally anti-inflammatory and the last has soluble fibre which helps sweep away cholesterol from the arteries.

5. Shift to groundnut, mustard, rice bran and olive oils which contain monosaturated fatty acids that help lower (bad) LDL and maintain levels of (good) HDL cholesterol. Drastically limit margarine, vegetable shortening, butter and all products made with partially hydrogenated oils.

6. Fruits and vegetables, whole grains (wheat, brown rice, oats), beans and pulses, are also great sources of soluble and insoluble fibre, which trap LDLs and usher them out of the body.

Get helpful information on vitamins, amino acids, herbs, minerals and other nutrients for a healthier life – http://www.vitaminsdiary.com/.

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One of the major reasons why people get overweight or suffer from minor and major health risks is that they dont practice having a healthy diet. Healthy dietwhich include eating balanced amount of food from all food groupsalong with exercise or regular physical activity can lessen peoples inclination to health problems.

PLANNING ON A HEALTHY DIET

Experts say that though basic principle of healthy diet is simple, most people are having a hard time sticking to it. Major reasons may include a super busy lifestyle, work that causes a lot of stress or even an environment that is not conducive to having a healthy diet.

Although it is hard to start and maintain a healthy diet, nothing is impossible if you really want to achieve a healthy mind and body. For starters, it is advisable to mix up food choices from each food group. Eating a large variety of foods and veggies can also serve as a warm up in avoiding the foods that contribute to drastic weight gain. Having a balanced intake of calcium-rich foods, whole grains, and protein-rich products will also keep you in track.

To be able to maintain eating a healthy diet, you must also know your restrictions of fats, salt and sugars levels, and intakes. Lastly, you must monitor your body weight regularly for you to know if your body is absorbing all the nutrients it needs.

Here are more tips for eating well and achieving a healthy diet:

1. Meals based on starchy foods are a good start to a healthy diet. Experts agree that people should eat more starchy foods such as bread, cereals, rice, pasta, and potatoes because they are a good source of energynot to mention being the main source of a range of nutrients of a persons diet like fiber, calcium, iron, and vitamin B.

2. Load up a lot of fruits and veggies. Eating at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables a day is an ideal way to maintain a healthy diet. But, it is sometimes hard to achieve because people do not want to waste time peeling or chopping certain fruits and veggies. The best way to keep up with the recommended fruit and veggies intake if to eat a variety of fruits that are either fresh, frozen, canned or dried and picking out veggies that can be finger delights such as celery, broccoli, carrots, beans and peas.

3. Be more fishy. Despite of the so-called high mercury content of fish, nutrition experts say that eating more fishespecially oily fishis an important component of a healthy diet because it is a good source of protein, vitamins, and minerals.

4. Try to cut down on saturated fats and sugars. Do not totally cut down on fats because your body needs it to stay healthy. Basically, fats are categorized into saturated and unsaturated fat. The former has high amount of cholesterol and the latter has lower amounts that lowers blood cholesterol. Cut down only on foods that are high in saturated fat such meat pies, sausages, hard cheese, butter and lard, pastry, cakes and biscuits, cream and the like. Also monitor your sugar intake because aside from causing decay, sugary foods can also be high in calories that contribute to weight gain.

5. Eat less salt. Too much salt can raise your blood pressure.

6. Drink lots and lots of water to keep your body well-hydrated.

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Eating can actually be healthy and diverting. But with the proliferation of fast foods and other tasty cholesterol – rich snack items, making your child see the beauty of eating healthy and natural food may become a challenge. Since access to unhealthy food choices are easy, and the choices are plenty, whats the beyond compare way for introducing healthy eating habits to your kids? Here are some effective healthy eating guidelines to consider.

Healthy Foods Actually Tastes Good

The typical fast food fare can be very tempting for most kids today. The problem is that the usual fast food fare consists of high – salt, high – sugar and high – calorie food items, which kids find so appealing, and are also easier to eat. For parents who are concerned about their childrens eating habits, learn to keep your cool. The verisimilitude is that healthy food can in fact taste great. However, making your offspring love eating healthy food may wish more effort and extra planning. While carrot sticks or cauliflower stalks may not be as fun as a plate of French Fries, youll require a little time and creativity to make these natural food items appealing to your kids.

Slowly Introduce Your Kids To A Wide Array of Fruits and Veggies

Making your children adopt healthy eating habits need not end up in a shouting match, or a concentration camp forced – eating regimen. Slowly introducing your spawn to a wide array of fruits and vegetables will help in jump – starting their appreciation of healthy eating. As markedly fruits are naturally sweet, it should not pose much of a barrier for kids to like. You can even create stories about the fruits and vegetables they consume, to forge things more interesting. The most satisfying thing is that, once your kids consume the fruit, youre assured that theyre getting their fill of vitamins, minerals and fiber.

Organize At Home, And Involve Your Kids

According to most healthy eating advocates, every bairn should stand for taught how to cook, both in school and at inland, and not wittily be fed with slogans about satisfactory nutrition. The truth is that good and healthy food can actually symbolize cooked in just 15 minutes. Also make it a practice to involve your kids in aliment food at the kitchen. Guide your kids through the recipe. While the older kids can chop the veggies, the younger ones can help toss the salad dressing or veggies. It will also mean great if you could bring the kids along to the bazaar when buying your ingredients. The best thing with this activity is that children will easily understand the significance of food preparation, and have a better inclination of healthy eating.

If youre kids are initially not receptive to your healthy eating suggestions, dont worry. Never give up in your quest to make your children find the fun in healthy eating. As most children will outgrow their often light eating habits, their tastes and food choices shall develop and expand, over tempo. Although it may take you more than 10 or 15 tries before your kids start appreciating the perks of eating legumes, beans, cabbages, squash, lettuce and other greens. Once they find the fun in eating fruits and vegetables, youll soon find yourself with happy, contented and healthy eaters.

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Healthy Eating The Perks Of A High – Fiber Diet

Fiber is one of the main ingredients of healthy eating. If the body isnt getting the required amounts of natural fiber, the person may be prone to disorders such as constipation, for grins pain, and worse colon cancer. For those who are looking to have a healthy eating plan, fiber is one of the key elements to that plan. The sad thing is that many individuals still dont take fiber too seriously. Heres a look at the many benefits of consuming high – fiber foods.

Fiber Fights Diseases, And Can Help Stop Overeating

A diet thats easy in fiber can help prevent a number of diseases, from constipation to colon cancer. Eating a high – fiber diet actually helps the body reduce or eradicate bad cholesterol, by binding fat and cholesterol in the digestive tract. Natural fiber can also help stop overeating. High – fiber foods take longer to chew and digest, making the person feel satisfied and extensive longer.

Rarefied Foods Dont Have Adequate Fiber Content

These days, grocery shelves are often filled with lots of processed meats, snacks and other food items. They also contain large amounts of artificial sweeteners, flavorings and preservatives. If you love eating processed foods, you may need to increase your fiber intake, because most processed foods lack adequate fiber content.

Fruits, Vegetables And Whole Grains Are Great Sources of Fiber

Fruits and vegetables are great sources of dietary fiber, which is actually plant principle. Fiber is largely composed of cellulose, which aids the body in digestion. Integral grains are also excellent dietary fiber sources. When cooking fruits and vegetables, you need not worry about cooking the fiber, because it stays there. The fiber found in most fruits and veggies are not just located on the legal tender or peel, but deep within.

Whats The Recommended Fiber Intake?

According to nutritionists, getting the right amount of fiber is quite wieldy. All you need to do is eat the right foods, and youll be on your way to getting adequate amounts of dietary fiber. However, if you consume more than 50 grams of fiber each day, you may stir up diarrhea or abdominal bloating, and it may also hinder the bodys absorption of other essential minerals. Children who are two years and major also need to have their daily fiber intake, from fruits, vegetables and plane fortified breakfast cereals.

Among the best sources of dietary fiber include dried beans and legumes, bran cereals, dried fruit, sweet corn, raspberries and strawberries, whole wheat, broccoli, plums, pears, apples, potatoes, raisins and prunes, dark green lettuce, spinach, kale, nuts, cherries, carrots, bananas, coconut and Brussels sprouts and more. Its not hard to see the benefits of incorporating fiber into your daily eating plan. Undocked you need to ensure is that you add these delightful foods into your regular diet.

24 Hour Fitness
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