Tag Archives: heart health

Healthy Breakfast :: Oatmeal

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The soluble and insoluble fibers found in oatmeal are part of a terrific heart healthy diet and a great breakfast option!  I love oatmeal!  Kids love oatmeal too.   

This morning I soaked my oats in almond milk, simmered for 5 minutes and topped with pecans, dried cranberries, flax seeds, and diced apple – I topped all of that with very small bit of maple syrup. soaking the oats reduces the cooking time. a bit of honey is good too.

sometimes I add yogurt, or a scoop of soy protein. one can shift the nuts or fruit options,  grate a bit of fresh nutmeg,  use soy milk, top with a bit of cream

tons of options!

I love oat flour also, take thick rolled oats and toss it in the blender, mix it with your other whole flours for your baking!! Or use as a thickening agent.

In the paper was this little article about all the different cuts of oat.

Who knew!!

The term oatmeal typically refers to the whole oat groat or hulled grain steel cut oats which is the inside part of the hulled grain cut into pieces.

thick rolled – groats are steamed and rolled into flakes, this is the longest to cook because the flakes are so thick

old-fashioned - are also steamed, but rolled into thinner flakes, cooking time is less and the texture is mushier

quick oats - are made from steal cut oats into even smaller pieces – cooking time is even more less with a instant oat – this is

instant oats are quick oats gone through one more layer of processing,  it’s steamed to a pre-cooked point, so that all one has to do is add water

Seems to me that if you want the least processed and most whole grain source of  oatmeal you’d want to go for the thick rolled oats.

10 reasons oatmeal is good for you:

  1. Over 40 studies show that eating oatmeal may help lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease. According to the leading oatmeal companies, all it takes is 3/4 cup of oatmeal each day to help lower cholesterol. The soluble fiber in oats helps remove LDL or “bad” cholesterol, while maintaining the good cholesterol that your body needs. In January 1997, the Food and Drug Administration announced that oatmeal could carry a label claiming it may reduce the risk of heart disease when combined with a low-fat diet.
  2. The soluble fiber in oatmeal absorbs a considerable amount of water which significantly slows down your digestive process. This result is that you’ll feel full longer, i.e. oatmeal can help you control your weight.
  3. You probably already have oats in your kitchen. It’s estimated that eighty percent of U.S. households currently have oats in their cupboards.
  4. New research suggests that eating oatmeal may reduce the risk for type 2 diabetes. In fact, the American Diabetes Association already recommends that people with diabetes eat grains like oats. The soluble fiber in these foods help to control blood glucose levels.
  5. With the exception of certain flavored varieties, the oats found in your grocery store are 100% natural. If you look at the ingredients on a canister of rolled oats, you will usually see only one ingredient… rolled oats.
  6. According to recent studies, a diet that includes oatmeal may help reduce high blood pressure. The reduction is linked to the increase in soluble fiber provided by oatmeal. Oats contain more soluble fiber than whole wheat, rice or corn.
  7. Oatmeal contains a wide array of vitamins, minerals and antioxidantsand is a good source of protein, complex carbohydrates and iron.
  8. The fiber and other nutrients found in oatmeal may actually reduce the risk for certain cancers.
  9. Oatmeal is quick and convenient. Every type of oatmeal can be prepared in a microwave oven. Even when cooked on the stovetop, both old-fashioned and quick oats can usually be made in less than 10 minutes. And what about instant oatmeal… a hot breakfast in under a minute… incredible!
  10. Oatmeal can be absolutely delicious! Whether instant, cooked on the stove or baked in the oven, the combination of flavors you can fit into a serving of oatmeal is limited only by the imagination.

above 10 reasons sourced from Mr. Breakfast .   I do not endorse his sugar laden toppings for oatmeal though – ice cream?  I don’t think so.

image by karen hanrahan

 

 

Child Obesity And The Heart

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Kids are taking high blood pressure and cholesterol medication.

What’s THAT About?

The World Health Organization offers these statistics:  Globally, there are more than 1 billion overweight adults, at least 300 million of them obese.  The key causes are increased consumption of energy-dense foods high in saturated fats and sugars, and reduced physical activity.

Further commentary states:  Obesity and overweight pose a major risk for serious diet-related chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and stroke, and certain forms of cancer. The health consequences range from increased risk of premature death, to serious chronic conditions that reduce the overall quality of life. Of special and alarming concern is the increasing incidence of child obesity.

Childhood obesity is epidemic in some areas and on the rise in others. An estimated 22 million children under five are estimated to be overweight worldwide.  According to the US Surgeon General, the number of overweight children has doubled and the number of overweight adolescents has tripled in the US since 1980 

Tripled!!

Are you as stunned by this statistic as I?

Epidemic is not a word to mess with.   The long term ramifications are costly not only fiscally, but also in loss of life – our health care system can not support this predicted level of illness, worst yet life span for this generation is predicted in early death. 
I repeat… lifespan for this generation is predicted in early death.
I can recommend healthy weight loss methods that are simple and effective.
I personally used a product-centric inch loss program.  Even in maintenance these products are useful in my or any healthy living regime.

I made changes, I didn’t do them all at once, but each layer as it unfolded created a better attitude and better eating habits.  You can too!

Losing weight is very overwhelming.  Mainstream eating has an addiction element that I feel adds to the problem, our very busy lives don’t help the situation.

If I can help you or anyone you know. Please let me know

You can be part of the outreach. Example a healthy lifestyle.  Simple things like taking walks really do make a difference. Share with those you know the success you have.Be encouraging and supportive to the youth around you, if your concerned about a particular youth who’s suffering from obesity, say something.They may not know even where to start.

Testimony: a year ago a teen I know hung with the wrong crowd, they ate lots of really awful food. Volumes of empty calories. That teen gained quite a bit of weight. This fall the teen, stopped eating the junk, added swimming, started biking to school, added veggies at lunch. Lost 20 pounds.

What are you willing to do to lose the weight?

We all know the right things to do.  Which of those things are you willing to do?

Ask your kids these same questions.

Kids don’t want to be fat.  They certainly don’t need the long term consequences.

Do You Really Want To Take That Statin Drug?

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It is reported that 86% of Americans over the age of 65 are taking statins.  

YIKES!

Your heart health and those of whom you know and/or care about is very important to me.

The benefits of nutrition for the heart are remarkable.  

The non-drug approaches to reducing risk factors for heart disease are possible with the right nutritional supplement program.

Do you really want to take that Cholesterol Lowering Drug Lipitor?

Did you know that the design of the cholesterol lowering drug Lipitor is for those who can’t lower their cholesterol with diet and exercise alone??

Yet, often when someone is diagnosed with high cholesterol they are just given the drug without attempting first to educate about eating right and exercising more?

Did you know that people with liver problems should not take Lipitor? Yet, blood tests are often done on Lipitor patients because of liver issues actually caused by Lipitor ??

Side effects of Lipitor include: muscle problems including severe muscle pain, kidney problems, including kidney failure, liver problems, headaches, diarrhea, gas, rashes, constipation, upset stomach and pain.

Did you also know that Lipitor depletes the nutrient CoQ10?

CoQ10 is a remarkable nutrient that is actually essential for heart health.

My company produces an absolutely superb CoQ10 with resveratrol and 3x more CoQ10

Every single cell in your body requires CoQ10 to create energy, especially in the heart and the brain, resveratrol are the heart protective properties found in red wine, CoQ10 recycles and regenerates vitamin E, prevents the oxidation of LDL cholesterol up to 80%, reduces platelet aggregation and helps maintain proper blood viscocity.

Should you have these health issues CoQ10 can benefit you: history of heart disease, smoker, angina, arrythmia, peridontal disease, hypothyroidism, lowered immunity, chronic fatique syndrome, fibromyalgia, schizophrenia, alzheimers, mental decline, mitral valve prolaspe, kidney failure

Benefits of CoQ10 include: anti-aging benefits, helps control body weight, protects heart and blood vessels, loweres blood pressure, protests from cholesterol and chemo therapy, important for prevention and treatment of congestive heart failure, helps with macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa, also assists treatment of MS, Parkinsons, Huntington’s disease and hereditary ataxia
sourced from nutrition and you booklet, my personal website


flickr image credit

Our Improved CoQ10 Just For The Heart Of It

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Our company has announced an improved CoQ10 just for the heart of it!  This nutrient is impressive for the health of the heart and in all that it does for the energy of each and every cell in our body.  It is of particular significance if someone is medicating with Lipitor.  Lipitor and other statin medications deplete CoQ10 by up to 50%!

The Center For Nutrition shares why statin users should know about CoQ10

Take Care Of You First Moms

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Moms do it all don’t they?

They work, they cook, they clean, they juggle, they shuttle, they worry.

It shows up in stress which takes it’s toll on the body, and it’s now showing up more than ever before.

Moms are tired, maxed out, they can’t sleep, they are overweight.

Woman according to a 2008 survey by the American Pysycholigical Association, are more affected by stress than men. Unhealthy behaviors like comfort eating, poor food choices, smoking and inactivity now shows up in their physical health.  Stressed woman are at risk for serious health concerns down the road

The stress response, also known as flight or flight is a very automatic function of the nervous system. It’s one thing to have it kick in and give you the ability to run like heck when you need it. Yet if the response becomes chronic it can really goof up our hormonal and physical chemistry. This can show up in your heart rate, your blood pressure and your blood sugar. It can actually effect major systems of the body like the immune system, the digestive system, and our reproductive and growth processes.

Normally the stress response is self regulating.  Example: a child gets lost – we go into a full alert panic as we try to find him or her, yet once we find resolve ( and the child ) our bodies become calm again. Balance.
However nowadays everything has become full alert, the body never gets a chance to chill out – it never gets to recharge.

Which are the areas of the body that feel it most?

Digestion - when digestion shuts down it manifests itself physically; a stomach ache, diarrhea, or constipation – if you are stressed and shutting down digestion due to fight or flight responses you are creating a chronic concern. Our digestive system was not meant to be in constant stress. Woman experience Irritable Bowel Syndrome 3 times more than men

Immune Response – suppressed immunity occurs after repeated call to action. The immune system is a very complex balancing act, when it’s in full working order it’s pretty darn miraculous. Yet our full and rigorous lives have us increasing our immunity risk not only to infections but to more serious disorders. Auto-immune diseases are more prevalant in woman.

Cardiovascular Health - if you are constantly stressed you actually raise your heart rate altering your personal chemistry – this chronic acceleration increases risk for heart attack and stroke. Constant fight or flight response can cause an overproduction of cortisol and may have you feeling anxious and depressed

Nervous System - brain cells lose their ability to function and structure when stressed. This shows up in memory function. I thought my classic where is my car parked syndrome was a function of getting older!

Sleep Deprivation- chronic stress and anxiety contributes to sleepless nights, while normally this was thought to be a new mom syndrome, it is now is found in all stages of their lives – woman aren’t getting enough sleep more than ever before. Woman tend to have more insomnia than men. Sleep is what recharges the cortisol connection.

Obesity- the collection of central obesity or the accumulation of abdominal fat is seemingly a direct corrulation to the levels of cortisol in the body, this apple type body shape increases the risk of heart disease dramatically.

SIX Ways to Manage MOM Stress

Being a single mom of two has had it’s moments, however parenting by far has been the most rewarding thing I have ever done. Some of my very roughest times were managed simply by taking care of me first, being a better me – created me as a much better mom

ONE - Identify the stressors, we can not fix what we haven’t identified. Strive to find solutions. Be determined. Besides creating less stress, strident problem solving is a great example for our families

TWO – Schedule personal relaxation times – simply pausing several times a day to breathe, collect and organize your thoughts can recharge even the busiests of moms. Additionally actually scheduling something, anything outside the home regularly can provide just the right relief valve, don’t have the money? A walk with a friend is free. Just do it.

THREE – Eat right. We all know this. I have personally had success with being mindful, eating a variety of foods, and not buying the junk- if it’s around – I’ll eat it!

FOUR – When is bed time? We establish that routine for our kids perhaps it would benefit us as moms too. If our child doesn’t get their nap are they cranky? fatigued? Why would we think anything less for us as moms – go to bed!

FIVE – Movement stimulates all the systems of the body. 10 minutes each and every day is better than nothing. Start with 10 minutes of anything after a big glass of water each and every day and see what a difference that makes for you

SIX – Oh my goodness — Take your vitamins!! Nutritional gaps are inevitable, a really good multi-vitamin is a great start, yet often we need more. Not sure what you need ? I’d love to help.

Choose high quality nutritional supplements that can assist your stress free path.

retro flickr image credit

Mom’s don’t forget that a sense of humor goes a long way too!