Tag Archives: heart disease

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Heart Health: Are Supplements the Answer?

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So, you’re driving home from the doctor’s office and they’ve just informed you that you are at an increased risk of stroke due to cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol or some other heart health concern. What do you do? Do you turn to supplements? Or, do you alter your eating habits and levels of physical activity to make your heart stronger? Well, the answer may be different for each person. So, here are some tips on determining the right solution for you, or your client.

The first thing I’ll say is that, no matter what you do, you need to consider your diet and start cutting out foods that are bad for your heart and learn to incorporate heart healthy foods. Even if you decide that supplements are the right choice for you, it’s important to remember that they are exactly what their title says, “Supplements”. They are designed to supplement your healthy diet and lifestyle. Just to get you started, here are the Top 5 foods that we recommend you avoid if you’re focusing on heart health.

  1. Processed Foods (i.e.: boxed meals, snacks, etc)
  2. Fried Foods
  3. Regular Soda
  4. High fat, sugary foods (i.e.: cakes, cookies, brownies, etc)
  5. Fatty meats

Okay, so at this point, you’ve made the decision to eat healthier. Now comes the time to decide if supplements are the right choice for you. Supplements have been proven to lower bad cholesterol (LDL) and increase good cholesterol (HDL), especially Omega-3 and fish oils. So, if you’re looking to take your efforts up a notch, incorporating supplements will help you accomplish that goal. If you’re being completely proactive and working to prevent any heart related illnesses, then supplements may not be what you need.
Now that you have an idea of what you’re going for; diet change and/or supplements, it may be a good time to consult your doctor. You’ve learned the potential benefits of supplements. But, you should not doubt the professional medical opinion of a trusted physician.

Heart health is an important concern that often gets pushed off until a person is forced to face it because of a stroke or other major medical incident. Be sure to get your heart in check before it’s too late. If you’re a dietitian or physician, take advantage of every opportunity to teach your patients about heart health and how they too can have a healthy heart!

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Sodium is the New Trans Fat (“7 Nutrition Trends in 2010”)

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Looking at our recent blog “7 Nutrition Trends in 2010,” sodium is going to be the next item that will
incur the wrath of the health community. Since the average American consumes more than two or three
times the recommended amount of sodium, we’ve set ourselves up for a long battle.

One of the hardest places to control your sodium intake is when eating out. Since you have less control
over ingredients, and since many restaurants can be quite liberal with the salt usage, you have
to watch what you’re eating, especially if you suffer from hypertension or other heart diseases.

But all is not lost. There are a few ways to keep your social eating life intact, while maintaining the
healthy balance you need when it comes to your sodium. First, check to see if the menu has “Heart
Healthy” choices on the menu. These usually indicate plates that are low in sodium.

If there’s a lack of “Heart Healthy” choices, don’t fret. Here are a few tips:

If you’re with a friend or spouse, split the entrée. Portion sizes have gotten out of control, so this way
you get your allotted portion and helps keep your sodium intake lower.

Make your side order full of fresh or steamed veggies instead of fries or onion rings.

Choose a tasty appetizer as your main course instead of an entrée. This helps again with portion control
and sodium intake together.

There are more tips where that came from in “The DASH Diet Action Plan,” a resource for anyone
looking to lose weight, and to keep their heart healthy.

“The DASH Diet Action Plan” can be found in our catalog or online by searching for item #3732.

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CBS and FDA Warn Against Too Much Salt

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Yesterday on the CBS Early Show, Dr. Jennifer Ashton showed Americans the dangers of eating too much salt, and to clarify a misunderstanding concerning the Institute of Medicine and the Food & Drug Administration.

Contrary to popular belief, the FDA will not be cracking down and limiting the salt in American products and the salt intake of Americans. The Institute of Medicine however, did ask the FDA to help create awareness of the problems with having too much salt causes.

The average American consumes 1 ½ tablespoons of salt each day, which is over twice the recommended amount. Although the health community has known for 40 years that there has been at the very least a casual link between salt and heart disease, but it’s now a very real connection and cause for concern.

It’s estimated that by reducing the average American’s salt intake by just one teaspoon a day could save over 150,000 lives from heart disease.

No one is asked people to put away the salt shaker. Since only about 23% of an American’s salt come from the added salt you sprinkle on your meal, it’s less of a concern. Where the real trouble lies is in the processed foods that you eat, where the other 77% of your salt lies.

Watch what you eat, and keep an eye on the grams of salt and sodium in that lunch you’re having. It might just save your life.

Check out the video here!  http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6417471n&tag=cbsnewsTwoColUpperPromoArea