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November 10, 2011

Get Spicy with Your Food and Boost Your Health!

Can you believe it? The holiday season is about to begin. What’s on your holiday menu? Have you started thinking about it? What about those party foods you’ll need to prepare? This year, try adding a variety of spices to your recipes. A sprinkle of cinnamon, a pinch of cloves and nutmeg or a touch of sage, rosemary and thyme can make all the difference in flavor.

Spices help develop the flavor profile of your food. And did you know that many spices may have a health benefit? The emerging science is fascinating especially when you consider that spices have antioxidant and protective properties.

A new study from researchers at Penn State, which was published in the Journal of Nutrition, found that seasoning a high-fat meal with two tablespoons of an antioxidant-rich spice blend could enhance antioxidant defenses and reduce the body’s negative responses.

To be specific, the antioxidant-rich spice blend increased one measure of antioxidant activity in the blood by more than 13% and decreased the insulin response by about 20%.

Post-meal triglycerides also decreased by about 30 percent, compared to the meal without spices. Typically blood triglycerides (a type of fat in the blood) rise after a high-fat meal is consumed and research suggests if high-fat meals are eaten frequently, your risk for heart disease increases.

These researchers suggest that the beneficial changes from the spices are likely due to the naturally-occurring plant compounds (polyphenols) that are equivalent to the amount found in a glass of red wine or blueberry juice.

Are you curious as to which spices made up the blend? I was. The spice blend included black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, garlic powder, ginger, oregano, paprika, rosemary and turmeric.

Did you know that one teaspoon of cinnamon contains as many antioxidants as a full cup of pomegranate juice?  Cinnamon contains polyphenols, which are antioxidants that may help regulate blood sugar levels.  I sprinkle it on oatmeal and also toss in dried cherries or blueberries along with a few walnuts or pecans. This past weekend, I made buttermilk-oatmeal pancakes and added a pinch of cinnamon.

What do you like on a hot dog or hamburger? Did you say mustard? Do you buy the traditional bright yellow mustard? Guess what spice is in mustard? Turmeric. The golden yellow color in turmeric comes from curcumin, which is the naturally occurring phytonutrient. By the way, if you’re a curry power fan, turmeric is one of the spices in it.

Last week I made Chicken Paella with Sausage and Olives out of Ellie Krieger’s So Easy cookbook. The turmeric adds flavor and gives that slightly yellow color to the dish. Health wise, studies suggest that the curcumin in turmeric may help slow or stop the development of harmful brain plaque or amyloid plaque tied to Alzheimer’s disease.

What are your favorite ways to use spices? If you want more information and a selection of recipes that contain these super spices, check out spicesforhealth.com

Want more? Listen to this week’s podcast below.

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September 15, 2011

Crave Chocolate More Than Sex?

My daily treat is dark chocolate. Ok, so I never met a chocolate I don’t like. What about you? What’s your favorite? I’m always excited to hear nutrition news that reports on chocolate’s potential health benefits. A recent study published in the British Medical Journal was a systematic review of seven studies on chocolate specifically looking at the association between chocolate consumption and the risk of developing cardiometabolic disorders (think heart disease and stroke, diabetes and metabolic syndrome).

By the way, these studies did not differentiate between dark and milk chocolate. The results found that a higher level of chocolate consumption was associated with about a one third reduction in the risk for cardiovascular disease and a 29% reduction in stroke risk as compared to a lower chocolate intake.

What does this mean? Eating chocolate in reasonable amounts does not seem to be problematic but may in fact be helpful in reducing overall risk. What’s in the chocolate that has this effect? Or is it chocolate in combination with a healthy diet?

Another study in Chemistry Central Journal found that chocolate is a rich source of antioxidants (polyphenols and flavanols), just like wine, grape juice and most fruit. Do these antioxidants in chocolate, wine and fruit have a specific beneficial action in the human body versus the plant itself? This is the question that many researchers want to the answer to.

Research indicates that the flavanols (antioxidants) in cocoa may have heart health benefits that include improved blood flow, reduced blood pressure and lowered production of the lousy or LDL cholesterol. In addition to the flavanols found in cocoa, dark chocolate also contains other nutrients including iron, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus and fiber.

The caveat here is that the nutritional profile can be significantly hindered by the addition of less healthy ingredients such as too much sugar (most all chocolate will have some sugar to counteract the bitter pure cocoa flavor), trans fat or hydrogenated fat, butter oil, coconut or palm oil, or even milk fat.

So it’s up to you to be the label sleuth and look at the Nutrition Facts label and also closely read the ingredient list. The longer the ingredient list, the more likely it is that added items will take away from the cocoa’s potential health benefits.

Dark chocolate can be enjoyed without the guilt as long as you don’t forget that chocolate contain fat and calories so you must be prepared to burn off the calories so they don’t end up on your backside.

Want more? Listen to this week’s podcast below.

Listen to this week’s podcast


March 2, 2011

Three Tips to Protect a Woman’s Heart

Think about this…women often receive less care for their hearts by the medical community but at the same time are more concerned about the health of others instead of themselves. Yet, heart disease is the number one killer of women.

Heart disease in women is often overlooked and can have a tragic ending. Every week in the background you hear my awesome producer Billy P. You don’t want to miss Billy P share his story about the loss of his wife in this week’s podcast.

These preventive tips can help women improve their health, feel better, hopefully avoid medication and live longer.

Tip #1 Find Out Your Numbers

* Cholesterol profile including triglycerides, HDL and LDL

* Blood pressure

* Body mass index (check out this simple BMI calculator

http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/ )

* Blood sugar

* Waist circumference

Money is tight, medical costs are high…I hear you. But you and the health of those you love are much more important. Every week there are free health fairs and clinics with opportunities to take advantage of and find out some of these numbers. Check out this new document posted at the Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association on healthy living guidelines for women. It has a place to record all the numbers you need to know plus a lot of good information.

It’s true that you can’t change your family history, gender or your age for that matter, but you can alter your diet, exercise/activity level, whether you smoke or not, and your weight.

Tip # 2 Once You Know Your Numbers, Ask Yourself if You Have Metabolic Syndrome

How do you know? According to the American Heart Association and National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, you may have metabolic syndrome (which puts you at a greater risk of diabetes, stroke, heart disease) if you have 3 or more of the following risk factors:

1) Your waist is greater than 35 inches

2) Your triglycerides are higher than 150 mg/dL

3) Your HDL (protective cholesterol) is less than 50 mg/dL

4) Your blood pressure is higher than 130/85 mm Hg

5) Your fasting blood sugar is higher than 100 mg/dL

Tip # 3  See a Health Care Professional

If any of your numbers are abnormal, now is the time to see a health professional. Remember, high blood pressure is called the “silent killer” as it generally has no symptoms. When you lower your blood pressure, you reduce the chance of stroke by 35-40%, heart attack by 20-25% and heart failure by 50%.

And did you know that two out of three people with diabetes die of heart disease? Don’t miss this…women with type 2 diabetes develop heart disease at a much younger age compared to non-diabetic women. Making smart changes in the diet, losing some weight and moving around more can help to prevent or postpone diabetes.

You are busy, I know that…your schedule is over full and you’re stressed most days. But I don’t want you to put off taking care of you any longer…you and your family are worth it. Tell me what you’re doing. I want to hear from you.

Want more? Listen to this week’s podcast below.

Listen to this week’s podcast


January 20, 2010

A Powerful Portfolio for Your Heart

heart-port-imageIt’s the third week of January. Have you thrown your New Year’s resolutions in the trash yet? Many people have by now. That’s one of the reasons I’m not a fan of diets. I like small and simple changes that don’t overwhelm you. Life can be overwhelming enough. Weight is the big focus at the beginning of the year but weight is just part of the picture. I want you to think about your overall health. Do you know your total cholesterol number and whether the good and evil cholesterol levels (HDL and LDL) are where they need to be? What’s your blood pressure? When was the last time you had it checked? I’m talking outside of your doctor’s office. After all, white coat hypertension can push blood pressure up abnormally. White coat hypertension is the stress you feel when the doc comes in the room to see you and you can’t remember all you wanted to discuss.

Are you shaking your head and saying to me, “I have no clue?”  Your energy level and day to day health are affected by more than weight. So take some time for you…just like an oil change for your car, everyone needs preventive maintenance. If you don’t take the time for you, it’s not going to happen, right? You’re worth it…ok? You can find helpful information about all things heart related….your heart, cholesterol, blood pressure and related questions at hearthub.org part of the American Heart Association.

I bet if I ask you what food has a negative effect on your heart and health, you could easily tell me……pastries and goodies made with trans fat, double stacked cheeseburgers, sausage. But what about food that is beneficial to your heart and health? This week on my podcast, Margit Ragland, Health Director at Family Circle joins me to discuss must-have foods that benefit the heart. I don’t like to focus on what not to do but rather the steps you can take to make a difference in your health starting today. A few of the foods we take a look at include:

  • Red bell peppers, grapefruit, strawberries, mixed salad greens, kale, spinach, broccoli
  • Asparagus, orange juice
  • Guacamole
  • Salsa
  • Pudding, nonfat milk and low-fat yogurt
  • Canned or pouch tuna and salmon

Be sure and check out our Cyber Weight Loss Club. Share your story and photos and we’ll enter you in a drawing at the end of January to win a copy of the book by TV’s The Biggest Loser, Ali Vincent called Believe It, Be It.

Family Circle shares an easy way to get your heart healthy fish with a recipe for Teriyaki Salmon with glazed broccoli salad . Pick up the February issue of Family Circle for a full list and discussion of the heart healthy foods we talk about plus others that will surprise you.

Listen to this week’s podcast


June 17, 2009

Seven Ways to Include the Mediterranean Diet in Your Diet

diet tips
Wouldn’t it be nice to hop on a Mediterranean cruise right now and sample the delicious foods from the bordering countries? I’m not sure what draws me in the most…the freshness, the flavors or just the fact that many of the foods are so good for you. These Mediterranean foods are not only good for the heart and blood pressure, but they can help you lose some weight! Think of the Mediterranean diet like this…if entire countries are eating this way because they want to…it really must be good. Just what is the Mediterranean diet? Let me break it down for you. Here are seven key factors in the Mediterranean diet that you can include in your own:

  1. Generous amounts of fruits and vegetables…especially tomatoes. Tomatoes include lycopene, a potent antioxidant, and vitamin C. Think fresh sliced tomatoes with fresh mozzarella cheese topped with fresh basil.
  2. Healthy fat such as olive oil which is not only for cooking but used on your salads, for dipping bread, and making pesto. Olives are popular too. I use them on pizza but I also love the large ones stuffed with garlic or almonds. They are a little salty so if you are watching your sodium intake, be aware of how many you consume.Balsamic vinegar mixes beautifully with olive oil for a salad dressing. When I sauté fresh spinach with grape tomatoes, I add a splash of balsamic vinegar right at the end and it gives the sauté a lovely flavor.
  3. Garlic is another source of naturally occurring phytonutrients including antioxidants. Also try spices including rosemary, thyme, oregano, red peppers and cinnamon. I take dried oregano or dried basil or else chop and blend fresh herbs and add to extra virgin olive oil to use as dipping oil for whole grain bread. Yum!
  4. The flavors are fabulous! Plus, olive oil contains monounsaturated fat that will ultimately help reduce that LDL or bad cholesterol. When shopping for olive oil, remember “virgin or extra virgin”. These are the least processed forms and great for salad dressing or dipping.
  5. Red wine in moderation.
  6. Beans and nuts – great sources of fiber and protein. In the countries bordering the Mediterranean, very little meat is eaten. If you’re a meat eater, that’s okay, but try to slowly substitute beans for meat on a regular basis. As a matter of fact, hummus is made from garbanzo beans or chick peas. This is great to use as a spread and you can easily find garlic or red pepper flavored hummus. As for nuts – be careful not to go too nut crazy. They are good for you but are high in calories. A few almonds between meals are a great snack but not the entire can in front of the TV…think portion control.
  7. Eat fish on a regular basis. Fatty fish, such as salmon, is heart healthy and contains those all so important Omega 3’s.
  8. Cheese and yogurt. These protein powerhouses are super for bone health. Just watch the fat content and choose lower fat options when possible.

Well, that’s not so tough is it? Okay, I’m sure many of you are saying “where’s the bread? Where’s the pasta?” Well, don’t worry. The Mediterranean diet does include a carb fix.

Just think whole grains. According to the Mayo Clinic, grains in the Mediterranean region are typically whole grain containing very few unhealthy trans fats.  So choose your bread and pasta wisely. Look for the Whole Grain logo on the labeling or check the ingredient label for the words ‘whole grain’ as the first or second ingredient. If switching “cold turkey” to whole grain is too hard, try only using half whole grain/half enriched white pasta the first few times….just until your palette gets used to it.

Try to eat like the Greeks for a week. You may end up not only liking the food, but losing weight and keeping your heart in check!

Listen to this week’s podcast


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