Heart disease affects so many people and I am sure we all know at least one person who is affected. There are so many things you can do like exercising to keep excess weight off and keep your heart healthy. But here are some yummy things you can eat to help keep heart disease at bay.
Blueberries: Good news if you love blueberries: Just one cup per day could help
decrease your blood pressure and reduce arterial stiffness, reports the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Participants who downed 22 grams of freeze-dried blueberry powder
(equal to one cup of fresh berries) for eight weeks experienced a 5
percent decrease in blood pressure and a 6.5 percent decrease in
arterial stiffness. One reason? Blueberries helped boost levels of
nitric oxide, which is important for dilating blood vessels, by nearly
69 percent. More research is needed to understand how, exactly,
blueberries have this effect, but there's no downside to popping more of
the sweet fruit throughout your day.
Avocado: An avocado a day may keep the cardiologist away. People who added an avocado to their daily diet experienced improvements in their LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, reports a study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
After five weeks, those consuming a moderate-fat diet plus a daily
avocado experienced a 13.5-point decrease their LDL, compared to an
8.3-point drop among those who ate a moderate-fat diet sans avocado, and
a 7.4-point drop among those who ate a low-fat diet without an avocado.
Researchers attribute the heart-healthy effects to monounsaturated
fatty acids along with fiber, antioxidants, and other compounds.
However, this doesn't give you permission to fill up on salty chips
and guacamole. Add more avocado to your diet the heart-healthy way by tossing
it into salads, spreading it on sandwiches, or even blending it into
smoothies.
Oats and other whole grains: People who eat more whole grains such as oats, brown rice, and whole-grain bread have a lower risk of death, especially due to cardiovascular disease, according to a new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
People with high whole-grain intake—as much as six or more servings per
day—have a 15 percent decreased risk of death due to heart disease,
researchers found. Previous studies suggest that fiber in whole grains
may help reduce blood cholesterol and blood pressure levels, which can
help protect your heart. Take a scan of your diet and replace refined
grains (such as white bread, white pasta, white rice, bagels, and other
baked goods) with whole. Replacing just one serving of refined grains
with a serving of whole grains per day was associated with an 8 percent
lower risk due to cardiovascular causes, the study found.
Almonds: Shed fat and boost your heart health? Sounds like a win-win. Participants who snacked on 1.5 ounces of almonds per day for six weeks lost more abdominal fat and experienced a greater decrease in LDL (bad) cholesterol than
those who snacked on a muffin containing the same number of calories,
reports a study in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
Excess belly fat and increased cholesterol levels are associated with
metabolic syndrome, a cluster of risk factors that can increase your
risk of heart disease and other health issues. Almonds are a rich source
of oleic acid, an unsaturated fatty acid, as well as fiber and
phytosterols. Reach for a handful of almonds per day.
Showing posts with label oats. Show all posts
Showing posts with label oats. Show all posts
7.14.2011
Whole Grains: The Carb Lover's Diet
Most people think that if you have diabetes you can't eat carbs. They are wrong. Fiber-rich whole-grain carbs are an essential part of a health diet, and are much better than white flour and other refined carbs at keeping blood glucose at optimal levels.
Grains like brown rice, whole wheat or barley are labeled "whole" because they contain all three naturally occuring layers--the germ, endosperm and bran--that are stipped out of the processed grains such as white rice and all-purpose flour. that means whole grains are packed with soluble and insoluble fiber, important to proper digestion, regulation of blood glucose and controld of LDL (bad) cholesterol. They're also good sources of trace minerals like magnesium, iron and potassium, which help maintain muscles, bones and nerves.
You can safely enjoy up to three servings of whole grains a day. A 1/2 cup serving typically contains about 20 grams of carbs and about 80 calories. Grains can be prepared the way you would rice or rolled oats, in a pot or rice cookier with two parts water to one part whole grain over low heat.
Current research suggests that eating throughout the day is helpful to blood glucose control. That means thinking beyond just the three traditional daily meals and incorporating smart snacks into your eating. Some easy ways to get whole grains intoyour snacks include: two crisp rye bread crackers with one ounceof string cheese; two brown rice cakes slathered with a tablespoon of peanut butter; one whole wheat wrap with two ounces of turkey breast and a slice of tomato; and 1/4 cup no-sugar-added granola with 1/2 cup skim milk.
Source: Christine Gerbstadt, M.D., R.D., is a certified diabetes educator and spokesperson for the American Diabetic Association.
Grains like brown rice, whole wheat or barley are labeled "whole" because they contain all three naturally occuring layers--the germ, endosperm and bran--that are stipped out of the processed grains such as white rice and all-purpose flour. that means whole grains are packed with soluble and insoluble fiber, important to proper digestion, regulation of blood glucose and controld of LDL (bad) cholesterol. They're also good sources of trace minerals like magnesium, iron and potassium, which help maintain muscles, bones and nerves.
You can safely enjoy up to three servings of whole grains a day. A 1/2 cup serving typically contains about 20 grams of carbs and about 80 calories. Grains can be prepared the way you would rice or rolled oats, in a pot or rice cookier with two parts water to one part whole grain over low heat.
Current research suggests that eating throughout the day is helpful to blood glucose control. That means thinking beyond just the three traditional daily meals and incorporating smart snacks into your eating. Some easy ways to get whole grains intoyour snacks include: two crisp rye bread crackers with one ounceof string cheese; two brown rice cakes slathered with a tablespoon of peanut butter; one whole wheat wrap with two ounces of turkey breast and a slice of tomato; and 1/4 cup no-sugar-added granola with 1/2 cup skim milk.
Source: Christine Gerbstadt, M.D., R.D., is a certified diabetes educator and spokesperson for the American Diabetic Association.
12.07.2009
Whole Wheat Tollhouse Cookies--From Jamie the Titanium Chef
I don't know about you but there is nothing better to me than a warm chocolate chip cookie right out of the oven! This recipe uses whole wheat flour instead of white flour and adds a little bit of oatmeal to make it a little bit healthier for you and give you some of those good whole grains that you need in your diet. Try them out!
WHOLE WHEAT TOLLHOUSE COOKIE
Makes 4 to 5 dozen cookies
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup nuts, chopped (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a baking sheet or cover with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Cream the butter with the brown sugar until light in color, about 4 minutes. Beat in the egg until well incorporated. Stir in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and blend well. Still in the oats, chocolate chips and nuts.
Drop by teaspoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.
Here are a couple secrets for baking cookies...always do a test cookie! Just cook one cookie to make sure its going to work out right. There is nothing worse than a whole sheet full of flat cookies. If your test cookie comes out flat then you need to add more flour. The temperature of your butter (if it was too warm) and the climate will affect how your cookies bake. This does take a little more time but its worth it to have your whole batch of cookies turn out perfectly!
WHOLE WHEAT TOLLHOUSE COOKIE
Makes 4 to 5 dozen cookies
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup nuts, chopped (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a baking sheet or cover with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Cream the butter with the brown sugar until light in color, about 4 minutes. Beat in the egg until well incorporated. Stir in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and blend well. Still in the oats, chocolate chips and nuts.
Drop by teaspoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.
Here are a couple secrets for baking cookies...always do a test cookie! Just cook one cookie to make sure its going to work out right. There is nothing worse than a whole sheet full of flat cookies. If your test cookie comes out flat then you need to add more flour. The temperature of your butter (if it was too warm) and the climate will affect how your cookies bake. This does take a little more time but its worth it to have your whole batch of cookies turn out perfectly!
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