Friday, August 27, 2010

What to Eat and Drink Daily For a Healthy Heart

What to Eat and Drink Daily For a Healthy Heart

So what do you eat and drink daily for a healthy heart?

A study was done where hamsters were fed 3 things: juice, fruit; water (along with a fatty diet).

The 1st "hamster juice group" drank juice each day that was equal to four glasses (for a person weighing about 154 pounds. )

The 2nd "hamster fruit group" ate 3 apples or 1 bunch of grapes a day.

The 3rd "hamster water group" just drank water daily.

What were the results of the study?

They found that the hamsters who ate fruit or drank fruit juice improved their heart health. They had lower cholesterol levels, less oxidative stress, and their aortas had accumulated less fat than the "hamster water group".

So which was better for the heart, drinking fruit juice or eating fruit? They found that grapes, both juice and fruit were the most beneficial to the heart? Listed below is what worked the best in the study, listing the most effective first:

Purple grape juice (had 2 ½ times more benefits than apple juice). Why? Possibly because grapes have such a high level of antioxidants Purple grapes (effective but not as effective as the juice possibly because the juice is much more concentrated) Apple juice Apples

The University of Montpellier team concluded that the juice's benefits came from its high levels of phenols - an antioxidant. The researchers say their findings suggest the amount of phenols (antioxidants) contained in a food have a direct effect on its antioxidant properties. This is helpful when trying to decide what is the best juice to give your children. Seems like purple grape juice would be a good first choice and apple juice would be a good 2nd choice. As far as fruit goes, according to the results of the study, grapes would be a good choice... and then apples.So for a healthy heart, you might want to join your kids and add some grape juice and grapes to your daily diet.

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Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Eating Healthy For Heart

Eating Healthy For Heart

When you make the decision to eat healthier, to get into shape, and become more fit, you also need to consider eating better for the health of your heart. You need to include more fresh vegetables and fresh fruits and stick with leaner proteins to promote your heart health.

Also in order to maintain the health of your heart, consider the following:

Stay away from canned and prepackaged foods. These typically are high in sodium and eating too much salt will lead to high blood pressure and eventual problems with your heart.

Choose to eat smart protein foods, including fish, chicken, and lean meats. Non or low-fat dairy products and legumes are also heart-smart sources of protein.

Don't skip out on fat. You should stay away from trans-fats and saturated fats but consume monosaturated fats such as those found in olive oil and omega-3 fatty acids, which you can get from fish, certain vegetables, and nuts.

Increase your intake in soluable fiber, which is found in oat bran, green vegetables, beans, and citrus fruits. These soluable fibers help to lower levels of cholesterol, leaving your heart in better shape.Leading a sedentary lifestyle is one of the main risk factors for heart disease. You need to work at strengthening your heart and improving your cardiovascular system. Other reasons that exercise and activity is important to your heart health is:

In addition to eating better for your heart, you also need to incorporate heart-healthy fitness activities into your daily routine.

You will improve your circulation so your body will be able to use oxygen more efficiently. You will increase the levels of your energy so you'll experience less fatigue and incidents of shortness of breath. You will lower your blood pressure levels. You will build up your levels of endurance. You will learn to improve your balance and body flexibility. You will strengthen your bones. You will improve your overall strength and muscle tone. You will reduce the amount of your body fat and enable you to maintain a healthy weight. You will also give your heart a break from stress, anxiety, tension, and depressive episodes. You will be able to get more rest at night and improve your quality of sleep.Types of Exercise

Stretching

Make sure you start out each activity with the proper amount of stretching. Stretch your arms and legs to prep your muscles for the exercises you are able to perform. This prep work helps to prevent injury or muscle exertion. It will also help keep you more flexible.

Aerobic and Cardiovascular Workouts
Using the large muscle groups, these types of exercises will strengthen the heart and lungs so your body can use oxygen more effectively. Examples of aerobic exercises include walking, running, cycling, jumping rope, and water aerobics. Perform routine exercises for 20-30 minutes a day.

Strengthening
Repeatedly tightening the muscles with exercises until it tires out will help strengthen the body and the heart.
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