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Heart Healthy
LDL-Cholesterol in Young Adults
Young adults should watch their diet! A study from U of CA looked at LDL-cholesterol in >3,200 adults ages 18 to 30 years. (CARDI, Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adult study). Those with a high LDL-cholesterol were more likely to have health troubles down the road. There were increased calcium deposits build-up in coronary arteries as soon as 20 year later. This could be an early indicator of heart disease.
Natural cholesterol reducers are best to lower LDL-cholesterol in young adults rather than resorting to medications:
- Soluble fiber can bind cholesterol in the intestines: oats, legumes, flaxseed, barley, fruits (oranges, apples, prunes, etc.) and carrots
- Plant sterols (2 grams) daily (in Benecol margarine)
- Soy protein weekly (tofu, edamame, soy burgers, soy milk/cheese)
- Garlic
- Flaxseed, 1 tabelspoon daily
Family Health Tip: Raise your children with healthy foods prepared in healthy ways.
- Less saturated fat and no trans fats
- Use no-trans-fat tub, liquid or squeeze margarine
- Use liquid oils – canola, olive, etc.
- Eat nuts and fatty fish
- Eat less animal and dairy fat
More information: www.nhlbi.gov.
These are turkey subs that all young folks will enjoy: whole wheat sub rolls, low-fat turkey breast, light herb&gralic spread rather than mayonnaise, reduced-fat cheese slices, fresh tomatoes, green onions and roasted red peppers.
Healthy School Lunches
It’s back to school for kids across the country. Packing lunches is budget-friendly, and gives you total control of the nutrition that your child gets in the middle of the day. Be creative, too, so that lunch is enjoyed week after week.
Nutrition FIRST. Lunch should provide protein for growth, fluids for hydration, starch for energy, fruits & veggies for vitamins & minerals.
PROTEIN: nuts & nut butter, tofu cubes, reduced-fat cheese cubes or slices, cottage or ricotta cheese with fruit or veggies, tuna or salmon salad, hummus, black & kidney bean salad, leftover meatloaf or grilled chicken in a sandwich, hard cooked eggs, and leftover stew or chili.
FLUIDS: skim or 1% milk, water, vegetable or 100% fruit juice. The 2010 American Heart Association guidelines suggest no more than ½ -1 cup of 100% fruit juice per day for kids.
STARCHES: whole-grain bread, roll, tortilla, pita pocket or crackers; homemade muffins such as banana or carrot; potato or pasta salad, couscous or leftover rice stir fry.
FRUITS & VEGGIES: assorted raw veggies (peppers, cherry tomatoes, carrots & celery sticks, broccoli florets), avocado slices, coleslaw, 3-bean salad, veggie soup, fresh fruit in season, no- sugar-added fruit cups or fruit salad.
Make Time for Breakfast
Pediatric overweight and obesity is a huge problem in the U.S. This excess weight puts kids at increased risk for chronic diseases at young ages. A 10-year National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) of >4,300 children and >5,300 adolescents showed that that breakfast skippers had more weight problems. (Source: Jl Amer Dietetic Assoc., June 2010)
Breakfast Skippers took in less of vitamins (Vitamins A, E, C, and B-6), minerals (iron, calcium, potassium and magnesium), and fiber.
Breakfast Skippers ate fewer fruits & veggies, and more sugar and fat!
Breakfast skippers were often adolescent girls or kids who were rushed in the morning – they didn’t fit in breakfast.
This survey leaves us with some good lessons.
- First, breakfast has important nutritional value. Kids will eat more servings from all food groups.
- There is less rebound eating with large portions of unhealthy foods later in the day.
- And the waist circumference of the breakfast eaters was lower.
Make breakfast happen:
- Allow a few more minutes for everyone in the morning.
- After dinner, pre-set the breakfast table.
- The night before decide on the breakfast menu.
- Occasionally shake things up to make breakfast interesting- serve leftover pizza or stir fry veggies & chicken, a grilled cheese sandwich, fruit-cereal-yogurt parfait, etc.
- As the parent, eat breakfast yourself. Children do what you do, NOT what you say.
On the weekend make fruit or veggie quick breads or muffins for an easy reheat on a school day. Add a glass of reduced-fat milk and a piece of fruit, and you have a balanced breakfast. Here is a picture of banana bread made with oats, nonfat buttermilk, egg whites and LOTS of mashed bananas. Delicious!!!
May is Stroke Awareness Month
Strokes are the third leading cause of death in the U.S. A stroke affects the arteries that lead to the brain, or the arteries that are in the brain. A blood vessel that transports vital oxygen is either blocked by a clot, so the blood flow is stopped, or the blood vessel bursts. Read the rest of this entry…
Life’s Simple 7, Part 5
And the final American Heart Association guidelines:
# 7 STOP Smoking. Need we say more? Read the rest of this entry…
Life’s Simple 7, Part 4
Continuing with the American Heart Association healthy lifestyle guidelines: Read the rest of this entry…
Life’s Simple 7, Part 3
Continuing with the American Heart Association Life’s Simple 7 Guidelines: Read the rest of this entry…
Life’s Simple 7, Part 2
More about the American Heart Association’s Life’s Simple 7: Read the rest of this entry…
Life’s Simple 7, Part 1
Have you heard of Life’s Simple 7? This is the American Heart Association’s list of healthy living guidelines that can help you prevent heart disease. Any person can make one or two simple lifestyle changes and yet dramatically reduce their heart disease risk. Here is the scoop on the first guidelines. www.americanheart.org Read the rest of this entry…
Teens with Cholesterol!
The rates are staggering! One in 5 teens have abnormal cholesterol levels – either low HDL-cholesterol, high LDL-cholesterol and/or high triglycerides. And some levels are high enough to warrant a medication discussion! Why so high? Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who reported these stats, feel the obesity problem is a major factor. Read the rest of this entry…
