YOU: on a Diet ( 03/01/08 - 05/31/08 )

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Diet tips for lower blood pressure

Hypertension, stroke, and heart disease are common in the United States and most other Western industrialized nations. Epidemiologists attribute much of their prevalence to diet.
After decades of research, scientists have concluded that the typical American diet is a recipe for hypertension and cardiovascular disease:
too much salt, too much saturated fat, too many calories, and not enough fruits and vegetables.

But the good news is that you can take an active role in preventing and controlling high blood pressure by watching what you eat.

Consume less salt

Doctors first noticed a link between hypertension and sodium chloride — the most common form of dietary salt — in the early 1900s, when they found restricting salt in patients with kidney failure and severe hypertension brought their blood pressures down and improved kidney function.

Federal guidelines advise people to limit sodium intake to 2,300 milligrams (mg) per day — about the amount in 1 teaspoon of table salt. Yet Americans typically consume 1 to 3 teaspoons, or as much as 7,200 mg a day.

This fact, coupled with the high prevalence of hypertension in the United States, led researchers to assume that salt overload was the culprit.

As it turns out, this may or may not be true. Nearly 50% of people who have hypertension are salt-sensitive, meaning eating too much sodium clearly elevates their blood pressure and puts them at risk for complications. In addition, people with diabetes, the obese, and older people seem more sensitive to the effects of salt than the general population.

However, the question of whether high salt consumption also puts generally healthy people at risk for hypertension is the source of considerable debate. Regardless of whether high salt intake increases blood pressure, it does interfere with the blood pressure–lowering effects of antihypertensive medications.

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Keep an eye on fat

A diet low in saturated fat can reduce cholesterol levels, but its effect on blood pressure is not well established. It’s important to remember, though, that not all fats are bad. Particularly heart-healthy are omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in fatty fish like mackerel and salmon, some oils such as canola oil, and some nuts and grains such as flaxseed. Large amounts of these fatty acids may help reduce high blood pressure, but their role in preventing hypertension is unclear. What is apparent is their effect on heart disease. A number of studies have linked modest levels of fish consumption with a reduced risk of heart attack and sudden death.

Boost your potassium intake

Consuming too little potassium can raise your blood pressure and your risk of stroke. Increasing dietary potassium may allow some people to reduce the dose of their blood pressure medication. In a study in Italy, 27 people with hypertension increased their potassium intake while another 27 followed their usual diets. After one year, 81% of people on the high-potassium diet were able to cut their medications by more than half, while only 29% of the people who followed their usual diets could cut back that far.

Before increasing your intake of potassium, check with your doctor.
Some people — for example, those with kidney disease — may need to avoid both potassium and salt.

Get enough calcium

Some research suggests a low calcium intake may contribute to high blood pressure, but calcium’s exact role in hypertension is unknown. One theory holds that a lack of calcium in the diet predisposes your body to retain sodium, which raises blood pressure. For this reason, it may be especially important that salt-sensitive people with hypertension get enough calcium.

While there’s evidence that consuming plenty of calcium-rich foods and beverages may help prevent hypertension, efforts to control blood pressure with calcium supplements have had mixed results.

At this point, experts are reluctant to recommend calcium supplements solely to lower blood pressure. But since many Americans simply don’t get enough calcium in their diets, and calcium is vital for preventing osteoporosis, few would argue against the use of supplements to boost your calcium intake.

(from Harvard Health)

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Nutrients

Fiber

Diets rich in dietary fiber have been shown to have a number of beneficial effects including decreased risk
of coronary artery disease.

Excellent vegetable sources:
navy beans, kidney beans, black beans, pinto beans, lima beans, white beans, soybeans, split peas, chick peas, black eyed peas, lentils, artichokes

Folate*

Healthful diets with adequate folate may reduce a woman's risk of having a child with a brain or spinal cord defect.

Excellent vegetable sources:

black eyed peas, cooked spinach, great northern beans, asparagus


*The Institute of Medicine recommends that women of childbearing age who may become pregnant consume 400 micrograms of synthetic folic acid per day to supplement the folate they receive from a varied diet. Synthetic folic acid can be obtained from eating fortified foods or taking a supplement.

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Potassium

Diets rich in potassium may help to maintain a healthy blood pressure. Good fruit and vegetable sources:
sweet potatoes, tomato paste, tomato puree, beet greens, white potatoes, white beans, lima beans, cooked greens, carrot juice, prune juice

Vitamin A

Vitamin A keeps eyes and skin healthy and helps to protect against infections. Excellent fruit and vegetable sources:
sweet potatoes, pumpkin, carrots, spinach, turnip greens, mustard greens, kale, collard greens, winter squash, cantaloupe, red peppers, Chinese cabbage

Vitamin C

Vitamin C helps heal cuts and wounds and keep teeth and gums healthy. Excellent fruit and vegetable sources:
red and green peppers, kiwi, strawberries, sweet potatoes, kale, cantaloupe, broccoli, pineapple, Brussels sprouts, oranges, mangoes, tomato juice, cauliflower

Good sources: These foods contain 10 to 19 percent of the Daily Value per reference amount.

Excellent sources: These foods contain 20 percent or more of the Daily Value per reference amount.

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Can Muffins Prevent Gallstones?

Gallstones -- those pesky, painful pebbles that plague some people's gallbladders -- are no fun. But could a muffin keep you feeling fine?

Maybe. If it's an oat-bran muffin. Studies show that a diet high in magnesium-rich foods may reduce the risk of gallstones. Oat-bran muffins fit the bill.

The Moderate Muffin

One medium oat-bran muffin will serve up anywhere from 50 to 90 milligrams of magnesium, depending on ingredients. Just don't go eating so many muffins that you turn into one yourself. One of the biggest risk factors for gallstones is extra weight. And you'll want a muffin recipe that doesn't go overboard on fat and cholesterol -- a diet high in either has been linked to gallstones, too. .

Magnificent Magnesium

Why magnesium? Without enough of the mineral, triglycerides can soar and HDL levels can drop -- a combo that's linked to cholesterol-packed gallstones. Just about any whole-grain food will boost your magnesium intake better than white-flour products, so check labels closely and make the swap.

RealAge Benefit: Adequate magnesium intake (400 milligrams per day for women, 333 milligrams per day for men) can make your RealAge as much as 0.9 years younger.

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Don't Be So Salty

You know about salt and high blood pressure. But salt and cancer? Research suggests there may be a connection.

Diets high in super salty foods could spell trouble for people's colons, early research suggests. Women in a study who subsisted on a traditional Japanese diet, which tends to be very high in sodium, exhibited an increased risk of colon cancer. More research is needed to confirm the link, but in the meantime, kick up the flavor of your favorite foods with herbs and low-sodium spices instead.

In a recent study, researchers examined the effects of traditional Japanese diets, traditional Western diets, and healthful, balanced diets on colon cancer risk.

Japanese diets tend to be high in salty foods, such as pickled fish or vegetables, and Western diets tend to be high in meat, cheese, and butter. The Japanese and Western diets were associated with increased colon cancer risk for women.

Researchers are not sure why their study produced an association only in women, but further research may reveal more information about dietary patterns and colon cancer risk in men.

If you're trying to reduce your sodium intake, limit consumption of processed and convenience foods, which are often high in salt. Salt also is used as a preservative in many canned soups, processed meats, cheeses, crackers, and chips.

Be mindful of other hidden sources of salt, such as tomato juice, baking soda, baking powder, monosodium glutamate (MSG), and many condiments, such as soy sauce, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, relish, and pickles.

Certain over-the-counter medications also may be high in sodium, including antacids, cold medicines, and analgesics.

RealAge Benefit: Limiting your sodium intake to 1,600 milligrams or less per day can make your RealAge as much as 2.8 years younger.

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•Diet Devotion

Worry less about which diet to try and more about whether you can stick with it.

As long as a diet provides healthful and balanced nutrition, the type of diet you choose may not matter much to your long-term goals.

In a study, researchers found that diet adherence was a much more important factor than the kind
of diet people chose when it came to how much weight people lost.

Take stock of your eating preferences and lifestyle when you choose a diet.

Your ability to stay with it long term will depend in part on how easy you find the program to maintain.

Before you revamp your diet, consider the following questions:
Does the program entail cooking or pre-prepared foods? Will you be able to eat out?
Will you eventually feel deprived by the elimination of a food group?

You'll be more likely to stick with a diet that fits easily into your lifestyle and doesn't leave you feeling deprived.

A combination of balanced, nutritious eating habits and regular exercise remains your best defense against weight gain and related chronic diseases.

RealAge Benefit: Maintaining your weight and body mass index at a desirable level can make your RealAge as much as 6 years younger.

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Next time you start to feel frustrated with your weight loss progress, keep these "lessons of the road" in mind:

* Pay less attention to how much further you have to travel. Stop asking yourself "are we there yet?"

You’ll get there when you get there.

Instead, look at the scenery, think about life, carry on a conversation, sing along with the radio, or simply be thankful for how far you’ve come.

* The journey is always more fun with a passenger. Have you asked anyone along for the ride?

* You know the route you need to take to reach your weight loss goals. It’s already mapped out. As long as you stay pointed in the right direction, you’ll get there.

Even in the worst traffic jams, you still get to your destination at some point. It’s the same way with dieting – just a matter of time. It may take longer than you first expected, but you will get there.

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* There will always be periods of stopping and starting. It’s something that you should just anticipate and allow for. No use getting upset or stressed about not making progress. It’s a normal part of the journey.

* Sometimes, you’ve just gotta go with the flow of what’s going on around you. Life can present some situations that you really can’t do anything about. When that happens, staying straight and steady – doing the best that you can – will keep you on track and sane.

In traffic, impatient people stop, change lanes, weave in and out of other cars, driving themselves and everyone else crazy – and in the end, usually don’t get any farther along than you do by staying put and going with the flow.

* Shortcuts never work.

* Driving too fast is dangerous. That’s why they call it "crash" dieting.

Slow down, take what life gives you, and make sure you arrive at your destination in good health.

[jezzie]

Yogurt for a Beautiful Smile

You brush, you floss, you rinse, you spit -- all for the sake of your pearly whites. But do you eat yogurt?

Might want to consider it. Research shows that yogurt eaters are less likely to suffer from gum disease and tooth loss.

A Little Healthy Bacteria

It only took a couple of ounces of yogurt daily for people's mouths to benefit. Researchers speculate that there's something about the healthy bacteria in yogurt that helps protect teeth and gums.

They may help balance out the bad bacteria in your mouth, just the way they do in your gut.

5 Dental Do's for Healthier Teeth

Some additional off-the-beaten-path ways to protect your
choppers . . .

* Skip sodas -- the diet kind, too.
* Drink cranberry juice -- it can help thwart decay.
* Consider chewing gum with vitamin C in it.
* Buy yourself a pack of straws.
* Don't be an overachiever when you brush your teeth.

RealAge Benefit: Flossing and brushing your teeth daily can make your RealAge as much as 6.4 years younger.

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4 Ways to Baby Your Liver


Your liver is as vital to your health as your heart and lungs are. But do you know how to keep it healthy?

It can be as simple as living clean, adding crunch, and eyeing your supplements. Here’s what we mean by that.

Vital Parts

Your liver isn't just a place to filter out tequila shots. All of the blood that has visited your small intestine flows through the liver, where it gets detoxified. A big job, but something has to do it. Michael Roizen, MD, and Mehmet Oz, MD, RealAge experts and authors of the best-selling, newly expanded YOU: The Owner's Manual, have four tips for helping your liver help you.

* Live clean. Reduce your personal pollution so there's less to filter out. Drink filtered water, eat unprocessed foods, choose veggie protein over red meat, and practice safe sex. And yes, keep the mojitos to a minimum.

* Add crunchy veggies. Cruciferous produce (like broccoli and cabbage), B-rich foods (like whole grains), and high C items (like citrus fruit and leafy greens) assist the liver's detoxifying process.

* Consider a supplement. Lecithin (egg yolks and soybeans are good sources) and zinc (look up food sources here) support liver function, and you may want to consider supplementing your diet with them if you don't get much naturally. Herbs like milk thistle and dandelion may help liver function, too, - but consult your doctor before taking them.

* Don't take too much vitamin A. If you do, you risk liver problems, including cirrhosis.

RealAge Benefit: Patrolling your health can make your RealAge as much as 12 years younger.

[jezzie]

Mondays Menu

Pre-Breakfast:
2 cups two thirds decaf with soy and evap. milk
walnuts, banana

Breakfast:
1 egg
old fashioned oatmeal with cinnamon and buckwheat honey
Mineola orange

Pre-Lunch:
almnds, grn. tea w/lemon, orange blossom honey

Lunch:
Healthy Harvest rotini in Classico hot sauce, parmesan

Pre-Dinner:
organic plain yogurt with sliced peaches
5.5 oz. V-8 juice

Dinner:
rice and beans, half a leftover sweet potato

* Need to work on eating more 'greens' every day.

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Count on Cabbage

Add chopped cabbage to your salads once a week to help reduce your risk of lung cancer.

Each year lung cancer affects almost 175,000 people, of whom as many as 15 percent are non-smokers. Research suggests cabbage may be a good preventive measure for those people.

In study participants who had never smoked, people who ate cabbage once per week had lower rates of lung cancer compared to people who do not eat it often.

Isothiocyanates are cancer-fighting compounds found in cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts.

Research suggests that people who eat the most cruciferous vegetables have much lower rates of lung cancer than people who eat them very infrequently, but the effects are slightly different in people who smoke compared to people who have never smoked.

Although cruciferous vegetables appear to help reduce lung cancer risk in people who have never smoked, in smokers the question of whether cruciferous veggies reduce lung cancer risk appears to be dependent upon genetics.

Eat cruciferous vegetables raw or lightly steamed to retain their cancer-fighting properties. An excellent option is to toss up a savory slaw with chopped cabbage, sherry vinegar, capers, red onion, and a dollop of tartar sauce.

RealAge Benefit: Eating a diverse diet that includes 5 servings of vegetables per day can make your RealAge as much as 4 years younger.

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From an online survey by Self magazine


* 75 percent of women report disordered eating behaviors or symptoms consistent with eating disorders; so three out of four have an unhealthy relationship with food or their bodies

* 67 percent of women (excluding those with actual eating disorders) are trying to lose weight

* 53 percent of dieters are already at a healthy weight and are still trying to lose weight

* 39 percent of women say concerns about what they eat or weigh interfere with their happiness

* 37 percent regularly skip meals to try to lose weight

* 27 percent would be "extremely upset" if they gained just five pounds

* 26 percent cut out entire food groups

* 16 percent have dieted on 1,000 calories a day or fewer

* 13 percent smoke to lose weight

* 12 percent often eat when they're not hungry; 49 percent sometimes do

Eating habits that women think are normal - such as banishing carbohydrates, skipping meals and in some cases extreme dieting - may actually be symptoms of disordered eating.

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Love Your Life: 5 Simple Steps
Written by RealAge, Inc., peer-reviewed by Dr. Axel Goetz, April 2004

What really makes you happy? As new tasks and responsibilities come into your life each year, it can be easy to lose track. Whether it's the little things in life that make you smile, or the joy of working toward a life goal, focusing on your happiness each day not only will protect your emotional well-being, but also your physical health.

Follow these simple steps to rediscover your passion for life and be healthier in the process.

1. Value your daily diversions
When you're adding items to your to-do list, don't forget the good stuff. Do you look forward to reading in bed, going out to breakfast, taking long walks, listening to music, or just sitting quietly outside? Make sure some of your favorite diversions happen every day.

Chores:
Ditch 'em!
Not enough time to indulge? Consider crossing out the pesky items on your list that you keep saying you're going to do, but haven't gotten to in over a year, like alphabetizing your bills or organizing your sock drawer. Or, cross out a bigger item that is consuming much of your time but isn't enhancing your life.

2. Build your strength and independence
We all have low-energy days, but if you can resist the urge to skip your daily workout, you'll be rewarded both now and later. Try telling yourself that you need to do only 10 minutes of exercise. Once you're up and moving, it's likely that you'll want to finish your workout.

Even if you can't push past the 10-minute mark on bad days, you can feel good about doing at least a little something. Sticking with an exercise plan will help you feel good about yourself, and also strengthen your immune system and enhance your body's production of mood-boosting hormones.

Keep a notebook with short summaries of how you feel after really good workouts. Refer to these notes when you need inspiration.

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3. Squash your stressers
Don't let stress sap you of joy. Diffuse daily hassles by practicing stress-reduction strategies. Try taking little deep-breathing breaks throughout the day, inhaling through your nose and then exhaling slowly through your mouth. Repeating this action 3 or 4 times allows more oxygen to get into your blood stream, resulting in a greater feeling of calm.

In addition to controlled breathing techniques, progressive muscle relaxation, yoga, and massage all have been documented as effective means of reducing tension, stress, depression, and anxiety. Taking a brisk 10-minute walk will do far more to dissipate your stress and lift your spirits than eating the sugary and salty snacks you might crave when you're feeling frantic.

4. Celebrate and share your skills
Thumb through the local newspaper or phone book and identify a school, club, or organization with whom you'd like to volunteer or participate. Not only will sharing your unique talents and expertise benefit others, but also research shows that volunteering can improve your well-being. Feeling engaged and involved in your local community is good for your emotional health. It's also an opportunity to learn some new skills, which can help keep your mind sharp.

5. Appreciate the people around you
Unwind and share a few laughs with your family or friends at least once or twice each month. The openness and trust you share with these important people can help give you the perspective you need to cope with everyday challenges. These regular connections also will have a positive impact on your health, especially when you share a good laugh. Laughing lowers blood pressure and releases endorphins that can ease pain. Also, don't neglect relationships at work. Colleagues and co-workers can provide valuable support and keep your blood pressure under control during stressful situations.

Feeling satisfied and fulfilled with your life is an essential part of your emotional and physical well-being. As you grow to appreciate your time, your independence, your self-assurance, your skills, and your relationships, you will be amazed at just how good you feel, both in body and spirit. RA

[jezzie]

Mondays Menu

Pre-Breakfast:
2 cups two thirds decaf with soy and evap. milk
walnuts, banana

Breakfast:
1 egg
old fashioned oatmeal with cinnamon and buckwheat honey
Mineola orange

Pre-Lunch:
lg. clump of black grapes, grn. tea w/lemon, orange blossom honey

Lunch:
baked salmon
zucchini and summer squash sauteed in garlic/olive oil

Pre-Dinner:
organic plain yogurt with sliced bananas
almonds and three brazil nuts

Dinner:
Healthy Harvest rotini in Classico hot sauce, parmesan
red bell pepper, blk olives and yellow onion slices in ex.v.oil/vingr

[jezzie]

Oooops.

The menu posted in the last post is Tuesdays Menu.


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[jezzie]

Nuts About Your Eyes

Regardless of their shape, size, or type, fatty foods may be bad for your eyes. With this exception: nuts!

Yep, eating nuts at least once a week may help protect your peepers from vision-stealing conditions like macular degeneration.

Feed Your Vision

Scientists discovered that people with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) could slow down the disease by eating one or more servings of nuts a week. Makes sense. The supernutrients in nuts -- vitamin E, copper, magnesium, fiber, and resveratrol -- all help protect against blood vessel problems that might contribute to AMD.

More Sight Savers

Not so nuts about nuts? Here are some other ways to keep your eyes sharp.

* Go fish! Turns out eating fish, like eating nuts, may have a protective effect against AMD progression.
* Be cool. Wear your shades.
* Hit the road. Simple exercises like walking may be good for your eyes.
* Bulk up. Your diet, that is.

RealAge Benefit: Eating a diet low in saturated and trans fats can make your RealAge as much as 6 years younger.

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Don't Dry Your Eyes

Set your sights on healthy fats that can help protect your eyes.

Getting adequate amounts of omega-3 fatty acids in your diet may help ward off irritating dry eye syndrome,
a condition that causes decreased tear production and can damage eyes.

Look to salmon, chunk light tuna, flaxseeds, and walnuts to boost your omega-3 intake and help keep your peepers in top form.

People produce fewer tears as they age, so increased age is a risk factor for dry eye syndrome. In addition to eye irritation, people with the condition also may be sensitive to bright lights.

In a recent study of women aged 45 to 84 years old, researchers discovered that women whose intake of omega-6 fatty acids was much greater than their intake of omega-3 fatty acids were at an increased risk of suffering from dry eye syndrome.

Omega-6s are polyunsaturated fatty acids found in meat, refined grains, and eggs. Reducing your intake of omega-6s while increasing consumption of omega-3-rich oily fish, flaxseeds, and walnuts could help you achieve a healthy fatty acid balance and may help reduce your risk of dry eye syndrome, depression, and
other conditions.

RealAge Benefit: Eating a low-fat diet -- and eating healthful unsaturated fats when you do eat fat -- can make your RealAge as much as 6 years younger.
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Sunglasses
Should I wear sunglasses outdoors?

Rays from the sun, called ultraviolet light, can damage your eyes. Wearing the right kind of sunglasses outdoors reduces your risk of eye damage from ultraviolet light.
What eye problems are related to exposure to sunlight?

Ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun may help cause cataracts. A cataract is the gradual clouding of the eye's lens. This clouding can cause loss of vision. Your vision can then be restored only with surgery.

There is some evidence that UV light may also contribute to development of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). AMD is a disease that damages the back part of the eye and can cause a loss of central vision.

People who spend a lot of time outdoors in sunny climates tend to have growths on the outer coat of the eye called pterygium or pingueculum. It is thought that wearing sunglasses may reduce the risk of developing these growths.

Exposure to sunlight increases the risk of skin cancer, and the eyelids are a common place for skin cancers.

Intense sunlight can cause sunburn of the cornea (the clear outer layer on the front of the eye). This may also be called snow blindness.

What kinds of sunglasses reduce eye damage from sunlight?

Most modern sunglasses provide good protection against UV. The more ultraviolet rays are blocked, the more your eyes are protected.

If you are outdoors a lot, you may want to wear wrap-around glasses, which protect your eyes from the sides.

Polarized lenses reduce glare reflected from surfaces such as water or snow. However, they don't block UV light unless they are combined with a coating that blocks UV. Mirror coatings alone do not provide UV protection and should be combined with a UV-blocking coating.

Photochromic lenses change their degree of darkness in response to lighting conditions. They are almost clear in low light and become darkly tinted in bright light. If you are considering photochromic lenses, ask your eye care provider if they block UV light.

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Who should wear sunglasses?

Experts recommend that anyone who is going to be out in the sun long enough to burn or tan should wear UV-blocking sunglasses. Recently, researchers have found that the global ozone layer is thinner than it used
to be, and more UV rays are reaching the earth.

Some experts believe that wide-brimmed hats can keep about 50% of UV rays from reaching the eyes, but most agree that people should wear sunglasses also.

People who need to be sure they wear UV-coated sunglasses outdoors are people who:

* already have eye problems

* take certain medicines, such as tetracycline, allopurinol, phenothiazine, and psoralen
* work outdoors, such as farmers and construction workers

* are outdoors at high altitude or near the equator

* spend a lot of time on snow or water

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Reviewed for medical accuracy by faculty at the Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins.