3 Ways to Make Your Heart Healthier

(Family Features) Did you know that heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States? One in four people die from it each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and millions more have it or are at risk of developing the disease. Smoking, being overweight or having diabetes, high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure or a family history of heart disease all increase your chances of getting the disease.

The good news is that you can do something about it.

“It’s never too late – or too early – to lower your risk for heart disease,” said Josephine Boyington, Ph.D., a nurse, licensed nutritionist and program director in the Division of Cardiovascular Health at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of the National Institutes of Health.

“Heart disease is a general term for a variety of conditions, such as clogged arteries, that make it difficult for your heart to pump blood properly,” she said. “Adopting small changes, like moving more and following a heart-healthy eating plan, can make a big difference. Research has shown that making healthy lifestyle changes that last can be a lot easier when you have friends or family doing it with you.”

To mark American Heart Month, the NHLBI – the nation’s leader in research on the prevention and treatment of heart, lung, blood and sleep disorders – is encouraging that kind of group support. It is celebrating “Our Hearts,” a national effort to motivate Americans to join each other in adopting heart-healthy behaviors throughout the year and beyond.

Ready to start? Here are three tried-and-true ways you and your friends and family can help each other give your hearts a boost.

1. Adopt a healthy eating plan. Try NHLBI’s Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating plan. It’s free and, when compared to a typical American diet, has been scientifically proven to lower blood pressure and improve blood cholesterol levels. The DASH eating plan features fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, beans, nuts and lean meats, and it limits foods that are high in saturated fats, sugars and sodium. Have fun with menus by inviting friends to join you for a heart-healthy dinner party or start a lunch club at work and trade creative recipe ideas with your colleagues.

2. Move more and #MoveWithHeart. One of the major risk factors for heart disease is inactivity. Getting up and moving helps lower that risk – and you don’t need to put in hours at a time to see results. Breaking up your daily activity into small chunks, such as 10-minute increments three times a day for five days a week, can begin to make a difference. To stay motivated, find a walking buddy or make a standing date to walk with a friend or neighbor, dance at home with your kids or play a pickup soccer or basketball game with colleagues. The bottom line: just move. 

3. Quit smoking. It can be hard to stop, but the benefits to your lungs and heart are huge. For inspiration and to keep you motivated, consider a support group. You can find resources and connect with a trained counselor by calling 1-800-QUIT-NOW or visiting smokefree.gov.

For more information about heart health, and to discover what activities are going on in your community, visit nhlbi.nih.gov/ourhearts. Use #OurHearts on social media to share how you and your friends and family are keeping your hearts healthy.

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

Simple Ways to be Heart Smart

Discover recipes chock-full of heart-healthy pecans

(Family Features) Sometimes making small changes can have a positive impact on your health – including heart health – like drinking more water, taking the stairs instead of the escalator and adding nutritious ingredients to your snacks and meals.

Incorporating nutritious ingredients is an easy way to step up your mealtime – for example, American Pecans can super-fy nearly any recipe by adding flavor and nutrition.

It’s always a good time to include heart-healthy ingredients on your shopping list. Certified by the American Heart Association’s Heart-Check*, American Pecans and their unique mix of unsaturated fats, plant sterols, fiber and flavonoids add up to help promote a healthy heart. In fact, according to the Food and Drug Administration, research suggests but does not prove that eating 1 1/2 ounces of most nuts, such as pecans, each day as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may help reduce your risk of heart disease. One serving of pecans (28 grams) contains 18 grams unsaturated fat and only 2 grams saturated fat.

Boosting the heart-smart punch of your favorite recipes can be easy with pecans. Whether topping a salad, sprinkling into bread batter or using them as the foundation of a portable snack, there are few things America’s native nut can’t do.

Start the day right with a bowl of Banana Pecan Cherry Oatmeal – a comforting and hearty combination that can keep you full for hours. For a wholesome, on-the-go option perfect for school snacks, desk drawers or an afternoon pick-me-up, try Cherry Pecan Energy Bites. Dried cherries, dates and crunchy pecans combine for an all-natural burst of heart-smart nutrition to help you power through the day.

Discover more ways to create heart-healthy meals with pecans at AmericanPecan.com.

Banana Pecan Cherry Oatmeal

• 1          cup old-fashioned oats
• 2          cups water
• 1/2       cup pecan milk
• 1          banana, sliced
• 1/4       cup pecan halves
• 1/4       cup dried tart cherries
• 1/4       cup honey

1. In large, microwave-safe bowl, combine oats and water. Microwave on high 3-4 minutes, or until oats are cooked through. Watch carefully to avoid boiling over.
2. Remove from microwave, stir and divide between two bowls. Pour 1/4 cup pecan milk over each bowl.
3. Divide sliced banana, pecan halves and dried tart cherries between each bowl and drizzle with 2 tablespoons honey. Serve immediately.

Cherry Pecan Energy Bites

Makes: 10-12 energy bites

• 1          cup toasted pecan halves or pieces
• 1          cup dried cherries
• 4          medjool dates, pitted
• 1/4       cup old-fashioned oats
• 1          tablespoon cacao powder, plus additional, for coating (optional)
• 1          teaspoon vanilla extract

1. In bowl of food processor, combine toasted pecans, dried cherries, dates, oats, cacao powder and vanilla extract.
2. Pulse until ingredients begin to bind and form loose, dough-like ball.
3. Roll into 1-inch balls. Roll balls in additional cacao powder, if desired, and transfer to airtight container. Refrigerate until ready to serve, up to seven days.

Note: To make gluten-free, substitute 1/4 cup of certified gluten-free old-fashioned oats.

*Heart-Check certification does not apply to recipes.

Better Yourself in the New Year

(Family Features) A new year is the perfect opportunity to take a fresh look at your life and re-evaluate what you’d like to accomplish – both physically and mentally – during the coming year.

From committing to healthier habits like eating better, drinking more water and sticking to a workout routine to discovering new ways to be your best self and giving up a bad habit or two, some simple tips and products can help you take action toward boosting your overall well-being and reaching your resolutions.

To find more tips and tricks for improving your life this year, visit eLivingToday.com.

Healthy Hydration

When considering a New Year’s resolution to drink more water, a commitment to drinking cleaner, healthier and great-tasting water is essential. Consider using the easy-to-install PUR Advanced Faucet Filtration System to fill up a reusable water bottle, make smoothies, wash fruits and vegetables and more. It’s certified to reduce more than 70 contaminants, including 99 percent of lead – more than any other brand, according to NSF. Learn more at PUR.com.

Be Your Best Self

If you feel as though you aren’t truly who you want to be, or if you dream of a better life, now is the time to turn your dream into reality with “Best Self” by Mike Bayer. Chock-full of revealing quizzes and provocative questionnaires, the book can empower you to embrace your authenticity, acknowledge what is holding you back and help you break through to live a passionate life to the fullest. Find more information at CoachMikeBayer.com/Book.

Sized for a Snack

Put a plant-positive twist on new year’s resolutions by snacking on nutritious foods like Kale and Quinoa Bites from Yves Veggie Cuisine. Ideal for sharing with friends and family or as a quick snack, just pop in the oven for 10 minutes to enjoy a crispy, tasty bite that’s gluten-free, low in fat and a good source of fiber. With two superfoods joining forces, the bite-sized treat can help keep appetites at bay without sacrificing flavor. Find additional healthy snacking ideas at yvesveggie.com .

Sip a Protein-Packed Shake

One of the difficulties in healthy eating is getting great-tasting lean protein. For an easier nutritional choice, consider Premier Protein’s 11-ounce shakes, packed with lean protein ideal for breakfast on-the-go, an afternoon snack or a post-workout boost. They contain 30 grams of protein, 160 calories and 1 gram of sugar. Available in earth-first packaging, the shakes feature a resealable plant-based cap derived from sugarcane. Visit premierprotein.com for more information.

Fiber-Filled Flavor

For a protein- and fiber-rich snack low in sugar, Atkins Protein Wafer Crisps provide a light and crispy texture for a surprisingly filling treat. Whether it’s for a grab-and-go snack or afternoon pick-me-up, the wafer crisps boast 10-11 grams of protein, 4-5 grams of fiber and 1 gram of sugar with three flavor profiles to choose from: Peanut Butter, Chocolate Mint and Lemon Vanilla. Find additional nutritious snacking options at Atkins.com.

Main image photo courtesy of Getty Images

A Keto-Friendly Approach to Weight Loss

(Family Features) A growing number of health-conscious consumers are pursuing a keto lifestyle and products in their pursuit of health benefits, weight loss and improved performance.

If you’re considering a keto diet but not sure where to begin, these tips can help get you on the right track:

1. Understand what the keto approach entails. Essentially, the keto diet significantly reduces carbohydrates and replaces them with higher-fat foods. Your meals will consist primarily of protein, non-starchy veggies and healthy fats. The significant limits on carbs puts your body into a state called ketosis, which makes it especially efficient at burning fat for energy.

2. Consider using a proven weight loss program. With the growing popularity of keto diets, some weight loss programs have adapted their plans to encompass keto-friendly options. For example, South Beach Diet, which has been an effective program for millions of people since launching 16 years ago, introduced a Keto-Friendly Program. The keto plan offers consumers the ability to adapt the proven program to better align with keto through a low-carb, high-fat dietary pattern.

   “Consumers want to try the latest healthy-eating approaches that are proven to work, and right now that’s keto,” said Dr. Arthur Agatson, cardiologist and South Beach Diet founder. “We wanted to make a keto-friendly lifestyle approachable for anyone looking for a place to start.”

3. Get smart about keto-friendly foods and stock up on your favorites. Agatson recommends adding these five keto-approved foods to your menu:
    

   Shrimp: This mild, tasty and accessible lean protein comes with exactly 1 carb per 3-ounce serving, and 90 percent of the calories come from protein. Shrimp also contain more than 20 vitamins and minerals. Seek out wild-caught shrimp to avoid antibiotics; it’s always a safe bet to purchase frozen shrimp because they’re frozen just after they’re caught.

   String cheese: Nutrition doesn’t get much easier or more portable than with string cheese. An average piece of string cheese has 1 net carb, 80 calories, 8 grams of protein and 20 percent of the daily calcium recommendation. String cheese is an easy snack, but you can also make it part of a meal by stuffing small pieces into meatballs or turkey burgers, or rolling a piece inside some deli meat.

   Eggs: With three egg whites containing zero grams net carbs and one whole egg containing just 1 net carb, eggs must be part of a keto meal plan. A whole egg provides 6 grams of protein; nine essential amino acids; iron; phosphorus; selenium; vitamins A, B12 and B5; and choline for brain health, along with lutein and zeaxanthin for eye health. Make hard-boiled eggs for easy snacks or whip up omelets for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

   Mayonnaise: Just 1 tablespoon of olive oil-based mayonnaise contains zero grams of net carbs. That makes plenty of options possible, like egg and chicken salads, dipping sauces for veggies and meats, creamy dips, deviled eggs, lettuce wraps and more.

   Arugula: Arugula is a fiber-rich vegetable in the same family as broccoli, kale and Brussels sprouts. It offers 250 milligrams of nitrate, which has been shown to lower blood pressure, 20 percent of your daily vitamin A (for eye health) and more than 50 percent of vitamin K (for bone health). It’s traditionally used in salads, but the peppery flavor can add substance to virtually any savory dish.

Get more tips to get your keto diet underway at southbeachdiet.com, The Palm blog or download the South Beach Diet app.