Diet & Nutrition

How to Support Healthy Weight and Shed Holiday Pounds Naturally This Spring

Spring is a time of renewal and rejuvenation. All around us, trees are budding and new patches of green line the earth. In this time of new growth, many people seek to become healthier, ridding themselves of old habits while ushering in a new and healthier lifestyle. Often, maintaining a healthy weight becomes a focus.

Whether you want to address the issue of weight to improve your health and fitness, to fit into skimpier summer clothing, or simply to be a better version of yourself, there are several natural ways to embark on your fitness journey. The following safe and natural ingredients are known to promote healthy weight maintenance and can help support your efforts to shed those stubborn pounds.

1. Chromium for Energy and Metabolism

Chromium has long been one of the most popular weight maintenance supplements on the market. This mineral is essential to a healthy lifestyle because it helps your body to convert calories to usable energy rather than storing them as fat.

In addition, recent studies have shown that chromium has huge benefits for people who have metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes and other issues with blood sugar. Chromium appears to help maintain healthy blood sugar levels, which can be especially helpful to people who are trying to maintain a healthy weight.

2. African Mango for Fiber and More

Eating more dietary fiber is a well-studied way to maintain a healthy weight. Sufficient intake of dietary fiber helps to stave off hunger, slow the absorption of sugar and may even prevent some calories from being absorbed.

African mango is an excellent source of dietary fiber. However, it appears to have other weight-related benefits as well. In a study comparing African mango to oat fiber, participants who took African mango experienced increased weight loss. The exact reason is unknown, but this natural supplement appears to have huge potential for your weight maintenance arsenal.

3. Bitter Orange to Boost Calorie-Burning

Many people who want to lose weight turn to stimulants to increase the speed at which the body burns calories and fat. These can have unwanted and even dangerous side effects such as higher blood pressure and heart rate.

Bitter orange appears to offer a metabolic boost without the unwanted effects of stimulants. People who take this supplement have been found to burn calories more quickly without increased blood pressure or other dangerous adverse effects. That’s a win-win situation that can quickly contribute to a slimmer waistline.

4. Green Tea: An Anti-Oxidant With Fat-Burning Benefits

Green tea is popular as an anti-oxidant and detox agent. The extract of this tea helps cells to clean out metabolic wastes and modulate inflammation, helping to support healthy cell growth and promote overall health.

However, green tea also has another key benefit: It supports healthy fat-burning. Green tea also helps to increase energy levels, giving a much-needed boost to those who are trying to lead a more demanding healthy lifestyle. Because it has been used for thousands of years both as a health supplement and as a beverage, the safety of green tea is well-known.

5. Hawthorn for a Healthy Heart and Healthy Weight

Hawthorn has been used in traditional medicine for centuries for cardiovascular health. This plant is known to support healthy blood pressure already within normal ranges and to offer a wide range of benefits for people with heart issues.

This can be particularly important for people who are trying to lose weight and to exercise. Being overweight takes a toll on your cardiovascular system. Getting back into shape can be difficult when maintaining heart health is also a concern. Hawthorn helps promote optimum cardiovascular health while also reducing feelings of tiredness and other challenges encountered early in a fitness journey.

6. Java Tea to Support Fat-Burning and Healthy Appetite

Long used as a medicine in Asian culture, java tea is quickly becoming popular in the West for its benefits in healthy weight maintenance. Java tea may soon be one of the most important natural remedies for achieving a healthy weight.

In addition to supporting healthy fat-burning, this supplement increases levels of the hormone leptin. Leptin is a hormone made by our bodies when we eat fatty meals and is known for creating a feeling of fullness. As a result, people who take java tea have been reported to feel fuller with less food and eat a significantly smaller amount of food. This can be very helpful for people who are struggling with newly decreased portions and the hunger that these can bring.

Losing Weight the Natural Way

Maintaining a healthy weight is important, but this should never come at the expense of whole-body health. Taking natural supplements can help many people who are struggling to maintain a healthy weight while leading a natural and wholesome lifestyle. In addition, there are other healthy ways to support healthy weight, such as:

Drink more water; around eight glasses a day.
Use yoga, walking and other gentle exercise in addition to your fitness regimen.
Avoid sugar and other sweeteners.
Make all of your meals at least half fruits and vegetables.

Maintaining a healthy weight is hard work. With the right help and a little willpower, you can make this spring a time of healthier new habits and a new you!

Spring Detox: Recharge, Revitalize and Replenish for Ultimate Energy and Health

Mar 05 by Ewcopywriting

Although some regions are still in the icy grips of winter, the days are slowly getting longer, signaling the start of a bright new season. Traditionally, spring is a time of new beginnings. Whether you are going strong on your New Year’s resolutions or adjusting your habits for other reasons this season, a spring detox can help you shed unwanted weight, restore gut health and boost your mood. Here we examine just a few benefits of engaging in some “spring cleaning” in preparation for the warmer months ahead.

Drop Unwanted Weight Naturally

By eating more naturally and reducing your dependency on processed foods, you will make it easier for your body to burn excess fat. Some natural foods actually contain compounds that help to speed up metabolism, which is the process of converting fat into energy. Additionally, certain constituents in some fruits and vegetables can actually affect the hormones that control appetite. By eating these types of foods, you will feel full for longer periods of time. In addition to eating healthier foods, you can also supplement your diet with a high-quality formula containing ingredients that help promote healthy weight maintenance for further benefits.

Green Tea

Green tea is recommended for a number of reasons. It’s especially helpful in promoting healthy cell growth. It also supports overall health because its antioxidant properties can protect against free radicals and oxidation in the body. It’s also a natural stimulant that supports healthy fat metabolism. Due to its diuretic actions, green tea also stimulates urine production, which means it can help alleviate bloating and excessive water retention.

African Mango and Bitter Orange

There is some research to suggest that African mango helps protect against the unhealthy production of fat cells. This can result in less fat storage around the waist. There is also evidence to suggest that African mango may help the symptoms of metabolic syndrome in people with diabetes.

Bitter orange is similar to African mango in that it promotes healthy metabolism, supporting efforts to maintain a healthy weight. Additionally, a dietary supplement that provides bitter orange extract can also help to boost energy levels. Maintaining energy levels is vital for fostering the ambition and enthusiasm needed to stick to a regular exercise schedule, which is essential to better weight control.

Chromium

A chromium formula is one of the most potent supplements you can take, because it has one of the biggest effects when it comes to supporting healthy metabolism. In addition to metabolic benefits, chromium also helps the body build lean muscle faster, and promotes the utilization of stored fat in the body. As a result of these properties, chromium can contribute to healthy weight maintenance and the maintenance of lean muscle mass. Chromium also supports healthy blood sugar levels in the body.

Found primarily in brewer’s yeast, kidneys and mushrooms, chromium is somewhat difficult to come by in most western diets, which is why taking a chromium supplement is often preferable.

Revitalize Your Gut Microbiome

Your body is filled with bacteria, viruses, fungi and other microbes and, while these microorganisms may be harmful under other circumstances, when present in the proper balance they actually help the digestive system. They thrive in a community called the microbiome, which is located in the small and large intestine, the skin and throughout the body.

The microbiome is essentially an extra organ that helps the body maintain health in a variety of ways. A microbiome that’s operating efficiently can help you properly digest fiber, milk and other foods, manages how the immune system functions and even protects the health of the brain.

As you expose your digestive system to harmful foods, such as processed meats, refined sugar and unhealthy fats, the functioning of the microbiome is inhibited. Fortunately, changing your diet can help you to restore your microbiome to a healthier state. Here are just a few ways to restore your gut health for better overall health this spring.

Mix Up Your Plate

By eating a broad range of plant-based foods, you can introduce new types of bacteria into your microbiome. This will make the microbiome stronger, so it can function more efficiently. Fruit, legumes and beans are among the best foods for promoting a healthier microbiome.

Fermented Foods to Fight Disease

Kefir, yogurt and sauerkraut are the more widely known fermented foods, so these items may be easier to find in stores. Eating more of these foods will provide your microbiome with Lactobacilli, bacteria that help the gut rid itself of disease-causing agents.

Ditch the Artificial Sweeteners

If your purpose for drinking diet soft drinks is to lower your blood sugar levels, you’re only contributing to the problem. Sweeteners like aspartame promote the growth of enterobacteriaceae, harmful bacteria that boost glucose levels.

Add Prebiotic Foods or Supplements to Your Diet

Prebiotic foods promote the growth of healthy bacteria in the large intestine. Examples of prebiotic foods include bananas, asparagus, oats, artichokes and apples. Supplementing the diet with a formula that contains both prebiotics and probiotics (“friendly” bacteria that help balance the microbiome) is also a wonderful way to boost the health of your microbiome.

Boost Your Mood and Energy Levels With Vitamins and Minerals

In addition to helping you to maintain a healthy weight and improving your gut health, taking a high-quality daily vitamin and mineral supplement can also elevate your mood and give you a boost of energy. According to Dr. Bonnie Kaplan, daily vitamin supplements can boost mood and energy, especially for those suffering from mood disorders. In a study involving a group of 97 adults with mood disorders, Dr. Kaplan’s team served the subjects a higher dosage of vitamin supplements. The test subjects exhibited higher cognitive functioning as a result of the increase in nutrients.

While most of us maintain energy levels with unhealthy, artificial stimulants, this practice actually promotes an energy imbalance. By following up a spring detox with a healthier daily routine, you will create more sustainable energy levels. For instance, the energy provided by certain fruits and vegetables is regulated by the body, so the energy stays consistent throughout the day. Conversely, the energy derived from coffee, soft drinks and candy is released in one burst that results in a temporary high. That high is followed by a crash that leaves the individual feeling fatigued by mid-afternoon.

If you resolved to live healthier this year, but are feeling a bit defeated by holiday binges in the early half of the year, there’s still time. A little “spring cleaning” now and a decision to live healthier for the remainder of the year can help you improve your health and get in shape. While supplements won’t do it all for you, they can give you a needed boost, so you can achieve your nutrition and fitness goals much sooner.

Proven: The Anti-Aging Effects of Fasting

Feb 20 by Ewcopywriting

Fasting, particularly intermittent fasting, is one of the leading trends in weight loss and fitness. But unlike some popular “fad” diets, this one appears to be here to stay. Several new studies have found that intermittent fasting can have positive health effects even outside of the weight benefits. A recent study on the anti-aging effects of fasting suggests that it may even slow down the biochemical process of aging.

What Is Intermittent Fasting?

Humans have fasted for millennia, mainly for religious or spiritual reasons. In modern times, however, many people are realizing that certain types of fasting can have dramatic health benefits. Intermittent fasting is one such type of fasting. In this type of fasting, people go a specific time period without food or calories followed by a time period during which they can eat. The most common time blocks are 16:8, where the fasting period lasts 16 hours and eating is allowed during an eight-hour span each day. However, other popular diets may incorporate slightly shorter fasting periods.

Although maintaining this type of eating schedule may sound difficult, most people find it quite easy once they get used to it. If you think about it, you already fast for around eight hours while sleeping. A person using the 16:8 method, for example, could delay breakfast until noon and eat their last meal before 8 PM.

A growing number of people are using intermittent fasting for the metabolic benefits. Studies have found that eating in this way can increase weight loss, improve your metabolism and help you to gain a leaner and more toned physique. However, research has discovered that the benefits of fasting appear to extend far beyond the superficial.

Metabolic and Anti-Aging Effects of Fasting

Although fasting is often seen as a decision made for either religious or weight loss benefits, there are other reasons to consider this lifestyle. According to recent research, people who fast do not just enjoy a faster metabolism, but also more anti-oxidant activity throughout the body. Fasting may also even slow down the effects of aging; both the visible signs as well as changes deep in our cells.

In a recent stufy, researchers collected blood samples from healthy people who were fasting as well as healthy people who were eating normally. The people who were fasting had higher levels of certain amino acids and certain metabolites that are known to decline with age. These metabolites are seen as a marker of cellular aging, as they naturally gradually decline as we grow older. The fact that fasting individuals had higher levels suggests that their cells were not aging as quickly as normal.

Second, the people who were fasting had higher levels of antioxidants. Antioxidants are crucial in preventing not just aging, but a wide variety of diseases from cancer to heart disease. They help to remove damaging oxygen molecules from our cells and to repair the DNA damage we incur throughout our days.

This is just one study, so we don’t yet understand the mechanism behind these changes. However, so far, the research on fasting is very promising.

Other Health Effects of Fasting

There have been other studies showing the positive effects to fasting — even short term fasting such as intermittent fasting. One study showed that intermittent fasting reduced the aging process of our blood vessels, preventing devastating health events such as heart attack and stroke. It also appears to turn a “metabolic switch” that helps to repair the lining of our gastrointestinal tract, which is particularly important for people with delicate digestion.

Many people are turning to intermittent fasting for weight loss. Although we initially believed that food restriction was the source of the dramatic weight loss seen on this eating plan, we now know that this is not the case. There have been several studies in which lab animals divided into free eating and intermittent fasting groups have been fed the same amount of food. The intermittent fasting groups reliably lose weight faster. In addition, they show metabolic changes that put them at lower risk of both diabetes and obesity. This weight loss appears to be at least partially due to changes in the circadian rhythm.

Is Intermittent Fasting Right for You?

Intermittent fasting is more than just a fad diet. Rather, it is a meaningful and sustainable change in eating habits that can have a variety of positive health effects. If you are like many people just learning about the benefits of intermittent fasting, you may be wondering if it is right for you.

The health benefits of this diet are clear and in fact will be an advantage for most people, whether you are trying to lose weight or just to improve your health. Although many people find fasting to be a challenge in the first few weeks, most will quickly adjust to the new time-limited eating plan. Eating in a way that supports a healthy circadian rhythm, while also supplementing with dietary ingredients that support healthy weight maintenance, can help you to achieve the optimal health you deserve.

The Unlikely Connection Between Gut Bacteria and Mental Disorders

Feb 14 by Ewcopywriting

Could mental disorders like dementia be connected to gut bacteria? This seemingly unlikely correlation may not be so far-fetched: New research suggests that an imbalance of healthy gut bacteria could be one of the possible causes of dementia, a mental condition that primarily affects the elderly.

Gut Bacteria and Dementia Defined

The gut’s microbiome is made up of trillions of microorganisms which include approximately a thousand diverse types of known bacteria. The human intestines are brimming with these “friendly” bacteria, and nearly a third of the various gut bacteria we each carry are also present in others. However, the remaining two-thirds are specific to each individual, meaning no two people share an entirely identical microbiome. Furthermore, humans aren’t innately born with gut bacteria — it is only acquired over time.

Despite the negative connotations associated with bacteria, gut microbiota aren’t all that bad. In fact, they are responsible for quite a few functions in our bodies. First off, these bacteria are crucial for the proper digestion of the food we eat. The gut microbiome also plays an important role in our immune system. Essentially, a balanced and maintained gut microbiome is necessary for optimal digestion and immune system function.

Dementia, on the other hand, isn’t exactly a disease, but it is a collection of symptoms typically experienced by the elderly. Dementia is characterized by a person’s inability to perform cognitive tasks, along with massive degradation of memory. Other common symptoms of dementia include impaired reasoning, judgment and communication skills, the inability to focus and impaired visual perception. Most of dementia’s symptoms affect the brain. Although it has been known of and researched for years, there’s a lot we’ve yet to learn about dementia, including how it actually begins.

Considering the dissimilarities between the areas affected by mental disorders like dementia and the topic of gut bacteria and digestion, it may be surprising that there is a potential link between the two.

Gut Bacteria as a Guide for the Diagnosis And Treatment Of Dementia

The naturally occurring bacteria in our body have been examined as part of a broader scope when it comes to treating diseases. With this principle in mind, Dr. Naoki Saji, along with researchers from the Center for Comprehensive Care and Research on Memory Disorders at the National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology in Obu, Japan, headed up a new study centered on gut bacteria. The group presented their findings at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference 2019 in February 2019.

To conduct the study, the researchers recruited the help of 128 patients from their own memory clinic. Of the participants, 59 percent were female and the average age was 74. The patients were assisted in completing various tests that measured cognitive ability. Furthermore, some of the participants had dementia while others did not. To shed light on the role of gut bacteria in dementia, the researchers analyzed fecal samples from the respondents.

Surprisingly, the researchers found significant differences in the bacterial populations from the subjects with dementia versus those who do not have it. The common pattern observed was that the patients with dementia had elevated levels of specific bacteria such as indole, skatole, phenol, ruminococcus and ammonia. Furthermore, the dementia patients also had lower levels of good bacteria called bacteroides.

The big takeaway from the findings is that in the future, a patient’s fecal matter may possibly be used to determine whether or not he or she has dementia. Since the bacteria count in the dementia patients was similar among participants, it could theoretically be used as a diagnostics tool in the future. Of course, this concept will need more research before being commonly utilized in a clinical setting.

Gut Bacteria Also Linked to Other Mental Conditions

Beyond the findings from Dr. Saji and his team, researchers from the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium have also found a link between gut bacteria composition and clinical depression. According to the researcher’s findings, published in Nature Microbiology, most of the gut bacteria in our body are able to create neurotransmitters, including dopamine and serotonin. The researchers also figured out that people who have been diagnosed with depression lacked two specific strains of bacteria.

The study is still in its early stages, but considering the large amount of recent research dedicated to gut health, the new findings are sure to bolster the idea that gut bacteria have more to do than just help with the digestive process.

In a case similar to Dr. Sajia and his team’s findings, there is a chance that fecal matter and a person’s gut bacteria can be used in the future to diagnose clinical depression. If more research is conducted, there is also a chance that the findings could be turned into a possible treatment for depression.

The research from Dr. Saji and his team has the potential to change the way doctors diagnose and treat dementia. Hopefully, the team finds more success in the coming months and we will see new developments regarding this scientific breakthrough.

5 Unexpected Threats to Optimal Brain Health

Feb 06 by Ewcopywriting

Today we are so busy keeping their bodies in shape, it’s easy to forget that brain health is just as important. The human brain is the biggest puzzle known to man, and there have been countless studies attempting to unlock its many secrets. Like most parts of the human body, the brain requires proper maintenance and conditioning. Brain and physical health go hand-in-hand — hence the famous mantra ‘healthy mind, healthy body.” Regular exercise, a good diet and social activity can help improve brain health…but there are also some unexpected things that can have a negative impact on your brain.

Chemotherapy Speeds Up the Brain’s Aging Process

Chemotherapy holds its ground as the most popular and readily available treatment for treating cancer and tumors, but it has had its criticisms throughout the years. The treatment utilizes a anti-cancer drugs in an attempt to kill off cancer cells, and while proven effective, it does take a toll on the human body and might even harm your brain.

One recent study looked into a phenomenon called “chemo brain.” Most often associated with breast cancer patients, chemo brain is essentially a loss of cognitive abilities that occurs during and sometimes long after chemotherapy. Aside from that, some patients also report to having memory loss right after undergoing treatment.

While chemotherapy does not exactly damage the brain, it has also been found to accelerate its aging process. Researchers are yet to uncover the exact relationship between chemotherapy and the brain’s aging process, but based on the results which saw 45.2 percent of the respondents admitting to poorer cognitive skills, chemotherapy could be more harmful than initially thought.

Some Foods are Bad for Brain Health

Not surprisingly, your diet also plays a huge role in how well your brain works. Eating foods like turmeric, fatty fish and certain vegetables helps promote better memory. Taking a natural supplement that provides ingredients proven to help maintain cognitive health can also help. Of course, there are also several foods you might want to avoid if you want to live with a healthy brain for the rest of your life.

Some of the worst foods for your brain include sugary drinks, refined carbs, foods high in trans fats, processed foods, aspartame, alcoholic beverages and mercury-rich fish. The most common factor these foods share is that they are mostly unnatural. Artificial ingredients and other chemicals are not healthy for the human brain. If you want to avoid these ingredients, then checking a product’s label before making a purchase is a must.

Stress is Bad: Chronic Stress is Worse

It is already well-known that stress can have complications for a person’s physical health — but what it can do to the brain often goes unnoticed. Short periods of stress aren’t usually a major cause of concern, but continuous pressure could lead to long-term health problems.

First off, how does stress affect the brain? According to the Harvard Health Publications of Harvard Medical School, the amygdala sends a distress signal to the hypothalamus after a stressful event. This triggers a person’s fight-or-flight reaction, which results in physical changes such as increased heart rate and more rapid intake of air. During this process, the body also releases a hormone called cortisol to help cope with the energy that was lost.

Although cortisol helps the body recover, it could potentially harm our brain when released in excessive amounts. High cortisol levels could impair brain functions and a person’s sociability. Furthermore, chronic stress can also shrink the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain that is responsible for memory and learning.

Too Little Social Interaction Negatively Affects Your Brain

People who rarely engage in social interaction with others may be harming their brains as well. Failing to meet one’s physical, mental and social needs could lead to a lack of connection between the mind and body. This, in turn, leads to a host of emotional conditions such as stress, depression and anxiety, which are all harmful to the brain.

Lack of Exercise Is Bad for the Body and Brain

Not only is exercising good for you physically, but it is also good for brain health. It is not enough to live an active lifestyle while you are still young; lack of exercise as you move into middle-age is harmful regardless of your level of physical activity during younger years.

A study from the Boston University School of Medicine showed that inactivity at 40 could be related to a significantly smaller brain size at the age of 60. According to the researchers, inactivity increased the aging process of the brain significantly. However, the researches do admit that the study should be taken with a pinch of salt, as more work needs to be done to further prove the claim. They do admit that there is indeed a correlation between physical activity and brain volume.

The brain is the powerhouse of the human body and is easily one of the most important organs as well. While it may be responsible for all of the things we do, the brain is a very sensitive organ that is affected by various factors and as such, must be cared for intensively. If you take care of your brain properly and manage to avoid the things stated above, you’ll be on track to enjoy optimal brain health well into your golden years.

Red Meat Boosts Heart Disease Risk Via Influence on Gut Bacteria

Jan 23 by Ewcopywriting

Consuming large quantities of red meat has long been thought to have a negative impact on heart health. In the past, it was assumed this correlation was due to higher levels of saturated fats or cholesterol present in red meat, as opposed to other meats like chicken or fish. Now, a new study reveals that red meat boosts heart disease risk via its influence on gut bacteria.

New Research Confirms Red Meat Boosts Heart Disease Risk

A recent study confirms that where people get their protein may affect their risk for heart disease. Specifically, the researchers found that diets rich in red meat raised levels of trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), a substance produced by gut bacteria, by more than three times when compared to people who derived their protein from white meat and other sources. The higher level of the TMAO compound is alarming because earlier research has found that high levels of TMAO can be unhealthy, particularly in relation to heart health. Specifically, TMAO encourages plaque to develop in the arteries, which affects blood flow and the heart’s ability to circulate blood.

This study, conducted at Ohio’s Cleveland Clinic, found that red meat influenced the production of TMAO in a couple of ways. As gut bacteria produce high levels of TMAO, that compound changes platelets in the blood and promotes a higher risk of blood clot formation. It does this by increasing the level of calcium in the platelets, which influences how those platelets respond to the body’s indicators that blood clotting is needed. This means dangerous clots can form in the blood even if the blood pressure and cholesterol levels are at healthy levels.

This new research has been supported by other studies as well. A study at the University of Leicester revealed that people suffering from acute conditions of heart failure responded less successfully to treatment if they had high TMAO levels. Under these circumstances, incidences of heart attack and stroke resulted in death more often than in patients with lower levels of TMAO.

Protein Choices Can Affect Heart Health

In the most recent study, which was engineered to examine how red meat boosts heart disease risk, 113 participants were divided into three groups. Following a general detox diet that helped flush toxins out of the body, each group was assigned a different diet. Each diet was planned according to varying sources of protein.

One group was assigned a diet that derived 12 percent of its calories from beef, pork and other types of lean red meat. The second group obtained protein from a comparable portion size of white meat, such as poultry. In the third group, participants consumed 12 percent of their calorie intake from non-meat protein sources. These consisted of legumes, nuts, whole grains and soy products. An additional 13 percent of calorie intake consisted of proteins derived from dairy products and vegetables for all three groups.

Four weeks into the study, individuals on the red meat plan had notable increases of TMAO in their blood and urine samples. On average, TMAO levels tripled for the red meat eaters, but, in some cases, the level of TMAO was up to ten times higher.

The study also yielded an unexpected finding. Throughout the study, participants on the red meat diet exhibited inhibited kidney function. The higher levels of TMAO weren’t processed as efficiently by the kidneys, though the high levels of the compound did dissipate after the participants were instructed to resume a healthier diet. While this indicates that red meat does affect our heart health via the production of trimethylamine N-oxide, the research also suggests that risk can be reduced by simple dietary changes. The research also indicates that diets consisting of white meat and non-meat protein sources are healthier for the heart.

More Ways to Boost Heart Health

While eliminating red meat from your diet is an excellent way to improve heart health, it’s not the only dietary change you can make. The following foods and beverages also improve heart health in different ways. By adding some of these items to your daily diet, you can improve your overall health.

Green Tea

Most people already know that green tea is packed with several antioxidants. These compounds help lower blood pressure and reduce the levels of LDL cholesterol in the body. Green tea can be enjoyed warm or cold.

Olive Oil

Ditch the vegetable and canola oils that you usually cook with and replace them with olive oil. This natural oil is rich in monounsaturated fatty acid, which affects cholesterol in two ways: While it reduces the level of LDL cholesterol, it also increases the level of HDL or good cholesterol in the body. Olive oil is also rich in disease-fighting antioxidants.

Fiber

People who eat high amounts of fiber are less likely to experience heart attacks. You can get the fiber you need from whole grain breads and cereals, wheat bran, oats, and beans. Typically, you should be eating between 25 to 35 grams of fiber each day.

Fish

As long as you’re trying to eliminate red meat from your diet, why not replace it with salmon, tuna or anchovies. These fish are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which boosts heart health. Some research indicates that just one serving of fish per week reduces your risk of a heart attack by 52 percent or more.

In addition to controlling what foods you eat, your daily activities have an effect on your heart health. Getting daily physical activity and ensuring you’re getting enough quality sleep are more ways to promote better heart health. Additionally, if you are concerned about the condition of your heart, discussing your concerns with your doctor can also help.