Cardiovascular disease and nutrition

My goal is to help you become healthier! Reply with questions, and if I cannot answer them, I will find someone who can!

Cardiovascular Disease

Although cardiovascular disease is easier to prevent than cure, there are some steps that an adult can take in order to help lower their risk and side effects.

First, an individual with cardiovascular disease needs to monitor the type of fat they are eating. Fish or skinless poultry is ideal for low-fat meat. The key is to also cook it in a low-fat way. Low-fat is only good if it is a healthy fat. Avoid trans fats (partially hydrogenated ...) and cook in olive oil or canola oil. This will help lower the fat content, and provide healthy fats which can help lower cholesterol and improve their overall health.

Secondly, the individual should eat plenty of fruit and vegetables. Try to avoid canned foods as much as possible. Find fresh or frozen fruit and vegetables in order to prevent ingesting additives and extra salt. Add fresh fruit to a salad, or add vegetables to a pasta or casserole. Try to eat a wide variety of color and type of fruit and vegetables. The minerals and vitamins found in fruit and vegetables will increase overall health. Another perk is that they are low in calories and will help fill you up, preventing binging on foods that are not so healthy. Finally, they also have fiber, which is great for heart health.

The third tip for a cardiovascular patient is to monitor the salt intake, and add high fiber whole grain foods. Lower salt intake will help blood pressure to remain at a healthy level. The whole grains help clean out the arteries, removing build-up from cholesterol and fats that have been eaten since childhood.

If a cardiovascular patient can adhere to these simple rules, they will be on their way to feeling healthier and living longer. These rules will help clear out their system, control their disease, and strengthen their body.

Cathi Ortiz

Reference:
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2010). Heart-healthy diet: 8 steps to prevent heart disease. Retrieved September 9, 2010 from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/heart-healthy-diet/NU00196.

I will b starting a new journey:text message blogging! I still feel this is more of a journal for me, but i will keep writing nonetheless

Where to begin?

I love to help you become healthier! Reply with questions, and if I cannot answer them, I will find someone who can!

So many people get stuck with the ultimate question when it comes to healthy habits: "Where to begin?" A healthy lifestyle can be overwhelming. The changes that are necessary to get to a healthy lifestyle can be even more overwhelming. So where should we begin?

First of all, start small. If you try to change it all overnight, you will get burned out, frustrated, and feel like success will never come. Your healthy lifestyle is realistic, and attainable. It will take dedication and some hard work, but you can get there! I promise you that you will feel better and have more energy when you keep working, one step at a time!

Step one: Find one thing that you can stick to - such as a calorie limit, or drinking more water. Make that one thing a habit - this takes 3 weeks of consistency.

Step two: Pick a new thing to focus on, and repeat the process in step one.

Step three: repeat step two, etc.

I think you get the point. You need to start small. Pick the one thing that you feel is a big step, but is attainable. Once you have changed that habit, you will find that you can continue down the road to a healthier you.

~ Cathi

Are you eating a balanced diet?

I love to help you become healthier! Reply with questions, and if I cannot answer them, I will find someone who can!

How can you determine if you are eating a balanced diet? There is so much information bombarding us constantly about what we should or should not eat. The truth is, it comes back to the basics. The food pyramid is based on science and data that is updated and revised constantly. This has been the main source of information on a balanced diet for many years. There are additional food pyramids for specific ethnic groups and ages. You can use this website to track what you are eating, and see where you might be deficient.

Did you know the food pyramid now includes exercise? That's right! You need exercise every day. For most people, this is just a simple walk for 20-30 minutes. Find something you can enjoy that will get your heart beating between 100-120 beats per minute for 20-30 minutes. This will increase your energy, promote emotional health, and improve your overall health!

Questions or comments, please reply! I will be sure to get back with you by the end of the week.
~ Cathi ~

New blg, new Ideas

I love to help you become healthier! Reply with questions, and if I cannot answer them, I will find someone who can!

I am starting something new. I have been using this blog as my "journal", but I would really like to share what I am learning. I have a lot of ideas and tips for anyone willing to work on their health. I am a nutrition major, and I am still working on trying to be healthier. This is not just a weight-loss blog; it is also for anyone who wants to manage their weight to not gain. It is for anyone willing to try to eat healthier and try new ideas for healthy lifestyles. Follow the blog to get frequent tips and updates!

I look forward to helping you in any way that I can! To a healthier you!!

Exhausted and excited

I have been working for the past 3 hours on my school work. My goal was to finish everything so that I could have Sunday off. I have met my goal. Now I have excitement to be blessed with. My sister is coming on Monday! This is precisely why I wanted my homework done. Now I can enjoy her and her family for the week. I am so blessed by her willingness to come and be with us for the week. I am loved an blessed!

Things kids say

Kids have a way of saying things that you want to remember forever. I will watch my kids sometimes, just hoping the memory will stick forever. For example, yesterday Kassandra was playing with 2 stuffed animals, and her leapfrog math desk. Apparently the math desk was a laptop for a doctor. Mr. Mouse was there to see the doctor (Kassandra) and they were arguing over whether his sister could have the same name as her or not. It was so cute. She was just playing so well by herself, and I wanted to grab the video camera, but I knew she would stop.

The cutest one lately was this: Kassandra was trying to determine which barrette she wanted in her hair that day. Thanks to my Mom, she has many choices! = ) So, she lined up 15 different barrettes and asked which one I thought she should wear. I picked one, and she pulled it out of the line up, and set it aside. We did this two more times. At this point she looked at me while pointing to the 3 who were facing the original line-up, and told me, "This is the audience". "Ok," I said. I was not sure what they were watching, but I did not argue. She then picked up one of the other barrettes and said, "I want to be an audient, I want to be an audient! Pick me!" It was hysterical! She has figured out that you add "s" to make a word plural. So apparently when you are watching something alone, or you want to join a group, you are an "audient". It is only when there is more than one that you have an "audients". = )

Kids say the cutest things! I will be posting more soon!