heart health

Superfoods

10 Superfoods for Better Health and More Energy

Superfoods are full of good nutrition. They are important for health and well-being. Everyone knows about salmon for heart and muscle health and blueberries for your brain. So I skipped over these and included 10 other foods you should include in your diet: Kefir Kefir is a tangy cultured milk product made by fermenting milk with several bacteria and yeasts. Kefir tops the list of superfoods because it is rich in beneficial bacteria called probiotics. Probiotics are good for gut and …

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Why “Avoid Processed Foods” is Bad Advice

Countless internet blogs preach about the dangers of processed food, how eating a diet with processed food will make you gain weight and your health will suffer. Yet anyone who writes this nonsense doesn’t understand the real definition of processed foods (and I bet large sums of money they eat many processed foods) and the benefits they provide. A processed food is “any food other than a raw agricultural commodity (“food that is in its raw or natural state, including all fruits …

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How Your Body Image Affects Your Weight & Health

Today I’m going on a slight rant about something that has been on my mind for a while – body image. And because the majority of my clients (all but 1) are male athletes, I don’t run into the overt self-degrading body comments as often as many of my dietitian colleagues who work with women. However, I’ve run into a number of women lately who either put their bodies down, avoid social situations or the beach / pool / bathing suits …

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Heart Healthy Chocolate Muffins

Just a few weeks ago I had an athlete ask me if he should start eating chocolate for better recovery. If you’ve read the media reports you have probably heard a number of potentially great things about chocolate: One of the fatty acids in chocolate, stearic acid, does not raise cholesterol levels Cocoa and chocolate are loaded with antioxidants Chocolate and cocoa may be beneficial for cardiovascular health thanks to their effects on lowering blood pressure, anti-inflammation, anti-platelet and beneficial …

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Keep Your Heart Health

By Sara Shipley, nutrition student, University of Central Oklahoma February is National Heart Month. With heart disease as the leading cause of death in the US and the leading killer of women, an increased awareness of this disease is important. The American Heart Association encourages awareness through their GO RED campaign and promotes a heart healthy lifestyle, including physical activity and smart eating habits. In fact, this past Friday, February 3rd marked “National Wear Red Day”, which promotes awareness and …

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Could “Bad” Cholesterol be Good for Muscle Growth?

I’m all for maintaining a healthy heart. But, could America’s quest for heart health be damaging muscle tissue (and keep in mind that your heart is the most important muscle in your body)? For decades dietary fat, and especially saturated fat, was demonized to the point where “fat free” and “low fat” rolled off of our tongues with ease. Our friends, family and the kids behind the counter at frozen yogurt shops became so used to the question “how many …

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