When it comes to handling stress, are you cool as a cucumber or hot as a hot pepper? Stress is present every day but how we choose to handle that stress can impact our physical and emotional well being. So how does stress contribute to heart disease? Stress can increase blood pressure. If you already have hypertension, the […]
Stress Management and Heart Health Read More »
Exercise! Some people love it and some hate it. But staying active is a vital ingredient in the recipe for health. Exercise does many things for us: It helps us control our weight. It reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease. (Lowers blood pressure and LDL cholesterol while increasing HDL cholesterol) It reduces the risk of
Exercise and Heart Health Read More »
Can you prevent heart disease with a healthy diet? And if so, what does that look like? We have touched on diet in previous posts but let’s look at what research says about diet and heart health. There are so many diets touted to improve health and reduce heart disease risk but which ones actually
Diet and Heart Health Read More »
When you think about heart health, you may not necessarily connect it to your blood sugar. If you have diabetes, you may not realize that your risk of having heart disease is higher because of the diabetes. But the truth is diabetes is a major risk factor for heart disease. If you also experience metabolic
Diabetes and Heart Health Read More »
FEBRUARY IS HEART HEALTH MONTH The connection between dietary cholesterol and heart disease has been under scrutiny for some time. While it remains controversial, there are a few things that we do know when it comes to cholesterol’s role in cardiovascular disease. First, we know that deposits along the artery walls called plaque contain cholesterol.
Cholesterol and Heart Disease Read More »
You may have noticed your healthcare professional checking your blood pressure at each office visit. But why is knowing your blood pressure so important? To answer that question, we have to understand what blood pressure is and why it matters. Your doctor will give you two numbers after checking blood pressure. The first number is called
Blood Pressure and Heart Health Read More »
With over one-third (36.5%) of U.S. adults being obese, weight has become a hot topic. Obesity is defined as excess body fat and a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or greater as calculated based on your weight for height. We know excess body weight can be a risk factor for several diseases including heart disease,
A Healthy Weight for Heart Health Read More »
February is American Heart Month so I thought it would be appropriate to discuss how to keep our hearts healthy. Some tips will not surprise anyone such as don’t smoke, maintain a healthy weight and exercise. But I want to get more specific with what can either prevent or contribute to heart problems. Let’s begin by
A Healthy Heart is a Happy Heart Read More »
When people find out that I am a dietitian, I hear a variety of comments regarding diet. Some people tell me they are trying to be “good” by restricting or avoiding carbohydrates or eating a low-fat diet. Others are cutting back on their portions and avoiding soda and sweets. Some may even have decided to
The Truth About Food and Diet Read More »
When someone talks about their diet, most often we envision restrictive eating where certain foods or food groups are avoided in order to lose weight or deal with a particular health condition. But diet also means the foods eaten by a particular person or group on a habitual basis. We all have a diet. It may differ
Don’t Diet! Just Eat Right Read More »
