Your heart needs health

Whenever people ask me which supplements they should be taking, at the top of the list are the omega-3 fatty acids. Since this is the month for love and heart health, I thought I’d take the time to explain the importance of omega-3 for our most poetic (and important) of organs.

You probably know that there are fats you need to avoid (like trans fats and saturated fats) if you want to have a healthy heart, but you may not know that there are other fats that you actually NEED to have in your diet to help your heart be healthy.

The omega-3 fatty acids (also known as EPA/DHA) are considered “essential” because you must get them in your diet—our bodies do not make them, so if your diet does not provide adequate amounts of these fats you may be missing these necessary nutrients. While the omega-3 fatty acids are important for many bodily functions, they are incredibly important for heart health.

Researchers have been investigating the link between omega-3s and heart health; let’s take a look at some key findings:

•Omega-3 fatty acids may help you lower your overall cholesterol levels. In fact, not only do they seem to reduce cholesterol in general, they also may help to raise HDL (the “good” cholesterol) levels. Other studies have shown that supplementing with 2 to 4 grams of omega-3s also may lower triglyceride levels.

•As you may know, chronic inflammation in our bodies is bad and can be especially harmful to our heart. The omega-3 fatty acids also have a role to play in inflammation, where they help to produce chemicals in our bodies (called eicosanoids) that may reduce inflammation.

•Other studies have shown the omega-3s were able to help lower blood pressure, reduce blood clotting, and even seem to reduce irregular heartbeats.

•Another study has shown that eating at least one to two servings a week of fish (that’s rich in omega-3 fatty acids) appears to reduce the risk of heart disease, particularly sudden cardiac death.

•A new report titled Smart Prevention—Health Care Cost Savings Resulting from the Targeted Use of Dietary Supplements suggests that if people at high risk for Coronary Heart Disease would take 1 gram of EPA+DHA a day that the cost saving (from prevented heart disease) would be more than $480 million dollars per year in health care cost savings.

The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends eating one to two servings of cold-water fish every week.  Since so many people have a hard time making that goal, another recommendation is supplementing with at least 1 gram per day of EPA+DHA.

The best way to take care of your heart is to eat healthfully, avoid fast foods, get to a BMI of 25 or below, become more active, and add at least a gram of omega-3 fatty acids in your diet, through a healthy diet including fish and/or supplementation.

Info thanks to Shaklee Health Wise Blog

Shaklee’s Omega Guard™ delivers a full spectrum of ultra-pure, pharmaceutical-grade omega-3 fatty acids to support healthy heart, joint and brain function*. It is made with a proprietary multistep molecular distillation process for the utmost purity and potency of omega-3s fatty acids, including EPA and DHA. http://mjshealthyway.myshaklee.com/us/en/products.php?sku=21252 

I hope you have a healthy and productive day!

MJ 

PART 1 Shaklee's Energizing Soy Protein

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Here is a direct link to Shaklee’s Energizing Soy Protein:

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Have a healthy and productive week! 

MJ 

Shaklee, rockin’ the free world naturally since 1956

http://mjshealthyway.com 

COMING TOMORROW PART 2 OF SHAKLEE’S ENERGIZING PROTEIN!!!

Simple methods to Tackle High Blood Pressure

High Blood Pressure is among the most common conditions that people all over the world are experiencing.

People frequently recognize that when you’ve hypertension, you should be careful of the sodium in your dieting plan- rather of asking somebody to pass the salt, you should take a pass on the salt. Restricting your salt usage is an essential start to controlling blood pressure, but it’s just a start. To be the most effective at reducing your elevated blood pressure or avoiding yourself from having hypertension, broader weight loss plan and way of living modifications will provide you the very best possibility for excellence.

Simple methods to Tackle High Blood Pressure

High Blood Pressure is among the most typical conditions that individuals all over the world are suffering from. Hypertension or hypertension is a state where there’s tension in the arteries, thereby going beyond the systolic pressure by 140 mm Hg and the diastolic pressure above 90.

Here are a few easy tips you can benefit from to improve your health

Exercise regularly

This is one of the best means to manage hypertension. According to the health specialists, if you work out at least 1 hour daily, your blood pressure will be lowered by 4 mmHg. In reality, you don’t have to wait for numerous moths to see the improvement. Routinely working out for a couple of weeks will make you feel the change.

Note: In case you can not do much workout, walking day-to-day for 20 minutes will likewise enhance your health.

It’s a good idea to talk to the physician prior to beginning your routine exercise. Bear in mind there may be specific workout restrictions for you. The doctors will asses your health and recommend the right kind of exercises.

Note: don’t only exercise on the weekends. Many individuals have the practice of exercising excessively in the weekends to compensate for the everyday week. Remember doing this will affect your health in an unfavorable way.

Lower the consumption of sodium in the diet

Remember this is among the most efficient means to improve your wellness. Simply by decreasing a small quantity of sodium, you can decrease the blood pressure approximately 8mm Hg.

Follow these suggestions to decrease the salt in the weight loss plan:

• Maintain a food diary mentioning the total sodium quantity you’ve day-to-day.
• Don’t consume fried chips and bacon. Stay clear of any kind of processed food, as they’re high in sodium.
• Use more of herbs and less of salt in your meals. Keep in mind 1 spoon of salt contains a huge amount of salt.
• Read the label on the packaged food before buying them. Avoid foods with high salt.

Note: abrupt decrease of sodium from the diet plan can be difficult. Therefore, attempt to reduce it gradually.

Do you know potassium is the ideal counter balance of sodium? So consist of more fresh fruits and vegetables that are rich in potassium. You can also take potassium supplements. Just seek advice from the doctor initially prior to taking them.
Following a dieting plan frequently can be difficult. Therefore, occasionally you can constantly savour your favorite delicacies. It’ll make you happy and most notably pleased.

Caffeine intake

Many health specialists believe caffeine to shoot up the blood pressure. Well, this point is still arguable. It’s suggested that you check if caffeine usage affects your blood pressure or not. Simply drink coffee and examine your blood pressure after at some point. If there’s a rise, it means caffeine influences you.

Smoking

Do you know smoking cigarettes is a considerable reason for hypertension? So if you’re a cigarette smoker, avoid smoking. In addition, likewise avoid inhaling 2nd hand smoke or whatever is famously referred to as passive smoke.

Have a healthy and productive weekend! 

MJ 

Shaklee helping the world live a natural lifestyle since 1956

http://mjshealthyway.com 

Article resource

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Have a healthy and productive day! 

MJ 

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Pre-packaged foods for toddlers too high in sodium, says study

Limiting salt intake is an oft-repeated piece of health advice for adults, because too much sodium over time may increase risk for heart attack and strokes.

U.S. dietary guidelines suggest people should take in no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium each day, while the American Heart Association recommends an even lower amount of 1,500 milligrams. Surveys, however, show most Americans are averaging 3,400 milligrams each day.

Now, a new study suggests toddlers also may be getting far too much salt if they're eating pre-packaged foods. Researchers tested random products and found 75 percent of pre-packaged meals and savory snacks for toddlers were high in sodium. The authors fear taking in too much salt at such an early age can lead to unhealthy habits that last a lifetime.

"Our concern is the possible long-term health risks of introducing high levels of sodium in a child's diet, because high blood pressure, as well as a preference for salty foods may develop early in life," lead researcher Joyce Maalouf, a fellow at the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said in a statement. "The less sodium in an infant's or toddler's diet, the less he or she may want it when older."

Sodium overkill: Top 10 culprits in U.S. diet

For the study, which is considered preliminary since it was presented at a medical conference and is not yet published in a peer-reviewed journal, Maalouf and her team looked at 1,115 food products for babies and toddlers, which included pre-packaged meals and snacks. A product was considered high in sodium by researchers if it contained more than 210 milligrams per serving.

They found toddler meals on average had significantly more sodium than baby meals, with some as high as 630 milligrams per serving. That means one toddler meal contains 40 percent of the AHA's daily recommended allotment of sodium, according to the AHA.

The study echoes previous research that pre-packaged foods are major culprits for dietary sodium. It was presented March 21 at the American Heart Association's annual meeting in New Orleans.

"I'm not too surprised," Andrea Rumschlag, a pediatric dietician at the Cleveland Clinic told CBSNews.com of the study's findings. She was not involved in the research.

"It's good information for parents to see that packaged food in any way, shape or form is always going to be high in sodium."

Rumschlag equates some of these pre-packaged toddler meals to frozen TV dinners for adults, which can be high in salt. While the AHA recommends a daily limit of 1,500 milligrams of sodium, she said that toddlers ages 1 to 3 should have even less -- no more than 1,000 milligrams per day. Toddlers have more sensitive taste buds, she added, so if they're used to salty foods from the get go, they're more likely to reach for a salt shaker as they get older to compensate. That could contribute to their risk of high blood pressure and cardiac problems later in life.

"You're setting them up to have that salty taste," she said.

• Cutting salt to recommended levels could prevent hundreds of thousands deaths
• "Salty six" foods a major source of sodium, says American Heart Association
• Salty diet may increase risk for autoimmune diseases

Rumschlag recommends that if parents are going to buy pre-packaged foods, check the label and skip items that contain more than 100 milligrams of sodium. Fresh, canned or frozen fruits are a better snack option than a child-sized pack of crackers, she said.

"They can still be nutritious, still be quick, but won't have as many of these additives," she said.

Thanks to CBS.com for the article!