There are all kinds of nutrition bars available, from energy bars, to protein bars, to weight control, to gluten free, to breakfast bars, and the list goes on. Unfortunately, many of these supposed “nutrition” bars are really just glorified candy bars.

What to look for when selecting a nutrition bar:

Sugar – Look at the nutrition label and see how many grams of sugar there are per serving. . .and does a full bar equal 1 serving? Select a bar with 5 grams or less sugar per bar.

Fiber – Don’t rely on fortified bars to meet daily fiber needs. Isolated fibers, such as inulin, chicory extract, and oligosaccharides do not necessarily provide the same benefit as foods naturally rich in fiber. Select a bar that provides ~3 grams of fiber. Ideally this fiber will come from whole grains, dried fruit, and/or nuts included in the bar.

Vitamins and Minerals – Don’t use a nutrition bar to try and meet 100% of the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for vitamins and minerals. Look at the food label and see if it’s providing 100% of the RDA. There are potential side effects from consuming too much of certain vitamins and minerals. Select nutrition bars that do not provide 100% of the RDA for vitamins and minerals.

Continue reading ‘Is your granola bar a candy bar in disguise?’ »

In previous posts we’ve covered the health benefits of a couple different nuts:

Heart-Smart Pistachios
Walnuts Equal Healthier Blood Vessels

Nuts are an excellent source of nutrients that provide heart health benefits, such as fiber, protein, and certain minerals.

Let’s turn our attention to almonds.

Almonds are a good source of monounsaturated fat. This is a heart healthy fat in that it does not cause an insulin response or lead to increases in blood cholesterol. A study has shown a decrease in cholesterol levels, including LDL cholesterol, when almonds are consumed as a regular part of the diet.

Almonds also provide vitamin E in the form of gamma tocopherol and glutathione. Both of these nutrients act as antioxidants to prevent cellular damage associated with free radicals.

Almonds also contain calcium to support bone and tooth health, along with healthy blood pressure levels.

A one-ounce, 164-calorie serving of almonds, not only provides vitamin E, monounsaturated fats, and calcium, but also magnesium, fiber, protein, potassium, phosphorus, and iron.

Add Almonds to Your Diet

Here are a few tips for adding almonds to your diet:
Continue reading ‘Almonds for a Healthy Heart’ »

You’ve heard or read over and over that you have to eat right and exercise to keep your heart healthy. Well, not only do unhealthy habits impact your heart they also affect your brain.

French researchers studied 5,123 men and women over a 17-year period of time. Participants with the greatest number of unhealthy behaviors were three times more likely to have poor thinking abilities and twice as likely to have memory problems compared to those living healthier lifestyles.

There are four lifestyle factors associated with negative health effects:
Continue reading ‘A Healthy Heart Equals a Healthy Mind’ »

I had an individual just send me the following message:

I was just on your web site and was reading about Omega-3′s. I am a little confused. Does flaxseed have to be ground in order for it to work? Are gel capsules a waste of time and money?

In case you are wondering too, here’s the answer:

Yes, in order for the body to access the omega 3′s within the flaxseed, the seed must be ground. Otherwise it passes through the system as dietary fiber. Dietary fiber has it’s own benefits, but if you are wanting the omega 3 benefits of flaxseed it must be ground.

Flaxseed oil (gel capsules) provide the omega 3′s without the fiber. If you are going to purchase an omega 3 supplement, my first choice would be fish oil instead of flaxseed oil. They provide different types of omega 3 fatty acids. Greater benefits linked to omega 3′s in fish oil.

All the best,
Lisa Nelson RD
http://lisanelsonrd.com

Ginkgo is an herbal extract available in supplement form. If comes from the leaves of the ginkgo tree and is believed to improve circulation and cognitive abilities.

Some of the functions associated with Ginkgo include:

Decreased platelet aggregation (blood clotting)
Decreased inflammation
Improved memory and brain function
Improved circulation
Mood Enhancement
Increased serotonin receptors
Increased glucose uptake
Increased oxygen supplied to the brain
Antioxidant

The recommended daily dose of Ginkgo may vary between 60 to 120 mg/day.

There are potential side effects associated with the herbal remedy, such as headaches, nausea, vomiting, and dizziness. If you take blood thinners, such as Coumadin, or monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) ginkgo is not recommended. MAOIs are a class of antidepressant drugs. Discuss any supplements you take or are considering with your doctor. There is potential for a drug-nutrient interaction.

There has been some evidence to indicate that Ginkgo can be used to treat a variety of health conditions. A few of the health conditions include:
Continue reading ‘Ginkgo to Treat Peripheral Vascular Disease’ »

Flax is an oilseed similar to canola and sunflower being oilseeds. Flaxseeds are derived from flax.

Benefits of Adding Flax to Your Diet

There are many benefits associated with adding flax to your diet, which are derived from a different part of the flaxseed. The heart healthy fat content, the fiber, and the lignan.

Lignan’s are a class plant compounds called phytoestrogens that act as antioxidants.

Some of the health benefits that may be associated with flax include:
Continue reading ‘Tips to Add Flax to Your Diet’ »

Do you take statin medication to keep your cholesterol levels within normal?

A warning label is being added to statin medications, including Lipitor, Crestor, and Zocor. The warning is to make users aware that the medication may raise blood sugar levels and cause memory loss.

This added warning was announced by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Tuesday, February 28, 2012.

Statins are frequently prescribed by doctors because studies have shown the effectiveness of the drug to reduce the risk of heart attack and heart disease. However, it’s important that patients and doctors are well aware of the negative side effects linked to the medication.

In addition to elevated blood sugar and memory loss, some of the potential side effects of statin medications include:
Continue reading ‘New Warnings Added to Statin Drug Label by the FDA’ »

For quite awhile now, I’ve been encouraging you to look at more than just your standard cholesterol panel to assess your risk for heart disease. I’m going to share the findings of an expert panel that supports this need.

In the Journal of Clinical Lipidology a panel of specialists concluded that patients considered at intermediate risk for heart disease be tested for C-reactive protein. It’s likely this applies to a majority of the U.S. population since overweight and obesity is rampant. Family history, diet, exercise, and tobacco use also factor into determining if you are at intermediate risk.

Just evaluating total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and HDL cholesterol does not work well for predicting heart attack and stroke risk, especially for patients with metabolic syndrome or diabetes. It’s even more difficult to evaluate risk if a patient is using cholesterol lowering statin medications.

C-Reactive Protein

C-Reactive protein is a marker for inflammation and is associated with plaque build up in blood vessel walls. The plaque build up in coronary arteries leads to narrow arteries, which can cause chest pain. If these arteries rupture you are dealing with a heart attack or stroke.

Continue reading ‘C-Reactive Protein Good Heart Attack Predictor’ »

I was just reviewing the results of a The Harris Poll. The Harris Poll is administered by Harris Interactive. Harris Interactive is a leading custom market research firm that works with a variety of industries, including health care, technology, public affairs, energy, and telecommunications.

The poll I reviewed is focused on how American’s feel about legislation to regulate healthy living, such as taxes of sugar sweetened beverages or the banning of smoking in restaurants.

This particular Harris Poll included 2,211 United States adults over the age of 18-years-old. The poll was conducted between February 27-29, 2012.

I’m curious to know if you agree with the majority. Here are some of the findings:
Continue reading ‘Should the government regulate choices that impact our health?’ »

If you have high blood pressure, one of the most important nutrients to increase in your diet is potassium.

If you’ve looked into the DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) you’ll see that it is extremely high in fruits and vegetables. This is partly due to fruits and vegetables being rich sources of potassium . . . among other beneficial nutrients.

It’s recommended by the Institute of Medicine that adults consume 4700 milligrams (mg) of potassium daily. However, the average adult intake is typically around 2300 mg.

Here are the fruits and vegetables that are the best sources potassium:

Continue reading ‘Are You Eating Enough Potassium?’ »