With high blood pressure it’s important you follow a diet low in sodium and low in fat (particularly saturated and trans fat).

Here are 7 foods to avoid:

1. Pickles

Pickles are low calorie, which is great. However, they are loaded with sodium. One medium pickle (~5 inches long) can have around 570 mg of sodium. That’s over 1/3 of your sodium limit (1500 mg) for the day.

2. Canned Chicken Noodle Soup

I know, the thought of chicken noodle soup sounds warm and comforting . . . but beware! A one cup serving can contain up to 880 mg.

3. Sauerkraut

It’s a low calorie and a great way to add vegetables to a bratwurst, right? Nope. A half cup may only have ~13 calories, but it also provides you over 460 mg of sodium.

4. Fast Food French Fries

Yes, many fast food chains are now frying their fries up in trans fat free oil (but not all!); French fries still provide a large dose of fat and sodium. A medium serving of fries provides ~19 grams of fat and 270 mg of sodium.

5. Bacon

I don’t really count this as a meat. It’s mostly fat with three slices carrying 4.5 grams of fat and ~270 mg of sodium. Opt for lower sodium varieties and try turkey bacon instead of pork. Even with these switches bacon should remain a “special treat” not an everyday indulgence.

6. Whole Milk

Dairy is a great source of calcium, but high fat dairy sources provide more fat than you need. A one cup serving of whole milk provides 8 grams of fat, 5 of which are saturated.

7. Frozen pot pies

A single pot pie equals a serving of ~1300-1400 mg of sodium PLUS ~35 g of fat. The fat includes trans fat which you want to eliminate from your diet completely and an unhealthy dose of saturated fat. Clear out your freezer.

Be sure to sign up for the free e-course 7 Natural Ways to Lower Blood Pressure at http://lowerbloodpressurewithlisa.com.

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

Being overweight increases your risk for heart disease, diabetes, and other illnesses. A quick and easy way to evaluate your risk is to check your body mass index (BMI).

To calculate your BMI all you need to know is your height and weight. Let’s calculate your BMI right now.

BMI = weight (lbs.) divided by height (in.) divided by height (in.) x 703

For example, if you weight is 200 pounds and you are 5’10” (70 in.), your BMI equals 29.

200 divided by 70 divided by 70 x 703 = 28.7

BMI Categories:

Continue reading ‘How does your BMI measure up?’ »

If you strive for optimal health, consider adding a whole food supplement to your daily regimen. However, you must be a savvy shopper to make sure you select a supplement that lives up to its claims. . .many are a waste of money! Things to look for:

1. Independent research – This means the company selling the product did not conduct the research.

2. Double blind, placebo controlled studies – This means neither the “patient” nor the doctor knew if they were taking the supplement or a sugar pill. Provides more reliable results.

3. Research that shows results – If the product claims to raise antioxidant levels and reduce high blood pressure then research studies need to back this up.

4. Publication in peer reviewed journals, such as The Journal of the American College of Cardiology or the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics.

All the best,
Lisa Nelson RD
Juice Plus

How would you feel if the food cost of unhealthy foods increased?

For a study published in The Milbank Quarterly, researchers looked at price and energy/nutrient density of foods, food consumption, and price changes via tax or subsidy. It was found that raising the price of less healthy foods and lowering the price of healthy foods being linked to reduced body weight and decreased obesity. However, it should be noted that small price changes were not likely to result in substantial weight improvements.

So, would you be in favor of taxing less healthy food options and subsidizing healthy food costs to lower the price?

All the best,
Lisa Nelson RD
Heart Healthy Tips

Holidays are especially tricky when it comes to sticking to healthy eating.  All that candy. . . .I had a challenge this year trying to figure out how to do a fun Easter egg hunt for my two year-old that didn’t include candy in every egg.  I liked the idea I came up with so much I decided to share it.  We (my husband and I) got her a Dr. Seuss book.  I scanned the cover and printed it off on cardstock.  We then cut the picture into 9 large puzzle pieces.  Put a piece in each egg and after she found all the eggs containing pieces she put the puzzle together and received the actual book!  She had fun and I was happy she didn’t receive a ton of candy (we still included candy in a few eggs).

Hope you enjoyed your holiday:)

Lisa Nelson, RD, LN