There are several different varieties of rice. Most people were raised eating white rice and continue to do so. However, the different types of rice provide different nutritional benefits. Let’s look specifically at white rice, brown rice, and wild rice.

White Rice

White rice has been milled so that the husk, bran, and germ are removed leaving you with a refined product. During this process, the rice is polished giving it the bright, white, shiny appearance we expect.

By removing these layers the flavor, texture, and appearance of the rice is changed and the shelf life is extended as it is now less likely to spoil.

Nutrients are removed during the processing, such as the B vitamin thiamine. Due to this depletion of nutrients, white rice is usually enriched. This means some the nutrients removed during processing are added back in, such as thiamine, niacin, and iron.

Brown Rice
Continue reading ‘Which is better for your health? Wild, Brown, or White Rice?’ »

Resveratrol is a plant substance – polyphenol – that fights certain diseases. In the plant world, plants must withstand fungus, extreme temperatures and insects. Plants produce antibiotics called phytoalexins. Resveratrol is a phytoalexin plants use to fight off disease and repair damage.

What are the functions of Resveratrol?

Many of the functions of resveratrol have a direct impact on heart disease and/or your risk of developing heart disease. Resveratrol functions include:

• Decreased platelet stickiness (means decreased platelet aggregation & clotting)
• Reduced LDL cholesterol oxidation
• Promotes phase II detoxification enzymes (increase removal of toxins from the body)
• Inhibition of COX-2 enzyme induction (can result in decreased inflammation)
• Anti-inflammatory
• Phytoestrogen (can reduce risk of some cancers)
• Antioxidant
• Role in Alzheimer’s disease prevention

Antioxidants are especially important as we strive to prevent heart disease. Antioxidants slow and prevent the oxidation of cells. For example, it is the oxidation of LDL cholesterol that begins the formation of plaque within artery walls. Oxidation causes stress and cell damage that reduces a cells ability to function properly, eventually leading to cell death. By consuming a diet high in antioxidants, such as resveratrol, you promote decreased oxidation and cell health.

What are sources of Resveratrol?

Continue reading ‘Reduce Heart Disease Risk with Resveratrol’ »

Shouldn’t you be the “picture of health” as a young adult? Guess it shouldn’t come as a surprise that looks are deceiving.

Canadian researchers presented study results recently at the 2011 Canadian Cardiovascular Congress regarding their study of 168 adults between the ages of 18 and 35 years-old.

Study participants had no family history of heart disease, nor any other known risk factors, such as diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or smoking.

Guess what? Researchers found a “staggering” number of participants to have atherosclerosis, which is a build-up of plaque along artery walls. Almost half of participants had signs of atherosclerosis – 48%.

Height, weight, body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference were recorded for all participants. MRI scans measured both subcutaneous (fat under the skin) and visceral fat (fat around vital organs).

These measurements found many participants to have greater waist circumferences and higher levels of visceral fat within the chest and abdomen. These high levels of visceral fat increase risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke at some point in their lives. It’s this high level of visceral fat that is likely contributing to the early signs of atherosclerosis.

These Canadian findings corroborate previous research that has found up to 80% of young American’s killed in war or car accidents to have premature and hidden atherosclerosis.

What Can You Do?

Continue reading ‘Clogged Arteries: Young Doesn’t Equal Healthy’ »

A subscriber to The Heart of Health submitted a good question and I wanted to share the answer.

Question:

Answer:

There is strong evidence that shift work is linked to some serious health conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes and obesity. Additional health concerns linked to shift work include stomach ulcers and depression.

Continue reading ‘Shift Work and the Impact on Heart Health’ »

There are some studies that suggest a higher intensity interval workout routine, such as those used by athletes, may be beneficial for patients with heart conditions.

High intensity interval training involves short bursts of intense exercise at 85-95% maximum heart rate. These short bursts are alternated with periods of moderate exercise. This workout method is frequently used by athletes to improve speed and endurance.
If this type of training were to be recommended for heart patients it’d be a change from the standard protocol of steady aerobic exercise at 70% maximum heart rate. This lower level of intensity is intended to work the heart without risking chest pain, heart attack, or other complication.

Continue reading ‘Increase Exercise Intensity to Strengthen Heart’ »

Do you understand the importance of being regularly active to promote heart health? However, you know this and still remain sedentary? Is this because the thought of exercise makes you think of a gym membership, spandex, and everyone watching you try to use equipment you have no idea how to work? Well, here’s an alternative.

Simply taking a daily walk has many benefits without the risk of embarrassment.

Benefits of Walking Daily

• Decreases risk of heart disease or stroke.
• Lowers LDL cholesterol
• Increases HDL cholesterol
• Reduces blood pressure
• Increases daily calories burned (weight management)
• Decreases risk of colon cancer and diabetes (may protect against breast cancer)
• Decreases joint swelling and pain from arthritis
• Improves mood
• Improves stress management
• More energy
• Improves self-esteem
• Improves sleep quality

How Long of a Walk

Continue reading ‘Walking for Heart Health Benefits’ »

The following guest post is from Jessica Johnson, a member of Long Island Heart Associates of New York and contributor to their blog.

Can Chocolate Be the Answer to a Healthy Heart?

In recent studies from the last several years, top cardiologists have seen that chocolate can actually help reduce and lower blood cholesterol thanks to the power of flavonols. This particular class of flavonoids has natural antioxidants that benefit your body as well as help lower blood cholesterol. It also will help improve the blood flow through the body, causing blood platelets to become less sticky, which lowers their ability to clot, while also lowering cholesterol.

These flavonoids are found naturally in cocoa giving it that slightly bitter or more pungent taste in its natural form. Even after cocoa beans have been baked and refined to create commercial chocolate bars, the flavonols still remain intact.

Continue reading ‘Can Chocolate Be the Answer to a Healthy Heart?’ »

Cardiologist Dr. Stephen Sinatra has labels four nutrients – magnesium, coenzyme Q10, L-carnitine, and D-ribose – ‘the awesome foursome’ due to patient results linked to these nutrients.

These four nutrients are involved in the production of adenosine triphosphate (i.e. cellular energy). Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is produced in the mitochondria of every cell. An ATP deficiency is linked to numerous health conditions, such as diabetes, Parkinson’s, cancer, heart failure, Alzheimer’s, and stroke.

These four nutrients can help boost the body’s production of ATP.

Continue reading ‘The Awesome Foursome: Four Nutrients for a Heart Health’ »

The nutritional quality of tuna depends on a variety of factors, such as the type of tuna you buy, the differences in the fishery where it was produced/captured, the diet of the fish, and even water temperatures.

Types of Tuna

There are dozens of different tuna fish species, but tuna companies group tuna into three categories:

1. White or albacore

Continue reading ‘Tuna – Heart Healthy of Not?’ »

Quinoa is a great source of protein and fiber to promote a healthy heart.

How to add quinoa to foods

Wash the quinoa seeds prior to cooking to remove a bitter resin-like coating called saponin. The saponin will produce soapy looking “suds: when you rinse the seeds.

Continue reading ‘Quinoa for Heart Health’ »