Remember, you are not too old to exercise! The US Department of Health and Human Services has issued the guide Exercise & Physical Activity: Your Everyday Guide from the National Institute of Aging.
Being physically active does not become less important with age. Remaining active into your senior years has many benefits. Here are just a few of the benefits you’ll see by including regular physical activity every day:
Continue readingThe DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet is an eating plan used for lowering blood pressure through diet. Studies have shown dramatic results, in that the DASH diet can lower blood pressure in as little as 2 weeks! It’s a diet reduced in total and saturated fat and rich in fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy foods that can significantly lower blood pressure.
Continue readingWhen it comes to lowering cholesterol, it’s common to drastically decrease fat intake. While it’s important to reduce total fat, especially saturated and trans fats, if you limit heart healthy fats too much you can make it difficult to raise HDL (“good”) cholesterol levels.
Fat is an essential component of a healthy diet, providing energy and the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. Some types of fat even reduce your risk for certain chronic diseases.
Continue readingIf 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, because many are a waste of money. Things to look for:
Continue readingLet’s say you are trying to lower high cholesterol, but resistant to giving up the treats you love. I want to give you some simple tips for modifying recipes and baked goods to make them more heart healthy without sacrificing the taste.
Here is a short table with basic substitutions to reduce fat and calories in some of your favorite foods while maintaining the flavor you enjoy.
Instead of . . Substitute. . .
Whole milk 1% or fat free milk
Whole egg 2 egg whites or egg substitute
Vegetable oil Non-stick vegetable oil or canola/olive oil
Butter/Margarine Applesauce or fruit puree or vegetable oil
Cream Evaporated Skim Milk
If you’re modifying an old family recipe it will take some trial and error before you find the right balance between healthier substitutions and a quality product. It may work best when baking to replace half the ingredients with a healthier alternative. For example, if a recipe calls for 2 cups all-purpose flour instead use 1 cup all-purpose flour and 1 cup whole wheat flour. Also, reduce the amount of fat added to a product. For example, instead of 1 cup of oil try ¾ cups of oil. You may not notice a difference. Experiment with different options until you get a product you enjoy.
Fruit Purees
Never baked with fruit purees? Well, here’s a quick lesson on how to use them to make moist baked goods without the artery clogging fat.
The reason fat makes products taste good is because it adds moisture, flavor, and a tender texture to baked goods. Substitution of fruit purees or nonfat dairy products can provide some of the same fat-like characteristics without the actual fat. The type of fruit puree you choose to use will affect the final product. For example, a prune puree provides rich flavor with a moist, tender texture. A prune puree works best in recipes containing chocolate, cinnamon, and orange seasoning. For some recipes it may be best to just replace half the fat. For example, replace 1 cup butter with ½ cup pureed prunes/bananas/applesauce and ½ cup butter instead.
To receive free heart health and weight loss tips from dietitian Lisa Nelson, subscribe to The Heart of Health and grab your special report “Stop Wasting Money – Take Control of Your Health” today!
Here are five strategies you can start using today to promote long term weight loss:
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