Heart HealthHow to Lower Diastolic Blood Pressure
I’m frequently asked how to lower diastolic (bottom number) blood pressure, so I wanted to give you some good tips to see results.
First of all, you need to have a solid foundation in place that supports a low blood pressure. If you’re not sure what this entails visit Natural Ways to Lower Blood Pressure.
It’s important that your potassium, calcium, and magnesium intakes are adequate. Studies show that potassium can reduce diastolic blood pressure 2.5 mmHg, calcium 1.5 mmHg, and magnesium 3.4 mmHg.
Don’t forget omega 3 fatty acids. Studies show that consuming fish for one meal everyday decreases diastolic blood pressure 3.0 mmHg. Fish oil supplements are also and option.
With any supplement or nutrient – don’t go overboard! More is not necessarily better.
All the best,
Lisa Nelson RD
https://lisanelsonrd.com
Heart HealthDo you peel your fruits and vegetables?
When you peel fruits and vegetables you throw away a large chunk of its nutritional value. Such as a large dietary fiber loss when you throw out an apple skin, along with vitamin C, and various other minerals.
You may be tempted to throw out produce skins due to pesticides. Instead opt to thoroughly wash your produce to remove potential contaminants. If you are especially concerned, consider buying organic produce.
Tired of changes that don't last?
All the best,
Lisa Nelson, RD
Heart HealthIt’s not the turkey’s fault!
Have you heard the news? Turkey is not to blame for the post-meal Thanksgiving naps. It’s been well-known for years that turkey contains tryptophan. Tryptophan is a precursor of serotonin, the neurotransmitter that regulates sleep.
However, tryptophan makes up 1% of the protein in turkey. One percent is the typical content of meat, and actually half the tryptophan content of milk (2.34%).
Instead of turkey being at the root of Thanksgiving Day sleepiness, it’s the carbohydrates in all those side dishes, stuffing, mashed potatoes, etc. The extra carbohydrates boost insulin production. It’s speculated that this extra insulin may result in amino acids (excluding tryptophan) being pulled into muscles for use, leaving a high level of tryptophan in the bloodstream, hence the need for a nap.
Tired of changes that don't last?
All the best,
Lisa Nelson, RD
Heart HealthSelf-Improvement Gift Giveaway!
I’m participating in a joint venture with hundreds of other businesses. We’ve teamed up to put all our free gifts in one location – Self Improvement Gifts. I wanted to share this site with you, because the gifts cover a wide variety of topics – inspirational, motivational, health, self-esteem, financial, success, law of attraction. . .the list goes on.
You have to “sign-up” to enter the website for the free gifts, but it’s a free to be a member.
If this interests you, check it out!
All the best,
Lisa Nelson, RD, LN
eNutritionServices
Heart HealthMake Your Halloween Healthier
Halloween is just around the corner, which means trick-or-treating, and I stress the “treating”. Eliminating candy completely at Halloween is not a feasible option and why spoil a fun holiday the whole family should enjoy? However, by taking a few simple steps you can limit the amount of candy in your home and maintain a balance between holiday treats and your health goals.
- Are you throwing or attending a Halloween party? Limit the cookies/candy and aim for some traditional fall goodies, such as caramel covered apples, pumpkin dip and pumpkin bars, which are tasty treats that offer some good nutrition too. If you are the party host, plan some party activities that get guests up and moving – Monster Mash dance contest or a scarecrow building contest – to work off some of the holiday goodies while having a ghoulish good time.
- Limit the number of homes you take your children to for trick-or-treating. The fewer homes you visit, the less candy you take home.
- “Donate” excess candy to the office or your child’s teacher. You and/or your spouse can place a candy dish at your office to share with co-workers and your children can load up a bag to give to teachers for school treats throughout the year.
- Purchase only what you think you’ll need to hand out to trick-or-treaters. Estimate how many little devils and goblins came knocking on your door previous years and purchase just enough candy to cover your expected trick-or-treaters. This will limit the leftover candy you will be tempted to consume after the big night.
- Portion control is key. Watch how much you eat at a time. If you have a sweet tooth, keep the candy out of sight and limit yourself to one or two pieces each day.
Halloween comes around once a year and for those dealing with health issues, such as heart disease or excess weight; this may be a stressful time trying to balance a healthy diet with the influx of candy. By following the above tips and making good decisions you can enjoy this time of year and some sweets, too.
Happy Halloween!
Lisa Nelson RD
Heart HealthLower High Blood Pressure – Sea salt versus Table Salt
I frequently speak to people that have the misconception sea salt is better for your heart health than regular table salt. From a chemical and nutritional standpoint, both are sodium chloride and you want to limit your sodium intake to 2300 mg (~1 tsp of table salt) or less to promote blood pressure control.
If you use kosher salt, which has larger crystals, you benefit because less salt “fits” in one teaspoon due to the larger crystal size. A teaspoon of kosher salt provides about 1900 mg sodium. Sea salt is available in this larger crystal form, also.
All the best,
Lisa Nelson, RD, LN
The Heart of Health