by kelsey | Dec 1, 2011 | Diet, Food, Heart Health, Wellness/Health
Ever heard that saying? I had a recent request to discuss foods that help keep our skin healthy and glowing and that saying came to mind when thinking of this specific topic. What eat truly does make a difference in our bodies, not only inside, but the outside too! Diets high in fat and white carbs can cause issues with our skin, whereas a balanced diet, focused on bright colored fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, and healthy fats can truly help make our skin glow. Below is a list of the top foods to promote healthy skin:
- Low fat dairy products & yellow/orange fruits and vegetables such as carrots and apricots: foods high in vitamin A promote healthy skin
- Berries, such as blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, etc: these foods are full of antioxidants, helping promote healthy skin
- Healthy fats founds in salmon, walnuts, almonds, canola oil, and olive oil: these foods contain essential fatty acids helping make our skin healthy and glowing
- Whole grains: contain selenium, which promotes skin health
- Green Tea & Water: green tea contains anti-inflammatory properties and water helps keep us hydrated.
You may notice many of these foods are on the heart healthy list as well, so not only are you going to have glowing skin, you’ll have a healthy heart!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Sep 8, 2011 | Heart Health
We had recent question from a STRIVE participant regarding niacin and it’s affects on heart health. Niacin is a B vitamin and assists with energy production and metabolism. Niacin also assists with our nervous system. Niacin supplementation has been shown to improve HDL (good) cholesterol. HDL cholesterol can also be improved with regular exercise, however there is a genetic component to it as well. Niacin is part of multivitamins and found in many foods. Foods rich in niacin include protein foods like lean meats, poultry, fish, and peanuts. In addition, milk, eggs, and some grains contain niacin. If your HDL is low, I encourage you to review your labs with your doctor and further examine your diet and exercise routine.
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Aug 25, 2011 | Diet, Food, Heart Health, Wellness/Health
This last weekend I made fresh salsa for the first time! I was excited for this adventure and am pleased with my end product. Tomatoes are a great source of lycopene with is an antioxidant essential in disease prevention. Tomatoes are also low in calories, making them a great addition to your meals or snacks. One of my favorite treats is chips and salsa. We all know that chips aren’t the best for you, but there are some that are better than others. I highly recommend the whole grain tostito type chips. They are whole grain and very tasty. Just remember to be conscious of your portions!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Aug 24, 2011 | Diet, Food, Heart Health, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
As I drove along Hwy 212 yesterday, I couldn’t help but notice the multiple vendors selling fresh garden produce! This time of the year is an excellent time to work on increasing your fruit and vegetable intake. As I have discussed before, we need at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day to promote heart health and weight management. When you dish up your plate, half of it should be fruits and vegetables. Whether you get your produce from a local gardener, farmer’s market, or grocery store, I encourage you to work on adding variety to your meals and snacks by trying new produce. You can also try various preparation methods of the produce to make it more appealing. Tomorrow I am going to discuss tomatoes as I made up some fresh salsa with the abundance of tomatoes I have gotten from friends and family lately.
-Kelsey
by Dan | Aug 6, 2011 | Equipment, Exercise, Family, Goals, Heart Health, Motivation, Wellness/Health
Like Mother, like Daughter! Here Sarah is getting ready to ride along on the bike to keep Megan company for her run. It helps having a training partner to get you moving. Sarah had run earlier with me as well, but cut it a little short so she could go finish with Megan. Megan normally is the swimmer, but the season is now done as of last week, and she is starting to figure out the importance of cross training to stay in shape, and in the long run, will help with her swimming.
So everybody…whoever you can get…a friend, family member, pet…who can help get you motivated and out the door…take advantage of their help! We all need a little boost once in a while, and it helps for all of us to stay healthier. Especially family…who else can you count on more to help get through tough times, and to keep us going? Have a good weekend…enjoy the weather!
Dr. Dan
Consecutive Exercise Day #: 1411
by kelsey | Aug 2, 2011 | Exercise, Heart Health
A recent review published in Circulation, the American Heart Association’s journal indicated that even small amounts of activity (10-15 min/day) are good for your heart. Current recommendations are to get at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity or 75 minutes of high intensity activity most days of the week. This review found that those who do this will have a 14% lower risk of heart disease compared to those who are sedentary. If you engage in twice the recommendations (300 minutes) you will lower your risk to 20% and if you do 750 minutes/week your risk drops even more to 25%. Thus showing more is better, but something’s better than nothing!
Our body’s were designed to be able to be active and move around and Dr. Dan is a true testiment to this! As you track his exercise days, his risk for heart disease based on his exercise routine is very low. Myself on the other hand do not get as much activity as he does. My goal is to get 3-5 days a week in of moderate-high intensity activity. There are times when we feel time crunched or have to tend to other obligations or responsiblities, but this review shows us that every little bit counts, so if you can only get 15-20 minutes in…go for it! It will still reduce your risk of heart disease compared to being sedentary.
I have included a picture of my little furry friends that accompany me on my runs every once in awhile. Cinch and Wrangler are our cattle working Australian Shepherd dogs on the ranch and every once awhile come with me when they have extra energy to expend. Running on gravel roads in the country has it’s challenges, but there is nothing better than getting out there with fresh air and wide open spaces. 🙂
-Kelsey
http://yourlife.usatoday.com/fitness-food/exercise/story/2011/08/A-small-amount-of-exercise-is-good-for-your-heart/49757422/1?csp=ylf
http://www.newsroom.heart.org/index.php?s=43&item=1393
