by kelsey | Feb 15, 2011 | Diet, Food, Heart Health, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
Low fat dairy products “do a body good” by providing an excellent source of calcium and protein to our body. They are an essential part of the heart healthy diet as well. Low fat dairy products are recommended over the full fat selections because of the reduced saturated fat content. Saturated fat is known as the “bad” fat that leads to clogged arteries and heart disease. Choose low fat selections like skim or 1% milk, low fat cottage cheese, cream cheese, cheese, icecream, etc. Since calcium is essential for bone structure, it is recommended we intake 1000-1500 mg/day (varies on age). If you are not a milk drinker, you may want to ask your Brown Clinic provider about taking a calcium supplement.
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Feb 10, 2011 | Cooking Tips, Diabetes, Etc., Food, Heart Health, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
Whole grains are a very important part of the heart healthy diet. They offer a great source of fiber to promote heart health. To ensure you are getting a true whole grain product, you will want to check the ingredient list under your nutrition label. The first ingredient should say “whole wheat” or “whole grain.” If it says “enriched” it is still a white product. Product packaging can make this part of grocery shopping really confusing so make sure you allow yourself adequate time in the grocery store for label reading and to ensure you are getting healthy products. Remember to choose whole grain breads, brown rice, wild rice, whole wheat noodles, and whole grain cereals over the white products. If you’re unsure of the full transition to wheat products, try mixing the white and wheat products together…such as when you make spaghetti!
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Feb 9, 2011 | Diet, Etc., Heart Health, Weight Management, Wellness/Health
Do you get your 5 a day? I am referring to 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day, which is a very essential part to a healthy diet! A higher consumption of fruits and vegetables not only aids in heart disease prevention, but it also helps promote a healthy weight, prevention of diseases such as diabetes, and gastrointestinal health.
Fresh and frozen varieties offer more nutrients compared to canned or juice products due to the processing. In addition, it’s very important to get a variety of colors!
Did you know that only 17% of South Dakotans are actually getting their “5 a day”!?! WOW! So next time you get the itch for a snack, grab an apple or orange…and double your serving of vegetables at your dinner to get you closer to that “5 a day.”
-Kelsey
by kelsey | Feb 8, 2011 | Diet, Heart Health
This morning I had the opportunity to take part in judging the Heart Healthy Foods Contest at our Watertown Winter Farm Show. There were a lot of great recipes that I can’t wait to try at home! This brings me to my blog topic for this week….February is Heart Health Month. An important part of keeping your heart healthy is eating healthy. There are few important parts of the heart healthy diet, including adding more fruits and vegetables, choosing healthy fats, low salt, lean meats, and low fat dairy products. In the next few posts, we will explore these topics further.
Hope everyone is staying warm today!
-Kelsey
