Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Health, Health, and More Health
Health Related Blogs
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Bringing Awareness to Your Health
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Sugar Isn't Always So Sweet
Many of us struggle with controlling the amount of sugar in our diet. Diets containing large amounts of sugar can create many health problems such as weight gain and high blood pressure.
Luckily, there are several ways to help control your sugar intake. Why not try using natural sweeteners to help make your favorite foods taste a little sweeter. Honey is a favorite among sweeteners, because it is 25 to 50 percent sweeter than regular sugar. Molasses is another alternative to artificial sweeteners. Not only does it contain amounts of fructose, glucose and sucrose, it also has nutritional value from vitamin B, calcium and iron. Maple syrup can also be used to sweeten any food item. Maple syrup comes from the sap in maple trees and contains glucose and sucrose. However, maple syrup is only 60 percent as sweet as sugar but is a much healthier alternative.
What about artificial sweeteners? How safe are they? There are a few artificial sweeteners that have been approved by the Federal Drug Administration and are greatly used in cooking and for topping meals. Saccharine, commonly known from its use in the product Sweet and Low, is used mainly for baking. However, it is several hundred times sweeter than sugar. It is recommended to be used in a fraction of the sugar substitute amount in a recipe. Aspartame is another artificial sweetener commonly used in ingredients. However, this substitute cannot be used in baking. There have been numerous studies on whether aspartame causes cancer. Current studies show that a correlation between cancer and aspartame has not been found, but the FDA still recommends using it in small doses.
Here are a few tips that can help control your sugar intake:
1. Choose fruits for snacks as well as desserts instead of processed foods
2. Try not to add extra sugar to your food or beverages
3. Try to stay away from soft drinks, but if you cannot fight the urge, try low-sugar or sugar-free alternatives
4. Add protein to your diet to help with high blood sugar
5. Read labels and choose wisely
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Chocolate Good For Your Health!
We all love chocolate. We love a healthy heart even more. So why not combine the two to create a healthy lifestyle? Sounds tempting enough. Studies have shown that eating one small piece of chocolate a day can help lower risks of a heart attack. This is wonderful news for those of you who are health conscience but are constantly fighting back the relentless sweet tooth.
So which type of chocolate seems to be the best choice? Dark chocolate seems to be the most beneficial form of chocolate to help lower the risks of a stroke or a heart attack. Milk chocolate has a significantly less amount of beneficial effects, whereas white chocolate has ultimately zero beneficial ingredients to help lower risks. Dark chocolate contains the least amount of a protein that leads to inflammation followed closely by a heart attack.
So, you have heard the good news, but this mean that you are only limited to bars of chocolate? No. Check out a few recipes that use dark chocolate that can also be very beneficial to your heart’s health.
Chocolate Martini Recipe: use dark chocolate in a fun and simple beverage
Chocolate Fondue: drizzle dark chocolate over any of your favorite pieces of fruit to have a tasty and nutritional snack or dessert
Chocolate Nut Bark: combine dark chocolate with your favorite nuts to add protein
How Well Do You Know Your Heart?
Doctors tell us to watch out for our health, especially our hearts. The human heart is the most vital organ in our body, pumping oxygen-enriched blood into our systems through steady contractions allowing us to partake in everyday activity.
Heart attacks are very common and are often sudden and untraceable. However, there are numerous signs that can be detected early and vary from person to person. Your body is unique, and so are the ways it will respond to heart problems. So how can you check for early warning signs of a heart attack? Here is a list that can give alert to an ultimately life changing and life-threatening event:
1. Chest Discomfort: these pains can range from slightly mild discomfort to extreme discomfort
2. Discomfort in other Body Parts: these pains can range from tingling in the hands, down the arms, to your chest, neck and back
3. Gastrointestinal Problems: symptoms include nausea and stomach pains
4. Flulike Symptoms
5. Shortness of Breath: this may or may not be combined with chest pains or pains in other parts of the body
If you are feeling any of these symptoms, please contact your doctor immediately. Why let this absolutely necessary and precious organ go unchecked? Learn the signs of an unhealthy heart so you can help prevent heart attacks and continue to live a long and healthy life!