Jeff’s Healthy Living Blog

From Joann Cheong, special to JeffsHealthyLiving.com
‘You are what you eat’ is something a lot of us say but a lot of us don’t actually take seriously. Not until we suffer from certain heart conditions and the doctor starts saying “you can’t eat this and you can’t eat that”, that we realize how diet and heart disease are related, that the food we eat is directly involve in many of the risk factors for coronary heart disease.
Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death for both men and women; obesity and overweight problems continue to grow which increases the risk of coronary heart disease, congestive heart failure, type2 diabetes, and stroke. The good news is, small changes to eating and physical activity habits can make a big difference to heart health and can reduce the risk of the disease. A combination of healthy eating and physical activity can help achieve and maintain a healthy weight plus puts your heart in a better condition.
Diet and heart disease is like a give and take relationship. You give in an unhealthy diet and the heart takes that as a compliment, take away that unhealthy diet and the disease gives you back your heart. Healthy eating is not actually ‘dieting’ and following strict rules but instead it is on enjoyment and nourishment of the body and the heart.
Healthy diet is all about choosing mainly plant-based foods like vegetables, fruit and legumes such as dried peas, dried beans and lentils. Eating grain-based foods, preferably wholegrain such as bread, pasta, noodles and rice also adds to a healthy diet and heart disease prevention. Eating moderate amount of lean meats, fish, skinless poultry, reduced fat dairy products, and moderate amounts of polyunsaturated or monounsaturated oils and fats makes up a great healthy diet and heart disease eradication.
Eating for a healthy heart can make a big difference to your heart and your general health. A few simple changes in your way of eating and incorporating these changes into your daily diet can be your first step to a healthy heart, here are some of the healthy eating changes you can start with:
* Vegetables should have a major part in at least one meal everyday and eating fruits frequently.
* More often choose wholegrain instead of white varieties.
* Cereals and legumes should be eaten more, with small amounts of lean meat rather than basing the whole meal around meat.
* Eat poultry without skin and use very small amounts of lean meat.
* Milk, yoghurt and cheese, choosing low-fat diary products should be in your list
* At least twice a week, fish whether fresh or canned but not fried, should be in your diet.
* Steam, boil, bake, grill, microwave foods rather than fry.
* Lessen salt intake, drink plenty of water.
These are just some of the few things you can do to have a healthy diet, combine that with healthy physical activity and exercise, then your on your way to saying goodbye to heart disease and saying hello to a healthy heart.

Read More On The Relationship Between Diet and Heart Disease

From Mila Sidman, special to JeffsHealthyLiving.com
These are questions we have to ask ourselves… because after all We already know all the benefits of eating healthy foods. We’ve read it in books, seen it on TV, and been told by our friends.

The problem is we’ve become too accustomed to our lifestyles. It’s easy to order a take away or to ignore the exercise bike collecting dust in the corner, and why walk when driving is so much easier?

It’s a vicious cycle and one we seem to be passing on to the next generation. Why is Ronald McDonald is more widely recognized amongst kids than a few former presidents of the United States?

If we want our kids to grow up and lead a healthy life we’re going to have to set the example first.

Here’s a great reminder of all the wonderful benefits of healthy eating:

Longer life - Research has proven those who at eat less saturated fats, processed foods, etc. live a longer and healthier life, and are less prone to illnesses and disease.

Happiness - There’s no doubt when you eat healthy foods you’ll suffer less from those terrible ups and downs that make us moody. Who wants to be grumpy all the time?

Vitality - Healthy eating along with exercise will give you tons of energy and make you feel “on top of the world.” Imagine bouncing around from one thing to the other without having to drink tons of coffee!

Great Skin - Everything we put into our bodies is reflected in our skin, hair, nails, teeth, etc. The way we age is partly due to genetics but it’s also due to our lifestyle choices. Healthy eating is our “miracle cure” for staying gorgeous.

Loose Weight - Have you ever seen an overweight person who eats healthy food and exercises? I mean TRULY eats healthy food… probably not. Unless you have a thyroid condition you’ll definitely loose weight and maintain it once you embark on healthy eating.

Those are just a few of the benefits you’ll experience by eating healthier foods and leading an active lifestyle.

So why not stop thinking about it and actually do it? Live longer, feel great, have tons of energy, look gorgeous, and loose weight… and if that isn’t tempting enough, what about the thought you could actually give all of the above to your kids.

Well you can, simply set the example and they will follow. You may actually be surprised at how easy it all really is… really.

Mila Sidman is a mom of three and the creator of www.easy-kid-recipes.com

For family-friendly recipes, nutritional information, meal planning tips, fun kid cooking projects and much more sign up for our free Cooking for Kids Ezine at www.easy-kid-recipes.com/free-recipe-newsletter.html.