Partners for Your Health Blog

Healthy Diets Can Be Curvy

You’ve heard of the movie “Real Women Have Curves”? If you read between the lines on the movie poster you’ll see that real women also take chances, have flaws, and embrace life. Maybe you’ve heard of the fitness centers for women called “Curves”. While those cover the emotional and physical components of being healthy and curvaceous, a new book called Real Food Has Curves teaches us how to eat well, lose weight and enjoy the process! I’m paraphrasing there – the real subtitle is “How to Get Off Processed Food, Lose Weight, and Love What You Eat”.

In the book, the authors offer a 7-step plan to shift our palates away from processed food that’s not good for us to healthy, natural food that is. An article from USNews.com says, “ processed foods…have been blamed for our nation's rise in obesity and related conditions, like heart disease and diabetes. ‘We feel very strongly that deprivation doesn't work,’ says Weinstein, adding that they each lost about 25 pounds by incorporating more ‘real’ and less ‘fake’ foods into their meals.”

Here’s the description from the book jacket:
“Real Food Has Curves is a fun and ultimately rewarding seven-step journey to rediscover the basic pleasure of fresh, well-prepared natural ingredients: curvy, voluptuous, juicy, sweet, savory. And yes, scrumptious, too. In these simple steps—each with its own easy, delicious recipes—you’ll learn to become a better shopper, savor your meals, and eat your way to a better you. Yes, you’ll drop pounds. But you won’t be counting calories. Instead, you’ll learn to celebrate the abundance all around. It’s time to realize that food is not the enemy but a life-sustaining gift. It’s time to get off the processed and packaged merry-go-round. It’s time to be satisfied, nourished, thinner, and above all, happier. It’s time for real food.”

We’ll look at their seven steps in future posts!

Making Physical Activity a Way of Life for Heart Health

In addition to eating well, being physically active is important for health at any age. Regular physical activity reduces your risk of heart disease and stroke. It also helps you reduce or control other risk factors — high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, excess body weight and diabetes. But the benefits don’t stop there. You may look and feel better, become stronger and more flexible, have more energy, and reduce stress and tension. Sounds great, doesn’t it?

The American Heart Association put together some ideas on how to make physical activity a heart-healthy, habitual way of life.

Here are some of their ideas:

• Choose activities you enjoy and make sure it’s convenient for you. If you need good weather, have a back-up plan for bad days (e.g., when it rains, walk in the mall instead of the park).
• Start slowly — don’t overdo it!
• Try to exercise at the same time each day so it becomes a regular part of your lifestyle. For example, you might exercise every day during your lunch hour from noon to 12:30.
• Drink lots of water before, during and after each exercise session.
• Get your family into physical activity! It’s great to have a support system, and you’ll be getting them into an important health habit.
• Join an exercise group, health club or YMCA.
• Do a variety of activities. Walk one day, take a swim the next time, then go for a bike ride on the weekend!
• If you miss a day, plan a make-up day. Don’t double your exercise time during your next session.
• If you stop for any length of time, don’t lose hope! Just get started again — slowly — and work up to your old pace.

Fiber Rich Foods Fight Heart Disease and Diabetes

When you think of eating more fiber, you probably picture what goes on in your stomach and intestines. But WebMD tells us, “Fiber isn't just for good for your gut. It fights heart disease and diabetes, new studies suggest.”

Fiber is also a main component of the DASH Diet, aimed at avoiding hypertension / high blood pressure, and the Anti-Cancer Diet.

People need both insoluble fiber and soluble fiber. Soluble means it can dissolved, and insoluble can’t, so they don’t get digested, but help keep food moving through your digestive tract. It has been shown that soluble fiber can help reduce elevated cholesterol levels if incorporated into a low-saturated fat diet. Current recommendations advise healthy adults should eat between 20 grams to 30 grams of dietary fiber daily from a variety of food sources. About 25% (6 grams) should come from soluble fiber sources. The best way to reach your fiber intake goal is to eat more fresh fruits, vegetables, cereals, whole grain products and legumes.

Here’s how to reap the benefits of fiber:

• Use brown rice instead of white rice
• Substitute whole-grain bread for white bread
• Choose a bran muffin over a croissant or pastry
• Snack on popcorn instead of potato chips
• Eat fresh fruit such as a pear, a banana, or an apple (with the skin)
• Have a baked potato, including the skin, instead of mashed potatoes
• Enjoy fresh carrots, celery, or bell peppers with a hummus or salsa, instead of chips and a sour cream dip
• Use beans instead of ground meat in chili, casseroles, tacos, and even burgers (bean burgers taste great!)

Foods with a lot of soluble fiber include:

• Oatmeal
• Nuts and seeds
• Legumes (peas, beans, and lentils)
• Apple
• Pears
• Strawberries
• Blueberries

Foods packed with insoluble fibers include:

• Whole-grain bread
• Whole-grain breakfast cereals
• Wheat bran
• Seeds
• Many vegetables, including carrots, cucumbers, zucchini, celery, and tomatoes

A Heart Healthy Diet Combats Cancer

Nutritionist and Cancer survivor, Conner Middelmann Whitney, shared the following information on her blog. “Nutrition plays a crucial role, both in preventing and in overcoming cancer. In its landmark Expert Report, the most comprehensive report ever produced on the links between lifestyle and cancer risk, the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) estimates that up to 30% of all cancers could be prevented by eating an optimal diet, getting regular physical activity and maintaining a healthy body weight.

“Some experts even suggest that some of the commonest forms of cancer, such as breast-, colorectal and prostate cancer, could be reduced by 60-70% and lung cancers by 40-50% if people ate an anti-cancer diet. Even cancer patients undergoing treatment may find this type of diet helpful, some studies suggest.

“By the way, healthy eating isn't just for cancer patients. There are benefits to everyone in a diet that boosts general health and well-being. Thus, an "anti-cancer" diet can potentially help prevent or relieve a long list of other medical conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, dementia, arthritis and even depression.

“In addition to helping improve overall health, the anti-cancer diet has no known negative side-effects. In my experience, if there are any "side-effects," they are increased energy, fewer colds and sore throats, clearer skin, better digestion and a happier disposition. Fine with me!”

The Anti-Cancer Diet follows these main concepts:

• Focus on plant-based foods
• Buy organic or local produce, if possible
• Bulk up on natural fiber
• Cut down on meat
• Choose your fats wisely
• Choose cancer-fighting foods (Eating a colorful variety gives you the best protection.)
• Prepare your food in healthy ways

We’ll look deeper into their suggestions in future posts

Easy Ways to Eat More Fruits and Veggies for Heart Health

Plant-based foods are cancer-fighting powerhouses. They’ve got less fat, more fiber, and more nutrients. These three elements work together to support your immune system and help your body fight off diseases for heart health, diabetes and cancer.

A nice visual reminder is for two-thirds of your plate to be full of colorful natural foods – the more colors the better. Vegetables, beans, and fruit are the most colorful and then whole grains and nuts can round it out.

Dairy products, fish, and meat are items that should take up no more than a third of the plate. At the same time, reduce the amount of processed foods you eat and replace them with a healthy alternative. For example, eat an apple instead of drinking a glass of apple juice, for more fiber and less sugar.

Here are some ways to incorporate more good stuff into every meal:

Breakfast: Add fruit and a few seeds or nuts to your whole grain breakfast cereal (oatmeal!).

Lunch: Eat a big salad filled with your favorite beans and peas or other combo of veggies. On sandwiches, order whole grain bread and load it with as many veggies you can.

Snacks: Grab an apple or banana on your way out the door. Raw veggies such as carrots, celery, cucumbers, jicama, peppers, etc. are great with a low-fat dip such as hummus. Keep trail mix made with nuts, seeds and a little dried fruit on hand.

Dinner: Add fresh or frozen veggies to your favorite pasta sauce or rice dish. Top a baked potato with broccoli and yogurt, sautéed veggies, or with salsa. Replace creamy pasta sauces, with sautéed vegetables or tomato sauce made with healthy olive oil.

Dessert: Choose fruit instead of a rich dessert. Or a single square of dark chocolate.

If you’re diabetic, you’ll want to choose fruits and vegetables that have less natural sugar.

Heart Health for Men in their 40s and 50s

Most men in their 40’s are fully involved—and sometimes overly so— in career pursuits. Increased earnings and a higher standard of living often accompany career success at this stage, and with more discretionary income comes the temptation to eat richer foods and dine out more often. This, along with reactions to job stress and life pressures, can result in greater calorie intake.

Also, as energy begins to wane, forty-something men may become lax when it comes to exercise, resulting in fewer calories burned. More calories taken in coupled with fewer calories worked out equals weight gain. Disciplined diet and exercise are a must at this stage to avoid unwanted pounds and keep your heart healthy.

This is also the time for doctor’s visits to check for the presence of latent diabetes, especially if overweight. Any signs of high blood pressure or cholesterol problems might need to be treated aggressively, so don’t put off visiting the doctor.

In their 50’s, after twenty to thirty years of hard work, many men may enjoy greater control over their schedules and responsibilities on the job. As a result, they may have more flexibility for maintaining a workout routine. Networking while golfing may not offer all the exercise you need. This is the decade when some men finally decide to do something about the “spare tire,” the low energy level, and high blood pressure. Many guys at this stage lament, “I wish I’d been more disciplined about staying at my college weight.”

With the empty nest in sight, it’s a time to get serious about the plans, dreams, vacations, and hobbies you just didn’t have time for while the kids were still at home. And with education expenses reduced, now’s the time to get that fitness club membership you always wanted!

As at any age, eating healthy foods, exercising and not smoking are the keys to heart health and all ‘round health!

You May Be Sweet But Reduce Your Blood Sugar

You're sweet enough already, so there's no need to tax your blood with extra sugars. Sorry, I just couldn't resist. That might work on your kids though. I know it works on mine...at least as a light scolding that elicits a groan when they're going for an unhealthy snack.

When I'm feeling more serious and taking the opportunity to grab a teaching moment, I tell them something like this (though this actually came from Wikipedia):

If blood sugar levels drop too low, a potentially fatal condition called hypoglycemia develops. Symptoms may include lethargy, impaired mental functioning, irritability, shaking, weakness in arm and leg muscles, sweating and loss of consciousness. Brain damage is even possible.

If levels remain too high, appetite is suppressed over the short term. Long-term hyperglycemia causes many of the long-term health problems associated with diabetes, including eye, kidney, heart disease and nerve damage.

I also try not to scare them into developing eating disorders by reminding them that our bodies are complex machines that require maintenance and care if we expect them to work well enough to allow us enjoy life to the fullest.

Humans have lived off of the land and thrived for quite a long time, so we just need to do our best to stick with natural foods that haven't been messed with too much and we'll be fine. Just about anything else can be enjoyed in moderation.

I also tell them that diabetes is a disease that you can actually cause yourself to have. The term "Diabesity" has actually been coined to talk about the correlations between obesity and diabetes, as well as the effects on hormones and other parts of the body. And how is it avoided and managed before going too far, you might ask?

• Eat a healthy, balanced diet with plenty of fiber, vitamins and minerals.
• Be more active

Not too difficult, is it?

Top 5 New Year’s Resolutions for Heart Health

1. Exercise at least 30 minutes every day.

Regular physical exercise makes you feel better and live longer. It keeps the walls of your arteries flexible, which helps dampen rises in blood pressure, reducing your risk of stroke and atherosclerosis. Walking just a half hour every day will help to control your weight and improve your health.

2. If you smoke cigarettes, absolutely, positively stop for good.

Dr. Thomas H. Lee, M.D. writes, “No ’wonder drug’ does as much to reduce a smoker’s risk of heart attack as does giving up cigarettes.” Talk about the issue with your doctor. Then, do something special for yourself as a reward with the money you’ve been spending on cigarettes.

3. Take your medications every day the way they are prescribed.

Only about half of people take their pills as regularly as they are supposed to. The result is that blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes and other conditions are not nearly as well controlled as they might be. Put them right next to your tooth brush, or post a chart on your refrigerator.

4. Work at improving communication with your physicians.

If you are having side effects that dampen your enthusiasm for your medications, tell your doctor. There are so many good choices today, physicians almost always can find an alternative that works for you. Write down what you want to talk about, and when the doctor talks to you, write his or her points down. At the end of the visit, try summarizing your understanding of what the doctor has said.

5. Eat better

Being overweight taxes your heart and your joints, and increases your risk for hypertension, high cholesterol and diabetes. Try to lose just one pound per month for the year --it just takes walking a bit more each day, or giving up one cookie per day. But if you do this, you’ll need new clothes a year from now --and feel better for it.

Diabetes and Women’s Hearts

With November as National Diabetes Month, we wanted to highlight a study that shows that women with diabetes may be 26% more likely than other women to develop a heart rhythm problem called atrial fibrillation.

These findings were published in the October edition of Diabetes Care with data from more than 34,000 adults who got their health care through Kaiser Permanente Northwest. The group included 17,000 diabetes patients.

At the study’s start, it was known that atrial fibrillation was more common in diabetes patients than in people without diabetes, affecting 3.6% of the diabetes patients, compared to 2.5% of those without diabetes. The researchers then tracked all participants who didn't already have atrial fibrillation for seven years.

During that time, they saw that people with diabetes were more likely than people without diabetes to develop atrial fibrillation. That risk was higher for women than for men.

Regardless of factors including age, height, weight, blood pressure, previous history of heart disease, cholesterol levels, and hemoglobin A1c (which is used to estimate blood sugar control in recent months), women with diabetes were 26% more likely than other women to develop atrial fibrillation.

But diabetes didn't stand out as an independent risk factor for atrial fibrillation in men. That is, atrial fibrillation was more common in men with diabetes than in men without diabetes, but that gap vanished when the researchers controlled for other risk factors.

The reasons for the gender gap in the results aren't clear from this study.

"Diabetes has long been recognized as a risk factor for atrial fibrillation," write the researchers, who included Gregory Nichols, PhD, of the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research in Portland, Ore.

Still, Nichols and his colleagues say the gender gap in their findings was unexpected and needs further study.

About the author:
Practicing in Elyria, Dr. Navdeep Kaur's special interests include Preventive Medicine, Diabetes, Hypertension, Geriatric Medicine. If you don’t currently have a doctor, Ohio Medical Group’s new physician, Dr. Navdeep Kaur, is currently accepting new patients, and Diabetes and Hypertension are two of her specialties!

More Blogs from Dr. Kaur...

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Controlling Diabetes and Hypertension

Since November was National Diabetes Month, we thought we’d highlight another way that diabetes can impact your heart health—hypertension. North Ohio Heart Center and Ohio Medical Group have physicians who specialize in diabetes and hypertension.

According to an article in the journal of the American Academy of Family Physicians nearly one in four adults in the United States has hypertension, and more than 10 million adults have diabetes. Moreover, hypertension is twice as common in persons with diabetes as it is in others.

Obesity may be a common link between the two disorders, but other factors such as insulin resistance and autonomic dysfunction may also be involved. Excess weight with truncal obesity, hypertension, impaired glucose tolerance, insulin resistance, and dyslipidemia (a disruption in the amount of lipids in the blood) are among the components of the metabolic syndrome, which has been associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease.

In general, only 25% of patients with hypertension have adequate control of their blood pressure, and this is even more important for those with diabetes. Elevated blood pressure is known to contribute to diabetic microvascular and macrovascular complications such as.

• Microvascular: kidney disease, sexual dysfunction and eye disease.
• Macrovascular: cardiac disease and risk of strokes.

Fortunately, reductions in blood pressure can decrease the risk of these complications.

Lifestyle modifications such as exercise and a diet low in salt and high in potassium have clearly been shown to decrease blood pressure and may also improve glycemic control and insulin sensitivity. Excessive sodium intake is particularly harmful in patients with diabetes because it may work against their medications.

Although the benefits of lifestyle modification are clear, few patients are able to achieve blood pressure control with these interventions alone. To reduce this risk, hypertension must be diagnosed accurately and promptly, and the patient must receive adequate treatment. So be sure to see a doctor.

About the author:
Practicing in Elyria, Dr. Navdeep Kaur's special interests include Preventive Medicine, Diabetes, Hypertension, Geriatric Medicine. If you don’t currently have a doctor, Ohio Medical Group’s new physician, Dr. Navdeep Kaur, is currently accepting new patients, and Diabetes and Hypertension are two of her specialties!

More Blogs from Dr. Kaur...

 Dr. Kaur's BIO...