1. WEIGHT – Yes, your weight plays a major role in your heart health. If your BMI is over 25 kg/m2 (that is the

photo: eatingright.org

overweight/obesity range) and/or if you have extra love around your midsection, you are at a higher risk for heart disease, including heart attack and stroke.  The good news is that you can improve your heart health by losing weight.   To achieve weight loss, try to focus on exercise, food selections, and portion sizes.

2. FAT – Of course fat plays another major role in heart health! Be alarmed if your diet is loaded with higher fat foods, specifically foods high in saturated fat from animals including beef, pork, poultry fat and whole or 2% dairy.

Guidelines: Saturated fat should be limited to 7% of your total calories, due to its contribution to increasing your blood cholesterol. Following the American Heart Association’s guidelines, a heart healthy 2,000 calorie diet should be limited to 65 grams of total fat and 15 grams of saturated fat.

3.  SODIUM– Our bodies need a little bit of sodium (a.k.a. salt), though too much sodium can raise your blood pressure – not in the heart throbbing, good loving type of way – and increase your risk of heart disease including, heart attack and stroke.

Guidelines: The average American takes in 3,800 mg of sodium per day, which is nearly 2 times the recommended intake of ~2,000 mg per day for a heart healthy diet.

Helpful Tips: To lower your sodium intake, be sure to read the labels of any food in a package, jar, or can.  These processed foods have a lot of sodium to help preserve them to sit on the shelf.  Look for foods with reduced sodium label claims, such as “Sodium-free”, “Very Low Sodium”, or “Low Sodium”.  Another route is to go for the foods without packaging, especially the lovely colorful fresh fruits and vegetables!

4. CHOLESTEROL – Increased circulating cholesterol in your bloodstream can slowly make its home on the walls of your blood vessels, narrowing those important passage ways from your heart to your brain, lungs and other important parts of your body.  Our bodies naturally make cholesterol; therefore, it is important to limit the cholesterol in our foods to keep our blood flown properly!

Helpful Tips: One of the most important foods to be aware of when limiting your cholesterol is eggs!  One egg has 213 mg Cholesterol which is enough for your entire day!  Try to substitute those eggs with a cholesterol free egg substitute, just as it claims 0 mg of cholesterol and no fat!  Double heart loving bonus!

 5. FIBER – Fabulous, functional fiber can also help keep that lovable fiber heart of yours healthy.  Specifically soluble fiber, which binds with cholesterol and then takes a lovely ride out of the body, in turn reducing your blood LDL cholesterol (that’s the “bad” one).

Helpful Tips: To maximize the benefits of soluble fiber, include fruits, such as apples, bananas, pears, plums, peaches and citrus fruits, vegetables, such as carrots, brussel sprouts, broccoli, and chick peas, whole grains, such as barley, oats, psylium, and beans in your diet.

Renew your love for your heart and commit to making these heart healthy changes!

Have questions? Please don’t hesitate to contact us, we’re here to help!

By Emily Barr, MS, RD, CNSC

This February, SHOW YOUR HEART SOME LOVE 

 Learn what you need to do to have a healthy heart!

It’s February; the month of love. People everywhere are trying to come up with the perfect gift or gesture to express their love and appreciation for that special someone in their life. It’s strange though, because when we really want to give something meaningful, everlasting from the heart, we rarely thinking about our actual beating heart. When in reality, one of the best acts of love is making the priority to LOVE YOUR HEART.

Here are 3 reasons you should show your heart some love:

1.   One in three women will die from heart disease, while one in 31 will die from breast cancer. In fact, heart disease is the number one killer of women over the age of 20

2.  Heart disease is complicated because anyone could be at risk, not just those who are overweight or obese, but people with high blood pressure and high triglycerides.

 3.  Eighty percent of the heart disease is preventable by simply living a healthier lifestyle (e.g. food and fitness)

You see, YOU – being around – is the best gift you could ever give to yourself and to others.

Since  having a healthy diet is essential to having a healthy heart, our non-profit wants to offer you….

A FREE nutrition appointment to discuss what you can do to have a healthy heart.

During your FREE consultation, your new Nutritionist, Nancy, will be interested in learning more about you, so that she can provide the best solutions to fit your specific needs.

Throughout the 30 minute session, you will discuss

• Any past struggles and current obstacles you’re experiencing with your health (e.g. high blood pressure, high cholesterol, weight gain, prediabetes, diabetes, heart disease)
• How choosing the right foods can boost your metabolism and address other health concerns at the same time
• Small changes to your current diet that can make a big difference, improving both the health of your heart and metabolism
• Steps you should do today to regain your health and start showing your heart some love
• Our 2012 Guide to a healthy heart, including a list of foods that will help your heart and appeal to your taste buds. Plus an extra bonus.

Getting your FREE Healthy Heart Consultation is easy! Simply follow these 3 steps:

1. Click here to Book your FREE consultation, or click on the BOOKNOW button below
2. Select FREE: Getting a Healthy Heart
3.  Find a time and date that best fits your schedule ( NOTE: All times are listed as PST)

Please keep in mind that the time you select is reserved for YOU. So, mark it on your calendar!  We will call you at your selected time at the phone number you provide.

**Important** Due to the limited number of appointments available, and to reduce the number of no-shows, you will be asked to reserve the appointment with a credit card. You must give at least 24 hr  notice prior to cancelling or rescheduling appointments, otherwise you will be charge $5 no-show fee.

How good of deal is this?

Well, let’s just say that some Nutritionists charge $110 for a 30 min session. We DON’T have these charges.  We’re a non-profit organization that is sincerely interested in helping you to have a healthy heart. We are offering this program for FREE in February only, so don’t miss this great opportunity to show your heart some love!

We know how busy things can get, so don’t wait. A healthy heart is too important. Click the BookNow Button below to book your appointment.

We look forward to speaking with you!