How To Control Your Cholesterol And Live A Happy Life

You may have heard that your parents or any of your relative have high cholesterol problem. When you try to figure out what is cholesterol, then there are two words related with cholesterol you should know. First one is Hyperlipidemia and second one is hypercholesterolemia.

Hyperlipidemia means that there are lipids or fats in your blood which are increasing in numbers. These lipids or fats also called triglycerides. On the other hand, Hypercholesterolemia means that your blood have too much bad cholesterol. This increases the risk of your arteries blockage due to fatty deposits in your artery.

Cholesterol generally is of two types Good and bad cholesterol. Good cholesterol is HDL and bad cholesterol is LDL. If the level of good cholesterol is less than bad cholesterol then you have the risks of artery blockage or atherosclerotic plaque.

Your overall health and risks like smoking and high blood pressure is helpful if you are being diagnosed with Hyperlipidemia. Your doctor can combine these factors with your LDL and HDL cholesterol levels which ultimately affects your cardiovascular health.

So, can you control your cholesterol levels to enjoy your life happily? The good news is yes you can. Your high cholesterol levels can be lowered which can reduce your risk of any heart disease like stroke. But you need to check your cholesterol level first through your doctor. Earlier you know is way better then late.

There are some methods or we can say behavioural changes in your life to improve your cholesterol levels. Your lifestyle greatly affects your health. 

Have Good Eating Habits

How to lower your cholesterol levels? It is greatly depends on what you eat and how much you know about your food. Your food must contains low saturated and trans fat. The American Heart Association prescribes constraining saturated fat to 5 to 6 percent of day by day calories and limiting the measure of trans fat you eat.

Saturated fats and trans fats are high in red meat and whole milk dairy products. Replace these foods with skim milk, low fat or fat free dairy products. Eat less fried food items.

Dietary fiber rich food are also help to reduce your cholesterol level in a great extent. Intake of foods like fruits, vegetables, poultry, fish and nuts which are high in dietary fiber helps to maintain in your overall good health. A healthy diet makes you stay away from sugary foods and sugary beverages.

DASH diet plan is a good example of a good eating habits. DASH means Dietary approaches to stop hypertension. It is widely accepted and promoted by American heart Association, US department of agriculture and other institutions. Dash diets promotes your good heart health while providing you full nutrition. It combines all the essential nutrition from different foods based on your culture and preferences.

To understand your food, you should learn to read food labels. When you shop, read food labels which contain information about the food you are buying. Pay attention to the cholesterol levels mention on the labels. By doing this you can significantly control your cholesterol level.

Physical Activity Is Good For Your Health

An inactive lifestyle is harmful for your cholesterol levels. By staying physical inactive, you are decreasing your good cholesterol levels which is not good for your arteries. Studies shows that the person with sitting job or inactive lifestyle are more prone to get high cholesterol disease then others.

Experts suggests that exercising 150 minutes a week is very important for your health. Your exercises may include aerobics or yoga. You can do walking, bicycling, swimming and even dancing to get physical active. 

Smoking Is Dangerous

It is evident that smoking lowers your good cholesterol, HDL. Smoking is not good for your overall health and it makes worse if you already have high cholesterol problem. This increases the risk of coronary heart diseases as well as other cardiovascular problems. Smoking can multiply the risk of getting other diseases like high blood pressure, hypertension and diabetes.

Quitting smoking helps lower your cholesterol levels. Also non-smokers should stay away from exposure to second hand smoke.

Alcohol Is Not Good

If you are taking too much alcohol then you are inviting high cholesterol problem. Drinking alcohol can increase triglycerides in your blood and blocks your artery. So avoiding alcohol is good but in case you are not able to avoid it completely, limit it to less than two drinks per day. 

Losing Some Weight Helps

Obesity is also responsible to increase your cholesterol levels. Obesity and overweight means you have more fat in your body and tends to gain high cholesterol levels. Losing some weight can work for you and improves your cholesterol levels.

Bottom Line

Type of food you eat have great effect on your health. Your food is a part of your lifestyle. High cholesterol may be genetics but good eating habits can control it. Change in your lifestyle is important to tackle high cholesterol disease. Actually your bad lifestyle habits gets you the disease. So by improving your lifestyle with eating habits can get you a happy life with lower cholesterol.

READ MORE: Best Tips To Get Relief From Hypertension

What Is Keto Diet and It's Effects On Your Health You Never Know

Over weight or obesity is the major problem around the world. Despite Continuous advancement of medical healthcare facilities obesity is still a major health hazard in the entire world. Diseases like hypertension, diabetes, heart problems etc are related with the obesity. 

Our unhealthy lifestyle and poor eating habits are the common causes of obesity. But thanks to experts, a ban Ed and we'll prepared diet plan can helps you to lose weight significantly over a period of time. A ketogenic or keto diet mainly consist of a low carbohydrate and high fat diet plan.

WHAT IS KETOGENIC DIET ?

Ketogenic diet plan is primarily for obese and overweight people. Ketogenic diet includes a very small amount of carbohydrates, a moderate amount of protein and a high amount of fat per day. If you are over weight or obese and taking keto diet then your eating pattern will be like this. 

HOW KETO DIET WORKS ?

1. Carbohydrates are the primary source of energy production in the body.

2. Low carbohydrate diet makes it reducing fast in the body and hence insulin secretion is also reduced. Thus body enters In a catabolic state.

3. When the quantity of carbohydrates is low available in the body, two metabolic process gluconeogenesis and ketogenesis.

4. Gluconeogenesis is the endogenous production of glucose in the body. When glucose availability drops, ketogenesis begins in order to provide an alternate source of energy in the form of ketone bodies.

5. Ketone bodies synthesized in the body can be easily utilized for energy production by heart, muscle tissue, and the kidneys.

6. Ketone bodies produce more "super fuel" than glucose. This allows the body to maintain efficient fuel production even during a caloric deficit. Ketone bodies also decrease free radical damage and enhance antioxidant capacity.

TYPES OF KETOGENIC DIET:

There are mainly 4 types of diet plan under ketogenic diet plan.

1. Standard ketogenic diet:

This is a very low-carbohydrate with moderate protein and high fat diet. It typically contains 70 per cent fat, 20 per cent protein and only 10 per cent carbohydrates.

2. Cyclical ketogenic diet:

This diet involves periods of higher carbohydrates in between the ketogenic diet cycles, for example, five ketogenic days followed by two high-carbohydrate days as a cycle.

3. Targeted ketogenic diet:

This diet permits adding additional carbohydrates around the periods of the intensive physical workout.

4. High-protein ketogenic diet:

This diet includes more protein and the ratio around 60 per cent fat, 35 per cent protein and five per cent carbohydrates but as can be seen, it is still a very high fat diet.

EFFECTS YOU SHOULD KNOW OF KETO DIET:

While taking Keto Diet, you may feel following short term problems:

1. Fatigue

2. Constipation
3. Headache

4. Bad breath
5. Feeling sick
6. Dizziness
7. Dehydration

BOTTOM LINE:

Keto diet is extremely popular diet plant for weight loss but it may have side effects. These include muscle cramps, bad breath, changes in bowel habits, keto-flu and loss of energy. Therefore it is important to monitoring of individuals on keto-diet closely once or twice a month for blood glucose, ketones cardiac and other parameters. 

Evidences from studies shows that the keto diet may be suitable for some people with some medical conditions, but there is very limited evidence that healthy people should use it as a long-term diet plan. studies have shown that low-carbohydrate ketogenic diets also reduce serum triglycerides (It is type of fat found in our blood) dramatically. If quantity of triglycerides increases in your blood it may increase your risk of heart disease.

Although, studies suggests, low-carbohydrate ketogenic diets have been shown to have immense benefits in blood sugar control. There are some reported beneficial effects on cancer and neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and epilepsy

Reference:

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6251269/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK499830/
https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/ketogenic-diet

Amazing Health Benefits of Running You Never Know

Your regular running habit is good for your health. You may be go out early in the morning in your nearby park for jogging because you know about the health benefits of regular running. Regular running is good and you don't need any fancy gym equipment to run. Experts suggest that running has so many health benefits like good cardio vascular health, better bone density and improved immune system.

YOU WILL GOT HAPPY LUNGS!

Regular running or jogging improve blood circulation in our veins. It also benefits in blood pressure problem, respiratory problem and anxiety. Your lungs will be happy to breathe fresh air full of oxygen.

ARE YOU OVER WEIGHT?

Regular runners have good body mass index in comparison to non runners. With proper eating habits, regular runners lose more weight than others and maintain a healthy weight.

FEEL INSPIRED!

Running energizes you and you feel inspired in a great way. Your body and mind benefits with a good oxygen flow inside your body which happens due to running.

FAT IS BURNING!

Running benefits all your body parts like legs, thighs, knees, stomach, arms and shoulder. Running activates your metabolism and speed up your fat burn process.

RUNNING IS AWESOME!

1. Running benefits your whole body and helps you in weight loss.

2. Running strengthen your knees and other joints.

3. Running can be done on the ground or on a treadmill. There are manual and motorized treadmill. Motorized treadmills are better because it have different speed levels and easy to operate than manual treadmills.

4. Regular running boost up your mood and self confidence. it certainly has psychological benefits.

5. Regular running improves your lungs capacity hence improves oxygen flow in your muscles which reduces muscle pain and inflammation.

6. Running makes you drink more water which keeps you hydrated.

7. Your cardiovascular health certainly gets better with regular running.

8. Your cholesterol levels keep in control of you do running regularly.

9. Running in the morning helps you to breathe fresh air. Fresh air in the morning has more oxygen than in noon or in evening hence improves your lungs health.

10. Running with your partner is good for both of you. It makes your bond and relationship stronger. It ultimately improves your mental health.

11. As you know running improves your mental health and improves your sleep quality.

12. You can monitor your running performance with smart wearable. They shows your heart rate, running speed and total distance.

13. You can run in your city marathon or in your nearby park or on a treadmill. Actually you just need a partner to run together. 

BOTTOM LINE:

Expert suggests that regular running is an effective way to reduce stress, anxiety, depression, and tension. You should maintain a good form during running so that you stay away from an injury. Your legs are more prone to get injured during running. 

Running does not need any sophisticated equipments, you just need a good pair of shoes and you can start running. 

If you are a new runner then you must read 6 common practices new runners can stop today.

Awesome Health Benefits Of Regular Exercise

Hi, today I am talking about health benefits of Regular exercise. I think you know what is the meaning  of doing exercise. But I believe you can get more benefits if you understand it more deeply.

It is a universal and true thing about fitness that to remain fit, you have to eat well, sleep well, and most importantly exercise daily. Otherwise You can become obese and sick, really Sick.

BUT WHAT ABOUT YOUR LAZINESS?

To wake up early is the most difficult task for some of our friends, isn't it? I am sure you agree with me. But to get a good physical health, first of all you need to leave your laziness. You may be agree with me that your laziness is the first main obstacle to get your Dream Physical fitness level. It is better to leave your bed early and starts warming up your body.

WATER, WATER & WATER:

Drink a glass of Mild warm water when you wake up. It will activate your metabolism and hydrates you. Drinking water early in the morning also remove bad particles from your body.

EXERCISE OF ANY TYPE:

There are plenty of exercises you can do at gym or at home. Body weight exercises are great, especially when you have a busy schedule. You can do body weight exercise at your home or You can join your nearby gym. In my view you should join gym for better and faster fitness result.

There are many different forms of exercising like yoga, with gym equipments, body weight, dancing, swimming etc. All these methods can get you fit If you do regularly.

DO YOU WANT WEIGHT LOSS?

You must understand that fat burn and better flexibility can achieve through regular exercise, eating good food and better sleep. You should stop smoking and drinking (alcohol) immediately because these are harmful to your body.

Here are the BENEFITS of regular exercise.

1. Your weight will be reduces and you can get your fit body.

2. Your stamina will improve like never before.

3. Your muscle mass improve as well as your bone density. You will feel stronger.

4. Your immune system will strengthened.

5. Better physical flexibility.

6. Attractive physical appearance, hence your confidence will improved.

7. Better Cardio vascular health.

8. Diseases can't get you easily due to good immune system.

9. Better brain health.

10. Better sleep quality.


BOTTOM LINE:

I bet you understand the benefits of regular exercising. It took only 15 to 30 minutes daily. Good food and good habits are also important for yours physical health, actually good eating habits are equally important like regular exercise. Click here to read about good eating habits and their results on your body.

Best Natural Sweetener You Can Use Instead Of Sugar

Diabetes problem is becoming common now a days. Our lifestyle making it worse day by day. Lack of physical activity and bad eating habits helps to increase the risk of diabetes. To prevent diabetes we need to maintained a good eating habit with regular physical activities. Choose food with lower sugar especially added sugar. There are some sugar alternative which have glycemic values, it means they do not increase your blood sugar level.

Here are some natural sweetener which you can use in place of sugar.

COCONUT SUGAR

It is a natural sweetener and derived from the sap of coconut palm. Experts suggests that coconut sugar contains several nutrients, making it an alternative to traditional cane sugar or high fructose corn syrup. In addition to retaining nutrients from the palm, coconut sugar also may have a lower glycemic index than traditional sugar which is good for diabetes patients. 

Coconut sugar has several other health benefits due to it's nutrition rich property. It has Zinc, calcium, potassium, polyphenols, and antioxidants.

VANILLA EXTRACT

You might be very well aware of vanilla beans. Vanilla beans often remind us of cupcakes and lattes, birthdays and candles and ice cream. Vanilla beans are used for pain relief and increasing brain power. It has strong anti-inflammatory phytonutrients. Vanillin found in vanilla beans is known to activate receptors that relieve pain, reduce stress, and enhance cognitive function. Thus, making vanilla powerful anti-inflammatory, brain-powering beans. 

Vanilla beans also used as a sweetener which is very good and enjoyed by most of the people. It has so many health benefits like it may alleviate anxiety, combats free radicals and oxidative stress, aids in weight loss, anti-inflammatory properties, anti-cancer benefits, mood enhancer, cognitive benefits, aphrodisiac properties

MAPLE SYRUP

Maple syrup is a very good sweetener in comparison to honey. It has fewer calories and higher mineral content than honey. Maple syrup rich in manganese and zinc because of these, this sweetener packs a little more than just its sweetness. Manganese is an essential enzyme co-factor in cell energy production and detoxification. While zinc is essential for healthy cells and a healthy prostate. 
Maple syrup has other health benefits like anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and immune boosting properties. 

Maple syrup has been known to cause less gas and discomfort than most other sweeteners.

ALMOND EXTRACT

Almonds one of the best food around us and everyone aware of that. Almonds are filled with good fats, protein, vitamins and minerals, making them one of the most nutritionally complete foods around. Experts suggests that they may also help prevent blood sugar spikes and regulate insulin levels. 

Several different studies have shown that eating almonds or almond products with refined carbohydrates dramatically reduces the "glycemic impact" of that carbohydrate. Additionally, this balancing effect is proportional to quantity.

Almond extract contains omega-3, omega-6, and omega-9 fatty acids; manganese, vitamin E, magnesium, potassium, tryptophan, copper, riboflavin, phosphorus, iron, calcium, zinc, biotin, protein, and fiber

BLUE AGAVE NECTAR 

Agave nectar is a fructose-rich liquid sweetener derived from a plant, and is often promoted as a low glycemic alternative to refined sugar.

This 100% plant-based sweetener originated from the blue agave plant, the same cactus from which tequila is derived. The good factor for this sweetener option is its comparatively lower glycemic index. With lower GI value, your blood sugar will not spikes up. Additionally, agave nectar is sweeter than most other sugars (about 1.5 times sweeter than regular table sugar), so less is needed to achieve the same taste, which saves calories for those looking to manage their weight.

Different studies results suggest that in comparison to sucrose, agave nectar may have a positive influence on weight gain and glucose control.

DATES 

Dates fruit can easily become your natural sweetener. Date fruits have also been used in several forms such as syrups, spread, sugar and flour as a sweetener in food. To reduce the consumption of added sugar, and enjoy the sweet taste, dates in various forms have potential to blend in ethnic food preparation. 

Date fruits have several health benefits like promotes muscle development, supports intestinal and colon health, increases stamina, lowers blood pressure, supports heart health, combats free radicals and other toxins, low GI index. Actually dates have more potassium than bananas in equal quantity. 

READ MORE: Amazing Health Benefits of Eating Nuts Everyday You Never Know

Best Tips On Healthy Eating When You Are Older

When person age, their body required more nutritions than before. A variety of food helps to get different nutritions. Your healthy eating plan emphasizes fruit, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat or fat-free dairy, includes lean meat, poultry, fish, beans, eggs and nuts and is low in saturated fats, trans fats, salt (sodium) and added sugars.

Your food choices must be nutrient dense but not energy dense and we should be careful to choose discretionary foods only occasionally as these are higher in kilojoules.

If you wonder how to start a good eating habit, following dietary guidelines will help you,

• Eat more fruits and vegetables. They can be fresh, frozen or canned. Eat more dark green vegetables such as leafy greens or broccoli, and orange vegetables such as carrots and sweet potatoes. Prefer locally produced food items as they are more fresher than cold storage foods.

• Include protein rich food choices with more fish, beans and peas.

• Eat at least three ounces of whole-grain cereals, breads, crackers, rice or pasta every day.

• Have three servings of low-fat or fat-free dairy (milk, yogurt or cheese) that are fortified with vitamin D to help keep your bones healthy.

• Make the fats you eat healthy ones (polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats). Switch from solid fats to oils when preparing food.

GOOD FOOD & PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

The combination of healthy food and regular physical activities is really good for you. It will keep you to maintain muscle strength and healthy weight. As you get older, you may gain weight but regular exercise will help to remain you fit. Try to do 30 minutes of physical activity daily. Start slowly if you are not active currently. Walking and yoga is the better way to start.

LIMIT FOOD WITH FAT, ADDED SALT AND SUGAR

It’s always good to limit saturated fats, added salt, added sugars, alcohol and low fiber choices for good health. Older people are more prone to diseases as compare to younger people. They may have cardio, liver problem, back pain or irregular bowl movement.

Choosing food is very important as you get old. To fulfill your nutritional needs, you need to eat variety of foods. Stay away from packaged food items as they have added salt. Drink more water than sugary drinks. Older people can also find that they need to eat more high fiber foods and to drink more water to avoid constipation as bowels tend to slow down with age.

Eat foods that provide no more than 1,500 milligrams of sodium per day. Check the Nutrition Facts label for the number of milligrams of sodium in a food. You don’t want to exceed a total of 65% Daily Value (DV) for sodium from all foods in a day.

DRINK PLENTY OF WATER

You need to drink plenty of water regularly. In liquid you can take juice, soda water or milk. Actually when you get older you often don’t feel thirsty even when your body wants fluid. You can take green tea or coffee also.

AVOID SMOKING AND DRINKING

Smoking can't be good for anyone. Avoid or quit smoking immediately. Smoking is harmful for your lungs and can make you dangerously sick. Smoking and drinking is injurious to your health and you should stop it as soon as possible.

EAT MORE WHOLE GRAIN FOODS

A whole grain contains all edible parts of the grain, including the bran, germ, and endosperm. A diet rich in whole grains (like, whole wheat, brown rice, oats, unprocessed maize, millets) has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity and some forms of cancer. 

Whole-grain diets also improve bowel health by helping to maintain regular bowel movement and promote growth of healthy bacteria in the colon.

EAT LESS SUGAR

Foods high in added sugars may provide calories but few essential nutrients. So, look for foods and beverages low in added sugars. Read the ingredient list of the food and make sure that added sugars are not one of the first few ingredients.

PLAY SAFE WITH FOOD AND MAINTAIN HYGIENE

Proper hygiene is also very important for you. Clean hands, food-contact surfaces, fruits, and vegetables. Do not wash or rinse meat and poultry. This used to be a common practice, but experts say it can spread bacteria to other foods. Plus, it’s just not necessary because any bacteria present on the food will be destroyed by cooking to safe internal temperatures. 

Separate raw, cooked, and ready-to-eat foods while shopping, preparing, or storing. Cook meat, poultry, and fish to safe internal temperatures to kill microorganisms. Chill perishable foods promptly and thaw foods properly. Reheat leftover refrigerated foods to a safe internal temperature. 

So, why not find your way to a healthier you for yourself, your family, and your future. You may increase the quality of your life, as well as your chances for a longer one. Keep a healthy diet plan and do some exercise regularly. Stay healthy.


Resources:

https://www.nhp.gov.in/healthlyliving/healthy-diet

10 Amazing Food Portion Control Tips You Never Know

Why you need to control your food portion size? The answer is to get a healthy weight and body by adapting good eating habits. Healthy food includes food full of nutritions with less calories. 

What is portion size? A portion is the amount of food or meal that you choose to eat for a meal or snack. It can be big or small, it depends on your choice. Include variety of foods in your meal.

You will be surprised by knowing that the average meal portion size has been increased in the last 20 years. Now you can find food for 2 to 3 people in a single plate you ordered. This is called portion distortion. Portion distortion disturbs your diet plan and create a problem of overeating.

You can understand that overeating never helps you. It only creates problem by increasing your weight and make you obese. If you become obese, you may attracts various diseases like cardiovascular, hypertension, diabetes etc. Correct portion size of your meal can help you to remain fit and avoid obesity. 

You should ask question from yourself, how many calories you need each day to lose weight or maintain your weight? It depends on your age, weight, metabolism, whether you are male or female, how active you are and other factors.

Now, you are thinking about how to check and control your meal portion size? 

Here are 10 tips you can use to control your portion size.

1. Always buy single serving snacks and beverages. Remember to check the nutritional information on the label. By checking label, you can ensure how much calories you are taking. Eat healthy snacks and try to take lowest possible calorie snacks. Also, small portion size, better for your health.

2. Avoid larger plates and use smaller plate for eating. 
Try to calm down your food craving by swapping your main meal plate with salad plate. We tend to fill our empty stomach space on whatever plate we use.

3. Avoid or resist going for second or third plate. 
Put you food platters in the kitchen not on the dining table. By doing this you can resist yourself for the 2nd or 3rd round of eating.

4. Don't be greedy while eating. 
You should avoid eating more than you can eat therefore skip all you-can-eat food and unnecessary drinks on your table.

5. Put snacks-to-eat in a bowl not in a bag. 
Put popcorn, chips etc in a bowl while watching TV. The idea is to control your eating size of snacks, otherwise you can eat more than you should.

6. Split your main course of a meal with your friend or partner when dining out. 
Take half of your main meal and take salad for the other half. By doing this you can limit your calorie intake.

7. Order small quantity while eating out. 
Remember healthy eating is important not the quantity of your meal. Healthy food in less quantity is better than the unhealthy food in large quantity.

8. Eat less but regularly throughout the day. 
Try to eat small portion of your food in every 2 or 3 hours. You can eat fruit salad or snacks or other healthy food. It helps you to control your hunger and overeating.

9. Eat nutrient dense food with low calorie. If you need help to identify these foods, ask your doctor or diet expert. High fiber and protein food satisfies your stomach in less quantity.

10. Be mindful about what your are eating. Healthy food is all you need. Eat only when you are hungry. Don't eat by just seeing your favorite food on the table. Eat slowly and enjoy every bite of your healthy food.

These are the best tips to control your food portion size. You will find good result on your body when doing this. Good eating habits and food portion control helps you to maintain your belly size small and a healthy weight you deserve.


READ MORE...

• Best foods for you to deal with stress and depression. 
• 10 Best foods for your healthy heart you never know.
• Amazing health benefits of honey You must know.
• 5 best eating habits to get you a healthy lifestyle.

Resources:

https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/wecan/eat-right/distortion.htm

How To Make Your Heart Healthy To Prevent Heart Disease?

Your diet and fitness impacts your heart health, specially your cardiovascular health. Certain food items can increase risk of heart disease. Food which contains high amount of saturated fat and cholesterol are mainly responsible for weight gain and bad heart health.

It is important to change your eating habits to get a positive effect on your health. You should include more plant based food than meat etc non veg foods. Studies suggests that vegetable food has more antioxidants, vitamins and good fat than non vegetarian food.

It is tough to change your eating habits due to busy lifestyle and lack of determination. But unhealthy eating can put your health on risk so it is wise to eat good for a better health and living.

Your cardiovascular health greatly depends on your exercise routine and food you are eating. Your healthy heart needs your focus to remain healthy and fit. Good eating habits will provide essential nutrients to your body and regular exercise makes you fit.

There are some steps you can apply in your daily routine to prevent heart disease.

CONTROL YOUR EATING AND PORTION SIZE

Watch what you put on your plate! Study reveals that the portion sizes have grown so much over the past 20 years. This portion size may include food for 2 or 3 people. This is called portion distortion.
A portion is the amount of food or drink you choose to eat for any given meal or snack.

Proper and mindful eating is important. Experts suggests that you should eat only 80 percent of your stomach capacity. Overeating regularly can make you obese and over weight. Extra calories will never benefits you.

Take small portion of food in your plate. You can also eat larger portion of food which contains low calories but high nutrients. Eat smaller portion of food which contains high calories and low nutrients. This method helps you to maintain your body weight and cholesterol level which ultimately helps your heart.

Healthy portion sizes are likely a lot smaller than what you are used to putting on your plate.

Control your portion size, it is not an easy task but learning and practice are all you need.

MORE VEGETABLES AND FRUIT IN YOUR DIET !

A low calorie diet with high quantity of dietary fiber and minerals are good for your heart health. Plant based food like fruits and vegetables are rich in antioxidants which helps to prevent heart diseases.

Including fruits in your diet helps you to cut high calorie foods intake. It is easy to adapt vegetable diet and decrease the non veg foods from your diet for better heart health. The best way to eat fruits is to eat fruit salad or snacks.

Keep fruits and vegetables in your kitchen. Seasonal fruits are the best choice to eat and you can enjoy most of the fruits with their vitamins and minerals. This will help you to prevent heart diseases.

EAT WHOLE GRAIN FOOD

Whole grains contain the entire grain, the bran, germ and endosperm. Examples include whole wheat, oats/oatmeal, rye, barley, corn, popcorn, brown rice, wild rice, buckwheat, triticale, bulgur (cracked wheat), millet, quinoa, and sorghum.Whole grain foods are an excellent sources of dietary fiber. 

Dietary fiber from whole grains, as part of an overall healthy diet, may help improve blood cholesterol levels, and lower risk of heart disease, stroke, obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Dietary fiber in whole grain food can make you feel full, so you may eat fewer calories. Including whole grains in your diet plan may help you reach or manage a healthy weight. Healthy body weight helps your heart to remain healthy.

According to American Heart Association, following count as 1 ounce-equivalent (or 1 serving) of whole grains-

• 1 slice whole-grain bread (such as 100% whole-wheat bread) 
• 1 cup ready-to-eat, whole-grain cereal
• 1⁄2 cup cooked whole-grain cereal, brown rice, or whole-wheat pasta
• 5 whole-grain crackers
• 3 cups unsalted, air-popped popcorn
• 1 6-inch whole-wheat tortilla

AVOID UNHEALTHY FAT IN YOUR FOOD

Saturated and trans fats increase blood cholesterol and heart attack rates. Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats lower the risk of heart attacks.

Avoid eating food with higher cholesterol level. Cholesterol is a fat that is crucial to many metabolic functions and is an essential part of all the body’s cell membranes. Cholesterol is produced in the body from the food we eat and is produced in the liver.

Saturated and trans fats in the diet tend to increase LDL cholesterol in the blood. Common sources of saturated fats include animal products (butter, meat fat, beef, lamb, chicken skin and full cream dairy foods), and processed foods like pastries and biscuits. High cholesterol level in your body leads to buildup plaques in your arteries which put pressure on your heart.

Choosing good fat in your diet helps to maintain your waist line and weight. Avoid red meat and other items to avoid fat intake.

EAT LOW FAT PROTEIN RICH FOOD

Eggs, lean meat and some dairy products are good source of protein. Fat, whether from plant or animal sources, contains more than twice the number of calories of an equal amount of carbohydrate or protein. 

Choose a diet that provides no more than 30 percent of total calories from fat. The upper limit on the grams of fat in your diet will depend on the calories you need. 

Cutting back on fat can help you consume fewer calories. For example, at 2,000 calories per day, the suggested upper limit of calories from fat is about 600 calories.

Avoid fast food.

Fish is another good source of protein. Some of the fish have omega-3 fatty acid which helps to lower blood fat. Other sources are flax seed, walnuts, soybeans and canola oil.

Eat plant based low fat diet for better heart health.

REDUCE SODIUM INTAKE

Most people eat more sodium than they need. Eating foods high in sodium may cause high blood pressure, also called hypertension. Hypertension is a risk factor for heart disease and stroke. 

You should limit the amount of sodium you eat each day to less than 2,300 milligrams (about 1 teaspoon of salt), including the sodium found in packaged foods that you cannot see.

To reduce sodium in your diet you can -

• Eat fewer processed food because processed food may contain large salt.
• Check sodium content level in food by checking label affixed on them.
• Eating seasonal fresh foods which includes fruits and vegetables.

MANAGE YOUR DAILY DIET

Now you know which food is good for your heart and which one is not. You should note down these good food and start your good eating habits with good portion size you need.

Your food should include fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grain food with low bad fat and cholesterol.

Include food with higher protein and low fat. Prepare daily menu for your diet plan.

REGULAR EXERCISE

Regular exercise is as important as good eating habit. 20 minutes run on treadmill burn your fat faster. Your metabolism becomes active and your heart health improve.

When done regularly, moderate- and vigorous-intensity physical activity strengthens your heart muscle. This improves your heart's ability to pump blood to your lungs and throughout your body. As a result, more blood flows to your muscles, and oxygen levels in your blood rise.

Capillaries, tiny blood vessels in your body, also widen. This allows them to deliver more oxygen to your body and carry away waste products.

Drink plenty of water which helps to remove excess fat from your body and maintain healthy weight.

The above steps makes your heart healthy. Just follow the above points and adapt in your daily life. A happy heart makes you live longer and healthy.

READ MORE...

• Top risks of eating non-veg you never know.
• Best foods for you deal with stress and depression.
• 10 Best foods for a healthy heart you never know.
• 21 Amazing health benefits of eating an apple a day you never know.

Resources:
https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/wecan/eat-right/distortion.htm
https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/wecan/downloads/tip-portion-size.pdf

Best Foods For You To Deal With Stress And Depression

A good and balanced diet greatly affects your mood. Good food makes you feel energetic and helps you to get rid of stress, hypertension and other diseases. When you depressed, you tend to neglect your diet and make your condition worse. But regular intake of good foods make you feel stress free.

5 things you should know about stress:-

1. Stress affects everyone.
2. Not all stress is bad.
3. Long term stress can harm your health.
4. There are ways to manage stress.
5. Ask for a help from a health professional.

Here are the best foods you can eat to get relief from stress and depression.

BLUEBERRIES

Antioxidants and Phytonutrients found in blueberries which fight against stress causing radicals. Studies also suggests that eating blueberries boosts immune system against stress.

GREEN LEAFY VEGETABLES

Eat green vegetables if you feel stressed otherwise those burger will increase your waist line. Yes! its true when you feel stressed, your tendency to eat junk food may increase.
A study found that those who consumed the most folate had a lower risk of depression symptoms than those who took in the least. Folate found in green vegetables. Another study found that college students tended to feel calmer, happier, and more energetic on days they ate more fruits and veggies. This proves that healthy eating habits makes your life healthy.

PUMPKIN SEEDS

Magnesium found in flax seed, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds. Studies suggests that loading up on the mineral may help regulate emotions and magnesium has been shown to help alleviate depression, fatigue, and irritability. When you're feeling especially irritable during that time of the month, the mineral also helps to fight PMS symptoms, including cramps and water retention."

CASHEWS

Cashews full of zinc which helps to reduce anxiety. It is found that those who feeded recommended value of zinc, their anxiety level reduced by 31 percent. This is likely because zinc affects the levels of a nerve chemical that influences mood. If you're already getting enough zinc, then it may not help your mood to chow down on cashews. Cashews are also a rich source of omega-3 fatty acid.

MILK

A protein found in milk can treat stress and depression. The protein, lactium, appears to have a calming effect on the body by lowering blood pressure and reducing levels of cortisol, a hormone released when the body is stressed. Milk is a healthy drink and full of calcium.

PISTACHIOS

The nuts contain key phytonutrients that may provide antioxidant support for cardiovascular health.
Eating pistachios may reduce acute stress by lowering blood pressure and heart rate. As a snack pistachios becomes a healthy food.

OATMEAL

Certain comfort foods, such as oatmeal, can reduce levels of stress hormones and also result in a boost in serotonin, which stimulates a feeling of calmness.

SALMON

When you're stressed, it can ratchet up anxiety hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol. The omega-3 fatty acids in salmon have anti-inflammatory properties that may help counteract the negative effects of stress hormones. Omega-3 is also available as a food supplement.

AVOCADO

Avocado is full of nutritional elements. It has essential nutritions which helps you to relax your mood and remove stress. Eating avocado feels you full.

YOGURT

As bizarre as it may sound, the bacteria in your gut might be contributing to stress. Studies has shown that the brain signals to the gut, which is why stress can inflame gastrointestinal symptoms, communication may flow the other way too, from gut to brain. Yogurt helps to regulate your stress causing elements.

DARK CHOCOLATE

You love chocolates. Dark chocolates can help you to overcome your stress. Eating chocolate can reduce your stress hormones and stress level. Dark chocolates also rich in antioxidants thanks to cocoa in the chocolate. And finally, dark chocolate contains unique natural substances that create a sense of euphoria similar to the feeling of being in love.

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