The Salt of Life

WEDNESDAY, March 11 (HealthDay News) -- If Americans cut just one gram of salt from their daily diet, there would be 250,000 fewer new cases of heart disease and more than 200,000 fewer deaths over a decade, a new study suggests. Read the rest of the story Here

The body actually needs sodium to regulate many of its functions, including heartbeat, nerve impulses and circulatory volume. It's only when consumed in excessive amounts that it reportedly contributes to high blood pressure, kidney disease and fluid retention.

Very little salt is required—perhaps less than a third of a teaspoon a day— to get the sodium necessary for good health. For this reason, avoid salt in highly processed snacks and convenience foods.

Use these tricks to reduce your salt intake:

* Substitute herbs, spices or citrus zest for salt.
* Rinse high-sodium foods like pickles, olives and canned vegetables and beans in fresh water before eating.
* Eat more fruits and vegetables. These foods are high in potassium, which complements sodium and contributes to a healthy balance of the two elements in the body.

Tip: Consider replacing iodized fine salt with a more pure coarse salt such as kosher or sea salt. Place a small bowl of it near the stove to measure out with your fingers. You'll consume less sodium and your food will taste better.

More about salt Here

When Fresh Is NOT the Best

Did you know that herbs and spices are not just for making foods more tasty?

Recently I read an article by nutrition expert Kelley Herring about the benefits of using herbs and spices in your cooking. She says that when you add herbs and spices to your meals, you're doing yourself a big favor. Herring writes that recent research shows that many herbs and spices pack more age-defying, disease-fighting nutrients than the foods we use them on.

Herring believes using dried herbs will help you power up the flavor and boost the antioxidants in your meals nearly tenfold.

Herring provides the following information:

The Oxygen Radical Absorbency Capacity (ORAC) score ranks foods on their ability to neutralize free radicals.
Blueberries are extremely rich in antioxidants, ranking 6,552 on the ORAC scale. But Herring writes that doesn't come close to the antioxidants found in common herbs like basil and oregano.


Here's how these herbs stack up, according to Herring:

ORAC Score of Oregano

* 13,970 (fresh)
* 200,129 (dried)

ORAC Score of Basil

* 4,805 (fresh)
* 67,553 (dried)

Apparently dried is sometimes better than fresh!

Herring suggests that we buy organic dried herbs and store them in opaque containers, away from light and heat. And replace your herbs every six months to get the most flavor and free-radical fighters out of your shaker.

Almonds For Your Health

Almonds

 

Did you know that almonds are a healthy snack and that they have been proven beneficial for weight loss, and can help to combat a number of health problems? In a recent installment of Healthy Eating with the Gallands, from Care2.com, the benefits of eating almonds are covered.

The article states that almonds are more than a delicious snack, they are packed with nutrition that can help reduce your waistline and improve your health. Studies indicate that almonds may provide important nutritional support to combat diabetes, high blood sugar, high cholesterol, inflammation and obesity.

The article also says that almonds help your Heart and Waist. It states that almonds are a source of nutrients that can facilitate weight loss and can help your heart. When overweight Americans used about a 2/3 cup of almonds per day as part of a weight-loss diet, they increased weight loss by 62 percent more than when following a standard weight loss diet and had a 50 percent greater reduction in waist circumference. (I think 2/3 cup might be too much).

And did your know that almonds are a good source of the minerals calcium, magnesium and potassium.

The article points out that almonds help reduce High Blood Sugar. It mentions exciting research that shows almonds may help to fight The Insulin Resistance Syndrome, also called the Metabolic Syndrome, which affects 40 percent of U.S. adults. It is characterized by an expanding waistline, insulin resistance and an increased risk of developing diabetes. According to the article, research done at the City of Hope National Medical Center in California found that incorporating almonds into a weight loss diet produced a decrease in insulin resistance that was twice as large as with a standard weight-loss diet. Diabetics showed almost twice the improvement in blood sugar control when they lost weight on an almond-enriched diet than a standard diabetic weight-loss diet.

To read all about the amazing power of almonds and pick up some pointers on how to incorporate more of them into your diet check out the complete article at Care2's Annie's Green Living Series

More Notes:
For more info about the health benefits of Almonds Click Here

Almonds Photo Credit
Edited 1/23/2016