About Nutrients Advice From Swiss Sciences Nutrition
Here, Swiss Sciences Nutrition will discuss Nutrients and how they are used by the body.
Nutrients are simply chemicals we all need. They are what makes our bodies live and grow. Nutrients are essential, and without them our body would not be able to create or repair damaged tissue. Many nutrients are converted to energy in the body’s digestive system.
There are a few ways that nutrients can be classified. They can be either organic or inorganic, they can be either macro nutrients or micro nutrients, they can be considered either “essential” or “non-essential”, and they are also classified into substances that either “provide energy” or “support metabolism”. The main classifications of nutrients are: carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals, vitamins, and water. One of the things Swiss Sciences Nutrition does is to study these nutrients and their effects on the body.
Organic nutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and vitamins come from the materials of other living organisms while inorganic nutrients are “non-living” substances such as water, oxygen, and minerals.
Macronutrients are required by our bodies in large quantities. Some examples are carbohydrates, protein, fats, and water. Micronutrients are only required in tiny amounts like vitamins and minerals.
Nutrients that cannot be created by our body’s chemical processes are called essential nutrients. It is necessary to receive these types of nutrients through consumption of food or supplements. Nonessential nutrients are created by our bodies.
Nutrients that provide energy include carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. They nutrients are broken down in the body’s digestive system and turned into energy. Nutrients that support metabolism include dietary minerals, vitamins, and water.
A brief rundown of the different classes of nutrients is as follows:
The Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates can be classified as either simple or complex and are the nutrients that include sugars, starches and even fiber. Carbohydrates are the main ingredient of foods such as wheat, rice, corn, noodles, bread and other grain-based products. Carbohydrates can have a negative effect on our health if consumed in too large a quantity, however, they are an important part of our daily diet. Simple carbohydrates are highly processed. They include sugars and starches and can have seriously negative effects on our health when consumed in large amounts.
Fiber
Fiber is included in the carbohydrates. It can be classified as either soluble or insoluble. Fiber is a part of foods like whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and nuts. Fiber has many health benefits and improves digestion in several ways by moving food along the digestive tract and slowing the absorption of sugar, which helps lower blood glucose levels to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Proteins
Proteins are made up of amino acids. These are required to produce the substances that make up muscle tissue, skin, and hair. Enzymes are also created by proteins. Enzymes are important substances which control chemical reactions in the body.
Fats
Fats are classified as being either saturated or unsaturated. Animal fats are saturated fats and are recognized by being in a solid state at room temperature. Vegetable oils are unsaturated fats and are liquid at room temperature. Saturated fats are not usually as healthy for us as unsaturated fats. Unsaturated fats are also broken down further into omega-3 or omega-6 fatty acids. Trans-fats are unsaturated fats that have been “hydrogenated” and become solid at room temperature. Trans-fats are the most unhealthy of the fats and are, if fact, quite detrimental to our health.
The Vitamins
Many vitamins are considered essential nutrients. They cannot be produced by the body but need to be be ingested in food or through supplements. Many diseased can occur as a result of vitamin deficiencies – among them are cancer, immune system weaknesses, and osteoporosis.
Minerals
Minerals are substances required by our bodies that are not found in organic molecules. Sodium and calcium are just a couple of the many minerals we need in our diet. Minerals are often artificially added to our diets in the form of supplements.
Most foods contain a mixture of the various nutrient classes. Many nutrients can be stored in the body. Others must be ingested on a daily basis. A deficiency of the required nutrients can lead to poor health. It is the recommendation of Swiss Sciences Nutrition that we consume a well balanced diet which includes a satisfactory amount of all the necessary nutrients. Some of the highest quality nutritional advice, information, and products are provided by Swiss Sciences Nutrition. Swiss Sciences nutrition supplies written materials and books providing the added benefit of educational material to help in the quest for healthy weight loss.
Swiss Sciences nutrition is the creator and marketer of some of the highest quality weight loss products in the world. With most all our products Swiss Sciences nutrition supplies written materials and books providing the consumer with the added benefit of educational material to help them be more successful in their fight for healthy weight loss.
Swiss Sciences Nutrition – Clearwater, FL, US
Cellular Nutrition For A Better Life
Healthy Cells = A Healthy You
Choosing the right foods to add to your diet can help ensure that your body runs at optimum level for many years and improve your quality of life. To get some perspective of what is proper healthy nutrition for losing weight and what it can mean to your body, think of your body as an engine – a machine. The higher the octane level of the fuel you put into it, the better it’s going to run. Now consider what might happen to your internal machinery after ten years of fueling up on burgers, fries, chocolate milkshakes, coffee, tea, tobacco, salt, pepper, etc. painfully slow blood flow, and hardened arteries. Poor engine performance presents a very gloomy picture.
Don’t despair, there may be a ray of hope to overhaul and restore your engine. By changing what you put into your body and eating right you can increase your chances for enjoying a longer life. So, then where do we need to start? We need to start on what’s refereed to by many top nutritionists, loading our body up with super foods. Super foods represent a higher quality of food coming into our body. According to a study published in the British Medical Journal, eating “super” foods daily (red wine, dark chocolate, fruits,vegetables, garlic, fish, and nuts), in the appropriate portion sizes can reduce your heart disease risk by 75 percent and add an average of six years to your life. The dark chocolate and fruits and vegetables lower your blood pressure. Garlic and nuts lower LDL cholesterol. Fish helps protect against cardiac arrhythmia, blood clotting, and inflammation. “Together, these super foods with the eliminating of toxic substances in the body reduces the risk of heart disease and present some important symptoms as a result.” For many who are dieting, they might experience headaches, and skin rashes.
The body begins a process which is called “retracing.” The cellular intelligence has a chance to get rid of old garbage and begin building that restored engine or your body. A point I’ll make about those important symptoms is though they might be uncomfortable, they present no serious problems while dieting will usually disappear in three days. This a constructive process and needs to run its course while cleaning house. DON’T try to stop these symptoms by use of certain drugs. These are not deficiency conditions or allergic reactions. Should you experience symptoms such as headaches at the beginning, fever, colds, skin breakouts, bowel sluggishness, occasional diarrhea, tiredness, nervousness, irritability, negativity, etc. Remarkably, some people may not experience this or be affected by the cleansing process at all …if you are, suffer it to be so! When you consider the number of years gained to your life and the introduction of healthy nutrition for losing weight, as well as improvements to your health, the cleansing process is literally a very small price to pay.
Seek out support. Look to your friends and family for encouragement. They may want to join you on the diet, but even if they don’t, they can offer inspiration and motivation as you move toward your health and fitness goals.
It has been proven that people lose weight and keep it off three times more successfully when they receive coaching vs. trying to do it on their own with no help.
If friends or family aren’t available, you can find a Health and Wellness Coach to assist you in following the diet with you by logging on to http://topchoicehealthblog.com/ Not a member? Sign up for our free Healthy Lifestyle Newsletter. Once you sign-up, you’ll discover our safe and easy recommendations for achieving weight loss and a healthier quality of life.
Muscle Building Nutrition Spun
Building muscle mass is not just about what you do in the gym, it is also about WHAT, HOW OFTEN and WHEN you eat. Find out more about proper muscle building nutrition by reading this article on the best way to approach your muscle building diet.
Having the right nutrition plan is an important piece of the muscle mass building puzzle. To get big you need to consume more calories than you burn. Then, with the proper workout plan the excess calories will then be molded into quality muscle mass.
Start with consuming around 1.5 grams of protein for each ONE pound of body weight. As you get bigger and stronger you will need to up the intake to 1.8 grams because of increased demands and energy expenditure as a result of a bigger physique. Without taking the proper amount of protein you cannot achieve muscle growth because protein builds and rebuilds muscle tissue.
Sources of good protein are whey protein powders, lean beef, chicken, turkey, fish, eggs and tofu. For you pre and post workout meals, it is best to consume a whey protein shake as this is the most efficient and convenient way to give your muscles the protein they need to rebuild and get stronger. You need to have between 4 and 6 meals throughout the day, no more than 3 hours apart from each other. This is absolutely paramount if you are seriously intent on building muscle.
In addition to protein, you also need to consume carbohydrates in proper quantities because of three reasons. The first reason is that your body uses them for fuel to provide you with energy during workouts. The second reason is, if your body has sufficient amounts of carbohydrates, it will not burn protein that your body needs to use to build muscle mass. The third reason is that you need carbohydrates after a workout to spike and boost your energy level. Eat small servings of carbohydrates for each of your meals and snack on carbohydrates before and after your workout.
Keep in mind when choosing carbohydrates to go for complex instead of simple carbs. Simple carbohydrates from fruit and dairy products are not the kind you need. You will need complex carbohydrates from whole grains such as pasta, rice, legumes or beans. These are loaded with fiber and burn slowly in your body’s furnace giving you a sustained release source of energy over a prolonged time span.
Therefore, when you master proper nutrition you will add another powerful tool to your muscle building arsenal. Without proper nutrition your muscle building efforts will be seriously hampered and results delayed. So, eat smart, exercise hard and get bigger!
Visit the Fitness and Bodybuilding Workouts website for more information on how to eat properly to build muscle and burn fat!
Good Nutrition For Body Builders
Body building does not exclusively imply weight lifting or exercise. Your body does not merely need the dragging physical activities, because body building is all about working it inside and out. Products of Hammer Nutrition work to optimize the nutritional support that the body necessitates.
Your growing muscles need amino acids to create new tissues. The amino acids are provided by protein in diet. There is a lot of debate on the exact quantity of protein required in bodybuilding. The caution to maintain is that extreme amounts of protein in the diet can cause gastric and renal complications. Recent studies have suggested that a protein intake of 1 to 1.5 grams per unit of body weight is adequate to sustain the bodybuilding process.
Fats are also equally important in this nutrition. Fat provides certain body parts like the lungs and the heart with insulation. Also energy is produced when these fats are broken down. You will however need to consume the good fats compared to the bad fats so that you do not gain the fat that you do not want.
There is however, such a thing as too much protein. As we age and as other complications occur, the amount of protein that our body needs and can handle everyday changes from person to person. What happens is that along with protein.
Massage therapy is becoming standard practice in many sports for both pre-event and post event. As part of your warm up, massage therapy helps you prepare for peak performance before your event.
The particular staple of any vigour gel is carbohydrate, and it is merely what the Hammer Gel renders. A long line of intricate carbohydrates were imparted in this product, supporting more energy outlets. Hammer Nutrition Gel is attained from true fruits with wholesome elements.
Sports drinks have turned popular because they are to a greater extent favorable than any other kind of nutritionary add-on. Attentiveness from Hammer Nutrition affects sure athletes and body builders are provided with a wholesome choice. It’s not just artificially colored sugar water.
Most modern muscilar men belive that bodybuilding is an activity that operates according to scientific principles and science is mathematically based. Bodybuilding is not an exact science and it’s not healthy to look up to some guru for all your answers. Bodybuilding is the art and the science of developing your body.
Protein: Protein is fundamental for the development and repair of tissues of muscle. Protein includes amino acids which helps in building covers for all cells in the body.
Although there’s a limited amount of sports nutrition research on Biotin, it makes our top 10 list because it has critical functions in amino acid metabolism and the production of energy from many sources.
It is very effective for building the body. Nowadays, many of the protein supplements are found in the form of powders. They are either found in the form of drinks or in the form of pills. It is easy to use and the benefits are many.
Everyone can benefit from exercise and good nutrition. Most women know that the right combination of exercise and nutrition can result in fat loss, increased muscle strength and improved energy.
Read About bodybuilding supplements Also Read About nutrition and steroids
Sport Nutrition for Children For Improved Performance
Observing correct sport nutrition for youngsters is not simply beneficial for enhancing their sports performance, however additionally for making certain they stay healthy. Oldsters must thus take an energetic role in overseeing what food elements are included in your child’s diet to ensure that it can foster their development, growth, and performance at their chosen sport.
Importance of Balanced Nutrition for Active Children
You wish to own a good understanding of what makes up a sensible nutritional diet to be in a position to provide for your kid’s nutritional needs. You can not expect your kid to be healthy physically and mentally unless they get the proper nutrition that their body needs.
The key issue to remember here is to create positive they get balanced nutrition. Meaning, they must consume food from all the fundamental food teams as part of their daily diet. There are three teams that has got to be equally consumed as part of their daily meal set up: grain group (like rice, pasta, or bread), dairy foods (such as cheese, milk, and yogurt), and fruits and vegetables. Build certain to produce protein foods such as fish, meat, and poultry because it helps to nourish the muscles and provide energy required by the body to perform sports.
There are varied conceptions of what a good nutrition is and intake recommendations for each child may largely vary. However the most idea is to provide a selection of foods from every food group to ensure that each one essential nutrients are acquired as part of sport nutrition for children.
Nutritional Problems to Think about
Youngsters concerned in sports need further nutrition to ensure they remain healthy whilst boosting their sports performance. But, there are vital nutritional issues that are involved in sports nutrition. Create positive you address them to help your kid keep competitively active.
Each issue is mentioned in a lot of detail below.
Timing of Intake
When it comes to sport nutrition for kids, it’s not simply concerning the amount of nutrients and vitamins that one can intake. The timing of intake might conjointly produce a significant impact. Youngsters are recommended to possess five or half dozen meals per day created up of three massive meals and 2 or 3 snack meals. This can be ideal for maintaining the acceptable energy levels in their body to perform their sports activities.
Applicable Hydration
As youngsters sweat during sports activities, they lose essential fluids from the body. It’s therefore vital to stay hydrated by guaranteeing that your body has enough essential fluids. Kids (as are adults) are inspired to drink masses of water and create positive to drink during break to replenish the hydration that has been lost. Aside from water, drinking sports fluids are sometimes suggested, relying on the amount of activity, as they contain electrolytes. However note they ought to not be considered as a permanent various to water and have may have a high sugar content.
Irrespective of how a lot of water they drink, kids can sweat a lot during sports and it is important to rehydrate as required.
In keeping with health consultants, eating a meal or snack after the athletic activity is recommended to refuel your body. Ensure the snack contains protein and carbohydrates for proper refueling. This can be an important tip for oldsters who wished to make sure correct sport nutrition for kids because it also prepares the body for future sports activities.
If you’re ever in doubt, or require a lot of tailored recommendation, you’ll be able to contact a dietitian, family doctor or the college/club sports trainer and/or coach.
Importance of The Nutrition Health Wellness Triangle in Our Life
Regarding nutrition health wellness, unlike what most folks suppose, life is not a matter of living and dying; it is not measured by absolute life and death. Rather, it is being measured by a spectrum of health – a spectrum of health where one facet of the extreme is death and the opposite is that of a healthy well-being, not simply of being alive. So, taking that spectrum of nutrition health wellness as a basis, we tend to might say that the healthier one is, the farther he’s from death. In this matter, the passage of your time is automatically included since one’s heath would sometimes begin to deteriorate at a bound point in his age.
However whether or not the deterioration of health is inevitable as time as passes by (a minimum of practically, however not theoretically), we tend to will still do one thing with personal health nutrition wellness lifestyles and habits to weigh down the deterioration of health during a number of ways – or rather in several ways in which that has to be integrated. A number of these nutrition health wellness improvement ways in which embrace correct physical activity, a healthy psychological disposition, and a fastidiously planned nutrition, with the last one being the main target of below.
Why the proper food is very important for health nutrition wellness and longevity? Our body is being fed and maintained by using totally different chemicals, primarily with oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon, together with another components required like calcium, iron, zinc, etc. All of those can solely be taken from eating and drinking, or in alternative words, through nutrition, excluding oxygen that can be taken in by breathing. These chemicals are what promotes and helps both our mind and body perform, therefore we tend to might say that nutrition is the inspiration and therefore the corner of the health nutrition wellness triangle. This is often as a result of while not correct nutrition, the body cannot have any type of energy needed to utilize its movements, therefore hindering the likelihood of getting a proper exercise or wellness activity, so decreasing health.
On the psychological part, someone without the proper nutrition needed by the mind wouldn’t be capable of upper psychological processes, so the need of getting a healthy psychological disposition conjointly becomes far from achievement. However, it is necessary to require note in terms of one’s own nutrition health wellness that scientists are also accepting the thought that the mind, notably the consciousness of someone, is capable of over-riding its own design. Whereas this might be true, the contribution of the right food intake toward raising our own nutrition health wellness triangle is undeniable.
Effective MMA Nutrition Plan Vital To Maintain Fitness Build Physical Vigor
A successful MMA nutrition set up is one which guarantees fitness, health, stamina, and physical vigor. Irrespective of how abundant you train for mixed martial arts, unless a proper nutrition complements your regimen, you cannot suppose of maintaining fitness and agility. Of course, proper nutrition alone will ensure fitness and health, while not which it’s very troublesome to even survive one spherical, thus blocking any probabilities of victory. To confirm that the body remains at its optimal best, you want to follow a correct MMA nutrition diet in addition to a good physical fitness regimen.
Identifying Efficacy of your MMA Nutrition Strategy
To test whether you are following a correct nutrition diet arrange, ask yourself the subsequent questions:
• Do I buy tired easily?
• Do I feel drained of energy after a workout?
• Do I purchase simply distracted?
• Do I lose my focus simply?
• Do I purchase injured frequently?
• Do I get frequent muscle cramps?
If your answer to most of these queries is in the affirmative, you want to perceive that there are serious loopholes in your MMA nutrition plan. You can’t suppose of winning a game with these symptoms. A correct nutrition plan can lay the muse for MMA fitness.
Choosing Effective MMA Nutrition Plan
Take a smart take a look at your diet regimen to spot whether you’re following an efficient nutrition plan, that must be replete with essential proteins, vitamins, and minerals. Besides, you need to verify your calorie intake and guarantee that you are doing not take more calories than needed as a result of this can be like digging holes in your diet plan. Conjointly, drink lots of water so that you are doing not finish up draining yourself, that may result in dehydration. But stay faraway from drinks that are wealthy in sugar content and sodas.
• An efficient nutrition set up will comprise a number of small meals at regular intervals. Guarantee that junk food isn’t part of your diet, because it can jeopardize your diet plan. Replenish your body with a good quantity of carbohydrates, that produce the much-needed energy throughout a workout. Add heaps of oatmeal and fruits to your diet, that can keep your abdomen full and end any cravings for junk or fatty foods.
• A good MMA nutrition plan does not mean overeating. It does not mean under eating either. If you’re thinking that overeating will provide you additional strength, your are wrong; it will solely add fat to your body. Contrarily, if you below-eat, you may only be starving yourself, as mixed martial arts needs great stamina, that can be gained by following a balanced diet.
• A proper MMA nutrition arrange means eating at acceptable time. Don’t skip meals; rather, follow your diet regimen rigorously.
• A correct plan will additionally embrace the specified supplements, such as Omega three fatty acid, fish oil, whey protein, creatine, glucosamine, etc.
Following a correct diet set up will also facilitate your body derive strength to hold out intense workouts and live through the wear and tear and tear. If you’re extremely serious concerning your coaching and actual performance in the ultimate encounter, you want to take your MMA nutrition arrange seriously.
Nutrition Tips That May Help Keep Your Heart Healthy
Foods That Can Help You Keep A Healthy Heart.
In today’s society weight loss is the number one priority but it is keeping a healthy heart that is of the utmost importance. The importance of lowering cholesterol is a key component in keeping a healthy heart. Luckily, we are learning more and more of the importance of proper nutrition to help us have a healthy heart. Here are some nutrition tips of foods that may aid in keeping a healthy heart.
Nutrition Tips 1: Eat Fish
The food that for years has been considered brain food, can actually help you keep a health heart. The omega-3 fatty acid found is fish has been shown to have many health benefits as well as helping keep a healthy heart.
Eating 1-2 servings of a 3-ounce fatty fish such as mackerel,herring,anchovies, or wild Alaskan salmon. Wild Alaskan salmon is probably the best choice as it has low mercury levels. Also, you should bake the fish at low heat as it will help preserve omega-3s. If you are a vegetarian you can add flaxseed to oatmeal,smoothies, or salads, to get your omega-3s and help keep a healthy heart.
Nutrition Tips 2: Eat Oatmeal
We all know that oatmeal is great for breakfast but did you realize you are taking steps to a healthy heart also. Oatmeal contains soluble fiber which binds to bile acids in the intestines and stomach and is excreted as waste. In order to make more bile acids, the liver needs cholesterol to use which it takes from the bloodstream. The result for this nutrition tip is lower cholesterol levels and a healthy heart.
Taking in 3 grams of soluble fiber a day could lead to a 5 percent reduction in chiolesterol. A serving is about a cup and a half and you can add such things as frozen berries, nonfat plain yogurt, and almonds to get even more nutrition. What better way to start the morning than eating breakfast and taking steps to keeping a healthy heart.
Nutrition Tips 3: Avoiding High-Glycemic Foods
The eating of high-glycemic foods like potatoes, white bread and white rice, will give you a burst of glucose and insulin. Over time, the repeated bursts will tire out the pancreas, which produces insulin. This will increase the risk of diabetes and heart disease. Eating high-glycemic foods will lead to get hungrier later and eat more at the next meal. This leads to weight gain. It is well known that people with excess fat are more likely to develop heart disease and stroke even if they have no other risk factors, according to the American Heart Association.
The key is to eat low-glycemic foods such as brown rice,quinoa and barley, and try to swap them for refined grains as often as possible. When it comes to bread, make sure it contains at least 3 grams of fiber per serving. Many breads that are labeled “whole grain” have very little fiber but contain a small amount so they can be called “whole grain”. The first ingredient on the ingredient list should be “whole wheat flour”, not “enriched”.
Nutrition Tips 4: Eat Nuts
Unlike the past, studies have shown that eating some nuts may help lower cholesterol and lead to a healthy heart. Walnuts contain heart healthy omega-3s, almonds boost calcium, which helps the heart muscle contract, and brazil nuts have selenium, which is shown to be a heart-protective antioxidant.
A handful of nuts(about 1 ounce) can be enjoyed daily. You can do this by adding almonds to oatmeal, muffin batter, or a salad. Nut butter can also be used and spread on apple slices. Nuts do have a lot of calories, so it is important to keep the serving size low. Go nuts for a healthy heart.
Nutrition Tips 5: Beans
Similar to oatmeal, beans contain soluble fiber and can help keep a health heart. Soluble fiber can reduce cholesterol and keep arteries free and clear. Switching from meat to a healthy plant-based protein in contained in black, kidney, pinto or navy beans, you’ll cut back on saturated fats, which raise cholesterol, and keep a healthy heart.
It is recommended to eat beans four to five times a week. You can hide beans in lots of places, and also layer beans in lasagna, adding them to taco filling or using several types as the “meat” in an all-bean chili. If you can’t tolerate beans and opt for the canned varieties, be sure to buy the variety without added salt and rinse thoroughly. Build up bean servings slowly because your body does adapt over time and your healthy heart will thank you.
Nutrition Tips 6: Berries
When it comes to berries, the more vibrant color, the more disease-fighting phytochemicals, or bioflavanoids, it contains. Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and other berries have strong antioxidant properties that may help protect against heart disease. Plus, they’re low in calories and high in fiber.
Two cups of fruit a day is recommended for general health. Eating berries can be a part of your fruit intake. In spring and summer, go for fresh, local berries. In winter, use frozen berries to top oatmeal, mix into smoothies or add to yogurt.
Now, on to the supplements!
Unfortunately, in today’s society, a lot of people don’t get adequate nutrients supplied by diet. And some nutrients are depleted by medications to treat cardiovascular concerns. So whether consumers are looking to reduce heart-disease risk or treat an existing condition, certain herbs and supplements can make a difference. Below is some supplements to help keep a healthy heart.
1. Coenzyme Q10
Studies show that the energy carrier Co-Q10 helps treat congestive heart failure and heart arrhythmias, lowers blood pressure and prevents the oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (bad) cholesterol. Also, a side effect of taking cholesterol- cutting statin medications is lower Co-Q10 levels (journal of Hypertension, 2007; Clinical Cardiology, 2004). The result: fatigue and muscle pain. It is not known if this outcome matters for heart health, but some studies show that taking supplemental Co-Q10 does reduce symptoms of muscle pain.
Best for? Anyone can take the lower doses. People with higher heart disease risk may benefit most.
How much? If you’re symptom-free, take 30 to 50 milligrams of Co-Q10 a day. If you’re on statin-class drugs or have cardiac symptoms, take 100 to 200 milligrams of CoQ10 per day, Rothfeld says.
How safe? Very.
2. Fish Oil
Fish oil sales in 2006 were $489 million, up more than $100 million from the previous year, according to Nutrition Business journal. Why the growth spurt? Research shows that omega-3 fatty acids in fish reduce blood triglycerides (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2004). But cholesterol isn’t the whole story. Inflammation is also a big issue and can cause arteries to clamp down and form plaque. Anti-inflammatory fish oil prevents platelets from getting too sticky so blood flows freely through arteries. Fish oil also mildly lowers blood pressure.
Best for? Everyone. Women may opt for flaxseed oil instead because it lowers estrogens, protecting against cancer as well as heart disease.
How much? Look for an oil with 700 to 750 milligrams of two omega-3 fatty acids-eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid-and take daily. If you have heart problems, you can up the dose to 2 grams of EPA and DHA per day.
How safe? Stop taking fish oil a few days before surgery because the supplement thins blood.
3. Hawthorn
Studies show that extracts of hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) berries, leaves and flowers help lower blood pressure, improve blood flow through coronary arteries and treat congestive heart failure (British Journal of General Practice, 2006; The American Journal of Medicine, 2003).
Best for? Hawthorn is excellent for those with mild to moderate high blood pressure, and those with poor circulation.
How much? Take 100 to 300 milligrams of hawthorn extract two to three times a day, Stengler says.
How safe? Safe, as long as blood pressure doesn’t dip so low that you get dizzy. Also, the leaf and flower of the plant have diuretic effects and can possibly lead to dehydration.
Lowering cholesterol levels with proper nutrition, and in some cases, supplements, is a key to a healthy heart. Take the steps to keeping a healthy heart by following these nutrition tips.