Anti-Inflammatory Diet
Probably for as long as you can remember, you’ve heard nutritional experts, and maybe even your own doctor, talk about the importance of eating more fruits and vegetables. I often nagged my patients to get on the fruit and vegetable bandwagon because these foods are packed with natural and essential vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidant compounds. Such ingredients are vital for not just cardiovascular health, but overall health as well.
Ice Water with Meals? Think Twice
By HMDI EditorsSit down in most any American restaurant and it won’t take but a minute or two before a restaurant staffer automatically plunks down a tall glass of free ice water. According to Ayurveda, India’s 5,000-year-old medicine and lifestyle tradition, you shouldn’t drink it. That’s because Ayurvedic medicine places importance on sipping hot or warm drinks with meals. And so does the Chinese tradition.
Bullish on Berries
By HMDI EditorsThe ancient Romans believed that berries alleviated symptoms of melancholy, fainting, all inflammations, fevers, throat infections, kidney stones, halitosis, attacks of gout, and diseases of the blood, liver, and spleen. Modern science has yet to confirm all such sweeping properties, but for sure among fruits and vegetables, the berry family has without a doubt received a big-time blessing from Nature...
More Proof Saturated Fats Not The Enemy
By HMDI EditorsOn March 17, 2014 a group of international scientists published new research that confirms what I’ve been saying for years—that saturated fats are not the enemy when it comes to heart disease...
Why Choose Organic?
By HMDI EditorsPretty much all of what I eat at home is organic. I’m convinced that part of the epidemic of chronic illness, including cancer, is associated with food, especially the hormone- and antibiotic-loaded dairy and meat we eat, as well as the pesticides and toxins contained in our fruit and vegetables.
Eat More Good Fats, Less Carbs!
By HMDI EditorsYou read it correctly. Eat more fat. You’ll be better protected against cardiovascular disease if you do. For the details...
Fats 101 - Eating for Heart Disease Prevention By HMDI Editors
I’ll bet you’ve heard that eating too much saturated fat is a recipe for heart disease due to high cholesterol, and that a very low-fat diet is your best bet for optimum heart health. These are common medical myths and half-truths...
My PAM Diet
By HMDI EditorsOver the years we’ve seen many diets come and go in the name of health and wellness. Some have employed extreme approaches, eliminating one or more of the macronutrients (fat, carbohydrates, and proteins) we need, and others have emphasized general caloric restriction. While maintaining a healthy weight is certainly important for the prevention of cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis and some cancers, we also want to prevent excess inflammation in the body, which is thought to engender these and other degenerative diseases. After much observation, study, and personal research, I've found that the best overall diet for health is one I call the Pan-Asian Mediterranean, or “PAM,” diet.
Vegetarian: To Be Or Not To Be?
By HMDI Editors"Should I become a vegetarian or should I stick with being a vegetarian?" I can’t tell you how often I’ve been asked this question over the years. While a meat-heavy diet is linked to an increased risk of developing heart disease and cancer, a total absence of meat can be unhealthy too. What do most all of the strict vegetarians (vegans) I’ve examined have in common?
The Meat-Health Connection
By HMDI EditorsStudies over the years indicate that a meat-heavy diet, and particularly red meat, raises your risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, colorectal cancer, and diabetes. Just how big is the risk?
Don't Commit Sodacide!
By HMDI EditorsSoft drink sales have fizzled a bit in recent years due to health concerns and economic downturns. But there isn’t really much softness in the sheer numbers of people popping pop. Soft drinks is mega-big business. Sales in 2015 are expected to reach more than $310 billion globally. Coca-Cola, the world’s largest manufacturer, alone sells 1.7 billion bottles globally daily! According to a 2012 Gallup Poll, nearly half of all Americans drink at least one glass of soda pop a day.
Cleanest vs Dirtiest Produce - Know When to Buy Organic
By HMDI EditorsIn my family it’s a Christmas tradition to send boxes of fruit − usually pears or apples − as gifts to our far-flung friends. Some years ago I came across a shocking revelation about the pesticide content in produce that stopped me short in my tracks and made me take some extra precaution about what we send out. After I read the information I began checking out the fruit vendors we had been using and to make doubly sure that the gifts include only organic fruit.
GMO (Genetically Modified) Foods By HMDI Editors
Do you want to know if the food you’re purchasing and consuming contains genetically engineered (“GE”) ingredients (other more common acronyms include "GM" for "genetically modified" and “GMO” for “genetically modified organisms”)? Does having a choice about whether to feed your family GMO foods matter to you? Even though nearly 50 countries worldwide, including Japan, China, Russia, and New Zealand, provide their citizens such a choice by mandating the labeling of GMO foods, the FDA has no such requirements; it allows GMOs to infiltrate our conventional food supply undetected despite never having tested GMO foods for short and long-term safety.
A Healthy Gut for a Healthy You
By HMDI EditorsDigestive health plays a major role in our overall state of health. As we learn more about inflammation, we better understand the interconnectedness of our various bodily systems. Our hearts and guts are closely affiliated, especially when manifesting symptoms of disease. Such a link may explain why consuming plenty of fiber and water, and exercising regularly are some essential lifestyle practices which significant impact cardiovascular, as well as, digestive health.
Getting on Board with Vegetables
By HMDI EditorsHow do you get adults and children to consume more fruits and vegetables? In her New York Times article, “Learning to Love Veggies, Readers Weigh In,” Jane Brody provides a diverse compilation of creative solutions for both veggie-lovers and those “not especially fond of vegetables."
Phytonutrients
By HMDI EditorsMost of us know that fruits and veggies are good for us…maybe we’ve read up on the health benefits associated with a diet rich in them, or are lucky enough to have been pleasantly haunted by the words, “eat your veggies,” since childhood. While mom just seemed to know that if it came from Nature, it was probably packed with the stuff we need to keep healthy, scientists have told us that vitamins, minerals, fiber and phytonutrients in plants are some of the specific substances that nourish, sustain, and protect our bodies.
Hidden Sources of Sugar
By HMDI EditorsAs you probably know by now, sugar is one of my top villains when it comes to heart diseases and other degenerative health problems. But avoiding sugar is not always easy, especially when it comes to pre-packaged foods.
My Top Healing Spices
By HMDI EditorsNot only do the foods we eat affect our health, but so can the herbs and spices we use to enhance their flavors. In addition to following a Pan-Asian Mediterranean ("PAM") diet, I highly recommend adding the following medicinal herbs and spices to your culinary bag of tricks.
My Top Healing Foods By HMDI Editors
Our diets can literally “make or break” our bodies. Choosing foods that not only provide essential nutrients, but help us avoid inflammation and excess insulin response will help us cultivate optimum health. Knowledge is key.
Why an Anti-Inflammatory Diet?
By HMDI EditorsThe foods we eat can literally make or break our health. Since inflammation is a major factor in the development of many degenerative diseases, we want to (1) eat lots of anti-inflammatory foods and (2) avoid inflammatory foods.
http://www.heartmdinstitute.com/nutrition/healthy-diet?limitstart=0