Hypertension, now identified as a public health emergency, affects more than half of all adults in the United States. Our lifestyle choices or what we do (e.g., consume too many calories, too much saturated fat, sodium, and alcohol, and smoke) and do not do (e.g., exercise and consume enough potassium-rich foods), have a potent effect …
Continue reading “Cutting Sodium to Reduce Blood Pressure”
The recent blog post by Garry Welch, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of Silver Fern, focused on ways to improve Americans’ fruit and vegetable intake. Dr. Welch discussed the rationale for society to invest in programs that allowed and encouraged medical personnel to prescribe food as opposed to, or in combination with medicine, to treat chronic …
This post explores the healing power of fruits and vegetables and the need for clinicians to become more involved in national strategies that encourage Americans to eat more of them. Research shows that eating more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and seeds as part of a broader lifestyle medicine strategy – especially combined with weight loss …
According to Business Insider, Americans eat out 5.9 times a week on average. That’s an astounding 28% of meals, and we spend a lot of money doing it. Business Insider broke the cost per person down by state, and on the high end, in states like Massachusetts and New York, a person can spend more than $3,500 each year eating out. There …
The World Health Organization has declared hypertension a global health crisis. An astounding 45% of adults in the United States have high blood pressure, and it was a primary or contributing cause of death for almost 500,000 people in the United States in 2018 alone. Yet, many people with hypertension take little heed of it. The …
Continue reading “Giving Your Patients the Whole Truth About High Blood Pressure”
Sedentary behavior is one of the five risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Physical activity is a boon for heart health as it reduces blood pressure and LDL cholesterol, increases HDL cholesterol, and promotes insulin selectivity. Also, it is a supportive aid to weight loss and an essential one for weight maintenance. Despite these benefits, less than 20% …
February is American Heart Month. If we are honest with ourselves and our patients, much of what we ask them to do regarding a heart-healthy diet requires that they stop or significantly reduce consumption of a food or beverage that they currently enjoy. We want them to stop eating so much saturated fat, so if …
Continue reading “A Positive Approach to a Heart-Healthy Diet”
