Deck the halls, but don’t ditch your diet! Stay heart-healthy with seasonal, healthy foods. For many, the holidays are the most wonderful — and least heart-healthy — time of the year. Grandma’s fudge is a sentimental favorite, and the neighbor’s cake balls are a decadent habit. Indulging a little won’t hurt — but planning ahead
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Do you get stressed out during the holidays? From quick stress-survival strategies to mood-brightening foods, here’s your cheat sheet to holiday cheer. Take a whiff of citrus Researchers studying depression have found that certain citrus fragrances boost feelings of well-being and alleviate stress by upping levels of norepinephrine, a hormone that affects mood. For an
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What should my daily sodium intake be? The American Heart Association recommends no more than 2,300 milligrams (mgs) a day and an ideal limit of no more than 1,500 mg per day. Because the average American’s sodium intake is so excessive, even cutting back to no more than 2,400 milligrams a day will significantly improve
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Thanksgiving is about enjoying time with our family and celebrating with traditional foods we know and love. However, the holiday can impact the time we usually reserve for our healthy routines and involve meals that are not exactly made to be heart-healthy! To keep your diet and health in check over the Thanksgiving holiday, try
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Not only is fall’s signature squash versatile enough to fit into all the above and more, it also packs some powerful healthy perks — like keeping heart health, vision and waistlines in check, as long as you take it easy on the pie, that is. 1 Pumpkins Keep Eyesight Sharp A cup of cooked, mashed
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Everyone age 6 months and older needs to get a flu shot (vaccine) every year. The seasonal flu vaccine is the best way to protect yourself and others from the flu. For many people, the seasonal flu is a mild illness. But sometimes, the flu can be dangerous or even deadly. The flu: Is linked to
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Moving our clocks in either direction changes the principal time cue — light — for setting and resetting our 24-hour natural cycle, or circadian rhythm. In doing so, our internal clock becomes out of sync or mismatched with our current day-night cycle. How well we adapt to this depends on several things. In general, “losing”
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How do you get your heart rate on target? When you work out, are you doing too much or not enough? There’s a simple way to know: Your target heart rate helps you hit the bull’s eye. “We don’t want people to over-exercise, and the other extreme is not getting enough exercise,” says Gerald Fletcher, M.D.,
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Common symptoms of depression include guilt, irritability, and having a feeling of sadness that won’t go away. Being in a “blue mood” sometimes is a normal part of life. If you lose a loved one or are laid off from your job, it is natural to be sad. When you have depression symptoms because of a stress that has
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Crisp fall weather is made for physical activity — walking, running, biking, are all fair game. They’re excellent forms of aerobic exercise, which means they give the heart a good workout. Even when life is ultra-hectic, it’s important to plan for exercise. Exercise helps control blood pressure, and it helps your heart function optimally when
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Other than skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer among American women. Getting mammograms regularly can lower the risk of dying from breast cancer. The United States Preventive Services Task Force recommends that if you are 50 to 74 years old, be sure to have a screening mammogram every two years. If you are 40 to 49 years old, talk to
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Every fall, you’re suddenly sneezing, coughing. Could it be fall allergies? It’s certainly a possibility. Ragweed blooms profusely this time of year. Those lovely, falling leaves become moldy, rotting vegetation after they hit the ground. And no surprise it turns out many people are sensitive to both ragweed pollen and mold. Dust mites can also
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