Supplements for Heart Health

Fiber
Fiber helps reduce the amount of fat and cholesterol that your body absorbs.

Garlic
Garlic helps maintain healthy cholesterol levels already in normal ranges.

Fish Oil
Chock full of heart-healthy omega-3 fats, natural fish oil helps maintain healthy triglyceride levels in the body. Adding fatty fish like salmon to your diet is the best and most delicious way to enjoy the natural benefits of fish oil.

Green Tea
Green tea (in both extract and beverage form) may help maintain healthy LDL and HDL cholesterol levels and triglycerides already within the normal range.  

Resveratrol
Resveratrol helps support heart health with its powerful antioxidant properties. That is a serious protection from a compound found in foods such as blueberries, peanuts and red grapes.

Vitamin D
This sunshine vitamin is building up a reputation for its potential immune health benefits and it is also a key vitamin for maintaining a strong, healthy heart.

By maintaining a healthy diet by adding the above supplements as well as getting regular exercise, not smoking and moderating your alcohol consumption, you can control risk factors, help protect your heart and boost your cardiovascular health.

Evidences of Coconut oil on Weight Loss

A study published in the Journal Lipids consisting of testing the effects of either 2 tablespoons of coconut oil or 2 tablespoons of soybean on a group of 40 women over the span of 28 days showed that the group that took the coconut oil had a decrease in abdominal fat, while the soybean oil group actually showed a slight increase in belly fat. Additionally, the group that took the coconut oil showed increased HDL ‘good’ cholesterol levels, while the soybean oil group had decreased HDL cholesterol and increased LDL ‘ bad’ cholesterol.

In another journal, The Journal of Nutrition, a study was published. In the study, the researchers investigated all studies relative to medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs) that are abundant in coconut fat and weight management. It showed that diets rich in fats such as those found in coconut oil prompted a boost in metabolism, increase in energy, decrease in food consumption, reduced body weight and lower body fat mass. 

The study authors highly recommended using oils that contain MCFAs, such as coconut oil, as a tool to drop extra abdominal fat, manage a healthy weight, and even as a way to treat obesity.

Further study to assess body weight and fat storage relative to three different types of diets including a low-fat diet, high-fat diet with long chain fatty acids (LCFAs) and a high fat diet with MCFAs found that the low-fat diet group stored an average of 0.47 grams of fat per day, the LCFA group stored 0.48 grams of fat per day while the MCFA group only stored a mere 0.19 grams per day (despite purposely increasing calories). Those in the MCFA group (coconut fat) had a 60 percent reduction in body fat stored compared to the other diets.

Another added bonus of consuming organic coconut oil (and coconut cream or milk) is that it tends to make us feel fuller for longer. Studies indicate that MCFAs help increase feelings of fullness and lead to a reduction in calorie intake when compared to the same amount of calories from other fats. When MCFAs are metabolized, ketone bodies are created in the liver – these have been shown to have a strong appetite reducing effect helping us to lose fat faster.

Anti-cancer vegetables

Tumor suppressing vegetable ranking: 

01: cooked sweet potato

02: raw sweet potato

03: asparagus

04: broccoli

05: cabbage

06: cauliflower

07: celery

08: aubergine

09: pepper

10: carrot

11: shepherd's purse

12: kohlrabi

13: mustard

14: brassica juncea

15: tomato  

Amongst sweet potatoes, purple sweet potatoes have the greatest anti-cancer effect.

Foods to be avoided to maintain healthy blood pressure

There are many food and drink products that should be avoided in order to maintain healthy blood pressure. Maintaining healthy blood pressure is an essential part of achieving total wellness.

Overall, sodium, sugar and trans fats can cause a spike in blood pressure levels hence damage to your body. 

Red Meat

Not all red meat is bad. Eaten in moderation, some can benefit your muscles, bones and joints. Regardless, fatty red meat should be avoided due to the high content of trans fats, which wreak havoc on the heart and blood vessels. These meats also contain higher amounts of sodium.

Deli Meat

Chicken, turkey, ham and other meats that come from packages are a sodium trap. They are oftentimes seasoned and preserved with salt and result in way too much sodium, not to mention the sodium added when making a sandwich with bread, cheese and condiments.

Margarine

The main culprit in this dairy product is trans fat. Some margarine products come with 2 or more grams of trans fat per tablespoon.

French Fries

French fries are the most popular side ordered in restaurants. However, restaurants oftentimes cook French fries in cheap, unhealthy oils or fats, and seasoned with salt. Some fries also have a coating of sugar on them.  

Processed Meals

Popping an already prepared meal into the oven or microwave sounds convenient, but it may come at the cost of your health. Whether considered “healthy” recipes or not, these meals are full of sodium and other preservatives. Frozen pizza, for example, can have 1,000 to 2,500 milligrams of sodium per serving.

Pickled Foods

Salt is added in excess to preserve and flavor pickled foods. The longer it sits the more sodium it soaks up. One pickle spear contains up to 300 milligrams of sodium.

Canned/Bottled Tomato Products

Tomatoes are delicious and come with many health benefits, but putting them in a can or bottle automatically puts them on the no-go list. Tomato sauces, pasta sauces and juices all contain high levels of sodium. A serving of these products contains hundreds of milligrams of sodium, not to mention sugar and other preservatives.

Canned Soups

Canned soups also contain high levels of sodium, as well as sugar and other preservatives. Some soups have more than 2,000 milligrams of sodium per can!

Caffeine & Sugary Drinks

While coffee comes with many health benefits, it can cause a temporary rise in blood pressure. Likewise, the caffeine and sugar in soft drinks and other beverages can spike blood pressure levels. This can have a negative impact on people with blood pressure problems.

Alcohol

Some studies suggest that a small amount of alcohol can actually lower blood pressure, but drinking more can cause it to spike. It can also contribute to hypertension and damage to blood vessel walls. Alcohol is generally created by fermenting sugary foods, and we know by now that too much sugar raises blood pressure.