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    Celebrating American Heart Health Month with Heart-Healthy Foods

    Posted on: February 11th, 2014 by BrevardBlogger No Comments

    February is American Heart Health Month at Brevard Medical Equipment.  Having a strong, healthy heart is the key to a long and healthy life. One of the main ways to a healthy heart can be waiting in the refrigerator or pantry right now. Here are some of the best foods you can eat for heart health.

    Salmon

    Salmon is rich in omega-3 fatty acids; the kind that is good for the heart. Salmon has been found to reduce blood pressure and prevent the blood from clotting. Salmon is also rich in carotenoid astaxanthin, a very powerful antioxidant.  Try to eat two servings of this super fish per week, and you may cut your heart attack risk by up to one-third.  Other heart healthy fish include mackerel, tuna, herring, and sardines.

    Avocado

    It’s not just for guacamole anymore! The avocado is packed with monounsaturated fat. These new and trendy super foods can help lower your LDL (bad cholesterol) levels while raising the amount of HDL (the good) cholesterol in your body. They also allow for the absorption of beta-carotene and lycopene.

    Chopped or sliced, you can add avocado to almost anything!

    Olive Oil

    Cook with olive oil, especially virgin and extra virgin olive oils. People in the Mediterranean part of the world have known about this secret for years, but it was slow to get to this country.  Relatively few people from that area died of heart disease. Olive oil is full of monounsaturated fats and it lowers bad LDL cholesterol and reduces your risk of developing heart disease. If you watch any TV cooking shows, you will see the cooks always use olive oil.

    Healthy hearts mean healthier lives and healthier lives mean happier and longer lives. Brevard Medical Equipment wants all of our customers to live life to the fullest. See us for CPAP supplies, wheelchairs and other supplies to use when you are home or traveling. We have more to learn about heart-healthy foods in our next blog.

     

    Keeping Women’s Hearts Berry Healthy

    Posted on: February 26th, 2013 by BrevardBlogger 35 Comments

    A new study shows that eating berries can offer women a healthy benefit for their heart. The study involved 94,000 women who completed questionnaires that tracked their diets and eating habits. The study lasted for 18 years and the questionnaire was answered by the participants every four.

    Strawberries have been shown to help clear the plaque in the arteries and heart of women.

    In the course of the study, 405 participants had heart attacks. Researchers looked at the data collected about the participants’ diets and discovered that those who ate blueberries and strawberries the most were 32% less likely to suffer a heart attack compared to the participants who ate berries once a month or less. The women who ate three or more servings (one cup = one serving) per week decreased their risk for heart attacks by one-third.

    Those women who rarely ate blueberries and strawberries still ate a diet rich in other fruits and vegetables. Although they maintained a healthy diet, the absence of blueberries and strawberries resulted in an unchanged level of heart health.

    Why Blueberries and Strawberries?

    Many fruits and vegetables, such as grapes, wines, eggplants and blackberries contain compounds called flavonoids. Blueberries and strawberries also contain flavonoids, but they also include anthocyanins, unique to these two berries, which widen arteries and reduce plaque buildup, a main cause of heart attacks.

    Other Berry Benefits

    Besides flavonoids, berries are also packed with other nutrients including:

    • Vitamin C
    • Potassium
    • Folate

    Additionally, regularly eating berries produces a slower mental decline with age and assists with weight loss.

    Though the focus of this blog is on women, this is not to say that men are not affected by the health benefits of berries. All berries provide the nutrients that benefit the body, whether male or female. There are still many studies being conducted to better understand the health potential that berries have to the human body, but it is fairly evident that it packs a load of beneficial compounds.

    The associates at Brevard Medical Equipment understand the importance of maintaining a healthy heart. If you’re looking for other healthy food or lifestyle ideas, stop in and speak with us or contact us through our online contact form.

    Red Wine Keeps Your Heart Healthy for Valentine’s Day

    Posted on: February 12th, 2013 by BrevardBlogger 33 Comments

    Valentine’s Day has snuck up on us again and whether you’re heading out for dinner or staying in, Brevard Medical has a small meal idea that can mean the world of difference to you and your heart. A new study has found that a red meat dinner accompanied with a glass of red wine can be beneficial to your heart.

    Adding a glass of red wine to your dinner a couple of nights a week can do great things for your heart health.

    University of Jerusalem researchers have found that drinking red wine while eating red meat can prevent the build-up of cholesterol in the body. The study revolves around a compound called malondialdehydes that form in the blood stream. When eating red meat along, the compounds contribute to the formation of “bad” cholesterol that increases your risk of heart disease.

    The study found that the malondialdehydes were not absorbed into the blood stream when red meat is eaten with red wine. After four meals, it was found that those who did not consume wine saw a 97 percent rise in their modified cholesterol levels, while those who drank wine saw theirs either unaffected or decreased.

    Red wine possesses numerous other benefits originating from the makeup of wine and the fruits from which it comes:

    • The skins of red grapes contain resveratrol, a compound that gives wine its color, but also is known to have cancer-fighting effects.
    • Red wine contains the antioxidant polyphenols and flavonols. These give your body the “good” cholesterol in the blood, increases circulation and improves sugar metabolism.
    • Drinking one glass a day could help prevent bowel cancer.

    Although the many benefits with drinking red wine are impressive, drinking too much can have adverse effects. As with all alcoholic drinks, moderation and responsibility are the factors that draw the fine line between health benefits and health risks. Drink responsibly and enjoy your red wine on Valentine’s!