FitSugar

Fat Talk: Saturated Fats

FitSugar — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 07:00:06 PDT

My hubby is having an affair, with bacon. He's in love with those crispy, salty strips, so much that he probably eats it every day; with his eggs, on his sandwich, on his dinner salad, heck, he even likes it for dessert. The love affair doesn't end there. He's also having serious relationships with beef, mayo, cheese, and ice cream. Being the health nut and caring wife I am, it's a constant battle with us, as I try to get him to cut back. "It's protein," he argues. "It's saturated fat," I plead.

Saturated fats are "the bad fats." They're often solid at room temperature, like butter, and are in no way essential to your health. Most saturated fats come from animals and are found in meat, eggs, and dairy products. Some are found in vegetable oils such as palm, palm kernel, and coconut oils. The reason they're so unhealthy is because they're hard to digest and full of cholesterol, which clogs your arteries. Clogged arteries increase your risk for high cholesterol, which puts you at risk for heart problems.

The American Heart Association recommends that you limit your saturated fat intake to "less than 7 percent of your total calories." That means, if you're consuming about 2,000 calories a day, eat less than 16 grams of saturated fat.

Since I know a vegetarian diet is out of the question for my meat-loving man, I made up a little chart so he knows how much saturated fat is in the foods he craves. That way, he can still enjoy them without overdoing it. To see the chart

Was That a Heart Attack or Am I Just Tired?

FitSugar — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 12:00:35 PST

I was shocked when I first heard that heart disease is the leading cause of death amongst women. It's not something many people talk about, at least not in the same way as breast cancer or obesity. Since I associate heart attacks more with men, I wasn't too surprised to hear that a lot of other women are misinformed too.

A study found that almost half of 2,300 women surveyed wouldn't call 911 if they were having a heart attack, primarily because they couldn't identify the symptoms. Most women didn't know that heart disease is also the leading cause of death amongst their gender.

The American Heart Association (AHA) conducted the study as a way to determine how to educate the public about heart disease. Researchers say that the messages provided by the media about heart disease are often confusing - the AHA's goal is to raise awareness by delivering the facts in a straightforward and simple way.

Ladies, it's American Heart Month, meaning there's no better time to learn the warning signs that you may be experiencing a heart attack. Here are the symptoms WebMD advises we look for. Please call 911 if you think you or someone you know is experiencing an attack.

Discomfort, pressure, heaviness, or pain in the chest, arm, or below the breastbone
Discomfort radiating to the back, jaw, throat, or arm
Fullness, indigestion, or choking feeling (may feel like heartburn)
Sweating, nausea, vomiting, or dizziness
Extreme fatigue, weakness, anxiety, or shortness of breath
Rapid or irregular heartbeats

5 Symptoms You Shouldn't Ignore

FitSugar — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:50:35 PST

We don't always feel 100 percent all the time, and it's normal to feel a little nauseous, tired, or sniffly every once in a while. These are minor symptoms though, and usually go away on their own. But there are a few red flag signals our bodies flash to warn us of serious medical conditions, and they're symptoms you shouldn't pass off as nothing. WebMD spoke to the authors of Your Body's Red Light Warning Signals, and here are some symptoms that require a doctor's visit or emergency care.

Difficulty breathing. Tightness in the chest, wheezing, shallow breathing, or constantly coughing are all symptoms of asthma. If a person has these symptoms or full-on asthma attacks, and they're left untreated, the muscles used for breathing can get tired. That means the amount of oxygen getting into the lungs will decrease, while the levels of carbon dioxide increase. This has a drowsing effect on the brain, and the person may stop breathing, which could result in death.
Blood in your urine. When you go to the bathroom, you shouldn't see blood, and if you do, it could be a sign of kidney stones, bladder infections, or cancer of the kidney, urethra, or bladder. Even if you don't feel pain, call your doctor.

To see the other red flags keep reading

Cardiac Arrest vs. Heart Attack

FitSugar — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 09:00:00 PDT

The news of Michael Jackson's death shocked us all, and while the circumstances are under investigation one element that has left people confused is how do a heart attack and sudden cardiac arrest differ.

A heart attack, sometimes referred to as myocardial infarction, occurs when there is a sudden blockage of a coronary artery that supplies blood to the heart. It is a circulation issue and can be thought of like a plumbing problem. The blockage causes part of the heart muscle to die.

It was reported that Michael Jackson suffered sudden cardiac arrest; learn more.

Smoking Pot Linked to Heart Attack and Stroke Risk

FitSugar — Thu, 15 May 2008 03:30:00 PDT

We all know that smoking pot regularly just isn't good for our health. It can impair learning, affect memory retention and retrieval, and cause perceptual abnormalities (where you think you hear or see something that isn't there). The smoke from marijuana is also linked to lung cancer, and now research shows that chronic pot smoking can raise a person's risk of a heart attack or stroke. When blood protein levels were measured in heavy pot smokers, they were especially elevated - by 30 percent as compared to non pot smokers. These high levels of blood proteins increase the level of triglycerides. This is a type of fat found in the blood, that can contribute to hardening of the arteries and thickening of the artery walls, all of which raise a person's risk for stroke, heart attack, and heart disease.

As if that's not bad enough, smoking pot regularly could cause or worsen psychiatric problems such as anxiety and depression in teens. Now that I am a mom, I'm certainly cataloging all the reasons to just say "No."

Source

New Approach to CPR Saves More Lives

FitSugar — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 02:00:00 PDT

Many of you have been trained in CPR (Cardiopulmonary resuscitation), so I thought you would be interested in this new approach to the technique. Now emergency medical workers may be using a new approach to CPR called MICR. It stands for "minimally interrupted cardiac resuscitation" and it focuses on increasing blood flow to the heart and brain. This new method can triple the rate of survival for heart attack victims treated in "out-of-hospital" situations.

MICR should only be administered by trained professionals and it involves more than just chest compressions. It involves an initial series of 200 uninterrupted chest compressions and then the victim receives a shock. Then another set of 200 chest compressions is given. If there's still no pulse, the workers will give the victim a shot of epinephrine to stimulate the heart. Then they'll insert a flexible plastic tube into the trachea to help ventilate the lungs.

The success of this new method is great news since cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of women in the United States. Each year about 88,000 women, aged 45 to 64, suffer from a heart attack. The best way to take care of your heart is to exercise regularly (cardio is essential), don't smoke, eat a healthy diet that's low in sodium, cholesterol, and saturated fat, and try to limit the amount of stress in your life. Remember that it's never too early to start taking care of your heart.

Source

Heart Attack Signs Quiz

FitSugar — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 03:30:00 PST

Do you know the signs of a heart attack? It is national heart health month and a new study revealed that only one in four Americans know the signs of a heart attack. When a heart attack strikes, time is of the essence. The earlier the response the better the chances of survival. Take heart and take this quiz! The answers could help you save a life.

Source

Take the Quiz

Cut Your Risk of Heart Attack With 5 Things

FitSugar — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 07:30:00 PDT

During the month of October we put an extra emphasis on Breast Cancer Awareness, which means it's easy to forget about spreading awareness about other killers among women, such as heart disease.

In the spirit of covering all grounds to keep us ladies healthy, try to adopt these five simple factors to significantly reduce your own risk of heart attack:

Maintain a healthy diet with lots of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, fish and legumes
Drink less than a quarter ounce of alcohol daily
Don't smoke
Avoid weight gain
Be physically active

Interestingly enough, these sound quite similar to the five things you can do to reduce your risk of breast cancer.

Source

5 Strange Ways Chocolate Keeps You Healthy

Prevention — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 04:02:26 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Prevention here on FitSugar!

This sweet treat may also boost brainpower, help you relax, and more!
By Mara Betsch, Prevention

Show your heart some love this Valentine’s Day by nibbling a few chocolates - and making them a regular treat throughout the year. A recent study found that those consuming the highest levels of chocolate had a 37 percent reduction in cardiovascular disease and a 29 percent reduction in stroke compared to those with lower chocolate intakes.

Though experts are quick to clarify that we should stick to moderate consumption of high-calorie chocolates, it’s hard to deny the cold, hard facts that chocolate can be a healthy addition to our diets.

Seven Surprising Ways to Sharpen Your Mind

Hundreds of studies have shown that dark chocolate is packed with antioxidants that promote heart health and may prevent many cardiovascular-related conditions, but we’ve dug up five more surprising health benefits. Read on for five new ways to justify your chocolate craving.

1. Chocolate May Help You With Math
Flavonols, compounds in chocolate with antioxidantlike properties, are thought to improve circulation, including blood flow to the brain. A 2009 study asked participants to count backward in groups of three from a number between 800 and 999. After drinking hot cocoa filled with flavonols, the participants were able to do calculations more quickly and accurately and were less likely to feel tired or mentally drained.

Learn a four more things chocolate can do for you after the break.

A Reader Answers: Can Exercise Help With Migraines?

Fit Community — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 01:52:16 PST

FitSugar reader JessicaSmithTV wanted to know: can exercise help with migraines? She asked an expert and posted the answer in our Fit Community.

Today's post comes to us from special guest contributor and medical expert Paul Rizzoli, MD, Assistant Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School:

When you’re prone to migraines you’re forced to think through whether or not something you do will invite a headache into your life. Exercise is definitely one of those things. Should you skip a workout because you feel a migraine coming on? Or is it better to push through in the hopes a little sweat will make you feel better?

Most headache specialists recommend exercise and an increase in overall physical activity to their patients. However, to date, there’s skimpy evidence to support the idea that working out actually guards against migraine attacks. A few studies have shown that taking regular exercise can reduce the severity, though not the number of headaches.

Keep reading to see what studies say about exercise and migraine relief after the break!

Food	Amount	Saturated fat (g)
Mayonnaise	1 tablespoon	1.5
Unsalted butter	1 tablespoon	7.3
Sour cream	1 tablespoon	1.6
Cheddar cheese	1 oz slice	5.9
Lowfat milk (2%)	1 cup	3.1
Half and half cream	1 tablespoon	1.1
Egg	1 large	1.5
Bacon	1 medium strip	1.2
Hamburger patty	1/3 pound	8
Filet Mignon steak	6 oz.	6
Hot dog	1 frank	6
Pork sausage	2 oz.	9
Pork spare ribs	3 oz.	9.5
Roasted drumstick (with skin)	1.8 oz.	1.6
Beef pastrami (deli meat)	5 slices	3.8
Ham (deli meat)	5 slices	4.1
French fries	Large (5.4 oz.)	3.5
Pepperoni pizza	1 slice	5.3
Vanilla ice cream	1/2 cup	11
Cheesecake	1 slice (1/12 of 9-inch cake)	16