Brierley Wright

Healthy Hearts Challenge Tip 7: Be Choosy About Your Chocolate

Nifer — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:05:04 +0000

To celebrate American Heart Month and our Healthy Hearts Challenge, every day this week we’re posting a quick tip to help you eat for a healthier heart. Here’s today’s tip:

Tip 7: Be Choosy About Your Chocolate.

Studies show that chocolate increases antioxidant levels in the blood and helps lower blood pressure. But when it comes to reaping those antioxidant benefits, quality matters most. If you need a chocolate fix, treat yourself to a small square of dark chocolate—look for one that is 70 percent or more cocoa.

Healthy Hearts Challenge Tip 6: Go Nuts

Nifer — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:03:16 +0000

To celebrate American Heart Month and our Healthy Hearts Challenge, every day this week we’re posting a quick tip to help you eat for a healthier heart. Here’s today’s tip:

Tip 6: Go Nuts.

Nuts are chock-full of vitamins, minerals, heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and low levels of saturated fats. Research suggests that people who eat nuts—walnuts, pecans, almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios, pine nuts and peanuts (which actually are legumes)—two to four days or more per week have a lower incidence of heart disease than people who eat them less often.

Healthy Hearts Challenge Tip 5: Wash Away Sodium

Nifer — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:00:45 +0000

To celebrate American Heart Month and our Healthy Hearts Challenge, every day this week we’re posting a quick tip to help you eat for a healthier heart. Here’s today’s tip:

Tip 5: Wash Away Sodium.

Healthy Hearts Challenge Tip 4: Get Your Omega-3s

Nifer — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:58:46 +0000

To celebrate American Heart Month and our Healthy Hearts Challenge, every day this week we’re posting a quick tip to help you eat for a healthier heart. Here’s today’s tip:

Tip 4: Get Your Omega-3s.

Healthy Hearts Challenge Tip 3: Go Unrefined

Nifer — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:54:53 +0000

To celebrate American Heart Month and our Healthy Hearts Challenge, every day this week we’re posting a quick tip to help you eat for a healthier heart. Here’s today’s tip:

Tip 3: Go Unrefined.

Pick whole grains over refined grains. People who eat more whole grains tend to have lower “bad” LDL cholesterol and higher “good” HDL cholesterol. Plus, because whole grains have their bran intact they have more fiber, B vitamins, magnesium, zinc and other nutrients.

Healthy Hearts Challenge Tip 2: Choose Low-Fat Dairy

Nifer — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:36:19 +0000

To celebrate American Heart Month and our Healthy Hearts Challenge, every day this week we’re posting a quick tip to help you eat for a healthier heart. Here’s today’s tip:

Tip 2: Choose Low-Fat Dairy.

Dairy products like milk, sour cream and yogurt are a good source of calcium. Replacing whole-milk dairy products with low-fat or nonfat is an easy way to cut saturated fat in your diet. Plus, substituting low-fat dairy for full-fat versions may also help lower blood pressure, according to a 2009 study in the British Journal of Nutrition.

Healthy Hearts Challenge Tip 1: Eat These 6 Purple Foods to Help Your Blood Pressure

Nifer — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:31:39 +0000

To celebrate American Heart Month and our Healthy Hearts Challenge, every day this week we’re posting a quick tip to help you eat for a healthier heart. Here’s today’s tip:

Tip 1: Eat These 6 Purple Foods to Help Your Blood Pressure.

New study: high-fructose corn syrup may be worse for you than sugar

Nifer — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 17:18:14 +0000

The debate over whether high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is really worse for you than sugar is always popular and heated. Full disclosure: based on the available research, I usually land on the side that says there really is no difference. A sugar is a sugar is a sugar. Metabolic studies have shown that our bodies break down and use HFCS and sugar (sucrose) the same way.

The worst thing to eat for your heart

Nifer — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:47:09 +0000

Heart disease is the leading cause of death among Americans: on average, one person dies every 39 seconds, according to recently published data from the American Heart Association.

I've talked in the past about cutting back on saturated fat (found mostly in animal-based products like red meat and full-fat dairy), added sugars and sodium for better heart health. Keep working at those!

The best & worst girl scout cookies

Nifer — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 18:49:33 +0000

Every year I look forward to the Girl Scouts’ annual cookie sale (um, who doesn’t?!). This year’s sale is more controversial than most, with some people banning the treats in opposition to the organization’s acceptance of a transgendered member, while others are buying more boxes to show their support. I like supporting Girl Scouts and their activities, but, honestly, I think my excitement really stems from the fact that this is the only time of year I can buy these cookies.

5 foods to help you sleep better

Nifer — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 17:02:04 +0000

Some people have trouble falling asleep. Others can’t stay asleep. And then there are the people (um, me!) who have trouble turning life “off” and tucking into bed at a reasonable hour. (Get 3 simple tips to help you beat insomnia here.)

Which will help me slim down—6 mini meals or 3 squares?

Nifer — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 16:56:03 +0000

Which will help me slim down—6 mini meals or 3 squares? I get this question a lot, especially from people who are trying to slim down, because I’m a registered dietitian and nutrition editor of EatingWell Magazine. It’s a common question, especially among dieters looking to get an extra edge on their weight loss.
Related: 10 Tricks to Make Losing Weight Easier

3 healthy ingredients of a get-skinny lunch

Nifer — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 15:25:08 +0000

Just as breakfast gives me a much-needed energy boost in the morning, eating lunch fuels the second half of my day—and helps me stay away from the vending machine mid afternoon.
Don’t Miss: 3 Essential Ingredients of a Healthy Breakfast

10 tricks to make losing weight easier

Nifer — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 16:21:27 +0000

To successfully lose weight and keep it off, eating well and exercising are key—the “secret,” of course, is to eat less and move more (find out how many calories you should be eating to lose weight here). But even the most committed dieters can benefit from a few tricks to boost their weight-loss efforts. Here are 10 easy, everyday diet tips to add to your weight-loss arsenal.

How to beat winter weight gain

Nifer — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 17:50:07 +0000

Here’s a depressing piece of information: Americans put on half of our annual weight gain between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. Granted, that’s just two pounds a year, but research shows that people don’t lose it when the partying ends. And if that happens year after year after year…well, you can do the math.

It’s much easier to not gain weight in the first place than it is to lose what you’ve put on. Ward off winter weight gain the easy way with these 5 tips.