Go Red for Women!: Top Five Red Foods to Eat for a Healthy Heart!

Go Red for Women!: Top Five Red Foods to Eat for a Healthy Heart!

It’s Heart Health Month, meaning this month is ablaze with the color red! The purpose of the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women movement is to call attention to the fact that heart disease is the #1 killer of women (and men). Take care of your heart and tap into the heart-healthy power of eating red to garner the healing power of this fabulous group of nutrition powerhouse foods.

Red is the new green, at least as far as heart-healthy eating goes. The bright hue of red foods (and no, we don’t mean the Red Hots candy you ate as a kid) is a sure sign the food is packed with a lot of disease-fighting antioxidant plant chemicals. The specific phytochemicals include some names you may have heard before: lycopene, carotenoids and resveratrol.

Here is a list of the top five red foods you should be eating on a regular basis to keep your ticker strong:

Tomatoes: Tomatoes and cooked tomato products (such as tomato sauce and tomato paste) are high in the powerful antioxidant lycopene. Lycopene is a plant pigment responsible for the deep red color of tomatoes. Lycopene has numerous health benefits, most notably its ability to ward off prostate cancer in men.

When it comes to heart health, lycopene stops LDL or “bad” cholesterol from becoming oxidized by free radicals, hence preventing the formation of arterial plaque. Cooking tomatoes has been shown to increase the amount of lycopene that the body can absorb by breaking down plant cells that trap the substance, so eat that tomato sauce!

Try the Nutrition Together Shrimp Fra Diavolo lycopene-rich recipe. Serve with a dark leafy green salad and wash it down with a nice glass of pinot noir for a perfect heart-healthy dinner.

Red Bell Peppers: Who knew? One red bell pepper has three times the vitamin C as an orange! Red bell peppers are also packed with other antioxidants as well as fiber which functions to keep your intestines in good shape as well as lower your cholesterol. Try snacking on red pepper with a hummus dip—delicious and simple to make.

Beets: Reddish purple beets are chock full of plant chemicals called anthocyanins which give them such a deep red color. Anthocyanin pigments and the associated flavonoid polyphenols have demonstrated the ability to protect against a myriad of human diseases, and anthocyanins are also powerful antioxidants that can protect the heart. 

Apples: An apple a day truly does keep the doctor (cardiologist) away! Sometimes the best heart medicine is the kind you can get from your produce section. In this case, apples contain a large amount of pectin, a soluble fiber, which blocks cholesterol absorption in the gut and encourages the body to excrete the cholesterol. Apple peels are also packed with polyphenols -- antioxidants that prevent cellular damage from free radicals. So whatever you do, don’t toss the peel.

Red wine: Red wine is liquid heart medicine. Studies have shown that drinking one glass a day with a meal promotes clear, healthy arteries. Make sure to go red and not white when you choose your color of wine as red contains the powerful antioxidant resveratrol as well as flavonoids which partner together to ease arterial inflammation. Your best bet for maximum antioxidant power is to drink either pinot noir or cabernet sauvignon. Remember, one glass a day is all you need; any more could cause health problems. Don’t drink? Try a small glass of 100% Concord grape juice instead.

Do your heart a favor and "go red" this month by including these heart-healthy red foods into your daily diet. Add some of these foods to your day and with the support of Fitness Together you’ll surely be giving your heart the gift of health this month.

SuperFood: Cranberries

Cranberries are a bonafide superfood as the cranberry is one of the top foods scientifically proven to have health benefits.  Cranberries are an excellent source of vitamin C, containing 20% of daily value in one cup.  They also contain fiber and potent disease-fighting antioxidants, which can protect cells from free radicals-- unstable molecules that damage cells.  Cranberries also contain bacteria-blocking compounds (tannins and anthocyonins in particular) that help acidify the urine and prevent E. coli-- the bacteria that causes infections-- from adhering to the urinary tract and bladder cells preventing urinary tract infections!

Q: Is it okay to splurge on Thanksgiving? (Mashed Potatoes with Chickpeas recipe)

Nobody gains weight from just that one Thanksgiving Day meal. We gain weight from the “holiday mentality” that continues on from Thanksgiving to New Years Day. Yet, the busiest and most stressful time of year is precisely when we must be most vigilant about putting the brakes on our calorie intake and finding the time to fit in lots of calorie-burning, stress-releasing exercise. That said, here are a few healthy makeover tips for holiday meals: modify your favorite holiday recipes so they are healthier and lighter (without compromising taste) by reducing the fat, sugar, sodium and calories.

For example, if you prepare stuffing from a box, look for a lower sodium variety, omit adding butter or margarine, and do add in lots of healthy vegetables like mushrooms, onions, garlic, celery and peppers, sautéed in a small amount of olive oil. You can also add in a touch of super-healthy walnuts and cranberries. Traditional mashed potatoes can be transformed into a delicious, heart-healthy cholesterol-lowering side dish (see below). Go for the turkey breast without the skin; don’t go overboard with the gravy; and eat desserts and drink alcohol in moderation.

This holiday season, remember to take the time to give yourself the gift of health by making a conscious effort to eat better and get in your daily calorie and stress—burning exercise!

Mashed Potatoes with Chickpeas
Serves 6
What you need:


2 pounds baking potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1 can (15.5 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 cup light soy milk
1⁄2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1⁄4 cup Promise Take Control Light margarine
1 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 teaspoon pepper
Commercial gravy, optional


What you do:


Place potatoes in large saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until tender. Drain and return potatoes to pan.
Add chickpeas and mash using a potato masher. Add soy milk, chicken broth, margarine, and salt and pepper and stir. Cook an additional 2 minutes, until heated, stirring constantly. Serve warm. Top with commercial gravy if desired.


Per serving (1⁄6 of recipe, 293 grams or approximately 1 cup): Calories: 255, Fat: 5 g, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Sodium: 751 mg, Carbohydrate: 46 g, Dietary Fiber: 5 g, Sugars: 3 g, Protein: 7 g


Posted by Dr. Janet Bond Brill

Nutrient Brief: Powerful Pecans

No matter how you pronounce it, pecans are another “nut”ritional powerhouse.  Pecans are the only tree nut native to America, cultivated mostly in the south and central parts of the country.  Thus, they have become a staple in many southern recipes.  Steer clear of the pecan pie though—one traditional slice can contain 500 calories or more! 

Stick with fresh or roasted pecans, with as little added sodium or sugar  as possible.  As with other nuts, while nutritionally dense, pecans are also calorically dense due to the high percentage of fat per serving (about 195 calories per one ounce serving) so enjoy in moderation and always be aware of portion size. 

Some of the benefits include:

*High antioxidant content has been shown to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, cancer, and quite possibly some neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

*Great source of mono and polyunsaturated fat which contributes to a lowering of LDL “bad cholesterol” and raising of HDL “good cholesterol”.

*A one ounce serving contains more than half the daily recommended serving of the mineral manganese, as well as calcium, zinc and phosphorus on the mineral side and vitamins A, E, and several types of B vitamins.

*Nuts make a great on the go snack  either alone or paired with fresh or dried fruit—just portion out small containers so you have some handy to take with you wherever your winter travels lead!

written by:

Katie Jensen, CSCS
Psychology, B.S.
NPTI Graduate

October Nutrition Tip of Week: 2. Eat baked apples for dessert

It’s apple season so why not bake some up for dessert? Nothing could be simpler than coring an apple, adding a little water, a sweetener and maybe some raisins and chopped pecans or walnuts and baking in a hot oven. The best “baking apples” are: Rome Beauty, Golden delicious, Honeycrisp and Jonagold.  

Go organic when possible!  

Click it- Go local and pick some of your own! 

Stuffed Baked Apples Recipe

October Recipe 2

Nutrient Brief: Pumpkin Power

Pick up almost any of the cooking magazines out for this month, and you will see that there are any number of ways to whip up a tasty dish utilizing that bright orange gourd we so often associate with the fall season (Lighter Pumpkin Pie recipe).  Pumpkins are actually a vitamin and mineral powerhouse, including both the vibrant flesh and crunchy little seeds.

As we suggest in our Nutrition Together program, it is best to get a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables in your diet as each color is indicative of different nutritional benefits.  The orange of the pumpkin is telling of the abundance of Beta-Carotene (converts to vitamin A in the body) which is important for healthy vision, as well as antioxidant properties that bolster the immune system and possibly defend against cancer-causing free radicals.  The flesh of the pumpkin also contains the following:

• Only 50 calories per cup, with approximately 3 grams of Fiber
• Good source of Vitamins C, K, & E
• Over 500 mg Potassium per serving

The seeds (also known as pepitas)  also little nutritional gems.  If you have a nut allergy, seeds can be a great way to get some healthy essential fats into your diet.  The oil in the pumpkin seeds has been shown to help decrease blood cholesterol levels.  They are also a good source of the major minerals magnesium and phosphorous, as well as trace minerals copper, iron, zinc and manganese.  You can easily roast a batch of your own after you carve your pumpkins this Halloween, or add them raw to salads and soups.

Katie Jensen, CSCS

Fitness and Nutrition Coach

Learn about Nutrition Together program.  Our clients rave about it!

September Nutrition Tip of Week 4: Try a new leafy green-Swiss chard

Did you know that alongside spinach, Swiss chard is one of the most nutritious leafy greens on the planet? Swiss chard is related to the beet, and is an excellent source of vitamins A, K, C and potassium. Easy to make, buy it fresh and simply remove the stalks, chop up the leaves and sauté with extra virgin olive oil and garlic.


http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/swiss_chard/

September Tip of Week 3: Eat Squash

It’s the time to take advantage of this season’s star vegetable: squash. Super low in calories, high in fiber and nutrients—here are some tips: roast spaghetti squash until soft, shred with a fork and serve as a low calorie pasta alternative; stuff roasted acorn squash with wild rice, and cranberries; make butternut squash into a delicious and 
nutritious seasonal soup.

Squash article with special Nutrition info