Page 22 - Florida Sentinel 2-26-16 Edition

Health
Heart Disease Risks Are More Prevalent In Women Than Men
Easy Food Tips For Lower Cholesterol
Accord-
ing to the
American
Heart Asso-
ciation, high
cholesterol
is one of the
leading
causes of
heart diseases, heart attack and stroke. Your liver produces more cholesterol, a waxy-substance, when you have a highly saturated and trans fat diet.
Here are some simple food tips to keep your cholesterol under control:
1. Eat 5-9 servings of fruits and veggies each day. This
helps
keep
the
LDL,
or
“bad”
cholesterol levels, down. Foods made with plant sterol, the steroid found in plants, also helps lower bad cholesterol lev-
els.2. Fish is a major key. Low in saturated fat, fish should be in- cluded in your meal twice a week. The omega-3 fatty acids found in fish can help lower fats in the blood and slow the development of plaque in the arteries.
3. Whole grains for breakfast. The fiber and com- plex carbs found in whole grains like cereal and oatmeal can last all day. You’ll feel fuller longer while also working to lower those bad cholesterol levels, or LDL.
4. Try nuts as a snack. You only need a handful before you’re on your way to lowering that LDL. Nuts are already high in fat and calories; so don’t cover the few that you’re snacking on in sugar.
5. Swap out beans for po- tatoes. Some carbs are better than others. Beans, brown rice, quinoa and whole wheat top the list of good carbs that don’t raise your sugar levels.
6. Be healthy at restau- rants, too. Choose anything baked, steamed or broiled. Foods at restaurants tend to be high in sodium, saturated fat and calo- ries. So add some veggies to your plate, too.
Sipping Tea Cuts Stroke Risk
Drinking 3 cups of black or green tea daily reduces the risk of stroke by 21%, ac- cording to a UCLA study. Thanks goes to the artery-protecting compounds packed in the teas that block stroke-triggering molecules in the brain.
When it comes to risk factors for heart disease, Black women have to be more careful than Black men. Yes, heart disease disproportionately affects the en- tire Black community. But, ac- cording to Dr. Jennifer H. Mieres, certain risk factors pre- disposed to heart disease are more potent in women. That in- cludes hypertension and dia- betes, Mieres said.
Other examples of those at higher risk for heart disease in- clude:
• Women with polycystic ovar- ian syndrome.
• Women with menopause be- fore age 45
• Women with pregnancy-re- lated complication (diabetes, hy- pertension, eclampsia).
• Women with autoimmune diseases (rheumatoid arthritis, lupus).
• Women with hypertension are at the highest risk for heart failure, followed by women who are exposed to chronic stress.
The Heart Smart for Black Women and Latinas by Dr. Mieres, shares a list of healthy eating, activity, stress control and other habits to prevent or manage heart disease.
Healthy Eating
• Make your plate more color- ful.
• Eat a healthy breakfast every day.
• Have two servings of fatty fish every week (salmon, mack- erel).
• Avoid processed foods and avoid adding sugar.
• Bake and broil and avoid fry- ing.
• Put down the salt shaker.
Activity
Get 30 minutes of activity every day. That includes walking, jogging, dancing, swimming, cy- cling and Zumba – anything to help decrease the risk of heart disease.
Stress Control
Yoga, meditating, laughing for 10 minutes or breathing exer- cises can help with distressing each day.
Other Advice
• Avoid smoking and second- hand smoke.
• Find a friend, relative or co- worker to partner with you on the healthy heart journey.
• Partner with your doctor, ask questions and repeat their in- struction back to the doctor so that you are certain you’ve inter- preted them correctly.
Walking has been proven as an effective way to strengthen your immunity system, lower blood pressure and keep your blood sugar in check.
A recent study suggests that taking a 30 minute walk each day also slows brain aging by as much as 10 years!
How?
By keeping oxygen and heal- ing nutrients flowing to your hard-working brain cells!
How many of us can really resist getting seconds (or thirds) when grandma cooks her fa- mous collard greens, pot roast and sweet potatoes? Not too many people that I know.
But, there is a thin line be- tween eating and binge-eating disorder. The latter is a life- threatening disorder with risks of suicide and psychiatric is- sues.
Many people have never heard of binge-eating disorder, or B.E.D.
Yet, B.E.D. is a very common thing – plaguing an estimated 2.8 million American adults.
It’s also the most prevalent eating disorder for African Americans.
Here is a list of symptoms for binge-eating disorder:
• Eating a larger portion of food than most people would
eat within a two-hour period, or having no sense of control over the amount of food you eat.
• Eating until you feel too full or uncomfortable.
• Eating just to be eating – not because you’re actually hun- gry.
• Feeling too embarrassed by the amount of food you eat to dine with others.
• Feeling guilty or depressed about the amount of food you just ate If you feel any of these things, it’s best to start keeping notes of each episode. You should also schedule an ap- pointment with a physician.
A few details to discuss with the doctor include:
• The length of each binging episode.
• How long you have been dealing with binge eating.
• What was happening in your life when you noticed the binge eating started.
• How you felt during and after binge eating
B.E.D. is treatable and very manageable however; keep in mind, B.E.D. is a relatively new disorder, so consider a special- ist for assistance.
Daily Strolls Are Brain-Savers
Is Your Love For Food Actually A Binge-Eating Disorder?
PAGE 10-B FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2016