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- Written by Lisa Jillanza
We've heard that there are certain foods you can eat to get healthier looking hair, stronger bones and to prevent diseases. But there are also foods and nutrients that many doctors recommend to help keep our eyes healthy for many, many years.
The eye is a highly complex organ made up of lipids, or fatty tissue. As light enters our eyes and breaks down into free radicals, these free radicals cause major damage to our eye's lipids. These free radicals cause the degenerative effects of aging and eventually the loss of vision over time. Two of the major effects that these free radicals cause are macular degeneration and cataracts.
According to MSNBC more than 13 million people in the U.S. suffer from macular degeneration, and about half of all Americans over the age of 80 have cataracts.
Luckily, free radicals can be neutralized by antioxidants because they help to slow down the damage done and wash the free radicals out of the body completely. More specifically, a research project conducted by the National Eye Institute has shown that the most important foods for preventing macular degeneration and cataracts are ones that are rich in the antioxidants beta carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, lutein and zeaxanthin, zinc and omega-3 fats.
To get your share of antioxidants, doctors suggest eating your vegetables. Fresh fruits and green, leafy vegetables are chock full of antioxidants. Here is a list of specific foods from MSNBC that you can eat to ensure that you're keeping your eyes healthy for years to come:
Carrots- Carrots are loaded with beta carotene, an antioxidant that helps reduce the risk of macular degeneration and cataracts.
Bell peppers, broccoli and Brussels sprouts- Three B's that provide a blast of vitamin C. Vitamin C is another key antioxidant shown specifically to protect the eyes.
Turkey- Turkey is also rich in zinc (plus the B-vitamin niacin, which specifically protects against cataracts). What's more, turkey is incredibly versatile and a terrific lean substitute for high-fat beef.
Sweet potatoes- Beta carotene is found in sweet potatoes thanks to the bright-orange flesh in these sweet spuds.
Spinach- Spinach provides four eye-protecting ingredients! It comes packaged with vitamin C, beta carotene and large amounts of lutein and zeaxanthin , a matched pair of antioxidants found in high concentrations in the tissue of the macula. Because they absorb 40 to 90 percent of blue light intensity, these nutrients act like sunscreen for your eyes. Studies have shown that eating foods rich in lutein and zeaxanthin can increase the pigment density in the macula — and greater pigment density means better retina protection, and a lower risk of macular degeneration.
Wild salmon and sardines- There are a lot of Omega-3 fats in fish that help your eyes by protecting tiny blood vessels buried within the eyes. Aim for two to three 4-ouce portions a week.
Keep an eye on sugar intake- Monitoring your sugar intake is also important in maintaining healthy eyes, as refined carbohydrates can spike your glucose levels, increasing your chances of acquiring macular degeneration.
Just by keeping these tips in mind and being cautious about what you eat, your eyes will be healthy well into your older years and your vision will only improve over time.
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- Written by Lisa Jillanza
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR is an emergency procedure that is usually performed on people in cardiac arrest and involves creating artificial circulation by pressing on the chest to pump blood through the heart and exhaling into the patient to ventilate the lungs. It's one of the most basic emergency medical procedures, yet millions of Americans don't know how to perform it.
So why does it matter? According to CNN only 1 in 10 people who suffer cardiac arrest outside of a hospital setting will survive. This means that 9 of 10 will die. The only way to improve this statistic is for Americans to learn CPR.
Getting CPR within minutes is crucial for someone who's suffered from cardiac arrest, as brain death and permanent death start to occur just four to six minutes after the heart stops.
A number of these deaths could be avoided if more people took the initiative to take a CPR class. However, many people just don't want to take the time or expense, but medical experts say that learning how to do it is much easier than it used to be.
In fact, the American Heart Association has introduced a new CPR training kit called CPR Anytime and it was created to help more people learn this life-saving skill. In a one-hour session, you can learn how to perform CPR using this kit. It's then suggested that you take the kit home and share the information with five people. Each of your friends can then borrow your kit or buy one of their own and share the information with five more friends hopefully increasing the number of trained life savers exponentially.
The American Heart Association says that the kit does not replace an actual CPR course or certification but it could indeed save a life.
Anyone interested in learning where they can take a CPR class or those interested in purchasing a CPR Anytime Kit, can visit either the American Red Cross or the American Heart Association's websites to find a class in your area or learn more about it.
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- Written by Lisa Jillanza
Now that summer is in full bloom, families will be turning to salads as their meal of choice when the temperature gets too hot to cook. But oftentimes, as soon as you go to reach for your favorite green leafy vegetable you realize that it has gone bad too soon.
Use these helpful tips to keep your lettuce fresher for a longer period of time and you'll be enjoying your salads all summer long:
First of all, it's important to purchase the freshest lettuce that you can to ensure that it lasts as long possible. Look for crisp leaves that are free of browning edges and rust spots. Check out your local farmer's market to browse the freshest fruits and vegetables around.
According to Stellaskitchen.com if you buy iceberg lettuce wrap it in a moist paper towel as soon as you get home and place it in a plastic bag before storing it in the refrigerator.
In regards to leafy lettuce greens like romaine, red leaf or green leaf lettuce, you can follow the same process. However, it is better to remove leafy greens from their plastic bag and pat the leaves dry with a paper towel before storing them if they are wet from the produce sprayer at the store. Squeeze the water out from the paper towel and wrap the lettuce up. Place the wrapped head of lettuce back in the bag and in the produce drawer.
Utilize containers that have special holes for specific vegetables (Tupperware's Fridgesmart is a great one for lettuce!)
Utilize air-tight plastic bags to store your lettuce in instead of the plastic bags you purchase the head in at the store.
Try to avoid bagged lettuce as it has already been preserved and is well on its way to spoiling.
Avoid metal pans to store your lettuce; this also speeds up the spoiling process.
Utilize your refrigerator's crisper as it truly does help to keep vegetables, like lettuce, crisper and therefore fresher.
Make sure to store your lettuce in your produce drawer with plenty of breathing room. Leaves can be easily bruised if you have lots of other veggies crammed in with the lettuce.
Here's another tip from Stellaskitchen.com regarding storing leftover salad- lay a damp paper towel over the top of the salad and cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a tight fitting lid.
By following these simple tips you'll be able to enjoy fresh, light summer salads all season long without having to worry about your leafy greens being soggy or brown.
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- Written by Lisa Jillanza
Everyone looks forward to that one or two weeks out of the year when they get to take a break from their daily work or at-home duties and go on vacation. Vacation is the perfect time to relax, unwind and have a great time with friends and family.
The lure of rich meals, fruity drinks and endless hours of lying by the pool are hard temptations to resist while on vacation. And after all, you are on vacation so you owe it to yourself,.in moderation. Your vacation is your time and it's fine to indulge a bit but it's also important to get up and moving so that you don't pay the price once you get home.
While vacation is a time to unwind and relax, it is not necessarily a time to take a break from your daily fitness routines. Just because you are away from your gym, doesn't mean that you can't get your exercise elsewhere.
Being on vacation is a great time to try something different with your cardio workout. Remembering to keep your routine different each day will help you to enjoy your vacation and exercise even more.
Here are a couple guidelines for staying fit and active while on vacation found on MSNBC.
Change your vacation brain- Consider your hiatus from work as an opportunity to be more active and try new things. Oftentimes you'll have more time for exercise when traveling because there's no housework, laundry or long meetings to attend. Try to do something active every day on vacation, even if it's only dancing in the disco. Include one calorie-burning (and fun) activity in your itinerary each day, such as snorkeling, kayaking or even hula classes, and aim for a manageable 30 minutes.
Be active early- Allow yourself a couple days to sleep in then try to get out of bed early and do an activity that's related to where you are, such as taking a walk on a beach, riding a bike around town or hiking in the hills. If I don't go first thing, it's easy to get too busy. Find a local activity you love and do it early in the day. Or pack running shoes, shorts and a sports bra to turn any vacation spot into a beautiful scenic workout trail.
You can also try these great cardio workouts while on vacation:
Surfing, swimming or snorkeling: While you may not be the “hang ten” type, even attempting surfing can be an excellent form of exercise. Snorkeling is more laid back and still provides a great workout and we all know that swimming is an excellent form of exercise for all of your major muscle groups.
Walking or running on the beach: Experts have said that walking or running on the beach burns more calories than running or walking on a flat surface, thereby making this an excellent vacation workout for anyone.
Biking: Biking trails and biking in general is a great form of exercise and it a great way to get around on vacation. You won't be burning up gas in a car to get around and you'll be giving your body a pretty intense workout.
Hiking: Many families choose the outdoors instead of the beach for their vacation, which allows for another great workout by hiking trails and through the mountains. Adding elevation and a backpack to your hike helps you to burn additional calories.
Beach volleyball: You don't have to be a professional volleyball player in order to get a great workout by playing beach volleyball. Besides burning more than 150 calories per hour, playing beach volleyball is a great way to meet some new people while on vacation.
Play golf: Many of you are probably saying, “Play golf? Now that's up my alley.” You may not realize this, but playing golf is an excellent form or exercise and is also a great way to relax the day away while you are on vacation. By carrying your clubs and walking the course, you can burn 200 to 300 calories per hour and you'll be exercising even though you might not realize it.
Shopping: Yes, men, believe it or not, when your lady decides to take a day out of vacation and get some shopping in, she is actually getting in a pretty decent work out. While this workout is a leisurely one it can still be a good form of exercise with all of the walking and heavy lifting/carrying that could ensue.
So whether you decide to hit up the beach volleyball court and try your hand at surfing, or if you just go shopping and take a walk on the beach, there are plenty of ways that you can get a good workout while you are on vacation.
This way, when you return home you will not only be well rested, but you won't be out any fitness time and can jump right back into your normal routine without starting fresh.
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- Written by Lisa Jillanza
Studies are constantly being conducted to aid those living with type 2 diabetes, as it is becoming a rapidly increasing disease that many overweight people are being diagnosed with.
In a recent study it has been reported that eating a Mediterranean-style diet may help people with type 2 diabetes keep their disease under control without the help of drugs better than following a typical low-fat diet. In the past, people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes often turn to a classic, low-fat regimen, while others have opted for a higher-fat, Mediterranean-style diet filled with lots of olive oil, as well as vegetables, whole grains and fish and poultry.
According to WebMD.com, a new study from Italy shows that people with type 2 diabetes who ate a Mediterranean diet rich in vegetables and whole grains with at least 30% of daily calories from fat (mostly olive oil) were better able to manage their disease without diabetes medications than those who ate a low-fat diet with no more than 30% of calories from fat (with less than 10% coming from saturated fat choices).
The researchers studied groups of people who were following both of these types of diets and they found that after four years both groups had lost similar amounts of weight. But, only 44% of the Mediterranean dieters needed to take diabetes medication, as compared to 70% of the low-fat dieters.
The Mediterranean diet group achieved better glycemic (blood sugar) control and was less likely to require diabetes medications to bring their blood sugar to healthier levels. Those who followed the Mediterranean diet also experienced improvement in other heard disease risk factors.
One of the major benefits of the Mediterranean diet is that it is full of healthy foods and it doesn't recommend fat-reduced foods that are chock full of refined carbohydrates. The Mediterranean diet is also rich in vegetables and whole grains and low in red meat, which should be replaced with fish or poultry. Overall, the Mediterranean diet should consist of no more than 50% of daily calories from carbohydrates and no less than 30% of calories from fat.
To switch up your diet to be more Mediterranean add: fish, poultry, beans, walnuts and other nuts, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, fresh fruit, roasted vegetables, whole eggs, and olives.