Every nut that I can think of is healthy for your heart. I personally don’t know any kind of nut that isn’t healthy but there probably is something out there that isn’t good for you. But just listing almonds, cashews, walnuts, Brazil nuts, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts or filberts, pistachios and pecans is more than enough nuts for me.  I’m a believer.

Before I forget, peanuts are technically a nut; they are a legume, like beans but they are healthy.

Nuts are good for your heart because they supply healthy fats and other nutrients. The research indicates that people who eat nuts as part of their diet can lower their LDL, the low-density lipoprotein or the bad cholesterol in their blood. High LDL is one of the primary causes of heart disease.

Although it varies by nut, most nuts contain at least some of these heart-healthy nutrients. These include unsaturated fats, omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, l-arginine and plant sterols.

It is best to not eat heaps of nuts but eat them in moderation. Choose unsalted or low-salt brands.  Too much salt and you retain water. Too much fluid and your heart has to work harder to distribute it through your body. A good rule of thumb is no more than a handful of nuts daily.

Tips to enjoying nuts.

• Snack on raw or dry roasted. My favorite is to take a sheet of aluminum foil, lay the nuts flat, spray with garlic oil spray and season with garlic power – little of the power goes a long way.

• Sprinkle chopped nuts on oatmeal, cereal or yogurt.

• Add slivered or chopped  nuts to salads, grain dishes, steamed vegetables, fish, chicken, or casseroles.

• Add chopped nuts to muffin or pancake mix.

Keep in mind that nuts contain a lot of fat. In fact, as much as 80 percent of a nut is fat which is probably why they taste so good. The problem is all that fat is a lot of calories. That’s another reason you should eat nuts in moderation. Keep in mind that you will negate the heart healthy benefit of nuts if you cover them with chocolate, sugar and of course salt.

To your good health,

Ruthan

Ruthan Brodsky

Health Writer & Business Writer

Copywriter & Content Marketer

Your breakfast fruit juice may be fighting your morning medications causing a chemical reaction that your doctor was not planning. That’s what you learned in my last post.

What you also have to think about, especially as you get older and take more than one medication at a time, is that your risk of food interaction increases. For instance some antibiotics, especially those used for skin infections or acne, should not be mixed with milk or milk products including yogurt. These include tetracycline and doxycycline. Eating milk products lowers their effectiveness.

Another popular compound, the anti-oxidant reversatrol found in red wine, nuts and dark chocolate, is touted for its anti-aging benefits. But taken in large quantities it can enhance the potency of some drugs and you may overdose.

It makes sense to read the label and the information about the prescription you are taking. If it contains lots of conditions and warnings about possible interactions with other medications the chances are good it will also interfere with some foods.  Talk to your pharmacist.

Black tea is another no-no if you are on several medications. Black tea is usually taken to help lower blood pressure.  However, it also appears to inhibit an enzyme responsible for processing many drugs and could increase the potency of what your meds.

Coffee, colas, tea, and energy drinks all contain caffeine, a stimulant. This could cause your heart to beat faster and make you more alert. However, certain asthma medications also have stimulant affects such as Albuerol and Theophylline. If you are taking either of these limit your caffeine intake.

Foods that are high in potassium are almost always good for you especially if you take a diuretic to control your blood pressure. However, other medicines, including some diuretics used to treat high blood pressure can cause potassium overload. All of which means depending on your potassium levels, ask your doctor about limiting potassium rich foods.

Your first rule, then, whatever your medication, is to read the prescription label on every container. Then talk to your doctor and pharmacist about everything you’re taking including supplements.

To your successful healthy aging,
Ruthan

Ruthan Brodsky
Healthwriter & Copywriter

More of us are viewing the food we eat as part of a preventive medicine program. I suspect this perspective of ours increases as we get older when staying healthy is more challenging.

For instance we have been bombarded with the message to eat colorful vegetables especially those with dark green leaves. We know that some foods help us lower our blood pressure or reduce our cholesterol.

What we forget, however, is that just with prescribed drugs, the health improving qualities of foods such as nuts and olive oil and fruit can interact with other medications and cause problems

Grapefruit, for example, has been in the news for a couple of years. Grapefruit and grapefruit juice can increase the amount of some drugs in the bloodstream and cause heart palpitations, headaches and seizures. Some drugs that interact poorly with grapefruit are:

• Statins -to lower cholesterol

• Calcium channel blockers – to lower blood pressure

• Antiarrhythmic agents to correct heart rhythm

• Immune system suppressants for autoimmune disorders

• Certain anti-anxiety and antihistamine drugs.

The interaction between some drugs and grapefruit can last for 72 hours which means you can’t schedule your medication around eating the fruit.

Today there is newer research that suggests other fruit juices including cranberry and pomegranate as well as olive oil may also interfere with how statins work in your body. There are also laboratory studies which indicate certain popular teas can block the effect of some medication including the flu vaccine.

Here is one interference that I bet you never read. Keep in mind, however, that more research is most likely needed. Even so there is some indication that eating a low-fat diet, a healthy lifestyle change, may reduce the potency of some drugs.

It seems that what we eat impacts medicine in two ways: It either blocks the absorption of the pills or it increases the absorption which can lead to an overdose.  Usually, for this to happen we have to be eating large amounts of a particular food. A few teaspoons or even tablespoons of olive oil on your salad shouldn’t pose a problem in most cases.

Even so most of us, myself included, select foods based on their possible health benefits and take supplements with high doses of nutrients for added health protection. To be honest I don’t think of possible side effects on medication but the same principals apply. The food I eat could be having an impact on the supplements I am taking and I may be either getting less than I paid for or more than I bargained for.

It has been pointed out time and again that for every drug there are unintended side effects and the same is true when taking nutritionals at high levels.

More on the pill and food challenge in my next post.

If you found a clash in your food and pills or supplements let us know the clash. It would be wonderful if you would tell us how you discovered the clash. Type your answer in the Comment window.

To your health aging success.

Ruthan

Ruthan Brodsky
Health Writer and Copywriter

Potatoes supply a wide range of vital nutrients to your diet. I’m convinced that it’s what you put on your potato that gives them a bad rap  as a food to stay away from when you are dieting. It’s the butter and sour cream you add along with the bacon bits and melted cheese that make your calorie count soar.

Potatoes are a very good source of complex carbohydrates, potassium, vitamin C, folic acid and iron. The purple spud’s purple skin is its crown of glory thanks to the antioxidant anthocyanin which is responsible for the blue and purple color in vegetables and fruits. Research shows that this flavonoid has anti-cancer and heart-protective effects. It is also thought to benefit the immune system and protect against age related memory loss.

The fact is the USDA reported that some potato varieties contain just as much of the phenols or those powerful plant antioxidants as does broccoli, spinach and Brussels sprouts. The Agricultural Research Service of the USDA also found that potatoes with the darkest colors have more than four times the antioxidant potential. If you had in the benefits of anthocyanins, the health promoting benefits of purple potatoes skyrockets.

The purple potato originated in Peru and only royalty were allowed to eat them. The good news is that other purple varieties are being bred today so that the health benefits of these purple wonders can be enjoyed by everyone, regardless of genetics.

At your grocery store, select only the firm, fairly smooth potatoes with no sign of sprouting. A good variety to purchase is the Purple Magesty which has almost twice the amount of anthocyanins of any other produce.

They can be stored up to two months in a paper or burlap bag in a dark place.  Clean just before cooking and keep the peel on the potatoes. They have a slightly nutty flavor and you prepare them the same way you would any other potato. I find the color stays best when I cook them in the microwave.

Potatoes are part of the solanaceae or nightshade family along with tomatoes, peppers and eggplants. In the fall of this year another new variety will be available. It’s called the Purple Pelisse. It’s supposed to offer the best in good nutrition.

I hope you enjoyed reading this post as much as I did writing it. It almost seems silly to write about better nutrition and purple potatoes but when the information is reliable who cares?

To a little purple on your table.

Ruthan

Ruthan Brodsky
Health Writer & Business Writer
Copywriter and Content Marketer

If you think about it behavior choices didn’t have much to do with health a hundred years ago. Infectious diseases such as influenza and tuberculosis were the top killers. Today more people die from heart disease, cancer and stroke which can all be prevented.

One of the things you can do to increase your odds for a longer life is to get a good night’s sleep. Sleep just happens to be an important factor for behavior change and lack of sleep interferes with your ability to focus, to remember and learn. When you are not sleeping well you are more likely to make poor decisions.

Managing stress is another major factor for healthy aging. I’ve been having Internet connection problems for the last 3 weeks and it’s not my computer or something the people I work with can’t fix. It’s Comcast, the only Internet source available to us. It is very, very stressful because there is nothing I can do. It takes a while to have that thought settle in and once it does I work around the considerable inconvenience as much as I can so that something is accomplished.

If you have support from family and friends while you take steps to change your behavior consider yourself very fortunate. Or it may be that you would rather not rely on your family and could use another source for help. You can ask your doctor if she can refer you to a dietician or a counselor.  You may want to join the community center and participate in their health programs. Maybe you and a good friend can share a personal trainer for an hour.

Keep in mind that there is nothing easy about changing unhealthy habits. Few of us are perfect so prepare yourself for lapses. A step backwards on occasion isn’t a horrible thing. It’s what you do next and most of the time that will make the difference in living a healthy lifestyle.

To your success at healthy aging,

Ruthan

Ruthan Brodsky
Information Products

Business Writer & Copywriter

I just finished reading the February newsletter of a neighboring senior center and was pleasantly surprised to read the list of everyday physical activities for all levels of physical abilities. There was a tennis league, a bowling league, open Pickle Ball on Saturdays plus arm chair exercises and Tai Chi. It also appeared that at least twice a month a health care specialist presented about a particular aspect of health – every thing from joint pain to night vision.

I am writing about this senior center because they are excellent sources for support and a good place to practice your healthy habits once you’ve made the effort to achieve them.  Better yet, if you’re at all negative about creating a lifestyle that is healthier, being part of an exercise program at a senior center is bound to encourage you. You will meet others that are more advanced in the exercise program and others who are struggling more than you are. So stop feeling sorry for yourself and join the good company while you become more physical strong because you can do it.

Keeping track of your progress is an excellent way to encourage your change. It may be something as simple as weighing yourself or noting how many hours you sleep at night. People who keep a food journal lose twice as much weight as others who are dieting and don’t keep track. By keeping track you also can tell when you have reached a goal and reward yourself for that landmark. Just make sure the reward isn’t something that sets you back from your goals – like a box of

To keep these new habits in place and change your lifestyle you will need to find strategies that you can put in place as problems arise.  For instance, what happens to your exercise program when you visit your sister in Florida?  What happens to your daily walks when you babysit for your grandchildren? Brainstorm for different solutions and then list the pros and cons of each to determine which solution is the best. This is the process that will help you overcome possible roadblocks for sticking with your slightly new healthy habits.

Do you use the services of a senior citizen center where you live? If so, what do you like about it and what do you thing could be improved? I’m thinking of exploring the topic in more depth and your responses will be helpful.

To your healthy aging,

Ruthan

Ruthan Brodsky
Health Writer & Business Writer
Copywriter and Content Marketer

There is solid evidence that living a healthy lifestyle by increasing the intensity of your exercise and the time you spend exercising together with eating healthy meals will lower your overall risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease.

Here’s an interesting statistic published by the American Institute for Cancer Research (ACIR): Based on a study of 30,000 women ranging in age from 55 to 69 and followed for 15 years, it was estimated that if they never smoked and followed the guidelines for healthy eating and exercised at least 30 minutes a day, something like 30 percent of their new cancers and cancer deaths could have been delayed.

You may have made a New Year’s resolution to lose weight and your doctor has been telling you for years to exercise more but just the thought of making these changes can be overwhelming. Some people start off strong and revert to old ways before the end of January. Others may take a bit longer.

Everyone knows and understands that eating too much and being a couch potato are not good for you.   But just knowing it doesn’t mean you can change automatically. First by acknowledging this gap and then making a plan to take small steps at a time, are the tips that will make your changes of behavior last.

First assess how ready you are to make those changes. To make changes in anything requires commitment and mental and physical effort. It is easy to become distracted because you’ve had 8 inches of snow, or your daughter’s in-laws will be staying with you over the week end.

Timing is the key to your success. Start working on your life changes when you won’t be interrupted. Then make sure you have enough self motivation to carry out your goals.

The second strategy is to start your achievements with small steps. Trying to do everything at once, as you know, leads to disaster and nothing is done. This may include walking around the block after dinner or adding half an apple to your daily diet.
Setting realistic goals about what you can change and when those changes will take place are also important ingredients to establishing your healthy habits. For instance doing aerobic exercise for 60 minutes a day is a concrete goal but it may not be realistic for you. When it comes to exercise, it  is a good idea to  short term or limited time goals. Once you’ve achieved those you can move on to those goals which may take more time such as quitting smoking.
More on making your good habits good for the rest of your life.

To your healthy aging
Ruthan

Ruthan Brodsky
Health & Business Writer
Information Products Creator

If you are female, a drop in your estrogen level leads to a decline in bone mass after menopause. To prevent fractures as you age you need adequate calcium, vitamin D, fruits and vegetables and exercise to keep bone mass from falling below the fracture threshold.

Vitamin D is important because it improves strength in the legs and lowers your risk of falling. It also improves bone strength so it lowers the risk of having a fracture should you fall.

You need Vitamin D to absorb calcium and it’s calcium that’s important for bone growth. Inadequate D levels are associated with more rapid bone loss and more fractures.

Vitamin D is not as well understood at the cellular and molecular levels but there are Vitamin D receptors in muscle tissue. In a couple of small studies treatment with D increased the number of vitamin D receptors and helped middle age and older patients maintain their balance.

However, over half of the adult population in the U.S. get too little of the vitamin. The percentages are even higher in the Middle East and parts of Asia.  Even so the most important source of vitamin D is sun exposure which increases your body’s production of vitamin D. Other than fatty fish or eggs, our diets are not very rich in Vitamin D.

If you don’t get much sun and live in the Northern states, you will likely need to take Vitamin E supplements. I’ve read that the optimum number is 1,000 IU a day. If you are over age 60 you need at least 800 to 1,000 IU daily to keep blood levels where they cut your risk of losing your balance.

Exercise also helps especially 30 minutes of weight bearing exercise like walking or dancing. On a daily basis. Apparently the mechanical load from the weight is turned into a chemical signal by the osteocytes. Those are the former bone forming cells that get entrapped in the bone. And then send tentacles that go out and touch one another and communicate the signal to build new bone tissue.

Any weight-bearing exercise is good for your bones. High impact such as jogging and running or playing tennis is best. Low impact such as using an elliptical or stair-step machine or even walking on a treadmill or outdoors are all considered low impact. They are not as good for your bones. Non weight bearing such as swimming and indoor cycling or stretching have the least benefit for your bones.

Again any exercise is better than no exercise.  Find the ones that work for you and keep your bones in shape.

To your good health whatever your age.

Ruthan

Ruthan Brodsky

Health & Business Writer

Information Product Creation

As we get older we lose muscle mass rather quickly and our balance isn’t as good as it should be. That makes us at a greater risk for falling.

There is a lot of interest in falls these days because they create the fracture opportunity. During the past decade fractures were considered not just a matter of bone content but also depended upon muscle strength. In other words, if you can’t improve your muscle performance and balance, you won’t be able to reduce your risk of falling and falls create fractures.

As a result of this accepted premise, there is now a great deal of interest focused on nutrients that affect both bone and muscles. What is called the acid-base balance of your diet is a major art of that focus.

Apparently, the acid load generated by many diets isn’t handled well as we get older because our kidneys functions decline. As a result there is too much acid in the bloodstream.

So you may ask, which do we eat to lower our risk of hip or spinal fractures: an apple, a bagel, or a chunk of cheese.

The problem is too much acid causes muscle loss because the body defends against increasing acid by breaking down bone and muscle. Interestingly it isn’t the acidic foods like citrus fruit that create acid in the body. Grains such as breads, cereals, pasta, cupcakes and protein do create acid. When they are metabolized they release sulfuric and other acids into the blood stream.

Fruits and vegetables, on the other hand, get broken down into bicarbonate when they are metabolized adding alkali to the body. That helps neutralize acid. Sugars and fats are neutral. All of which means when you diet is poor in fruits and vegetables relative to grains and some protein, you are getting more acid from your diet than you should.

Actually, it’s not the protein that matters. Plant protein  from foods like beans for example, produce less acid than the same amount of meat. What is important is how many sulfur containing amino acids are in the protein so you just can’t label protein as a bad guy.

The good news is that the bone loss stops almost immediately when fruits and vegetables are added to the diet. What’s more, cutting protein to lower acid load is not the answer either. Adding more vegetables and fruits to your diet is a much better solution.

Watch for more research results on this topic.
More about bones and vitamin D in my next post. In the mean time, eat your spinach. Spinach works!

To your success at being fracture free
Ruthan

Ruthan Brodsky
Health & Business Writer
Copywriter & Article Writer

Torn ligaments and twisted ankles and overuse injuries do not just happen in warm weather. The winter activities you do, from shoveling snow to walking on a slippery sidewalk  to black ice on your driveway can cause strains and sprains.  Here are some ways you can avoid injuries with good common sense.

Wrist Injuries
There are two common wrist injuries which are sprains. The first usually results when you fall and use your hand to break your fall. The second is from carpal tunnel syndrome when the ligaments connecting bones are stretched.

To protect your wrists take extra caution when walking on slippery or uneven surfaces. Stepping off the curb also demands your attention. When your wrist feels uncomfortable limit the time you spend on activities that involve your wrist and take frequent breaks especially when you are using your computer or cell phone.

Twisted Ankles
Here’s a number to remember: about 25,000 people sprain their ankle daily whether they are on the golf course tripping over a shoe lace. To protect your ankles wear shoes with soles that have good traction. It also helps when you pay attention to where you are walking. In the winter keep your driveway shoveled and use salt if necessary. If you play sports and you are tired, you are more likely to roll your ankles or injure yourself some way.

Knee Injuries
To avoid ligament and tendon injuries, meniscus tears and bursitis, choose shoes that fit well and are appropriate for what you are doing. Wearing running shoes to play golf, for example, will cause problems because running shoes protect your ankle from rolling over and you need to have more foot mobility in golf. If you were active when you were younger in sports such as tennis or hockey or basketball, it is likely that there will be some residual effects that show up as you get older.

Tennis Elbow
You can have tennis elbow without ever picking up a tennis racket. You usually get it after doing repetitive motions such as painting or typing or even sewing. You can prevent tennis elbow with exercises that strengthen your forearm and wrist. It is also a good idea to warm up before you begin the activity. Although it seems sort of silly to warm up before you begin knitting, the end results may be well worth it so don’t worry about how silly you may look.

Hope these reminders prevent you from getting injured. The trick is to be cautious without overdoing it.  Sometimes stuff just happens.

To your success at an injury free year,
Ruthan

Ruthan Brodsky
Health & Business Writer
Information Products Producer