Heart Healthy Foods on The Marilyn Denis Show

Last weekend I had the amazing opportunity to go to the University of Guelph's Anatomy Lab where my sister is a student. In preparing for this segment it couldn't have come at a better time. 

I was able to hold a healthy and diseased human heart in my hands and examine it inside and out. This experience was invaluable.  I am forever promoting healthy food, but to actually see, and feel what a diseased heart looks like was an overwhelming reminder to treat our body with respect everyday.  The foods we choose everyday can  affect the quality and quantity of our life.

Our heart has a huge responsibility to keep the body flowing. 

Providing it with the best foods to support this process is so crucial for heart-disease prevention.

If you missed my segment & 7 Day Heart Healthy Menu on 
The Marilyn Denis Show, click here:
Learn More About Heart-Healthy Foods

A Recipe for a Healthy Heart Includes: 

Fats

• Increase intake of heart healthy fats omega 3’s (flax seeds, hemp seeds, walnuts, cold water fish) & Monounsaturated fats (almonds, coconut, pine nuts, sesame and sunflower seeds, avocados, olive oil)
• Reduce amount of saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, and total fat in the diet by reducing consumption of animal proteins (bacon, burgers, poutine,) and eating more vegetarian proteins (beans, lentils, tempeh, tofu) 

Vegetables & Fruits

• Increase to at least 5 servings of a rich colored variety per day, specifically bright orange, green, dark purple and yellow (sweet potatoes, dandelion greens, blueberries, beets, oranges) The antioxidants in the bright colored foods are important in protecting against heart disease.  Many of these are Liver-Friendly, which is important in the process of cholesterol metabolism.

Fiber

• Increase intake of dietary fiber (soybeans, apples, eggplant, oat bran, oatmeal) has been shown to lower cholesterol levels and protect against arthrosclerosis

Grains

• Increase whole grains (buckwheat soba noodles, quinoa, brown rice, wild rice, spelt, kamut)
• Reduce Refined carbohydrates (white bread, white pasta, over-processed whole wheat) 

Reduce or Eliminate

• Refined sugar (muffins, pastries, cakes, candy, pop)
• Limit your sodium intake: 1tsp of salt = 2,300 mg of sodium (That's more than recommended for daily consumption). Try adding fresh herbs or lemon juice instead of salt to your food 
• Moderate alcohol consumption can be helpful to the heart due to its ability to help prevent clot formation. However over 3 drinks per day has been show to create more of damage the heart and lead to high blood pressure, alcoholic cardiomyopathy, (enlarged and weakened heart), congestive heart failure
• Caffeine moderate consumption from antioxidant green tea can be heart promoting, however studies have shown over 4 cups a day can increase risk of heart attack

Additional Points

• Peppers, especially chilies are shown to help prevent clot formation
• 1 to 2 servings of dark chocolate 70% or higher has been shown in numerous studies to cause a dramatic drop in risk of heart disease
• An appreciative heart is great medicine for heart disease prevention. Many studies have found that the risk of developing heart disease is significantly increased for people who often experience negative emotions such as irritation, anger or frustration. These emotions create a chain reaction in the body — stress hormone levels increase, blood vessels constrict, blood pressure rises, and the immune system is weakened. If we consistently experience these emotions, it can put a strain on the heart.  Studies have actually seen a different beat in the heart of those with loving, happy emotions compared to those with constant negative emotions.
• Try bringing back the joy in life by doing an activity that makes you excited.  Placing our attention on something in the present moment that brings with it a joyful feeling can strengthen the heart. 

My favorite Products for Heart Health

• Mary’s Gone Crackers  - Whole Grain Crackers
• NOW Superseeds (chia, flax, hemp combo)
• Ruth’s Foods Chia Goodness breakfast cereal
• Ruth's Foods Hemp & Flax Bars
• Vega Vibrancy Bar (Dark Chocolate or Green Synergy)
• Garden of Eatin’ - Baked Flax Chips
• Air Blown Popcorn

I would like to thank NOW Foods for giving every audience member $100 worth of heart-healthy foods! 
 
What a great gift to give! 

My Hometown Paper

Former SLHS student shares her career successes by Julie Druker Photo: SLHS graduate and new Nutrition Expert on The Marilyn Denis Show Miranda Malisani with Marilyn Denis. Courtesy of Miranda Malisani Miranda Malisani (Tallon), who graduated from Sharbot Lake High School in 2000, recently landed a job as one of 15 experts on the popular national CTV daytime television show, The Marilyn Denis Show. On Jan. 20, Miranda shared some of the steps that led to her career success with students at her old high school. In a Skype interview from her home in Toronto with grade 10 students in Mr. McCullough’s Civics/Careers Class, Miranda first outlined her education. After graduating from SLHS she studied broadcast journalism at Ryerson University and graduated from the program in 2004. She then landed a job as a production assistant working for the Gemini Awards and after that managed the office at the Toronto Naturopathic Clinic where she also co-wrote a health column for 24 Hours, a free daily newspaper owned by the Toronto Sun. Her love of the subjects of nutrition and health eventually led her back to school and she studied at the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition and at the Edison Institute for Nutrition. In order to pay off her earlier school debt she worked while studying as an events planner. After marriage and the birth of her son, who is now 2 years old, she took maternity leave and set up her own business called Live Light Nutrition (livelightnutrition.com) which she still operates today. It was around this time that she became aware that Marilyn Denis was looking for a number of lifestyle experts to do segments on her new show. On a whim Miranda sent in an application with a photo. She later found out that 3500 people had applied for the job in person. She received a call back and though she was not initially chosen as one of the 15 experts, the show directors asked to her pitch six ideas. They liked her and what she pitched, and that led to her doing five segments for Marilyn’s first season, after which she landed a job as the nutrition expert on the show. Miranda definitely has come a long way from her first summer jobs. As student at SLHS she worked as part of the maintenance crew at Sharbot Lake Provincial Park, scooped ice cream, and cleaned cottages in Plevna. It is no wonder that Miranda had lots of great advice to share with the grade 10 students. “I told them that every step that they take in life will help them to find their way, whether it helps them to become a better a team player or encourages them to think more creatively,” Miranda said when interviewed by phone. “I also told them that they'll know when they are doing something that they truly love because it doesn't feel like work at all.” She continued, “I have been extremely lucky. I had two loves, one for broadcasting and the other for health and nutrition and how I have been able to do both. I have the firm belief that when you are doing something that is true to yourself it brings with it a passion and an authenticity that others recognize. It is this amazing positive energy that comes as a result, which is what can make you truly successful.” Some other pieces of advice for the students were: “Don't let your peers dictate your choices and the courses you may chose to take. Do things that you yourself feel strongly about and remember to try new things but to also follow your heart.” Not just good advice for students but for everyone. For more information about Miranda’s business visit livelightnutrition.com where you can also see clips of her segments on the Marilyn Denis Show. Click below link Miranda Featured in Her Hometown Newspaper

Having a hard time getting to sleep at night?

Get your zzzzzz's with these foods 

Miranda on The Marilyn Denis Show - January 25, 2012 

Check out these sleep Q&A's 

Sleep Panel Q&A - Miranda on The Marilyn Denis Show - January 25th, 2012

Here's some extra info on the Do's & Don'ts of Eating for a Better Night's Sleep

Do’s

·      Choose foods at dinner that are easier to digest and higher in Tryptophan, Melatonin, Calcium, Magnesium & B Vitamins: Beans, lentils, whole-grains (quinoa, millet, brown rice, wild rice) raw & cooked veggies (leafy greens) lean proteins (chicken, turkey, tofu, eggs, shrimp, halibut, tuna)

·        Eat 4 hours before you go to bed. Your stomach should not be too full, but not too empty. Digestion slows down while asleep, and a full stomach may interrupt sleep.

·         Choose lower glycemic foods (gradual rise of blood sugar) brown rice, sweet potatoes, beans, and fruits and vegetables. Lower then 55 on the rating scale.

·         Eat a small unrefined complex carbohydrate with protein post-dinner snack 1 hour before bed to help increase production of sleep inducing brain chemicals and to fortify the body’s nighttime energy reserve.

Don’ts

·      Eat a heavy meal late at night.

·      Eat hard-to-digest proteins, (beef, pork) eat these earlier in the day

·      Go to bed on an empty stomach, as a completely empty stomach may wake you up with a grumbling belly.

·      Drink coffee, tea, and cola with your dinner. The caffeine will be sure to keep you up. Don’t drink a caffeinated drink past 4 p.m.

·      Eat sugary snacks and foods with food coloring or other artificial flavors. They can give nightmares and can cause interrupted sleep.

·      Eat any food that doesn’t sit well with you personally. If you eat something and it often gives you a physical or emotional reaction, avoid it or it may disrupt sleep.

·      Eat spicy foods late at night

·      Eat gas producing foods, keep you and your partner awake

**Eating every 3-4 hours throughout the day will help to keep you feeling balanced and you won’t gorge at dinner. Choosing easy-to-digest foods will help you to ease your body into rest mode to encourage detoxification and repair**

 

Safe Snacks

·      Banana – contains Tryptophan & Magnesium, potassium: all helpful for activating the calming and sleep-inducing brain chemical serotonin.

·      Almonds/Almond milk -supplies tryptophan, magnesium and protein that can help maintain a stable blood sugar level while sleeping.

·      Whole Grain Hot or Cold Cereal

     Hot: Oatmeal, Brown Rice Cereal (Bob’s Red Mill)

     Cold: Millet Puffs, Whole O’s

         With unsweetened almond milk or rice milk or plain yogurt

-       Contains B vitamins, calcium & tryptophan to ease the body into    

relaxing and encourage sleep.

·      Ancient Grain Crackers (Mary’s Crackers) add some goat cheese, or hummus to dip - Complex carbohydrate-rich foods increase the availability of tryptophan in the bloodstream, increasing the sleep-inducing effects

·      Edamame Beans, soy milk, soy nuts, - helpful in fighting hot flashes at night due to the estrogen-like compounds if that’s keeping you up

·      Hard Boiled Egg  -a quick, rich protein snack helpful in keeping your blood sugar stable throughout the night. (don't forget to have it with a small complex carb..spelt crackers)

·      Brown Rice Cake with Pumpkin Seed Butter  - high amount of tryptophan in pumpkin seeds, great complex carb for increase of tryptophan

 

·      Nuts/Seeds  -  Sachi Inchi seeds have 8 times the amount of tryptophan then turkey.  Chia seeds have good levels too. Omega 3 fats are helpful for reducing stress and relaxing the nervous system.

·      Sour Cherries, fresh, dried or pure juice are one of few food sources of melatonin, which has been found to promote better sleep and lessen the effects of jet lag. Since melatonin is found in small quantities in the body, a slight increase can produce great results. There is 13.5 nanograms (ng) (one billionth of a gram) of melatonin per 1 gram of cherries, which is higher than the amount normally found in the blood.

·      Grapes  - Nebbiolo grapes have the highest amounts of melatonin – found in Barolo wines.

·      Lemon Balm Tea (my fav!) - helpful in calming and reducing anxiety. This herb is used for nervous agitation, sleeping problems, functional gastrointestinal complaints.