Stop Bad Cravings Before They Start: Salt in Infancy

Take our craving for salt. It starts early. Some of the first foods we eat as babies – cereal and crackers, for example — are high in sodium. Bread, too. Last month, Time magazine reported that research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found an association between early exposure to salt and an affinity for it later.  

In a similar article in the Los Angeles Times, one of the researchers spoke of a “sensitivity window” in infancy when certain flavors and tastes seem to be imprinted on babies’ brains. It gets worse. Later in the article, the same researcher said that babies learn about flavors in their mother’s breast milk! (That would mean bad flavors, too, including too sweet.)

We need salt. But many of us eat double (or more, more, more than double) the recommended amount. It’s everywhere, especially in processed and starchy food. And you’ve seen people who use that salt shaker like a machine gun, raining bullets on their plate. But if bad habits can start early, so can good ones. Don’t you wish you’d never tasted some of the foods you love that you know are bad for you?

There are a million ways to add flavor to food besides using salt. Herbs, spices, vinegar; look for cookbooks geared toward healthy eating. Experiment. Start cutting back gradually if that’s the only way you’re going to do it.

The Institute of Medicine has recommended that the US government regulate the amount of salt in processed and restaurant food.

Can we overcome the way we’re programmed? Yes, and education is the first step. And with what we now know, be careful about what you feed your babies.

Exercises for Seniors: Good for the Heart

While our Cardioflex nutritional product is specifically designed to benefit you heart, exercise is important. We found this nice little article that provides easy physical activity recommendations for senior citizens to promote "hearty" health.

4 Best Exercises for Older Adults:
Improve strength, balance, flexibility and endurance

By Sharon O'Brien, About.com Guide

For older adults and seniors who want to stay healthy and independent, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommend four types of exercises:

Strength exercises build older adult muscles and increase your metabolism, which helps to keep your weight and blood sugar in check.

Balance exercises build leg muscles, and this helps to prevent falls. According to the NIH, U.S. hospitals have 300,000 admissions for broken hips each year, many of them seniors, and falling is often the cause of those fractures. If you are an older adult, balance exercises will help you avoid problems ar you get older. If you are a senior, balance exercises can help you stay independent by helping you avoid the disabilities that could result from falling.

Stretching exercises can give you more freedom of movement, which will allow you to be more active during your senior years. Stretching exercises alone will not improve your endurance or strength.

Endurance exercises are any activity—walking, jogging, swimming, biking, even raking leaves—that increases your heart rate and breathing for an extended period of time. Build up your endurance gradually, starting with as little as 5 minutes of endurance activities at a time

Source URL: http://seniorliving.about.com/od/exercisefitnes1/a/4seniorexercise.htm

3 Quick Tips to Eat Healthier

1. Keep a food journal. Many agree, the most important tool for weight loss or any dietary change is a food diary (in which you keep note of every single thing you eat throughout the day for at least a week). It helps you track what you're eating, makes you accountable and makes it easier for you to identify areas for change. 

2. Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. Even if you sometimes skip it, you will always feel more energetic and alert when you have it. At home, eat either oatmeal (sometimes topped with fresh fruit), whole wheat bread with cheese or with peanut butter, or cottage cheese with fresh fruit. These are healthful choices, and the protein fills you enough to keep me going all morning.

3. Small steps can add up to big permanent changes – whether you are trying to lose weight, lower cholesterol or simply feel better. For instance, measure the amount of oil you use in some of your recipes and cut it in half. You can do this with stir-fry, a common favourite; it still tastes delicious, and  saves about 150 calories each mealtime – based on frying once a week. Over a year, that adds up to 7,800 calories – or a weight loss of two pounds. 

Source URL: http://www.canadianliving.com/health/nutrition/how_to_eat_better_top_12_healthy_eating_tips.php

10 Foods you should eat! But you probably don't...

We found a great article in Men's Health through msn.ca that talked about good foods to eat that are uncommon in many people's diets. We made a Cole's Notes version of the slideshow, here it is.

^ ^ ^     Goji Berries     ^ ^ ^

The 10 Best Foods You Aren't Eating

10: Beets. Packed with folate and betaine. Eating it raw is best. Grate it and add it to a dish.
9:   Cabbage. Lots of Sulforaphane that promotes cancer-fighting enzymes. Make coleslaw.
8:   Guava. High in antioxidants and in potassium(+63% than bananas). Eat the whole fruit.
7:   Swiss Chard. Bitter veggie, great for your eyes. Goes great with grilled steak/chicken.
6:   Cinnamon. Helps control blood sugar cellular metabolism of sugar. Sprinkle on oatmeal.
5:   Purslane. Plant with most omega-3 fatty acids. Contains tons of melatonin. Add to salad.
4:   Pomegranate Juice. Reduces blood pressure. Lots of Vitamin C. Just need a small glass.
3:   Goji Berries. Raisin-size fruits high in anti-oxidants. Used in Tibet for 1700+ years.
2:   Dried Plums. Fights cancer-causing radicals in the body. Tons of great recipes out there.
1:   Pumpkin Seeds. Magnesium-loaded. Toast 'em and eat them whole.

Try to incorporate some of these into your diet!

Source URL: http://lifestyle.ca.msn.com/health-fitness/diet/rodale-gallery.aspx?cp-documentid=29861292