Super Food: Chia Seeds, the New Flaxseed

This post is part of our "Super Foods" series and was submitted by Janet Bond Brill, Ph.D., RD, LDN, author of Prevent a Second Heart Attack: 8 Foods, 8 Weeks to Reverse Heart Disease.

What's hot in nutrition these days? Chia seeds, the same stuff that grows hair on those cute little "Chia Pet" pottery figurines, is the new edible super food. Native to Mexico and Guatemala and revered by the Aztecs as an energy power food, this small seed is derived from the Salvia hispanica plant. What's so hot about this seed? It has a truly remarkable nutrient profile that rivals flaxseeds in terms of its omega-3 ALA and fiber content. The seeds are literally bursting with fiber and protein (a complete protein at that): two nutrients that are very helpful for weight management. Here's the breakdown of this nutritional wonder grain:

1 ounce (28 g) of dried Chia seeds contains: 137 calories; 9 grams fat (5 g ALA); 0 chol; 5 mg sodium; 11 g dietary fiber; 4 grams protein and 18% of your DV for calcium.

Available in most health food stores and some supermarkets-sprinkle some on your morning bowl of oatmeal for a protein and fiber boost. Both the ALA omega-3 fat and the fiber have been scientifically proven to benefit your heart health. I urge all of you to embrace this ancient seed to enhance your daily nutrition and fitness!

Janet Bond Brill, Ph.D., is a registered dietitian, licensed dietitian/nutritionist and author of Cholesterol Down: 10 Simple Steps to Lower Your Cholesterol in 4 Weeks-Without Prescription Drugs and Prevent a Second Heart Attack: 8 foods, 8 Weeks to Reverse Heart Disease.  She is a nationally recognized nutrition, health, and fitness expert, specializing in cardiovascular disease prevention.  Learn more at DrJanet.com.

Flickr image from uberculture

Super Food: Dark Chocolate for Improved Blood Pressure

This post is part of our "Super Foods" series and was submitted by David A. Mark, PhD, president of dmark consulting, LLC.

Chocolate tastes so decadent that we think it must be bad for us, but as it turns out, the right type of chocolate consumed in the right amount may actually have health benefits.

First, all chocolates are not created equal.  Milk chocolates, such as in the popular candy bars, are only about 10% to 20% cacao bean solids, the rest being milk and sugar.  Semi-sweet chocolate has a higher cocoa content, and dark chocolates are higher still.

Second, the higher cocoa content is important because the compounds thought to be healthy – part of group of plant-derived chemical compounds called flavonoids – are in cocoa.  These are the compounds that impart dark chocolate with its bitter taste and astringent mouth-feel.  The same compounds are found in red wine, green tea, dark-colored berries, and fruits, and the skins of bitter-tasting nuts, such as pecans and hazelnuts.  Two servings a day of most of these foods is enough to deliver a health benefit.

Third, what these compounds do in the body is relax arteries and make blood-clotting platelets less sticky.  Evidence for dark chocolate lowering blood pressure was most recently summarized by Karin Ried in "Does chocolate reduce blood pressure? A meta-analysis," published in the June 2010 issue of BMC Medicine.  For patients with hypertension, the average decreases in systolic and diastolic blood pressure were 5 and 3 mmHg, respectively.

Finally, hypertension is one condition for which medical science has many solutions – drugs that can be used singly or in combination to control elevated blood pressure with manageable side effects.  Any diagnosis of hypertension should be discussed with your doctor and acted on based on your doctor’s advice.  If you intend to start a habit of daily consumption of dark chocolate, mention this to your doctor, and understand that the expected effect is modest.  This should be viewed as a complementary approach, not one used as an alternative to drugs that are proven to work and are safe to use.

David A. Mark, PhD, is president of dmark consulting LLC, a Boston-area science consulting firm.  His many years of industry R&D experience include functional foods, dietary supplements, and sports nutrition products.

Flickr image from EverJean

Extra Virgin Olive Oil: The Ultimate Heart Super Food

This post is part of our "Super Foods" series and was submitted by Janet Bond Brill, Ph.D., RD, LDN, author of Prevent a Second Heart Attack: 8 Foods, 8 Weeks to Reverse Heart Disease.

Hippocrates called olive oil "the great therapeutic."  Homer referred to it as "liquid gold."  Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is key to heart health because it contains three components: monounsaturated fat (oleic acid), polyphenol antioxidant compounds (hydroxytyrosol and oleuropein), and the antioxidant vitamin, Vitamin E.  Studies show that people who eat an EVOO-rich diet are less likely to suffer a fatal heart attack.

The Good Fat

EVOO stands apart from all other types of fat for several reasons:

• It provides the highest percentage of the extremely cardio-protective, monounsaturated fatty acid, oleic acid.
• It is packed with powerful plant antioxidants called "polyphenols," known to soothe inflammation and curb oxidative stress.
• It is also an excellent source of vitamin E, a major dietary antioxidant vitamin.

For Heart Health

Daily intake of EVOO can boost your heart disease defense system by:

• Increasing your body's antioxidant level,
• Immunizing "bad" LDL cholesterol against free radical attack,
• Controlling your cholesterol,
• Fighting inflammation,
• Lowering your blood pressure,
• Improving your blood sugar level, and
• Thinning your blood.

In the Kitchen

One additional advantage of frequent use of EVOO in the kitchen is that it is loaded with flavor and encourages the consumption of large amounts of vegetables and legumes, antioxidant and fiber-rich foods that many Americans find difficult to fit into their diet.  Use EVOO in cooking to add taste and nutrition to your favorite dishes.  You may be surprised at how some foods truly come alive with the addition of this "liquid gold."

Janet Bond Brill, Ph.D., is a registered dietitian, licensed dietitian/nutritionist and author of Cholesterol Down: 10 Simple Steps to Lower Your Cholesterol in 4 Weeks-Without Prescription Drugs and Prevent a Second Heart Attack: 8 foods, 8 Weeks to Reverse Heart Disease.  She is a nationally recognized nutrition, health, and fitness expert, specializing in cardiovascular disease prevention.  Learn more at DrJanet.com.

Flickr image from trix0r

Space: It's a Good Time for a Bit More

I've been finding myself increasingly frustrated lately and even more easily agitated, and I know these feelings stem more from my lack of NOT doing than from any amount of doing.  What I mean is, I know that I need more space - space to breathe, space to do nothing, space to be aware and fully present.

I think about several occasions over the last few weeks.  One of many examples, I'm on a call, and by the time I get off the call, I have three more to return, in addition to several text messages.  I start returning calls, but by the time I wrap up the last one, I have three more to return.  On and on it goes, until it's late (late) evening, and I'm spent.

This problem isn't unique to me.  I think we all have a tendency to leave too little space in our lives.  We're frazzled and exhausted and can't manage a complete thought most of the time, all because we leave ourselves no room.

What could we do with that extra space?

• Have a cup of hot chocolate, coffee, or tea,
• Sit in silence for twenty minutes,
• Have breakfast, lunch, or dinner at the table, without watching television or checking news feeds or email,
• Take the time to cook a nice meal for ourselves, instead of grabbing the fastest and most convenient thing available,
• Go for a walk without the mp3 player,
• Meditate or do yoga first thing in the morning, before starting anything else,
• Read a good book without music or television going in the background,
• Take a nap mid-day without reason or guilt,
• Take a few minutes to spend time with pets, or
• Simply be still and do nothing.

We all know this already, but modern conveniences are only making it more convenient to never turn off.  I work 100% remotely and via the Web, and as I told someone just recently, Internet would be one of the hardest things for me to have to give up, but at the same time, I know it makes it to where, as a society, we're always on.  That's no good.  It's no good for creativity, for our health, for our emotional and mental stamina, nor is it good for our relationships.  Everything suffers if we don't allow ourselves time to rest and recharge.

This is the perfect time of year to take a little extra space.  The holidays can add a lot of additional stress, and I find that we all have a tendency to feel the need to make one final work push for the year.  The combination makes it all the more likely to feel tense and on edge.  This is a good time to set up expectations and intentions for the coming year, and what better way to start things off than with a little more breathing room to create, experience, and live?