RATING YOUR RISK

Here is a quick quiz to find out if you have an increased risk for a heart attack. If you don't know some of the answers, ask your health care provider.

1. Do you smoke?

2. Is your blood pressure 140/90mmhg or higher, OR have you been told by your doctor that your blood pressure is too high?

3. Has your doctor told you that your LDL "Bad' cholesterol is too high, that your total cholesterol level is 200mg/dl or higher OR, that your HDL "Good" cholesterol is less than 40mg/dl?

4. Has your father or brother had a heart attack before age 55; OR has your mother or sister had one before age 65?

5. Do you have diabetes OR a fasting blood sugar of 126mg/dl or higher ; OR do you need medicine to control your sugar?

6. For women; Are you over 55years old?

7. For men; Are you over 45years old?

8. Do you have a body mass index score of 25 or more?

9. Do you get less than a total of 30minutes of physical activity on most days?

10. Has a doctor told you that you have angina (chest pains); OR have you had a heart attack?

If you answered "YES" to any of these questions, you have a higher risk of having a heart attack.

Improve Your Heart Health

Coronary heart disease often simply called Heart Disease occurs when the arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle become hardened and narrowed due to a build up of plaque on the arteries inner walls. Plaque is the accumulation of fat, cholesterol and other substances, as plaque continues to build up in the arteries, blood flow to the heart is reduced. Heart Disease can lead to a heart attack.

Heart disease is the #1 killer of both women and men, it affects many people at midlife, it can also happen to do those who feel fine. As early as age 45, a man's risk of heart disease begins to rise significantly, for a woman, risk starts to increase at the age of 55. Fifty percent of men, and sixty four percent of women who die suddenly of heart disease have no previous symptoms of the disease. Many young people are also vulnerable, studies show that about two thirds of teenagers already have at least one risk factor for heart disease.

RISK FACTORS

Risk factors are conditions or habits that make a person more likely to develop a disease. They can also increase the chances that an existing disease will get worse. Important risk factors for heart disease that you can do something about are:

-High blood pressure

-High blood cholesterol

-Diabetes

-Smoking

-Being overweight

-Being physically inactive                                                         -Having a family history of early heart disease                                                                                                                                          

THE BIG FOUR LIFESTYLE HABITS

Four habits that help prevent heart disease

• Eat a healthy diet ; -choose a variety of grains daily, half of daily grains should come from whole grains such as brown rice, whole wheat, popcorn, oat meal, sorghum, wheat bread etc -Choose a variety of fruits and vegetables daily.  -Choose a diet that is low in saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol. Examples of Foods high in bad fats  (red meat, butter, cheese, and ice cream, as well as processed foods made with trans fat from partially hydrogenated oil).  -Choose and prepare foods with little salt

• Get regular physically activity ; GET UP AND MOVE! Current recommendations are to get 150 minutes per week of exercise. That’s 30 minutes, 5 times a week on average. While a great goal, most people don’t get anywhere near that amount. Good news is that research shows 10 minutes a day can make a difference in reducing elevated cholesterol, blood pressure and triglycerides

• Maintain a healthy weight;  Get your BMI (body mass index) to 25 or below 

• Avoid smoking

You can lower your risk of heart disease enormously by as much as 82% by adopting sensible healthy habits, its never too late to start protecting your heart health. It is vital to adopt and practice the big four lifestyle habits.

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World Cancer Day

 

 
World Cancer Day takes place every year on February 4 and is the singular initiative under which the entire world can unite together in the fight against the global cancer epidemic. 

Did you know that each year, over 12.7 million people receive a cancer diagnosis and 7.6 million people die from the disease? If no action is taken, the worldwide cancer burden is expected to reach 26 million new diagnoses and 17 million deaths by the year 2030, with the most rapid increases occurring in low- and middle-income countries. 

It’s not all bad news as 30-40% of cancers can be prevented, and one-third of cancers can be cured through early diagnosis and treatment.

A Healthy Diet and Physical Activity

A healthy diet and regular adequate physical activity are of major importance to preventing cancer and maintaining good health throughout life.

• Be as lean as possible without becoming underweight.

     Maintain body weight within the normal range from age 21
     Avoid weight gain and increase in waist circumference       through out Adult Hood.

• Be physically active for at least 30 minutes every day, limit sedentary habits such as watching television.            

• Avoid sugary drinks. Limit consumption of energy-dense foods. (particularly processed foods high in added sugar, or low in fiber, or high in fat). Consume fast foods sparingly, if at all 

• Eat mostly foods of plant origin, Eat more of a variety of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and beans.Eat at least five portions.  

• Limit consumption of red meats (such as beef, pork and lamb) and avoid processed meats.                                          
  
• If consumed at all, limit alcoholic drinks to 2 for men and 1 for women a day. 

• Limit consumption of salty foods and foods processed with salt (sodium). Avoid mouldy cereal (Grains) or Pulses (Legumes)

• Dietary supplements are not recommended for cancer Prevention, aim to meet nutritional needs through diet alone

Quit Tobacco 
Tobacco kills more than 5 million people a year, an average of one person every six seconds. You can prevent cancer when you stop smoking, chewing and sniffing tobacco. Try to avoid exposure to passive smoke to further reduce your risk. 

Sun Exposure 
Excessive exposure to UV radiation (either from the sun or from artificial sources such as sun beds) is associated with accelerated skin aging and different types of skin cancer. Stop using sun beds and avoid excessive sun exposure. Remember to use sunscreens and protective clothing as an effective cancer prevention method.

A Healthier You This Year 2014!

The start of a new year is a natural time to start afresh and evaluate your goals for the coming months. However the fact that many people break their resolutions within days of making them suggests few people put a plan in place to stick to their resolves.

Too many people approach their health with an all or nothing attitude. Good health should stem from the aim for continuous healthy lifestyle choices. By making small positive decisions every day, you will be on your way to a healthier you. Small things like drinking a glass of water instead of soft drink or choosing salad instead of chips at dinner will move you closer to your goal.

It’s important to set yourself realistic goals with an idea of what you would like to achieve in mind. If you overburden yourself with an exhaustive or unattainable list of goals, you’re likely to set yourself up for frustration and disappointment. Keep your resolution specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely. 

Eliminate bad habits with good ones. Rather than restricting yourself by saying you won’t have something, make a healthy choice part of the resolution. For example, if your resolution is to eat less junk food, make packing yourself a healthy lunch each day part of your resolution. You could also incorporate a promise to always have healthy snack with you to avoid drive-throughs and vending machines!

Healthy eating does not mean boring, tasteless foods. Try these simple steps that will help you adopt a healthier you.

Eat more vegetables

There are many more vegetables to try than just lettuce and tomatoes! Bright-colored and dark green leafy vegetables are especially loaded with vitamins and antioxidant. They are also high in fiber, which makes them very filling. In addition, they are low in calories – good to help trim waistline. When you fill up your stomach with veggies, they will be less likely to feel the urge to binge on other high-fat or processed foods. Snack on fruits.

Choose Whole Grains

Not only are they high in fiber, whole grains also contain an array of antioxidants not found in fruits and vegetables. The easiest way to increase whole grain intake is to replace some of your refined-grain products. For instance, use whole-grain bread instead of white bread when making lunch sandwiches. Substitute half the white flour with whole wheat flour in your regular recipes. Snack on popcorn instead of chips on movie nights. You don’t need to completely wipe out all refined grains. You can always try serving half whole wheat/half refined as a starting point.  

Limit consumption of processed meat

Instead of always packing sodium-loaded processed ham, sausages sandwiches, try using high-quality protein from Fish, Eggs, Lean Meat. These protein alternatives are usually nitrate-free and more heart health friendly.

Integrate physical activity

If you know you’re going to find it difficult to fit exercise into your schedule, utilise as many opportunities as you can to naturally incorporate it into your day. Some suggestions are;
Make a promise to yourself to always take the stairs rather than the lift, Implement an email-free day at work where you walk to your colleagues’ offices to talk,Walk to the shops on a Sunday morning for the milk rather than driving.
This incidental exercise really adds up over a day to increase your daily physical activity.

On a concluding note, realistically you’re going to slip up at some point. However the people who are most successful at achieving goals are the ones who get straight back on track. Don’t beat yourself up over a slip, it isn’t failure give yourself another chance. Keeping goals is all about your long term commitment. Look at the rest of the day, week or month and decide what adjustments are necessary to make continued healthier choices. 

Diet365global wishes you a Healthy 2014!!!

Healthy Eating Tips For The Holiday!

Christmas is a time of celebration, but it also tends to be a time of high-fat, high-calorie food.  Mention of Christmas brings to mind Christmas Lunch, Christmas Dinner, Work Christmas Functions, Christmas Drinks and other Christmas get-together. 

 It's that party season again! How can we avoid putting on extra weight while having a great time?

Christmas need not mean the end of your diet or a struggle through January to compensate. There are ways to keep your diet healthy during the Christmas season.

Keeping things in moderation is a major key to the Christmas overeating issue. It is easy to say “eat and drink in moderation”, here are some ideas for moderating what you eat this festive season.

•  Use a smaller plate ~ your mind will consider it a full plate regardless of its size!

•  Don't go to a party hungry: we often eat faster and more when we are hungry - therefore eat a wholesome breakfast and lunch on the day to avoid overeating at the party.

• Eat a healthy breakfast on Christmas morning. Include at least one fruit or vegetable and some protein such as eggs or nuts. This will help stave off hunger and prevent overeating high-calorie snacks while waiting for the big lunch or dinner to be served.

• Where there are choices, take a little of many things rather than lots of one thing. This ensures you are getting a balanced meal and not overloading on a fatty food.

•  Supply a fruit platter or fresh fruit salad ~ a hot Christmas day makes this most appealing!

• Consume a healthy snack or small meal every three to four hours throughout the day. This helps keep blood sugar levels stable and is much healthier than consuming a single large meal.

•  Make your own mixed drinks with real fruit juice instead of canned drink.

• Many products such as mayonnaise, cheese, cream soup, sour cream have lower-fat versions so experiment with them in your cooking.

•  For every glass of alcohol or soft drink, have a glass of water. Water fills you up, has no calories or side effects, is cheap and will help wash out the excesses. Remember: Calories from alcohol tend to be stored in the abdomen. People who are overweight actually gain weight more easily when they consume alcohol.
  Drink plenty of water: alcohol and coffee can dehydrate your body 

•   Help clear the table as soon as everyone finished eating rather than sitting and picking at leftovers.

• Pack a snack to bring with you in case you can't find anything healthy to nibble on between meals. An apple or orange and a small bag of nuts makes a good portable snack.

•  Salad dressings can liven up a salad without adding calories. Try lemon or lime juice, vinegar (many types!) and fresh herbs.

•  Load your plate with healthy options first. Instead of heading straight for the calorie and fat-laden side dishes, choose some lean turkey or chicken and vegetables for your first plateful. You can have some higher-calorie options when you're ready for seconds and already somewhat full.

• Trim as much fat as possible from meat before cooking.  Make a conscious choice to limit high fat items: high fat food items can be found in fried food, cream-based soup, cheese-filled casseroles, pies, processed meats such as salami and sausages, some pastries and baked goods. Serve some fresh fish or seafood instead of roast red meat

• This is a good opportunity to make Christmas a bit different this year ~ for instance, try a picnic this year with lots of salads rather than huge roasts or do an activity with friends instead of having a Christmas drinks night.                
•  Instead of a bowl of lollies or chocolates for guests, why not have a bowl of cherries or grapes?

•  Watch your portion: treat yourself a nice drink, dessert, chocolate or sweets without guilt, but always watch your portion.  Go for small portions. This way you can sample all the different foods. Moderation is always the key.

•  Physical activity: take nice brisk walks with your  loved ones and enjoy their company in the holiday season.

DIET365GLOBAL Wishes you a Happy Holiday Season.

NUTRITIONAL POWER OF EGGPLANT

 Eggplant also known as garden eggs come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors. Their skin may be purple, white, with a common characteristic feature which is the whitish color of its flesh and seed.

They are widely used in cooking and are also consumed raw.

Their ability to form a soft, tasty sauce with eggplant flavor and delicious with plain, boiled vegetables like potatoes, yams and plantains, eaten raw with spicy peanut butter in Eastern Nigeria.

The vitamins in eggplant consist primarily of vitamin A (in the form of beta-carotene), B vitamins, folate and vitamin C. Eggplant is also rich in minerals, boasting a large quantity of potassium, magnesium, calcium and phosphorous. It has no fat, has low carbs and yields 27 calories in a 1-cup serving.

They are a low calorie fruit, which makes them good news for weight watchers. Eggplant is a good source of dietary fiber, which can help protect against type 2 diabetes and keeps the digestive system regular. Eating them is also of benefit in cases of hypertension and cardiovascular disease. They act as gentle laxative because of its cellulose (vegetable fiber) content.

Eggplant skin contains a powerful anthocyanin called nasunin, an antioxidant that protect cell membranes from oxidative damage. They contain additional anti-oxidants called phenolic acids contained within eggplant particularly chlorogenic acid. Researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service found chlorogenic acid to be the dominant antioxidant compound in eggplant. They report that this is significant because chlorogenic acid has a great capacity to fight free radicals  the chemicals that cause oxidation  and is also able to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol. Chlorogenic acid is also antimutagenic, which means it can protect cells from mutating into cancer cells; and it is also antiviral.

The peel/skin (purple/deep blue varieties) have significant amounts of phenolic flavonoid phytochemical called anthocyanins. Scientific studies have shown that these antioxidants have a potential health effects against cancer, aging, inflammation, and neurological diseases. Phytochemicals may be called antioxidants, flavonoids, flavanols, flavanones, isoflavones,  anthocyanins, anthocyanidins,  carotenoids, polyphenols, phenolic acids, and many other names. Phytochemicals refers to a wide variety of compounds made by plants, but is mainly used to describe those compounds that may affect human health. Phytochemicals are found in plant-based foods such as fruits, vegetables, beans, and grains. Phytochemicals are promoted for the prevention and treatment of many health conditions, including cancer, heart disease, inflammation, diabetes, and high blood pressure. There is some evidence that certain phytochemicals may help prevent the formation of potential carcinogens (substances that cause cancer), block the action of carcinogens on their target organs or tissue, or act on cells to suppress cancer development.

 

Eggplant makes an excellent addition to any diet and they can be added as part of our regular diet.

Nutritional Management Of HIV

 

An estimated 35 million people are living with HIV/AIDS worldwide. New HIV infections are declining globally, with nearly three-fourths of the 2.3 million new HIV infections worldwide occurring in sub-Saharan African countries.

Adequate nutrition is more than 70% of the measures one need to take to stay healthy, prevent disease or speed up recovery from illness.

Nutrition intervention is crucial in the management of HIV/AIDS because good nutrition will help improve immune function, response to treatment, quality of life of the infected person so that they will be able to live a productive life.

The most common and often disturbing symptoms of HIV, reported in 95%-100% of all patient with advanced disease, is loss of muscle tissue and body fat, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, reduced immune function and competence, increased susceptibility to secondary infections, increased nutritional needs because of reduced food intake and increased loss of nutrient leading to rapid HIV progression.

OBJECTIVE OF NUTRITIONAL MANAGEMENT FOR HIV/AIDS

- Improve nutritional status by maintaining weight, preventing loss of muscle mass and weight loss.

-Ensure adequate nutrient intake by improving eating habits, and building stores of essential nutrients including carbohydrates, proteins, important antioxidant nutrient and other vitamins and minerals necessary for the functioning of the immune system.

-Preventing food borne illness by prompting food safety and hygiene.

-To protect the body against opportunist infection, thereby reducing the cost and time in medical care and also extending the period between HIV and the development of AIDS.

 

NUTRITIONAL PROBLEMS IN HIV/AIDS

-Soremouth and throat
-Nausea and Vomiting 
-Loose bowel
-Constipation
-Severe Diarrhea
-Weight Loss
-Hyperlipidemia
-Diabetes
-Obesity
-Cardiovascular disease

DIETARY MANAGEMENT

The consumption of a good mixed diet that comprises of adequate amounts of all basic food nutrient from the five basic food group is recommended.

This includes:

Cereal, Grains and Product : 8-12 Servings

Food Sources: yam, rice, potatoes, maize, wheat etc

Pulses, Legumes : 3-4 Servings

Food Sources: beans, cow peas, groundnuts, nuts etc

Milk  And Meat Products: 3-4 Servings

Food Sources: Yoghurt, cheese, fish,egg,chicken, pork,beef, crayfish etc

Fruits and Vegetables : 4-5 Servings

Food Sources: spinach, yellow and orange fruit e.g pawpaw and mango as well as orange, yellow and colored vegetables such as carrot, red pepper and tomatoes, bananas, avocado etc

Fats And Sugars: 2 servings

Food Sources: butter, groundnutoil, groundnuts.

Where dietary modification is necessary an individualized menu plan is carried out based on the recommended dietary allowance for health and disease state.