2/23/08

Healthy Hearts


Do you like my Veggie Heart?

We all know February is the month for love, hearts and flowers. But did you know it is also Healthy Heart Month? It makes sense to me. There is a lot of stuff out there about eating right these days. But I believe The American Heart Association guidelines are a good way to help us keep our hearts in the best shape. So I've decide to share it with you.

Watch your weight
Don’t get caught up in the high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet hype. The best way to maintain a healthy weight is to consume the right number of calories (from healthful foods) for your age, size and lifestyle. Familiarize yourself with the calorie contents of foods and what “reasonable” portions look like.

Exercise daily
Aim for 30 minutes of moderate exercise (e.g., brisk walking) nearly every day. If you can’t devote 30 minutes all at once, break it up into 10-minute intervals.

Eat your vegetables—and fruits
Research links diets rich in fruits and vegetables with a lower risk for heart disease. Eat a variety, focusing on deeply colored vegetables and fruits (e.g., spinach, carrots and berries). They tend to be more nutritious than paler picks (e.g., potatoes and corn).

Fill up on fiber

Eat 25 to 30 grams of total fiber daily. There are two kinds of fiber: soluble and insoluble. Research shows that soluble fiber, found in oats, beans, barley and citrus, helps reduce “bad” LDL cholesterol levels. Studies suggest that insoluble fiber—found in whole-wheat breads and cereals and vegetables—also helps protect your heart. Fiber extends the time food stays in your stomach, which may help you feel full for longer on fewer calories.

Hold the (unhealthy) fats

Keeping a cap on saturated fats, trans fats and dietary cholesterol helps reduce risk of heart disease primarily by lowering “bad” LDL cholesterol. Limit intake of saturated fats (in butter, full-fat dairy products and fatty meats) to less than 7 percent of daily calories—that’s 16 grams, if you’re consuming 2,000 calories. Avoid the artificial trans fats that are ubiquitous in fast foods and processed snacks, such as crackers and cookies. (Trans-fat tip-off: “partially hydrogenated oil” in the ingredients list.) Try to consume no more than 300 mg of dietary cholesterol daily. Do all of this simply—no number crunching required—by replacing whole-fat dairy with skim or 1% dairy products and replacing fatty meats with lean meats, fish and plant-based proteins, such as beans.

Eat fish twice a week
Fish—especially “oily” kinds, such as salmon—are rich in the omega-3 fatty acids that, studies suggest, protect the heart. For men and women who won’t become pregnant, the benefits of eating fish frequently far outweigh any risks associated with mercury.

Limit sugary drinks and foods
Americans’ consumption of added sugars (e.g., sucrose, high-fructose corn syrup) has risen about 25 percent in the last four decades. Added sugars are “empty” calories that supply few nutrients—and research links drinking lots of sugary beverages with weight gain.

Keep an eye on salt
Limit daily sodium intake to 2,300 milligrams (about 1 teaspoon). Call it supply-side salt-onomics: as salt intake increases, so does blood pressure. Your heart has to work harder to pump the added fluid your body retains from sodium.

Drink alcohol in moderation
If you consume alcohol, do so “moderately”—that’s two drinks per day for men, one drink for women. And while studies link moderate alcohol intake with reduced risk of heart disease, it doesn’t mean that teetotalers should take up drinking. Alcohol can be addictive and high intakes can contribute to hypertension.

That's it. Besides good loving, have a good strong healthy heart.

Kaye

2/21/08

Thinking Back

The Dance Studio in NY


When I think about getting over the winter blahs, my mind sometimes turns to the world of dance. I have fond memories of the days when I was a professional ballet dancer. I recall one bitter cold winter I attended a workshop in NY. I wouldn't have missed it if I'd had to walk to get there due to bad weather conditions!

Funny, I didn't even give the freezing and the cold a second thought even though I certainly had to layer on warm-ups over my tights. I never let it bother me that a blizzard may strike at any moment. I wrapped myself up in the moment, the movement and the experience.

Today, I cling to the weather channel's every word thinking, "oh, no-- more awful weather cold snowy uncomfortable ahead..."
So what does that say about me now? How have I changed from just a few years ago? Am I more conscious because I am older and wiser? Or am I just bored because back then, my days were non-stop classes, rehearsals and performances. It do miss it. No time to think, no time to stop and rest or lament about anything much less the plight of the weather.


A direction, a focus... And now I write. What does that say about me as a writer? Am I less excited than I was about what I’m doing? Sometimes. But I really love to write and research and discover new things. I dreamed of becoming a writer my entire life. I studied journalism and creative writing in college. Yes, I love to write. Maybe it's the isolation. Maybe...

With that said, I still can't wait until spring!


Kaye

2/15/08

Romance is the Key


While we are still in our February-is-romance-month, I'd like to remind you just what it is about a romace story that is different than other fiction, and why we are so attracted to, that's right--romance. (Can I say it? Okay, maybe just once... Be still my heart...)

Basically, a mainstream novel works around a plot, often with a romance in the background; a romance works around a love story, with a plot in the background. It's that simple, folks. And that's why we love romance!

So if your dream is to write romance (or read a good romance novel) just keep that in mind. It works every time.

Kaye