Healthy Eating Archive

A busy schedule can make it challenging to adhere to heart-healthy habits, but there are steps you can take that don't require much time and can fit easily into almost anyone's life.

Reaching and maintaining a healthy weight is a major health issue. An analysis of data from multiple studies found that when weight management interventions were delivered in primary care settings, participants lost more weight and kept it off longer.

People who want to lower their sodium intake to reduce their cardiovascular risks can try substituting spices for salt in food. A 2022 study found that older adults were less likely to notice differences in salt content of a white sauce if it contained a spicy chipotle seasoning blend. This suggests that some spices can distract older adults from low salt content in foods. The FDA is also targeting salt use, issuing new guidelines in 2022 to lower the average American's daily salt intake drastically over the next decade and potentially save a half-million lives over that time.

Around menopause, a decline in estrogen can trigger low-grade inflammation that leads to unexpected symptoms from head to toe. Symptoms can affect the digestive tract, skin, joints, eyes, ears, and heart, among other areas. A 2022 study found that estrogen loss can even fuel the jaw pain known as temporomandibular disorder. A year or longer can pass before many women connect symptoms with menopause. Women can take lifestyle measures to lower inflammation, such as eating more fruits and vegetables, avoiding processed foods, and exercising.

Healthy older adults may have a higher risk for dementia if they follow high-inflammatory diets that include greater amounts of simple sugars, cholesterol, saturated fat, and fried foods.

Older adults known as super-agers have cognitive function similar to that of young people. Experts believe this is because their brains shrink at a much slower rate, which may be the result of genetics or lifestyle habits or both. While people can't alter their genes, it could be possible to slow their natural brain decline by adopting some super-ager habits, like being physically active, pursuing mentally challenging hobbies, eating a diet rich in inflammation-fighting foods, and engaging with social groups.

A big, hearty salad can provide the recommended daily dose of vegetables. Adding other filling ingredients such as starches and proteins turns a salad into a healthy, satisfying meal.

A study published online May 31, 2022, by Annals of Internal Medicine suggests that with or without sugar, coffee is associated with a longer life.

Long touted as beneficial for heart health, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) is more complicated than experts once thought. Some forms of HDL grab cholesterol from the bloodstream and other tissues and transport it to the liver, where it's recycled or disposed, but other types are neutral or perform the opposite action. Most drugs that raise HDL don't seem to prevent heart disease, and very high HDL levels may even be linked to a higher risk.

Too much or too little potassium can harm the heart. Diet, medications, and kidney function can affect the body's potassium level. Dietary potassium helps keep blood pressure in a normal range, but most Americans don't consume enough of this mineral. However, people taking medications that raise potassium levels—which includes certain drugs to treat high blood pressure and heart failure—should avoid salt substitutes made with potassium chloride.