healthy heart

🍎 Health Hack ~A Healthy Night Time Snack

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Popcorn – But Make it Right

For those that prefer a savory snack late at night, popcorn is a great, satisfying go-to. Combining popcorn with pistachios and semi-sweet chocolate chips makes this a healthy late-night snack that won’t derail your day of mindful eating.

Nuts (pistachios, included) are a great source of healthy unsaturated fats, according to the Mayo Clinic. Unsaturated fat is not only filling but may even benefit your heart health by helping to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol. Not to mention, eating nuts has been associated with lower levels of inflammation in the body.

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I make my popcorn in a hot air popcorn popper and use Pam butter spray to kick it up a bit.  Be creative without the calories.

🍎 Health Hack ~ Thanksgiving Tips

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  • The holiday season is a time for celebration. With busy schedules and so many extra temptations, this is a good time to strive for weight maintenance instead of weight loss.
  • Focus on Family and Friends
  • Thanksgiving is not just about the delicious bounty of food. It’s a time to celebrate relationships with family and friends. The main event should be family and friends socializing, spending quality time together, not just what is on the buffet.

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🍎 Health Hack ~ Take a Nice, Big Yawn – It’s Good for You

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Yawning

Yawning isn’t just a not-so-subtle signal to your friend that their story is boring you. This natural bodily inclination actually helps to regulate the temperature of your brain, according to the experts at the Smithsonian Institute.

“When we stretch our jaws, we increase the rate of blood flow to the skull,” they note. “And as we inhale at the same time, the air changes the temperature of that blood flow, bringing cooler blood to the brain.” And given how much work the brain does each and every day, this is a very important—and protective—function.

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🍎 Health Hack ~ Small Choices – Big Differences

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The day-to-day choices you make influence whether you maintain vitality as you age or develop life-shortening illnesses and disabling conditions like heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and stroke. You may understand exactly what you need to do to enjoy a healthier, happier life: carve out time to exercise, perhaps, or find a way to ratchet down stress. There’s just one hitch. You haven’t done it yet.

Often, the biggest hurdle is inertia. It’s true that it isn’t easy to change ingrained habits like driving to nearby locations instead of walking, let’s say, or reaching for a donut instead of an apple. However, gradually working toward change improves your odds of success.

Harvard HealthBeat

🍎 Health Hack ~ 5 of 5 Healthy Heart Tips

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Pets Provide Perks

Our pets offer more than good company and unconditional love. They also provide numerous health benefits. Studies reported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) suggest that owning a pet may help improve your heart and lung function. It may also help lower your chances of dying from heart disease.

Healthline

🍎 Health Hack ~ 4 of 5 Healthy Heart Tips

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Lighten Up and LOL

Don’t just LOL in emails or Facebook posts. Laugh out loud in your daily life. Whether you like watching funny movies or cracking jokes with your friends, laughter may be good for your heart. According to the AHA, research suggests laughing can lower stress hormones, decrease inflammation in your arteries, and raise your levels of high-density lipoprotein (HLD), also known as “good cholesterol.”

Healthline

🍎 Health Hack ~ 3 of 5 Healthy Heart Tips

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Make Fish Your BFF

Eating a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids can also help ward off heart disease. Many fish, such as salmon, tuna, sardines, and herring, are rich sources of omega-3 fatty acids. Try to eat fish at least twice a week, suggests the AHA. If you’re concerned about mercury or other contaminants in fish, you may be happy to learn that its heart-healthy benefits tend to outweigh the risks for most people.

Healthline

🍎 Health Hack ~ 2 of 5 Healthy Heart Tips

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Play Between the Sheets

Or you can play on top of the sheets! That’s right, having sex can be good for your heart. Sexual activity may add more than just pleasure to your life. It may also help lower your blood pressure and risk of heart disease. Research published in the American Journal of CardiologyTrusted Sourceshows that a lower frequency of sexual activity is associated with higher rates of cardiovascular disease.

Healthline

🍎 Health Hack ~ 1 of 5 Healthy Heart Tips

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Got to Lose the Love Handles

That is, focus on your middle. Research in the Journal of the American College of Cardiologyhas linked excess belly fat to higher blood pressure and unhealthy blood lipid levels. If you’re carrying extra fat around your middle, it’s time to slim down. Eating fewer calories and exercising more can make a big difference.

Healthline

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