If you’ve been watching your fat intake but ignoring your sodium intake, you could be at greater risk of having a stroke than your fat-consuming neighbor!   When a stroke occurs, blood vessels carrying oxygen and nutrients to the brain either burst or are blocked by a clot. Ischemic strokes are caused by clots that [...]

Lipid Profile Total Cholesterol LDL HDL Triglycerides Fasting Glucose Ideal <150 <70 >60 <100 60-90 Good <180 <100 >50 <110 <90 Current Standard (some risk) <200 <130 >40 for men >45 for women <150 60-110 Higher Risk 200-239 >130 <40 for men <45 for women >150 110-125 High Risk 240+ >160 Risk increases as HDL [...]

Blood Pressure Ideal Under 120/80 Normal 120/80 Pre-Hypertension 120-139/80-89 Stage 1 Hypertension 140-159/90-99 Stage 2 Hypertension 160/100 or higher Reducing sodium intake, losing weight and establishing a consistent exercise program are three foundational keys to reducing blood pressure. Practicing healthy stress management techniques can also help. If you are on blood pressure medication and have [...]

BMI Men & Women Underweight <18.5 Normal 18.5 – 24.9 Overweight 25.0 – 29.9 Obese 30.0 – 39.9 Extremely Obese >40.0 Body mass index, or BMI, is the ratio of weight to height. As a person’s BMI increases, so does the risk for many diseases. However, body builders and other very muscular individuals may have a [...]

Body Composition Men Women Low <5% <15% Lean 5 – 9% 15 – 19% Optimal 10 – 14% 20 – 24% Acceptable 15 – 19% 25 – 29% Over fat 20 – 24% 30 – 34% Obese >25% >35% Muscle weighs more than fat; therefore, when you begin an exercise program, especially strength training, the [...]

Waist Size Men Women Low Risk <35 in. <32 in. Moderate Risk 35 – 40 in. 32 – 34.5 in. High Risk >40 in. >34.5 in. Because it correlates well with how much fat is being stored within the abdominal wall, waist size may be the single most reliable indicator of risk for diabetes and [...]

Got Kale? “Dairy products are far from the solution, and may very well be a cause of the problem,” says Anna Quisel, M.D. in an article about osteoporosis. The dairy industry has done a terrific job of convincing the public that drinking milk is the key to adequate calcium consumption and strong bones. However, the [...]

Based on the recipe for Costa Rican Black Bean Soup from Madhur Jaffrey’s World Vegetarian Cookbook, but modified quite a bit to “healthify” it. It’s a little complicated, but worth the effort! It’s one of my favorite soups. For boiling the beans: 2 c dry black beans 4-5 cloves garlic, crushed 8 tbsp finely chopped [...]

This is an original, so I don’t have a precise recipe with exact measurements. I have a general way of making it, so it’s about the same every time. Here are the ingredients I use… 1 tbsp olive oil 1 whole onion a couple of cloves of crushed garlic tomatoes–canned, fresh, or a combination of [...]

Modified only slightly from The 30-Day Diabetes Miracle by Franklin House, M.D., Stuart A. Seale, M.D., and Ian Blake Newman. 1/2 c soy mayonnaise 2 tbsp olive oil 2 tbsp lemon juice 2 whole garlic cloves 2 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes 1/2 tsp salt Put ingredients in a blender and blend until creamy, about 1 [...]