menwomenhealthtoday.com

(ARA) – Heart Disease kills more American women each year than all other causes of death combined, including all forms of cancer, but don’t let that statistic scare you. According to the American Heart Association, the number one cause of death is also the single most preventable cause of death, and lifestyle factors play a key role.

If you smoke…
Put down the cigarettes. Smoking increases blood pressure, decreases HDL (good cholesterol) and increases the tendency for blood to clot.

If you do everything possible to avoid exercise…
Change your attitude and join a gym. Exercise is a great habit to develop that will help you with heart health. It can help lower your blood pressure, improve your blood circulation and keep your weight down.

If you’re guilty of regularly eating a non-healthy diet that includes a lot of fat and sugar…
Change your tune! According to the Cleveland Clinic, women who hold excess fat around the middle of their bodies are at an increased risk of developing heart disease. Although there is nothing you can do to change your body type — you can take steps to keep your weight at a healthy level.

A good place to start is by figuring out ways to work the foods that have been associated with reduced risk of heart disease into your diet. A recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition lists these as including apples, bran, grapefruit, red wine, strawberries, chocolate and pears.

Of all these foods, perhaps the most versatile is the pear. Here are some examples of how adding pears to your diet can benefit your health:

* You can reduce the number of calories you consume at the main course by 12 to 13 percent if you begin a meal with foods that have a lot of bulk or volume, but few calories. A pear fits this bill exactly because of its high fiber and low caloric content, just 100 calories for a medium pear.

* Spice up salads with heart healthy ingredients. A sliced pear makes an excellent addition to a green salad along with blanched sweet potatoes, pistachios and lean chicken. This is a filling, healthy meal that will do your heart good and tastes delicious.

Here’s a tasty recipe you may want to try:

* Curried Pear, Pistachio and Grilled Chicken Salad (Makes 4 servings)

Ingredients for salad:
6 cups mixed, washed and torn salad greens or spinach
3 large ripe Bartlett Pears, cored and sliced
1 1/2 cups golden raisins
1/2 cup shelled pistachio nuts
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
1/2 small red onion, sliced
4 (4-ounce) boneless, skinless grilled chicken breast fillets, chilled

Ingredients for the curry-chile vinaigrette:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 serrano chiles, stemmed, seeded and minced

Directions: Combine all dressing ingredients in a small bowl; whisk to blend. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. To assemble salad, toss half of the dressing with the salad greens. Divide evenly among 4 salad plates or bowls. Top with pears, nuts, bell pepper and onion. Slice each chicken breast into strips and lay over salad. Drizzle with remaining dressing.

* Avoid added sugars in your diet whenever possible. Table sugar, honey, brown sugar and other sweeteners offer no value to our diet other than empty calories.

This doesn’t mean, however, you have to skip dessert. Imagine a lusciously sweet and healthy fresh, poached pear for dessert each night. This recipe for poached pears includes a small amount of added sugar, but also incorporates heart healthy ingredients like wine and chocolate along with the fiber-rich pears. Bosc is the traditional variety used for poached pears, but any variety can be used.

*Wine Poached Pears in Chocolate Sauce (Makes 6 servings)

6 pears, peeled and sprinkled with the lemon juice as they are peeled
1 lemon, squeezed for juice
peel of 1 orange
2/3 cup sugar
2-1/4 cups of water
1 bottle of red wine
1 stick of cinnamon
1 peppercorn
1 pinch of salt
Fat free chocolate syrup

Directions: Stand the pears in a pan, not touching each other. Sprinkle with the sugar. Add the salt and wine. Then add the orange peel, cinnamon, and peppercorn. Bring the pears to a boil over high heat. As soon as the wine starts to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Gently lift the pears from the syrup with a slotted spoon, place on a platter or bowl and set aside. Boil the juice down until it is reduced by half. Set aside to cool.

To serve: Pour chocolate into individual serving bowls and warm slightly in microwave. Place poached pear on top of chocolate and drizzle with poaching juices. Top with additional chocolate syrup or chocolate shavings.

For more heart-healthy recipes that include pears, log on to www.calpear.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

SIDEBAR

Warning Signs that a Woman May Be At Risk for a Heart Attack

* Feeling really tired — even after getting enough sleep.
* Trouble breathing
* Trouble sleeping
* Feeling sick to the stomach
* Feeling scared or nervous
* New or worse headaches
* An ache or burning feeling in the chest, feeling “heavy” or “tight” in the chest
* Pain in the back, between the shoulders
* Pain or tightness in the chest that spreads to the jaw, neck, shoulders, ears or the inside of the arms
* Pain in the belly, above the belly button

Should you feel these signs – do not ignore them. Go to your doctor or clinic right away.

EDITOR’S NOTE:

About California Pears.

Pears are one of the oldest fruits to be consumed by civilized man with a history dating back to ancient Roman times.

California, along with Washington and Oregon, is a leading producer of both fresh and canned pears. The traditional Bartlett pear is the major variety grown in this state, but other varieties produced in California include: Bosc; Comice; Forelle; Seckel; Red Pear; and Sunsprite. \

U.S. pears are available virtually year-round. Harvest of pears in California begins in early July with Bartletts, Bosc, Red Pear and Sunsprite varieties followed by Comice, Forelle and Seckel which begin harvest in August. Pears hold very well in storage and are available on U.S. retail store shelves throughout late summer, fall and early winter. Some varieties like the Bartlett, Bosc, Comice and Forelle and will hold for up to 3 to 6 months after harvest.

(ARA) - It’s amazing: With all the advances of modern medicine, doctors and nutritionists still find that natural remedies may be the best way to help fight and even prevent disease.

The muscadine grape, for example, is causing a buzz among people seeking natural ways to look and feel healthy. Scientists have found muscadine grapes are loaded with more healthy compounds than other much-touted foods such as blueberries, goji berries, green tea, red wine and dark chocolate. Muscadine grapes and their seeds are one of nature’s best sources of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties.

Called “America’s First Grape,” muscadine grapes thrive in hot climates of the southeastern United States where regular grapes cannot. This environment makes them unique in their ability to heal themselves from disease, bacteria and fungi. These protective qualities benefit all who consume muscadine grapes and especially the seeds, where phenolic compounds are highly concentrated.

The muscadine story begins more than 400 years ago, when Native Americans taught North Carolina’s earliest settlers about their medicinal benefits. Now, scientists have proven them right. For instance, compared to other grapes, muscadine grapes have 40 times more resveratrol — the polyphenol, found in red wine that is proven to benefit cardiovascular health, blood sugar levels and the aging process, among other health issues.

“Muscadine grapes are no secret to many southerners who remember picking the sweet, juicy fruit growing along the wood lines or eating their grandmother’s muscadine pie,” says Rick Tomkinson, food scientist for North Carolina-based Nature’s Pearl Corporation (www.naturespearlproducts.com). Nature’s Pearl is cultivating the most potent muscadine grapes and making them available for the masses year-round in all-natural capsules.

“But, even those who have eaten muscadine grapes their whole lives probably didn’t realize they were helping their bodies to fight what ails them,” he says. “And, they most likely didn’t eat the seeds, which offer the greatest health benefits.”

Nature’s Pearl has trademarked their product “The Smarter Grape” because Muscadine grapes have two more chromosomes than regular bunch grapes, which mean more functional genes and greater health benefits. Muscadine grapes not only have 10 times the antioxidants of blueberries and cranberries, they also contain unique combinations of other phenolic compounds, remarkable anti-inflammatory properties and combinations of over 100 nutraceuticals simply not found anywhere else, including Resveratrol, Ellagic acid, Quercetin and OPCs (oligmeric proanthocyanidins).

People around the country are now taking muscadine grape seeds to lower cholesterol, control blood sugar, alleviate arthritis, help erectile dysfunction, control migraines and even look and feel younger. Muscadine seeds also have been found to have an effect on PSA levels (or prostate specific antigens, an indicator of prostate cancer) and menopause, too.

As human clinical trials and more laboratory studies are under way, science is proving what our country’s first inhabitants knew all along: Muscadine grape seeds are one of nature’s most powerful and healthy foods.

To learn more about the history and health benefits of muscadine grapes and seeds, or where to buy Nature’s Pearl Premium Muscadine Grape Seed Supplement, go to www.naturespearlproducts.com, or call (877) 998-2386.

Microwave ovens may be good for more than just zapping the leftovers; they may also help protect your family. University of Florida engineering researchers have found that microwaving kitchen sponges and plastic scrubbers -- known to be common carriers of the bacteria and viruses that cause food-borne illnesses -- sterilizes them rapidly and effectively.