May is the special month we honor the women who have made a difference in our lives.
We at Life Priority would like to honor all women by showing you ways to rev up your health regimen. Your loved ones will thank you in return. . . because you will feel a renewed sense of well-being and confidence in knowing how you can easily improve your health. And we all know that when the special women in our lives feel good everyone feels good.
Home is where the heart is
Did you know that heart disease is the leading cause of death of American women each year, killing 1 in 4, and 5 times as many women as breast cancer?
Up until a woman enters menopause, the female hormone estrogen offers protection against heart disease by maintaining levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. Estrogen also helps to relax the smooth muscle of the arteries, which supports healthy blood pressure. These benefits disappear after menopause, which is why the risk for heart disease rises in women later than in men. But women of all ages should be concerned about maintaining a healthy heart.
Additionally, since a woman’s heart, arteries and other blood vessels are smaller than a man’s it takes less plaque to fill them up. Women also tend to have blockages in the smaller arteries that supply blood to the heart, not just in the main arteries.
10 ways to support a healthy heart
- Eat a nutritious, high-fiber, low-fat heart healthy diet
- Include foods high in phytonutrients (the nutrients found in plants)
- Get plenty of foods containing omega-3 fatty acids (cold water fish) or take Life Priority’s Omega-3 Priority. Vegetarians should take flax seed oil or ground flax seed.
- Practice a stress reduction technique, such as yoga or meditation
- Exercise
- Stop smoking!
- Reduce and/or avoid alcohol
- Get an annual physical exam to rule out other health factor risks
- Drink 6 to 8 glasses of purified water every day
- Get plenty of restful sleep!
But that’s not all! Now is the time to start taking important heart-healthy supplements.
- CoQ10 (also known as Coenzyme Q10 and ubiquinone) is a co-enzyme and antioxidant found in the mitochondria of every cell and in high concentrations in heart tissue. It helps maintain cardiovascular health and promotes vitality and energy. Co-Q10 is directly involved in creating 95% of the body’s usable energy. It can increase the pumping strength of an aging heart through increased energy production, which in turn enhances the amount of blood flowing through the heart and out to the body.
When you are young and healthy, your liver can produce adequate amounts of Co-Q10. But as you get older, your liver struggles to detoxify the chemicals in your food and environment. Over time, your ability to maintain efficacious amounts of Co-Q10 is severely compromised, which can dramatically impact your health. While CoQ10 production levels peak around age 20, they can decline to an average of just 68% of peak production by age 40. By age 80, CoQ10 levels can drop to 43% of normal, healthy levels–which is why it is important to add CoQ10 to your health regimen!
- Omega-3 Essential fatty acids (EFAs) are the healthy fats you cannot live without. They are critical to every cell in your body and essential for normal growth, functioning and anti-aging. Since the body cannot manufacture them, EFAs must come from the food you eat and/or nutritional supplements. Most Americans eat plenty of saturated fats, but few eat the fats that you need to support healthy blood pressure and a healthy heart.
It’s a fact of life. Maintaining balance in the female physiology is complex … because women’s hormones are in a constant state of flux, waxing and waning like the moon. The balance becomes even more delicate when the body begins to decrease its estrogen production. Whether you need ongoing or transitional support, you’ll be amazed by how much easier it is to fight stress and fatigue and bring your system back into balance with Omega-3s. Life Priority’s Omega-3 Priority helps support mood, memory, blood lipid levels, and cardiovascular health. This product is really a no-brainer for all women, no matter how old they are.
Calcium and magnesium supplementation — along with exercise and a healthy diet —is the best way to support healthy bones
- Calcium is the most abundant mineral in your body and plays a vital role in many areas of health including the maintenance of proper nerve and muscle function, normal blood clotting, cardiovascular function, proper sleep, and bone formation. 99% of the body’s calcium is found in your bones, which serves two functions: it provides strength and structure and it serves as a calcium bank or reserve. Whenever your body senses a decrease in blood calcium, calcium is removed from the bones. This is why it’s absolutely vital to maintain your calcium intake on a daily basis, so that calcium is not drawn out of your bones setting up the stage for osteoporosis.
Preventing osteoporosis
One out of two women older than age 50 suffers an osteoporosis-related fracture during her lifetime. Complications from these fractures are a major killer of women. Recent research shows that osteoporosis is not limited to post-menopausal women. Each year men suffer one third of all the hip fractures that occur, and one third of these men will not survive more than a year. Fortunately, research has also shown that a healthy diet, weight-bearing exercise and calcium supplementation can aid the body in building and maintaining healthy bone mass, while reducing the risk of osteoporosis.
- Magnesium is necessary for every major biological process including the body’s production of healthy bone. Magnesium helps the body absorb calcium, converts vitamin D into its active form for calcium absorption and helps regulate calcium.
Often called the “relaxation” mineral, magnesium assists in helping you sleep through the night peacefully without leg cramps, spasms heart palpitations, or anxiety. In fact, if you experience twitching or cramping of any kind, you probably have a magnesium deficiency. Magnesium is found in nuts, seeds, legumes, green leafy vegetables, whole grains and avocados. Taking Magnesium PriorityÔ is a great way to ensure that you are getting the adequate daily allowance of this vital mineral.
Try this recipe for a delicious and nutritious start to the day
Blueberry and Yogurt Pancakes (serves 3)
½ cup flour (your choice, i.e. all-purpose, whole wheat, non-gluten)
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
¾ cup milk
1 Tbsp. butter
½ cup plain Greek yogurt
1 egg
½ cup blueberries
¼ cup walnut pieces
Oil or butter for frying pan
Combine the dry ingredients. Whisk together the egg, milk and yogurt and 1 Tbsp. of melted butter. Blend with the dry ingredients and then gently add ¼ cup of the blueberries. Heat frying pan and add oil. When sizzling hot, drop batter to form pancakes. Sprinkle more blueberries onto each pancake and let the pancakes cook until the edges start to brown and you see bubbles appear.
Serve with more fresh blueberries, if desired, and chopped walnuts.
This delicious recipe provides calcium, magnesium, vitamin D, antioxidants, and protein, and omega-3 fatty acids (in the walnuts).
Enjoy!