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On The Dr. Oz Show today, Dr. Oz reminded us that 1 in 4 women will die from heart disease. He gave us seven numbers and some simple choices we can make everyday that can help us make a dramatic difference in lowering our risk of developing this number one killer.
90 – Your Resting Heart Rate should be no more than 90. Dr. Oz says people that have a heart rate above 90 compared to people that have a heart rate below 60 have a 3 times increase of chance dying. A slower rate means that your heart is powerful and can pump a lot of blood in one beat! In contrast, a higher number means your heart is weaker and needs to work harder using more beats to pump the blood through your body. Dr. Oz says your heart rate is a indication of your well being.
How do you take your resting heart rate? .
1.5 grams or 1500 milligrams – Dr. Oz’s recommended daily allowance of sodium/salt. The USDA says 1 teaspoon of table salt is about 2300 mg, the maximum level you should have daily. The USDA’s RDA for females 31 to 50 years is 1500 mg to 2300 mg daily. Dr. Oz says that too much sodium is known to cause and have an negative affect on high blood pressure which also stresses our hearts.
He wants us to be careful about added table salt in our diets. And keep in mind that most processed foods that you buy have a substantial amount of added sodium. He gave us these following examples:
That’s a total of about 1400 mg of sodium, almost Dr. Oz’s recommended daily total in just the processed foods you buy! You now have to add in the added table salt you sprinkle on the foods you prepare for yourself and your family! It adds up quickly to the detriment of your health!
100 – Maximum allowed calories of added sugar daily. That’s about 25 grams or 6 teaspoons of sugar daily for women. For men, 150 calories /37.5 grams or about 9 teaspoons per day according to recommendations from . Dr. Oz says excessive sugar intake causes obesity, which causes diabetes, stresses your heart, causes strokes and many other weight related illnesses. Sugar can directly lead to the elevation of blood pressure and cholesterol.
Again Dr. Oz points out that we have to look out for the added hidden sugar in processed foods. Dr. Oz showed three foods which on the surface look like healthy foods. Applesauce, yogurt with fruit on the bottom and salad dressing, may all have added sugar.
Our clue is to read the food label. The FDA requires food companies to put sugar content on the food labels. However, many fruits, vegetables and dairy have natural sugars in them. Dr. Oz shows us the following food label where the ingredients are red flags for added sugar. Look for ingredients such as evaporated cane juice, high fructose corn syrup, brown rice syrup.
25 – Grams of fiber for women, 35 grams for men. Dr. Oz said that study after study after study says the more fiber in your diet the more you are protected against heart attacks. It’s not just about regular bowel movements, even though fiber does keep us from straining on the toilet! Fiber does a lot more than that.
Dr. Oz explains that inside of our intestines there is a lot of things going on. One of them is cholesterol. But when you also have fiber present in your intestines, the fiber in your intestines binds with the cholesterol and carries it out of your system through your bowels. How easy is it to get 25 grams of fiber in your system? Well, the guest viewer says she uses flaxseed meal which Dr. Oz agreed was a good source. Dr. Oz also gave us a few more examples:
About 26 grams of fiber total. Quite do-able to start including foods like these in our daily menus.
1 – Glass of alcohol per day for women. Dr. Oz says one glass of wine contains antioxidant polyphenols from the dark skin of the grapes which protect the heart vessels and in particular the lining of those vessels . It slows down the development of atherosclerosis. Aging in general across the board may benefit from one glass of wine a day.
Beer effects us differently but positively. Dr. Oz explains that beer has Vitamin B-6. Drinking a beer gives you more B-6 if you normally don’t get enough, which helps control increased levels of homocysteine. Homocysteine is an amino acid normally found in your blood and increased levels may be a risk factor for heart disease and stroke. So, if you don’t mind the extra carbs, a beer does have benefits.
0 – Zero trans fats. Dr. Oz asked why do we keep talking about it? We all know now that trans fats builds plaque in our arteries and we should not have it in our sources. But Dr. Oz’s concern is that trans fats are still in our food supply and we may not be aware. Even though a food label may say zero grams of trans fat, there still might be trans fats in it.
It seems food companies are not required to list trans fat on the label if it has less than 1/2 gram of trans fat per serving. Dr Oz’s team checked out foods such as crackers, cookies, popcorn, peanut butter, and even coffee creamers. And found they had trans fats!
Because food companies stay beneath that limit of 1/2 gram, they do not have to show it on the label. Again, your red flag clue is in the ingredients.
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