Your Spokane Cardiologist has told you that you are in danger of having a heart attack. You go to a cardiologist at the Kootenai Medical Center for a second opinion, and she tells you the same thing. Get healthy now or suffer the consequences. Are you really prepared to take that risk? My best guess would be “NO!” They prescribe medications and tell you that getting off your butt will help. They strongly suggest that you don’t rely on medication alone. You need a life style change. No more greasy food. No more Spokane fast food. No more couch potato! But what can you really do to increase your heart health? The answer is simple.

Get happy!

Music and it’s affect on heart health.

A years-long study by Dr. Mike Miller of the University Medical Center in Baltimore shows that being happy can improve your heart health. Scientists have known for quite some time now that laughter can actually open up blood vessels and increase the blood flow in your heart. Dr. Miller focused his own study on music. If watching a funny movie can open up those vessels, why shouldn’t music that makes a person happy have the same affect? After a simple set up to monitor the hearts reaction, the result of a participant listening to music, or even playing an instrument themselves, was not surprising. Not only did the vessels open up and allow more blood to flow through, chemicals were also produced that are beneficial to the heart. When the participants listened to music they didn’t enjoy, the chemical production stopped and the vessels began to close.

What else can I do to have a healthy heart?

We have mentioned before that listening to up beat music during a work out can keep you motivated. This recent study shows that the music not only keeps you moving, it also keeps your blood flowing! Working out will help you lose weight which will decrease the strain on your heart. Working out can also increase the production of chemicals that help you feel happy and content. Double that up with music that makes you happy, and you are well on your way to having a happy heart! Miller does suggest to change up your music selection often as listening to the same songs over and over again actually decreases their affect on your vessels.

You can get the best work out of your life, and possibly save your life, with Zach Hunt of Physzique Personal Fitness. Contact Zach today to set up and appointment to begin the rest of your healthy, happy life!

Every Spokane Nutrition expert knows that when you want to lose weight, you have to cut out the junk food. Say goodbye to Spokane’s fast food, cookies at midnight, candy bar snacks, and doughnuts for breakfast. But have you ever noticed that when you stop stressing about food, it seems to become easier to calm the cravings?

  Life is about balance. So then we CAN have a meal out at Taco Bell? Yes, if it is only once a month and we don’t eat everything on the menu! And when you’re at your best friend’s birthday, you can still have a piece of cake, but keep it small. Don’t eat all the frosting, or say no the ice cream topper.

 In the end, try to remember that goodies are not all bad, but they can wreak havoc on a Spokane mom trying to shed some baby weight. When we tell ourselves that we can’t EVER have another piece of pie, we will set ourselves up for failure. Instead of worrying about every cookie you can’t have, try concentrating on the simple and positive things that you can do:

•  drink more water
• eat 5-7 servings of fruits and vegetables
• exercise at least 15 minutes every day

 If you’re like most of Spokane’s stressed out moms, food can become like a comfort blanket. It ceases to be nourishment, and instead becomes like a significant other. Water is a girl’s best friend. Drink it all the time, up to twelve 8oz glasses a day. When your stomach is full of water you won’t be as likely to binge on brownies. You’ll feel full, and stay hydrated at the same time.

 If you really want a boost to your health, check out www.spokanefitnesscoach.com and see how your life can change for the better. Cravings will still come occasionally, but knowing that you can indulge occasionally or stifle them with a healthy alternative really helps.

Who’d have thunk it - four formerly shunned snacks that may actually be good for you?

Let’s talk saturated fats. Did you know there are more than 15 types of saturated fats? Even though they’ve been condemned as a whole by nutrition experts for years, a few of them are actually heart healthy.

Bad Foods Gone Good

Pork Rinds - These puffy, crispy snacks are actually, just as the name says, made from cut pigskin. And then most are deep fried. Sounds really fattening. However in comparison to other snacks this one isn’t bad.

A 1-ounce serving contains zero-carbohydrates, 17 grams of protein, and 9 grams fat. That is 9 times the protein and less fat then you would find in a serving of carb-packed potato chips.

Even better, 43% of a pork rind’s fat is unsaturated, and most of that is oleic acid—the same healthy fat found in olive oil. Another 13% of its fat content is stearic acid, a type of saturated fat that is considered harmless, because it doesn’t raise cholesterol levels.

Best option—look for pork rinds that are puffed in a microwave or baked instead of fried, these are lower in calories and less greasy.

Beef Jerky - It’s given a bad rep as an unhealthy meat that is loaded with preservatives and salt.

In reality is high in protein and doesn’t raise your levels of insulin (a hormone that signals your body to store fat). That makes it an ideal between-meals snack. While some beef-jerky brands are packed with high-sodium ingredients, such as MSG and sodium nitrate, all-natural ingredient products are available.

Check the label for brands that are made from all-natural ingredients and from lean, grass-fed beef.

Sour Cream - At first glance, you would see that 90% of its calories are derived from fat, at least half of which are saturated. However, if you really dig into the numbers, the percentage of fat is high, but the total amount isn’t. A typical serving of sour cream is only 2 tablespoons. That contains just 52 calories and less saturated fat than you’d get from drinking a 12-ounce glass of 2% reduced-fat milk.

Coconut - Ounce for ounce coconut contains more saturated fats than butter. Despite this, coconut appears to have a beneficial effect on heart-disease risk factors. Why? More than 50% of its saturated fat content is lauric acid. A recent analysis of 60 studies published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reports that even though lauric acid raised LDL (bad) cholesterol, it boosts HDL (good) cholesterol even more. Overall, that means it decreases your risk of cardiovascular disease.

Best option for an anytime snack - shredded, unsweetened coconut.

But don’t gorge, it is still fairly high in calories.