There are several easy ways to add fruits and vegetables to your meal.

1 cup is equivalent to:

1 small apple
1 cup of lettuce* and ½ of other vegetables
½ large sweet potato and ½ cup of green beans

*1 cup of lettuce = ½ a measurable cup of vegetables.

 ½ cup is equivalent to:

1 small banana
6 baby carrots

Also, Look for color.  Eating fruits and vegetables of different colors provides your body with a  variety of valuable nutrients, such as fiber, folate, potassium and Vitamins A and C.  Think the colors of the rainbow: red watermelons, orange sweet potatoes, yellow corn, green spinach, purple plums, black beans, and white onions.  Here are some places to find your valuable nutrients:

 (Courtesy of www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov )

Coronary Heart Disease Affecting Younger Women

Recent studies have found that more women under the age of 45 are dying of heart disease due to clogged arteries. Obesity and other risk factors seem to be to blame. The new study may be a glimpse of the impact of escalating obesity and diabetes on U.S. deaths.  However, the trend is still positive. From 1980-2002, the death rate from blocked heart arteries was cut in half for men and women over 35. Improvements in treatment and preventative measures get the credit.  But what’s going on with younger adults is startling. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, killing almost 700,000 Americans each year.

Nearly 500,000 of these deaths are attributed to coronary artery disease, in which fat and plaque clog the arteries feeding blood to the heart, sometimes called hardening of the arteries. Heart attacks are a common result.  It can take several years for arteries to get life-threateningly blocked. Over 90 percent of deaths occur in people 55 and older.

In 2002, approximately 25,000 men and 8,000 men ages 35-54 died of coronary artery disease. This study was conducted by researchers  that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Britain’s University of Liverpool. They looked at U.S. vital statistics for artery related deaths in adults 35 and older for the years 1980-2002. In actuality  it was discovered that the increase was equal to about 100 added deaths to women in that age group, what appears to be a small increase when compared to the entire U.S. population. But the increase are statistically significant and a good cause for concern, when you consider the number equivalent to a medium sized jet crashing ever year.

HHS Releases New Health Literacy Tool for Professionals

As part of Health Literacy Month, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released a new health literacy tool for people who serve older adults.  The Quick Guide to Health Literacy and Older Adults is designed to provide useful strategies and suggestions to professionals who work with older adults to help bridge the communication gap between professionals and older adults

In a national assessment of health literacy, only three percent of the older adults surveyed were found to be proficient in health literacy. Persons with limited health literacy have more adverse health outcomes including less frequent use of preventive services, higher hospitalization rates, and more emergency room visits. For older Americans, difficulties with health literacy can complicate already challenging health problems since as many as 80 percent of older Americans have at least one chronic disease.

For more information visit: http://www.health.gov/communication/literacy/olderadults/default.htm. 

NIWHRC Board and Annual Meeting

The National Indian Women’s Health Resource Center held their Board Meeting and Annual Meeting at their home office in Tahlequah, Oklahoma on August 28-29, 2007.  Special guests to the meeting included the Cherokee Chief Chad Smith,  the former Director of Indian Health Services Dr. Charles Grim, and Dr. Gloria Grim, the Health Director of Cherokee Nation. Chairperson Mariddie Craig also invited two members of the White Mountain Apache tribe, Phoebe Nez and Gwendena Redtail to attend the meeting. Cherokee Nation hosted several events for the board members as the meetings were in conjunction with Cherokee National Holiday.  Board members attended a hog fry where traditional Cherokee food was served, a performance by the nationally recognized Cherokee National Youth Choir, and the pow-wow, where the all the members participated in the Grand Entry.

New members Natalie Haddox the Young Women’s Representative and Harriet Rhoades the Elder Representative Alternate were in attendance and both proved to be valuable contributions to the organization.

The Benefits of Green Tea

Green tea is rich in catechin polyphenols, particularly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG is a powerful antioxidant that has been proven to kill cancer cells without harming the healthy tissue. It lowers cholesterol levels and prevents abnormal blood clot formation. This important for American Indian and Alaska Natives, as there has been an increase in cardiovascular disease in the past several years. Abnormal clotting can lead to heart attacks and strokes. Green tea has also been found to help with weight loss. Research has also indicated that it maybe helpful in preventing tooth decay with bacteria destroying capabilities that can fight dental plaque.

Much of its health-giving properties come from the process in which green tea is prepared for consumer use. Green tea is steamed, which prevents EGCG from being oxidized. Other tea leaves are fermented and lose their nutritional value. Green tea can also be made into a powder form and used in baking, cooking, even made into a health supplement via pill or capsule.

It is suggested you drink 4-5 glasses of tea a day, an amount that may seem excessive for much of the American population, but when compared to coffee consumption among the same population this an agreeable amount. Here are some general instructions on how to brew a cup of green tea:

1. Use one tea bag, or 2- 4 g of tea per cup (roughly one to two tsps).

2. Fill a kettle with cold water and bring to boil.

3. After water has reached a boiling point, remove from heat and allow to sit for 3 minutes.

4. Pour hot water over tea and allow to sit or steep for 3 minutes, after which remove tea bag or tea vessel.

5. Allow to cool for an an additional 3 minutes.

(Information from www.about.com)

8 Ways to Lose Weight

     1.  Drink water!  The number one and most simple way to lose way is to increase your water intake. Water flushes out harmful toxins that prevent you from losing with. Also if your body is not used to consuming water, it develops a tendency to retain it. This adds to unwanted weight gain. By drinking more water you train your body that it no longer needs to store water. Water also acts as an appetite suppressant.  Its suggested you drink 6-8 (8oz) glasses of water a day.

     2.  Cut out all soda. Even diet soda. People have a tendency to drink more diet soda thinking that this is better than consuming just one regular soda. Soda equals empty calories and unnecessary sugar. By avoiding soda you can take inches off your waist.

     3. Increase your fiber intake. Add more whole wheat and grain foods to your diet. Also choose fruits and vegetables high in fiber (see above article). You can will up without overloading with excess calories.

      4. Limit your TV watching. Watching TV encourages eating.  By reducing the time in front of the television you reduce the tendency to mindlessly eat snacks.

     5. Exercise at least 30 minutes a day. Just walking 30 minutes a day will increase your weight loss. Overtime work up to 60 even 90 minutes a day to lose weight quickly.

     6. Strength training. To reduce your metabolism, build muscle and burn fat, resistance train.

     7. Add soup to your diet. Eat one bowl of soup for one of your meals a day. Low salt and nutritious soups will not only nourish you but flush waste from your body. Go for homemade soup (see below) whenever possible.

     8. Make sure and eat all your meals before 7 p.m. The same food you eat at breakfast and lunch are processed differently in your body than those eaten at dinner. Studies have shown that a meal containing your daily fat and protein, when consumed at breakfast promote weight loss and increase energy, but tend to increase weight gain when eaten at dinner.

      (Information from www.yahoo.com and www.suite101.com)

Healthy Hearty Chicken and Vegetable Soup

4 cups chicken broth

2 grilled chicken breasts

2 stalks broccoli

1 small eggplant

1/2 bunch asparagus

2 cups fresh baby spinach

1 medium tomato

1 medium onion

1 clove garlic

1/2 cup shelled frozen edamame

1/2 cup frozen corn

1 tbsp fresh basil

1 1/2 tsp soy sauce

1/4 tsp sesame oil

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

olive oil for cooking

1. Thinly slice onion and sauté in a lightly oiled pan with garlic until golden and caramelized.

2. Slice broccoli, eggplant, and asparagus into bite sized pieces and add to pan with chicken broth, soy sauce, and sesame oil and cayenne.

3. Let simmer on med-low heat until tender.

4. Add corn, tomato, and edamame and resume cooking.

5. Shred the grilled chicken breast into bite size pieces.

6. At the last minute, add spinach, chicken pieces, basil, and cook until heated thoroughly.

7. Serve hot.

(Recipe from www.grouprecipes.com)

KEEP A LOOK OUT FOR OUR RECIPE WEBSITE COMING SOON! THIS AND OTHER HEALTHY RECIPES LIKE IT WILL BE FEATURED.