Some of the factors that you will most want to consider if cooking heart healthy is to limit the amount and considering the type of fat you cook with. There are, of course, additional ways in which you can cook heart healthy, but following these guidelines will help you to keep your cooking flavorful and low-fat.
First, you want to limit the amount of fat you cook with. If you are sauteing something in a pan, instead of melting a stick of butter in the pan, spray a non-fat or low-fat cooking spray on the pan or use a non-stick pan and just heat the food without oil or butter. If you find that the food has less flavor, experiment with water and spice mixes. You can also use a small amount of oil to heat and brown food and then add water and spices and cover the pot, allowing the food to steam.
Be careful what type of fat you are using. Some fats, called monounsaturated, are better for you than others. As a rule of thumb, if a fat is solid at room temperature, try to avoid or moderate its use in your cooking.
Avoid adding fat to your food. If you enjoy salads, minimize the amount of salad dressing you use. Salad dressing adds a great deal of fat to any meal, and counteracts the health benefits of the fruits and vegetables in your salad. Likewise if you enjoy bread and butter, be careful how much butter you add to your bread. Using apple butter, made from apples, instead of regular butter, is a good way to have a tasty meal and keep your food heart healthy.
Another way to cook and eat heart healthy is to remove any existing fat from the food that you are cooking or eating. For example, meat often has fat in it. If you trim, or remove, this fat, you are reducing the overall fat content of your meal. This may also make the food taste better.…
Tag: heart
Rheumatic Heart Disease Causes, Symptoms And Treatments
Rheumatic Fever
Rheumatic fever is uncommon in the US, except in children who have had strep infections that were untreated or inadequately treated. Children ages 5 to 15, particularly if they experience frequent strep throat infections, are most at risk for developing rheumatic fever. The infection often causes heart damage, particularly scarring of the heart valves, forcing the heart to work harder to pump blood. The damage may resolve on its own, or it may be permanent, eventually causing congestive heart failure (a condition in which the heart cannot pump out all of the blood that enters it, which leads to an accumulation of blood in the vessels leading to the heart and fluid in the body tissues).
Rheumatic Heart Disease Symptoms
The symptoms of rheumatic fever usually start about one to five weeks after your child has been infected with Streptococcus bacteria. The following are the most common symptoms of rheumatic fever. However, each child may experience symptoms differently. Symptoms may include:
– Joint inflammation – including swelling, tenderness, and redness over multiple joints. The joints affected are usually the larger joints in the knees or ankles. The inflammation “moves” from one joint to another over several days.- Small nodules or hard, round bumps under the skin.- A change in your child’s neuromuscular movements (this is usually noted by a change in your child’s handwriting and may also include jerky movements).- Rash (a pink rash with odd edges that is usually seen on the trunk of the body or arms and legs).- Fever.- Weight loss.- Fatigue.- Stomach pains.
The symptoms of rheumatic fever may resemble other conditions or medical problems. Always consult your child’s physician for a diagnosis.
Treatment for rheumatic heart disease:
Specific treatment for rheumatic heart disease will be determined by your child’s physician based on:
Your child’s overall health and medical history.
– Extent of the disease.- Your child’s tolerance for specific medications, procedures, or therapies.- Expectations for the course of the disease.- Your opinion or preference.
The best treatment for rheumatic heart disease is prevention. Antibiotics can usually treat strep throat (a Streptococcus bacterial infection) and stop acute rheumatic fever from developing. Antibiotic therapy has sharply reduced the incidence and mortality rate of rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease.
Children who have previously contracted rheumatic fever are often given continuous (daily or monthly) antibiotic treatments to prevent future attacks of rheumatic fever and lower the risk of heart damage.
If inflammation of the heart has developed, children may be placed on bed rest. Medications are given to reduce the inflammation, as well as antibiotics to treat the Streptococcus infection. Other medications may be necessary to handle congestive heart failure. If heart valve damage occurs, surgical repair or replacement of the valve may be considered.…