What Is Your Risk of Heart Disease?
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Coronary artery disease causes nearly 1.2 million heart attacks each year, and more than forty percent of those suffering from a heart attack will die. Heart attack is also a swift killer, taking the lives of 335,000 people while in the ER or before ever reaching the hospital.
Good vs. Evil: The Cholesterol Challenge
Improving your heart health is all a matter of knowing the difference between good and evil. Good and evil (or bad) cholesterol are selling points for many grocery products on shelves today. Certain cereals, yogurt, oatmeal, margarine, and even orange juice use “cholesterol-reducing” messages to appeal to the Heart Healthy consumer and for good reason. The risk of heart disease increases as the total amount of cholesterol increases.
Heart Healthy Desserts for Your Sweetheart
Indulging your sweet tooth on occasion is expected and not necessarily unhealthy if your “sweet” choice is a sensible portion of a low fat and/or low sugar dessert. Valentine’s Day is the perfect occasion to indulge particularly with that special someone. If you are pressed for time, consider serving frozen yogurt with dark chocolate-dipped strawberries; yogurt is an excellent low-fat alternative to ice cream and dark chocolate contains less sugar than milk chocolate. If you want to take the time to create a homemade dessert for your sweetheart, consider using a Heart Healthy recipe such as:
