Latest news with #highbloodpressure
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
The worst hamburgers for your health — and the best ones for your Canada Day BBQ to avoid high sodium and fat
BBQ season is here, and for many Canadians, the chance to soak up more summer by having dinner outside is a key part to making the most of these sweet, sunny days. However, most barbecue fare can be a minefield of sodium. A Health Canada report from 2017 states many Canadian kids and men consume the mineral to potentially health-affecting excess. That includes 72 per cent of children aged four to 13, and a whopping 90 per cent of men between ages 14 and 30. On the other hand, notably, less than half of women in the same age group aren't consuming excess sodium. A small amount of sodium is a necessary part of a balanced diet as the mineral regulates blood pressure, keeps fluids in balance and helps muscle and nerve functioning. But too much is a serious health concern: "The average daily sodium intake of Canadians is currently estimated at 2,760 mg, which is higher than the established goal of 2,300 mg per day," Health Canada shares in that same report, going a long way to explaining the prevalence of high blood pressure in the country. This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Contact a qualified medical professional before engaging in any physical activity, or making any changes to your diet, medication or lifestyle. The study adds roughly 25 per cent of Canadians over age 20 have been diagnosed with high blood pressure. But it also explains the actual number is likely much higher, given the condition presents no symptoms and develops slowly. If that's not enough to have you put down the salt shaker, how about this: Heart disease and stroke are, respectively, the second and third leading causes of death in Canada after cancer. Most of the excess sodium in the typical Canadian diet is found in salty snacks, condiments, canned soups, frozen entrees like pizza and microwaved meals — and, above all, bakery goods and processed meats. Burgers, sausages, canned meats and deli meats all fall under this last category. That means when it comes time to fire up the grill, those watching their sodium intake can't just reach for any old patty. Here, we're comparing the nutritional label on a variety of popular grocery store favourites. From veggie burgers and imitation meat patties, to your classic chicken and beef burgers, this is everything you need to know about the sodium content in popular pre-made hamburger products you may be eyeing this summer. Pre-formed beef burgers are a barbecue staple. However, these patties are typically full of sodium, with some packages noting a single patty could use up a whopping quarter of your recommended daily value (DV) intake. When it comes to the DV on nutrition labels, five per cent or less is a little, while 15 per cent and above is a lot. President's Choice Thick and Juicy Beef Burgers Sodium: 600 mg, 26% DV Fat: 33 g (includes 15 g saturated + 1.5 g trans), 44% DV No Name Beef Burgers Sodium: 440 mg, 19% DV Fat: 28 g (includes 13 g saturated + 2 g trans), 37% DV Compliments Frozen Traditional Beef Burgers Sodium: 390 mg, 17% DV Fat: 10 g saturated + 1 g trans, 55% DV Montana's Frozen Canadian Angus Beef Burgers Sodium: 570 mg, 25% DV Fat: 11 g saturated + 2 g trans, 65% DV Changing it up with chicken burgers keeps barbecued dinners interesting as summer's heat continues on. These patties also seem to score slightly lower on sodium and fat levels than their beef counterparts. Zabiha Halal Chicken Burgers Sodium: 480 mg, 21% DV Fat: 8 g (includes 2 g saturated), 11% DV Compliments Balance Chicken Burgers Sodium: 330 mg, 14% DV Fat: 1.5 g saturated, 8% DV Janes Breaded Chicken Burgers Sodium: 410 mg, 18% DV Fat: 1.5 g saturated, 8% DV Great Value Chicken Burgers Sodium: 300 mg, 13% DV Fat: 11 g (includes 15 g saturated + 0.1 g trans), 15% DV Need a break from the red meats or poultry? Fish burgers are a good alternative when you're thinking of firing up the barbecue. Stick to non-breaded versions to stay on the healthier side. Compliments Wild Pacific Salmon Burgers Sodium: 310 mg, 13% DV Fat: 0.3 saturated, 2% DV President's Choice The Ultimate Atlantic Salmon Burgers Sodium: 420 mg, 18% DV Fat: 10g (includes 1.5 g saturated), 13% DV High Liner Breaded Fish Burgers Sodium: 610 mg, 27% DV Fat: 13g (includes 1 g saturated), 17% DV Janes Beer Battered Fish Burgers Sodium: 410 mg, 18% Fat: 1.5 g saturated, 8% DV Gone are the days of vegetarians getting left out at the cookout: Brands like Impossible, Beyond Meat, Yves and Gardein offer a this-close facsimile of their beef brethren — including the sodium and fat, it seems. Beyond Meat Plant-Based Burgers Sodium: 260 mg, 11% DV Fat: 2 g saturated + 0 g trans, 10% DV *Editor's note: Beyond Meat has informed Yahoo Canada they have updated their nutrition information. However, grocery store websites may still showcase previous nutrition data. Impossible Plant-Based Burgers Sodium: 370 mg, 16% DV Fat: 8 g saturated, 40% DV Yves The Good Veggie Burgers Sodium: 310 mg, 14% Fat: 0.2 g saturated, 3% DV Gardein Suprême Plant-Based Burgers Sodium: 420 mg, 18% DV Fat: 9 saturated + 0.1 g trans, 44% DV Burger patties composed of vegetables, beans, grains and seasonings are an old-school vegetarian staple. Typically, these burgers are top-tier in healthiness regarding sodium and fat levels. Dr. Prager's California-Style Veggie Burgers Sodium: 250 mg, 10% DV Fat: 0 g saturated Big Mountain The Original Veggie Burgers Sodium: 135 mg, 6% DV Fat: 2 g saturated, 10% DV President's Choice Chickpea and Sweet Potato Veggie Burgers Sodium: 590 mg, 26% Fat: 9 g (including 1g saturated), 12% DV Wholly Veggie The Big Griller Veggie Burgers Sodium: 250 mg, 11% DV Fat: 0.5 g saturated, 5% DV Another potential sodium minefield standing between you and a barbecue meal that meets your dietary needs are burger buns. Some buns, it seems, might have as much salt as the patties they're clasped around. Some buns from the D'Italiano brand have 16 per cent of your daily sodium allotment per bun. That means a burger with one of these buns could have as high as half your daily intake, depending on the variety of patty inside — and that's before you've put cheese or ketchup on it. Wonderbread white buns, meanwhile, clock in at 10 per cent of your daily sodium needs — as do Compliments brand brioche buns. Villaggio's Toscana buns have 12 per cent of your daily sodium allowance, while Dempster's hamburger buns clock in at 10 per cent. Even though it tastes sweet, ketchup packs a sodium punch. At 50 grams — or about four tablespoon's worth — you're being delivered 18.5 per cent of your daily sodium recommendation. Mustard and relish aren't off the hook, either: According to the USDA, the average yellow mustard has 23.5 per cent of your daily sodium in a comparable amount. On the other hand, relish hovers around 16.5 per cent of your sodium needs for about four tablespoons. Adding cheese? One slice of Kraft Singles has 12 per cent of your sodium allowance, while Ziggy's brand cheddar slices offer seven per cent. It's possible that building the perfect burger could cost an entire day's worth of sodium intake if you're not careful. But simple swaps — like reaching for unprocessed cheese, going light on the condiments and checking the nutrition facts on the buns — can keep things in check, as will occasionally choosing patties made from chicken, fish and vegetables in place of beef. Get ready to light the grill!
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
This Drink May Help Lower Your Blood Pressure, New Study Says
Reviewed by Dietitian Emily Lachtrupp, M.S., RDAbout half of all Americans have high blood pressure. This study suggests green tea may help modestly lower blood pressure. Diet, exercise, stress and sleep also influence blood blood pressure, or hypertension, is common in the U.S. In fact, there's a good chance you have it, since half of all American adults are living with the condition. And about 1 in 3 adults with high blood pressure aren't even aware they have it. This is because it usually comes with no symptoms. This doesn't mean, however, that it's benign. Blood pressure is the amount of force your blood exerts on the walls of your arteries, the blood vessels that carry oxygenated blood from your heart to the rest of the body. If left untreated, high blood pressure can damage organs, including the heart, eyes, kidneys and brain, increasing your risk of heart disease, stroke and chronic kidney disease. Besides factors out of your control, like genetics, age, sex and ethnicity, lifestyle also plays a large role in blood pressure. This includes diet, physical activity, stress and sleep. Researchers have observed that following an eating pattern like the DASH diet can help manage blood pressure. But what about specific foods that you can start adding to your diet? Researchers in Iran and at the University of Nevada did a systematic review and meta-analysis to see what studies show regarding green tea and blood pressure. They published their findings in the journal Blood Pressure. Let's break down what they found. Researchers searched databases for previously conducted studies that met their criteria. Specifically, they were looking for randomized controlled trials on adults who had pre- and post-study blood pressure data, and the studies had to have lasted longer than two weeks. The studies also had to have tested some form of green tea and its effects on blood pressure. The various forms of green tea they allowed were green tea leaves, green tea extract, epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) and green tea catechins (a group of green tea antioxidants that includes EGCG). After weeding through almost 15,000 studies, 36 made the cut. This study aimed to examine the relationship between green tea and blood pressure. Researchers also wanted to determine if there is an optimal dose of green tea that may help manage blood pressure. Taking all of the studies into consideration and combining their findings, researchers found that regular consumption of green tea in various forms was associated with an average of 1 mm/Hg reduction in both systolic (top number in blood pressure reading) and diastolic (bottom number) blood pressures. Because the studies included in this review and meta-analysis were all performed differently, researchers could not come to a conclusion regarding dose-response. In other words, they can't say how much green tea and which form of it works best. The 1 mm/Hg decrease in blood pressure is not clinically significant, say researchers, but because it is statistically significant, it shows promise. They concluded that green tea could be a complementary component to blood pressure treatment, but should not replace what is currently recommended for hypertension. This systematic review and meta-analysis is limited due to the differences in how the included studies were conducted. Because of this, it cannot be said which forms of green tea and how much of each work best for lowering blood pressure. It's easy to add green tea into your day, simply by brewing up a cup of it. If you've never had green tea, it's a lighter, more delicate version of its sister, black tea. Green tea is also lower in caffeine than black tea. So while you won't get the same level of caffeine buzz with green tea, that's also one reason it may be good for your blood pressure, as substances that rev you up too much can increase your blood pressure. Besides blood pressure, green tea may also help reduce inflammation, improve blood sugar and cholesterol levels, support brain health, aid digestion and reduce the risk of cancer. That's a lot of benefits in those tea leaves! For best absorption of green tea's plant compounds, it's recommended that you drink it on an empty stomach. That's not to say that your body won't absorb any of green tea's antioxidants if you have it with a meal, just that you're likely to absorb more when there's not food in your stomach. With that said, there's another reason for this. The tannins in green tea can interfere with the absorption of plant-based iron (non-heme iron). This is an especially important point if you have anemia or tend to be prone to it. If you're going to have green tea throughout the day, you'll benefit more by sipping it between or before meals—we're fans of having morning green tea before eating. It's also worth mentioning that if you're going to be a regular imbiber of green tea, it may be prudent to use loose-leaf tea with a strainer. This is because some tea bags may contain microplastics, which can end up in your cup and ultimately in your body and brain. As with anything, there is no one magic food that cures disease, including green tea for blood pressure. For a big picture view of diet for healthy blood pressure, consider trying our 30-Day DASH Diet Meal Plan for Beginners. It's loaded with whole foods, like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and dairy, nuts, seeds, legumes and healthy fats. We slash the sodium by watching how much we use in recipes, and by avoiding highly processed foods, including processed meats. Considering other lifestyle factors, it's also important to move your body often, manage your stressors and get enough quality sleep. While this may seem overwhelming, the changes don't have to be made all at once. Even small changes can be beneficial. For example, we previously reported that swapping just five minutes of sitting time with vigorous physical activity resulted in a measurable reduction in blood pressure. This will add up to even more benefits if you take five-minute breaks throughout the day to do some vigorous walking, jumping jacks, burpees, pushups—any movement that raises your heart rate. Vigorous activity is different for everyone, depending on your fitness level, so start where you're at and over time, what used to be vigorous will become moderate. This systematic review and meta-analysis suggests that regularly ingesting some form of green tea may reduce systolic and diastolic blood pressure by 1 point each. Drink green tea on an empty stomach for the best antioxidant absorption. It's also important to take a whole-health view for blood pressure management, which includes eating a diet rich in whole foods and low in sodium, engaging in regular physical activity, managing what's stressing you out and getting plenty of quality sleep. Read the original article on EATINGWELL
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
A man gained weight eating ultra-processed foods he thought were healthy. Now, he's 50 pounds lighter thanks to 3 habits.
Christopher Kaufman, 60, started gaining weight in his 40s. By his 50s, he was over 200 pounds, with a sedentary lifestyle and a diet of ultra-processed foods. Diet tweaks, movement breaks, and regularly weighing himself helped him lose 50 pounds. Christopher Kaufman's 50-pound weight gain didn't come all at once. If anything, it took over a decade to steadily climb. "I was about 10-15 pounds overweight once we got into my 40s," Kaufman told Business Insider. But it was in my 50s when I said 'Oh, we've got a problem here.'" Kaufman grew up active, feeling like he could "eat anything" and not gain weight. That changed when his mother died in 2005 and he was exposed to toxic mold when cleaning out her house. Shortly after, blood tests found he had developed a sensitivity to gluten, dairy, and yeast. He changed his diet to gluten-free and some cow-free dairy alternatives. While they reduced his symptoms, he started gaining weight. The tapioca-flour pretzels and coconut milk products he was consuming were ultra-processed, which are often linked to weight gain. Kaufman also didn't move much throughout the day. He spent a decade working remotely at a Fortune 100 technology firm before getting a doctorate in education, spending hours studying. By 2022, at 57, he weighed around 208 pounds and had high blood pressure. He knew he needed to change his lifestyle. "I said, well, you know what? I've run a marathon," he said. "I can do this." In two years, Kaufman lost 50 pounds and lowered his blood pressure through changing his eating habits and adopting a more active lifestyle — without strict diets or strenuous workouts. "I've got the skills to look at the activities versus the calories and now I can just play around with these," he said. "It's continuous improvement." Kaufman started focusing on whole foods and reducing his ultra-processed intake. While he didn't follow any one specific diet, his most closely resembled a Blue Zones diet, based on a study of the world's longest-living populations. He started to examine the ratio of carbs on his plate to protein and fiber. Back when Kaufman was a runner (he ran the LA Marathon 20 years ago), he got into the habit of loading up on carbs for energy. Now, he realized, he wasn't moving enough to justify as many carbs as he ate. "That first step of lowering the carbs so that they balance with the protein and fiber, that started the weight loss," he said. Now, he said he adjusts his carb intake based on the day and the planned activity. He'll eat more if he plans on doing yard work for two hours and could use the energy. He also changes how much he eats based on the time of day, eating a bigger meal at breakfast or lunch depending on when he plans to exercise. He said being mindful of what he eats — and how much of it — helps him indulge in treats. "I'm going to have salmon with steamed cabbage, but that's just zero carbs," he said. "So I can have 3 ounces of some coconut chocolate ice cream." Kaufman, now an adjunct professor at both Westcliff University and Southern California State University, follows the pomodoro technique whenever he researches class lectures or writes his book. He works for 25-minute sprints before breaking for five minutes. He started using those built-in breaks to get up and walk around. "I saw that when I made myself get up and walk around consistently, I lost more weight," he said. He also works out about once a day, either swimming in his pool or walking through his hilly California neighborhood. "It's not the kind of serious swimming that I used to do when I was younger," he said. "It's just flapping around, freestyle." The only other activity he does is house chores, like cleaning the yard or pool, building something, or carrying heavy objects in and out of the house. The small movements add up and help him burn more calories. Kaufman read studies that found weighing yourself every day leads to higher weight loss, more than checking once a week or twice a month. "In fact, my weight loss sped up once I started doing that," he said. However, starting the habit was "really rough." "I'm a technical nerd, so I go, 'Is this scale broken? It can't be me, right?' So that was hard," he said. Over time, though, he said keeping up the habit changed his relationship to the scale. "You have to let go of the scale as the enemy and learn the scale is just a feedback mechanism," he said, looking for a "rolling average" rather than fixating on one number, which could greatly vary by what he ate that day. Seeing the numbers helped him better see what was working and what wasn't. "Ok, what can we tweak here?" he said. "Oh, we can knock 100 calories off here, or we can reduce some carbs there." Ultimately, having more data helps him keep his weight down without going to extreme measures. "It took me almost two years to accomplish it, but now I can manage and tweak meals and mix up exercise regimes, rather than slide," he said. "It's slow, it's gradual, and it's for life." Read the original article on Business Insider
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
This Drink May Help Lower Your Blood Pressure, New Study Says
Reviewed by Dietitian Emily Lachtrupp, M.S., RDAbout half of all Americans have high blood pressure. This study suggests green tea may help modestly lower blood pressure. Diet, exercise, stress and sleep also influence blood blood pressure, or hypertension, is common in the U.S. In fact, there's a good chance you have it, since half of all American adults are living with the condition. And about one in three adults with high blood pressure aren't even aware they have it. This is because it usually comes with no symptoms. This doesn't mean, however, that it's benign. Blood pressure is the amount of force your blood exerts on the walls of your arteries, the blood vessels that carry oxygenated blood from your heart to the rest of the body. If left untreated, high blood pressure can damage organs, including the heart, eyes, kidneys and brain, increasing your risk of heart disease, stroke and chronic kidney disease. Besides factors out of your control, like genetics, age, sex and ethnicity, lifestyle also plays a large role in blood pressure. This includes diet, physical activity, stress and sleep. Researchers have observed that following an eating pattern like the DASH diet can help manage blood pressure. But what about specific foods that you can start adding to your diet? Researchers in Iran and at the University of Nevada did a systematic review and meta-analysis to see what studies show regarding green tea and blood pressure. They published their findings in the journal Blood Pressure. Let's break down what they found. Researchers searched databases for previously conducted studies that met their criteria. Specifically, they were looking for randomized controlled trials on adults who had pre- and post-study blood pressure data, and the studies had to have lasted longer than two weeks. The studies also had to have tested some form of green tea and its effects on blood pressure. The various forms of green tea they allowed were green tea leaves, green tea extract, epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) and green tea catechins (a group of green tea antioxidants that includes EGCG). After weeding through almost 15,000 studies, 36 made the cut. This study aimed to examine the relationship between green tea and blood pressure. Researchers also wanted to determine if there is an optimal dose of green tea that may help manage blood pressure. Taking all of the studies into consideration and combining their findings, researchers found that regular consumption of green tea in various forms was associated with an average of 1 mm/Hg reduction in both systolic (top number in blood pressure reading) and diastolic (bottom number) blood pressures. Because the studies included in this review and meta-analysis were all performed differently, researchers could not come to a conclusion regarding dose-response. In other words, they can't say how much green tea and which form of it works best. The 1 mm/Hg decrease in blood pressure is not clinically significant, say researchers, but because it is statistically significant, it shows promise. They concluded that green tea could be a complementary component to blood pressure treatment, but should not replace what is currently recommended for hypertension. This systematic review and meta-analysis is limited due to the differences in how the included studies were conducted. Because of this, it cannot be said which forms of green tea and how much of each work best for lowering blood pressure. It's easy to add green tea into your day, simply by brewing up a cup of it. If you've never had green tea, it's a lighter, more delicate version of its sister, black tea. Green tea is also lower in caffeine than black tea. So while you won't get the same level of caffeine buzz with green tea, it's also one reason it may be good for your blood pressure, as substances that rev you up too much can increase your blood pressure. Besides blood pressure, green tea may also help reduce inflammation, improve blood sugar and cholesterol levels, support brain health, aid digestion and reduce the risk of cancer. That's a lot of benefits in those tea leaves! For best absorption of green tea's plant compounds, it's recommended that you drink it on an empty stomach. That's not to say that your body won't absorb any of green tea's antioxidants if you have it with a meal, just that you're likely to absorb more when there's not food in your stomach. With that said, there's another reason for this. The tannins in green tea can interfere with the absorption of plant-based iron (non-heme iron). This is an especially important point if you have anemia or tend to be prone to it. If you're going to have green tea throughout the day, you'll benefit more by sipping it between or before meals—we're fans of having morning green tea before eating. It's also worth mentioning that if you're going to be a regular imbiber of green tea, it may be prudent to use loose-leaf tea with a strainer. This is because some tea bags may contain microplastics, which can end up in your cup and ultimately in your body and brain. As with anything, there is no one magic food that cures disease, including green tea for blood pressure. For a big picture view of diet for healthy blood pressure, consider trying our 30-Day DASH Diet Meal Plan for Beginners. It's loaded with whole foods, like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and dairy, nuts, seeds, legumes and healthy fats. We slash the sodium by watching how much we use in recipes, and avoiding highly processed foods, including processed meats. Considering other lifestyle factors, it's also important to move your body often, manage your stressors and get enough quality sleep. While this may seem overwhelming, the changes don't have to be made all at once. Even small changes can be beneficial. For example, we previously reported that swapping just 5 minutes of sitting time with vigorous physical activity resulted in a measurable reduction in blood pressure. This will add up to even more benefits if you take 5-minute breaks throughout the day to do some vigorous walking, jumping jacks, burpees, push-ups—any movement that raises your heart rate. Vigorous activity is different for everyone, depending on your fitness level, so start where you're at and over time, what used to be vigorous will become moderate. This systematic review and meta-analysis suggests that regularly ingesting some form of green tea may reduce systolic and diastolic blood pressure by 1 point each. Drink green tea on an empty stomach for the best antioxidant absorption. It's also important to take a whole health view for blood pressure management, which includes eating a diet rich in whole foods and low in sodium, engaging in regular physical activity, managing what's stressing you out and getting plenty of quality sleep. Read the original article on EATINGWELL
The Independent
20-06-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Five foods that might be quietly spiking your blood pressure
High blood pressure is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, which is the leading cause of death in the U.S. Doctors advise limiting foods high in saturated fats and sodium to prevent high blood pressure, as dietary choices can significantly impact health. A new study from Johns Hopkins Medicine identified the DASH diet, a low-sodium and low-saturated fat plan, as effective in reducing blood pressure for people with Type 2 diabetes. Several common foods, often consumed without awareness, can contribute to high blood pressure due to hidden sodium or high saturated fat content. Examples of these "sneaky" foods include pickles, coconut oil, cottage cheese, bread, and commercially prepared chicken, which can contain surprisingly high levels of sodium or saturated fats.
