So Valentine’s Day is here…… Did you get some chocolate?

The chocolate we enjoy today is very different from the cocoa that was eaten more than 2,000 years ago. Cocoa was first used by the Maya and Aztecs as a medicinal drink. The natural plant product, cocoa, and the processed food product, chocolate, are quite different. Chocolate is a combination of cocoa, sugar, milk, and other ingredients to form a solid food product. Chocolate is often viewed negatively because it is…

Continue

High blood pressure or hypertension is called the silent killer because it can cause damage to your heart and blood vessels even though you may not have any symptoms. One out of three adults in the United States has high blood pressure. Many people think of high blood pressure as an older persons disease, however an alarming increase has been observed among children secondary to inactivity and obesity.



High blood pressure can lead to kidney disease, heart attacks, strokes and heart… Continue

A New Year's Resolution only takes about 2 minutes to make but then you have a whole year to break it. This year why not make a REALISTIC healthy resolution you can keep.



You may want to:

• Quit smoking

• Lose weight

• Eat healthier

• Exercise more



We all have made resolutions that we don't stick to - a couple of days, weeks or months go by and we start falling back into some of our bad habits… You may get bored with an exercise routine or diet, get a… Continue

The Holidays are a joyous time to celebrate and spend time with family and friends. But they have also been found to increase the risk for heart problems. Heart related deaths and heart failure hospitalizations rise sharply around the winter holidays. Several triggers for this increased risk have been reported in recent studies:

• Our normal routine is disrupted - we may be traveling, eating and drinking differently, under more stress and exercising less

• Cold weather can also be a… Continue

Well, the Holidays are almost upon us and if you are anything like me…you are thinking about some of those delicious holiday treats and holiday gatherings with family and friends. Almost every event that you attend over the next several weeks will tempt your will power!!



With all of the holiday hustle and bustle, exercise is often one of the first things to be cut from your busy routine. But remember even walking as little as 10 minutes a day can have a beneficial effect on your… Continue