Blood Sugar Concerns? Choose This Snack:

Whether you have trouble with high blood sugar or not, you might want to make this one of your mainstay snacks: a handful of walnuts.

Walnuts are already in a heart-healthy league of their own because of their cholesterol-improving powers. And now a small new study suggests that eating walnuts every day may help give blood vessels a much needed tune-up in people with diabetes.

Thy Daily Nut:
In the study, people with type 2 diabetes were asked to eat about 2 ounces of walnuts every day. After 8 weeks, endothelial function improved significantly in the walnut eaters. Why is this good news? Because endothelial cells -- that thin layer of cells that lines the inside of blood vessels -- may be one of the first places to go bad when people with diabetes start developing vascular disease. 

Walnut Wonders:
Compared to other nuts, walnuts have higher amounts of alpha-linolenic acid, which may help protect against plaque formation in arteries. Walnuts also are a great source of an amino acid called L-arginine, which helps relax blood vessels and control blood pressure. And surprisingly, the nut eaters in the study didn't suffer any deleterious effects to their weight and waist sizes. Why? Because even though the walnut is fairly high in calories, it has a lot of protein and fiber that helped the study participants eat less overall.

             Drink This to Help Undo a Heavy Meal

When you overdo it and down a day's calories in one sitting, your body's inflammatory processes go into overdrive. But here's a way you might counter it:   Drink Orange Juice.

In a recent study, people who had eaten a supersized fast-food breakfast experienced a much milder inflammatory response in their bodies when they drank OJ with the meal.

High-Calorie Catastrophe
Whatever you do, don't pair that overindulgence with a soda. When researchers compared the effects that three different beverages had on the way bodies process big, fatty, inflammation-triggering foods, sugar water was the worst of the bunch. It seemed to exacerbate the inflammatory response. Plain water faired somewhere in between orange juice and sugar water. But it has the added benefit of being calorie-free.

The Flavonoid Fix
What makes orange juice so good at helping clamp down on the inflammation and oxidation that big, fatty meals cause? The heroes are likely two important flavonoids found in oranges -- naringenin and hesperidin. These powerful antioxidants help tamp down body processes that can damage blood vessels and lay the groundwork for big health problems, like atheroslerosis and heart disease.

Water Bottles and Heat

Just a reminder, that on these hot days, it is recommended that you send a water bottle to school with your child each day.  Just a 5% decrease in hydration can lead to headaches, upset stomachs and decreased concentration.  School policy allows students to have a water bottle in class with them, however only water is allowed.  Thank you in advance for your assistance in keeping your student, healthy and hydrated during warm weather.

    3 Nutrition Tip for Arthritis!!!

If your mornings begin with stiffness, pain and swelling of your joints you may be experiencing symptoms of osteoarthritis. In addition to getting regular exercise (low-impact is the best) and maintaining a healthy weight, consider the following nutritional strategies to help prevent or lessens symptoms.

1. Eat foods rich in antioxidants. Fresh fruits and vegetables are good sources, and may help reduce tissue damage from inflammation.
2. Get enough omega-3s. The omega 3 fatty acids provided in Oily fish such as wild Alaskan salmon, walnuts, and freshly ground flaxseed may help reduce the inflammation and pain of arthritis.
3. Regularly use ginger and turmeric for their natural anti-inflammatory properties.

         
    May is American Stroke Month

Unfortunately not everyone is aware of the signs and symptoms of stroke, and the need to seek immediate medical treatment.  Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States, and a leading cause of disability, and it's important we work together to spread the word that up to 80% of strokes are preventable. 

Although some risk factors like age and genetics are uncontrollable, managing certain risk factors like smoking, weight and blood pressure will help reduce the risk of stroke. 
By eating better, not only will you significantly help your chances of not getting a stroke, but you will find yourself with more energy throughout each and every day!