FAMILY FEATURES — As you intend your summer season enjoyable, suppose additionally about adopting wholesome habits that may assist preserve your blood stress below management.
When your blood stress is persistently excessive — a situation known as hypertension — blood flows via arteries at higher-than-normal pressures. This may trigger severe well being issues not simply in your coronary heart, but in addition in your blood vessels, kidneys, eyes and mind.
Hypertension impacts men and women of all ages however making small way of life modifications can go a great distance towards prevention. Begin with updating your summer season menu with scrumptious, heart-healthy recipes, like Hawaiian Huli Huli Hen.
Following a heart-healthy consuming plan, such because the Dietary Approaches to Cease Hypertension (DASH), which emphasizes greens, fruits, complete grains, fish, poultry, beans, nuts, low-fat dairy and wholesome oils, may also help preserve your blood stress in a wholesome vary. Developed via analysis by the Nationwide Coronary heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), DASH focuses on lowering sodium and limiting meals which might be excessive in saturated fats, together with fatty meats, full-fat dairy and tropical oils.
Together with including wholesome recipes to your summer season menu, NHLBI’s The Coronary heart Reality program encourages these wholesome habits that may make it easier to management blood stress:
• Transfer extra: Intention for not less than 150 minutes (2 1/2 hours) of bodily exercise every week. Strive conserving your self on tempo every week by taking pictures for 30 every day minutes of exercise over 5 days.
• Intention for a wholesome weight: Analysis reveals adults with chubby and weight problems can decrease their blood stress by shedding simply 3-5% of their weight. Ask a buddy or member of the family to affix a weight reduction program with you; social help may also help you each keep motivated.
• Handle stress: Scale back stress — which may improve blood stress — with meditation, stress-free actions or help from a counselor or on-line group.
• Stop smoking: Smoking damages your coronary heart and blood vessels. Name 1-800-QUIT-NOW or discover different sources out there on-line.
Get your summer season off to a heart-healthy begin by speaking to your well being care supplier about your blood stress numbers and what they imply. To study extra about coronary heart well being and blood stress, go to hearttruth.gov and discover DASH-friendly recipes at healthyeating.nhlbi.nih.gov.
Hawaiian Huli Huli Hen
Recipe courtesy of the Nationwide Coronary heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook dinner time: half-hour
Servings: 4
Sauce:
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons mild soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons orange juice
1 teaspoon garlic (about 1 clove), minced
1 teaspoon ginger, minced
12 ounces boneless, skinless hen breast (about 2 giant breasts), minimize into 1-inch cubes (about 24 cubes)
1 cup recent pineapple, diced (about 24 items)
8 wood skewers (6 inches every), soaked in water
To make sauce: Mix ketchup, soy sauce, honey, orange juice, garlic and ginger; combine properly. Separate into two bowls and put aside.
Preheat grill to medium-high warmth. Preheat oven to 350 levels Fahrenheit.
Alternately thread three hen cubes and three pineapple chunks on every skewer.
Grill skewers 3-5 minutes on either side.
Brush or spoon sauce from one bowl onto hen and pineapple each different minute. Discard remaining sauce from first bowl.
To forestall hen from drying out, end cooking to minimal inner temperature of 165 levels Fahrenheit in oven.
Utilizing clear brush or spoon, coat with sauce from remaining bowl earlier than serving.