** New ** follow us on Twitter using this link for the very latest news and updates !
Powered by MaxBlogPress 

Monthly Archives: April 2010

Blood group type may be linked to heart disease


 

Do you know what blood group you are ?

 

When we think about looking after our heart health – eating healthily and exercising (and maybe taking medication) to lower our blood pressure and reduce our cholesterol levels, we usually don’t spare a thought about our blood group.

In fact, if we’re honest with ourselves, how many of us actually know what our blood group / type  is ?

Could we be genetically programmed into heart disease by our blood group ?

We were made aware of some earlier, but very relevant research conducted in Germany back in 1981, involving 13,000 volunteers that concluded that there is a greater  incidence of heart disease among people who have type ‘A’ blood groups.

 

Blood samples showed that there was a significant association between erythrocytic antigens and ‘A’ blood types.

An eight year study published in the’ British Medical Journal’ involving over 7000 men also showed higher cholesterol levels in ‘type A’ blood samples. Also – In a similar study, 3,000 patients consisting of two age groups, – 65 yr old and older, and 65 yr old and younger, were tested and the results concluded that blood type ‘A’ patients had a higher predominance with cardiac infarction and this was evident in both age groups. Such investigations suggest the existence of a genetic factor associated with blood group ‘A’ and a greater incidence of cardiac infarction.

Higher Cholesterol and Cardiac Infarction rates in type ‘A’ blood group

 

Moreover – According to clinical research studies – Type A blood types have a naturally high level of the stress hormone cortisol and tend to produce more in response to stressful situations than other blood types. When elevated cortisol levels are released in type A’s, this often results in different stress responses such as disrupted sleep patterns, increased blood viscosity (blood thickening), and can promote muscle loss as well as fat gain. In extreme incidences of stress – high levels of cortisol levels in type ‘A’ blood groups can lead to insulin resistance, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and hypothyroidism. Dr. Peter J D’Adamo ND – a naturopathic physician and author of ‘Blood Type Diet’ books suggests that people should eat a diet according to their blood group. Dr. D’Adamo recommends that you limit your sugar, caffeine, and alcohol intake. As well as never skip meals, (particularly breakfast), and consume smaller frequent meals to help to stabilize blood sugar levels and balance cortisol levels.

It seems to have started a long time ago …

 

Blood Group ‘A’s’ are believed to have evolved around 15,000 B.C. This is during the time when our ancestors settled into farming-type communities, hence – blood type A’s around this time became accustomed to a vegetarian-based diet. They consumed little meat and dairy produce, and these biological adaptations are still in existence today in Type A’s digestive structure. Type A’s are considered to possess low levels of hydrochloric acid in the stomach, which allows better digestion of carbohydrates.  According to Dr. D’Adamo low levels of intestinal alkaline phosphates also prevent Type A’s digesting and metabolizing animal protein and fat easily. Therefore – he recommends that blood group ‘A’ individuals should follow a diet rich in vegetables.

If I am blood type ‘A’, how can I cut down my risk?

 

Firstly – Follow the normal recommendations for optimal heart health such as not smoking, exercise regularly, drink alcohol in moderation, maintain a healthy weight, and monitor your cholesterol levels. Also as mentioned earlier – prevent elevated cortisol levels, as adhering to all of these will help to cut down your risk considerably.

You may also want to consider the idea of the possible benefits of switching to a diet to suit your blood type, by researching for any evidence to support the theory from case studies or personal testimonials.

Mediterranean Diet Recipes for Better Heart Health


It’s no secret that the mediterranean diet brings heart health benefits such as lower blood pressure and reduced cholesterol. So just what exactly IS the mediterranean diet ?

The Mediterranean diet refers to the traditional cuisine and healthy lifestyle (such as fresh air, and exercise), enjoyed for thousands of years by people from countries that border the Mediterranean Sea. The food is freshly cooked from healthy natural ingredients, unprocessed and unrefined, and is low in saturated and trans fats. It also includes plenty of fresh vegetables, legumes, wholegrains, fruits, nuts, seeds and olive oil, as well as an abundance of fish, poultry and only small amounts of red meat.

 

So, if you would like to sample some authentic, heart friendly mediterranean cooking, we’ve got a couple of delicious, healthy and nutritious mediterranean diet recipes below that are quick and easy to prepare :-

  • Penne with Ricotta
  • Sicilian Swordfish

 

Penne with Ricotta

Photo: www.mediterraneanrecipes.org/penne_ricotta.jpg

Ingredients

  • Penne — 100 grams
  • Ricotta Cheese — 40 grams
  • Grated parmesan — 20 grams
  • Salt
  • Pepper

This recipe can be prepared within 25 minutes and good for one serving only.  Penne with Ricotta is a tasty energy meal and excellent for your personal enjoyment.  Ricotta is a dairy product.  It is very rich in protein and derived from different types of milk.

Preparation

Mix water with salt then boil in a saucepan.  Follow the directions on the package for cooking the Penne.  Drain the water but leave at least 2 to 3 tablespoons of water.  Add cottage cheese in the pan then season the mixture with salt and pepper.  Before serving, make sure to sprinkle parmesan cheese on top.

Nutritional Value

Food Gr Kcal Fat Carb Pro Fib Water
Semolina pasta 100 371 1.51 74.67 13.04 3.2 9.9
Ricotta 40 55.2 3.16 2.06 4.56 0 29.76
Grated Parmesan cheese 20 86.2 5.72 0.81 7.69 0 4.17
Salt 2 0 0 0 0 0 0
Pepper 2 5.1 0.07 1.3 0.22 0.53 0.21
Total 164 517.5 10.46 78.84 25.51 3.73 44.04
A head (1) 164 517.5 10.46 78.84 25.51 3.73 44.04
Per 100 grams 100 315.55 6.38 48.07 15.55 2.27 26.85

 

Sicilian Swordfish

 

Photo: www.mediterraneanrecipes.org/Sicilian_swordfish.jpg Ingredients

  • Swordfish — 600 grams
  • Tomatoes — 200 grams
  • Onion — 1 pc
  • Black Olives — 50 grams
  • Garlic — 1 clove

Swordfish Sicilian is a unique southern Italian recipe.  This recipe can be prepared in 25 minutes and good for 4 servings.  It has low fat and low calorie content.Preparation

Briefly boil the tomatoes so you can clean and peel them.  Finely chop the onions and crush the garlic while preheating the olive oil in a frying pan.  After heating, fry the onion and garlic until golden brown.  You can now put the sliced Swordfish in the frying pan.  Make sure that the slices of the Swordfish are approximately 1 cm thick.  Cover the frying pan while cooking the Swordfish.  Add the tomatoes after a few minutes.  Before removing the Swordfish from the pan, sprinkle the black olives and chopped parsley on top.  Serve hot.   Nutritional Value:

Food Gr Kcal Fat Carb Pro Fib Water
Swordfish 600 726 24.06 0 118.8 0 453.72
Ripe tomatoes 200 36 0.4 7.84 1.76 2.4 189
Onions 80 32 0.08 7.47 0.88 1.36 71.29
Black olives 50 117.5 8.25 4.6 5.9 0 29.1
Garlic 10 14.9 0.05 3.31 0.64 0.21 5.86
Total 940 926.4 32.84 23.22 127.98 3.97 748.97
A head (4) 235 231.6 8.21 5.81 32 0.99 187.24
Per 100 grams 100 98.55 3.49 2.47 13.61 0.42 79.68

 

About the Cooker – Felicia R. Mcclinton writes for the blog  mediterranean beef recipes , her personal hobby blog she uses to help people learn how to make Mediterranean recipes to eat healthy to prevent diseases.Recipes kindly donated by mediterraneanrecipes.org