That's Fit

Once while having an echocardiogram to test for heart damage from the breast cancer drug Herceptin, my technician asked me if I was a runner. "I do run," I told him, and then asked how he knew. He told me I had a really low resting heart rate, something runners often have. He seemed impressed by my low number. I was flattered.

Many athletes pride themselves on a low resting heart rate. It means they're in good physical shape and their hearts don't need to pump as hard, say the experts from Reader's Digest. Translation: Low heart rate folks have less risk for heart problems. Higher rates mean the heart needs more oxygen, and the cardiovascular system gets stressed.

The best way to reduce your heart rate is to exercise regularly. While working on your fitness, shoot for this healthy resting heart rate range: 55-65 heartbeats per minute.

Pizza is not part of my diet. Ever, really. All that cheese, grease, and bread makes it just too dangerous for me. If you're a pizza lover, though, and you make your own pie, add to your sauce this one special ingredient: Oregano.

Oregano contains some great essential oils, ripe with a substance called (E)-beta-caryophyllene, which binds to certain cell receptors and prevents inflammation -- often present in heart disease, cancer, and other health conditions. Mice know this to be true. And researchers think humans may benefit all the same.

It's not clear how much (E)-BCP is in oregano but it seems the lowest dose of the compound is most effective. A little dash will do ya, then. Sprinkle black pepper, rosemary, and cinnamon on your dishes too -- they also contain the compound.

Curious to know how celebrities squeeze fitness into their daily lives? Want to know the secrets of the stars? Bi-weekly our That's Fit fitness expert Fitz sits down with the celebs we want to know more about, and digs out their great and not-so-great methods to staying healthy.

Nutrition expert, Elizabeth Somer, and I recently sat down in New York City at the Prilosec OTC round table event to chat about aging without feeling or looking OLD! She tosses out tons of great advice about living well, living long and looking hot while doing it. The interview was fun and her books are great!

View Elizabeth's books below:

There are certainly a million plus reasons to quit smoking: the smell, the cancer risks, the heart disease, etc ... But now there is a new one! If you want to have plastic surgery on your face (and if you've smoked for a long time ... you probably want to), your doctor may insist that you quit before she'll do the procedure. Smoking interferes with the healing process.

This article tells the tale of a woman who repeatedly tried to quit smoking with no success. Until! That is ... her purpose for quitting was vanity. Hooray for that! I don't honestly care what she does with her face, I'm just grateful to have one less smoker in the world. I'm also thrilled that doctors have found a legitimately convincing way to get people to stop.

I've thankfully never experienced a migraine myself, but people I know who have describe them as being tremendously debilitating. And, the fact that their migraines sometimes keep them locked in a dark room for hours on end, it's quite clear that migraines are no ordinary headaches.

But, are there health risks associated with migraines beyond the terrible discomfort and occasional vomiting? There are indeed, according to an article that appears in this month's edition of Women's Health magazine. Citing a recent study presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology, the article suggests that migraine frequency may indicate an elevated risk of stroke.



In the study, almost 28,000 women were followed for an average of 12 years. Those who had migraines with aura or visual disturbances of any kind were found to be three times more likely to have a stroke than women who did not suffer from migraines of this kind or at all. However, researchers stated that more investigation into this possible link needs to be conducted before any determination can be made conclusively.

Are you working your butt off but noticing not much of a change in your body? Could be something simple holding you back. Like your posture.

Slumping while doing cardio ups your heart rate, says one recent study cited in Prevention magazine. The result: Your workout is harder. Try pulling back your shoulder blades next time you hop on your favorite machine and you'll notice that you're able to take in more oxygen. Your pace should pick up. And you'll burn more calories too.

A little posture goes a long way. Give it a try.

Volunteering at our local Humane Society and caring for a room full of rescued cats is keeping me and my little boys plenty busy and happy this summer. It may also be helping our hearts.

Researchers have found a correlation between cat ownership and a decreased risk of deadly heart disease. While we don't own our very own cat, we do engage in many of the tasks that cat owners practice. And so maybe, if we're lucky and keep at our community service project, we'll enjoy a 40% lower risk of one day dying from a cardiovascular condition.

Caring for cats can make you more energetic and happy, say researchers. I believe it. My seven-year-old is very content while petting, brushing, and loving the cats we visit. And while having any pet companion is good for both physical and emotional health, it seems cats do the trick better than dogs do. Maybe it's because there are more cats owned in the United States -- there are 90 million compared to 74.8 dogs. Makes sense. There are 90 some cats in our Humane Society cat room. There were about 10 dogs last time we visited. Clearly, there's more cat work to be done.

So maybe one alcoholic drink per day is healthy. But don't pour that second one just yet -- it could be the very thing that erases the positives effects of the first.

Several studies have shown that light drinking may lower the risk of death and the development of heart disease. One recent Canadian study found that after one drink, blood vessels in participants were more dilated, reducing the work the heart had to do. But, after two drinks, the heart rate, amount of blood pumped out of the heart, and the action of the sympathetic nervous system all increased. The ability of the blood vessels to expand was also diminished. Hypertension, heart failure, and sudden death all can occur when these factors are in place.

Here's the deal: Have one drink and be well. Have two or more and you could stress your system. Now, we're talking regular consumption here, not the occasional indulgence. And get this: The American Heart Association does not recommend that anyone start drinking one drink per day to prevent heart disease. Reducing your risk through proper diet and exercise is much more effective than incorporating alcohol into your day.

Incidentally, if you are going to have one drink, make it red wine, the stuff believed to have the most protective properties.

When it comes to dips and dressings, we pretty much know which ones are the bad guys: Things that are cream-based, made with cheese, high in fat or all of the above. So when snacking, we healthy eaters tend to lean towards nutritious things with nutrients and fiber. Vegetable-based snacks like salsa and guacamole fit the bill, right?

Salsa, yes. But guacamole? Is it healthy? What do you think?

You know that eating foods like greasy burgers and fries can give your cholesterol level an unwanted boost. But there are foods you can eat that will lower your cholesterol.

Finally, autopsy results are in for University of Central Florida football player Ereck Plancher, who died during spring drills in March -- see previous post here. The cause of death: A pre-existing medical condition worsened by physical stress.

The Orange County Medical Examiner's Office said Plancher, 19, had a sickle cell trait that caused problems with his red blood cells during physical exertion. Apparently, Plancher's heart began beating abnormally, and blood flow to the wide receiver's muscles and organs slowed or stopped. There was no evidence of trauma or illegal drugs or toxins in Plancher's body.

UCF school official says the health of students is top priority. And they may need to do a little investigating -- about a month after Plancher's death, the Orlando Sentinel reported that a group of anonymous students indicated the football player was struggling during practice, that perhaps the coach was singling out Plancher for not trying hard enough. The coach and the school say the newspaper's report is false.

Add strawberries to your grocery list, ladies, because according to Harvard Medical School researchers, the nutrient-packed fruit may offer extra protection against cardiovascular disease.

Seems women who ate two or more servings of strawberries a week were 14 percent less likely to have elevated levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) than those who hadn't eaten the berries in the past month. High levels of CRP can indicate a higher risk of heart attack.

Prepare to arm yourself. With strawberries. And some literature on just how great these berries are -- check out these fun strawberry facts, refresh yourself on a previous That's Fit strawberry post, learn why strawberries are considered one of the world's healthiest foods, and get the lowdown on the nutritional stuff from which strawberries are made.

Cholesterol may be one of the most misunderstood molecules, says one Harvard Medical School instructor. Why? Because cholesterol is not always a health risk. It's vital to many of the body's essential functions, in fact. Still, the more cholesterol in the blood, the greater the chance some may become oxidized (damaged). This can lead to the build up of plaque, which can narrow the arteries and increase the risk for heart disease. Take a look at these four steps for keeping your cholesterol in check.

• Eat more fiber. Soluble fiber is best. Think oats and barley.
• Lose weight. Dropping extra pounds is the best method for lowering cholesterol. Cut out high-glycemic foods, like white bread and white rice, to keep cholesterol down.
• Exercise. It's key for raising good cholesterol (HDL). And it's good for the heart overall.
• Consume cholesterol-lowering foods. Add fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, cereals, and legumes to your diet and you can significantly lower your risk of heart disease.
  

In the market for a tasty, healthy treat? Try blueberries. Why? Read on and you'll find a handful of reasons.

Blueberries are quite low in calories -- there are only 83 calories in one cup, says CalorieKing.com. If for some reason, this is too much for you, you can burn these calories off with any one of the following: 11 minutes of walking, four minutes of jogging, three minutes of swimming, or six minutes of cycling (based on a 35-year-old female standing 5.74 feet tall and weighing 144 pounds). Or you could just pick some berries yourself -- I did the other day and spent about 45 minutes walking up and down rows of bushes, sweating my butt off. I surely burned off a serving or two of these blue berries. Really, though, it doesn't matter to me whether or not I burn them off because they are so darn good for me, the health trade-off is worth the caloric intake.

According to the The World's Healthiest Foods, blueberries are superbly healthy for these reasons.

• They are good for the heart, the brain, and the eyes.
• They protect against colon and ovarian cancers.
• They promote gastrointestinal health.
• They help relieve diarrhea and constipation.
• Their antioxidants neutralize free radical damage to cells and tissues.
  
  

Clearly, blueberries are bursting with health benefits. So buy some, pick some, eat some. They'll do your body good. So will the following antioxidant-rich foods.