The Mediterranean diet has long been touted as a healthful way to eat. Now, new claims suggest that pairing a Mediterranean diet with a small snack of nuts daily boosts the health benefits.

Metabolic Syndrome is a combination of heart-disease risk factors such as high blood pressure, excessive abdominal fat, high cholesterol, and high blood sugar. The Mediterranean diet is thought to reduce some of the risk factors involved in metabolic syndrome. A new study separated 1,224 people into three groups: one group received advice on a low-fat diet, the second was instructed on the Mediterranean diet plus were given one liter of virgin olive oil each week and the third received the Mediterranean advice plus 30 grams of mixed nuts each day.

Over the course of the one-year study, the prevalence of metabolic syndrome was reduced in all three groups: The low-fat diet group saw a two percent reduction in metabolic syndrome, the olive oil group reduced metabolic syndrome by 6.7 percent, and the group that followed a Mediterranean diet as well as eating nuts reduced the prevalence of metabolic syndrome by a whopping 13.7 percent.

AOL Health has more information on the Mediterranean diet.

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I was a cheerleader back in my high school days. When my squad was training for competitions, we really worked out long and hard. Many times, the muscles in our legs would visibly shake with strain. Our coach, restricted from recommending vitamins or anything of that sort, always brought bananas with her to practice to help us with muscle weakness and muscle cramps. Bananas aren't my favorite fruit, but I have to admit that they helped.

While bananas are a decent source of potassium, there are many other options. Potassium-rich foods are important for your diet. Not only do they help with muscle cramps, but they can also have a positive effect on blood pressure. Good sources include:

• Avocado
• Baked potato with skin
• Edamame
• Papaya
• Sweet potato
• Salmon
• Tomato sauce
• Winter squash
• Cantaloupe
• Dried apricots

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All fruits and vegetables are good for you, but grapes are getting some additional props for their heart-healthy benefits.

A recent study divided mice who were specially bred to be susceptible to high blood pressure into diet-defined groups -- one got a low-salt diet, another got a high-sodium diet, a third got a high-sodium diet with the addition of a grape mixture, and a fourth got a high-sodium diet with a small dose of hydrazine (a common blood pressure medication). At the end of the study, the mice who got the grape mixture came out on top with lower blood pressure, better heart function, reduced inflammation, and less heart muscle damage.

Grapes make a convenient and healthful snack as is, but there are lots of other ways you can enjoy grapes. Freeze them for an alternative to other frozen treats. Top your salad with some red or black grapes. Or sip on a few ounces of 100% grape juice.

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Skyrocketing childhood obesity rates have an unwanted side effect -- more kids are being put on prescription medications to combat related chronic diseases.

A recent study revealed there have been surges in prescriptions for children with diabetes and asthma as well as smaller increases in high blood pressure and high cholesterol medications. To varying degrees, obesity can play a role in all of those conditions. While some of the medication increase can be attributed to modified guidelines, the rise is concerning.

If your child is overweight, there are many positive, supportive ways you can help. AOL Health has other suggestions for battling childhood obesity.

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Yo-yo dieting -- losing weight only to quickly gain it back -- has been linked to many health problems, including high blood pressure. Average Joes and Janes aren't the only ones who fall into this dieting pitfall; Martha recently told us about some celebs who have famously yo-yo dieted.

Some experts dispute the claims that weight cycling can lead to cardiovascular and metabolic disorders. While losing excess weight and keeping it off is undeniably the best way to go, anyone who has pounds to lose shouldn't let the fear of yo-yo dieting keep them from trying to shed their excess pounds.

The key to keeping weight off is maintaining good habits -- exercise and healthful eating don't go away once you hit your goal weight. It's also a good idea to step on the scale from time to time to make sure you're sticking to your goal weight. Diet Blog has some more weight maintenance tips to share.

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If you want to follow the latest fashion trends, you should go for it. Want to get that trendy haircut? More power to you. You should get in on the diet and fitness trend too -- because high blood pressure is on the rise in America, and we're pretty sure this is one trend you'll want to avoid.

The numbers are climbing -- from 1998-1994 24.4% of Americans had high blood pressure; more recent numbers show that 28.9% are now diagnosed with the condition. On the upside, more people are being properly treated, so deaths related to blood pressure have decreased.

While you can't control some risk factors for high blood pressure -- such as family history, race, and age -- there are things that you can control. Maintain a healthy weight, exercise regularly, eat a healthful diet that's low in sodium, avoid drinking alcohol, and keep your stress level under control.

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When you were little, your mom probably made sure you got your vitamin C to help fend off those nasty bugs that float around classrooms. But recent research shows that adults have good reason to get their vitamin C as well.

At their Conference of the Council for High Blood Pressure Research, the American Heart Association revealed that vitamin C has a positive effect on blood pressure. The practical applications aren't yet known but in the study, high doses of vitamin C resulted in an average seven percent drop in blood pressure.

While it's not reasonable for you to take high doses of vitamin C like those administered in the study, you can be sure to incorporate lots of healthful foods that are rich in vitamin C. Choices include citrus fruits, broccoli, greens, and melon.

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Keep lifting the fork to your mouth and you'll have to fork over some cash. This is essentially the message the state of Alabama is sending out to its 37,000+ employees.

The state has already had a policy in place where smokers can either quit their habits or they must contribute to the costs of their health insurance. Recently state employees were told that they have a year to get their BMI under 35 or else they'll be charged $25 per month toward their insurance costs.

The state also has an upcoming plan in place for 2010 where, if state employees don't take free health screenings the state offers for them, they'll also be charged. If employees take the screening and conditions such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol are found, the employees will be offered free doctor visits and wellness programs to help improve the problem. A year later, they'll be screened again and if there's no improvement, they will be charged, too.

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A small glass of 100% fruit juice is a good part of a healthful breakfast, right? If you're on certain prescription medications, your fruit juice may be doing more harm than good.

Grapefruit juice, for example, can interfere with blood pressure medication and actually increase its efficacy, subsequently creating a risk of overdose. Conversely, recent research suggests that grapefruit juice may prevent certain anti-allergy medications from absorbing into the bloodstream properly. A component of grapefruit juice called naringin appears to be the culprit.

Researchers state that this finding may be the "tip of the iceberg" as other juices, including orange and apple, also contain naringin-like substances that may have similar effects.

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I stopped at the farmer's market this morning and several booths had beets for sale. I debated about buying some to make a borscht. (Which I love, but I was quite certain it would be a complete miss with my son.) According to Planet Green, I should have just tried juicing beets.

Researchers have found that drinking 500ml of beet root juice daily can have a positive impact on blood pressure. Not only is beet root high in antioxidants, it also contains dietary nitrates which benefit blood pressure. Researchers found that the blood pressure of study subjects dropped just one hour after drinking beet root juice, with the most benefit showing three to four hours after drinking the juice.

Want another idea on what to do with beets? Debra has some ideas for cooking beets with the greens.

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Recent research shows that people who are newly diagnosed with type II diabetes can gain better control over their health if they lose weight. While that isn't terribly surprising, what is surprising is that the benefits seem to last even if the patient gains back some of the weight. Losing some excess pounds helps people with type II diabetes better control blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol.

In the study, more than 2,000 people recently diagnosed with type II diabetes were followed for four years. 12% of those patients lost a mean of 25 pounds. Other groups either gained weight or their weight remained stable. Within 36 months almost all of the patients who had lost weight had regained it. Surprisingly, those patients continued to have better blood sugar and blood pressure control at the end of the four-year study -- even though their weight had been regained.

Obviously, this isn't an argument for losing and regaining weight. Researchers don't know how long the benefits would last after the four-year mark. The best bet for people with type II diabetes (or anyone for that matter) is to lose their excess weight and keep it off for good.

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In early June, I wrote a post about a study that stated a low-sodium diet didn't have as great of an impact on heart health as previously thought. Now a new study confirms the traditional thought that salt intake effects blood pressure. Color this writer confused.

The more recent study aimed to find a genetic component that made people more susceptible to the effects of salt on blood pressure. Ultimately, the study found no genetic link. The study subjects who took in more salt had higher blood pressure regardless of genetics.

While the previous study doesn't necessarily dispute the link between blood pressure and salt intake, it does state that 80% of people who were on a low-sodium diet (in their study) were at a greater risk for developing heart disease. While they don't believe low-sodium diets are a causative factor for heart disease, they're questioning whether or not a low-sodium diet is effective for heart health management.

So what's a person to do? Personally, I'm going to continue avoiding high-sodium packaged foods, minimizing the salt I use in cooking, and not worrying about it. How about you?

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My sister has high blood pressure. While lifestyle choices and medication keep her blood pressure in healthy ranges she can't seem to shake the edema. Despite her best efforts, her feet and ankles remain swollen and puffy. While my blood pressure is within healthy range, as soon as the weather gets hot and humid, I'm dealing with swollen feet, too.

Our bodies are designed to move water through our systems. Edema is a condition where excess fluid is retained between cells. There are many reasons you may have edema including immobility, pregnancy, heat/humidity, medications, high blood pressure, trauma, and kidney disease. If you have swollen feet, take heart. There are plenty of things you can do:

• Elevate your legs above heart level. You can use a leg wedge to raise your legs up while sleeping.
• Wear support socks.
  
• Increase your activity -- walking is a perfect exercise for helping edema.
• Avoid standing or sitting in one place for a long time. (If you are sitting for a while, try raising your feet up a bit.)
• Ask your doctor if a short-term course of diuretics would be advisable.
• If you're on high blood pressure medication, talk to your doctor about possibly modifying your medications. (Do not make any changes without speaking to your doctor.)
• Drink plenty of water.

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A recent study revealed that stretching exercises may be effective in reducing preeclampsia risk. In fact, the study shows that stretching may be even more effective than walking or other exercises for women who have had preeclampsia before or were inactive before pregnancy.

Preeclamspia -- or pregnancy-related high blood pressure -- is one of the top risks of pregnancy. Up to 8% of pregnant women experience the condition. During the study, 79 pregnant women who had had preeclampsia before and were inactive were assigned to different groups -- one group walked five times per week, another group followed a non-aerobic stretching exercise video. While almost 15% of the women in the walking group developed preeclampsia, less than 5% of those in the stretching group developed the condition.

If you're pregnant, talk to your OB/GYN about what exercises can be beneficial to your health and are safe during pregnancy.

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New research is shaking up the belief that a low-salt diet benefits heart health. A low-sodium diet has long been recommended to lower blood pressure, but this new research suggests that lower sodium may not impact heart health as much as previously thought ... if at all.

Through surveys, researchers followed the health of over 8,000 participants over a period of years. After adjusting for other risk factors, the participants who consumed the least salt were 80% more likely to die from cardiac disease.

It's important to note that the researchers are not implying that a low-salt diet could be a causative factor for heart disease. Rather, they're questioning the efficacy of low-sodium diets for heart health and questioning whether it makes sense for doctors to recommend lowering sodium intake for people who have no other health problems. Personally, I'm having a hard time shaking the low-sodium belief. What do you think?

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