High blood pressure, or hypertension, is linked to high sodium intake and excess body weight, and it can go undetected -- often for years. Most sodium in the average American diet comes from packaged, processed foods, which are high in sodium and often loaded with saturated fat.
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Good blood flow is essential for proper brain function and oxygen transport to vital organs in the body. Because your heart is the pump that keeps your blood circulating, it's important to maintain a strong heart.
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Spirulina is blue-green algae that thrives in warm climates in warm alkaline water. Many cultures around the world include spirulina as part of their daily diets because of its powerful nutrient benefits. It's available dried and freeze-dried, in powder, pills or as flakes.
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Side effects of bad nutrition don't happen overnight. They develop over time from eating a diet lacking in vital nutrients and making poor lifestyle choices. The good news is you can make changes before it's too late.
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White cabbage is your standard variety of green cabbage that's been cut by the grower and buried in trenches to protect the heads from freezing. This technique, which is used in colder regions, is known as blanching and allows the grower to provide cabbage all winter long.
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Eating foods that are easy to digest and absorb can provide relief if you suffer from heartburn, ulcers or nausea; have gastroenteritis or dyspepsia; or are recovering from stomach or intestinal surgery.
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Although their name may not tempt your taste buds, don't let that fool you. Smelt are known for their fine flavor. These small, silvery-green fish, also known as rainbow smelt, are similar in appearance to sardines and anchovies. Most adult fish are 7 to 9 inches long and weigh up to 6 ounces.
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Whether you grill or broil your sirloin steak, marinating it prior to cooking makes the meat more tender and flavorful. Marinades are mixtures of oil, spices and acidic ingredients like vinegar, wine or lemon juice. The acids in the marinade break down the meat tissue, resulting in meat that is tender.
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The fruit of the prickly pear cactus, known by the name cactus pear and prickly pear, is oval with a reddish-purple color. Also known as "tuna," the fruit ripens in late summer and early fall and has a granular consistency with a flavor reminiscent of watermelon.
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If you're looking for a fish that's tasty, low in fat and calories, and high in protein -- and that can be prepared a number of ways -- catfish could be your answer. A 3-ounce serving of catfish contains approximately 1 gram of saturated fat, 100 calories and 13 grams of protein.
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Vitamin P is a rarely used collective term for a plant classification known as flavonoids, or bioflavonoids -- the terms more commonly used. Flavonoids are pigments that produce yellow or red-blue coloring in plants. Along with color, they provide plants with protection from attacks from insects, fungi and microbes.
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Wheatgrass is a nutrient-packed member of the cereal grass family, which includes rye, barley and oats. Wheatgrass powder is made by freeze-drying, oven-drying or air-drying fresh wheatgrass.
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Burdock root, scientifically referred to as arctium lappa, has been used for centuries in Europe, North America and Asia as a digestive treatment and a diuretic. More recently it's been used to treat chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes and AIDS.
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In addition to workplaces and convenience stores, vending machines have even popped up at the corner gas station. Before indulging in that fragrant, addictive French Vanilla cappuccino, know what’s coming out of that spigot into your 6- or 8-oz. cup.
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Small appliances such as roaster ovens are perfect for summer days when the kitchen doesn’t need more heat. Small roasters are more efficient than large ovens and conserve moisture, leading to moist finishes for cuts of meat and poultry that often dry out in a large oven.
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Tender little panfish -- bluegills, crappies, pumpkin seeds and small perch and bass -- are freshwater fish small enough to be cooked in a frying pan over a hot fire built lakeside. These Great Lakes and Southern favorites are best eaten soon after catching.
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Each cook has a favorite barbeque recipe, whether for chicken, ribs or pulled beef or pork. The secret to the successful finish to barbeque, however, lies not in the preparation or the sauce but in the cooking.
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Hams are cured with salt, nitrites, seasonings and preservatives that give it a pink color and tender texture. Picnic hams weigh 5 to 8 lbs. and come from the front, or shoulder, of the animal’s body.
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A normal heart rate is between 60 and 100 beats per minute. Tachycardia, the medical term for a rapid heart rate, is defined as a heart rate of greater than 100 beats per minute. During exercise or vigorous activity, the heart beats faster to provide the body with the increased oxygen it needs during exertion.
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Carbohydrates, along with fats and proteins, make up one of the main categories of food. Providing the body with energy, especially the brain, is the primary function of carbohydrates, notes Medline Plus.
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