Driving Notes

More super foods today, this week from the land of nuts! I personally love a handful of low-salt cashews in the morning to start my day, or as a snack when that mid-afternoon drag starts…

Here are some thoughts about the benefits of nuts for heart health from the Mayo Clinic:

Eating nuts as part of a healthy diet may be good for your heart. Nuts contain unsaturated fatty acids and other nutrients. And they’re a great snack food — inexpensive, easy to store and easy to pack when you’re on the go.

One drawback to nuts is that they’re high in calories, so it’s important to limit portions. But choosing nuts instead of a less healthy snack may just help you stick to a heart-healthy diet.

Research has found that people who are at risk of a heart attack can cut their risk by eating a healthy diet that includes nuts.

Research suggests that eating nuts may:

• Lower your low-density lipoprotein (LDL or “bad”) cholesterol and triglyceride levels, which play a major role in the buildup of deposits called plaques in your arteries
• Improve the health of the lining of your arteries
• Lower levels of inflammation linked to heart disease
• Reduce the risk of developing blood clots, which can lead to a heart attack and death

As a result, nuts can improve your heart health and lower your risk of dying early from heart disease and other causes.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE

Thanks for listening!
– Joe and Todd

Last week, super fruits…this week, super vegetables!

Here’s a link to the article we shared from Rachel Link of Healthline Media: CLICK HERE TO READ

Spinach

This leafy green tops the chart as one of the healthiest vegetables, thanks to its impressive nutrient profile.

One cup (30 grams) of raw spinach provides 56% of your daily vitamin A needs plus your entire daily vitamin K requirement — all for just 7 calories. Spinach also boasts a great deal of antioxidants, which can help reduce the risk of chronic disease.

One study found that dark green leafy vegetables like spinach are high in beta-carotene and lutein, two types of antioxidants that have been associated with a decreased risk of cancer. In addition, a 2015 study found that spinach consumption may be beneficial for heart health, as it may lower blood pressure.

Carrots

…are packed with vitamin A, providing 428% of the daily recommended value in just one cup (128 grams).

They contain beta-carotene, an antioxidant that gives carrots their vibrant orange color and could help in cancer prevention. In fact, one study revealed that for each serving of carrots per week, participants’ risk of prostate cancer decreased by 5%.

Another study showed that eating carrots may reduce the risk of lung cancer in smokers as well. Compared to those who ate carrots at least once a week, smokers who did not eat carrots had a three times greater risk of developing lung cancer. Carrots are also high in vitamin C, vitamin K and potassium.

Broccoli 

…belongs to the cruciferous family of vegetables.

It is rich in a sulfur-containing plant compound known as glucosinolate, as well as sulforaphane. Sulforaphane is significant in that it has been shown to have a protective effect against cancer.

In one animal study, sulforaphane was able to reduce the size and number of breast cancer cells while also blocking tumor growth in mice.

Eating broccoli may help prevent other types of chronic disease, too.

A 2010 animal study found that consuming broccoli sprouts could protect the heart from disease-causing oxidative stress by significantly lowering levels of oxidants. In addition to its ability to prevent disease, broccoli is also loaded with nutrients.

A cup (91 grams) of raw broccoli provides 116% of your daily vitamin K needs, 135% of the daily vitamin C requirement and a good amount of folate, manganese and potassium (11).

Thanks for listening!
– Joe and Todd