Elephant Hearts (posted by Jessie)

My favorite animal is the elephant. They are intelligent, family-oriented creatures, and SO beautiful. I know this picture appears a little odd, but this is an elephant heart, and because I am focusing this blog on heart health, I thought it would be appropriate to put this picture up. This was from a couple mths ago when Matt and I visited one of our favorite places - the Science Center.





Instead of buying a gossip/girlie mag, I opted for the magazine "Heart-Healthy Living". Please read the following little tid bits if you have the opportunity!


Top 10 antioxidants!

1. small red beans
2. wild blueberries
3. red kidney beans
4. pinto beans
5. blueberries
6. cranberries
7. artichokes
8. blackberries
9. prunes
10. raspberries
    

15 Ways to celebrate SUMMER!

1. Canoe! An hour long paddling burns about 236 calories.
2. Chomp on cherries! They contain compounds that fight inflammation associated with heart disease.
3. Fire up the grill! But throw fish on it.
4. Walk with someone! Increases your cardiovascular health (healthy heart right!) and walking with someone encourages you to get out and have some fun!
5. Wine when you dine! If you are going to drink, drink red as a substance found in it may help people live longer and healthier lives! Ahem!
6. Hop on a bike! You'll blast away 400 calories an hour and feel great after! And it's fun to go on tours with someone through neat and new areas!
7. Wind down on weekends! Working folk who skip weekend chores are less likely to die from heart disease and stroke.
8. Put the squeeze on tomatoes! They are laden with lycopene, an antioxidant believed to reduce the risk of heart disease.
9. Provide plenty of piggyback rides! Fun for those riding your back and indeed a fun and great way to burn cals.
10. Dance! It is fun, let's you relax and let loose, and again burn calories.
11. Get wet! Swim laps at your neighborhood pool for cardio exercise that is EASY on the joints!
12. Help others! This boosts self esteem and unleashes brain hormones that stimulate happiness, health and well-being (I concur!)
13. Pick a pooch! People who own dogs walk more, boosting their fitness and health.
14. Select a special shrimp! Ecofish's organic white shrimp has 30% less cholesterol than most shrimp.

More chubby kids in burbs:

Children are effectively "living" in cars, says Reid Ewing, associate professor of University of Maryland's National Center for Smart Growth. "They're getting little exercise walking as part of their daily lives, have less time to be physically active, and may even consume more calories as cars become de facto snack shops," he says. That makes kids in the suburbs more prone to obesity, according to Ewing's study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. *Jess side note: I have read and heard in the news that this suburb problem is not only with kids....adults in suburbs tend to be heavier than urban adults. It all makes sense, and I know when I lived in Barrie in the suburbs, I was much more overweight. Moral of the story....leave the car at home and walk as often as possible.

There are many more great bits of info in this magazine, and I will put them on this blog soon. Hope everyone is enjoying the day!

PS: Ang, guess what Matt and I had for lunch? Whole wheat pita, alfalfa sprouts, cucumber and dressing. Deeeeeelicious! Thanks for introducing that to me years ago! It might end up being my veggie staple in the summer if I need a "sandwich".

Love you all!