Nutrition Corner

Using nutrition to support cancer patients: With a cancer diagnosis, a patient may experience symptoms that could lead to malnutrition including changes in metabolism, decreased appetite, lethargy, and weight loss, and in advanced stages, there can be a loss of body fat and lean muscle mass.

Which foods should people avoid during a shingles attack?: While diet alone will not cure shingles, avoiding certain foods can contribute to a more comfortable healing process and potentially help minimize complications.

Recipe for The Day

Boo-berry Hand Pies: They're friendly ghosts! Refrigerated rolled pie crusts make these Casper-inspired treats easy to make.

Lifestyle & Fitness Focus

The 7 Best Foods to Lower Blood Pressure

• Citrus fruit: Citrus fruits may help lower blood pressure. They’re loaded with vitamins, minerals, and plant compounds, that could help keep your heart healthy by reducing risk factors for heart disease like high blood pressure.

• Salmon and other fatty fish: Fatty fish are an excellent source of omega-3 fats, which have significant heart benefits. These fats may help reduce blood pressure levels by lowering inflammation.

• Leafy greens: Swiss chard and spinach are two examples of leafy greens that may help lower blood pressure. These leafy greens are a source of the nutrients such as potassium and magnesium, which support optimal blood pressure levels.

• Nuts and seeds: Many nuts and seeds offer a concentrated source of nutrients important for blood pressure control, including fiber and arginine.

• Legumes: Legumes are rich in nutrients that help regulate blood pressure, such as magnesium and potassium.

• Berries: Berries offer impressive health benefits, including the potential to reduce heart disease risk factors like high blood pressure. Berries are a rich source of antioxidants, including anthocyanins, which are pigments that give berries their vibrant color.

• Amaranth: Eating whole grains like amaranth may help lower your blood pressure levels. Studies show that diets rich in whole grains may decrease your likelihood of high blood pressure.

4 Ways to Motivate Yourself to Work Out

• Surround yourself with motivational quotes: You can use different colors of Post-Its to stick quotes that motivate you everywhere. They will serve as constant reminders for you to get going and just do what you have to do.

• Get a workout buddy: Having the right person stand next to you and cheer you on as you do your sit-ups is an excellent way to get hyped up about keeping fit. A good workout buddy helps you become accountable for your progress in achieving your workout goals.

• Think about how working out makes you feel: When your interest in working out is flagging, envision the outcome of your exercise routine and how good you’ll feel. For most people, this is motivation enough to not throw in the towel.

• Set reachable goals for yourself: Sometimes we begin a workout with the intention of toning our muscles, getting rid of body fat, and having the most beach-worthy body before summer arrives. And we want to achieve these goals all at once. When we don’t immediately get the results we want, we get discouraged.

The Five Biggest Benefits of Eating Avocado, From Good Skin to Lower Cholesterol

• Avocado benefits for skin: One key benefit of eating avocados regularly is the potentially rejuvenating impact they can have on your skin. This is because it contains a multitude of skin-loving vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids.

• Avocado benefits for cholesterol: According to the CDC, a significant number of Americans (around two in five) have high cholesterol levels. A certain amount of this waxy substance, which is technically a lipid, is good for us because it helps to make things like cell walls and vitamins.

• Fiber: Avocados can improve digestion, for example, because they’re a good source of fiber.

• Biotin: Avocados contain biotin, which is good for healthy hair, and carotenoids, which are beneficial for the immune system.

• Magnesium: Avocado magnesium content may help with relaxation and sleep efficiency, and their potassium levels will also help with nerve, muscle, and heart function.

4 Standing Exercises That Melt Inner Thigh Fat

• Squats: The first exercise is the squat, which actively targets a large majority of the thigh muscles. Using a stance that is greater than hip-width will be the key to activating the inner thigh muscle more in this exercise.

• Lunges: Forward or backward, the lunge puts unilateral pressure on the thigh, thus activating more muscles across the entire leg.

• Banded Lateral Walks: One of my favorite exercises for the inner thigh is a banded lateral walk. The added resistance around your knees has your body create more force and muscular tension through your groin and inner thigh. This one will burn after a couple of rounds!

• Lateral Lunges: Another excellent choice for your inner thigh repertoire is a cossack squat or a lateral lunge. This is an awesome exercise with body weight or added weight for advanced individuals.

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