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Pile those vegetables and fruits high when you sit down to eat, and your heart will thank you. A diet rich in plant-based foods translated into fewer heart problems in a new study. For the study, the researchers analyzed data collected from more than 10,000 middle-aged U.S. adults who were followed from 1987 through 2016. None had heart disease at the start of that period. The participants’ eating habits were analyzed and their eating patterns were grouped according to the proportion of plant-based foods they ate versus the proportion of animal-based foods. Compared to those who ate mostly animal-based foods, those who ate mostly plant-based foods had a: 16% lower risk of heart attack, stroke, heart failure and other heart problems; a 32% lower risk of death from heart disease; and a 25% lower risk of death from any cause during the study period. The study was published online Aug. 7 in the Journal of the American Heart Association. “While you don’t have to give up foods derived from animals completely, our study does suggest that eating a larger proportion of plant-based foods and a smaller proportion of animal-based foods may help reduce your risk of having a heart attack, stroke or other type of cardiovascular disease,” said researcher Casey Rebholz. She’s an assistant professor of epidemiology at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health,… read on >

Preemies often lag behind full-term babies in getting routine vaccinations — and the difference remains at age 3, a new study finds. Misguided parental “hesitancy” over the safety of vaccines for preemies might be to blame, researchers said. The study found that preterm babies were less likely to be up-to-date on seven recommended vaccines by 19 months of age. More than half were “under-vaccinated,” and by age 3, one-third still were. Experts said the findings are concerning because preemies are more likely to become seriously ill if they contract the infections that vaccines prevent. The reasons for the results are not clear — but parents’ wariness could be a factor. “Parents of preemies sometimes feel that they are dealing with a fragile child,” said Dr. Rahul Gupta, chief medical and health officer for the March of Dimes. “Even if they’re not vaccine-hesitant as a philosophy, they may worry about the safety of vaccination for their child.” Plus, Gupta said, there is a lot going on in those first days to weeks of life in the neonatal intensive care unit — with doctors, nurses and parents focused on various medical needs. Conversations about vaccinations may fall by the wayside. But, Gupta stressed, it’s vital for preterm infants to get timely immunizations, since their risk of complications from infections is higher than average. “All of the available… read on >

(HealthDay News) — The ancient practice of yoga can provide a retreat from the chaos of life, says Harvard Medical School. Yoga’s goal is to challenge yourself physically without feeling overwhelmed. The practice has been noted to provide both mental and physical benefits. These benefits include: A better body image. Mindful eating habits. Reduced tension, stress and anxiety. Increased physical fitness. If you have any health concerns about your ability to practice yoga, check with your doctor before starting a program.

You’ve made the decision to improve your eating habits, but where should you begin? It can seem overwhelming at first. One way to approach new lifestyle habits is to map out the improvements you’d like to make and tackle them one at a time, over a week or two, before making the next change. Here are three steps to schedule on your calendar: Start by making better food choices at meals. Do you forgo breakfast at home and automatically go to your favorite drive-thru or opt for a donut in the break room at work? Your first change might be to have a healthy whole-grain cereal or a plain yogurt with fruit for your morning meal. Pack it in your tote if you aren’t hungry before you leave the house. Next, upgrade your supermarket choices. Is your cart typically loaded with convenience foods? The next time you shop, buy the fresh foods needed to replace at least one meal a day with a from-scratch recipe. When you need convenience items, think of precut fixings for a vegetable salad and a roasted chicken or cooked shrimp for nutritious proteins. Finally, revamp your cooking style. If your favorite recipes are breaded and fried, or loaded with butter and cheese, cut back on some of these high-calorie techniques. It can be as simple as switching from cream-based sauces… read on >

In the quest for more plant-based protein sources, yellow peas have been getting a lot of good press. And the number of packaged foods enhanced with this “pea protein” has tripled in the last few years. But dried split peas, whether yellow or green in color, were an excellent food choice long before they achieved their overnight superstar status. A mere quarter-cup, measured dry (uncooked), will yield 11 to 12 grams of protein, 13 to 16 grams of fiber and just 180 calories. Tip: Read labels on bags of dried peas since these counts vary slightly. Peas are common legumes or “pulses.” While not a complete protein, like meat or chicken, peas have important amino acids including isoleucine, leucine and valine, needed for building muscle. Keep in mind that foods with just the pea protein extract are missing yellow peas’ fiber, B vitamins and a wide variety of essential minerals and phytochemicals. So rather than paying up for products with added pea protein, especially if it’s the only healthy ingredient in the box, consider adding whole split peas to your diet with meals you make at home. Dried peas are perfect for do-ahead meals. Take a few minutes to cook up a batch, and then use them in recipes throughout the week. They form the base of many Indian dishes and hearty soups. They can… read on >

Taking your blood pressure may become as easy as taking a video selfie if a new smartphone app proves itself. High blood pressure can be a warning sign of a heart attack or stroke, but half of those with hypertension don’t know it. Developing an easy at-home blood pressure screen could potentially save lives. A new technology called transdermal optical imaging gives a picture of the blood flow in your face, which reveals your blood pressure, researchers say. “We found, using a smartphone, we can accurately measure blood pressure within 30 seconds,” said lead researcher Kang Lee. Lee is research chair of developmental neuroscience at the University of Toronto. “We want to use this technology to help us to make people aware of their blood pressure and monitor it,” he said. Lee doesn’t intend this technology to replace standard “cuff” blood pressure measuring, but rather to make blood pressure easy to take at home. So how does it work? The technology uses light to penetrate the skin and optical sensors in smartphones to create an image of blood flow patterns. These patterns are then used to predict blood pressure, Lee explained. “Once you know how blood concentration changes in different parts of your face, then we can learn a lot of things about your physiology, such as your heart rate, your stress and your blood… read on >

Thinking of picking up an electric fan to help keep you cool and protect your health during the next heat wave? You might want to think again. Electric fans might make you feel cooler, but they can actually increase your risk of becoming heat sick and even dying from a heat stroke, the evidence shows. Electric fans could contribute to a potentially dangerous increase in a person’s core heat if outdoor temperatures exceed 95 degrees Fahrenheit, a recent Cochrane evidence review says. “The fan actually will be blowing air that is hotter than our body at us,” said co-author Mike Clarke, director of the Northern Ireland Clinical Trials Unit at Queen’s University Belfast. It’s like switching on an electric oven’s convection fan to speed up the cooking process, the researchers said. Meanwhile, another new study found that electric fans are particularly dangerous during very hot and dry conditions, but can help lower core temperatures and heart strain in hot, humid weather. That study appears in the Aug. 5 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine. Electric fans are seen as a cheap way to help people cope with the several days of high temperatures that make up a heat wave, researchers for the Cochrane review said. Global warming means heat waves will become more frequent, and they can have terrible health consequences. As many as… read on >

(HealthDay News) — Walking is a versatile form of exercise that can be done most anywhere. The American Heart Association suggests that adults spend at least 30 minutes each day doing a moderate intensity activity. Fitting brisk walking into your daily schedule is one way to meet that goal. To fit walking into your schedule, the AHA suggests: Park or get off at the bus/train station 10 minutes away from your job. Schedule a lunchtime walk in your work calendar. Keep everything at work that you’ll need for walking. Listen to music while walking, or recruit friends to walk with you. Before going to bed, lay out your walking clothes and shoes. If you decide to walk at night, the AHA reminds you to wear reflective clothing or carry a light.

(HealthDay News) — From chilly temperatures to the flu or allergies, a runny nose has a variety of causes. A prescription antibiotic usually is not needed to treat a runny nose, says Cleveland Clinic. To get rid of a runny nose, Cleveland Clinic suggests: Rest as much as possible. Drink lots of fluids, especially water. Use saline nasal spray to relieve symptoms. A runny nose will typically go away on its own. However, if symptoms persist for more than 10 days, or seem severe, visit your doctor.

A small electric “tickle” to the ear may affect the body’s nervous system, and British researchers claim this can promote overall well-being and may potentially slow down some effects of aging. The tickle treatment is called transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS). The procedure involves placing custom-made clips containing electrodes on the part of your ear called the tragus; that’s the small, pointed tip above your ear lobe. A small electrical current is delivered through the clips to affect the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve is part of the autonomic nervous system, which is responsible for body functions you don’t think about, like blood pressure, temperature and heart rhythm. The study authors suggest that the device may help balance the autonomic system. “We saw that just two weeks of daily tVNS helped to re-balance the levels of activity in the two branches of the autonomic nervous system,” said Susan Deuchars, one of the study’s authors. She’s director of research in the School of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Leeds in England. “These branches normally work in balance to allow healthy levels of activity. As we age — and also in certain clinical conditions — this balance changes so that the sympathetic branch predominates and this can be detrimental for health. tVNS daily seems to redress the balance of this activity towards that associated with healthy… read on >

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All Sauce from Weekly Gravy:

Plants on Your Plate Will Protect Your Heart

Vulnerable Preemie Babies Often Behind On Vaccines

Health Tip: Benefits of Yoga

3 Ways to Improve Your Eating Habits

Try Yellow Peas for Protein Punch

‘Selfies’ Might Someday Track Your Blood Pressure

In Heat Waves, Fans May Do More Harm Than Good

Health Tip: Fit Walking into Your Schedule

Health Tip: Getting Rid of a Runny Nose

Could a ‘Tickle’ a Day Keep the Doctor Away?