| They all help cut your risk of heart disease, the | | | | increase in the production of nitric oxide, a |
| top cause of death among women. Are you | | | | substance that helps fight plaque. There are |
| ready to drink milk and groove to jazz? | | | | plenty of tasty ways to take your medicine: More |
| Heart problems? Me? If that's your reaction when | | | | than 130 pomegranate products were introduced |
| you hear all of the healthy-heart messages during | | | | in 2006. |
| American Heart Month in February, here's a | | | | 5. Sprinkle on the soy |
| wake-up call: Fact is, heart disease kills far more | | | | A daily dash of dark soy sauce (not light) in |
| women each year than cancer does. It's also true | | | | marinades, dipping sauces, salad dressing, or soups |
| that preventing heart problems is getting easier. | | | | and stews can help fight heart-damaging |
| Health gathered the latest tricks â€all | | | | substances linked to smoking, obesity, or |
| backed by solid research†to take care | | | | diabetes, according to research from the National |
| of your heart. | | | | University of Singapore. The sauce has 10 times |
| 1. Get milk | | | | the antioxidants in wine, which is also |
| A new study sponsored by the National Heart, | | | | heart-healthy (in moderation). But watch out: Soy |
| Lung, and Blood Institute found that, among | | | | sauces often have a ton of salt, which can raise |
| people who didn't eat a lot of saturated fat, those | | | | blood pressure. Check labels for lower-salt |
| who consumed more than three daily servings of | | | | versions. |
| milk, yogurt, or cheese had systolic blood | | | | 6. Laugh it up |
| pressure (the top number) almost four points | | | | Something for your funny bone: People who |
| lower than those who ate only half a serving daily. | | | | watched comedy films like There's Something |
| High blood pressure can damage your arteries, | | | | About Mary had better blood flow, compared with |
| increasing your risk for heart attacks and stroke. | | | | those who watched dramas like Saving Private |
| Researchers say low-fat dairy is the smart | | | | Ryan, according to a study at the University of |
| choice, because it's lower in saturated fat. | | | | Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore. Principal |
| 2. Try new moves | | | | researcher Michael Miller, MD, director of the |
| Thirty minutes of Tai Chi â€a gentle | | | | Center for Preventive Cardiology, recommends 15 |
| Chinese martial art that includes sequences of | | | | minutes of daily laughter. |
| slow, relaxing movements â€may also | | | | Don't have enough time for movies or sitcoms? |
| lower your blood pressure. In one study, after 12 | | | | Get your giggles anytime from YouTube's |
| weeks of Tai Chi, participants showed a decrease | | | | comedy section (youtube.com/categories). |
| in systolic pressure of almost 16 points. To find a | | | | 7. Don't skimp on sleep |
| class in your area, visit Taoist.org. | | | | Women who sleep less than 5 hours each night |
| 3. Go fishing | | | | have a 30 percent higher risk of heart disease |
| How fast your heart beats when you're at rest | | | | than those getting 8 hours, according to a study |
| can be an indicator of heart attack risk. In fact, | | | | from the Brigham and Women's Hospital in |
| higher resting heart rates have been linked to an | | | | Boston. Too little sleep may play havoc with your |
| increased risk of sudden death. The good news is | | | | hormones, blood sugar, and blood pressure. So |
| that eating fish can lower your heart rate. In a | | | | after getting your 15 minutes of laughs, turn off |
| new Harvard Medical School study, people who | | | | that PC and turn in. |
| ate five or more servings per month of fish such | | | | 8. Breathe deeper |
| as tuna or salmon (baked or broiled) averaged 3.2 | | | | You can lower your blood pressure by taking 10 |
| fewer beats per minute than those who ate less | | | | breaths per minute (instead of the usual 16 to 19) |
| than one serving per month. Researchers credit | | | | for 15 minutes a day over 2 months, studies |
| the omega-3 fatty acids in fish, though it's not | | | | show. Researcher David Anderson, PhD, a |
| clear how they help. (Our Kitchen Assistant search | | | | hypertension expert at the National Institute on |
| tool can help you find dozens of healthy and | | | | Aging, says shallow breathing (more beats per |
| delicious fish recipes.) | | | | minute) may delay your body's excretion of salt, |
| 4. Hit the juice | | | | a high-blood-pressure trigger. |
| Pomegranate juice seems to stave off hardening | | | | 9. Feel the beat |
| of the arteries â€and may even reverse | | | | A group of University of Oxford researchers |
| it. A recent study in the Proceedings of the | | | | found that slow, meditative musical rhythms can |
| National Academy of Sciences found that | | | | lead to a healthy drop in heart rate, while faster |
| pomegranate juice reduced the rate of cholesterol | | | | rhythms speed up breathing and circulation. Got |
| plaque buildup in mice by 30 percent. And heart | | | | Sheryl Crow on your iPod? Try mixing in some |
| cells treated with the juice showed a 50 percent | | | | smooth jazz, too. |