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This February…Eat Red For Your Heart!

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|Tomatoes |•Antioxidant: Lycopene |

| |•Protects against heart disease |

| |•Good source of potassium and vitamin C |

| |•Research has shown that cooking tomatoes boosts heart-healthy |

| |qualities by increasing lycopene content. |

|Red grapes |•Antioxidant: Activin |

| |•High in fiber |

| |•Lowers blood pressure |

| |•Reduces inflammation and heart muscle damage |

| |•Reduces blood triglyceride and LDL cholesterol levels; improves |

| |blood vessel function |

|Watermelon |•Antioxidant: Anthocyanins |

| |•Anti-inflammatory and heart-health benefits |

|Strawberries |•Antioxidant: Anthocyanins |

| |•High in vitamin C |

| |•Reduces inflammation and protects LDL from oxidation |

| |•Manages blood sugars |

|Red bell peppers |•Antioxidant: Lycopene •Good |

| |source of cholesterol-lowering soluble fiber |

| |•High in vitamins A and C |

| |•Good source of potassium which can help lower blood pressure |

| |•Helps manage weight |

Other Red Foods: Red onion, red beets, red cabbage, radishes, red potato, red apple, tart cherries, cranberries, raspberries

Poster Board for Education Session:

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Education Session Outline:

• Introduce myself, thank audience for attending.

• As some of you may know, February is heart health month.

• Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. In fact, about 600,000 people die of heart disease in the United States every year–that’s one in every four deaths.

• Today I am here to talk about ways to be heart smart by being good to your heart!

• One of the major ways to be heart smart is through what we eat. Today, we will talk about red foods and nutrition.

Can anybody name some red foods they eat?

• Many red fruits and veggies are loaded with powerful, healthy antioxidants.

Does anybody know what an antioxidant is?

• Antioxidants are substances which may protect cells in the body against free radicals. free free radicals.

• Free radicals are molecules produced when your body breaks down food, or by environmental exposures like tobacco smoke and radiation. Free radicals can damage cells and may play a role in heart disease, cancer, and other diseases.

• However, antioxidants are believed to prevent the development of such chronic diseases: cancer, heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer's disease, Rheumatoid arthritis, and cataracts.

• One of the most powerful antioxidants found in red foods is lycopene. Lycopene is found in watermelon, red peppers, and primarily tomatoes and cooked tomato products (such as tomato sauce and tomato paste). Cooking tomatoes has been shown to increase the amount of lycopene.

• Lycopene is a plant pigment responsible for the deep red color found in fruits and vegetables.

• Lycopene has numerous health benefits, most notably linked to ward off prostate cancer in men. When it comes to heart health, lycopene stops LDL or “bad” cholesterol from forming arterial plaque.

• Also, numerous studies correlate high intake of lycopene-containing foods with reduced incidence of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and blindness.

• Next, the antioxidant, activin, found primarily in red grapes, is contained in the seeds of the fruit. Activin may offer protection against certain types of cancer, heart disease and other chronic diseases

• Another antioxidant found in red foods is anthicyanins, which is primarily found in strawberries, raspberries, watermelon, and red beats.

• Anthocyanin-rich substances have been used to treat a number of conditions (including high blood pressure, colds, and urinary tract infections). Recent research suggests that anthocyanins may also help fend off major health problems, including heart disease and cancer.

• Antioxidants also include vitamins.

Does anybody know what a vitamin is?

• A vitamin is a nutrient we must consume in our diet for our body to work properly.

• Red foods are full of vitamins A and C. Vitamin C grows and repairs tissues in all parts of the body. It helps the body make collagen, an important protein used to make skin, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, and blood vessels. Vitamin C is needed for healing wounds, and for repairing and maintaining bones and teeth.

• Vitamin A helps form and maintain healthy skin, teeth, skeletal and soft tissue and mucus membranes. Vitamin A promotes good vision, especially in low light.

• Potassium is also found in red foods. Potassium is a mineral which in foods can help lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of developing kidney stones.

• Red foods are also high in fiber.

Can anybody name some benefits of eating a diet high in fiber?

• Fiber improves large intestine function and keeps the muscles of the large intestine strong.

• Fiber speeds up the transit time of food and increases the size of stool, helping prevent constipation and hemorrhoids.

• Fiber also lowers blood cholesterol, helps control diabetes, and plays a role in the prevention of colon cancer. Fiber is a very important component in weight control as well. Foods that contain fiber are typically low in fat, and one recent study showed that fiber may also block some of the digestion of fat and protein.

In summary: (refer to board) eating red foods may reduce inflammation and heart muscle damage. They may reduce blood triglyceride and LDL cholesterol levels, and improve blood vessel function.

Discuss/share ways to improve red food intake: ie: strawberries/berries on cereal or in yogurt, tomato based soups, tomato with sandwich/on salad with red beats, cabbage, red fruit smoothies!

*End with smoothie taste sample*

References:







Smoothie samples:

Ingredients: (1 cup) cut-up watermelon, (1 cup) strawberries, (1 cup) raspberries, (1 whole) banana, (1 cup) low fat yogurt, (1 cup) skim milk, (3) Splenda, and ice. Blend. Makes ~10 4 oz. servings.

Five assisted living residents who attended education session and I.

Long Term Care: Whitney Place, Natick, MA.

Summary of Session:

On Tuesday, February 11, I gave an hour presentation to five assisted living residents at Whitney Place in Natick, MA. The education session focused on heart health and the nutrition benefits of eating red foods. I began the presentation by introducing myself; the audience was extremely welcoming and seemed interested in the topic I was about to present. I gave the audience the handout I made and they were actively reading it along with the poster board. By following the above outline, the residents gave appropriate guesses/answers to each asked question. I found it unique how the more they seemed to learn, the more questions they seemed to ask themselves. Many of the residents were interested in learning more about antioxidants, nutrition in the media, and overall caloric density of various foods. This was exciting for me to see because it showed that nutrition is still an interesting topic despite age and I enjoyed how involved the audience was. After the presentation, I made smoothies for sampling. Each of the residents enjoyed the smoothies and we discussed different ways to add red foods to their daily diet. Overall, I saw the presentation as a success and was happy to educate the residents about heart heath and the nutrition benefits of red foods.

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