The Grilled Chicken Rx For A Younger Heart!
The constant talk about turning back the clock only seems to apply to
one’s face or body, but what about the arteries?
The arteries?
Yes, just as you want a youthful appearance for your face and body,
you should also want the same for your arteries.
Researchers say keeping your arteries young, supple and plaque-free–
will allow oxygen-rich blood to travel more easily to your heart and brain-
lowering your risks of heart disease, stroke and dementia, by as much as
70%. And to make your arteries as youthful as your face and body, do the
following…
a) Have Vegetables This Way-
What way? Stir-fried. You may think a quick boil or lightly steamed
is the best way to prepare vegetables, and you’d be wrong.
Researchers say that stir-frying them in a skillet with a little olive, coconut,
avocado, or grapeseed oil is the best option if youthful arteries are a concern.
Why? You’ll absorb twice as many carotenoids, essential nutrients that keep
your arteries strong, flexible and plaque-free.
b) Herbs and Spices-
You may have heard the news last week… researchers say one of the best and least
expensive ways to stay youthful and healthy is to include more herbs and spices
in your diet, and this especially rings true, if you want to keep your arteries youthful.
Herbs and spices are concentrated sources of compounds that relax artery walls
the same way prescription calcium channel blockers do.
Add some turmeric, ginger, rosemary or parsley to soups, stews, salads,
egg and meat dishes. Or pick a few that you like and make a tea.
c) Tutti-Fruitti-
Ah, another reason to eat more fruit– younger arteries. And if your favorite time
to indulge is right now, (Summer-time) make sure to get plenty of watermelon
and cherries. Both of these red beauties contain special compounds that rev
your liver’s ability to excrete inflammatory wastes before they can damage
your arteries.
d) Say Cheese, Please-
If you think of cheese as a food that’s an indulgent and not a heath food, it’s
time to stop that kind of thinking. A top quality cheese can help you cut
your risk of clogged arteries by 20%. Cheese is loaded with milk proteins,
probiotics and fats that slow the absorption of artery-aging sugars and
bad fats.
Eat a small amount of a good quality cheese 2 or more times a week.
e) Dark Chocolate or Cocoa-
Get some chocolate from a bar or a cup (of cocoa) and help keep your arteries
youthful and plaque-free. Chocolate contains special compounds that work
like a plumber’s snake, whisking fat and other debris from your system, before
they can do damage to your arteries.
Important tip: like the cheese, it must be a top quality type of chocolate or cocoa,
save the milk chocolate or sugary chocolate for a milestone birthday or Halloween.
f) Non-Food Tips-
No matter how disciplined you are, you’re bound to slip up and have a few slices of
pepperoni pizza or a steak with fries or a large piece of cheesecake, and if this
should occur, just make sure to take some vitamin C.
Why vitamin C?
Cholesterol doesn’t cause too much trouble if it’s just floating around in your
bloodstream-but it will be problematic if it starts sticking to the artery walls.
And a proven strategy to prevent this: Take vitamin C.
It (C) latches onto the bad cholesterol, (LDL) and makes them so slippery,
they’re just half as likely to stick to blood vessels.
Recommended dose: 1,500 mg. daily. Make sure you speak to your healthcare
provider before taking any type of supplement.
And lastly, you can also get vitamin C from citrus fruits- oranges, clementines,
tangerines, lemons, limes and grapefruit.
g) Blood Pressure-
If after following the food tips that are listed above and your blood pressure still
remains high, you may want to take Pycnogenol. It’s a pine bark extract that knocks
down even the most stubborn types of blood pressures.
Recommended dose: Take 125 mg. to 200 mg. a day.
h) A Grilled Chicken Recipe-
Believe it or not, poultry contains a top vitamin that dampens your liver’s
production of artery-clogging cholesterol, (LDLs). The vitamin: Vitamin K-2,
which heals and strengthens worn arteries so they’re less likely to stiffen
over the years. Other foods that contain this special vitamin- beef and egg yolks.
So, now that you’re aware of what chicken can for your arteries, here’s a recipe
to help you in your quest-for younger arteries.
The Recipe–“Hot and Spicy Chicken”
With Father’s day just around the corner, make this delicious and spicy chicken
dish for your dad. Not only will this dish titillate your dad’s taste buds, it’ll also
keep his arteries strong, healthy and plaque-free, plus lower his blood pressure.
The Ingredients:
1 jar of apricot jam (16 to 18) oz.*
3/4 cup of tarragon or apple cider vinegar
3 Tbs. of paprika
1 1/2 tsp. of salt
1 tsp. of black pepper
1 tsp. of cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. of turmeric
4 lbs. of bone-in chicken pieces (legs and thighs)
* Make sure when buying apricot jam, to read the label.
Buy a jar that’s not loaded with sugar and other harmful products.
Or go online to (youtube.com) and learn how to make a healthier version.
To make:
Prepare grill for indirect-heat cooking. Mix the jam and vinegar and jam
in a bowl, set it off to side. In another bowl, mix the spices and seasonings
and rub over the legs and thighs. Place chicken over indirect heat. Grill 40 to
55 mins, turning once and basting occasionally with the jam mixture.
Do this during the last 15 mins. of cooking time. Insert a meat thermometer
and it should read 165* F for legs 180*F for thighs.
Servings for 6 to 8 people.
One more tip:
If you’re not the grilling type or don’t have access to a grill, just bake
the chicken in the oven.
Sources:
* Stephen Sinatra
* Michelle Schoffro Cook, Ph. D. D.N.M.
* Li Qin, Ph. D.
* Journal of Natural Medicine
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
One last tip:
Make sure you visit our new store (click buy recipes at the top of this blog)
for more recipes (like the recipe above) buy them, collect them and make
your own personal “health journal” or collect a few and make a journal
(or scrapbook) for someone interested in alternative health,
(using food as medicine).