3 Excellent Ways To Prepare Fish That's Great For Your Heart

Fish Offers Numerous Nutrients When It Is Cooked Properly 

Fish is a nutritious protein food that dietitians recommend eating several times a week. However, you must prepare fish in particular ways to provide the most benefits for your heart. While you might buy a healthy type of fish at the supermarket, you can ruin the food with the wrong types of cooking methods. First, make sure to buy the most nutritious fresh, frozen or canned fish at a local grocery store. Here are some types of nutritious fish available at supermarkets:

• Rainbow trout
• Mackerel
• Perch 
• Herring 
• Tuna
• Cod
• Salmon 

Use fresh fish as soon as possible because this food spoils quickly. Fish contains several nutrients, including: 

• Vitamin B2
• Calcium
• Omega-3 fatty acids
• Potassium
• Iodine
• Vitamin D
• Zinc
• Iron
• Magnesium 

To prepare fish in a healthy way that preserves the nutritional value, you should use one of three cooking methods. 

Fish Cooking Method 1: Steaming Fish 

If you want to have tasty fish for lunch or dinner, then learn how to steam this food. Buy a specialized steaming basket that is made of metal or bamboo. You will place this device over a pan or skillet that is filled with water. When you set the skillet or pan on a stove’s burner, the steam from the boiling water cooks the fish without removing any nutrients. In addition, the steam doesn’t add any calories from cooking oils. You can cook fish without any seasonings, but you can also rub in flavorings such as garlic, pepper or chili powder. It is possible to place the fish directly in the steamer basket, but many chefs recommend wrapping it in aluminum foil first. Most fresh fish will steam in five to nine minutes, but frozen fish takes longer to cook. 

Fish Cooking Method 2: Grilling Fish

Another healthy way to prepare fish is by grilling it outside over wood chips or charcoal. Make sure to only use your grill outside, and keep the fish refrigerated until it is time to cook the food. You can make a marinade for fish to give it additional flavor without making it a high calorie meal. You can mix your marinade ingredients in a glass bowl or plastic bag. Make a fish marinade with these ingredients:

• Lemon juice
• Olive oil
• Garlic cloves
• Pepper
• Salt 
• Basil

By marinating the fish for several hours, it will have a delicious flavor. To keep the fish from falling through the grill’s metal slats, use a grilling basket that holds the food inside. It takes only a few minutes to grill fish, and you can cook extra to refrigerate for meals later in the week. 

Fish Cooking Method 3: Baking Fish

Baking fish in an oven is an excellent way to cook this food. You can use a glass or ceramic dish to bake fish in a traditional oven. To keep the fish from sticking to the bottom of the dish, use a small amount of olive oil. You can cook pieces of fish plain, or you may want to add other ingredients, including herbs or sliced vegetables. Some of the vegetables that taste great with baked fish include bell peppers or tomatoes. Bake fish at a medium-high temperature for approximately 20 minutes. The baked fish tastes fantastic with side dishes such as brown rice or dark leafy green salads. 

Making Cappuccino Panna Cotta at Home

Going to Starbucks on the regular to get your daily dose of caffeine through gourmet beverages can take a serious toll on your waistline and budget. Learning to make some of those gourmet coffee drinks at home is easier and less expensive than you might think at first. With a little bit of planning and some easily sourced ingredients, you can be on your way to enjoying a delicious cappuccino in the comfort of your own home in no time flat. Perhaps one of the best reasons to convince yourself to try making some of these coffee favorites at home is that the act of having to prepare them can slow down your urge to consume more calories than necessary to cure your sweet tooth.

If you really want to kick up your coffee based culinary skills a notch, you can try making cappuccino panna cotta at home. This delicious dessert is an Italian mainstay and is the perfect option to serve to guests or on a special occasion. It translates to "cooked cream" but is served cold. You can always add a few of your favorite berries to garnish the dish once ready to serve. However, the cappuccino panna cotta is actually served more as a dessert drink. All you need to get started is skim milk, a packet of gelatin, espresso powder, one can of sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract and chocolate sauce or syrup. You should also have several glasses, a whisk and some cling wrap handy for storage.

Measure about one cup of skim milk into a glass cup and pour the gelatin packet contents on top. Allow the mixture to sit still for about five minutes before beginning to stir it completely. Then microwave the mixture on high for about 5 minutes or until it is boiling. Carefully remove the cup and mix in two tablespoons of espresso powder, a teaspoon of vanilla extract and the can of sweetened condensed milk using a whisk. You can use any type of glass you'd like, but this dessert is particularly appealing in a martini glass. You should be able to fill about six glasses with the mixture. Use a sheet of cling wrap to cover each glass before placing them in the fridge to cool. It typically takes about two hours for the mixture to cool completely. You will know that the dessert is ready when the mixture appears firm. Use the chocolate sauce to garnish each serving for some extra sweetness. 

While this dessert is extremely delicious, it is best enjoyed in moderation, which is true of any sweet. If you are looking for a guilt-free way to indulge in this frozen delight, consider leaving enough time to take a walk after dinner to burn off some extra calories. You can also substitute fat-free milk so that you consume even fewer calories.

Use Short Online Workouts to Sneak In Fitness

If you're a busy modern person, you may have difficulties finding time in your schedule to go to the gym. Whatever your age or your lifestyle, it is likely that you struggle to balance your desire to be fit with your other priorities. Fortunately, quite a few trained fitness instructors are posting short workout videos online. Some of these workouts are so short you can complete them in 10 or 20 minutes. Using convenient videos in this category, it is possible to sneak in online workouts during odd time slots that might otherwise go to waste. 

Crucially, you don't need any kind of prior training or knowledge to exploit online workouts successfully. The best of these workouts are apt to include full instructions on form, reps and body mechanics. Better yet, these workouts often feature related exercises that fulfill specific, practical purposes. For example, one video might be designed to aid flexibility and balance. A workout of this type could prove particularly useful for older people who need to avoid injury as they age. Other workouts might focus on weight loss or strength training.

Engaging in multiple short workouts might have advantageous effects on your metabolism. During and after any exercise session, your metabolism rises appreciably. So if you work out three times per day, this gives you a considerable metabolic advantage. This is important if your workouts are focused on weight loss. It's worth noting that exercising for weight loss only makes sense if you are eating a healthy diet. Exercise isn't very useful for slimming down unless you maintain a good diet high in proteins, fiber and complex carbohydrates. 

You're likely well familiar with the physical benefits of working out. Possibly, you've read that working out lowers your anxiety and increases your general sense of well-being. However, you may not realize that recent research has linked short workout sessions with boosted willpower. According to this research, even one isolated, short workout can help you exercise greater willpower throughout the rest of your day. Knowing this can certainly help people find the motivation to engage in small workouts whenever possible. Armed with this new knowledge, you may even learn to look forward to your next short workout. After all, it can be hard to get motivated for one workout if you feel that you need to exercise for weeks to see concrete improvements to your body. Whenever you start a new workout routine, you should exercise plenty of caution. If you push yourself too hard during online workouts, you risk experiencing disheartening injury.

Can You Use Online Videos to Learn Meditation

 

You may be pleased to learn that you don't need to join a class to get started in meditation practice. On the contrary, this is a skill you can learn in the comfort of your own home. Some of the best meditation instructors have uploaded informative online videos to the web. The best of these videos are designed to be accessible for people who are completely new to meditation practice. 

Although traditional forms of meditation call for assuming a seated lotus position, you can actually meditate just as well while sitting normally. Even though meditation comes to us from ancient religious traditions in the Eastern world, you don't have to possess any religious sentiments to master meditating. Meditation is often incorporated into more comprehensive programs that include yoga or martial arts. Nevertheless, is is perfectly fine to engage in meditation on its own. 

Meditation takes a variety of different forms, which partly explains the versatility of this ancient practice. Many meditation lessons for beginners involve the use of guided imagery. While this makes for a fine starting point, you should quickly move on to traditional meditation. Traditional forms typically involves focusing on discrete words or phrases. As you progress in your development, you can engage with the mythology and spirituality of meditation as little or as much as you like. In online videos, some meditation teachers frame their explanations of meditative effects in mystical terms. However one frames this discussion, there can be no doubt that meditating is associated with scientifically proven benefits for your mind and body. To date, researchers have published quite a few studies confirming the effectiveness of meditation. 

Psychologically speaking, meditation can help you achieve great focus and concentration. If you've ever found your mind wandering during a particularly dull or difficult work meeting, meditation could help you stay on point. Better focus isn't just useful for students or people in classroom settings. Arguably, having better focus helps you live more fully at any stage of life. Because meditation is an inherently relaxing activity, it is a great aid for people who struggle with anxiety or clinical depression. Even if you are just going through a temporary downturn in your mood, online videos dealing with meditation can help you move forward with confidence and strength. 

There is no hard and fast rule about how long your meditation sessions should last. While many teachers recommend meditating for 30 minutes per day, you may enjoy this practice so much that you end up meditating for much longer. Naturally, the specifics of your schedule will help determine the exact length of your practice sessions. Although you can certainly meditate at home, you shouldn't think that meditation classes are totally lacking in value. As with any other type of skill or practice, meditation is a practice that you may enjoy more in a group setting. After all, people are social creatures. Whether you go to your class alone or with a friend, this is a place where you can associate with other like-minded people. In meditation, many people make friendships that last for a long time.

End the Debate: Wiping Down Your Yoga Mat

 

Lately, it seems that yoga has been embraced by all types of people. Scientists have done so much research proving yoga's effectiveness that it is time to end the debate about whether or not yoga is worthwhile. Nowadays, most people have moved on to debating various ways to optimize and improve yogic practice. At some point or another, almost every group of yoga enthusiasts will discuss yoga mat etiquette. It is unfortunate that in this day and age, there are people out there who don't clean their yoga mats after use. When you are coming out of a blissful, relaxing yoga session, your mind may be far from earthly matters like wiping down your mat. One must remember that if yoga is important for your health and well-being, so is cleanliness. 

From an economic standpoint, cleaning your mat could extend the life of the item. This is particularly important if you have invested in a high-quality mat. If you let sweat on your mat build up, this could deteriorate the sticky texture that keeps you from slipping while you work out. If you give your mat a quick wipe-down after every session, you won't have to engage in any hard scrubbing down the road. If you are like many yoga enthusiasts, you love doing yoga in a group setting. People with high standards of cleanliness and hygiene are always welcome at their favorite local yoga studios. Obviously, cleanliness has positive implications for your health. Like any other taxing physical activity, yoga exposes your mat to a variety of fungi and bacteria. Though we are mentally hardwired to particularly despise the germs of others, your sweat really isn't any less filthy than anyone else's. If you're a firm believer in showering regularly, you've already got the right mindset for keeping your exercise equipment germ-free and clean. 

While it might cost you a couple of minutes per day to wipe down your mat, this time investment is a small price to pay for the tremendous benefits of your daily yoga habit. The benefits of yoga are broad-based and comprehensive. Physically, this practice can help you stay flexible and limber through all stages of life. If practiced properly, yoga is associated with feelings of mental and spiritual wellness. People who enjoy yoga classes experience all the benefits of consistent social engagement. Although regular yoga aids practitioners of all ages, yoga can prove particularly crucial for people over 45. During this phase of your life, it is only natural for your body to lose some of its natural flexibility. You may also find it harder to keep off extra weight. Yoga addresses both of these issues and prepares you to remain healthy as you age. 

You may have noticed that some people walk rigidly and awkwardly at age 60. In contrast, some 75-year-olds can move around with perfect gracefulness and agility. The people in the latter category are far less prone to suffer debilitating injuries. Despite what you may think, most of these people do not have superhuman genes or intensely athletic lifestyles. To remain strong and dexterous as you age, you simply need to perform moderate exercise regularly. If you're considering doing yoga but haven't made up your mind, end the debate and purchase a yoga mat today. It won't take long before working out and wiping down your area becomes an ingrained routine.

Men Can Also Get Breast Cancer: What You Need to Know

Breast cancer is understandably connected to women because of their anatomical figures. Millions of women march and fight against this ailment each year, but there are a small percentage of men dealing with the same issue. Men breast cancer is a serious disease that's often overlooked by both patients and their caregivers. As you enter your retirement years, it's time to cast a light on this ailment that can be life threatening.

Breast Tissue Defined

A common misconception is that men have no breast tissue at all. However, both males and females start out with very similar structures as fetuses and children. Hitting puberty is where the differences begin. Women develop their breasts while males continue with flat chests. Within the male chest is a mixture of ducts and stroma, which are conduits and fatty tissue, respectively. Males can have some lobules, but they're normally small in number because these features produce milk in pregnant women. Because of the specific tissues present in every male, men can get breast cancer as their bodies mature into the senior years.

The Lymph Connection

Men and women don't differ very greatly when it comes to the lymphatic system. Lymph nodes and vessels between them move waste products in and out of the surrounding tissues. This system essentially maintains a clean body. However, it can also create a conduit for cancer cells. Lymph nodes dot the male chest where a line of nodes extends in a diagonal fashion from the armpit and into the collarbone. Another node collection stretches vertically above the sternum bone. If cancerous growths occur within male breast tissue, the mutated cells can quickly travel into the lymphatic system and into the rest of the body. Doctors are always concerned about lymphatic involvement for both men and women if cancer is detected at the breast tissue.

Lumps and Possible Pain

Men should be aware if there's cancer in their family's history. Whether the ailment struck males or females, any cancer fights should be considered as risk factors in your life. Be aware of any unusual growths across the chest. These areas may not be tender or painful at all. Other men notice some throbbing in these affected regions. If you're questioning any tissue in the chest area, bring it up to your doctor. Further tests can clarify the situation.

Stigma With Male Breast Cancer

A major concern for men when it comes to breast cancer is the stigma associated with it. It's considered a women's ailment so overlooking a possible diagnosis by avoiding the doctor is all too common. Men might wait until a lump is entirely obvious or when discharge releases from the nipple region. Waiting out this time period can mean the difference between a benign and malignant diagnosis. Men must feel comfortable with their doctors in order to point out concerns before they worsen.

Be observant about every part of your body, including the chest area. Give yourself exams where you press on the skin and underlying tissue each month. Men can get breast cancer so catching it early on is the key to a long life. There's so much more in life to enjoy as retirement stretches on for several decades.

How To Tell If You're Getting Enough Sleep

Getting enough sleep is vital for your mental and physical well-being, but you may not know how much sleep is required for your needs. The majority of adults need seven to nine hours of sleep each night to feel their best. Here are a few ways to notice if you are sleeping enough for your health. 

Way 1: Are You Alert Throughout the Day?

When you are sleeping enough, you will feel mentally alert while driving a vehicle or completing paperwork. If you are struggling to remain alert on a daily basis, then you aren’t sleeping enough each night. When you aren’t mentally focused while operating machinery or working at a job, you are likely to make serious mistakes. 

Way 2: Are You Frequently Ill?

When you are sleeping, your body’s lymph glands produce chemicals that improve your immunity levels. If you are sick many times throughout the year, then your immune system is depleted, causing you to have colds or influenza. While getting enough sleep may not prevent every illness, having a stronger immune system is essential for remaining healthier. 

Way 3: Does Your Vision Seem Blurry?

After you have been awake for many hours, you may notice that your vision is blurry because you need to get some rest. If you have blurry vision in the morning despite wearing eyeglasses or contacts, then it can indicate that you aren’t sleeping enough each night. 

Way 4: Do You Fall Asleep During the Daytime?

If you fall asleep quickly while working at your desk or in dark places such as movie theaters, then you aren’t sleeping enough at night. When you are a healthy adult, you shouldn’t fall asleep while driving a vehicle or working on a computer at work. It isn’t normal to fall asleep while sitting upright in a chair, and this indicates that you need to get more sleep at night. 

Way 5: Are You Grumpy Throughout the Day?

When you aren’t sleeping enough, it can affect your mood. Notice how a child acts when she is tired to understand why lack of sleep leads to a foul mood. If you are angry with everyone at work or home on a daily basis, then you must begin to sleep more each night. Lack of sleep can also reduce your brain’s serotonin levels, leading to depression. 

Way 6: Do You Have Poor Coordination?

Lack of sleep can affect your body’s coordination, leading to dropping items or falling onto the floor. You may notice problems with coordination while performing daily tasks such as preparing meals, or you might have problems enjoying activities such as sports. 

Way 7: Are You Gaining Weight?

If you aren’t sleeping enough each night, then you may gain weight. Your body reacts to lack of sleep by producing more cortisol, and this chemical causes you to feel hungry. When you are hungry, you will eat more and gain weight. To maintain your weight, make sure to get enough sleep on a routine basis. 

Way 8: Do You Have High Blood Pressure? 

When you have high blood pressure, it is damaging your body’s cardiovascular system. New research reveals that lack of sleep can lead to high blood pressure. When you are sleeping, your body produces hormones that regulate your anxiety levels. Without adequate sleep, your stress level is uncontrollable, leading to high blood pressure. 

Cotton Candy Grapes Are a Real Thing: You Read That Right

Humans are hardwired to like sweet things. Even if you personally feel like you don't like that much sweetness, you'd still probably choose a bit of candy over a savory food now and then. But the sugar in those -- or the artificial sweeteners -- can make those sweet foods a nutritional landmine. A healthier solution is to turn to fruit, especially a grape with a name like Cotton Candy. These are for real, and they are turning the grape world inside out.

What They Are

Cotton Candy grapes were produced by a grower in California. They reportedly taste almost like cotton candy (tasters keep comparing it to the pink kind, even though there's really no difference in flavor between colors), with a very sweet, crunchy burst of flavor. They are very popular but are available for only a few weeks every summer.

They're Not GMO

A grape that tastes like candy may seem unnatural, but these grapes were produced through good old plant breeding. Growers experimented for years with combinations of Vitis vinifera, the main table grape variety, and other grape genera and species. Finally, they combined V. vinifera with a variety of grape similar to a Concord, and got the Cotton Candy flavor. The company has also worked on flavors like strawberry and the sweetly named Gum Drop.

The company said the point was to bring sweet, bright flavors back to fruit. It's common to find fruit sitting in stores, flavorless or nearly so. The company pointed out that many candies are fruit-flavored, and they want to get back to having real fruit that tastes that sweet.

The Nutrition Is Different

Cotton Candy grapes are definitely healthier than actual cotton candy at a carnival. However, compared to basic grapes, the Cotton Candy variety has more calories and more sugar. They're also more expensive. Still, they have vitamins and fiber, and the calorie count is lower than much of the candy available. 

The grapes have become so popular that markets have reported people showing up just to buy that one variety. Luckily, more markets are carrying them, and the growers have expanded their fields substantially. 

Don't forget regular grapes, though. They can still be very tasty and crisp, and they are available for a lot longer than the Cotton Candy variety. 

If you really want more sweet foods, these grapes could be the perfect solution. Do talk to your doctor and a dietitian if you have specific health issues that would make adding carbs and sugar difficult. Other than that, if you can find the grapes, give them a try. You may find a new favorite fruit to munch on. Keep an eye out for more varieties as the company says it's still creating more interesting new flavors for the public.

What Is Gene Therapy?

Gene therapy is a remarkable technique that researchers are developing to treat several types of diseases. Although the use of this medical therapy for humans is still in its infancy, gene therapy (GT) has the potential to completely change the prognoses for millions of ill people throughout the world. Of all of the remarkable medical developments of the past decade, GT is clearly one of the most impressive. Simply, GT involves strategically introducing DNA into the patient under treatment. Typically, the new DNA is used because it contains a well-functioning gene chosen to fix the effects of a harmful genetic mutation. 

Researchers are still in the early stages of developing GT to treat human patients. Until now, the technique has not proven very effective for curing humans. However, recent breakthroughs have brought GT closer to widespread use in medicine. Thanks to these brilliant medical breakthroughs, doctors might soon use GT to treat muscular dystrophy (MD), cystic fibrosis and a variety of genetic disorders. 

Gene augmentation therapy is perhaps the most simple form of GT. This is the form of GT that uses implanted DNA to correct genetic mutations. For example, a particular gene might not produce a protein needed by the human body. To correct the mutation, doctors introduce DNA that contains a more effective version of the malfunctioning gene. This therapy has the potential to treat medical disorders that are classified as reversible. Cystic fibrosis is disease that may soon respond to treatment of this type. It is a truism that people must take responsibility for their own health outcomes. Nevertheless, the public sector has a definite obligation to help improve the state of public health. 

Though GT has enormous potential for the future, some obstacles remain before this therapy is ready for widespread adoption. Still, a recent news development demonstrated that GT has a lot of staying power as a medical discipline. In early September, 2017, the FDA approved a trial of a new GT technique for treating leukemia. This represents the very first time that any national government has given approval for this type of human trial. This type of GT made headlines worldwide when it was used to save the life of a sick British child named Layla. 

Called CAR-T, this therapy involves resetting the patient's immune cells to make them more adept at targeting cancer cells. A sample of the patient's own T-cells is sent to a pharmaceutical laboratory located in New Jersey. At the laboratory, technicians use an inert virus to insert a gene into the patient's T-cells. This added gene will give the patient's immune system far more ability to hone in on the out-of-control cells that cause cancer. If people want to live in societies that take proper care of the ill, they should encourage public officials to support GT research. Without doubt, this avenue of research is ripe for development. With proper funding and support, it seems sure that GT will evolve into a powerful, easily accessible treatment that will ease the lot of millions. 

If CAR-T is fully tested and approved, which seems fairly likely, this will represent a major milestone in the history of American health care. CAR-T is designed to treat the type of leukemia involved in the vast majority of child leukemia cases. Nevertheless, this treatment will provide hope for patients of all ages and their loved ones. The projected price for one treatment will be under $500, which is fairly reasonable for leukemia treatments in this day and age. This treatment is priced so that even patients with fairly humble means will have the opportunity to experience cutting-edge care.

What Makes One Granola Bar Better Than Another?

Walk down any granola-bar aisle at the grocery store, and you'll be greeted by a wall of choices. There are dozens of different bars to choose from, which might include cereal versions or traditional backpacking concoctions. Most consumers don't taste every granola bar to make a distinction between each brand so you might wonder about the differences. Take a moment to compare granola snacks and how one is better than another. There are key differences when you pay close attention.

The Main Components

Granola bars are all made with slightly different ingredients. The "granola" part isn't universal, and most manufacturers use their own proprietary mixtures. Toasted oats, puffed rice and rolled oats are just a few of the ingredients making up the bulk of a bar's volume. A better bar tends to have more natural ingredients. You may even come across a bar that has mostly cereal as its main ingredient. Read over the granola ingredients, and look for basic oats, rice and similar grains. If you encounter many chemical-like ingredients, these bars are the ones that aren't very good for your body. 

Fiber Considerations

For most older adults, eating food with ample fiber is a daily goal. Fiber maintains a healthy digestive system while helping you feel full along with protein. Preferable, granola bars have dates, seeds, oats and nuts within their ingredients so that your body can experience the helpful side of this nutrient. You may need to research fiber-rich foods so that the bar's ingredient list makes sense as you read it in the grocery store.

Be aware, however, that most bars don't have a lot of fiber. You'll still need to supplement your intake with other foods, such as fruits and vegetables. Twenty to 30 grams of fiber are recommended by the federal government with current studies in place.

Fatty Ingredients

Granola snacks are almost always touted as the healthiest items that you can eat in the morning or mid-afternoon. This claim, however, isn't always true. Sugars may take up the bulk of the bar's volume, which negates any healthy aspect to the snack. High-fructose corn syrup and its derivatives are often the culprits for excess sugar amounts. Your bar will have some sugars, but look for this ingredient listed near the end of the product's list. An ingredient that's listed far from the beginning is in short supply. Pick natural sugars too instead of synthetic or processed sweeteners. Your body will digest the natural items with ease.

Protein Sources

A better bar also has ample protein. Explore the ingredient list for soy, gelatin or eggs. There might be other protein sources, including nuts and seeds. It takes the body a longer time to digest proteins compared to other foods. With this fact in mind, you'll simply feel fuller for longer by consuming more protein. This substance also helps your muscle mass, especially as you grow into your retirement years. You want strong muscles to support your bones so that physical ailments, such as posture issues, don't become problems.

Fortified Ingredients

Look for bars that have some fortified ingredients. It's nearly impossible to fit most nutrients into the ingredients filling a simple bar. There's no space for the extra volume. Many manufacturers add vitamins, minerals and other nutrients to the bars as a marketing tactic, but the consumers win out in the end. Fortified bars tend to have better nutrient levels than standard granola so look for these products as a first choice.

Eating any food in moderation is your best bet for a long lifespan. Try a preferred granola bar once or twice a week, but then switch your snack to a fruit or protein-packed egg. By mixing up your food choices, the body won't get too much of either good or bad things. A balanced diet leads to a long and fruitful retirement.