Health and Hope - GHiC

09/26/2025

Cardiologists Recommend 3 Gentle Exercises for a Healthier Heart
By Leslie Finlay, MPA
https://www.thehealthy.com/exercise/exercises-for-heart-health-from-cardiologists

The best exercises for heart health:

Aerobic activity
The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends adults get at least:
150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity,
or 75 minutes of vigorous activity,
or a combination of both.

Resistance training
Stretching is essential to keep injuries at bay—and you don’t want to stall the progress you’ve made exercising for heart health. It also helps to improve flexibility (your muscles’ ability to stretch) and mobility (the range of motion in your joints), both of which help you get the most out of a workout.

Stretching
Stretching is essential to keep injuries at bay—and you don’t want to stall the progress you’ve made exercising for heart health. It also helps to improve flexibility (your muscles’ ability to stretch) and mobility (the range of motion in your joints), both of which help you get the best bang for your buck from a workout.

Can exercise repair heart damage?
Stretching is essential to keep injuries at bay—and you don’t want to stall the progress you’ve made exercising for heart health. It also helps to improve flexibility (your muscles’ ability to stretch) and mobility (the range of motion in your joints), both of which help you get the most out of a workout.

09/25/2025

Gratitude enhances health, brings happiness — and may even lengthen lives
Six questions can help you evoke the life-enhancing power of gratitude.
By Maureen Salamon, Executive Editor, Harvard Women's Health Watch

Gratitude, health, and longevity
How can the power of gratitude affect our lives? Recent research has highlighted the numerous positive health effects of gratitude, including enhanced emotional and social well-being, improved sleep quality, reduced risk of depression, and favorable cardiovascular health markers. Now, new data from the long-term Nurses' Health Study shows that it may extend lives.

Try this: Six questions to evoke gratitude
Not feeling especially grateful today? You have the power to change that. Asking yourself certain questions can evoke gratitude, such as

What happened today that was good?
What am I taking for granted that I can be thankful for?
Which people in my life am I grateful for?
What is the last book I read or movie, show, or social media clip I saw that I really appreciated, and why?
What am I most looking forward to this week, month, and year, and why?
What is the kindest thing someone has said or done lately?
Similarly, a few simple actions can infuse gratitude into your days. Try VanderWeele's family routine of regularly expressing gratitude around the dinner table. Another well-known practice — that's perhaps becoming forgotten in this digital age — is penning thank-you notes.

"I do think writing a thank-you note or gratitude letter gets your mind to dwell on something positive for a longer period, to think more deeply about it, because you have to put it not just in words, but in writing," VanderWeele says. "It also deepens the relationship and builds that bond."

One less-recognized but valuable gratitude practice is called a "savoring exercise," which builds on aspects of mindfulness.

"It's not a big leap to go from recognizing the good to expressing gratitude for what you have."

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/gratitude-enhances-health-brings-happiness-and-may-even-lengthen-lives-202409113071

09/24/2025

I Ate Peanut Butter Every Day for a Week—Here’s What Happened
By Dr. Patricia Varacallo, DO

Heading into the season for decadent sweets, spread the news: A doctor's nutty experiment is a delicious dive into both health and comfort.

The peanut butter phenomenon is real, and the numbers speak for themselves. According to recent USDA and U.S. Census Data, the love affair with this creamy, nutty delight saw a 3% spike in 2021, with a record consumption of 7.9 pounds per American. Curiously, the pandemic has played a role in this surge, with many finding comfort in the familiar embrace of peanut butter.

hehealthy.com/food/i-ate-peanut-butter-every-day-for-a-week-heres-what-happened

09/01/2025

08/26/2025

New posts, resources, and in-person seminars beginning September 1, 2025.
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08/26/2025

07/09/2025

Is Stevia Bad for You?
https://www.thehealthy.com/nutrition/is-stevia-bad-for-you
What is stevia?
Derived from the South American Stevia rebaudiana plant, this sugar substitute is also known as rebaudioside A, reb-A, or rebian. The plant contains steviol glycosides, which are used as sweeteners. Stevia brand names include PureVia, Truvia, and SweetLeaf Sweetener. Stevia can be found in drinks, desserts, gum, baked goods, candy, yogurt, and packets for use in beverages, and can also be used when baking at home.

Is stevia safe?
Stevia is considered a “generally recognized as safe (GRAS)” ingredient by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This doesn’t apply to stevia leaf and crude stevia extracts, which don’t have FDA approval for use in food.

There is even some evidence suggesting that stevia may be beneficial beyond what you’d expect from cutting back on sugar. In a 2017 study in Nature Communications, researchers at the University of Leuven in Belgium showed that stevia stimulates a protein that is essential for taste perception and is involved in the release of insulin after a meal. The hormone insulin is produced by your pancreas to regulate blood sugar. (Here are 21 great foods for people with diabetes.)

The American Diabetes Association and the American Heart Association agree that stevia can be beneficial for people with diabetes if they use it in moderation and do not compensate by eating extra calories at a later time. The European Food Safe Authority and the Joint Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization Expert Committee on Food Additives established an acceptable daily intake range of no more than 12 mg daily, which is the equivalent of 40 packets for a 150-pound person, Kaufman say.

Stevia is a good substitute for regular-caloric sucrose as it has zero calories. “Those who are choosing to substitute sugar with stevia may benefit from this alternative; however, weight loss is not guaranteed,” Kaufman says

07/08/2025

50 Easy Ways to Sleep Better
By Kristine Solomon
https://www.thehealthy.com/sleep/easy-ways-to-sleep-better/
1. Know your chronotype
According to renowned sleep doctor Michael Breus, PhD, people fall into four sleep styles known as chronotypes. You can be a bear, lion, dolphin, or wolf.
Bears follow the sun, waking when it rises and sleeping when it sets. It’s common for bears to wake around 7 a.m. and sleep at 11 p.m.
Lions wake early and are productive in the mornings, but may struggle to accomplish their goals at night. They sleep earlier than other chronotypes, usually going to bed around 10 p.m. at the latest.
Dolphins are light sleepers and may be considered insomniacs. They don’t typically follow a regular sleep schedule.
Wolves are most productive in the afternoons and at nights. They usually go to bed around midnight and wake around 7:30 a.m.
Understanding your chronotype can help you optimize your sleep schedule, improving your overall health and quality of life. Find out what you are by taking the chronotype quiz at https://sleepdoctor.com/sleep-quizzes/chronotype-quiz

Set an alarm at night, too
Get your heart pumping daily. “The single best way to improve the quality of your sleep is to do 20 minutes of cardio per day,” says Dr. Breus.
Use blackout curtains
Commit yourself to one wakeup time
Don’t eat right before bed
Don’t sleep in on the weekend
Put away your electronics at bedtime
Read a book or magazine. The key to reading before bed to sleep better is making sure your reading material is printed on paper, not emanating from a digital screen. According to a 2020 study conducted by Penguin Random House, people who read books before bed enjoy an extra 25 minutes of sleep each night.

Read for more!

06/09/2025

Great Strategies To Relieve Stress and Improve Your Well-Being
https://www.health.com/how-to-relieve-stress-8777654

It's important to know how to handle stress effectively, especially since it can impact your overall health and well-being.
Some ways to deal with stress include becoming more physically active, spending time in nature, building resilience, and engaging in mindfulness.
If you are chronically stressed and not having much success reducing stress levels on your own, you may want to talk with a healthcare provider or a mental health professional.

1. Practice Mindfulness
2. Incorporate Relaxation Techniques
3. Improve Time Management Skills
4. Build Emotional Resilience
5. Consider Volunteering
6. Reduce Screen Time
7. Use Aromatherapy
8. Practice Breathing Exercises
9. Spend Time in Nature
10. Increase Physical Activity
11. Build Social Connections
12. Express Gratitude
13. Try Journaling

06/03/2025

The Asthma Triggers You Should Know About
https://www.health.com/asthma-triggers-8637358

With asthma, your lungs tend to be more sensitive to various environmental triggers, such as cold air, strong odors, and outdoor pollutants. These irritants can increase your risk of developing an asthma flare-up—or a period where your symptoms worsen. Fortunately, knowing your triggers can help you avoid them.

If you have asthma, it’s also a good idea to develop an asthma action plan with your healthcare provider to ensure you can keep your symptoms at bay wherever you are.

06/03/2025

5 Food Groups That Are Easy to Digest
https://www.health.com/easy-to-digest-foods-what-to-eat-and-what-to-avoid-7566398
When you’re struggling with gastrointestinal symptoms, temporarily choosing easy-to-digest foods may be helpful. Foods that are well cooked and low in fiber and fat are typically tolerated best.

When you’re struggling with gastrointestinal symptoms, temporarily choosing easy-to-digest foods may be helpful. Foods that are well-cooked and low in fiber and fat are typically tolerated best, ultimately liberalizing your diet and keeping your symptoms under control.l..

When you’re struggling with gastrointestinal symptoms, temporarily choosing easy-to-digest foods may be helpful. Foods that are well-cooked and low in fiber and fat are typically tolerated best ultimately liberalizes your diet and keeps your symptoms under control.