Health Expert Lisa Nelson, RD, LN shares health management news and commentary at HealthCentral.com. HealthCentral.com is one of the top health destinations on the Web, with more than 35 condition-specific, wellness and general health Web properties. http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/42538/index http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/42538/rss self application/xml en-us 15 120 19 http://www.healthcentral.com/images/hc_logo_sm.gif http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/42538/index http://www.healthcentral.com/heart-disease/c/42538/153270/increased Thu, 24 May 2012 15:11:17 -0400 Lisa Nelson, RD, LN Milk is good for the bones – right? Because milk is a good source of calcium and calcium promotes bone strength. Which means you may think a calcium supplement is an even better way to protect your bones – right?   A new report in the journal Heart, has determined calcium supplements are putting people at greater risk for heart attacks.   Researchers followed 23,980 individuals ranging in age from 35 to 64 years-old... http://www.healthcentral.com/heart-disease/c/42538/153270/increased http://www.healthcentral.com/high-blood-pressure/c/42538/153203/heart Tue, 22 May 2012 17:21:51 -0400 Lisa Nelson, RD, LN Are you even familiar with the B vitamin choline? There is a good chance you are not. The Institute of Medicine didn’t even establish a dietary reference intake for this nutrient until 1998.   Choline, like magnesium, plays a role in just about every bodily system. Two compounds are derived from choline – acetylcholine and lecithin. Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter for the peripheral and central nervous systems.... http://www.healthcentral.com/high-blood-pressure/c/42538/153203/heart http://www.healthcentral.com/heart-disease/c/42538/152350/sabotaging Tue, 24 Apr 2012 12:17:37 -0400 Lisa Nelson, RD, LN If losing weight was easy, we wouldn't be facing this obesity epidemic in the U.S. There are so many factors working against us that successful weight loss is a struggle. It doesn't help if you are self-sabotaging your own efforts to lose weight.   Here are 5 ways you may be hindering your weight loss success:   1. Liquid calories   All calories add up and you may not realize how quickly liquid calories add up. Think about... http://www.healthcentral.com/heart-disease/c/42538/152350/sabotaging http://www.healthcentral.com/heart-disease/c/42538/152279/defying Sat, 21 Apr 2012 14:05:04 -0400 Lisa Nelson, RD, LN Is the deck stacked against you when it comes to genetics and heart disease? If so, I'm right there with you. However, this isn't a pass to just so "oh well, nothing you can do about it" and proceed to live an unhealthy lifestyle.   Heart disease and heart attacks are for the most part preventable. Deaths due to coronary heart disease have significantly decreased since 1980.   Here are 5 steps you can take right now to beat the... http://www.healthcentral.com/heart-disease/c/42538/152279/defying http://www.healthcentral.com/heart-disease/c/42538/151570/granola-bar Tue, 27 Mar 2012 14:28:12 -0400 Lisa Nelson, RD, LN There are all kinds of nutrition bars available, from energy bars, to protein bars, to weight control, to gluten free, to breakfast bars, and the list goes on. Unfortunately, many of these supposed "nutrition" bars are really just glorified candy bars.   What to look for when selecting a nutrition bar:   Sugar - Look at the nutrition label and see how many grams of sugar there are per serving. . .and does a full bar equal 1... http://www.healthcentral.com/heart-disease/c/42538/151570/granola-bar http://www.healthcentral.com/high-blood-pressure/c/42538/151517/equal Sun, 25 Mar 2012 18:20:28 -0400 Lisa Nelson, RD, LN You've heard or read over and over that you have to eat right and exercise to keep your heart healthy. Well, not only do unhealthy habits impact your heart they also affect your brain.   French researchers studied 5,123 men and women over a 17-year period of time. Participants with the greatest number of unhealthy behaviors were three times more likely to have poor thinking abilities and twice as likely to have memory problems compared to... http://www.healthcentral.com/high-blood-pressure/c/42538/151517/equal http://www.healthcentral.com/heart-disease/c/42538/151507/prevent Sun, 25 Mar 2012 12:35:19 -0400 Lisa Nelson, RD, LN Ginkgo is an herbal extract that may be used as a dietary supplement. If comes from the leaves of the ginkgo tree and is believed to improve circulation and cognitive abilities.   Some of the functions associated with Ginkgo include:   Decreased platelet aggregation (blood clotting)Decreased inflammationImproved memory and brain functionImproved circulationMood EnhancementIncreased serotonin receptorsIncreased glucose... http://www.healthcentral.com/heart-disease/c/42538/151507/prevent http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/c/42538/151462/warning-added Fri, 23 Mar 2012 14:07:04 -0400 Lisa Nelson, RD, LN Do you take statin medication to keep your cholesterol levels within normal? A warning label is being added to statin medications, including Lipitor, Crestor, and Zocor. The warning is to make users aware that the medication may raise blood sugar levels and cause memory loss.   This added warning was announced by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Tuesday, February 28, 2012.   Statins are frequently prescribed by doctors... http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/c/42538/151462/warning-added http://www.healthcentral.com/high-blood-pressure/c/42538/151373/loss Tue, 20 Mar 2012 16:47:54 -0400 Lisa Nelson, RD, LN There have been several times a member of the HealthCentral community has asked about the safety of taking a weight loss supplement (diet pill) when they have high blood pressure or take blood pressure medication.   My answer doesn't vary: "I do not recommend diet pills - whether you have high blood pressure or not. Many weight loss supplements contain "undeclared pharmaceutical ingredients", frequently in levels exceeding FDA... http://www.healthcentral.com/high-blood-pressure/c/42538/151373/loss http://www.healthcentral.com/heart-disease/c/42538/151368/government Tue, 20 Mar 2012 15:15:09 -0400 Lisa Nelson, RD, LN I was just reviewing the results of a The Harris Poll. The Harris Poll is administered by Harris Interactive. Harris Interactive is a leading custom market research firm that works with a variety of industries, including health care, technology, public affairs, energy, and telecommunications.   The poll I reviewed is focused on how American's feel about legislation to regulate healthy living, such as taxes of sugar-sweetened beverages or... http://www.healthcentral.com/heart-disease/c/42538/151368/government