Dr. Kantor recently answered questions from the Livestrong Foundation about healthy eating, which will be featured in an upcoming article.
1) We would like to provide a list of the best foods for your heart. Any suggestions are welcome. Please provide an explanation of why each 
suggestion is healthy for the heart.
Salmon- Studies show consuming fish regularly each week is associated with a 30 percent lower risk of developing coronary heart disease over the long term. Cold water fish, such as salmon contain omega-3 fats, which lower levels of harmful lipid levels. Omega-3s also lower blood pressure slightly and can help prevent irregular heart rhythms. No common fish delivers more of the omega-3 fatty acids than salmon.
Nuts– Nuts are full of vitamins, minerals, heart-healthy monounsaturated fats. Studies suggest that people who eat approximately one ounce of raw walnuts, pecans, almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios, pine nuts and peanuts most days or more per week have a lower incidence of heart disease than people who eat them less often.
Apple- Researchers suggest that the strong antioxidant flavonoid compounds found in apples, such as, quercetin, epicatechin, epigallocatechin, kaempferol play a key role by preventing “bad” LDL cholesterol from oxidizing and triggering a series of events that result in the buildup of plaque in arteries, as well as inhibiting inflammation. Apples are also rich in pectin, a form of soluble fiber known to help lower cholesterol, and they provide a decent amount of vitamin C, another antioxidant.
Berries- Eating mixed berries daily (the darker the berry the better) is associated with increased levels of “good” HDL cholesterol and lowered blood pressure. The ranges of polyphenols that are provided by berries are responsible for the overall health benefits. Polyphenols have been shown to increase levels of nitric oxide, a molecule that produces a number of heart-healthy effects like lowering blood pressure due to the relaxation of blood vessels.
Beans -Eating just ½ cups of beans regularly is good for your heart. Soluble fiber is a key reason why beans are beneficial to your heart. The fiber binds to cholesterol and keeps it from being absorbed in the gut and building up to unhealthy levels.
2) The second piece will focus on the worst foods for appetite control. Please provide suggestions with rationale for each one.
Sugar – Foods like cake, cookies, candy or juice that are high in sugar can wreck havoc on appetite control. After the initial spike in insulin from consuming more sugar then the body can process , we get a crash which eventually leads to a plummet in insulin, resulting in a sluggish feeling and causing one to crave more sugar and carbohydrates. If insulin levels are constantly fluctuating then the metabolism is unable to burn fat and appetite will always be out of control.
White Flour – foods that contain enriched flours also will stimulate appetite for multiple reasons, including the fluctuation in blood sugar and the lack of fiber. If a food contains little or no fiber then the body will process it more like sugar, leaving someone feeling unsatisfied and craving more food which leads to poor appetite control.
This is a preview to an article that will be featured in Livestrong. Read the FULL ARTICLE HERE.
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