Question: How much water should I drink each day?
Answer: Water is your body’s principal chemical component and makes up about 50% to 70% of your body weight. Your body depends on water to survive. Every cell, tissue and organ in your body needs water to work properly
The U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine determined that an adequate daily fluid intake is:
- About 15.5 cups or about a gallon (3.7 liters) of fluids a day for men
- About 11.5 cups or about 3 quarts (2.7 liters) of fluids a day for women
These recommendations cover fluids from water, other beverages and food. About 20% of daily fluid intake usually comes from food and the rest from drinks. You don’t need to rely only on water to meet your fluid needs. What you eat also provides a significant portion. For example, many fruits and vegetables, such as watermelon and spinach, are almost 100% water by weight.
In addition, beverages such as milk, juice and herbal teas are composed mostly of water. Even caffeinated drinks — such as coffee and soda — can contribute to your daily water intake. But stay away from sugar-sweetened drinks. Regular soda, energy or sports drinks, and other sweet drinks usually contain a lot of added sugar, which may provide more calories than needed.
Got a Question? Send it to drw@weiszconciergemedical.com and, if it is of general interest, Dr. Weisz will provide an answer in an upcoming issue of the Concierge Connection.
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Bringing High Blood Pressure Under Control Through Diet
If you have high blood pressure (hypertension), the foods you eat can play a significant role in helping you manage the condition.
A heart-healthy diet is crucial for managing high blood pressure (hypertension) and reducing risks of kidney disease, stroke, and heart attack. Research supports diets high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low in sugar, meat, and alcohol.
Foods That Help Lower Blood Pressure:
- Fruits: Especially berries (rich in anthocyanins), citrus (flavonoids), bananas (potassium), kiwi, and watermelon.
- Vegetables: Beets, leafy greens (nitrates), carrots, tomatoes (lycopene), broccoli (flavonoids), and potatoes (potassium).
- Fatty Fish: Salmon, mackerel, sardines—high in omega-3 fatty acids.
- Nuts & Seeds: Almonds, walnuts, chia, and sunflower seeds (arginine).
- Legumes: Beans, lentils, peas—rich in fiber and antioxidants.
- Oats: Contain beta-glucan, support heart health.
- Olive Oil: High in healthy fats and antioxidants.
- Yogurt: Contains potassium and may lower blood pressure.
- Dark Chocolate: Rich in flavanols, improves blood flow.
- Herbs & Spices: Natural seasoning alternative, may reduce blood pressure.
- Fermented Foods: Yogurt, kimchi, kefir—contain probiotics and nutrients.
- Eggs & Lean Meats: Can be part of a balanced diet if consumed moderately.
Foods to Avoid:
- Salt: Increases fluid retention and blood pressure. Limit sodium to 1,500–2,300 mg/day.
- Caffeine: Can raise blood pressure temporarily, especially in those with hypertension.
- Alcohol: Excess raises blood pressure; moderation is key (≤2 drinks/day for men, ≤1 for women).
- Processed Foods: Often high in salt and low in nutrients—read labels carefully.
Conclusion:
Adopting a balanced, nutrient-rich diet and avoiding high-sodium, sugary, and processed foods can help manage blood pressure naturally and reduce long-term health risks. Consult a Dr. Weisz for personalized advice.
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Source: VeryWell Health: by Ann Pietrangelo. Published on November 16, 2023
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Cholesterol: Controllable & Uncontrollable
Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance made in the liver and found in foods from animals, such as dairy products, eggs, and meat. The body needs some cholesterol in order to work. But too much cholesterol can increase your risk of developing heart disease. High cholesterol risk factors can be uncontrollable or controllable:
Uncontrollable Risk Factors:
- Gender: Women’s LDL levels rise after menopause.
- Age: Risk increases for men over 45 and women over 55.
- Family History: Genetic conditions like familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) or a family history of early heart disease raise risk.
Controllable Risk Factors:
- Diet: High intake of trans fats, saturated fats, and sugar can raise LDL levels.
- Weight: Being overweight raises LDL and lowers HDL cholesterol.
- Exercise: Physical activity improves cholesterol levels and supports weight loss.
- Smoking: Damages blood vessels and lowers HDL levels.
- Type 2 Diabetes: Lowers HDL and raises triglycerides due to poor diet and inactivity.
- High Blood Pressure: Often linked with high cholesterol due to shared risk factors.
Managing controllable factors can help reduce the risk of high cholesterol and related heart disease.
While high blood pressure does not cause high cholesterol, it often shows up in people who have it. That’s because they can share many of the same risk factors like a lack of exercise, unhealthy diet, aging, and obesity. And both conditions are risk factors for heart disease, which causes the most deaths from high cholesterol.
If you have high cholesterol, you can’t do anything about the uncontrollable risk factors. But, you should consult with Dr. Weisz to help you develop a plan to reduce your controllable ones.
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Source: by Jennifer Robinson, MD on November 25, 2024. Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors
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Artificial Sweetener Found to be Harmful
Aspartame, the artificial sweetener commonly found in diet sodas and sugar-free snacks, may do significant harm to a person’s cardiovascular system. A new study suggests that aspartame may harm the cardiovascular system. Mice exposed to high levels of aspartame for 12 weeks developed more atherosclerosis, higher insulin levels, arterial plaques, and inflammation compared to control mice.
Researchers found that the protein CX3CL1 plays a key role in this process; blocking its receptors in immune cells stopped plaque development. The head of the study emphasized the need to understand the long-term effects of artificial sweeteners and aims to investigate aspartame’s impact on humans and the potential of targeting CX3CL1 to reduce cardiovascular risk.
“Artificial sweeteners have penetrated almost all kinds of food, so we have to know the long-term health impact,” the researchers pointed out.
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Source: Michael Walter | February 19, 2025 | Cardiovascular Business | Heart Health
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Using AI to Prevent Heart Attacks
A new imaging technology developed by Oxford University can directly visualize inflammation in coronary arteries, offering a more advanced way to assess heart attack risk beyond traditional cholesterol tests. The technology uses CCTA scans and AI to detect inflammation in the fat surrounding blood vessels. It’s being commercialized by Caristo and is under final review by the FDA.
The lead researcher highlighted the potential of this technology at the 2024 American Heart Association meeting, noting that this innovation addresses a long-standing goal in cardiology: identifying inflamed arteries to better prevent heart attacks. Unlike general biomarkers like CRP, this method offers more specific and targeted insights.
“It has always been the holy grail of cardiovascular prevention to be able to pick up coronary inflammation, because if you know which artery is inflamed then you know which patient needs treatments to prevent heart attacks. So we have developed a technology over the last few years that allows you to measure coronary inflammation and using AI to analyze the fat that surrounds arteries,” explained the lead researcher.
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Source: Dave Fornell | February 26, 2025 | Cardiovascular Business | Computed Tomography
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Laughter is the Best Medicine
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Ginger-marinated Grilled Portobello Mushrooms
From the Mayo Clinic Cookbook
Here’s a heart-healthy recipe that is sure to please. It’s easy, healthy and very tasty.
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup pineapple juice
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger, peeled
- 4 large portobello mushrooms (about 4 ounces each), cleaned and stems removed
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
Preparation:
- In a small bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, pineapple juice and ginger.
- Place the mushrooms in a glass dish, stemless side up. Drizzle the marinade over the mushrooms. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for about 1 hour, turning mushrooms once.
- Prepare a hot fire in a charcoal grill or heat a gas grill or broiler. Away from the heat source, lightly coat the grill rack or broiler pan with cooking spray. Position the cooking rack 4 to 6 inches from the heat source.
- Grill or broil the mushrooms on medium heat, turning often, until tender, about 5 minutes on each side. Baste with marinade to keep from drying out.
- Using tongs, transfer the mushrooms to a serving platter. Garnish with basil and serve immediately.
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