FEATURE ARTICLETips To Read Nutrition Facts Labels
 You can make smart food choices quickly and easily when shopping by using the Nutrition Facts label, which is on most packaged foods. A Nutrition Facts label for a macaroni and cheese dinner is shown here.
Look at the serving size and how many servings the package contains. The label clearly outlines the calories and nutrients you get if you consume one serving (1 cup in this example). If you double the serving you eat, you double the calories and nutrients you consume. Many packaged foods contain multiple servings.
Know your fats. Look for foods low in saturated fats, trans fats, and cholesterol (with 5 percent or less Daily Value) to help reduce the risk of heart disease.
Reduce sodium (salt), increase potassium. Research shows that eating less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium (about 1 teaspoon of salt) per day can help reduce the risk of high blood pressure. Most of the sodium people eat comes from processed foods, not from the salt shaker. Also, look for foods high in potassium (with 20 percent or more Daily Value), which counteracts some of sodium’s effects on blood pressure. Learn about the DASH Eating Plan, a diet that can help reduce blood pressure.
Don’t sugar-coat it. Since sugars contribute empty calories with few, if any, nutrients, look for foods and beverages that are low in added sugars. Read the ingredients list and make sure that added sugars are not one of the first few ingredients. Other names for added sugars (caloric sweeteners) include sucrose, glucose, high-fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, maple syrup, and fructose.
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DIRECTOR'S CORNERGrantees Recognized for Top Clinical Research Accomplishments
The Clinical Research Forum has established a competition to recognize 10 outstanding clinical research accomplishments in the United States each year. The awards are given to clinicians and researchers whose work has had “significant impact on the health of our Nation.” In the competition’s inaugural round, 2010–2011, 5 of the 10 recipients are National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) grantees.
HEART HEALTHY RECIPEMediterranean Kabobs
 Cubes of beef and chicken are combined with cherry tomatoes, white onion, and red bell pepper and flavored with a marinade of lemon, garlic, and parsley for a colorful, zesty dish. One serving (3 skewers) has 202 calories, 11 grams total fat, 333 milligrams sodium, 18 grams protein, 9 grams carbohydrates, and 431 milligrams potassium. These are delicious served over orzo pasta or brown rice with a side of Asparagus With Lemon Sauce.
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VIDEOThe NHLBI “Grand Opportunity” Exome Sequencing Project
Tucked inside your cells are bundles of long, winding DNA. Your complete set of DNA, known as a genome, consists of more than 3 billion individual DNA letters, or nucleotides. However, only about 1 percent of the genome contains information needed to produce proteins, the building blocks of your body. This portion of the genome is known as the exome. Sequencing (determining the DNA nucleotide sequence) just this portion of your DNA may help identify genetic connections to heart, lung, and blood diseases.
HEALTH TOPICSSickle Cell Anemia
 Sickle cell anemia is the most common form of sickle cell disease, a serious disorder in which the body makes sickle-shaped red blood cells (shown). Sickle cells contain abnormal hemoglobin called sickle hemoglobin or hemoglobin S, which causes the cells to develop a sickle, or crescent, shape. Sickle cells are stiff and sticky. They tend to block blood flow in the blood vessels of the limbs and organs, which can cause pain, serious infections, and organ damage.
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