Lower Pressure Blog

What are essential oils?

If you have ever enjoyed the scent of a rose, you’ve experienced the aromatic qualities of essential oils. These naturally occurring, volatile aromatic compounds are found in the seeds, bark, stems, roots, flowers, and other parts of plants.

Essential oils give plants their distinctive smells, protect them and play a role in plant pollination.

In addition to their intrinsic benefits to plants and their beautiful fragrance, essential oils have long been used for food preparation, beauty treatment, and health-care practices such a lowering high blood pressure.

For over 5,000 years, many different cultures have used healing plant essential oil for a variety of health conditions. It is often used for relaxation, beauty care, home cleaning and most often used as natural medicine. Are there any essential oils for high blood pressure?

What do essential oils treat?

The use of essential oils for therapeutic, spiritual, hygienic and ritualistic purposes goes back to a number of ancient civilizations including the Chinese, Indians, Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans who used them in cosmetics, perfumes and drugs.

Essential oils are described by Dioscorides, along with beliefs of the time regarding their healing properties, in his “De Materia Medica”, written in the first century.

Here are a few physical and mental conditions treated by essential oils:

• Fight cold and flu symptoms
• Relax your body and soothe sore muscles
• Heal skin conditions
• Alleviate pain
• Balance hormones
• Improve digestion
• Reduce cellulite and wrinkles
• Clean your home
• Used in homemade personal care products

How are essential oils used?

Essential oils can either be used as a topical application, massage, aerial infuser, or used by direct inhalation.

They may be used alone or as a mix. Some advocates, suggest a mix to enhance the power of various plants.

Essential Oils for high blood pressure

With 70 million Americans suffering from high blood pressure, we need to find safe, effective ways to lower blood pressure without side effects. There are many potential contributing factors to high blood pressure. Obesity, a sedentary lifestyle, emotional stress, a high salt diet, smoking, high caffeine intake, and high alcohol intake are all contributors.

If you are diagnosed with high blood pressure, you might be prescribed medication to help get your blood pressure back to a “normal” or acceptable level. However, natural essential oils have been shown in a few studies to have a positive effect, lowering blood pressure.

Here’s a list of essential oils for high blood pressure:

• Jasmine Oil – Jasmine essential oil calms down the body, mind and soul while bringing forth positive and constructive emotions. It gives relief from anxiety, stress, annoyance, anger and depression as well as from inflammations of all sorts, which can affect mood and pain throughout the body. Calming the body by reducing these conditions helps lower blood pressure.
• Geranium Oil – Geranium improves circulation, detoxifies, lifts up sluggish digestion, balances emotions and promotes restful sleep. Geranium is an effective nervous system balancer which helps to calm an overactive mind. Geranium is particularly effective for stress & anxiety and is perfect to diffuse at bedtime.
• Lavender Oil –

  Lavender oil is a general healer that comes with a wide variety of therapeutic uses. In a recent study, the impulses of patients’ brains were measured before and after inhaling lavender essential oil with an EEG machine. The study revealed that lavender essential oil has several health benefits, such as reducing heart rate and blood pressure and increasing the amount of relaxation waves in the brain.

• Marjoram Oil – While this essential oil is not as widely recognized as others, sweet marjoram essential oil is still quite powerful. Studies have shown that this essential oil helps reduce myocardial oxidative stress, which can lead to heart failure. This may prevent someone from suffering a heart attack. While this is a lesser known essential oil, it has been used in traditional Moroccan medicine to naturally treat hypertension for many years.
• Rose Oil – Almost all hormonal and emotional complaints can be addressed by the use of rose essential oil. It has a great ability to increase blood circulation, which makes it particularly useful for lowering high blood pressure.
• Lemon Oil – Lemon balm essential oil is also a tonic for the heart, resulting in a decrease in blood pressure. It protects against heart palpitations, tachycardia, and heart attacks. With its strong antidepressant properties, it increases mood and restores the balance of emotions.
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Watch How Mark Lowered His Blood Pressure Naturally. It was 150/100, this morning it was 110/79 Watch Video


• Valerian Oil Root – Valerian essential oil eases heart palpitations, insomnia, hyperactivity, and nervous tension. This may be the best oil to use at bedtime in order to get a deep and restful night’s sleep. Valerian essential oil is known to have powerful calming effects on the nervous system. It relaxes the tense sympathetic nervous system and stimulates the counteractive parasympathetic nervous system, which tells the body to rest and relax.
• Frankincense Oil – Frankincense has long been used to reduce stress levels and promote mental clarity. It has been used in ancient Egyptian ceremonies to promote peace of mind and stillness. Frankincense is a powerful essential oil that has a calming effect on the body. This not only reduces stress levels but also regulates the heart.

  Here’s a short interesting video about Frankincense oil.

• Bergamot Oil – Studies have revealed that bergamot essential oil reduces high blood pressure when it is diffused and inhaled for 15-60 minutes. This means that those who use bergamot essential oil for aromatherapy typically show a significant reduction not only in their blood pressure but also their heart rate.
• Ylang Ylang Oil – Studies have also combined ylang ylang essential oil and bergamot essential oil, providing an impressive result of the inhalation of these essential oils together not only reduces blood pressure but cortisol levels as well. The use of these essential oils is an effective nursing intervention for those suffering from hypertension.
• Neroli Oil – is an essential oil produced from the blossom of the bitter orange tree (Citrus aurantium). Its scent is sweet, honeyed and somewhat metallic with green and spicy facets. It is wildly used in perfumes, and is also in limited use in the flavoring industry.
  Studies have shown that Neroli essential oil is effective for insomnia and depression and when used together with Lavender, marjoram and Ylang Ylang, it has effect on blood pressure.
• Sage Oil – Clary Sage oil are known to relieve tension and stress, which are contributing factors to high blood pressure. In a study, participants inhaled Clary Sage oil for 60 minutes and saw an average decrease of 4.7% in systolic and 5.1% in diastolic blood pressure.

There are other types of edible oils which are not in this group of essential oils, but also have health benefits, such as olive oil and coconut oil.

Mistakes you might make with essential oils for high blood pressure

The following video is about the dangers of using essential oils in general

Seems that there is a very impressive list of different essential oils to lower blood pressure here. Now please DO NOT INGEST BY MOUTH.These are for infusion into the air, or an inhalation for breathing , or as a rub.

Please purchase from a reputable dealer. As with other alternative therapies we advise to continue with your hypertension medication if your health practitioner has prescribed you medication. Never stop taking your medication on your own, but allow the prescriber to reduce as necessary.

To the ancient world this fruit was as much sacred as it was delectable.

In many cultures it was the symbol of fertility. In others a symbol of prosperity or the fruit of life. Throughout the centuries it has been highly prized for its healing powers. But research is now showing that just 2 ounces of the juice from this powerful fruit can lower your blood pressure as effectively as an ACE inhibitor without the unwanted side effects.

While drinking juice is great for your health generally you have to drink large quantities to gain significant benefits. Not so with the juice of a pomegranate. Pomegranate juice, even in small quantities, has shown that it’s powerful. It has the ability to lower blood pressure, improve cholesterol, decrease plaque in your arteries, and reduce your risk of heart disease.

Pomegranate juice also has powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that protect your cardiovascular system. Decreasing the possibility of heart attack and stroke Pomegranate juice is definitely a juice we should start our day with. 

Recent research on pomegranate juice to lower blood pressure

In a recent clinical trial it had been shown that as little as 2 ounces of pomegranate juice daily lowers your blood pressure, improves cholesterol, and cleanses plaque from your arteries. This, in turn, will reduce heart disease and other cardiovascular diseases. This is an amazing fruit indeed.

According to the research, “Its ability to act as an ACE inhibitor (angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor) is what allows pomegranate juice to lower blood pressure. ACE inhibitors include high blood pressure drugs like lisinopril and work by decreasing angiotensin activity, an enzyme that is made when the kidneys receive a signal to help blood pressure.

Inhibiting ACE helps blood vessels to relax and open up, thus lowering blood pressure and allowing more blood and oxygen to get to the heart.

In a small clinical trial, ten patients with high blood pressure were given 50 mL of pomegranate juice daily, which is a little less than 2 ounces. Seven of 10 subjects (70%) experienced a 36% average decrease in ACE activity and a statistically significant 5% decrease in systolic blood pressure.”

“If you have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or documented heart disease or atherosclerosis, nothing could be simpler or more natural than drinking a little daily pomegranate juice to lower blood pressure and improve your blood vessel health.”

How should you drink pomegranate juice?

If you are able, the best possible way to drink it is fresh at home. It is much easier than you think. You start by using a sharp knife and pierce the skin, being careful not to cut through to the seeds. Run your knife around the middle like you are circling the globe, and then pull the pomegranate apart so you have 2 halves. Insert in your juice press and there you have it.

If you don’t have a juice press and need to purchase your juice, ensure that you buy only 100% pomegranate juice without others fruits added. Enjoy pomegranate juice with ice and a sprig of mint and feels its curative powers go to work.

What Type Of Pomegranate Juice Are best for high blood pressure?

There are some pomegranate juices passed off as pomegranate juice but really are not. For example, Coca-Cola sells a pomegranate-blueberry juice and because it is made by Coca-Cola, it is only 0.1% pomegranate juice, not even 1%. So when looking for a juice to lower blood pressure you want 100% concentrated pomegranate juice.

You might want to take a look at a product called, Lakewood organic pomegranate juice. You can also take a look at Vitacost 100% Pure Pomegranate Juice Concentrate. When looking at the label you want to ensure that there are no added sugars e.g. fructose syrup etc. You can find a really good juice at any whole foods market and if you need help ask.

I like the concentrate, but do not drink it straight it will make your face pucker. Just 8 ounces of pomegranate juice daily can lower your systolic and diastolic blood pressure.

Here’s a short video that summarizes the health benefits of pomegranate juice:

Resources on pomegranate juice to lower blood pressure and more…

• Pomegranate, the fruit from paradise
• Additional Healthy Teas, Soups & Juices to lower blood pressure

Salmon is a wonderful fish to enjoy especially if you are maintaining a heart-healthy diet. This fish is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, high in B-vitamins, is a great source of potassium, and may reduce the risk of heart disease.

The recipe not only features the “Oat Crusted Salmon” but also a side of veggie kebobs to make this a complete heart-healthy meal.

Ingredients

• 2 x 100-120g salmon fillets
• 1 tablespoon rolled oats
• 1 tablespoon almonds
• 1 tablespoon fresh dill
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Vegetable Kebabs

• 6 Bamboo Skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes
• 1 medium red capsicum, halved, seeded, cut into chunks
• 1 zucchini, cut into chunks
• ½ red onion, cut into chunks
• 6 cherry tomatoes
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
• 2 lemon wedges, to serve

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/ 366 F. Line a small baking tray and a large baking tray with baking paper. Set aside

2. To prepare salmon crust, place rolled oats, almonds, dill, lemon zest, lemon juice and olive oil in a mortar and pestle and pound until paste forms. If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, a small food processor can be used instead.

3. Place salmon fillets onto prepared small baking tray and press crust on top. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes until salmon is cooked and crust is golden.

4. To prepare vegetable skewers, place capsicum, zucchini, red onion, cherry tomatoes, garlic, and pepper into a small bowl and toss to combine. Thread the vegetables onto 4 skewers.

5. Place vegetable skewers onto the prepared large baking tray and bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes until vegetables are roasted and cooked through.
Serve salmon with vegetable skewers and a lemon wedge.

We collected dozens of great heart healthy recipes for you – Here they are…

A Few words of introduction to this guest post.

Reducing or even eliminating anti-hypertension medications is one of the top questions we receive. Our standard answer is RESPeRATE will bring your blood pressure down and it will be up to your doctor to adjust the medications as he or she is responsible for your overall treatment regimen. We further warn that you should not modify the medications on your own.

While the answer is right on, we thought you might be interested in a more detailed personal perspective from one of the country’s leading Preventive Medicine experts, Dr. Ford Brewer, who recently got his blood pressure down using RESPeRATE.

Dr. Brewer started as an Emergency Doctor. After seeing to many preventable heart attacks, he went to Johns Hopkins to learn Preventive Medicine and eventually led the postgraduate program in prevention. Dr. Brewer has over 25 publications in peer-reviewed medical journals and has run several large medical staff teams in prevention, primary care, and telemedicine.

In his quest to “make stroke optional” he co-founded PrevMed Heart Attack and Stroke Prevention and created a very popular Youtube channel dedicated to prevention. (see links at the bottom).

Recently, Dr. Brewer reported to us that after using RESPeRATE his blood pressure dropped to 102/64, numbers which he has not seen in decades.

Following, Dr. Brewer decided to offer RESPeRATE to his patients and was happy to indulge us with the below guest post.

Eli Ben-Yehuda

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Can You Drop Your Anti-Hypertensive Medications?

My short answer to the question is it possible to eliminate any-hypertensive medications is YES. BUT it must be done methodically and responsibly together with your doctor.

The professional terminology for the process is “step-down procedure”, which I’ll detail below but let me take you from the top.

Lowering Your Risk

As a physician seeing a patient with consistently high blood pressure readings my number one concern is lowering your risk of stroke, heart failure, kidney failure, etc.
The data is very clear. If I can reduce your blood pressure toward the optimal 115/75 points I can literally save you from having a cardiovascular event. Having spent years as an ER doctor I can attest it’s not something you want to have.

With that in mind, I look at you, the patient trying to quickly assess if I have to put you on medication ASAP or we can try a couple of months of lifestyle modification first.

If your readings are not crazy and you seem like a person who has the motivation I’ll put in the extra effort and customize a plan for you. Losing extra weight, exercise, dietary changes, supplements, and more recently RESPeRATE. You probably know the drill. If not check my Youtube channel and website below, as it’s not the subject of this post.

If your readings are very high you’re getting a prescription on the spot – I would rather be safe than sorry.

Life On Medication

Anti-hypertensive medications are safe, but I know from personal experience that some can have side effects.

To make things worse, in many cases, one anti-hypertensive medication is not enough to get your readings to where they need to be even if initially it worked.

With some patients, it’s a long process of trying out different mediation classes and combinations until we get that stubborn blood pressure under control.
In some cases, it means two, three, or even more medications if you can tolerate it. This opens up Pandora’s box of drug-to-drug interaction, but I’m simply not going to have you having a stroke.

By this point, I hope you can now better appreciate why I or any other physician might be reluctant to play ball with a patient who “simply” wants to eliminate their medications.

So what can be done?

Eliminating The Additional Medication

The easiest path to eliminating an anti-hypertensive medication is actually not adding a new one.

Now, this might sound trivial but it’s actually a very powerful and common scenario in my practice.

So you are already on one or two medications but your blood pressure is still too high. The standard operating procedure is to increase the dosage or add an additional medication.

That said, I will be very open to postponing the decision by a couple of months IF you, the patient, show real commitment to implement that non-drug plan treatment plan I’ve put for you including taking a daily blood pressure reading at home.

I have countless patients whom together we were able to successfully get their blood pressure under control without adding that additional medication.

Step-Down & Washout Procedures

Let me begin with the latter. A washout procedure is a term typically used in clinical trials for new medications. To ensure the effect measured is of the new medications, patients are instructed to stop taking their old medication for a period of time.

A large systematic review of clinical trials using such procedure in hypertension published in the hypertension journal demonstrated a striking result.

The blood pressure of 40% of the patients remained controlled a year after the washout and 25% of the patients had controlled blood pressure two years later. This was more the case for patients on a single anti-hypertensive (mono-therapy), had lower blood pressure prior to the washout, and with lower body weight.

The Factors To Eye-Popping Percentage Including:

• Initial misdiagnosis: Some studies suggest that up to 26% of diagnosed with hypertension patents actually had the white-coat syndrome.
• Effective Lifestyle modifications.
• Excessive dosage: in some cases, older guidelines had what is now consider excessive dosage leading to side effects w/o extra benefits.

A word of caution – don’t go rushing to “washout” your medication on your own hoping you’ll be in the 25% and having a stroke in the process. Read on.
Now the step-down procedure is basically a controlled withdrawal of one or more medications AFTER your blood pressure was controlled for one year or more. The approach has been advocated recently by some of the country’s leading hypertension specialists and I wholeheartedly support it.

Summary & Things To Avoid

If my patient’s blood pressure is well controlled and has no side effects I’m content and I frankly wouldn’t initiate any a washout or step-down procedure. However, I’m happy to play ball if the patient asks me to do so.

From a physician perspective the key principle to avoiding additional medications, a step-down,- or washout procedure are all similar:

1. First and foremost, a patient who understands we are on the same team trying everything is the toolbox for their lower cardiovascular event risk.

2. Second, increased monitoring of blood pressure to keep a tab on both trends and spikes. Daily home blood pressure is preferred and I typically want to see the readings more frequently.

3. Third, a customized lifestyle modification plan that will work for the patient – If you have extra weight we will deal with it. The 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week, the dietary changes and supplements you might need, and lastly RESPeRATE (which your physician might not be acquainted with). Your physician knows it all but you’ve got to help him or her help you and really do it.

4. Let stress again NOT do this alone. You have to work with your physician. I’m serious, skipping days or changing dosage can lead to dangerous blood pressure spikes and abruptly stopping some particular medication classes for example short-acting beta-blocker class (eg, propranolol as Inderal or an alpha-2 agonist (eg, clonidine as Catapres, guanfacine as Tenex, guanabenz as Wytensin) can lead to fatal withdrawal syndrome.

The bottom line is YES, eliminating your blood pressure meds is possible so please simply work with your doctor.

You are welcome to visit me at:

My YouTube Channel

PrevMed Health Website

Garlic is known to lower blood pressure, but it comes with a twist. Many have a problem with the strong taste and smell. Pickled Garlic, though, makes it more favorable, taking out the smells and adding flavors. Try this recipe below and add some garlic to many of your recipes.

Consuming garlic on a daily basis (in food or raw) helps to lower cholesterol levels because of the anti-oxidant properties of Allicin. It is also immensely beneficial to regulate blood pressure and blood sugar levels.

While garlic ranks as an excellent source of manganese and vitamin B6, a very good source of vitamin C and copper, and a good source of selenium, phosphorus, vitamin B1, and calcium in our WHFoods rating system, it is the sulfur compounds in garlic that serve as its spotlight nutrients in terms of overall health

Ingredients:

• 3 garlic bulbs, separated into cloves. (The amount will vary slightly depending on the size of your garlic)
• 700 ml vinegar, eg: white wine vinegar, red wine vinegar or cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon pure salt (not table salt, which has anti-caking additives that will make the brine cloudy)
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 3 all spice berries
• 1 whole dried chilli, or 0.5 teaspoon chilli flakes
• spring fresh basil
• Sterilized 500ml jar

Instructions

1. Blanch the garlic cloves in boiling water for one minute. This will loosen the papery skins and allow you to slip them off easily, once cool

2. Measure all the spices into a sterilized jar

3. Add the garlic cloves

4. Boil the vinegar, then pour it over the garlic cloves

5. Seal the jar and leave to cool overnight, before refrigerating.

Pickled cloves can be used in place of fresh garlic. Or try using them to stuff pitted olives, served alongside cheese canapés, added to Mediterranean stews, mashed into potato with olive oil, or served alongside other zingy palate cleansers at a raclette dinner.

Click Here For the full recipe and more.

Pistachio nuts originated in the Middle East. They are naturally low in sodium and monounsaturated fats and high in magnesium, all of which make them an ideal food to include as part of a blood pressure lowering diet. The slim, oblong nuts range from pale yellow to dark green and have a unique flavor and scent.

Pistachios are also useful in supporting healthy cholesterol levels and contain more antioxidant power per 100 grammes than blueberries, blackberries and pomegranate juice. Pistachios can be kept fresh in the fridge in an airtight container, or frozen for storage of up to a year.

Ingredients

• 1 cup fresh basil leaves
• ¼ cup shelled, roasted pistachios, roughly chopped
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Pecorino cheese
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/8 tsp cracked pepper
• 250 g dry pasta

Directions:

1. Place the basil, cheese, pistachios, garlic, oil and pepper into a food processor and blend thoroughly.

2. Boil the pasta as directed on the packet and drain. Place all the ingredients in a large bowl and combine together. Serve warm with crusty bread and green salad.

We collected dozens of great heart healthy recipes for you – Here they are…

Smoldering culinary delights from, “South of The Border” are always a great way to shake up your menu. Whether your are serving cheesy oven baked nachos, spicy bean burritos, or spicy chicken quesadillas, add this touch of southwestern flavor to your dinner menu tonight.

When creating this dish ensure to use low fact products such as low fat cheese and sour cream. Using full fat products will eliminate any heart healthiness from the recipe. And we all want to be as heart healthy as possible.

Ingedients:

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 Anaheim pepper, chopped
• 1 jalapeño pepper, chopped
• 1 yellow, red or green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 large sweet potato or yam, peeled and chopped in small cubes
• 3 tomatillos (can omit if unavailable)
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 3 cups cooked black beans or 2 (15 ounce) cans low sodium black beans, drained
• 3 cups diced tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cups frozen sweet corn kernels
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 12 corn tortillas
• 1/4 cup pepitos (shelled pumpkin seeds) as a garnish
• 1/2 cup nondairy cheese, optional
• 1/2 cup guacamole and/or salsa, optional

Directions:

1- Water-saute onions and peppers, add yams, tomatillos, spices, beans, tomatoes, frozen corn and cilantro.

2- Simmer for 30 minutes or until potatoes are cooked through. Add a small amount of water if mixture gets too dry.

3- Spray a 13”x 9”x 2” pan lightly with cooking spray if not nonstick.

4- Place a small amount of chili mixture on bottom, then layer 6 tortillas, chili mixture, remaining tortillas and remaining chili mixture.

5- Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds (pepitos) and non-dairy cheese if using. Bake at 375 degrees F for 20-30 minutes.

6- Serve with guacamole and salsa if desired.

We collected dozens of great heart healthy recipes for you – Here they are…

This weeks question comes from Antonia M, from Gallup NM. She asks, “Does Stevia lower blood pressure?” With refined sugar now recognized as harmful, sweetener alternatives have become incredibly common. Stevia is one of the more popular choices. It’s is one of the few natural sweeteners, it doesn’t jack up your blood sugar, and it doesn’t have the same health question marks that dog many artificial sweeteners on the market.

Stevia What We Know

Although stevia is not new to the rest of the world, it wasn’t approved for use in the US by the FDA until relatively recently. That means that there are still many studies being done on stevia to see how it could affect your body. One of the major positive side effects of stevia leaves, however, is that it appears to lower blood pressure.

Lower Blood Pressure?

This can be beneficial when it is used properly. However, stevia doesn’t always safely lower blood pressure. Because so little is currently known about this sweetner, you should consult a doctor if you plan to use it to help lower your blood pressure.

Low blood pressure is actually just as bad for you as high blood pressure. Low blood pressure can cause fatigue, weakness and lightheaded. However, you can avoid these symptoms by talking to your doctor. He or she may agree that stevia can help you or she may be able to recommend something that will lower your blood pressure more safely.

The two active ingredients that make stevia sweet are called stevioside and rebaudioside A.

What The Studies Reveal

A one-year trial on participants with high blood pressure found that those given 750 milligrams stevioside per day decreased their systolic blood pressure by 8.1 percent and diastolic blood pressure by 13.8 percent after three months. Impressively, they were able to maintain this reduction for the next nine months.

Another study using high doses of stevioside (1,500 milligrams per day) noted that after two years, blood pressure decreased by 6.5 percent.

Several studies failed to find any health benefits; however, these were very short-term and used healthy participants. Sweetener users are typically in it for the long haul.

If you’re looking to replace sugar, or are already using another type of sweetener, stevia appears to be the best choice for those with elevated blood pressure. It’s by no means a quick fix, but the long-term effects seem to be safe and may even be beneficial.

Jiaozi (pot-stickers)are a kind of Chinese dumpling, commonly eaten in China and other parts of East Asia. They are one of the major dishes eaten during the Chinese New Year and year-round in the northern provinces.

Add them to this stir fry and you have a wonderful home made meal for your family. Instead carry-out, this a definite must try in your kitchen this weekend. Serve with a tasty side salad with a fresh ginger salad dressing.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp. canola oil
• 16 frozen vegetable pot-stickers
• 2 tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tsp. honey
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 red chili, thinly sliced
• 1 clove garlic, very finely chopped
• 1 tbsp. finely grated fresh ginger
• 12 oz. sugar snap peas
• 1 large carrot (about 6 oz.), cut into matchsticks
• 1 yellow pepper, cut into 1/2″ slices
• Lime wedges, for serving

Instructions:

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the pot-stickers and cook until lightly browned on all sides, 4 to 6 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons water to the skillet, cover and cook until the water has evaporated and the pot-stickers are cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes; transfer to a plate. In a bowl, whisk together the soy sauce and honey.

2. Heat the remaining tablespoon oil and add the scallions, chili, garlic, and ginger and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the snap peas, carrot, and pepper and toss to combine. Cover and cook, shaking the pan occasionally, for 2 minutes. Uncover and continue cooking, shaking the pan occasionally, until the vegetables are tender.

3. Add the soy sauce mixture and toss to combine. Return the pot-stickers to the pan and toss with the vegetables. Serve with lime wedges, if desired.

We collected dozens of great heart healthy recipes for you – Here they are…