Recipe | Hawaiian Huli Huli Chicken

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Family Features - As you plan your summer fun, think also about adopting healthy habits that can help keep your blood pressure under control. When your blood pressure is consistently high - a condition called hypertension - blood flows through arteries at higher-than-normal pressures. This can cause serious health problems not just for your heart, but also for your blood vessels, kidneys, eyes and brain.

Hypertension affects women and men of all ages but making small lifestyle changes can go a long way toward prevention. Start with updating your summer menu with delicious, heart-healthy recipes, like Hawaiian Huli Huli Chicken.

Following a heart-healthy eating plan, such as the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), which emphasizes vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fish, poultry, beans, nuts, low-fat dairy and healthy oils, can help keep your blood pressure in a healthy range. Developed through research by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), DASH focuses on reducing sodium and limiting foods that are high in saturated fat, including fatty meats, full-fat dairy and tropical oils.

Along with adding healthy recipes to your summer menu, NHLBI's The Heart Truth program encourages these healthy habits that can help you control blood pressure:

Move more: Aim for at least 150 minutes (2 1/2 hours) of physical activity each week. Try keeping yourself on pace each week by shooting for 30 daily minutes of activity over five days.

Aim for a healthy weight: Research shows adults with overweight and obesity can lower their blood pressure by losing just 3-5% of their weight. Ask a friend or family member to join a weight loss program with you; social support can help you both stay motivated.

Manage stress: Reduce stress - which can increase blood pressure - with meditation, relaxing activities or support from a counselor or online group.

Quit smoking: Smoking damages your heart and blood vessels. Call 1-800-QUIT-NOW or find other resources available online.

Get your summer off to a heart-healthy start by talking to your health care provider about your blood pressure numbers and what they mean. To learn more about heart health and blood pressure, visit hearttruth.gov and find DASH-friendly recipes at healthyeating.nhlbi.nih.gov.

Hawaiian Huli Huli Chicken

Recipe courtesy of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4

Sauce:

2 tablespoons ketchup

2 tablespoons light soy sauce

2 tablespoons honey

2 teaspoons orange juice

1 teaspoon garlic (about 1 clove), minced

1 teaspoon ginger, minced

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12 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 2 large breasts), cut into 1-inch cubes (about 24 cubes)

1 cup fresh pineapple, diced (about 24 pieces)

8 wooden skewers (6 inches each), soaked in water

To make sauce: Combine ketchup, soy sauce, honey, orange juice, garlic and ginger; mix well. Separate into two bowls and set aside.

Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Preheat oven to 350 F.

Alternately thread three chicken cubes and three pineapple chunks on each skewer.

Grill skewers 3-5 minutes on each side. Brush or spoon sauce from one bowl onto chicken and pineapple every other minute. Discard remaining sauce from first bowl.

To prevent chicken from drying out, finish cooking to minimum internal temperature of 165 F in oven. Using clean brush or spoon, coat with sauce from remaining bowl before serving.

How to spot Medicare scams and protect yourself

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Medicare fraud occurs when someone makes false claims for health care services, procedures and equipment to obtain Medicare payments.

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Family Features - More than 65 million people in the United States were enrolled in Medicare as of February 2023, with more people becoming eligible and enrolling each year. Anyone on Medicare is at risk of Medicare-related fraud, and the Medicare program continues to warn people to watch out for scammers who steal Medicare Numbers and other personal information to exploit beneficiaries' benefits.

Broadly speaking, Medicare fraud occurs when someone makes false claims for health care services, procedures and equipment to obtain Medicare payments. Medicare fraud costs taxpayers billions of dollars and puts the health and welfare of beneficiaries at risk.

"Anyone on Medicare can be a target of Medicare fraud," said Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure. "But there are steps you can take to protect yourself and your loved ones by using CMS' fraud tips to recognize and report potential scammers. Let's all work together to make sure you're not a victim of Medicare fraud."

How to Spot Medicare Scams
There are many types of Medicare scams, taking the form of unsolicited emails, phone calls, text messages, social media posts and phony websites. Scammers often claim to be from the Medicare office, an insurance company or a government office. They'll ask for your personal and financial information, such as your Medicare or Social Security Number, so that they can submit false claims for payment.

Remember that Medicare will never call, text, email or contact you through social media asking for your Medicare Number.

How to Protect Yourself
You'll also need to know how to protect yourself from potential fraudsters. Remember to:

* Guard your Medicare Number just like your Social Security card and credit card

* Share your Medicare Number only with trusted health care providers

* Review your Medicare statements, watch for services billed that look suspicious and ask questions if something looks wrong

How to Report Scammers
Reporting Medicare fraud protects you and millions of other people with Medicare and those with disabilities. If you or someone you know have experienced Medicare fraud or suspect an offer you've received is a scam, report it as soon as possible.

To learn more about Medicare fraud, visit Medicare.gov/fraud. To report potential Medicare fraud, you can call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) or report the scam to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Information provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.