Posts Tagged ‘Heart’

Healthy Eating For a Woman's Heart

January 29th, 2010 admin

If the adage that the best way for a woman to a man’s heart is through his stomach, then it must imply that a woman has to be good at cooking. Being good at cooking does not mean being able to prepare delicious foods only; it also must take into consideration health factors such as nutrition and what it can do to a person’s health.

Healthy Eating Practices

In the case of women, it is important to eat nutritious foods, but it is also imperative that she must eat foods that will be beneficial for her heart in order to help her avoid heart diseases. In order to keep heart diseases at bay, women should bear in mind the following things:

Avoid eating in restaurants or fast-food chains, which are notorious for including high levels of fats and salt in their foods.

Be sure to include soluble fiber in your diet. Soluble fibers are the body’s cleaners. It eliminates the toxins in the body from foods and help in reducing the risk of heart diseases by washing away fats and other substances that can block the arteries.

The method of preparation also matters. In this case, it would be better to boil foods instead of frying them. This is because fried foods enhance the fat level on the food, making them more risky for a woman’s heart.

Heart-Healthy Foods

The following are the best foods for women to eat in order to keep their heart healthy:

Fish. Fishes are not only great sources of iron, protein, and iodine. Some fishes are also rich in omega 3 fatty acids that help lower the cholesterol level in the body. Fishes that are rich in omega 3 are salmon, mackerel, and herring.

Make sure that your body has ample supply of calcium. The best sources of calcium are dairy products such as milk and cheese. However, women have to remember that the dairy products they will be taking are the low-fat variety. Enough vitamin C in the body facilitates a faster consumption of vitamin D, which not only strengthens the bones but also diminish the chances of getting heart diseases.

Women have greater chances of dying from their first heart attack than men. Because of this, a woman has to be doubly concerned for her heart. Eating beans regularly will serve the body with fiber that is essential in keeping the heart healthy.

Eating tofu and other soy products can reduce the level of bad cholesterol in the body while increasing the level of good cholesterol. This is one way for a woman to protect herself from heart diseases.

Posted in Health & Safety Tags: , , , No Comments »

Remedies to Prevent Coronary Heart Disease And Stroke

January 28th, 2010 admin

Coronary heart disease and heart attack and stroke can be avoided to a large extent by lifestyle measures. The direct causes of coronary heart disease and stroke are factors like these:

- Restriction of blood vessels in the heart and the rest of the body by arteriosclerosis.
- High blood cholesterol level.
- High blood pressure.
- Excess weight.
- Diabetes.
- High level of the amino acid homocysteine in the blood.
- High content of low density lipoprotein (LDL) and low-density lipoprotein (HDL) in blood. Lipoprotein is a combination of protein and fatty substances that are linked to each other.
- Inflammation in the circulatory system.
- High age.
- Inherited tendencies for high cholesterol and heart disease.
- Men are more likely to get heart disease than women.

These factors are interrelated in complex ways, and are causing or amplifying each other. For example, arteriosclerosis will cause higher blood pressure, high blood pressure and will cause even more atherosclerosis. Many of these factors are ultimately caused or aggravated by the lifestyle of these factors:

-A too-high intake of fat, cholesterol and sugar.
-The fat consumption of the wrong type.
-Lack of fiber, vitamins, minerals and other dietary deficiencies.
-The stress at work and in everyday life.
-Lack of exercise.

Lifestyle adjustments will therefore be the main methods of prevention of heart failure.

A diet with the aim of preventing heart disease is usually the same as a diet to prevent cancer and other diseases. Here are the general diet advice

- Avoid or reduce the amount of food that are industrially processed, artificially made or heavily fried.

- Eating fish at least every second day. Also eat seafood and fouls.

- Do not eat much red meat.

- Eat 5 fruits or vegetables per day. Each piece should be the size of an apple or carrot. They should be raw or carefully boiled so that nutrients are not washed out.

- Eat full corn bread, whole grain corn, peas, beans and potatoes.

- Eat only a moderate amount of fat.
- Consume cholesterol rich foods like egg, spawn or liver in only moderate amounts.
- Ideally most fat you eat, shall be of the mono-unsaturated. You also need some of the polyunsaturated omega-3 and omega 6, but not too much of omega-6. The consumption of saturated fats should be moderate.
- In order to achieve a balance of fat, most of the fat supply should come from a mixture of sources such as olive oil, canola oil, nuts, sunflower oil, sunflower oil, linseed oil (oil fiber), fish and fish oil.

- Use only a moderate amount of soy oil and corn oil in the diet. Only using such oil types will give you too much polyunsaturated fat of the omega-6-type.

- Use only a very moderate amount of fat sources like butter, coconut oil and palm oil. A high level of consumption of these fat sources gives you a lot of saturated fat.

- Avoid letting the fat has been chemically modified, thus called trans-fat. This type of fat is often found in margarines, crackers, snack foods, fast food and other food pre-made.

- Consume just a very moderate amount of sugar, refined flour or refined cereals.

- Consume just a moderate amount of tranquilizers and stimulants like alcohol and caffeine.

- Use only a moderate amount of salt in food. However, in hot weather and the hard physical work, you will need more salt.

Evidence suggests that it will be helpful to take supplements of some natural substances to prevent heart disease and help improve already have heart problems. These supplements are:

- Supplement of vitamin C was thought to help prevent heart disease, but more recent findings cast doubt on that.

- Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), folic acid / foliate, vitamin B12 and riboflavin appeared to prevent the accumulation of the chemical homocysteine in the blood and thus help prevent heart disease, according to the results of research projects.

The style of the measures referred to in this article will also help you loose weight. If these measures fail, you should consider a greater involvement in the specific program for weight reduction. You should choose a program that has a moderate fat content philosophy. Some programs of weight loss have a higher fat and low-carb philosophy, and those are probably not the best to reduce the chance of getting heart disease.

You should do some exercises at least half an hour at least every second day. Training as a condition vigorous walking, jogging, cycling or swimming is the best to reduce the likelihood heart attack. Muscle building exercises are also of value, especially exercises building leg muscles

If you smoke, stop or radically reduce this habit will reduce the chance of getting heart problems.

If you have type 1diabetes, good control of the disease through medication and insulin diet adjustments will help prevent heart disease.

Many people over 50 years, and a growing number of young people suffering from type 2 diabetes because of bad lifestyle. This disease does not necessarily give dramatic symptoms, but the disease increases the chance of serious heart problems, and many have the disease without knowing it.

Posted in Health & Safety Tags: , , , , , No Comments »

Diabetes – A High Risk Factor For Coronary Heart Disease

January 28th, 2010 admin

It is alarming to know that every year diabetes mellitus kills more than 70,000 United States residents and about 20 million people in U. S. alone suffer from this disease. Five in hundred people in the U. K. are affected with diabetes. In Canada about 6 per cent of their population is with diabetes mellitus which invariably accounts for about 20,000 deaths annually according to experts. In addition, diabetes is a contributory factor in heart diseases and other related health conditions.

Diabetes is caused by the body resistance to, or deficiency of the hormone insulin which helps in removal of excess sugar from the blood stream into the body cells so that it can be used as a source of energy.

If this hormone insulin is deficient or ineffective, blood sugar rises causing excessive urination, hunger and thirst. Apart from excess urine, additional symptoms may include weight loss, nausea, vomiting, blurred vision, irritability, weakness and fatigue.

There are two main types of diabetes:

Type 1: Insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) or otherwise known as juvenile onset diabetes, this type normally starts at childhood or early adulthood and has a very strong genetic components. This type is characterized by a complete lack of insulin as the name implies and must be treated with regular insulin injections.

This type 1 diabetes is also an autoimmune disease (that is a condition whereby the body disease fighting immune system attacks the healthy tissues and cells). In this case the immune system attacks and destroys insulin producing cells in the pancreas.

Type 2: Non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) or maturity onset diabetes tends to develop in middle age or older individuals particularly those who are obese.

In this case the pancreas secrets enough insulin, but the body cells seem resistant to the effects making the body to release more insulin in the blood by trying to overcome the resistance.

Most cases of type 2 diabetes can be managed with a combination of diet, exercise and oral medication. Symptoms include repeated infections or skin sore that heals slowly or not at all, numbness in the hand or feet, tiredness and nausea.

For women, it is particularly important because diabetes seems to affect the female hormone and as a result, many women with diabetes develop coronary heart disease. Diabetes may cause blockage of large blood vessels that can lead to severe cardiovascular problems.

Studies have shown that some environmental factors can trigger type 1 diabetes in people with genetic predisposition for the disease.

Researchers attribute type 2 diabetes to obesity. So every pound of excess weight you gain increases your chance by 5 per cent at least.

Treatment includes controlling the amount of glucose in your blood stream depending on the type of diabetes, physical exercise, controlled diet and medication makes it less common. Most importantly, check your blood sugar regularly and see your physician for a more qualified advice.

A couple of drugs like, Glucophage, Actos, Precose, Avandis and many others have been developed to help with type 2 diabetes. Consult your doctor for a detailed and proper form of treatment.

Knowledge is power, so Learn and Live!

Posted in Health & Safety Tags: , , , , , , No Comments »

Ingredients to a Healthy Heart

January 28th, 2010 admin

Do you ever wonder how the Healthy Heart Diet works to help you lower the risk of having heart disease? Especially high is the risk of heart disease in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Overweight and obesity are among the major contributing factors in heart problems. Heart Smart Diet works by helping you reduce your consumption of saturated fat and dietary cholesterol. These two are replaced with lots of fiber-rich foods that are famous for lowering LDL. These are whole grains, vegetables, fruits, beans, and cereals. Depending on where you obtain your health information, you will find a wide range of ideas for lowering cholesterol. Lowering cholesterol through diet will only be one of them.

The first element of a cholesterol lowering diet will be that it eliminates those foods that are high in saturated fats, primarily meats such as beef and pork. If you are really serious about improving your cholesterol, you will want to avoid them completely until you have reached your goals. These types of foods also are nutrient dense, so that they provide your body with the vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids that it requires. Any diet for lowering cholesterol that does not emphasize high nutrition foods is doomed to fail as cravings will soon kick in.

It is important that you maintain a proper weight according to your build. Being overweight stresses the heart and saps your energy. If you want a healthy heart you need to bring your weight down to what is recommended for your height. In order to do so, you would need to change your lifestyle and food habits – sometimes drastically – so you would eliminate the excess fat from your body. Reducing weight is well worth the trouble, since being overweight (along with obesity and heart problems) are major contributors to heart disease and heart attack.

The use of seal oil is also best for having healthy heart. It is because it contains very less saturated fats which can be absorbed by the body very soon and give you relief from many heart diseases. Another best remedy for a healthy heart is drinking toned milk. It is because this type of milk has the power to prevent your heart from large number of serious conditions like stroke and heart disease. This toned milk contains protein, vitamin D and magnesium calcium which increase the power of milk to have healthy heart advantages.

Choose from the wide array of meals we have in our current menu’s page where you can choose which meal you would be having from breakfast till dinner all delivered to your doorstep. We utilize the latest technologies in food preparation and preservation that allows food to last longer without the use of preservatives or other artificial methods/chemicals. The food you get is assured fresh and crisp each and everytime.

Eating a diet that is low in saturated fats and cholesterol will increase your chances of preventing heart disease. Your body actually turns saturated fats into cholesterol so you want to avoid it as much as you can. Fresh fruits and vegetables are great to add to your diet as well as foods that are not processed and have no preservatives and are low in sodium. Engaging in regular exercise can strengthen your heart and lower your risk of heart disease. Even something as simple as walking can be beneficial. It can also help to lower your blood pressure.

Posted in Health & Safety Tags: , , No Comments »

Home Remedies And Natural Treatment For Heart Disease

January 27th, 2010 admin

Heart disease is a disorder that affects the ability of the heart to function normally. The common types of heart disease are coronary heart disease, pulmonary heart disease, ischaemic heart disease, hereditary heart disease, inflammatory heart disease, hypertensive disease and valvular disease.

The common symptoms of heart disease are heaviness or pressure on the chest, shortness of breath, irregular or fast heartbeats, dizziness, nausea, excessive heart palpitations and back or shoulder pain. If you encounter any of these problems, it would be wise to consult a doctor as soon as possible.

Heart disease is primarily a disease of poor and sedentary lifestyle, and can be largely preventable through risk factor awareness and modification. The best way to prevent heart disease is to control blood pressure and have LDL cholesterol at low levels. You can attain these goals by making appropriate diet changes and even by taking medications if so recommended by your doctor.

Regular exercise can also reduce the risks of heart disease. Making change in some habits, such as walking to work, can make you healthier. Walking is perhaps the easiest and healthiest way to make you physically active and healthy. In order to prevent heart disease, you need to make changes in your diet, together with reducing excess weight and maintaining blood sugar levels as well as taking nutritional supplements that are suggested by your health experts.

The dietary modifications you need to make to lower cholesterol are restrict cheese intake, fat milk and butter, choose lean cuts of meat and remove all visible fat, eat skinless chicken, fish or beans, and do not consume pasties, chips and cakes.

Grapes are recommended for heart patients because, being soft, slimy and cold, grapes have a soothing and calming effect on the heart muscles. Another useful home remedy is to prepare a decoction by boiling approx. 1 to 2 tsp dried ginger. Take it warm, once or twice a day.

A sweet jelly of apple and carrot is also beneficial and act as a heart tonic. The patient can also take approx. 1 to 2 tsp fresh betel juice extracted by pounding betel leaves. A moderate intake of ripe mangoes strengthens the heart and gives relief from palpitations. Take 3 to 5 grams of the powdered seeds of lotus twice, to soothe and calm the heart.

Meditation, pranayama and regular walking for 1 to 2 hours in the morning are also helpful in making you and your heart healthier. Good sleep, fresh air, rest and peace of mind are also necessary for heart patients.

Disclaimer: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the hypertension home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products or ingredients if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the website or the writer.

Copyright © Ryan Mutt, All Rights Reserved. If you want to use this article on your website or in your ezine, make all the urls (links) active.

Posted in Health & Safety Tags: , , , , , No Comments »

Obesity is an Invitation to Heart Disease Attack

January 27th, 2010 admin

According to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States, nearly 40 per cent of its population is obese. The number of obese children has tripled over the last 2 decades. Despite the exhortations of different health experts to eat less and exercise more, millions of people in industrialized nations have been getting fatter. Latest figure show that more than half the adult population is overweight, and about one in five is obese. Basically speaking, this means that one out of three of you reading this, is technically overweight or obese.

Obesity is simply an excess of fat deposit in our body cells. When deposited as a high risk abdominal fat, they make the body resistant to the effect of insulin causing its level in the blood to rise. Raised insulin can lead to high blood pressure, raised blood lipids and increase in blood sugar level. And all this indices indicates greater risk of coronary heart disease.

Are you at risk?

There are several ways of knowing and measuring obesity- Body mass Index (BMI). This is commonly used to measure your weight relative to your height. That is by taking your weight in kilogram and dividing it by the square of your height in meters i.e.:    

BMI =    Weight (kg)

              Height (m)2

An individual weight is commonly classified this way:

Less than 25 as healthy, 25 to30 as overweight then over 30 as obese

So the greater the BMI, the higher the risk of developing heart disease. About 70 percent of heart disease cases in the United States are linked to excess body fat.

Why are we getting fatter?

That’s a one million question we have to ask ourselves. In our modern society, the wide availability of energy-dense food in large portion combine with the fact that we are less active in exercise has resulted in our getting fatter every day. Moreover, a good deal of our meal has been based around fast foods like burger, pizza and chips instead of fruits and vegetables. Obesity thus can be regarded as a chronic energy imbalance, in which intake exceed expenditure and excess energy is stored as fat.

You may ask why some people put on weight easily while others can eat anything they want and never gain an ounce of weight. In this case, it can be genetically influence whereby obesity runs in the family. Children with obese parents have at least 60 per cent chance of becoming obese compared with less than 20 per cent in children of lean parents. Other factors may be social, psychological or can be a medical disorder and drugs.

You can choose any type of weight loss plan you like but make sure you create a sensible energy balance of around 500 to 600 calories per day. Regular exercise is highly recommended to maintain this daily. The type of exercise is not important provided it stimulates the heart and body circulation sufficiently. Any activity like jogging, walking, running, dancing, swimming, aerobics, cycling or gym work out will definitely help put off CHD at any rate.

So, it is clear that physically active people have only half the risk of heart attack compared to sedentary ones. Not only will physical exercise lower your risk of coronary heart disease, it will also give you a stronger and well conditioned heart.

Knowledge is power, so Learn and Live!

Posted in Health & Safety Tags: , , , , No Comments »
« Older Entries
Newer Entries »