Posts Tagged ‘diabetes’
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How 40,000 People Reversed Heart Disease
It is well known that about two-thirds of the U.S. population is either overweight or obese. The U.S. Surgeon General has stated that approximately 75% of Western diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, hypertension, diabetes, gout, arthritis, excess weight gain, hypertension, diabetes, some cancers, impotence, biventricular disease, constipation, heartburn, and gallbladder disease, are lifestyle-related. They are directly correlated with our high fat diet, inadequate amounts of exercise, smoking, high intake of caffeine, and high amounts of stress coupled with insufficient support.
Hoping to address this alarming situation, more than 20 years ago, cardiovascular epidemiologist Hans A. Diehl, DrHSc, MPH, created the Coronary Health Improvement Project (CHIP). Since then, this 40-hour community-based lifestyle intervention program has helped more than 40,000 people rediscover their health by preventing, arresting and reversing their diseases. It has been conducted in more than 150 North American cities as well as in Bangalore, India, Australia and Switzerland. Depending upon the needs of the group, the meetings are held either live with Dr. Diehl delivering the program personally (usually meeting four times per week for four weeks) or as a video-based program with certified CHIP facilitators (normally two times per week for eight weeks). In addition, Dr. Diehl is a best-selling author To Your Health, Dynamic Living, and Health Power (co-authored with Aileen Ludington, M.D.) — as well as the executive editor of a 24-page quarterly Lifeline Health Letter; he has produced scores of health videos. CHIP empowers people through its scientifically-documented, educational and inspirational program that addresses common western diseases — those that used to be seen primarily later in life. Today, these diseases increasingly appear at far younger ages. CHIP may make all the difference in ones life — even the difference between life and death.
In 1999, CHIP launched a community health transformation template in Rockford, Illinois, a city with a population of 130,000. The intention was to transform Rockford into the healthiest city in American, thereby enabling it to serve as a model and template for cultural transformation on a community-wide level. Recently, CHIP was recognized as just such a model by HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson and was approved under the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as a STEPS to a HealthierUS applicant. In addition to live CHIP, a series of CHIP videos are offered through schools, churches, corporations, and hospitals. In Rockford, CHIP is sponsored by the Swedish American Health Systems Center for Complementary Medicine.
Who is the typical CHIP participant? Generally, CHIP participants are over the age of 40. Most are between the ages of 50 and 59. There are twice as many women as men, and almost 90% are married. Clinical research, published in peer review journals, has found that they have the following lifestyle diseases:
10% report having heart disease
27% have elevated blood sugar
42% are overweight
49% show evidence of hypertension
60% are obese
89% are cholesterol above 160mg%
Over the course of the program, strict adherents are likely to experience significant clinical improvements such as the following:
Serum cholesterol reduction average 15 20%
Average weight loss of six pounds
In about half of the participants with type 11 diabetes, a dramatic reduction in need for insulin and hypoglycemic agents
Lowering of high blood pressure levels
Diminishing of angina
Reduced levels of depression and increase in self-esteem
Class & Video Lecture Schedule
Week 1
Modern Medicine: Miracles, Medicines, & Mirages
The limitations of high-tech medical approaches in dealing with lifestyle related diseases
Portrait of a Killer: Onslaught from Within
Atherosclerosis, the culprit in many lifestyle diseases
Stalking the Killer
Reviewing the risk factors for coronary heart disease
Eat More and Weigh Less
Basic guidelines for healthy, sustained weight lossWeek 2
Going Up in Smoke
Smoking the most controllable risk factor for coronary heart disease
The Magic of Fiber
The role of fiber in preventing and reversing lifestyle diseases
Reversing Hypertension
Changing the major risk factors for high blood pressure
Disarming Diabetes
Lifestyle factors that can arrest or reverse diabetes
Effective Cholesterol Control
Dietary factors that prominently affect blood levels of cholesterol
Fats in the Fire
The role of excessive fat intake in lifestyle diseasesWeek 3
Fit at Any Age
Benefits of regular exercise in preventing and arresting disease
Boning Up on Osteoporosis
Cause and prevention of this so-called disease of aging
Lifestyle and Health
Clinical studies that demonstrate how lifestyle choices are related to health
The Optimal Diet
Positive dietary guidelines for the prevention and reversal of Western diseasesWeek 4
Diet and Cancer
Dietary factors in the development and prevention of common cancers
Atherosclerosis of the Mind
The importance of adaptability in achieving and maintaining optimal health
The Gift of Forgiveness
How a spirit of forgiveness enhances emotional and overall health
Building Self-Worth
The development, preservation and role of self worth in a healthy personConnie Thebarges Story
At the age of 59, Connie Thebarge, a patient at the Ottawa Heart Institute in British Columbia, Canada, was told that her doctors could no longer help her. After all, in addition to suffering from hypertension, she had diabetes and painful diabetic neuropathy. She had two heart attacks followed by a triple coronary bypass surgery and an unsuccessful angioplasty. Every day, she had to take 27 pills. Not surprisingly, she was also depressed.
Yet, today, more than a decade later, Thebarge walks three miles a day, swims twice a week, dances, and travels to Florida and Europe. No longer depressed, she also requires far fewer pills. How was this accomplished? Thebarge participated in CHIP and transformed her life.
Written by the Editors at Weight Loss Buddy Press in collaboration with Hans A. Diehl, DrHSc, MPH, FACN, CNS
Copyright © 2004, by Weight Loss Buddy Press
May be reproduced and distributed as is.
Joey Dweck- your Weight Loss Buddy
http://weightlossbuddy.com
PO Box 488 Tenafly NJ 07670
Tel. 877-BuddyUp
Written By: Joey Dweck
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Iron and Your Heart Health
A ranch house, a zip lock bag and some ordinary flour
Two experiments:
1)Some ordinary wheat flour such as can be found in most homes placed with some water in a zip-lock plastic bag. A magnet is passed over the bag and an extraordinary thing happens – Iron particles start popping out and attaching themselves to the side of the bag, forming clusters of what looked like iron filings.
2) The next experiment involves placing a well-known brand of cereal into a bowl of water. The magnet is again passed over the bowl this time and the flakes literally line up and follow the magnet round the bowl.
This is the first time I realized that there is so much added iron in the food that we eat and the effect it can have on our health.
We’ve all been told that heart attacks and heart bypass surgery are as a direct result of clogging or furring of our arteries by bad cholesterol. The arteries become so narrowed as to make the blood flow through the arteries very difficult thus placing enormous strains on the cardio-vascular system.
Why do we need chelators and what are they?
A few trace metals that we absorb are toxic, these include iron and lead
To make use of them our bodies must form chelates (key-lates) out of them, and to do this requires chelating substances
Chelating substances attach to desirable trace metals and allow the body to properly utilize those metals they also attach to undesirable trace metals and allow the body to remove them.
Types of Chelator
Many chemicals can serve as chelators. Their effects will depend on the precise nature and concentration of that chelator.
There are some weak chelators present in common foods.
Stronger chelators are substances used medicinally to rid the body of excess toxic metals
Why is there potential for Iron Overload? Iron overload is possible because there is no normal mechanism for removing it from the body.
The body is iron-efficient, it retains its iron and recycles it over and over again.
The body’s iron level is controlled almost entirely by absorption and iron can build up progressively as dietary intake increases, especially in men because they do not have a monthly blood loss.
Over a period of months and years this will result in the accumulation of several grams of iron.
Iron and Heart Disease Risk
Iron can generate free radical pathology.
There is now good evidence that free radical pathology leads to changes in the blood vessels which sets the stage for atheroscelerosis.
Accumulation of excess iron in the body may increase the risk for heart disease and the connection doesn’t end there….
Health statistics have revealed that women have a lower risk of heart disease than men, until menopause, after which the risk is the same.
Why?
Pre-menopausal women have a monthly blood loss that rids the body of excess, potentially toxic iron, which may protect against heart disease.
Even pre-menopausal women with high blood cholesterol levels and high levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol, which are considered to be strong risk factors for heart disease, have less heart disease than men.
The Lead connection
Lead is a toxic element that has many undesirable health effects.
Evidence links excess lead with cardiovascular disease, cancer and other disorders.
Researchers have found that cancer rates are higher amongst people living near heavily-traveled roads and it was suggested that this increased risk is due to the higher levels of lead in the air.
This led the researchers to test the effect of a lead-removing substance – EDTA (ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid),a man-made amino acid and chelating agent – on cancer rates in people living near high-traffic roads.
After 18 years those treated with EDTA had one-tenth of the cancer rate of those not treated with EDTA.(1)
Chelation Therapy
This is the use of chelating agents, orally or by injection, in order to bind and remove harmful metals from the body.
The man-made chelating agent EDTA can remove most toxic metals.
Intravenous Chelation
This therapy has been used by doctors as an effective alternative to bypass surgery for atherosclerosis since the 1950s, giving hope that having hardening of the arteries need not lead to coronary bypass surgery, heart attack, stroke and numerous other related diseases.
Doctors noted reduced pain and blood cholesterol levels as well as other favorable changes. EDTA chelation therapy has been reported to help in many conditions now thought to be related to free radical pathology: Rheumatoid Arthritis, Diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and others.
Another effect of EDTA is that it changes the calcium/ magnesium ratio in the body.
EDTA removes calcium more efficiently than magnesium which reduces the ratio.
Lowering the ratio improves the flexibility of blood cells, reduces the tendency of blood to clot and reduces blood cholesterol and blood pressure.
So the benefits of EDTA are not entirely due to the removal of toxic metals but also the calcium/magnesium balance.
In the case of intravenous chelation, EDTA is used as the chelating agent. It is carried in a glucose formulation together with synthetic B Vitamins. It takes several hours and requires 80-100 treatments.
Oral Chelation
Oral EDTA therapy can also be used. One or two oral doses of EDTA per day, over a period of months can have a long-term preventative effect.
But beware! – there are many so-called oral chelation supplements on the market containing few or no chelating substances!
For an oral chelation supplement that has been tested and certified to lower bad cholesterol by The University of Illinois, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition: Go to http://GetaHealthyHeart.com
References:
1. Blumer,W, et al Environmental International 3: 1980, pages 465-471
Bibliography:
New Answers to Old Questions, The Free Radical Story by Harry W Hersey
Jakki Francis operates ‘Natures Remedies’ a health and nutrition business selling cutting-edge herbal nutrition products. They are based in the UK and also trade in Europe, USA and Canada and new partners are welcome from any of these countries.
Natures Remedies also trade worldwide on-line. http://www.naturesremediesuk.com
And while there, don’t forget to subscribe to her F*REE Ezine, “Health News You Can Use”
Who is Jakki Francis? http://www.JakkiFrancis.com
Written By: Jakki Francis
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Exercise and Heart Health a Life Giving Marriage
Most people get their health out of a bottle these days, be it a bottle of vitamins or pharmaceuticals. However, with a little effort and dedication you really can get a hold on your life, turn it round and live it to the full!
If you’ve been diagnosed with heart disease or are at risk of developing heart disease regular exercise is essential for the health of your heart, body and mind. In fact, aerobic exercise and heart health really do go hand in hand.
With busy lifestyles and lack of time, regular use of home equipment, such as a treadmill, an elliptical trainer, a stationary cycle, a stair-climber, etc. is becoming increasingly popular. These items are now precision health giving apparatus that really can help get you in shape. Gyms are also getting more and more members, but often people slack off because of time restraints. If this is you, working out at home may be the answer for you
However, before jumping into your gym shoes talk to your doctor about your desires and objectives. Your doctor may be able to give you some useful insights you didnt consider as well as coaching from a medical point of view. If your doctor gives you the OK, try to work some exercise into your daily routine. The American Heart Association (AHA) suggests, for example, that patients start by walking five minutes a day, then increasing gradually to 30 minutes over several weeks. Walking is a wonderful way to start, as it is low impact, you need no special equipment, and it costs nothing. Swimming may be another good choice. This type of exercise is called aerobic training that involves large muscle groups, such as the legs, and keeps your heart rate pumping for a set amount of time. Unless there are deformities of the heart muscle, aerobics and heart health are often found together and not only does the heart benefit, there are other advantages too.
Aerobic Exercising and Heart Health
As you can see, take it slow initially; its really not necessary to sign up at the local gym or aerobic class. Although, after some time you might want to do just that.
Depending on where you live walking or swimming may not be an option. In such cases, you may like to consider a piece of home aerobic equipment such as a treadmill, stationary cycle or elliptical trainer. However, before purchasing a home trainer consider whether you will really use it. If the answer is yes, best get the best home aerobic equipment you can afford. Your heart will thank you.
Lack of exercise and heart disease
The American Heart Association has now added “lack of exercise” to the list of major risk factors for heart disease. The other risk factors are smoking, high blood pressure, and high blood cholesterol.
Exercise not only helps fight heart disease and gets you in shape, but if you live a sedentary lifestyle, a regular exercise routine can also:
help control high blood pressure,
reduce the risks of type II diabetes,
help prevent osteoporosis,
improve your general wellbeing and help fight depression, anxiety and stress,
greatly help to lose weight
Those are just some of the benefits of doing regular exercise. I wanted to make a list of some of the disadvantages, but I cant think of any!
In an ideal world, in order to get the best results possible you should exercise three to five times a week for 30-60 minutes within your target heart rate. But even normal day to day events, such as taking the stairs instead of the lift, walking to work, walking the dog, or gardening can help. You can do many things to increase physical activity during the day; just try thinking about what you can do. The benefits are well worth the effort.
Another thing that has proven to be effective is cross training. In cross training you participate in 2 or more different types of exercise during the week, for instance: Monday walking, Tuesday treadmill, Wednesday swimming, Thursday elliptical training, etc. You may also like to insert some strengthening exercises too, such as weight lifting.
Not only will cross training help to tone your whole body, it will help stop boredom setting in. Many people stop training not because they dont have the time (thats the reason they dont start), but because they get bored. If you can arrange a routine where you do something different each day, it is going to be difficult to get bored.
So, talk with your doctor and start now! Once you notice the result, nothing will stop you. Youll loose weight, be more toned and fit, will have a sharper outlook on life and, oh yes I almost forgot, youll live longer!
About The Author
Nicholas Webb, of AllAbout Heart Disease, speaks and writes with a passion telling it is as it is; helping others to live life to the full. This article is extracted from his newsletter The Webs Heart.
To subscribe, or read other articles visit The Webs Heart To learn more about how to beat heart disease and get into shape visit: www.AllAbout-Heart-Disease.com.
Written By: Nicholas Webb
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The Elimination of Heart Attack – Is it Possible?
Heart disease is the largest killer of Americans — more people in the United States die from diseases of the heart and blood vessels than all other diseases combined. Despite the fact that our country has the best heart hospitals and the finest cardiovascular specialists in the world, the heart attack rate here is not substantially different than the heart attack rate in any other country.
The most common culprit in this deadly scenario is atherosclerosis — premature plaque build up, which clogs the coronary arteries that supply the heart muscle with vital oxygen and nutrients.
Seventy percent of heart attacks take place in coronary blood vessels that are not severely blocked enough to require balloon, stent, or bypass. These small, unstable plaques that are barely visible at angiography are often the culprit lesions where heart attacks occur.
For one-third of patients with atherosclerosis, death is their first symptom. Another third experience heart attack and almost half of those are dead in one month.
We now have the tests and drugs to abolish coronary heart disease in the first quarter of the 21st century. Lifestyle intervention with exercise, nutrition, weight control, smoking elimination, and stress management would likely reduce by more than 50 percent the expression of premature cardiovascular disease through control of risks such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and the sedentary life.
Fortunately, we are now living in an era blessed by the promulgation of incredible pharmacologic advances that allow us to actually ponder the extinction of atherosclerotic heart attack. Four drug classes now exist that if prescribed appropriately and aggressively could eliminate atherosclerosis. These four classes include: aspirin, statin, ACE and niacin. Heres how they work:
1) Aspirin: The drug inhibits the platelets that form the clot that adheres to the unstable, fractured plaque, which could potentially block blood flow down the coronary artery and cause a heart attack. Research has consistently shown the benefits of aspirin therapy to generally reduce vascular events by about 20 percent for those suspected of having atherosclerosis (Physicians Health Study, 2003).
2) Statin: There are several of these plaque drugs on the market, which are often mistaken for cholesterol drugs. This distinction is important: 30 to 50 percent of patients with atherosclerotic plaque have relatively normal cholesterol levels. Studies have shown that even patients with normal cholesterol profiles have fewer cardiovascular events when taking a statin drug.
3) ACE Inhibitors: These medicines have traditionally been used to treat heart failure and high blood pressure. However, recent trials have shown them to be highly beneficial to those with coronary artery disease even if blood pressure is normal, reducing heart attack death by an additional 26 percent in the heart outcome prevention education. Therefore, the benefits of the ACE inhibitor seem to extend beyond the lowering of blood pressure. This should encourage us to clamor to receive such medication even if our blood pressure is normal.
4) Niacin: The vitamin niacin has long been known to benefit the heart. As early as 1975, the Coronary Drug Project showed that high doses of niacin contributed to a 27 percent reduction in coronary events when compared with placebo.
For prevention to work, each person must take control of their health and proactively take steps towards a healthier heart. A good place to start is by becoming a more informed and educated healthcare consumer. I encourage people to get all the information they can, by talking to their doctor, researching on the Internet, and reading.
Another avenue for education is healthcare seminars. Houston is going to be hosting Cardeo, a consumer education event, Feb. 12 to15, 2004. This Medical Conference & Consumer Expo will bring together an estimated 20,000 healthcare professionals, patients, insurers, vendors and the general public to discuss the complete eradication of heart disease, which is an extremely achievable goal. The event will move the community towards true prevention.
In reality . . . the patient has to be the one to decide to take control and then the healthcare system will move in that direction.
About the author:
Courtesy of ARA Content
Written By: ARA
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Take Heart on Cholesterol
Take Heart on Cholesterol.
Cholesterol can be both good & bad, so it’s important to learn what cholesterol is, how it affects your health and how to manage your blood cholesterol levels. Understanding cholesterol will help you take better care of your heart, so you can lead a healthier life and reduce your risks of heart attack and stroke.
What is cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a soft, white, waxy substance found in the bloodstream and in all the body’s cells. Despite its reputation, cholesterol is essential to life! The body needs cholesterol for digesting dietary fats, making hormones, building cell walls, and other important processes.
However, our liver makes all the cholesterol our body needs. Consuming fatty foods can lead to a high level of cholesterol in the blood which is easily deposited in the arteries and narrowing the diameter and impeding blood flow to the heart and other organs, creating a major risk factor for coronary heart disease.
Cardiovascular disease is still Australia’s greatest health problem affecting over 3.6 million Australians. One Australian dies every 10 minutes of heart disease, stroke or blood vessel disease. According to the National Heart Foundation more than 6 million adults aged 25 and over have high cholesterol levels.
Certain risk factors increase your risk of developing heart disease – factors such as being over weight, smoking, excessive alcohol intake, diabetes, insufficient physical activity and high blood pressure.
What can we do to improve our heart and overall health?
The good news is that cholesterol can be brought under control by lifestyle changes – such as diet, losing weight, and an exercise program.
* Achieve and maintain a healthy body weight – The more you weigh, the more your body stores fat and cholesterol.
* Eat more fruit & vegetables. Include soy products into your diet. Eat more seafood (omega 3 fats are very healthy and good for your heart). Choose wholegrain breads and cereals.
* Be more active – walk for 20 minutes a day
* Dairy products are a good source of calcium, while meat, fish and poultry are a good source of iron. Ensure you choose low fat dairy products and lean meat cuts.
* Avoid take-away foods high in fat.
(Some risk factors, eg heredity, cannot be controlled & need medication to manage.)
As we cut down our intake on foods with saturated fats, some gaps appear in our nutritional intake, resulting in the need to add high quality nutritional supplements to our diets. Also, cutting back on our red meat intake can lead to a diet deficient in protein. Including some soy protein in our diets will help protect against heart disease as well as help to maintain healthy protein consumption.
If you need to lose some weight, look for a program that has adequate daily protein without the high calories and saturated fats associated with animal products. Ongoing personal support from a coach will help you achieve your goals and helps to keep you on track.
If you need to add some more exercise into your day – try simple things like using the stairs, parking further from the supermarket and walking to the local shop for your daily newspaper. Key point here is to add more activity into your day and not put yourself under the pressure of a formal exercise program at a gym. If you need or want something more formal, then by all means, join a gym or a sporting team. You could take up golf, get together with a couple of friends and go for a 20 minute walk a couple of times a week – great time to catch up and get more active! Find something that interests YOU. Make exercise fun!
And finally, make a commitment to yourself to improve your health. After all that is what truly dictates the quality of life we experience. Without our health, we are consumed with doctors visits, medications and restrictions. Take control, take heart, and live a full and healthy life.
About the author:
Dee Britton is a Health & Wellness Coach specialising in weight management & nutrition. Personal support, recipes, hints & tips, newsletters + lots more to help you reach your goal weight. Online health profile & free weight loss consultation at http://www.weightloss-2day.net
Written By: Dee Britton
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What you need to know about heart diseases
Heart is the most significant organ of the body. It controls and regulates the entire body. An individual can survive the loss of other organs of body but not of a heart. The moment heart ceases pumping blood to the body, it results in a heart stroke and there are chances that the person may die.
But people are often negligent in taking care of this undeniably crucial organ of their body. This is made evident by the studies that reveal the escalating deaths due to cardiac arrests every year. It is not just the elderly who are gripped by cardiac seizures due to their age, which implicates a declining health but also young children, and even infants who are inflicted by heart ailments.
The purpose of this article is to make its readers aware of some of the most common cardiac problems, few possible preventions and cures to them and the measures one should adopt to enjoy a healthy heart.
1.Heart diseases- human heart starts malfunctioning due to many reasons. In other words there are different diseases that affect human heart.
Congenital Heart Disease is a very common one. It leads to malformation of heart during prenatal development and other severe complications. Chromosomal abnormalities, transfer of infected genes and environment are the main attributed causes to congenital heart disease.
Coronary Artery Disease is one where heart simply stops pumping blood to the arteries. The blockages or difficulty in the blood flow to the main source of oxygen to the heart muscle i.e. coronary arteries is deemed to be the primary factor that results in this disease. Apart from this the thickening of the arteries called arteriosclerosis, high blood pressure and other problems like asthma, diabetes etc. are the causes of CAD. CAD produces a heart attack and so even the death of the concerned individual.
A viral infection that attacks the pericardium pouch enveloping the heart is the ground for the Pericardial heart disorder.
2.The Roots of Heart Ailment- in most of the cases the individuals themselves are responsible for their cardiac troubles.
Over stress is the biggest threat to a healthy life so much so that it affects even ones heart.
Faulty food habits i.e. eating more of junk and fattening food rich in cholesterol is the primary reason for a heart attack.
Obesity and lack of physical labor also accentuates cardiac problems.
Heart problems are also hereditary.
Blood pressure patients are more prone to heart attacks.
Alcoholics, smokers and drug addicts have acute possibilities of heart failure.
3.Some Common Cures- it is not likely to prevent every heart problem especially those malformations or diseases that are innate or since the time of birth. They can at best be treated with the aid of surgeries.
Watch your eating and drinking habits. Avoid cholesterol abounding food like butter, cheese, creams, cakes and pastries etc.
Aspirin is deemed to be a potential medicine to ward off cardiac snags. According to physicians aspirin thins the blood and aids in its transfer from heart to other parts of the body.
Pregnant women are advised to keep away from hard drinks, cigarettes and narcotics. Negligence in this regard can be a source of incurable congenital heart disease to the baby.
If you are a sedentary worker, make it a point to exercise daily in order to maintain a healthy living.
Endeavor your best to have a nutritious and balanced diet.
If you suffer from diabetes, blood pressure, asthma or any such disease, go for regular medical check ups to know about the functioning of the internal organs of your body.
Last but not the least, avoid doing things that petrify you and do not favor your health. For instance if altitude or great height scares you, it is not a prudent choice to go for mountain climbing.
About the Author
Mansi gupta writes about heart diseases topics.
Written By: Mansi gupta
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Zeroing in on the Prevention of Heart Disease
More Americans succumb to the effects of heart disease than any other illness. Rated the number one killer, heart-related ailments are brought about by a variety of circumstances some of which are preventable.
The power that each individual has to ensure their own heart health is amazing, when you consider the factors that play a role in the variety of diseases that target the heart. The fact, then, that one out of every twenty people under the age of 40 suffers from some form of heart disease indicates that too many people arent taking their heart health seriously.
Factors such as family medical history, menopause, diabetes mellitus and age (for those over 65) are among the risks that are beyond the control of those who may suffer from heart related ailments.
Those which are within the scope of control include stress, inactivity, smoking, high cholesterol, obesity and hypertension (high blood pressure). By exercising discipline and reducing or eliminating these factors, your chances of heart disease are dramatically decreased.
In addition to the more traditional methods of reducing your risk for such ailments, laughter has also been found to fight heart disease and promote good heart health. Since laughter is a great way to release pent-up stress and tension, this simple act might very well be just what you need to reduce the level of stress that might, otherwise, have a negative impact on your health.
According to recent medical information, its believed that laughter can also help to fortify the lining of the blood vessels, as well as lowering your blood pressure and heart rate.
Believe it or not, tea drinkers also have a decreased risk factor for heart disease. Due to its anti-oxidant properties, this is an ideal beverage especially for those who dont eat the proper amount of fruits and vegetables, which also contain anti-oxidants. This type of beverage, in addition to the fruits and vegetables, are rich in natural anti-oxidants and are, therefore, better for your heart health and overall health profile than supplements.
The bottom line is that, in order to have more control over the health of your heart, there are specific types of behaviors and activities that you can integrate into your daily lifestyle. These include eating a heart-healthy diet, controlling your weight, smoking cessation, controlling diabetes (if present), maintaining healthy cholesterol levels, controlling blood pressure levels, managing stress and participating in a daily exercise program either by taking a class, enrolling in a gym or health spa, or designing an exercise plan that can be executed at home.
A simple stroll around the neighborhood each day will help to control these potential risk factors. Medical professionals prescribe an hour of exercise each day seven days a week.
Of course, regular medical examinations are a necessary part of your health program, and those who are seeking to reduce their risk of heart disease should be screened for those types of ailments on a regular basis.
Early detection can mean the difference between losing your life to heart disease and adding years to your life by taking the necessary measures to restore your heart to good health.
For more detailed information on preventing heart disease and recommended products visit:
http://www.heart-healthy-diet.com
Mike has been helping people protect their health for several years – through exercise and nutrition. The heart and circulation system is the most important, and all good health programs need to start here. Let Mike guide you in getting started. http://www.heart-healthy-diet.com
Written By: Mike Spencer
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Tips To Help Prevent Heart Disease
You should always keep in mind that whatever actions you do today can either help to prevent, delay or minimize the effect of heart disease or worsen it. The key is to control risk factors. Granted that you cannot control every risk factor for heart disease such as family history but you can definitely do something about your behavior. Age and gender also influence your risk of heart disease. Oral chelation can have a very beneficial effect on reducing your risk of heart disease. Major Risk Factors of Heart Disease
Cholesterol Levels
Cholesterol is a type of a lipid, a soft, fat-like substance that serves as a source of fuel. Excessive cholesterol can cause build-up of atherosclerotic plaque. Accumulation of plaque in arteries can block blood flow and lead to a heart attack. LDL cholesterol, the so-called “bad” cholesterol, is transported to sites throughout the body, where it’s used to repair cell membranes or to make hormones. LDL cholesterol can accumulate in the walls of your arteries. HDL cholesterol, the so-called “good” cholesterol, transports cholesterol to the liver, where it’s altered and removed from the body.
Blood Pressure
Normal blood pressure level is defined as less than 130 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) for systolic blood pressure and less than 85 mm Hg for diastolic blood pressure. The higher the blood pressure, the more likely it is to take a toll on the heart and on the brain. Blood pressure should be checked whether or not your levels are high. For normal, check once every two years. For high-normal, check once a year. If extremely high, you should get immediate care. Then get multiple measurements to know if a high level is sustained over time.
Diabetes
Another risk factor for heart disease is diabetes, a chronic disease of insulin deficiency or resistance. Type 2 diabetes, the most common type, is associated with obesity and may be prevented by maintaining ideal body weight through exercise and balanced nutrition.
Tips For Controlling Risk of Heart Disease
Stop Smoking
The effect of smoking on your lungs can cause almost every other medical condition.
Get Active
Routine physical activity is highly recommended and helpful in controlling obesity. Try to perform 30 minutes of moderate physical activity every day. Fast walking is one of the best way to prevent heart disease. If you can lose even a small amount of weight, five pounds for example, it may have a positive effect on lipid levels and blood pressure preventing heart disease.
Limit Alcohol Consumption
Limit daily alcohol intake to three ounces or fewer to prevent heart disease. People who drink large amounts of alcohol (six to eight ounces a day) tend to have higher blood pressure.
Watch What You Eat
Eat five helpings of fruits and vegetables daily to prevent heart disease. Maintain adequate dietary potassium, calcium and magnesium intake. Reduce saturated fats and cholesterol to stay away from heart disease.
Consider using a quality edta or oral chelation product in your diet.
Resources: http://www.edta-oral-chelation-product-reviews.com http://www.oral-chelation-products-reviewed.com
About the Author
Mike has been helping people protect their health for several years. All good health programs start with a healthy heart. Let Mike guide you in getting started. http://www.edta-oral-chelation-reviews.com Mike Spencer http://www.oral-chelation-reviews.com http://www.oral-chelation-blog.com
Written By: Josh Spencer
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Nuts To You… Just One Way to a Healthy Heart
Nuts are readily available and provide a highly nutritious food. In addition to protein, carbohydrate, and fat, nuts contain many other important nutrients: fiber, vitamin E, folic acid, potassium, and magnesium. Although on some food charts you may see nuts listed in the same food category as diary products, eggs, and red meat because of the fat content, new information calls into question this designation.
While nuts do contain a high proportion of fat, tree nuts such as almonds, walnuts, pecans, hazel nuts, Brazil nuts, and macadamia are actually low in saturated fat. Most of the fat comes in the form of monounsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids, which are considered to be acceptable forms of fat that actually “reduce” the incidence of heart and vascular disease.
Several large studies have examined the relationship between the risk of heart disease and intake of omega-3 fatty acids from plant sources. In the Seventh Day Adventist Health Study researchers found that those who reported eating nuts more than four times per week had a 50% lower risk of heart disease than those who rarely ate nuts. The Nurses’ Health Study found that heart disease risk was reduced by 35% in those who ate nuts compared with those who rarely ate nuts. An addition study found that the risk of type 2 diabetes went down by nearly 1/3 in women who consumed 1/4 cup of nuts five times per week compared to those that did not eat nuts at all.
One recent study looked at almonds in particular. They examined the effects on LDL ["bad"] cholesterol values. Each person served as his own control and they were each on three different “diets”: almonds representing about 1/4 their entire daily calorie intake, OR a “handful” of almonds per day, OR a muffin [containing about the same number of calories as a "full dose" of almonds]. The LDL cholesterol went down about 10% when the subjects took a “full dose” of almonds, went down about 5% with intake of a “handful” of almonds, and did not go down at all with eating a muffin. In those with the higher “dose” of almonds, the “ratio” of bad to good cholesterol [LDL/HDL ratio] went down by 12%.
The American Heart Association (AHA) recognizes nuts [including almonds, walnuts, pecans, peanuts, macadamia, and pistachios] may help to lower your blood cholesterol and may be a very healthy “snack”. However, they also warn that they are a source of calories and should not be used to great excess in those with calorie restricted diets and that you should avoid nuts with added oils or added salt. The AHA recommends eating an overall balanced diet that is high in fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and includes low-fat [or non-fat] diary products, fish and lean meats. If you add nuts to your diet, just be sure that you don’t inadvertently add considerable total calories – despite the benefits of nuts, maintaining an ideal body weight is more important. Weight is often a simple lesson in physics – what comes in either stays [as increased pounds] or is used up for energy and metabolism [which is increased by a regular exercise program].Disclaimer: If you are under 18, pregnant, nursing or have health problems, consult your physician before starting any weight loss plan. The information here is not intended as a substitute for medical advice. Please consult your physician before beginning any course of treatment.
About the Author
Dr. John Rumberger’s experince in the field is extensive, and includes achieving his doctorate in 1976 (Bio-Engineering/ Fluid Dynamics/ Applied Mathematics) from Ohio State University Columbus, Ohio, with a dissertation on, A Non-Linear Model of Coronary Artery Blood Flow. He has just completed his book The WAY Diet available on amazon.com or direct through the publisher at http://www.emptycanoe.com
Written By: Dr. John Rumberger
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Women’s Heart Health
Most women know that heart disease is the number-one killer in the United States–of men. Most women also realize the value of eating healthy food, exercising, and decreasing stress–for their families and loved ones. Information is abundant and readily available in books, newspapers and magazines, and on television and radio about the risk of cardiovascular disease in men.
But the widespread belief that heart disease is exclusively a man’s problem is a myth. Women–and most physicians–are not aware that cardiovascular disease is the number one-killer of women as well as men. The facts speak for themselves: Of the 520,000 people who die of heart attacks in the United States each year, almost half–about 250,000–are women In addition, almost 100,000 women die of strokes. Substantially fewer women die annually from breast cancer (40,500) or lung cancer (41,500). Overall, heart and vascular diseases claim more American women’s lives than do all forms of cancer combined.
Moreover, many of the factors that determine the risk of heart disease for women differ from those for men. Dr. William Castelli, a leading authority on heart disease and director of the Framingham Heart Study, which has done research on heart disease risk factors for forty years, has referred to these unique risks for women as a “whole new syndrome” associated with a “galloping progression of atherosclerosis.
Women are largely unaware of the effects of estrogen, birth control pills, and cigarettes and few know that if they smoke and take birth control pills, they have about forty times more chance of heart disease than women who do not. Women above age thirty-five are particularly at risk. It is vital to understand the factors favoring heart disease, because they may be avoidable or modifiable. In fact, according to Dr. Dean Ornish, women may have to do less than men to affect their outlook positively. In a study he conducted evaluating the effect of life-style changes in reversing heart disease, women responded better than men, even when women did less to restrict their diets, exercise, or reduce stress. By understanding their risks and ways to minimize them, women can lessen the chances of being victims of what the American Heart Association has called “the silent epidemic.”
The purpose of developing and maintaining a healthy way of life for yourself as a woman is not only to decrease the risk of heart disease but also to fell well and feel good. Physical activity does not have to be strenuous to be beneficial. More women than ever are discovering that exercise in moderation is exhilirating. Healthy changes in eating do not have to be unduly restrictive. The food you eat can continue to be delicious and satisfying. By using simply new tools to maintain a healthy weight, you will decrease the chances of developing three big heart disease risks–diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol–and discover a renewed sense of self at the same time.
By taking control of your health, you will be more able to take control of other aspects of your life. In so doing, you will achieve a greater sense of well-being, which is the true meaning of health. This is a marvelous opportunity for you personally. In addition, your new healthy living habits can be a model for family and friends. You thus may make a significant difference in their lives and health as well as your own. In the words of Hillel: “If I am not for myself, then who will be for me? If not now, when?”
About the author:
Richard Helfant, MD, is a Harvard-trained cardiologist and developer of cardiac technologies. His book Courageous Confrontations, is about how the mind-body relationship can combat heart disease.
Written By: Richard Helfant
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