(Continued)
Smoking and Your Heart
Smoking is counted among the most significant risk factors for coronary heart disease today. Smoking has a number of adverse health effects, many of which are still being discovered.
Go to Article »
Heart Disease and Sex
Most cardiologists encourage their patients to have sex as soon as they feel up to it. Sexual activity promotes physical fitness, not unlike other forms of exercising. In addition, sex makes most people happy and relaxes them.
Go to Article »
Opting for a Balanced Life
Too often, the serious effects of stress and other detrimental lifestyle factors on the heart are not sufficiently understood. Effective stress management and lifestyle counseling should be routinely included in the treatment of heart disease patients.
Go to Article »
Cutting Back on Sodium – Easier Said Than Done
In its latest update of the Dietary Guidelines (2010), the U.S. government warns explicitly about the health risks of high sodium intake. “Virtually all Americans,” the report says, “consume more sodium than they need.” While sodium in small quantities is an important nutrient to have, too much sodium intake can cause an unhealthy elevation of blood pressure. Chronically high blood pressure increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, congestive heart failure and kidney disease.
Go to Article »
What Women Need to Know About Heart Health
The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute has been working to raise awareness that heart disease kills one in four women or one woman every minute of every day. The “Heart Truth” campaign slogan is “Heart disease doesn’t care what you wear-it’s the number one killer of women.”
Today, 55 percent of women recognize heart disease, not breast cancer, is their primary risk but less than half know the healthy levels for risk factors such as blood pressure or cholesterol.
Go to Article »
“Eggsonerating” the Egg
The United States Department of Agriculture (U.S.D.A.) announced last week that eggs are 14% lower in cholesterol than previously thought. And they are also 64% higher in vitamin D. By itself, the announcement is potentially important news, with wide implications for the American diet. My view, though, is that news about less cholesterol is just one reason among several for … “eggsonerating” the egg.
Go to Article »
Cholesterol Down: You Can Do It!
Cardiovascular disease, primarily heart attack and stroke, is the number one killer of American men and women and continues to occur in epidemic proportions, dwarfing all other causes of death, including all types of cancer and diabetes. There are easy ways to take charge of your heart health. Simply adding 9 foods to your diet and a short walk to your day can significantly and quickly lower your “bad” LDL cholesterol level and decrease your risk of developing heart disease.
Go to Article »
Whole Grains and Dietary Fibers – End the Confusion
We’re being urged via health messages and big marketing campaigns to eat more dietary fiber and to chow down on more whole grains. Beyond the messages to achieve these goals, a plethora of new foods greet us in the supermarket aisles. All are aimed at enticing us to grab products off the shelves and drop them into our shopping carts. But, as is common with nutrition messages, confusion reigns.
Go to Article »
Benefits of Drugs Raising HDL (Good) Cholesterol Found Questionable
A recently released study on the benefits of HDL (the “good”) cholesterol-raising drugs has shown disappointing results. While lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol levels plays an important role in the treatment of heart disease, doctors have long believed that taking active measures to increase HDL levels as well would yield additional benefits. These expectations now seem unwarranted. The study shows that a high dose of niacin, a B vitamin credited with the ability to increase high-density lipoprotein (HDL) in the bloodstream, taken in combination with statins does little if anything more to prevent heart attacks and strokes.
Go to Article »
The Power of Potassium
Potassium is like a secret weapon. It is present in many of the foods we eat every day and it can strike down sodium and steady high blood pressure. With one third of the population living with high blood pressure or hypertension, it is welcome news that consuming ample amounts of potassium can both significantly lower high blood pressure and your chances of developing it.
Go to Article »
A Positive Attitude May Protect You from Heart Problems and Even Stroke
It’s not far-fetched to think that optimistic people are not only happier but also healthier. Some scientists now believe that keeping a positive attitude may even reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. “Past research has linked optimism with a range of health benefits, including cardiovascular outcome,” said Eric Kim, a doctoral student in clinical psychology at the University of Michigan and lead author of a study that was recently published in the medical journal, “Stroke,” a publication of the American Heart Association. What always remained a mystery is exactly how a sunny temperament affects a person’s health.
Go to Article »
At the Heart of the Matter: The True and False of Saving Yourself from Heart Attack
Something is killing women in this country at an alarming rate! It is not bird flu, E. coli, swine flu or many of the other flashes you see everyday on news stands. The number one killer of vital women in this country is heart disease. Our hearts are amazing muscles. They start beating six weeks after conception, while we are still in our mother’s womb, and continue steadily until the day we die. Along the way, they can be assaulted by disease without us ever knowing it.
Go to Article »
Anti-Inflammatory Diet 101
Inflammation may be one of the hottest topics in health today, and for good reason. It’s at the root of just about every disease. How you live your life (i.e. couch potato), your environment (i.e. airborne pollutants) and what you eat determine your risk of developing inflammation.
Go to Article »
Even Slightly Elevated Blood Pressure Poses Health Risks
If you think your blood pressure is normal, you may want to double-check with your doctor. According to new guidelines, blood pressure of 120/80 mmHg, which was until recently seen as within a healthy range, is now classified as elevated. Scientists at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) found that people under the age of 65 who were diagnosed with a condition called “prehypertension” had a 68 percent increased risk of suffering a stroke compared to those with normal readings.
Go to Article »
Popcorn – A Whole Grain and Fiber Gold Mine
Who knew? Corn, the tiny kernel that most of the world calls maize (after the Spanish word maiz), is a bona fide whole grain – and yes, even the popped version counts. People who routinely snack on popcorn ingest a whopping 250 percent more whole grains and 22 percent more fiber compared to those who don’t eat this dieter’s delight. Popcorn contains more fiber per ounce than even whole wheat bread and brown rice. Eating whole grains, like popcorn, is key to heart health.
Go to Article »
Red Yeast Rice – Not Your Best Bet for a Natural Statin Alternative
Red yeast rice, or red yeast, is a substance produced naturally during the fermentation of the yeast Monascus purpureus by certain fungi that grow on rice. The medicinal use of red yeast rice dates back to 800 A.D., during the Tang Dynasty in China, when red yeast rice was ingested primarily as a remedy for digestive ills. Present-day use of red yeast rice continues in Asia as both a culinary staple and for its healing properties. The deep red hue of the rice is used to color a variety of foods, such as Peking duck, pickled tofu and Japanese sake.
Go to Article »
Related Articles:
- Heart Health
- Heart Health Month – An Important Reminder
- At the Heart of the Matter: The True and False of Saving Yourself from Heart Attack
- Heart Health
- What Women Need to Know About Heart Health
- Minimizing the Risk of Heart Disease
Leave a Comment