Sunday, March 15, 2009

Vitamin E in Heart Disease

Numerous preliminary and observational studies have looked at the role and benefits of Vitamin E supplements in heart disease. Some previous studies, such as the Nurse Study in 1993 involving 90,000 nurses, associated Vitamin E supplements to lower rate of coronary heart disease by 30 - 40%. Another observational study in Finland involving over 5000 people also suggested that Vitamin E supplements was associated with lower death rate from heart disease.

Until recently, a few randomized clinical studies could not confirm the role of Vitamin E supplements in heart disease prevention. A large-scale trial The Heart Outcomes Prevention Evaluation (HOPE) Study followed 95,000 patients for 4.5 years who were at high risk for heart attack or stroke. In this clinical trial, patients who received 400 IU of vitamin E daily did not experience significantly fewer cardiovascular events or hospitalizations for heart failure or chest pain when compared to those who received the placebo.

Johns Hopkins University also performed a meta-analysis of 19 clinical studies and they published their findings in January 2005. The result showed that a daily dose of 400 IU or more Vitamin E increased the risk of death from all cause.

In addition, the Women's Healthy Study published in July 2005 also showed that 600 IU of natural-source vitamin E also does little or nothing to prevent heart disease in healthy women

An Effective Acid Reflux Natural Remedy

Gastro-esophageal reflux disease, also referred to as acid reflux, is a physiological condition that causes the regurgitation of the stomach content into the esophagus and throat. Acid reflux is very common and may occur due to inappropriate diet, stress and unhealthy lifestyle. Acid reflux can lead to serious complications like inflammation and scarring of the esophagus, throat problems and breathing problems.

An effective way of correcting the activity of the stomach and of dealing with the condition is to keep a balanced diet and to use acid reflux natural remedy. There are many forms of medical treatments available for people who suffer from gastro-esophageal reflux disease, but the safest means of controlling the condition remain acid reflux natural remedy. Try to replace synthetic medications with natural cures for acid reflux and introduce healthy, carbohydrate rich foods in your diet (rice, bread, pasta).

Another option is using certain herbs and botanicals that can aid in the elimination of your acid reflux long term. Herbs such as ginger root, fennel seeds, herbal teas and more, have all been shown and proven to treat acid reflux effectively and relatively fast.

One of the best natural cures for acid reflux is considered to be apple cider vinegar. For the majority of people with the condition, apple cider vinegar is an effective natural cure that has a calming effect on the stomach and helps decrease the amount of digestive fluids it produces.

Fresh pineapple and papaya are also rich in enzymes that can help in the process of digestion and there by acting as a cure indirectly. Carrots and cabbage can control the gastric acid secretion inside the stomach. Another cure includes usage of cinnamon due to its healing and antiseptic effects. It can normalize the activity of the stomach thus controlling the amount of gastric juice it produces.

Aloe Vera juice can be considered to be one among the acid reflux natural remedy followed these many in Europe. A quarter cup of aloe Vera juice taken twenty minutes before your diet will help to comfort an aggravated as well as an inflamed esophagus. It is commonly available at the natural food stores.

Licorice is yet another natural substance used amid acid reflux natural remedy. It has been proved to solve any problem related to heartburn by increasing the mucus production which directly results in the protection of esophagus from stomach acid.

Cardamom, Mace, Nutmeg, and Slippery Elm can also make efficient cures for acid reflux. Use acid reflux natural remedy and see which one works best for you.

Heartburn causes And Relief Reflux disease

Heartburn is a problem that affects people of all ages and both men ad women. The basic cause of heartburn is that the food particles and the acid from the stomach leak beck into the gullet or the esophagus. The food we eat passes thorough the gullet and into the stomach thorough a pipe and lodged in the stomach. Heartburn or acid reflux is a very painful condition. There are many factors that cause heartburn. This leads to heartburn. The following factors lead to acid reflux or heartburn.

  • Lying down after a heavy meal is also one of the factors that cause heartburn.
  • Eating spicy food and other fast foods is also likely to causer heartburn.
  • Execs intake of caffeine and beverages, alcohol also lead to heartburn.
  • Smoking, especially after a heavy meal is also likely to cause heartburn.

Walking and swimming can help in the control of heartburn. Antacids and gels can also control heartburn to some extent. However, the best cure for heartburn can be found only by identifying the factors that cause heartburn as the cause for heartburn varies from individual to individual.

Heart burn is a burning sensation in the esophagus. Heartburn can be very painful, and the pain can often move to the neck, throat or jaw. Heartburn is commonly linked to the regurgitation of gastric acid. So what causes people to experience heartburn? Here are the most common causes of heartburn.

1. Chocolate

Unfortunately, chocolate can be a cause of heartburn. It contains an ingredient called theobromine, a natural compound, which relaxes certain muscles in your esophagus and allows stomach acid to squirt up.

2. Alcohol

Alcohol is another possible and common cause of heartburn. Like chocolate, it relaxes certain muscles and makes way for stomach acid to enter the esophagus. Alcohol also can increase the production of stomach acids, which can cause heartburn.

3. Caffeine

Caffeine relaxes the lower esophagus sphincter which causes your stomach contents to reflux. Anything containing a good amount of caffeine, such as coffee, tea or soda, can cause heartburn to flair up.

4. Eating Right Before Lying Down

If you lay down with a full stomach, the pressure on your lower esophagus sphincter may increase, causing heartburn.

5. Eating In Large Quantities

Eating large meals can increase the risk for heartburn also. Eating a large quantity of food can increase the pressure on your lower esophagus sphincter and cause heartburn.

6. Fried Food

Eating fried foods is also one of the many causes of heartburn. Fried foods will slow down digestion, causing stomach contents to build. This can increase pressure in your stomach, which then can cause pressure on your lower esophagus sphincter which then causes heartburn.

7. Tomatoes

Tomatoes and tomato products can increase the risk for heartburn also. Tomatoes and tomato products relax esophagus muscles, which allows acids into the esophagus and then causes heartburn.

8. Tobacco

Tobacco is full of chemicals, and certain chemicals found in tobacco products weaken the lower esophagus sphincter, causing heartburn.

Why Raw Foods Are More Beneficial For Health?

Man depends on food to sustain his life. A good healthy food provides vigor, vitality and health and keeps you free from diseases. Before the advent of fire, man was taking only raw foods which were available in the nature. Raw foods supply nutrients to cell, tissues, organs of body and mind. Coked foods take lot of time to digest and produce diseases and also shorten life. Raw foods needs only one fourth of the time required for digestion by the cooked foods.

Boiling destroy some of the vital nutrients available in vegetables and other food items. Now a days people have started using processed and fast foods of natural vegetables.

After digestion either raw or cooked foods ends in acid or alkaline also in the body. Our body is composed of 70-80% alkaline and 20-30% acid. So one must use raw foods about 80% of alkaline nature and 20% of acid nature. Most of the raw foods contain alkaline and minerals must be used for neutralizing the acid media in the body.

Usually fresh fruits and vegetables are meant for purifying the blood as they are having healing and cleansing property. Antioxidants are useful for health and to live long. The deep colored raw vegetables are having antioxidants which when taken will work as antioxidants otherwise oxidants are dangerous to health. Raw foods and fruits are beneficial in diarrhea, heart, kidney, obesity, cancer and diabetes. Raw foods avoid disease in person. So, one must take raw foods, raw and fresh fruits and vegetables to live long healthily and happily.

Saturday, March 14, 2009

The Dangers Of Not Getting Enough Sleep

While we come across information on how we can have a good night's sleep every now and then, we are seldom aware of how an insufficient sleep can affect our health and well-being.

Because of paper works either from work or school and other household obligations, everyday is like a race against time. Add to it the temptations of the computer and the TV shows airing late at night, and the parties and gimmicks. At the end of the day, all the hours that should have gone to a good night's sleep go to all of these, slowly robbing your body off a deserving rest and making you feel drowsy the next day. If you are accustomed to this way of life, be warned. All the bad things you do to your body have their own consequences, and they could be more serious than you thought.

I. The Social And Economic Costs

While there are health risks when you get a few hours of sleep each night, we cannot ignore the fact that its dire risks affect the nation's economy. According to a report from the Institute Pf Medicine, an arm of National Academy of Sciences, 50-70 million Americans have chronic sleep problems, with as many as 30 million suffering from chronic insomnia.

The result? Motor vehicle accidents due to tired rivers cost at least $48 billion a year, while fatigue cost $150 billion each year in lost productivity and mishaps.

The report, entitled. "Sleep Deprivation and Sleep Disorders: An Unmet Public Health Problem", says that in recent decades, loss of sleep has increased due to TV shows, computers, and longer work days among adults.

For those suffering from insomnia, that means more days off work for you. A study led by Virginia Godet-Cayre at the Health Economics Research in France proves that workers who had difficulty falling asleep missed an average of 5.8 days of work a year, compared to only 2.4 days missed by "good sleepers." The team tracked down the work histories of 369 workers who had insomnia and 369 workers who were getting the right amount of sleep. The study, published in the February issue of Sleep, says that 50% of the insomniac group had at least a time of absence over a 2-year period, against to 34% of the other group.

II. Teens And Sleep

These days it's not just the adults who are lacking sleep. The National Sleep Foundation reported that only 20% of adolescents in USA are getting the recommended 9 hours of sleep at night. That figure is alarming, because it shows that

millions of them have problems concentrating in classes, are getting late for school, or are sleepy when driving.

III. If You Want To Lose Weight, Don't Just Focus On Your Diet

Want to know a secret? The road to a good figure is not just eating food in low quantity and exercising on a regular basis;

it's having a proper lifestyle. I'm not a fitness expert, mind you, but health studies are giving more and more evidence

supporting a link between how many hours of sleep you get and your tendency to be obese.

A study led by Dr. Steven Heymsfield of Columbia University amd St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital in New York, and James

Gangwisch, a Columbia epidemiologist, showed that those who had less that 4 hours of sleep were more likely to be obese by

73%, while those with an average of 5 hours of sleep had 50% greater risk. Those who only had 6 hours had 23% more.

The reason? Blame it on grehlin, a substance that makes people want to eat more food.

If people don't have the recommended amount of shut-eye, their leptin levels are lowered.

Leptin is a blood protein that suppresses their appetite, and seems to affect how their body had eaten enough.

So don't think that dieting is the only way for a nice build; include getting sufficient sleep in your regimen from now on.

IV. And More Diseases, Too

If you're already tired of reading about the dire consequences you will face when you don't give yourself the right amount ഓഫ് rest, here are a few more for your ഇന്‍ഫര്‍മേഷന്‍.When your body is deprived of the sleep it needs, your chances of getting coronary heart disease double compared to people who have an adequate amount of sleep.

And if you're a male, read on. You'd be interested to know that men who are sleep deprived are risking themselves for an erectile dysfunction. That happens when their testosterone levels drop due to a few hours of sleep, making it more difficult to maintain an erection.

For older people aged 53-93, there's a risk of developing diabetes. That's what a study co-authored by Dr. Daniel Gottlieb, an associate professor of medicine at Boston University claimed.

Published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, the findings concluded that elders who slept fewer than 5 hours were 2.5

times more likely to acquire the sweet disease against those who had 6 hours, who had chances 1.7 times lower.

But don't think that sleeping too much will solve the problem, though. The study showed that overslept elders - those who had more than 9 hours of sleep - had chances 1.7 times higher.

Lastly, sleeplessness causes an individual to have an impaired spatial learning, such as getting to a new destination. This

finding, which appeared on the Journal of Neurophysiology, suggested that during the process of spatial learning, new brain cells are being produced in an area of the brain called Hippocampus. Sleep is important in helping these brain cells survive.

10 WORST FOODS

Foods You Should Never Eat

1. Artery Crust

Judging by the label, Pepperidge Farm Roasted White Meat Chicken Premium Pot Pie has 510 calories and 9 grams of saturated fat. But look again. Those numbers are for half a pie. Eat the entire pie, as most people probably do, and you're talking more than 1,000 calories and 18 grams of sat fat.

2. Strip Tease

McDonald's Chicken Selects Premium Breast Strips sounds healthy. In fact, ounce for ounce, the Selects are no healthier than the chain's Chicken McNuggets. A standard, five-strip order has 630 calories and 11 grams of artery-clogging fat. That's about the same as a Big Mac, but the burger has 1,040 mg of sodium, while the Selects hit 1,550 mg — a whole day's worth — even without the salty dipping sauce.

3. Factory Reject

Each slice of The Cheesecake Factory's 6 Carb Original Cheesecake has 610 calories — that's the same as you'd get from a slice of its Original Cheesecake. Think of it as an 8-ounce untrimmed prime rib for dessert — with 29 grams of saturated fat, a 1½-days' supply. The next time you step on the bathroom scale, you may never know that the carbs were missing.

4. Everlasting Dove

Dove squeezes some 300 calories and an average of 11 grams of saturated fat (half a day's worth) into a tennis-ball size serving (half a cup) of its Dove Ice Cream. That puts it in the same ballpark as Ben & Jerry's and Häagen-Dazs. With names like "Unconditional Chocolate," Dove is trying to link chocolate with romance. A scoop of its ice cream will fill your heart all right … but not with love.

5. Starbucks on Steroids The Starbucks Venti (20 oz.) Caffè Mocha with whole milk and whipped cream is more than a mere cup of coffee. Think of it as a Quarter Pounder with Cheese in a cup. Few people have room in their diets for the 450 calories and 13 grams of bad fat that this hefty beverage supplies. But you can lose all the bad fat and all but 170 calories if you order a tall (12 oz.) with nonfat milk and no whipped cream.

6. Angioplasta “Fresh chicken and broccoli over pasta with Parmesan cream sauce,” says Ruby Tuesday's menu entry for its Fresh Chicken & Broccoli Pasta. Some diners may know that the cheese and cream sauce add saturated fat, but how much harm could they really do? Enough to turn the dish into a 1,700-calorie megameal — that's like swallowing two one-pound orders of BBQ baby back ribs.

7. Stack Attack Unless you're suicidal, why on earth would you want to wolf down a Burger King Quad Stacker — 4 hamburger patties, 4 slices of cheese, 8 strips of bacon, plus sauce and a bun? That's half-a-day's calories (1,000), one-and-a-half-days' worth of saturated fat (30 grams), 3 grams of trans fat, and more than a day's sodium (1,800 mg). Urp!

8. Salt's On!

Campbell's Chunky, Select, and red-and-white-label Condensed soups are brimming with salt: Half a can averages more than half of a person's daily quota of salt. Instead, try Campbell's Healthy Request soups, which have about half as much sodium.

9. Tortilla Terror

Interested in a Chipotle Chicken Burrito (tortilla, rice, pinto beans, cheese, chicken, sour cream, and salsa)? Think of its 1,180 calories and 19 grams of saturated fat as three Subway Steak and Cheese 6-inch Subs. Plus, it has 2,900 mg of sodium! Getting the burrito with no cheese or sour cream cuts the saturated fat by two-thirds, but you still end up with 950 calories and 2,690 mg of sodium. Yikes!

10. Stone Cold

Into the chocolate-dipped waffle bowl of a Cold Stone Creamery Gotta Have It Founder's Favorite goes, not just a 12-ounce, softball-sized mound of ice cream, but pecans, brownie pieces, fudge, and caramel. The tab: a startling 1,610 calories, 43 grams of saturated fat, and 3 grams of trans fat. That's roughly what you'd get if you polished off five single-scoop ice cream cones.

The Symptoms Of Severe Acid Reflux GERD

Acid reflux GERD occurs when stomach acid backs up into the esophagus after eating, causing discomfort known as heartburn, and reoccurs two or more days per week for at least three months. Every year, there are 4.6 million doctor visits related to acid reflux disease (or GERD). This problem is often shrugged off as a random bout of food poisoning or just routine digestive malfunctions, but it should be taken seriously to prevent future disturbances.

Many people are surprised to hear about the more subtle symptoms of acid reflux GERD. Other than the most common - regurgitation, difficulty swallowing (also known as dysphagia), abdominal and chest pain - there are disturbances created by stomach acid that may masquerade as other things.

For example, other less common symptoms include: asthma, chronic cough and a sore throat or water brash - the bitter, salty or sour taste in the mouth that occurs when the salivary glands are stimulated by this. When you see your doctor about acid reflux, there are several tests to determine if your heartburn may damage the esophagus or internal organs. The first test is called an Endoscopy, where a thin, flexible tube and video camera are passed into the mouth, down the esophagus and into the stomach. The second test your doctor may perform is called a Barium Esophagram. This test observes the shape of the esophagus, looking for abnormalities in the stomach and throat. You'll drink a chalky liquid containing barium, which coats the esophagus and stomach, and allows them to be viewed in an X-ray. A third procedure, known as Esophageal pH Monitoring, tests for the amount of acid in the esophagus over time.

In one variation of this test, a tiny tube goes in through the nose, into the esophagus and an acid monitor on the tip measures acid levels over a 24-hour period. The other way to monitor consists of attaching a medicine capsule sized monitor during an endoscopy, which tests acid over a 48-hour period when the monitor is passed out like food. Acid reflux GERD often points to dietary problems. Without the right combination of chemical triggers, the pancreas, intestines and stomach valves don't know when to act.

The leading cause of death in industrialized nations is diet-related heart and organ failure. By seeing your doctor, you can easily get a handle on the underlying cause of these uncomfortable symptoms.

Cauliflower as Healthy Foods

Cauliflower and other cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, cabbage, and kale, contain compounds that may help prevent cancer. Epidemiological studies have long suggested a connection between these vegetables and resistance to cancer. New Research Expands our Understanding of How Cruciferous Vegetables Help Prevent Cancer

Sulforaphane, a compound formed when cruciferous vegetables are chopped or chewed, is already known to trigger the liver to produce enzymes that detoxify cancer-causing chemicals, inhibit chemically-induced breast cancers in animal studies, and induce colon cancer cells to commit suicide.

Human population as well as animal studies consistently show that diets high in cruciferous vegetables, such as cauliflower, are associated with lower incidence of certain cancers, including lung, colon, breast and ovarian cancer. Recent studies show that those eating the most cruciferous vegetables have a much lower risk of prostate, colorectal and lung cancer-even whencompared to those who regularly eat other vegetables:

In a study of over 1,200 men, conducted at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, WA, those eating 28 servings of vegetables a week had a 35% lower risk of prostate cancer, but those consuming just 3 or more servings of cruciferous vegetables each week had a 44% lower prostate cancer risk.

In smokers, regular cruciferous vegetable consumption reduced lung cancer risk an amazing 69%!

How many weekly servings of cruciferous vegetables do you need to lower your risk of cancer? A Weekly Serving of Cruciferous Vegetables Halves Advanced Prostate Cancer Risk

Consumption of cruciferous vegetables, such as cauliflower, is known to reduce the risk of a number of cancers, especially lung, colon, breast, ovarian and bladder cancer. Tips for preparing cauliflower

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Who Is At Risk for a Heart Attack?

Certain risk factors make it more likely that you will develop coronary artery disease (CAD) and have a heart attack. Some risk factors for heart attack can be controlled, while others can't.

Major risk factors for heart attack that you can control include:

  • Smoking
  • High blood pressure
  • High blood cholesterol
  • Overweight and obesity
  • Physical inactivity
  • Diabetes (high blood sugar)

Risk factors that you can't change include:

Age.

Risk increases for men older than 45 years and for women older than 55 years (or after menopause).

Family history of early CAD.

Your risk increases if your father or a brother was diagnosed with CAD before 55 years of age, or if your mother or a sister was diagnosed with CAD before 65 years of age.

Certain CAD risk factors tend to occur together.

When they do, it’s called metabolic syndrome. In general, a person with metabolic syndrome is twice as likely to develop heart disease and five times as likely to develop diabetes as someone without metabolic syndrome.

Top 8 Healthy Foods

Many foods are not only tasty but play a key role in maintaining and promoting health. The list below gives my choices for foods that are not only healthy, but may go along way in helping a woman with PCOS minimize many of the complications associated with the disease, like diabetes and cardiac disease.

Almonds

Filled with heart healthy fats, moderate consumption can actually reduce cholesterol. Beans

Especially high in fiber and protein, this class of foods also contains many vitamins and minerals, including iron and magnesium. Berries

Blueberries in particularly are an excellent source of antioxidants, fiber and vitamin C. They also promote healthy aging. Cranberries can help promote urinary health, by acidifying the urine to prevent urinary tract infections.

Garlic

Garlic is rich in vitamins C and B6. Green Leafy Vegetables

Green leafy vegetables are high in antioxidants, which may help prevent some forms of cancer. They are also high in vitamin A, calcium, folate, iron, magnesium, riboflavin and vitamins B-6 and C.

Olive Oil

Olive oil is a great source of antioxidants and is a monounsaturated fat, which may help reduce the risk of cardiac disease. Use olive oil in place of salad dressings, or use it to stir fry vegetables.

Salmon

Salmon is high in omega-3 fatty acids, a healthy form of fat which can help prevent heart attacks and reduce the risk of cardiac disease. Salmon is also high in protein and low in fat and cholesterol.

Soy

Especially good for women, soy can aid in lowering cholesterol and is found in many meat alternatives. Try having a fruit smoothie made with soy milk or a veggie burger made with soy as an alternative to a hamburger.

Tomato Sauce

Tomatoes are especially rich in lycopene, a powerful antioxidant. While whole tomatoes are great for you, tomato sauces and canned tomatoes have even more concentrated and active lycopene.

Whole Grains

Whole grains are an excellent source of protein, fiber and many vitamins and minerals. They also contain antioxidants which may help prevent heart disease and obesity. Products that are 7-grain, 12-grain or multi-grain do not have the same benefit as whole grain.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

What Causes a Heart Attack?

Most heart attacks occur as a result of coronary artery disease (CAD). CAD is the buildup over time of a material called plaque on the inner walls of the coronary arteries. Eventually, a section of plaque can break open, causing a blood clot to form at the site. A heart attack occurs if the clot becomes large enough to cut off most or all of the blood flow through the artery.

Coronary Artery With Plaque Buildup

The illustration shows a normal artery with normal blood flow and an artery containing plaque buildup.

The blocked blood flow prevents oxygen-rich blood from reaching the part of the heart muscle fed by the artery. The lack of oxygen damages the heart muscle. If the blockage isn’t treated quickly, the damaged heart muscle begins to die.

Heart attack also can occur due to problems with the very small, microscopic blood vessels of the heart. This condition is called microvascular disease. It’s believed to be more common in women than in men.

Another less common cause of heart attack is a severe spasm (tightening) of a coronary artery that cuts off blood flow through the artery. These spasms can occur in coronary arteries that don’t have CAD. It’s not always clear what causes a coronary artery spasm, but sometimes it can be related to:

  • Taking certain drugs, such as cocaine
  • Emotional stress or pain
  • Exposure to extreme cold
  • Cigarette smoking

The animation below shows how a heart attack occurs. Click the “start” button to play the animation. Written and spoken explanations are provided with each frame. Use the buttons in the lower right corner to pause, restart, or replay the animation, or use the scroll bar below the buttons to move through the frames.

Low cholesterol foods

The Heart Smart Diet section of our web site is very popular with our readers. It lists many heart-healthy foods and supplements along with the latest clinical study results. Among all the foods listed there, I have decided to pick the top five super foods which have been shown to lower cholesterol and can be included in a healthy diet on a regular basis. Top 5 Super Foods to lower cholesterol

Oat for Soluble Fiber

Oatmeal and oat bran are rich in soluble fiber, a type of fiber which lowers the bad Low Density Lipoprotein or LDL cholesterol without lowering the good High Density Lipoprotein or HDL cholesterol. In 1997, the FDA authorized a heart disease risk reduction health claim for beta-glucan soluble fiber from oat products. Food products containing oat bran and rolled oats, such as oatmeal, and whole oat flour can bear this health claim.

Five to 10 grams of soluble fiber a day decreases LDL cholesterol by about 5 percent. Some studies showed that this amount can lower cholesterol by as much as 23 percent. One bowl of oatmeal contains about 3 grams of soluble fiber. Include other soluble-fiber-rich foods such as psyllium, apples, kidney beans, pears and barley.

Fish for Omega 3 Fatty Acids

Fish is a good source of protein and omega 3 fatty acids - which has been shown to lower LDL cholesterol and raise HDL cholesterol. In particular, omega 3 fatty acids are noted for its triglyceride-lowering power.

In 2002, the American Heart Association recommended eating at least 2 servings of fish a week, particularly fatty fish such as mackerel, salmon, sardines, trout and herring. If you have high triglyceride levels, AHA recommends 2 to 4 g of EPA and DHA (two specific types of omega 3 oil) as supplements under your doctor's care.

Nuts for Healthy Fats

Nuts rich in fiber, phytonutrients and antioxidants such as Vitamin E and selenium. These tasty snacks are also high in plant sterols and fat - but mostly monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which have all been shown to lower the bad LDL cholesterol.

In 2003, the FDA recognized the benefits of nuts and their role in heart disease prevention by approving a health claim for seven kinds of nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, pecans, some pine nuts, pistachios and walnuts). Limit your intake to ~ 1.5 ounces a day, as nuts are high in calories. The best way to reap the health benefits of nuts is to eat them in replacement of foods that are high in saturated fats such as meat products.

Foods fortifed with Plant Sterols

Plant sterols or stanols are powerful substances naturally found in plant to have the ability to block cholesterol absorption. Studies showed that eating two servings of sterols-fortified foods daily result in a 10 to 15 percent drop in LDL cholesterol levels.

The National Cholesterol Education Program recommends that people who have high cholesterol eat 2 grams of plant sterols or stanols a day. You can find plant sterols in fortified foods such as margarine spread, orange juice, salad dressings, functional cookies etc. Most sterols-fortified foods contain at least 1 gram of plant sterols per serving. Please read the portion size and usage direction on the labels for details. It is important to note that plant sterols are not for everyone. The AHA recommends it only for people with high levels of LDL cholesterol.

Soy

Soy products are great substitutes for animal products. In 1999, the FDA recognized the health benefits of soy and heart disease by approving a soy health claim. However, due to conflicting results from a large-scale review performed by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the AHA Nutrition Committee no longer recommends eating soy to lower cholesterol.. Although soy may not lower cholesterol to the extent we previously thought it could, the US Agency review showed that it can still lower bad LDL cholesterol by 3 percent. Since soy products contain high levels of polyunsaturated fats, fiber, vitamins, and minerals and low levels of saturated fat, AHA does consider soy products a healthy replacement for meats and other foods high in saturated fat and total fat.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

You Can Be Healthy All the Time

You don't have to be sick all the time. The "common cold" in the winter time and the flu that most people seem to get are cause by bad habits. There are people out there who never get sick.

Want to know why there are people out there who never gets sick, while you seem to get sick on a consistent basis every winter? It has to do with habits and personal beliefs.

If you think you are going to get sick every winter, then guess what? More then likely you will get sick every winter. This has to do with your negative thoughts about your health. The mind is a very powerful thing.

If you don't think the mind is a powerful thing, just look at placebos. Placebos are fake drugs that doctors gives to people who think they are sick, but have nothing wrong with them. They are also used in clinical tests. People often reported getting better from taking placebos, or "fake drugs".

How can "fake drugs" make someone better? You might think they are just crazy, but they get better because of the power of your mind. I'm sure you can think to a time back in grade school where you didn't want to go to school. You willed yourself into catching a fever so you could stay home.

Another reason why people tend to get sick seasonally is bad habits. What happens during Winter? It's the 3 biggest holidays of the year. Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years. What do people do during the holidays? They drink a lot and eat a lot and stay up late at night. Last time I checked all three were unhealthy and lowers the immune system.

You have complete control over your body. If you never want to get sick, treat your body and your mind right. Have good habits, and have good thoughts. Also eating a clove of garlic everyday doesn't hurt either.

What Are the Signs and Symptoms of a Heart Attack?

Not all heart attacks begin with a sudden, crushing pain that is often shown on TV or in the movies. The warning signs and symptoms of a heart attack aren’t the same for everyone. Many heart attacks start slowly as mild pain or discomfort. Some people don’t have symptoms at all (this is called a silent heart attack).

Chest Pain or Discomfort

The most common symptom of heart attack is chest pain or discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts for more than a few minutes or goes away and comes back. The discomfort can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain. It can be mild or severe. Heart attack pain can sometimes feel like indigestion or heartburn.

The symptoms of angina can be similar to the symptoms of a heart attack. Angina is pain in the chest that occurs in people with coronary artery disease, usually when they’re active. Angina pain usually lasts for only a few minutes and goes away with rest. Angina that doesn’t go away or that changes from its usual pattern (occurs more frequently or occurs at rest) can be a sign of the beginning of a heart attack and should be checked by a doctor right away.

Other Common Signs and Symptoms

Other common signs and symptoms that a person can have during a heart attack include:

Upper body discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw, or stomach

Shortness of breath may often occur with or before chest discomfort

Nausea (feeling sick to your stomach), vomiting, lightheadedness or fainting, or breaking out in a cold sweat

Not everyone having a heart attack experiences the typical symptoms. If you’ve already had a heart attack, your symptoms may not be the same for another one. The more signs and symptoms you have, the more likely it is that you’re having a heart attack.

Act Fast

Sometimes the signs and symptoms of a heart attack happen suddenly, but they can also develop slowly, over hours, days, and even weeks before a heart attack occurs.

Know the warning signs of a heart attack so you can act fast to get treatment for yourself or someone else. The sooner you get emergency help, the less damage there will be to your heart.

Call 9–1–1 for help within 5 minutes if you think you may be having a heart attack or if your chest pain doesn’t go away as it usually does when you take prescribed medicine.

Don’t drive yourself or anyone else to the hospital. Call an ambulance so that medical personnel can begin life-saving treatment on the way to the emergency room.

What Causes a Heart Attack?

Most heart attacks occur as a result of coronary artery disease (CAD). CAD is the buildup over time of a material called plaque on the inner walls of the coronary arteries. Eventually, a section of plaque can break open, causing a blood clot to form at the site. A heart attack occurs if the clot becomes large enough to cut off most or all of the blood flow through the artery.

Coronary Artery With Plaque Buildup

The illustration shows a normal artery with normal blood flow and an artery containing plaque buildup.

The blocked blood flow prevents oxygen-rich blood from reaching the part of the heart muscle fed by the artery. The lack of oxygen damages the heart muscle. If the blockage isn’t treated quickly, the damaged heart muscle begins to die.

Heart attack also can occur due to problems with the very small, microscopic blood vessels of the heart. This condition is called microvascular disease. It’s believed to be more common in women than in men.

Another less common cause of heart attack is a severe spasm (tightening) of a coronary artery that cuts off blood flow through the artery. These spasms can occur in coronary arteries that don’t have CAD. It’s not always clear what causes a coronary artery spasm, but sometimes it can be related to:

  • Taking certain drugs, such as cocaine
  • Emotional stress or pain
  • Exposure to extreme cold
  • Cigarette smoking

The animation below shows how a heart attack occurs. Click the “start” button to play the animation. Written and spoken explanations are provided with each frame. Use the buttons in the lower right corner to pause, restart, or replay the animation, or use the scroll bar below the buttons to move through the frames.

Try these tips and remedies to ease your pain reflux

Last year alone, Americans spent $942 million dollars on over-the-counter antacids, and a whopping 13.6 billion dollars on prescription acid suppressants. Millions of Americans take drugs to relieve excess stomach acid. In fact, acid-suppressing drugs are among the most frequently prescribed medications in the US. Proton-pump inhibitors like Prilosec, Prevacid, Nexium, Aciphex and Protonix. What they do is inhibit the enzymes that transport acid from the acid-secreting cells into the lining of the stomach.

H2 blockers inhibit the activity of histamine in the stomach. Histamine stimulates stomach cells to secrete more acid.

Regular use of acid-suppressing drugs is associated with increased risk of hip fractures, probably because of impaired calcium absorption. Taking acid-suppressors also increases your risk of acquiring a food-borne intestinal infection or experiencing the overgrowth of bacteria in the stomach and small intestine. Overgrowth of bacteria in the stomach probably explains some other risks associated with regular use of acid suppressors including pneumonia, stomach cancer and vitamin B12 deficiency.

Gastroesophageal reflux vs. gastritis

Acid suppressing therapy is primarily used to treat two kinds of problems — gastroesophageal reflux (GERD) and gastritis (inflammation of the stomach lining). Symptoms include heartburn, chest pain, regurgitation of food, sore throat, hoarse voice and cough. Although acid suppressors are commonly prescribed, GERD is not caused by excess production of acid. It is caused by failure of the valve that separates the esophagus from the stomach (the LES or lower esophageal sphincter valve).

When you eat a lot at one time it causes stomach distension, which triggers relaxation of the LES.

Avoid high fat foods such as fried foods and cream sauces. These weaken the LES.

Don’t smoke. Maintain a normal weight. Being overweight increases your risk of GERD.

Strenuous exercise increases the tendency to get GERD.

So-called “acid” foods, like oranges and tomatoes, do not cause GERD, but they may irritate an already inflamed esophagus

These simple steps prevent symptoms of GERD in the majority of people and may allow you to avoid the use of acid-suppressing drugs. Calcium. Calcium tightens the LES valve. The most effective preparation is calcium citrate powder. Swallowing calcium pills does not prevent reflux because the calcium is not instantly dissolved.

Digestive enzymes. These appear to work by decreasing distension of the stomach. The enzymes should be acid-resistant, so they work in the stomach itself, not in the small intestine. A powdered enzyme preparation (1/2 teaspoon) can be mixed together with the calcium powder above and taken after each meal. Digestive enzymes are available in health food stores and pharmacies.

Gastritis

The leading cause of gastritis (inflamed stomach lining) in the U.S. is the regular use of aspirin and anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) and naproxen (Aleve).

Healthy Source Information for Better Life