Shirley Medical Health Blog

Archive for the ‘Heart Health’ Category

According to the statistic data of the 1999-2000 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey or the NHANES, nearly two- thirds of the total adult population in the United States are overweight, and an astonishing figure of about 30.5% of Americans are obese. This over weight and obesity prevalence fact sheet provided by the study as well presents the accompanying obesity related health problems in the population, apart from the disease’s mortality and economic costs. And a significantly stunning 61+ million people are at risk of the deadly disorders associated with obesity.

Only some of the known and proven obesity related health problems are the following:

* type 2 diabetes

* insulin resistance, glucose intolerance

* heart disease and congestive heart failure

* stroke, respiratory breathing problems and sleep apnea

* high blood pressure (hypertension)

* high blood cholesterol (dyslipidemia)

* cholescystitis and cholelithiasis

* gallbladder disease and urine leakage (stress incontinence)

* presence of excess body and facial hair (hirsutism)

* poor female reproductive health (menstrual irregularities, infertility, irregular ovulation)

* pregnancy complications

* degeneration of cartilage and bone of joints (osteoarthritis)

* psychological disorders (depression, low self- esteem, distorted body image and eating disorders)

* some forms of cancer (breast, uterine, endometrial, prostate, colorectal, kidney, and gallbladder), and

* increased surgical risk

To note, there are also gender- specific obesity related health problems among obese women and men. Obese women who have a waist circumference of more than 35 inches is considered to have a high amount of visceral fats or accumulated fats surrounding the internal organs which are associated with higher risks of liver disease and chronic conditions like Diabetes and heart disease. On the other hand, among obese males, are more likely deaths caused by colon, rectum, or prostate cancer as well as acquiring a suffering disorder of sleep apnea which is seriously associated with stroke and heart attack.

Being obese causes an increased risk for developing these numbers of serious and potentially lethal health problems. What makes these obesity related health problems even more noteworthy is the fact that it causes some 300,000 premature deaths in the United States every single year. Causing government spending of billions of dollars in health care costs, and the culprit is preventable. And with these risky obesity related health problems always in mind, no one would rather eat what he wants rather than wanting to live a long healthy life with his loved ones.

Milos
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/obesity-related-health-problems-74288.html

It’s incredible, but true. You can reduce your risk of heart disease by simply improving your diet and getting daily exercise.

Restoring your Heart Health is about much more than undergoing the right procedure at the right time. It’s also about healthy living, lifestyle changes and being educated about your condition.

At Providence, our technology and specialty services are supported by expert staff who offer you personalized education about your heart health. From stopping smoking to eating right, we’re here in the Spokane, Eastern Washington and Coeur d’Alene, North Idaho area with the resources you need to live heart healthy.

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An ounce of prevention towards wellness -

Learn the simple steps to living a healthier and happier life!

Concern over health and how to improve your health has become a topic more and more of us think about and try to implement in our lives. Advances in medicine have helped us live longer lives and have allowed us to overcome some of the ills and infections that used to kill many people. Vaccines have helped prevent illness and death. They have eliminated diseases like smallpox and have helped against rabies, diphtheria and the plague.

However, we have started to incur a new host of health problems due to the length of our life, the processed foods we eat, the fast paced lives we live and the chemicals that pollute our world. Every day we see new commercials on TV about the next great drug that will make your life better or healthier. But do you actually listen to the list of possible side effects. Are these drugs really helping or just creating different problems. Remember, no pharmaceutical company ever made money by curing you quickly so you could stop taking their pills.

Why wait until you feel poorly before you see a doctor that will only work on alleviating your symptoms and not on fixing the underlying problem. Start achieving wellness and begin improving your health before you get to the point you need to see a doctor. Work on improving your overall wellness.

As the old adage says “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

Of the leading causes of death in the United States, many can be prevented. The likelihood of contracting heart disease, Diabetes, and other health issues can be directly impacted by the choices we make every day. The choices about what we put into our bodies and the choices we make that affect our personal environment.

Here are some things you can do to increase your wellness and start down the path to improve your health:

Diet and Nutrition – Your diet does a lot in determining your overall health and wellness. What you put into your body does make a difference. “It’s easy to buy into some pretty popular nutrition misconceptions — myths and half-truths that ultimately find us making far fewer healthier food choices than we realize,” says New York University nutritionist Samantha Heller, MS, RD.

Read labels, don’t trust all the advertising and always try to get whole foods and not processed substitutes.

The same goes for your supplements. Get those that are made from natural ingredients and aren’t over processed. Every vitamin and mineral and phytochemical in our body works in concert with one another, and it’s easy to knock that balance off. Be sure the supplements you are taking are balanced and introduced to your body in a way that they are usable and work together as nature intended.

Some of the things you want to make sure you get enough of in your diet are fiber, antioxidants, soy, and water. These things along with a well balanced nutritional intake of whole foods and supplements can go a long way in improving health and increasing wellness.

Weight – Maintaining a healthy weight is critical to improving health. You don’t have to be as thin as a rail – this is actually just as unhealthy as being overweight – you just need to keep the excess in check.

It all begins with attitude. Start by changing how you feel about yourself, your body and your eating habits. Change to a can do attitude where you start to do what’s right for you. Simple moderate exercise, eating a healthy breakfast (no skipping allowed), reducing your calorie intake by not taking just one more are all small things we can do to get in better health by being at a better weight.

Don’t go for the fad diets that don’t work or at best get you to lose weight for a while but then just put it back on later. A slow and steady change will help you lose the weight and keep it off and it will be much healthier for you.

Get plenty of whole foods, protein (quite often a good soy protein can give you what you need without adding fat to your diet) and drink lots of water. Water is critical to the health and wellness of your body. It helps rid you of toxic build up and it is needed for normal cell processes to work. Another side effect of water is that it can make you feel full without adding the calories so you will eat less.

Exercise – Aerobic exercise is very important to maintaining your wellness and improving your health. It has been linked to cancer prevention, reduction of osteoporosis, helping with depression, lowering the risk of heart disease and diabetes, and of course obesity and weight control. It can also help with cognitive functions – meaning you can think more clearly and work more efficiently.

Aerobic exercise makes most of us think of joining a gym or having to run several miles every day. This is just not the case. You can keep it very simple and still achieve benefits. Walking is one of the best exercises out there. It is simple, easy on the joints, doesn’t cost us a lot of money and it can be done pretty much anywhere. To get a benefit from walking, you just need to make sure that it is aerobic. That means you want to walk at a pace that leaves you feeling “warm and slightly out of breath”. One good way to start is the 5 out 5 back plan. Just walk 5 minutes away from the house and then you are force to walk 5 minutes back. Increase the time out as your health and fitness increase.

Stress Management – Most of us live with some type of stress every day. It has just become part of our lives. It has also become one reason we don’t always feel our best and why we are susceptible to feeling run down and ‘sick’.

Reducing stress can help now and our long term health. Stress keeps our bodies from functioning at their best and slowly wears on us. Find way to relax, to have that ‘me’ time where the pressures of the day can be pushed aside.

Try to simplify your life. Our world has become so fast paced and ‘in your face’ – ‘do it now’ that we just don’t have time to sit and watch the clouds or the rain or…. One simple way to gain a little sanity is to disconnect from the fast pace, try just turning off the cell phone. Just leave it behind for an hour.

But, no matter how much we work on getting rid of the stresses in our life there will always be something that causes us stress. Luckily, there are ways to help us overcome the stress nutritionally.

Avoiding Toxins – With all of our advances and science and technology, man has come up with many great things to improve our quality of life. However, we are learning that some of these things that are there to improve actually produce side effects that can hurt us and our health – now and in the future.

The EPA has warned that indoor air pollution is more of a concern than the pollution we find outside. Many cleaners as well as skin and beauty products actually contain harmful toxins.

There are companies out there that do produce green cleaners that are safe for people and for the environment. Read labels and know what your beauty and cleaning products contain.

One of the best ways to maintain your health is to wash your hands. We touch so many different things with our hands things that might have been cleaned with toxins or touched by something unhealthy that by just washing, you can cut down on many unwanted health effects.

Adequate Sleep – Giving your body the sleep it requires is a great way to keep it healthy. During sleep your body regenerates and rejuvenates. It is absolutely imperative to get enough sleep, but getting more doesn’t always mean you are getting better quality sleep.

Quit Smoking – Despite the many warnings and the known health risks smoking is still prevalent around the world. Quitting this habit can not only improve your health drastically and improve your chances of preventing future disease; it can relieve you of a financial burden. Just think if you applied all the money you spend on cigarettes on healthy nutritional supplements how much you could increase your health and wellness.

Its not always the difficult path that is required for change. Quite often making a few simple changes in our lives can make dramatic results.

Think about it!

Michael Tomberlin
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/improve-your-health-716139.html

http://amzn.to/mormax
Heart disease is the number one killer in the US and plaguing many other countries as well. Here is the 5 tips to keep your Heart Healthy.http://www.natural-ease.com http://bit.ly/9cc2gD

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Physical health is something about which everybody is conscious about. Good health and ill health are directly proportional to a native’s earning capability. Thus, being aware of our personal health and its maintenance can help us to a great extent. Numerology has helped us a lot in taking precautionary measures as far as our health is concerned.

The numbers thirteen to sixteen are discussed as follows.
Number Thirteen
The number thirteen gives you a strong type of physical body, good vital powers and plenty of what may be termed as ‘life force’. From a general standpoint, it signifies good health will be maintained so long as ordinary thought and care is exercised. You need to be very much health conscious and practical where foods and drinks are concerned.

The health numbers usually gives you an very good appetite and hence if you cross your limits, then there could be problems related to obesity and fattiness. You are also prone to formation of boils and abscesses etc. if the food factor is not maintained.

Number Fourteen
General good health can be maintained if you avoid going to extremes in any directions. It gives you a well-formed type of physical body and, it is the strongest physical sign of the zodiac. It is indicative of a good health from a general standpoint. It shows that when you are indisposed you can suffer severely from different sort of ailments.

The sign has a rule over the spine and the back, the heart and the blood, and from a structural view point, the dorsal vertebrae of the spine in particular. Some liability to feverish disorders is shown and complaints can affect the parts of the body mentioned. Undue excitement and over activity can affect the heart.

Number Fifteen
The number fifteen is not favorable number for health as it brings susceptibility to colds and chills and to illness or malnutrition as a result of neglect both during the early as well as during the later years of life. There are liabilities to bruises and hurt through falls or as a result of things falling upon you and it can lead to broken bones especially the bones of the legs.

The knee will be a very susceptible part and at times can be affected by rheumatism. Yet to be very particular, this number does give a very strong grip upon life and is often associated with very long life. If proper care is taken then the later years of life will be more healthy and better.

Number Sixteen
Strong and muscular type physical body is given by number sixteen. The general health will be good, but there remains a liability to ailments like feverish nature particularly if a deal of overseas or residence in hot countries occurs. Some liability to cuts and wounds is signified and can affect the head and the face. Care should always be taken at the time of handling equipments, machineries and knives.

Health numbers foretells our health conditions and thus helps us in a big way. Know the effects of your health numbers and take necessary measures.

Abhishek Lodha
http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/the-health-numbers-part-4-126543.html

Listen to a discussion about heart disease and the importance of Heart Health. What products help to enhance your hearts health.

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http://heartattacknews.com/2010/08/22/heart-healthy-baked-french-toast Ramona Werst shares her Heart Healthy recipe for Heart healthy Baked French Toast and shows how to make it. Visit the blog for full recipe.

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Bad cholesterol or a bad diet is something we all experience at some point in time. It’s impossible to eat healthy our whole lives, even though we may try hard to do it. Eating healthy for your heart is something everyone should try to do, especially when it comes to restoring health and reducing heart attacks.

Your heart and food

We know these things for sure – a diet high in saturated fats will help raise your cholesterol, which is a risk factor for heart disease. People that are obese are more prone to heart disease. A diet high in sodium may elevate your blood pressure, leading to inflammation and even heart disease.

To help prevent heart disease and improve your health, put the tips below to good use.

Eat plenty of fish

Herring, sardines, and salmon are all excellent sources of Omega 3 essential fatty acids. Other fish are great to, although Omega 3 may help to get your cholesterol down to a healthier level.

Choosing healthy fats and oils

Saturated fat will increase the risk of heart disease. It’s found in meat, butter, and even coconut oil. You should avoid them until your cholesterol levels are down and you are at a healthy weight. Even those that love red meats can enjoy seafood and nuts for their main sources of protein.

Monounsaturated fats such as olive oils will help you to protect your heart. Olive oil is an ideal choice for cooking, dressing, or even as a dipping sauce.

Plenty of fiber

Fiber can help you control your cholesterol. You can find fiber in whole grain products to help control sugar absorption as well, which will help you keep your digestive system healthy.

Choosing carbohydrates

Eating for your heart involves staying away from sugary foods such as candy, cookies, cakes, and pastries. Eating a lot of sugar isn’t good for your heart disease at all. Healthy carbohydrates involve whole grain breads, whole grain pasta, brown rice, and a lot of vegetables. You should make fruits and vegetables the main aspect of your diet.

Healthy cooking methods

Stir frying and sautéing with olive oil or canola oil are both great methods, as you shouldn’t dip your food in batter and fry it anymore. If you cook chicken, remove the skin and bake it in the oven in foil.

Instead of frying your fish you should always bake it. Steaming your vegetables can help maintain the most nutrients. You should use cream sauces or lots of butter anymore either. When you eat vegetables, try squeezing lemon juice on them or using your favorite seasonings.

As you make the proper changes to your diet, keep in mind that it takes time for them to become habits. Eating healthy is always great for your body and your lifestyle, especially when it comes to your heart and the prevention of heart disease.

Ginger Malone
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/eating-for-a-healthy-heart-94900.html

Heart disease prevention is of prime importance in the United States, since heart disease is our leading cause of death. It is also a major cause of disability, costing many people their jobs and their freedom.

Heart disease prevention becomes especially important as you age. Men who have passed age 45, and women who have passed age 55, are at far greater risk than younger people. If you have a family history of heart disease, your risks increase again. If you are genetically predisposed to build-ups of cholesterol deposits, the risks are even greater.

All of this sounds like a losing battle, but there are things you can do. Heart disease prevention measures can be taken.

Heart Disease Prevention Tips

There are no guarantees when it comes to heart disease, but if you follow the tips below, you will be doing much to reduce your risks of dying from this disease. This information is for educational purposes only, however, and the reader should seek advice from a medical professional.

1. Weight: You have no doubt heard that you should maintain a healthy weight as a matter of heart disease prevention. Excess weight causes the heart to work harder, putting stress on this vital muscle. It is important to learn what a healthy weight is, given your height, age, and gender. Then take steps to reach and maintain that weight. The weight loss business is huge in America, so you will find plenty of help. Ask your doctor for advice before you begin a diet, though.

2. Exercise: The second most common means of heart disease prevention is physical exercise. The heart is a muscle. As such, it can be strengthened through regular exercise. Exercise should be guided by your health care provider, but it should not be avoided unless other medical concerns prevent it. Exercise will send vital, health-giving oxygen to your heart. You should have regular exercise each day, walking or jogging if possible. In addition, train yourself to park farther from the door; take stairs instead of elevators and escalators; get off the bus one or two stops before you must, and walk the last few blocks. Heart disease prevention can often be a matter of changing a few habits.

3. Smoking: If you smoke tobacco, you should stop immediately. This relatively easy form of heart disease prevention can be done readily. Although many people claim addiction requiring medical intervention, studies show that 90% of those who quit smoking do it on their own, without medical help. I have personally seen individuals make a single decision, and never smoke again.

4. Healthy Eating: If you name this form of heart disease prevention a diet, chances are you will rebel inwardly. Nobody likes to diet. You should, however, adopt a healthy way of eating. Load the menu with fresh fruits and vegetables, leaving less room for fatty meats and sweets. Avoid junk foods like potato chips and corn chips. Refuse the candy bars, and have a health bar instead.

5. Blood Pressure: Many people find that they have elevated blood pressure levels as they get older. It is important to find out what your blood pressure is, and take any steps necessary to get it under control and keep it there. High blood pressure creates another unnecessary demand on your heart. Your physician may prescribe medication to lower your blood pressure. In addition, you may want to increase your potassium intake, lose weight, and exercise. Normal blood pressure is important to heart disease prevention.

6. Diabetes: Ask your physician to test you for Diabetes. Diabetes also is a risk for heart disease, but it can be controlled. If you have it, follow your doctor’s advice in every way. Diabetes greatly increases your risks of heart disease, stroke, and heart attack.

7. Cholesterol: It is widely accepted in medical circles that high cholesterol levels, especially high LDL cholesterol levels, put you at further risk for heart disease. Cholesterol levels can be reduced. Your physician may prescribe a cholesterol-lowering drug. In addition, you will want to do your part for heart disease prevention. When shopping, choose low fat dairy products and cheese instead of richer options. Trim the fat from meat before you cook it. If it isn’t on your plate, you will not eat it.

These 7 heart disease prevention steps can make a big difference in your life. They may, in fact, extend your life. Discuss them with your doctor, and enlist your family’s support in following them.

Anna Hart
http://www.articlesbase.com/medicine-articles/heart-disease-prevention-134209.html

docjummhttp://gdata.youtube.com/feeds/api/users/docjummPeopleTracy Anderson’s Web Workouts Raise Your Heart Rate and Malawi Fitness, Celebrity, dance FitSugar Fitness, Health Well beingTracy Anderson’s Web Workouts Raise Your Heart Rate and Malawi Fitness, Celebrity, dance FitSugar Fitness, Health Well being

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