Handling The Challenges Of Heart Failure

According to the American Medical Association journals, heart failure affects nearly 5 million Americans each year, with more than 300,000 people dying of this fatal disease. While the statistics may sound grim, there are many ways to educate yourself and simple lifestyle modifications can be made that will prevent you from becoming one of them.

How do you know if you are at risk for heart failure? Smoking, eating diets high in fatty foods or cholesterol-rich foods and not exercising enough are lifestyle causes that may contribute to heart disease. You have probably heard that genetics can play a part as well, but health experts stress the importance of minimizing risk through smart lifestyle choices. If you're not sure what you should be eating, then a simple trip to the dietician or logging onto a website like sparkspeople.com can help get you on track, alerting you to problems in your existing diet. It helps to have a motivational exercise buddy too, so find one and get to the gym or take daily walks around the block just to keep yourself in tip-top shape. Staying healthy doesn't have to be a hassle or a compromise.

To check if you may have heart health problems, your general practitioner can run several tests to be sure. Many people avoid getting tested in advance because they fear invasive pokes and prods, but most of these screening tests are very non-invasive. For instance, one test, which is a "stress test," has you walking on a treadmill for a specific interval of time through several intensity levels, while an IV-injected tracer moves through the blood, indicating possible obstructions or strain. Another test, the EKG, simply monitors your heart rhythms through electrical wires with adhesive ends stuck to your chest, arms and legs. An "Echocardiogram" is simply an ultrasound image taken of your chest, which is as painless as a photograph. Most people are familiar with the usual hypertension/blood pressure test done with a cuff around your bicep. The most invasive test, which is recommended for people with a genetic predisposition, is the "Catheriterization," which is a small tube inserted into the artery, which may open an obstruction or insert dye to see where the problem spots are.

If you've been diagnosed with heart failure, then you'll need to adjust your diet considerably. An overwhelming amount of evidence suggests the importance of Omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in fish oil supplements. Dr. James O'Keefe of the Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas recommends at least 1 gram of fish oil per day and as much as 4 grams for people with high triglyceride levels. "Research shows that this dosage lowers triglyceride levels by 20 to 50 percent," he explains. In addition, you'll be trading in eggs for oatmeal, red meat for fish and hummus instead of chip dip.

As we get older there are critical numbers that start to weigh to a great extent upon us. We have to worry about our weight, levels of cholesterol, as well as our blood pressure. Things we may have ignored our entire lives now all of a sudden they have significant importance. However these are things that should never have been ignored. A lifetime of mistreatment on the body renders merely unfavourable things when left unchecked.

 

Your cholesterol level is without question all-important if you wish to stay in good health and your body functioning the right way. High levels can lead to heart attacks as well as stroke, both things you do not want to have to contend with. Being mindful about your cholesterol level is not simply for the aging. It is something both younger people and older people must be concerned with as well as be aware of if they want to conduct a healthy life. In this article we will go over the basics of cholesterol and hopefully you will realize just how important a healthy level is to your body as well as peace of mind.

What is bad cholesterol?

LDL cholesterol is bad. All cholesterol is carried by lipoproteins but the low-density lipoproteins moves in the blood stream and allows the cholesterol to begin to accumulate. If there is too much LDL then the cholesterol begins building up on the walls of the arteries. It begins to form plaque which makes the arteries hard and not as flexible. When clots form and block the artery a heart attack or stroke can occur.

What types of medicines are given for high cholesterol?

Obviously the first choice of physicians is exercise and a healthy diet low in trans fats. But when that does not work or there is a high level of LDL present then medications must be brought in to help. There are many different types of medicines currently being used to treat high cholesterol. The goal of each type of medicine is to lower the amount of LDL present in the blood stream and to help remove blockage and build up that has occurred. Some of these medicines are statins, bile acid resins, and nicotinic acid and fibric acid derivatives.

In what way is the obstruction from the arteries withdrawn?

The first stage is through medicines but if there is a measurable narrowing or obstruction in the artery or blood vessel then a slightly more invasive operation is essential. The actual processes might vary but one frequent method is done through the use of a balloon angioplasty. The mechanical device is entered into the artery and then naviagted to the closure where the build up of plaque has taken place. The balloon is then inflated to clear the passage. Nowadays the procedure is minimally invasive and most patients are able to going home on that very day.

What is the normal range for a healthy cholesterol level?

The American Heart Association has guidelines established for what is considered a healthy range of cholesterol levels. A total cholesterol level of 200 mg/dL is considered to be a desirable level since it puts you at a lower risk of having heart disease. Here is the trick though. It is not just about total cholesterol. Your HDL levels should be over 60 mg/dL and your LDL should be lower than 100 mg/dL. Mg/dL means it is measured in milligrams per deciliter of blood.

To discover more click here Cholesterol Drugs and more information at Cholesterol Guidelines in addition to Controlling High Cholesterol

Questions Everybody Should Ask Them Selves About Disease

1. Where was American heart disease 100 years ago?
2. What are doctors saying about magnesium?
3. Why is 80% of the American population deficient in magnesium?
4. What is the most important mineral?
5. Can’t we just eat better?

Reading all the above questions may lead you to wonder what exactly is going on with today’s American diets. Why has childhood obesity become such a problem? What can I do to fix this mineral deficiency in my own diet? The answer is adding magnesium an inexpensive mineral to ones diet can solve a lot of health problems.

1. As magnesium intake levels have dropped over the last 100 years, heart disease has skyrocketed. In the year 1900, heart disease was virtually unheard of and few doctors specialized in the field. Back then, food and drinking water contained much higher levels of magnesium – levels which are not available today. This is why most American experience some sort of magnesium related disease as they age.

2. The author of “The magnesium factor: Dr. Mildred S seelig, MD said: “Most modern heart disease is caused by magnesium deficiency.”
Dr. Julian Whitaker, MD, one of America’s best known doctors of integrative medicine. Said: “Research has overwhelmingly demonstrated the critical relationship between low levels of magnesium and cardiovascular disease.”

Hundreds of studies confirm that magnesium deficiency is linked to heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure, what’s worse studies also show that 4 out of 5 people are magnesium deficient – and even a small deficiency can lead to serious health problems.

Symptoms of magnesium deficiency are as follows:

• Heart disease
• Diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Asthma
• Anxiety and Panic attacks
• Nervous disorders
• Migraines
• Depression
• Fatigue
• Osteoporosis
• Hypoglycemia
• Kidney disease

Many researchers believe that magnesium is the single most important mineral in our bodies – even more important than calcium. In fact, when we get low on magnesium, our cells can not and does not use calcium properly, leading to over calcified heart muscles, hardening of arteries, and brittle bones. Additionally, low cell magnesium leads to insulin resistance, the primary cause of type II diabetes.

Studies show that 90 percent of the individuals with type II diabetes have low levels of free intercellular red blood cell magnesium. When admitted to the hospital for heart trouble, the first thing you are hooked up to in the ER is a magnesium drip. Magnesium is essential to those suffering from a heart attack.

You might be asking your self, can I just eat better? Magnesium is unlike other minerals in the body. Our body does not store magnesium so we need to constant daily supply. Even fruits and vegetables don’t have much magnesium anymore, due to modern farming techniques. Another primary source of magnesium was drinking water, but with modern filtration eliminates minerals like magnesium from the water.

Fortunately, magnesium amino acid chelate is one of the least expensive minerals found in your local health food store or grocery store. Magnesium comes in many forms, amino acid chelate, aspartate, citrate, oxide, and carbonate. No matter what form of magnesium you decide to purchase, it is important to get at least 400mg each day minimum. If you are currently taking a calcium supplement, consider switching to one that is blended with magnesium. For best results take your 400mgs before bedtime which will help you relax and get to sleep faster.

Get The Truth About The Link Between Salt And High Blood Pressure

Salt is a very valuable part of our diet and we have used it for thousands of years to add taste to our food and as a preservative. Indeed, although many people in the West simply take it for granted, in very many countries it is a very important economic commodity and many older readers will no doubt remember the part played by salt in bringing British rule in India to and end in the middle of the last century.

Unfortunately however salt is also a significant contributory factor when it comes to the problem of high blood pressure.

Salt is in fact a compound composed of chloride and sodium and when it comes to hypertension it is the amount of sodium which we consume which we need to watch.

It might seem that controlling your salt intake is just a matter of restricting the quantity of salt which you add to food when cooking and which you add to your food at the table. However, the real problem lies in the fact that the majority of the salt which we consume is found in the processed foods which most of us buy every day.

To ensure that you minimize the risk of high blood pressure you have to keep your salt intake under the recommended daily sodium intake figure of 2,400 milligrams and here are some tips to help you do just that:

Remove salt from your table. If you diet is correctly balanced your food will contain enough salt and you do not need to add more while you are eating, so remove the salt from the table.

Learn to read food labels. Food labeling laws are much improved these days and the majority of foods carry nutritional information which includes the quantity of sodium which the food contains. You need to read the labels with care though as frequently the sodium figure given will apply to the whole pack or tin and sometimes it will apply to an individual serving.

Buy low sodium or sodium free foods. A lot of foods today come in sodium free or low sodium options and, wherever possible, you ought to choose these instead of the regular product.

Pick low salt snacks. Most of us enjoy snacking but try to stick to things like vegetable and fruit and, if you feel that you cannot live without those crisps then choose varieties that are low in sodium or salt free.

Monitoring your salt consumption is of course just one thing to do when you watch what you eat and create a diet that is good for your blood pressure.

Exercise The Heart And Prevent Heart Disease

Scientific research indicates that there is proof that exercising your heart is a very healthy thing to do. Regular activity for your heart will keep the heart and it's muscles healthy and strong. By exercising consistently you reduce by about fifty percent the chances of you ever having a heart attack. Powerful news indeed about heart disease and exercise... the correlation between the two. Naturally if you have any concerns about your heart's capability to tolerate exercising, perhaps because of ill health or age... check with your doctor first before beginning an exercise program.

HDL And LDL

Exercise has the tendency to increase your HDL (high density liproteins – good cholesterol.) HDL is able to pick up cholesterol from inside arteries and remove it from the body. Alternatively LDL (low density lipoproteins – bad cholesterol) tends to adhereto blood cell walls. This can block the flow of blood and cause one to have a stroke or heart attack. The resulting condition is well known as arteriosclerosis.

Benefits Of Exercise To Minimize Heart Disease Risk

Just as any other muscle in our body, your heart gets stronger by stimulation of it with exercise. Your heart's power to propel blood as needed throughout the body, is directly dependent on the power of the muscles of the heart. Exercising moderately just three to five times a week for approximately 30 minutes will definitely strengthen the heart and it's muscles. Other benefits from frequent exercise are: overall body endurance and energy which will also assist prevent damage to the body from strains such as falls; stress reduction which will relax you; increase the strength of your bones and thus diminish the odds you will develop osteoporosis.

Moderate to vigorous activity not only helps to avoid heart disease but also has a favourable affect to your brain and how good you feel. Walking quickly augments blood circulation and oxygen levels throughout the body. Memory skills in the elderly, research have shown, were improved, by going for walks as part of their normal lifestyle.

Endorphins

Chemicals in the brain called endorphins are produced by just 20 to 30 minutes of intermediate activity. Endorphins are the body's natural pain reliever. To accomplish metabolic results from exercise, you need a minimum of 15 to 20 minutes of consistent physical activity. Most everyone has heard of the runner's high... that is the effect of the creation of endorphins. Should you experience any heart pains because of activity that is an signal you are making your heart work to hard.

Maybe you did not realize that heart disease and exercise, lack of exercise that is, have such a connection as is shown in this article. If you are what they call label a "couch potato" it may be time you became a bit more active (and learned how to quit smoking too!)... A lack of regular activity, greatly increases your risk of stroke, heart attack. The point is... a bit of activity on a regular basis is better for your heart and your body than none at all. If you have any anxieties about your heart's health, consult with your doctor, before going forward with an exercise program to prevent heart disease.

Build A Stronger Heart With Natural Vitamin Supplements

High blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, diabetes, and ever increasing stress are all factors related to the leading cause of death for both men and women. Luckily, heart disease is a problem you can do something about. By taking nutritional supplements, making changes in the food we eat, exercising most days of the week, drinking in moderation, and eliminating tobacco use, we can prevent or lessen the effects of heart disease. You want to be doing all the things you can naturally so that you don't have to take a lot of doctor prescribed medications and be constantly searching for diabetes supplies.

After choosing to live a healthier life, it may seem very overwhelming. However, lots of people feel this way. As a result the American Heart Association is urging people to prevent heart disease by identifying their individual risk factors. Each risk factor indicates whether or not you may develop a certain health condition. In heart disease prevention, there are two types of risk factors, those you can control, and those that you can’t control. Risk factors that you can control include: diet, exercise, blood pressure medicine, and the supplements that you take, whereas risk factors that you can’t control consist of age, race, gender, and your family’s history of heart disease.

There are a few, specific supplements that should be taken to increase your health and lower your chances of developing heart disease. You should take a quality heart formula multivitamin, garlic, and a fish oil supplement that provides Omega-3 fatty acids. CoQ10 is also a good way to give complete heart health support. The heart formula multivitamin will provide your heart with the exact nutrients needed to prevent heart disease.

Since the human heart cannot function without adequate amount of vitamins and minerals, it is logical that a multivitamin specifically formulated for heart health would work best. The cells and tissues that make up the heart must have vitamins C, A, and E, and also B1, B6, B12, and folic acid in order to function. These B vitamins are very important because they help to lower homocysteine levels, which is a potential cardiac risk factor. Healthy hearts also need a daily amount of magnesium in order to function correctly. They also need alpha lipoic acid, which is a fatty acid that provides protection against high cholesterol and blood pressure. Along with magnesium and alpha lipoic acid, lutein and lycopene keep our arteries free from buildup, which can later lead to heart attacks or strokes. Unlike other multivitamins, which contain herbs and other nutrients that can interfere with prescription medications, a heart formula consisting of the above vitamins, minerals, and nutrients will work with medications to treat heart disease and provide the nutrition that our hearts need.

Garlic supplements have a very long and successful history of preventing premature death from heart attacks. Garlic can also help lower high blood pressure and cholesterol, naturally and effectively. The best garlic supplements contain allicin, which is a compound that lowers harmfully high cholesterol levels. Since allicin is very stable when dry, a properly prepared garlic supplement preserves allicins health producing action until the garlic mixes with the fluids of the intestinal tract. A supplement prepared with enteric coating can also help prevent against garlic breath. In order for a garlic supplement to be the most effective, it must be made from fresh garlic, enterically coated, and provide a daily dose of at least 4,000 mcg allicin. By taking this once daily supplement that delivers 4,000 mcg of allicin, you can significantly and effectively lower your high blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

Not all fish oil supplements are made the same, some can be harmful, but rest assured there are companies out there who supply fish oil supplements which are naturally loaded with Omega-3 fatty acids and certified free of harmful contaminants and heavy metals. This Omega-3 is a powerful nutrient that is known to prevent heart disease and protect the heart. Research has proven that Omega-3 can reduce the risk of arrhythmias, lower the levels of triglycerides, slow atherosclerosis, and keep blood pressure levels low. With just 600-1800 mg of fish oil, you can get all of the above heart disease prevention. However, you must make sure the fish oil supplement that you take is free from contaminants and is guaranteed fresh. The manufacturer of the fish oil supplement should be able to provide documentation of purity in their product. The supplement should contain no detectable dioxin, which is a widely used toxic preservative, DDT (a toxic insecticide), PCBs, or heavy metals such as mercury or lead. Before you buy any fish oil supplement, ask the clerk if you can open the bottle and smell the contents. A fishy smelling fish oil supplement means it may contain heavy metals and could be rancid, which is not going to help your heart at all. It may actually hurt it.

CoQ10 is part of our energy producing system by working directly with our mitochondria in each cell. The mitochondria generate 95% of the energy that the body requires and are more abundant in places that require more energy. Because of this fact, the heart has a large number of mitochondria in its cells, each needing CoQ10 to help them produce the most energy that they can. Because CoQ10 levels can become dangerously depleted by medications for high cholesterol levels, it is important to take at least 100 mg - 400 mg of CoQ10 each day. Otherwise, the good that the medications are doing to lower cholesterol levels will be negated by the lack of CoQ10 levels. Even if you have already been diagnosed with Congestive Heart Failure (CHF), CoQ10 can still help you by slowing down the destruction that occurs. CoQ10 is also known for healing the heart muscles damaged by heart attacks.

There are some types of CoQ10 products that are better than others. The quality of manufacturing has a lot do with which CoQ10 product is best. Make sure to take a CoQ10 supplement that has been used in research conducted by a prestigious university, which the supplement will tell you right on its label. The main requirements for a good CoQ10 are: it must be easily absorbed during digestion, it must reach the mitochondria in the cell, it must be proven effective in studies, and it must be safe and free of impurities.

Although CoQ10 is recommended for people with moderate or high risk factors of heart disease, people with low risk factors can take CoQ10 ever day to reduce their risk of cancer, prevent gum disease, and help certain nerve cells work more effectively. By following all of the above recommendations and taking blood pressure medicine, you can help to keep your heart healthy and strong. All the supplements suggested in this article can be found at your local natural herb store or Internet health food store.

Learn To Control Your Blood Pressure

If you have high blood pressure, you really don't want to be taking blood pressure medicine if you can prevent it. Excercise and yoga might be an answer. For controlling your blood pressure readings, there are two effective yoga exercises that helps lower the blood pressure:

Inverted Yoga

Inverted yoga reverses the action of gravity on the body. The biggest changes when performing Inverted Yoga is due to the circulation. In inverted poses, legs and abdomen are placed higher than the heart.

Lengthening up through the legs and keep them very active so your spine opens and the entire body actively involved in the pose.

The cause is simply due to the force of gravity when reversed and venous return is much greater.

Normally, the muscles of the calf and other skeletal muscles in the lower extremities must contract in order to pump unoxygenated blood and waste back to the heart through the veins.

In inverted poses, gravity causes the blood to flow easily back through the veins and this brings the low heart rate high blood pressure in the feet to a minimum. This in effect gives skeletal muscles a chance to rest.

When partaking in Inverted poses, the draining of waste and blood from the lower limbs along to the heart is amplified and problems such as swollen ankles and vericose veins are relieved.

Rhythmic Breathing

We must learn about breathing techniques, as exhaling and inhaing calms the mind and nourishes the body.

Not just any old breathing will do. If you're like most people, you take shallow breaths, pull in your stomach when you inhale and never empty your lungs of carbon dioxide when you exhale.

Here's the physiological explanation: Long, slow breaths are more efficient than short, fast ones.

To take in a good breath, your lungs must first be basically empty. Hence, exhaling completely is the key to efficient breathing. A full exhalation begins with the upper chest, proceeds to the middle chest and finishes with tightening the abdominal muscles.

After exhaling expect to draw in a deep breath of rich oxygen to nourish your cells. those are some of the ways of how to lower blood pressure.

IT"S TIME TO BE KIND TO YOUR HEART

6 Top Risk Factors for Heart Disease

Heart disease is a killer that does not discriminate between men and women or even the various cultures or socioeconomic backgrounds. Yes, it has even been called a universal killer because more people die from heart disease each year than other illnesses – several million a year worldwide! With some people, heart wellness is not even a blip on their radar because they don't even know anything about it! Others have a variety of health problems and know they are at greater risk than the average person for heart disease because of those problems. Some people take blood pressure medicine for much of their adult life.

Knowing what the risk factors are can greatly help in reducing your chances of developing heart disease. While there are likely dozens of contributing causes, there are six top risk factors for heart disease – with several that you can do something about. Here they are:

1. Hypertension – Also known as high blood pressure, hypertension is one of the leading contributors to heart disease. Why? Blood pressure basically is a measure of the force of the blood flow. The greater that force is, the more likely it is to cause problems, especially when other factors exist. The longer hypertension goes unchecked the more likely you are to develop hardening of the arteries, thickening of the heart muscle and much more. Exercise and diet can lower hypertension but sometimes medications are necessary to help.

2.Smoking – A nicotine habit can be life controlling. Smoking can promote the collection of fatty deposits in the blood which can lead to arterial blockage and heart disease. It also promotes narrowing of the arteries which requires the heart to pump harder to push oxygen through the body and results in hypertension.

3. Diabetes – This metabolic disease affects how insulin is produced and absorbed in the body. People with diabetes have a greater chance of developing several conditions that lead to heart disease such as narrowing of the arteries, arterial damage and hardening of the arteries. This condition can also affect the muscles, of which the heart is one of the most important ones.

4. High cholesterol – Cholesterol is important to the body as it is a necessary component for the healthy lining of body cells and blood vessels. You get cholesterol from foods as well as normal liver function. Even if you eat virtually no cholesterol, your body should be able to produce enough to adequately sustain healthy cells and blood vessels. Therefore, adding more cholesterol via the diet can boost cholesterol beyond normal limits in the blood. As this happens, plaque will build up along the arterial walls causing not only hardening of the arteries but also narrowing. This can contribute to heart problems by placing more burdens on the heart to get oxygen and nutrients to the body.

5. Obesity – Being hugely overweight contributes to a variety of other factors which in turn can develop into heart disease. Obesity means that you are likely to have higher cholesterol levels, problems with insulin production and absorption (diabetes issues) and more. When you lose the weight, less poundage removes some of the burden on your body and reduces heart disease risk.

6. Family genetics – Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do about family history and propensity towards heart disease. What you can change is how you live your life. A healthy diet low in fats and cholesterol and high in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other heart healthy substances can go a long way towards preventing the development of heart disease in you. Add clean living (no smoking or alcohol) and exercise and you have a winning trifecta against heart disease.

Eat Your Way To Lower Blood Pressure

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In the United States today high blood pressure is at epidemic levels with more than 65 million people suffering from high blood pressure and another 45 million having a condition referred to as pre-hypertension. High blood pressure is a symptomless disease which heightens your risk of heart attack and stroke and you could very easily have it without any knowledge of it until it is too late.

Most of us know that if you quit smoking cigarettes that will help with your blood pressure. Of course there is also blood pressure medicine available that can help to lower blood pressure, but many of these have side effects and, even though some people may need to take medicine at least in the short term to control high blood pressure, a far better solution is to seek out some natural remedies for high blood pressure if you are able to.

For almost all of us high blood pressure is linked to weight and diet and this is a major problem today when nearly seventy percent of Americans are either overweight or obese. Additionally, most Americans get far too much salt in their diet and not enough of the many other beneficial minerals and vitamins which can actually reduce blood pressure. In a nutshell, it is possible to eat your way to a normal blood pressure and never have to use blood pressure medicine, if you know what to do.

Indeed, it is often possible to reduce your blood pressure quite quickly if you alter your diet and begin taking exercise. That said, if you've not been exercising for a long time you ought not to suddenly begin exercising vigorously and it is always prudent to consult your doctor before beginning any exercise program.

To begin with though let us look at some things which you should avoid and top of the list comes salt. Salt is one of the main offenders in today's high blood pressure epidemic. Excessive dietary fat is also a culprit as it encourages weight gain, arteriosclerosis, and other difficulties which result in high blood pressure. Therefore, two things which you should avoid (or at least reduce) in your diet are salt and excess fat, particularly saturated or trans fats.

What types of food should you include in your diet to help lower your blood pressure? Well, potassium is one of the main substances which is missing in today's American diet and which is very beneficial for your blood pressure. Potassium helps lower blood pressure just as salt helps raise your blood pressure and so getting enough potassium in your diet can help stabilize blood pressure.

It's easy to get enough potassium in your diet by merely adding plenty of frozen or fresh vegetable and fruits, providing of course that they do not have any added salt or sugar. Although this could seem unappetizing to many people, it is an excellent way to make sure that you normalize your blood pressure. And of course, at the same time you also want to cut down on the salt to no more than the daily sodium intake recommended of about 2400 mg each day. An excellent way to do this is not to add any salt to your diet at all as natural unprocessed foods contain sufficient salt and, if you wish to add flavor to your food then simply try adding spices and herbs.

Magnesium and calcium are two other minerals that can help in lowering blood pressure. Both calcium and magnesium are considered to be calming minerals and the majority of Americans don't get enough of either in their diets. Dairy products which are low in fat are a good source of calcium as are nuts, legumes, and dark and leafy green vegetables. You ought to endeavor to get a balance of roughly two parts of magnesium to three parts of calcium. Foods like soybeans, white beans and sesame seeds not only contain a lot of calcium and magnesium but they are also good sources of potassium.

Lastly, ensure that you drink enough water and also get sufficient fiber in your diet. Fiber helps to clear toxins and other unhealthy substances from your body and it can help you feel full so that you are not tempted to eat too much. If you try all these dieting ideas, it is likely that you will never need blood pressure medicine.

What Is A Cholesterol Free Diet And Is It Good For Me?

Cholesterol has been a hot topic in the past ten years. People draw conclusions that if you have cholesterol you have a poor diet and have poor health, people also want to get rid of cholesterol without understanding what it is or how it affects your body.

People need to learn that there are in fact two types of cholesterol bad cholesterol (known as low density or LDL) and good cholesterol (known as high density or HDL). People do not realize that cholesterol is an essential substance in the human body but it depends on the levels that you have. If you were to choose a cholesterol free diet it could be very harmful to your wellbeing, HDL cholesterol are really extremely vital to certain bodily functions such as constructing and repairing cell walls. New research shows and even suggests that HDL cholesterol acts as a crude antioxidant.

You do not need to eat negative calorie foods or have a cholesterol free diet if there have been signs you or your family have had a history of heart problems or cardiovascular disease. Instead, understand what bad cholesterol you need to avoid and maintain the beneficial cholesterol in your diet. LDL cholesterol can certainly be challenging, as it has been associated with heart attacks as well as strokes, but it doesn’t require a lot of effort to methodically eliminate it from your diet. Instead of trying to keeping away from cholesterol overall, steer clear of a cholesterol free diet and as a substitute look for foods that are low in LDL cholesterol and high in HDL cholesterol.

Is A Cholesterol Free Diet The Best Choice?

To find foods which are good for your health is not as hard a task as you may think as long as you know what you are looking for. Foods such as lean meat and fish are both good meat choices, and are also high in protein. Also choose low-fat dairy products and be sure to keep up with your grains, vegetable and fruit intake. A good diet to control or reduce your cholesterol would be around six servings of grains each day, three to five servings of vegetables and two to four servings of fruits.

This diet is not a hard one to follow and if your keep this strategy in place when shopping then you will be avoiding the products which contain the harmful LDL cholesterol. Remember to reduce your fat in take especially fats that have saturated fat as they tend to raise blood cholesterol levels. Avoid eating fried foods as well, choosing grilled, broiled and baked foods as a healthy alternative.

So the question of what is a cholesterol free diet and is it good for me is answered. A cholesterol free diet may not be the right decision if you want to keep your heart and body strong. By simply choosing a balanced diet will help you to weed out the bad cholesterol and keep the good cholesterol. It will help you avoid taking blood pressure medicine and all the other medicines that you might need to take otherwise.

Three Simple Steps Which Can Help To Lower Bad Cholesterol Naturally

High cholesterol levels, and additional when it refers to bad cholesterol is a grave health concern that unfortunately is affecting a larger amount of people today than before. Part of the cause for this is that people nowadays are eating too many foods that contain excess of bad cholesterol. Thus, if you find that your LDL (bad) cholesterol levels are higher than suggested, you would need to look to lower bad cholesterol naturally before taking the drug based options.

A Good and Regular Diet

The first thing you need to do in order to lower bad cholesterol naturally is to maintain a regular diet in which you will need to eliminate or even totally avoid those foods that are loaded with too much of bad cholesterol. In fact, you need to start eating more of vegetables and fruits as well as more of whole grains that help reduce bad cholesterol levels than eat foods with high fat content or even fast foods.

Your diet should also contain more of soluble fiber which is generally found in beans, whole grains and even fruits and vegetables. In addition, to lower bad cholesterol naturally through your diet you also need to avoid eating animal foods because animal tissues are also loaded with cholesterol.

The second step you need to take with regard to lowering cholesterol naturally is to make sure that your lifestyle is such that it does not contribute to raising your bad cholesterol levels. A simple act such as exercising regularly can have a profound and positive impact on lowering bad cholesterol levels, and it also helps you to maintain better body weight.

The third simple step that you should consider taking when it concerns lowering cholesterol naturally is to eat Chinese herbs which are known to provide excellent results when it comes to lowering bad cholesterol levels. Used properly, Chinese herbs can produce the required low bad cholesterol levels in a mild and safe as well as effective manner. However, results are only noticeable after a few months and so you need to be patient when using this option.

These simple steps can go a long way in helping you to lower bad cholesterol naturally and you will generally notice that they will make your liver work normally though in order to determine how much improvement has been achieved, you will need to take a cholesterol blood test. Of course, before taking these steps, you need to, in case you are taking other medications like blood pressure medicine, check with your medical health practitioner, who will recommend the proper plan of action which may be different from the steps mentioned here.

Cholesterol and Your Health 101

In the pages of lifestyle magazines, cholesterol is often portrayed as a potential demon ruthlessly affecting the quality of your life. The rises in the cardio vascular diseases have made the people aware of the harmful effects of cholesterol and high blood pressure. There are both cholesterol and blood pressure medicine alternatives but the best way to fight it is naturally. Unfortunately, not many people are aware of the fact that cholesterol can both be good and bad.

Good and Bad Cholesterol

Cholesterol is good?! Yes of course; this soft, waxy substance found in the lipid fats in the bloodstream and in all your body's cells is an essential part of a healthy body; it helps in manufacturing cell membranes and in the production of some types of hormones.

So when does this apparently helpful substance actually pose a threat to your health? When the level of the cholesterol is too high in the blood —a condition known as hypercholesterolemia — it becomes a risk factor for your heart health. A high level of cholesterol in your body is the precursor for the coronary heart disease that ultimately culminates into heart attack.

Types of cholesterol

Depending on the types of lipoprotein--- special carriers that help cholesterols to be transported to and from the cells---the cholesterol can be of two major types:

• Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol
• High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol

HDL

Now HDL cholesterol is regarded as the good variety, while the LDL acts as the chief villain. The HDL is good because it drives cholesterol away from the arteries and transport them back to the liver that helps it eliminate from the body. In a nutshell a high level of HDL cholesterol acts as a shield against heart attack. Learning how to increase HDL is important and one way you can do it is with excercise. So be careful if you find HDL level in your blood is less than 40 mg/dL. (In case of women the amount is 50 mg/dL.

LDL

When the level of LDL cholesterol is too high in your blood, it ends in being accumulated in the walls of the arteries carrying blood to two important organs of heart and brain. The net result is clogging of those arteries by hard plaques made of cholesterol and other substances. This condition is known as atherosclerosis. When the plaque tends to block blood flow to your heart, the result is a heart attack. When the clog disrupts blood flow to the brain, a stroke is the final outcome.

Dealing with Cholesterol

• A regular cholesterol checking will ensure that you never face these consequences. So go for a cholesterol check right away and if you happen to find the level of LDL cholesterol is 160 mg/dL or above, there are enough reason to raise alarm. Make sure that LDL cholesterol level in your blood never exceeds the mark of 100 mg/dL.
• Cholesterol is produced in our own body. The additional source of cholesterol is the foods rich in both saturated fat and Trans fat. For a cholesterol free life, restrict your cholesterol intake to 300 milligrams per day.
• Shake off the sedentary lifestyle and make physical activity a compulsory part of your daily routine.
• Try to give up smoking and cut back on alcohol consumption.
• Get your blood pressure under control with blood pressure medicine.

Most of the people fall prey of the harmful effects of the cholesterol because of their lack of awareness. But now that you know the basic facts about cholesterol, don’t let this menace mess up your health and your life. Take necessary precautions and enjoy your life to the fullest.

Cholesterol Blood Test: What You Need To Know

Cholesterol is an essential substance to maintain your body working. This might come as a surprise, as all the literature out there seems to indicate that cholesterol is bad. There are two types of cholesterol, HDL cholesterol or good cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol, which are better known as bad cholesterol. To ensure that you do not have bad cholesterol you need to have a test and to have the test you need to know how to prepare for a cholesterol blood test.

Cholesterol testing can help conclude whether you have an sufficient level of good cholesterol, too much bad cholesterol, the total amount of cholesterol in your bloodstream, and the presence of triglyceride levels that can cause blockages in the arteries. Cholesterol testing is a simple blood test and will help you get a better picture of your state of health, and what you can do to be healthier.

Who Should Have A Cholesterol Test?

Cholesterol testing should be carried out every five years. You don’t have to be middle aged to take a cholesterol test. In fact it’s advisable to take one as soon as you reach the age of twenty. Waiting until your forties may be too late. The sooner you have a clear idea about your risks for heart disease the better.

How To Prepare For A Cholesterol Blood Test

To prepare for cholesterol blood test you should fast for fourteen hours before the test. This means no food or drink, with the exception of water, before you take the test. You should not drink alcohol for forty-eight hours before the test as well. Although the test can be carried out without a fast you can only use the results for total cholesterol and HDL cholesterol levels. It’s advisable that you do abstain from food so that you get a more accurate picture.

The Procedure

The next step on preparing for a cholesterol blood test is going to a hospital or to your doctors surgery where the required blood sample will be drawn the same way any other blood test is carried out. The actual procedure only takes a few minutes and doesn’t hurt much. You may feel minor discomfort when the needle used to draw blood is inserted into your vein.

After the blood test you can start eating again as you would normally do. If you were asked to stop taking any medications then your doctor will advice you when you can resume taking said medication. After the test your doctor will send the blood sample for analysis and determine the likelihood that you might develop heart disease.

Other factors such as family history, age, lifestyle and prior heart attacks will be taken into account when determining your risk of developing heart disease. If you do have less than desirable cholesterol levels then your doctor can advise you on the next step.

Keeping Your Cholesterol Under Control

You would have all heard about cholesterol and the recommendations of changes in diets and prescribe medication associated with it. But the truth is that many people don’t understand cholesterol and its purpose in our body. To control your cholesterol you first need to know how it works.

Cholesterol is a lipid (fatty acid) that resides in the cell membranes of the human body. Most cholesterol is actually synthesized in the body, but a good proportion of it is ingested as a section of food.

You have good cholesterol and bad cholesterol and the two kinds need to be differentiated between: Bad cholesterol, or LDL, has been associated to cardiovascular disease, heart attack and stroke if consumed at unhealthy levels.Good cholesterol, HDL,on the other hand, is responsible for important bodily functions. HDL cholesterol helps to construct and maintain cell walls and performs other cell maintenance.

Controlling Cholesterol Through Diet: What Can You Do About It?

There are quite a few ways you can control your blood cholesterol levels. cholesterol is not soluble in blood, so it sometimes takes a helping hand. Most of these are basic routine changes that can have an enormous and helpful result on your cholesterol levels. The first is to look at controlling cholesterol through diet.

The most apparent ways are to select your diet carefully. Foods that are high in fat have an inclination to lift cholesterol. Do not cut out fats totally from your diets. Look at selecting specific foods that are low in saturated fat but have a good amount of unsaturated fat. The body physically requires a small amount of fat for key body functions.

Lean red meat and fish are both good choices and should be incorporated liberally into your diet. They are high in protein, which helps to build muscle, and relatively low in fat content.Choose dairy procts that are low in fat, it can be as easy as that to lower your cholesterol.

If after changing your diet or your cholesterol levels are often too high then it is advisable to consult your doctor. You can know control cholesterol with the many drugs that are avaiable. And remember that with any new drug, it’s important to notify your healthcare professional about any additional medications that you are taking at the time.

The side effects of controlling cholesterol through drugs tend to be relatively mild, and will generally cease after your body adjusts to the new medication.

Is Chronic Heartburn A Sign Of Other Problems?

For heartburn symptoms to be deemed chronic, it would have to occur more than three times a week for a period of two or three weeks. If you are suffering from continual heartburn it is important to check if there have been any alterations in diet, excessive consumption of alcohol, increased stress or the taking of strong medications on a regular basis.

For chronic heartburn to be confirmed a substantial change must have occured, if the person’s diet or other aspects of their lifestyle have not changed, it could be a sign of other medical problems. It is important to be aware of the circumstances as anybody using self-treatment to combat chronic heartburn may be disguising the symptoms of these more serious problems

Usually, heartburn is caused by the contents in the stomach being forced back into the esophagus, causing the acid in the stomach to irritate its sensitive lining. There are many causes of this such as:
- gastrointestinal reflux,
- a hiatal hernia
- or a blockage in the stomach.
When a patient suffers from chronic heartburn it is necessary to check with a doctor to rule out any of these major problems.

Usually, when a person suffers from heartburn, it is quite normal if there has been a dietary change causing inconsistency or they eat or drink something that is high in acidic content, thus causing the digestive system to work overtime producing excessive acid. In these cases and over the counter medication will usually work quelling the burning sensation, which will disappear once the substance has been processed. However, if the heart burn continues for several days at a time over a week or two, it is likely that chronic heartburn may be diagnosed and treated with prescription medications.

Quenching The Fire In The Belly

For sufferers of chronic heartburn, they are also at risk for developing ulcers in the oesophagus as well as in the stomach. Quite often it is the result of the stomach being tricked into thinking more acid is needed to help with the digestive process that exacerbates the situation. Many believe falsely that drinking milk as a diluting substance can calm an acid stomach when in reality milk may actually promote the stomach’s acid pumps to produce more owing to the added content in the stomach.

Anybody suffering from chronic heartburn will need to change their lifestyle to help eliminate the problem. This usually requires a change of diet (ie. staying away from rich fatty foods that require a lot of digestion and sticking to more fresh fruit and vegetables that are much easier to digest). If it is determined the heartburn is being caused by prescription medication, the doctor may alter the dosage of the medication or change to another type if one is available. The patient may also be prescribed anti-acid medication until the offending medication is accepted by the patients body and the side effects disappear.

Acid indigestion, as it is often called, can be an extremely uncomfortable feeling. Unfortunately, It can also induce similar symptoms to a heart attack and therefore should never be ignored. When you are suffering from chronic heartburn, getting help from a doctor or other medical professional is important to prevent any additional damage to the oesophagus or to learn if it is hiding another, potentially more dangerous, condition.

As with most other bodily functions, it is important to act swiftly to determine what the problem is, what causes the problem and what needs to be done to cure the problem before it gets worse, but more importantly why suffer at all when with a little thought and preventative action this discomfort can be completely avoided and other complications associated with it will never arise..

What Types Of Medication For High Cholesterol Are There

If you have tried everything to try and reduce your cholesterol with little to no success, then it could be time to explore the option of medication for high cholesterol. Medications for high cholesterol are used when a patient has not responded well to lifestyle and dietary changes. You will find that there is a large variety of medications and they all do different things. There are blood pressure medicines, cholesteral medicines, allergy medicines and just about any and every kink of medicine you can think of. All the medications have different probable side effects.

Your doctor can decide what the best medication for you is. They will look at your family history and other factors such as developing heart disease. But remember that medication alone should not be used to reduce your cholesterol levels also make sure that you change your life style habits.

Statins

Statins are very accepted medication for high cholesterol. They work to lessen your body’s capability to create LDL cholesterol, or bad cholesterol, in addition to triglycerides. This medication may in addition help to increase good cholesterol somewhat. Unfortunately there are side effects to taking the drug. You may experience diarrhea, constipation, stomach pain, muscle soreness and it is not advisable to take this medication with grape fruit juice. Some people take this drug with no complaints but you should discuss any side effects you experience with your doctor right away.

Bile Acid Binding Resins

This is one of the medication for high cholesterol that work to reduce LDL levels but a side effect may be that you experience an increase in triglycerides. Other side effects associated with this drug are bloating, gas, nausea and constipation.

Cholesterol Absorption Inhibitors

This medicine does precisely what the name says. It inhibits your body’s capability to soak up cholesterol from the food you eat. This will decrease LDL levels as well as slightly decrease triglyceride levels. Your HDL levels may also increase somewhat though continued exercise and consumption of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats is advised to keep increasing HDL levels.

Fibrates

These drugs do not decrease the level of LDL cholesterol in your body. Instead it will lower the level of triglycerides and increase the level of HDL cholesterol in your body. There is a risk of developing gallstones, nausea and stomach pain in terms of side effects.

Niacin

Niacin is one of the uncommon medications for high cholesterol that are available over the counter. It is however desirable to seek prescription niacin to obtain the correct dosage. The benefits of this medication are that you will be able to up your HDL cholesterol while decreasing your LDL and triglyceride levels. Some of the more serious side effects include high blood sugar, peptic ulcers and gout.

What The Doctos Don't Tell You Prevent Heart Disease

Roughly one quarter of all deaths are attributable to heart disease caused by clogged or 'furred up' coronary (heart) arteries, a illness known as atherosclerosis that is brought on by high blood cholesterol levels. A essential element of heart disease is your lifestyle and what foods you eat.

Easy actions like sticking with a 1 week detox, getting some exercise, shedding a few pounds and giving up smoking can play a big part in reducing your chances of heart disease - you could also try using a foot detox to help mop up all those toxins flooding round your body.

Warning signs of heart disease

If you develop heart disease, you are at elevated risk of developing angina (severe chest pain resulting from your heart not receiving sufficient oxygen), a heart attack; an arrhythmia (which is an extraordinary heart beat, which does bring about shortness of breath, vertigo and even death); or heart failure (when the heart can't pump efficiently, leading to shortness of breath, lethargy, swelled ankles, and which eventually might cut short your life expectancy).

Coronary Artery Disease can start in arterial blood vessels in different parts of your body, particularly the brain, kidneys, or legs. This can lead to strokes, kidney failure, or restricted circulation in the legs and in some cases amputation. Other problems of the heart and blood flow system include high blood pressure, heart attacks and varicose veins. There are some medications to help in some of these areas including blood pressure medicine.

Most heart troubles can be avoided, or improved significantly by taking appropriate action. To lessen your risk of heart disease, you should follow a healthy diet, reduce the amount of salt in your diet, learn how to quit smoking, only drink the recommended amount of alcohol, get a little exercise at least 3 times a week, get your weight down (there's plenty of easy weight loss tips to help you), and reduce your stress levels. If you have high blood pressure you want to make sure you get it down and you may need a blood pressure medicine to do that.

Green tea is low in caffeine and high in antioxidants, and is thought to help prevent heart and circulatory disease, and is a tasty addition to a detox diet. At the moment the evidence for this is inconclusive, drinking green tea seems to be sound, so it might be worthwhile trying together with other preventative steps.

Why You Need to Discuss Heart Disease With Your Physician

When you learn how to discuss your concerns and questions with your physician, you are taking an important first step. You are not the only person who has problems communicating their concerns to the health care provider who performs your check-ups. But when it comes to heart disease no question should be left unanswered.

Sometimes people hope that the answers to their questions will come out in the process of being examined instead of asking them point blank. HMOs and the busy schedules of doctors with waiting rooms full of patients sometimes do not allow the doctor to spend as much time with each patient as they would like. Women particularly need to speak up, because even though they suffer half the deaths from heart disease, doctors hesitate to discuss this subject with them.

Questions that you should ask your doctor include what your blood pressure is recorded as and what is normal for you. You may at some point need to get blood pressure medicine so you need to ask about that too. You need to know what your blood cholesterol and glucose levels are and if they are considered normal. Find out from your physician what tests are recommended for your age group presently and in the years to come.

If medication has been prescribed, do not hesitate to ask if there are side effects, what the drug is supposed to do, and should you take other medication, even over the counter, with your prescribed medicine. Also find out if this is a long term medication or temporary. Tests to monitor the effect of the medication you are taking should be conducted at a later date if it is recommended by your doctor. The liver is one organ that most doctors consider testing when a patient is on certain medicines.

If you always get home and remember something that you forgot to ask the doctor, make a "need to know" list and take it with you on your next visit. Do not forget to bring with you the medications that you are presently on as well. If you have more than one health care provider, this is a must.

Add to your list any surgeries or relevant illness that you have had and been treated for in the past few years. This should be in your medical chart so that the doctor can be aware of anything that might cause a problem.

In conclusion, if you think that you may forget what your physician has told you, you can always write it down or record the appointment for later referral. Do not be afraid to check around for a second opinion if you are not comfortable with the treatment that your doctor recommends or if you do not feel that he or she listened to your worries or questions. Always ask about the blood pressure medicine you are given or any other medicine that the doctore subscribes.

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