Being happy is good for your heart

Enjoying simple pleasures and having an optimistic outlook reduces the risk of developing cardiovascular disease by around half, regardless of factors such as diet, exercise and smoking, studies showed.

Read more:

Bumps on your eyelids??

Do you have trouble applying eyeshadow because of little yellowish bumps on your eyelids?

This could be a sign that you have higher levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol and blood triglycerides.

And lower levels of HDL (good) cholesterol

People with these bumps are 48% more likely to have a heart attack within the next 30 years than those without.

Even if your blood tests come back normal, you could still be at risk.

Its a sign that your body deposits cholesterol where you don't want it - i.e. in your blood vessels. 

So if you have those bumps, talk to you doctor!

Reasons to be Fit

What happens when you stop smoking

Everyone knows smoking is bad for them. Most smokers pretend that smoking isn't bad for them.... 


Whether or not you can see or feel the effects your cigarette is having on you... it is negatively affecting your health.


So here are a few health benefits you will have within minutes of quitting.




* In 20 minutes your blood pressure will drop back down to normal.
* In 8 hours the carbon monoxide (a toxic gas) levels in your blood stream will drop by half, and oxygen levels will return to normal.
* In 48 hours your chance of having a heart attack will have decreased. All nicotine will have left your body. Your sense of taste and smell will return to a normal level.
* In 72 hours your bronchial tubes will relax, and your energy levels will increase.
* In 2 weeks your circulation will increase, and it will continue to improve for the next 10 weeks.
* In three to nine months coughs, wheezing and breathing problems will dissipate as your lung capacity improves by 10%.
* In 1 year your risk of having a heart attack will have dropped by half.
* In 5 years your risk of having a stroke returns to that of a non-smoker.
* In 10 years your risk of lung cancer will have returned to that of a non-smoker.
* In 15 years your risk of heart attack will have returned to that of a non-smoker.




Smokers who get help from their doctor either through information, help-lines, or medication are more likely to quit the dirty stinky lethal habit for good.
Do yourself a favour - talk to your doctor about quitting smoking today.

Good News Coffee Loving Ladies

A new preliminary study published in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association has found a correlation between drinking more than one cup of coffee a day and 22-25% reduced risk of stroke in women (compared to those who drink less)

While this study is a correlation and cant say that coffee causes the reduced risk of stroke - it is thought that this may be due to the anti-inflammatory properties or coffee improving insulin-resistance which can lead to a reduced risk.

Read the whole article HERE

Ironically (or coordinated??) this news came out on the same day of Starbucks 40th anniversary...

the same day they launched the new look and brought in petite pastries...

Cake pops!!!

Vitamin E

Here are some reasons you should make sure you are getting enough Vitamin E

-It can fight against cardiovascular disease -by reducing both blood cholesterol and triglyceride level,s it decrease the likelihood of forming blood clots which can lead to heart attacks and stroke and also reduce blood pressure levels. In addition, they possess anti-inflammatory action. And like their other family members, the tocopherols, they act as antioxidants and help to protect against cholesterol oxidation. Oxidized cholesterol is much more likely to be deposited in arteries. But where these compounds differ from tocopherols is that they can also suppress cholesterol production in the body in a similar fashion to some cholesterol-lowering medications.

-These compounds seem to have an impressive impact on cancer. They have been shown to suppress tumour growth as well as induce the death of cancer cells for many different types of cancer including breast, prostate, colon, pancreas, liver, lung, stomach and skin.

-Their act in both preventing diabetes and its assorted complications is also an exciting area of research. Tocotrienols may guard against insulin resistance which can lead to type 2 diabetes.
-For those who already have the diabetes, these substances may guard against certain kidney ailments as well as a decline in cognitive function that's linked to diabetes. Researchers have also found that they can reduce nerve pain that's all too often a consequence of having diabetes for a number of years. And if this isn't enough, they've also been shown to help lower blood sugar readings and raise levels of the protective HDL-cholesterol.

-On the osteoporosis prevention front, these compounds seem to protect against bone thinning in a number of ways. For example, they have been shown to reverse the bone thinning that's associated with smoking - (that's not to say that it's alright to smoke and tocotrienols will protect your health.)

-Their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions are a perfect combo for maintaining healthy nerves, brains, and cognitive function.

-And they may the stomach against hyperacidity, particularly that linked to stress. For those of you who experience heartburn when you're stressed, excess acid in the stomach is a common cause. Scientists are finding that tocotrienols may help protect against this hyperacidity.

Food Sources of Vitamin E
Fortified Cereal, Sunflower Seeds, Nuts (almonds and hazelnuts), Vegetable Oil, Turnip Greens, Tomatoes, Pine Nuts, Peanut Butter, Wheat germ, Avocado,

{source1, source 2}

Diet Pop = Heart Disease

I have written about the dangers of pop before..

Now there is new research linking Diet Pop to Heart Disease.

People who drink diet soda every day have a 61% higher risk of having vascular events than people who dont.

Key thing to take away from this study is that Diet Pop is NOT the best replacement for high sugar content beverages.

Soft drinks should be a treat, NOT something that you drink every day, or even every week - even if its diet.

The sugar, the artificial sweeteners, the chemicals, articial flavors and colors... these are all bad for you.

Have you ever wonded WHAT is in a can of coke that makes it calorie free... that means Nothing in that can can be utilized by your body as a source of energy...

here is a link to a video from The Today Show covering the study..
http://video.ca.msn.com/watch/video/diet-sodas-may-be-hazardous-to-your-health/17y1h0fuf?from=en-ca-infopane

Click Here to read my post about increased Pancreatic Cancer risk associated with Pop

Risk Factors

50-80% of heart disease is preventable.

The best way to prevent heart disease is by knowing and controlling your risk factors

The risk factors you can control are..

high blood pressure

high blood cholesterol

diabetes (type II)

being overweight

excessive alcohol consumption

physical inactivity

smoking

stress

-to find out how you can prevent these risk factors, or reverse or reduce the impact of these risk factors

Talk to you Doctor

-high blood pressure is the #1 cause of stroke - and you can't feel your blood pressure - have a check up with the doctor, ask what your blood pressure is, where it should be (tpyically around 120/80) and how to get it there

-things like reducing sodium intake, reducing stress by taking holidays, working less hours, practicing deep breathing, or listening to relaxing music can help

Talk to your doctor about options to help you quit smoking, and ways to begin being more physically active and what type of activity is right for you.

Remember- when it comes to physical activity - its okay to start slow.

Try to do 10 minutes of activity a couple times a day - like walking the stairs during commercial breaks, taking a walk on your lunch break, jumping jacks and jogging on the spot while waiting for something to cook...

risk factors that you cannot control include

age

sex

ethnicity

family history

and history of a stroke

-even though you cannot change these risk factors, you and your doctor should be aware of which ones affect you

{source}

Heart Healthy Food

Here are some things to try if you are looking for heart healthy foods to add to your diet..

Make homemade salad dressing with 1tbsp Flax seed oil for a big dose of heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids

Or sprinkle ground flax seeds on your cereal or yogurt every morning

Add legumes such as peas, or beans to 4 meals a week - this can cut you chance of heart attack by 22%

Hazelnuts have also been shown to reduce the risk of heart attack

Induldge a bit:

Eat a few small pieces of dark chocolate (not milk chocolate) a week - high in flavonoids, dark chocolate helps arteries stay flexible and prevent plaque build up

A beer a day has been shown to reduce cholesterol, increase antioxidants in the blood , and reduce the protein fibrinogen which promotes blood clots (red wine is also a good choice - but you have to choose one of the other - not both!)

Cook with spices such as ginger and turmeric a couple times a week - they are great because of their anti-inflammatory properties

Take a B vitamin complex every morning (a combination of folic acid, B-6 and B-12) - studies have shown that levels of homocystein (linked to heart disease) are about 40% lower

Call A Friend

Do you know someone who has suffered from a heart attack?

Call them up and have dinner, go to a movie, invite them over....

Because a study recently published in Heart journal found that having a close relationship with another person - whether it's a friend, significant other, or relative-

can Halve the risk of suffering another heart attack.

Joannie Rochette Heart Your Health Campaign

Joannie Rochette is a Canadian bronze medal figure skater

Last year at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics, her mom died suddenly of heart disease

days before she was to compete

Joannie skated for her mom and won her country the bronze medal

her goal now is to spread awareness about heart disease

It is the number one killer of women in north America - over all the cancers combined.

tell someone you love about the risk of heart disease

and encourge your family members to go to the doctor regularly - even if they think nothing is wrong

high blood pressure is called the silent killer because it often presents no signs

until it ultimatly leads to stroke or heart attack

Exercise for your Heart

Everyone has been told a hundred times that they need to exercise.

Its important, not only to maintain a healthy bodyweight, but also necessary to maintain a healthy cardiovascular system

your heart is a muscle

and like any other muscle it needs to be worked and exercised in order to stay healthy

so get your heart pumping, and get your heart rate up every day

-for adults it is suggested to get at least 30 minutes a day -

and that can be broken up into 3-10min session a day

so your goal today.... get 3 session of 10minutes of good cardiovascular exercise

Suggestions:

On your lunch break, go for a brisk walk - it should be fast enough that you can feel your heart rate increase

but not so fast you cant carry on a converstation

Go for at least  10 minutes

When you get home, maybe while catching up on the news

spend 10 minutes - walking/jogging on the spot, go fast, get your knees up and swing your arms

and maybe do some jumping jacks for good measure

Then around 8pm a while after you've had dinner,

Do some boxing.  Make little hops back and forth between each foot

get your arms up in front of your face and alternate punching out with each arm

(for an extra challenge, instead of hopping - sink down into a deep squat and hold it as long as you can while boxing)

There! You have done 30 minutes of exercise

and done something great for your heart.

Heart Month

February is Heart Month

Its time to learn your risk factors

learn how to reduce them

and take care of your heart

click here, here and here to see previous posts about heart disease

and check back throughout the next couple weeks

for posts on heart health

Heart Health

Did you know heart attacks are more likely to occur in the morning?

Why?

Because in the mornings

-your blood pressure has started to rise, and is much higher than when sleeping

-your arteries are more rigid, making them more likely to rupture

-your blood is thicker

-so what can you do to prevent a heart attack in the morning?

Taking all heart-related meds in the evening before bed - around 10pm

-cholesterol meds- because your liver makes more cholesterol at night

- blood pressure meds can help keep your blood pressure lower in the morning

-taking a baby asprin as a heart attack prevention is more effective if taken at night

-even taking half of your multi vitamin at night is good for you because of the

antioxidant benefits.

So stay heart healthy, talk to your doctor about switching your meds to the evening

{source: Dr. Oz}

Work hours

People who work 60 hours a week

are TWICE as likely to have a heart attack

than people who would 40 hours a week.

So for your own health, take a break, get home for dinner

and make this a new years resolution

only 40 hours a week.

{image from http://www.unplggd.com/}

Stem Cell Transplant Cures HIV

A recent article in the journal Blood says that a man who was treated with extensive bone marrow transplants and chemotherapy in 2007 is now free of HIV

read more here

This treatment is considered life-threatening and its not a feasible treatment for the 33 million people in the world infected with HIV . However it does provide a lot of hope for the people infected and their families.

Hopefully it points the science in the right direction for a cure.

Its now been 30 years since the first case in the USA and world wide it has claimed an estimated 25 million lives

In 2008, 7400 people were infected - Every Day

in the same year approximately 14 million children lost one or both parents to HIV/AIDS

{stats from USAID}

Click To learn more about the Unicef Global Campaign on Children and AIDS or to donate

To order a custom tie dye shirt -the proceeds of which will go to a volunteer organization in Kenya

or to Donate a t-shirt to a child in Kenya

check out T4A Apparel on facebook

or go to http://tarininafrica.blogspot.com/

Flossing

Did you know flossing daily can add up to 6.4 years to your life?

Why??

Because the same bacteria that causes gum inflammation is also linked to heart disease

-more specifically, the inflammation of ateries.

So floss every day to get rid of this bacteria and live longer and have better breath!

read more here
{image from realsimple.com}

Earlobe Crease

On Dr.Oz today he had 7 signs your body is aging too fast.
One that i thought was important to share with everyone was the earlobe crease.

the linear crease on the earlobe starting near the head and angling out is a predictor of heart disease.

it is a good indication that the elastin in the body is starting to harden. you arteries need to be elasticy to expand and contract when the heart pumps blood.

keep an eye on your earlobes and those of the people you love. if you notice the crease talk to your doctor about the implications.

Fight Fatigue

Here are 7 Nutrients that Fight Fatigue
1. Protein:  eat protein at breakfast to maintain energy throughout the day.  People who skip protein at breakfast are more likely to be depressed, stressed and less physically fit.

2. Iron:  deficiency is a common cause of anemia which leads to a decreased volume of red blood cells causing you to feel tired. Iron is most easily absorbed from meat sources, but you can boost how much is absorbed from your dark leafy greens by combining it with vitamin C

3. Complex carbs (vs. simple sugars):  They are found in fruit and vegetables and break down much slower than simple sugars (ie white sugar, white bread, ect) They break down slower leading to a steadier source of energy that is released into your blood stream over a longer period of time.  Sources of complex carbs are also a good source of fibre and B vitamins which help with energy.

4. Vitamin C: Helps with adrenal health. The adrenal glands release cortisol (stress hormone). So if you increase your vitamin C intake, you can decrease fatigue caused by physical and emotional stress

5. Magnesium:  essential for the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) - the molecule that is used in the body for energy. Magnesium also relaxes muscles and aid in sleep.

6. Beta Carotene: Vitamin A precursor. This helps boost depressed immune system and with chronic fatigue. It also helps promote healthy cell membrane, protecting against viruses, bacteria, fungi, and allergies. Its necessary for healthy red blood cells.

7. Potasssium. Deficiency causes muscle weakness and exhaustion. Helps transport nutrients to the muscles, regulates muscle contractions and maintains a healthy nervous system and heart rate.

Sodium

Most people are getting somewhere between 2 and 3 times the recommended daily intake of sodium.
For people ages 9-50 the RDA for sodium is 1500mg. However - the average Canadian man gets  4,100mg and women are consuming 2,900mg.
This is BAD. While some sodium is needed for normal cell function, and it needs to be replaced because sodium is lost through urine and sweat, Canadians are getting way too much.

Most of the sodium comes from processed packaged foods. Even things such as milk, and pop has sodium. Make sure you are checking the labels when buying processed foods - and the labels can be deceiving because of the serving size  -so read carefully.

This huge amount of sodium can cause a huge amount of health problems. Sodium causes water retention, which no only leads to bloating but also causes high blood pressure. High blood pressure is hard on your kidneys, your heart  and your blood vessels.

Try to reduce your sodium intake by taking the salt shaker off the table, not adding much or any when preparing food. And always read the labels!

read an article from CBC news here