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

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Health Link

British scientists have correlation between the length of a mans index finger and his risk of prostate cancer.

Studies have found that men whose index finder is longer than their ring finger are one third less likely to develop prostate cancer - which is the second more common cancer in men.

 Lower levels of testosterone while a fetus is developing is linked to the length of fingers and lower risk of prostate cancer. 

There are suggestions that looking at the finger length could be used as a simple test for determining risk of prostate cancer in men under 60.

Read more at the Globe and Mail

Hip-to-Waist Ratio

We've all heard of BMI - body mass index. It is a height to weight ratio. Click Here to calculate your BMI.  It is widely used in body composition tests, and by doctors. It is a strong predictor for risk of diabetes, cancer and heart disease.
The problem with BMI is it does not take into consideration fat vs muscle, or where your body fat is located.
That is where the hip-to-waist ratio comes in.
To measure your hip-to-waist ration:
measure around the smallest part of your waist - usually near your belly button.
measure around the widest part of your hips and buttocks.
divide the waist measurement by the hip measurement and you've got your hip-to-waist ratio
According to Health Canada, a ratio less than 0.8 for women, and less than 1.0 for men is associated with lower heath risk.
This measurement is an even stronger predictor for increased health risks than BMI. This is because it gives an indication of where you store your body fat.
We've all heard terms apple shaped, and pear shaped.
Well bad news if you are apple shaped and carry most of your weight around your stomach, and less around your waist. This means that there is more fat surrounding all your internal organs, including your heart. This increases your risk of heart attack, stroke, and diabetes.

So find out your number for both these measurements, BMI and Hip-to-waist ratio. Write them down and talk to your Doctor about the implications. If either of your numbers are higher than recommended by Health Canada - talk to your doctor about an exercise regime and some nutritional advice that will help you become healthier.