Prevent Heart Disease
Heart disease is a silent killer, According to the National Institutes of Health, it will kill nearly 500,000 people this year. If more Americans took control of their health, this statistic could be reduced by as much as 87%, that means 435,000 people would literally save their own lives each year.
Your lifestyle, diet, and environment subtly and profoundly affect your heart — by restoring or depleting over 30 essential nutrients. For optimum heart health, your body needs the correct balance of these 30 nutrients. In the context of a wholesome diet and healthy lifestyle, supplementation is the easiest, most effective way to promote maximum heart health.
A diet high in fats has been recognized as a primary villain and risk factor in cardiovascular disease. The difficulty many people have in understanding the risk of a high fat diet is not so much in the total fat but in the types of fat included in the diet. On the one hand there are two types of fats - one of which is good, one of which is bad. Saturated fats are one of the villains when it comes to the bad fat part of the formula and this type of fat is commonly found in almost all foods. Unsaturated fats are far less harmful. It is recognized that approximately 95 percent of the population is deficient in essential fatty acids.
Essential fatty acids are involved in energy production, the transfer of oxygen from the air to the bloodstream, and the manufacture of hemoglobin. They are also involved in growth, cell division and nerve function. Essential fatty acids are found in high concentrations in the brain and are essential for normal nerve impulse transmission and brain function.
Essential fatty acids are also involved in the manufacture of prostaglandins, substances which play a role in a number of body functions including hormone synthesis, immune function, regulation of the response to pain and inflammation, blood vessel constriction, and other heart and lung functions.
Symptoms of essential fatty acid deficiency may include fatigue, dry skin, immune weakness, gastrointestinal disorders, heart and circulatory problems, growth retardation, mental problems and sterility. It is likely that a lack of dietary essential fatty acids plays an important role in the development of many common diseases.
There are many types of essential fatty acid supplements available, including flaxseed oil, fish oils, evening primrose oil, black currant oil, and borage oil. These are available in capsule and free oil forms. Some experts advise avoiding fish oil supplements because they may have toxic contaminants. Fish oil supplements should not be taken during pregnancy due to the damaging effects of high doses of vitamin A.
Several risk factors have been linked to heart disease. These include unchangeable factors such as an early family history of heart disease. If a family member developed heart disease relatively young, before age 50, your risk is increased. Usually, however, heart disease is more likely to strike a woman after menopause.
Certain medical conditions play key roles. High blood pressure increases your risk of both heart attack and stroke, so controlling it is very important. Diabetes also increases your risk of developing heart disease, especially in women. Unfortunately, many diabetic women have a nerve disorder which makes them less sensitive to pain, so they might miss the heart attack warning sign of chest pain.
Keep in mind that lifestyle plays a crucial role. Smoking and fatal heart disease go hand-in-hand. If you smoke, quit. Oral contraceptives used by smokers might cause trouble too, so if you smoke and take the pill, you might be in greater danger of having a heart attack than someone who doesn’t. Obesity and a sedentary “couch potato” outlook also add to your risk.
What counts is not how many risk factors you have, but what you do to change them. Maintain a lean weight and good blood cholesterol level. Cut the saturated fat content from your food and increase your intake of essential fatty acids. Eat less meat and chicken. Bulk up on vegetables and fruits. You’ll be eating healthier and you will probably lose some weight!
Most importantly, exercise! This is critical to good health. Too often, we say we don’t have time. Make time. Put yourself first and work out, even if you have to schedule it into your appointment book.
For years, we were told women didn’t have to worry about heart disease. Now that we know the truth, we must all make the changes needed in the name of healthier and happier hearts.
Your lifestyle, diet, and environment subtly and profoundly affect your heart — by restoring or depleting over 30 essential nutrients. For optimum heart health, your body needs the correct balance of these 30 nutrients. In the context of a wholesome diet and healthy lifestyle, supplementation is the easiest, most effective way to promote maximum heart health.
A diet high in fats has been recognized as a primary villain and risk factor in cardiovascular disease. The difficulty many people have in understanding the risk of a high fat diet is not so much in the total fat but in the types of fat included in the diet. On the one hand there are two types of fats - one of which is good, one of which is bad. Saturated fats are one of the villains when it comes to the bad fat part of the formula and this type of fat is commonly found in almost all foods. Unsaturated fats are far less harmful. It is recognized that approximately 95 percent of the population is deficient in essential fatty acids.
Essential fatty acids are involved in energy production, the transfer of oxygen from the air to the bloodstream, and the manufacture of hemoglobin. They are also involved in growth, cell division and nerve function. Essential fatty acids are found in high concentrations in the brain and are essential for normal nerve impulse transmission and brain function.
Essential fatty acids are also involved in the manufacture of prostaglandins, substances which play a role in a number of body functions including hormone synthesis, immune function, regulation of the response to pain and inflammation, blood vessel constriction, and other heart and lung functions.
Symptoms of essential fatty acid deficiency may include fatigue, dry skin, immune weakness, gastrointestinal disorders, heart and circulatory problems, growth retardation, mental problems and sterility. It is likely that a lack of dietary essential fatty acids plays an important role in the development of many common diseases.
There are many types of essential fatty acid supplements available, including flaxseed oil, fish oils, evening primrose oil, black currant oil, and borage oil. These are available in capsule and free oil forms. Some experts advise avoiding fish oil supplements because they may have toxic contaminants. Fish oil supplements should not be taken during pregnancy due to the damaging effects of high doses of vitamin A.
Several risk factors have been linked to heart disease. These include unchangeable factors such as an early family history of heart disease. If a family member developed heart disease relatively young, before age 50, your risk is increased. Usually, however, heart disease is more likely to strike a woman after menopause.
Certain medical conditions play key roles. High blood pressure increases your risk of both heart attack and stroke, so controlling it is very important. Diabetes also increases your risk of developing heart disease, especially in women. Unfortunately, many diabetic women have a nerve disorder which makes them less sensitive to pain, so they might miss the heart attack warning sign of chest pain.
Keep in mind that lifestyle plays a crucial role. Smoking and fatal heart disease go hand-in-hand. If you smoke, quit. Oral contraceptives used by smokers might cause trouble too, so if you smoke and take the pill, you might be in greater danger of having a heart attack than someone who doesn’t. Obesity and a sedentary “couch potato” outlook also add to your risk.
What counts is not how many risk factors you have, but what you do to change them. Maintain a lean weight and good blood cholesterol level. Cut the saturated fat content from your food and increase your intake of essential fatty acids. Eat less meat and chicken. Bulk up on vegetables and fruits. You’ll be eating healthier and you will probably lose some weight!
Most importantly, exercise! This is critical to good health. Too often, we say we don’t have time. Make time. Put yourself first and work out, even if you have to schedule it into your appointment book.
For years, we were told women didn’t have to worry about heart disease. Now that we know the truth, we must all make the changes needed in the name of healthier and happier hearts.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Purple vegetables can add color to a dish making it more appealing and healthier, too. It is known that purple vegetables or fruit are beneficial to health as they are a good source of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phyto-chemicals. Phyto-chemicals are substances found only in plants that may even help our body fight disease. Anthocyanin and phenolic are found in berries, dried plums (prunes), and raisins. They are believed to reduce risk of disease such as cancer and heart disease.
Good examples of vegetables and fruits that are purple in color are aubergines (brinjal, eggplant), yams, plums, blueberries, and grapes.
Yam has been a staple food for many cultures for thousands of years and today, there are countless varieties of it in different shapes, colors (even blue), and sizes.
Aubergines belong to the night shade family of vegetables and are thus related to potatoes, tomatoes, and peppers. They were being eaten in China in 5 BC and are thought to be cultivated in India many years before this time. The Moors introduced the aubergine to Spain some 1,200 years ago and it started growing in the Andalucia region. From there, it was introduced to other parts of Europe, such as Italy, Greece, and Turkey which claim to have at least 100 ways of cooking the aubergine.
Like yam, aubergine comes in many varieties. The small and plump aubergines look like large eggs (hence their nickname, eggplant), while stripped varieties may be purple or pink with white stripes. The Asian or Japanese aubergine (brinjal) is bright purple, thin and straight with a slight bend at the bottom and has a tender, slightly sweet flesh. Most aubergines, however, are glossy dark purple or almost black.
Blueberries have white or pale-green flesh, a deep-blue skin with a waxy gloss and vary in size and shape.
Plums can be divided into two categories: plums for cooking and plums which can be eaten fresh. The latter has a higher sugar content and are juicier, whereas cooking plums can be acidic and frequently have dry flesh and tough skins. European plums have skin colors ranging from green-yellow to deep blue, whereas Japanese varieties tend to be larger with predominantly red skin tones, although some have yellow skin.
If you find that your food looks a little bit drab, perhaps you may want to spice it up with some healthy and attractive-looking purple vegetables and fruit.
Former Heart Surgeon Reveals … How to prevent and even reverse heart disease - without drugs or surgery. Read more about Dr Robert’s confession at: http://www.howtopreventheartdisease.com/dr-robert.htm
About the Author
Feel free to use this article on your website or ezine as long as the following information about author/website is included.
Heart Disease Prevention - 8 Simple Ways You Can Do Immediately, Go to: http://www.howtopreventheartdisease.com
Tags: Heart Disease
