Stress management is one of the most important heart disease prevention tip to follow. Although it is frequently stated that stress causes up to 80 percent of disease, stress is rarely addressed by medical professionals beyond the mere advice to try to reduce stress in your life.
Sounds like a great idea, but most people have no idea how begin to really reduce stress. If it really is behind the development of disease, including heart disease, than finding a way to deal with it should be uppermost in people’s strategies for reducing its dangerous effects.
Since it is impossible to live a life completely free of stress, discovering new ways to manage stress can mean the difference between a long and healthy life or one filled with chronic health problems.
Heart disease is the number one killer of both women and men in the United States and much of the developed world. Studies attempting to unravel the mystery of why this is generally revolve around our modern way of life and its effects on the cardiovascular system.
Unhealthy food choices, lack of exercise, pollution and high levels of stress have all been blamed. The causes are complicated and require a wholistic view of modern life, taking each component into consideration. Improving diet and exercise, avoiding artificial chemicals and slowing down the pace of life are all strategies to help fight heart disease. Addressing stress management should be added to the list of weapons to help fight heart disease.
Biofeedback techniques dates to the 1960s and are used to monitor and change physical reactions that were once thought to be beyond our control. The medical profession at the time thought heart rate and blood pressure levels were something outside the realm of mental control, but biofeedback showed that with training, people could adjust many of their physical reactions to stress.
During times of stress, powerful hormones are released into the body to instantly prepare it for the fight or flight response. This is great if a wild beast is approaching but not so great if you are just sitting at a desk, fuming at your boss’ latest antics.
Continued high levels of stress keep those hormones pumping and research has shown that long-term effects of high stress hormone levels can lead to heart and cardiovascular problems. Controlling the body’s reaction to stress is what biofeedback training is all about. Initially, people use feedback equipment that provides signals when physical reactions such as tense muscles and rising blood pressure are present. Over time, the patient learns to mentally control these responses as the biofeedback machine signals changes, lowering blood pressure and heart rate along with changing breathing and other bodily functions. Eventually, the equipment is no longer needed as people master their control over their reactions to stress.
Another technique enhancing stress management is the use of self-talk corresponding to the changes you are trying to make in your physical reaction to stress. Repeating something as simple as, “My breathing is deep and slow, and my body is relaxing,” speeds the desired response. Calming and relaxing directions to your body help reduce the levels of stress hormones in the blood stream, lowering blood pressure, heart rate and even reducing sweating palms and feet. Each of these reactions helps to bring the body back to a state of calm.
Plenty of books have been written to help people learn these techniques, and therapists trained in biofeedback and other strategies can speed you on your way to a more relaxed and healthy life. Give your heart what it needs, good food, plenty of exercise and a healthy dose of stress management.
To Your Heart’s Health
Monique Hawkins
540-858-2885 anytime
Skype: Monique371
The month of February is designated National Heart Month as it is traditionally full of images of beautiful Valentine Hearts! To celebrate a healthier heart, here are some quick tips for lowering your risk for heart attack, stroke and related cardiovascular disease. Working on incorporating as many of these tips into your lifestyle can help prevent damage to blood vessels and the heart while helping the cardiovascular system restore its health through healing. You will have the perfect heart patient diet plan.
1. Switch from soda to unsweetened green tea. Brew your own and carry it to work or play in a stainless steel water bottle. Green tea is loaded with heart healthy antioxidants that help prevent damage to blood vessels. Drinking just two cups a day has been shown to have heart protective benefits.
2. Take a relaxation break. Routine quiet times throughout the day can lower blood pressure and stress hormones that wreak havoc on the heart and cardiovascular system. Just pause and take a few deep breaths, or stretch a little and let your body slow down. Longer sessions of meditation or yoga have great benefits for the heart.
3. Eat healthy nuts. Not candied ones, but raw, natural nuts. Almonds, walnuts and many other nuts have been shown to lower LDL or bad cholesterol in the blood stream. Nuts are high in calories so don’t overdo it. Just a handful a day can help protect the heart with healthy fats.
4. Take a walk. Walking gets the body moving, pumping blood, pulling fresh air into the lungs. A brisk two-mile walk every day can help control weight, strengthen the heart, and improve circulation. Blood pressure lowers and Type 2 diabetes can even be controlled with daily walks. For a heart patient diet plan, walking and other types of exercises is a must.
5. Quit smoking. We all know the damage that smoking does to the arteries and lungs! If you can’t quit, cut down. Any reduction in smoking helps the heart.
6. Get plenty of sleep at night. Studies have shown that sleep deprivation damages the heart. A busy lifestyle can lead to five or fewer hours of sleep at night. This can more than double your risk for heart attacks. Aim for a full eight hours. Some people need even more. Sleep is a time for the body to restore itself. If you have trouble falling asleep, try deep breathing exercises just prior to turning out the lights. People who get adequate sleep have better weight control and overall health.
7. Start strength training. Adding strength training to an overall exercise routine strengthens the heart muscle and helps it beat with efficiency. Although aerobic exercise should be a part of a daily routine, strength training sessions can be two or three times a week.
8. Stop eating fast food. Loaded with saturated fat, sugar, salt and additives, most fast food is damaging to more than just the heart. Chronic diseases and obesity are more and more blamed on a diet full of highly process food and frequent stops at fast food restaurants.
Follow these 8 tips and you will not only have an excellent heart patient diet plan, and also have a healthier heart this February!
To Your Heart’s Health
Monique Hawkins
540-858-2885 anytime
Skype: Monique371
It seems to be one of those common knowledge assertions, that stress can cause heart disease. Although this is a general belief, there really isn’t much medical literature related to the connection between emotional stress and cardiovascular disease. At least, not until recently.
The body’s reaction to a stressful event is programmed into us to save our lives. Over the long course of human evolution, finding yourself in a potentially dangerous situation demanded an adrenaline surge allowing the body to respond in a quick and powerful way. We still have that response, although much of what triggers it is no longer life-threatening wild beasts!
An overdue bill, an annoying phone call, a cranky boss, all can trigger the body’s fight or flight response causing the adrenaline to flow. Over time, this can lead to problems with the cardiovascular system including high blood pressure and a weakened heart.
What is interesting is that although we may all share the fight or flight response to similar events, each person reacts in a different way. Our distant ancestors went into a fast sprint to avoid the danger, dissipating the effect. Today, many internalize their fear or frustration and have no healthy way to get rid of the anger, the fear, and the anxiety of modern life.
There is also a connection between damage to the cardiovascular system and the exact type of emotional stress. Those that suffer the most damage are the people who feel they have little to no control over their situation, whether it is personal or workplace. Although a clerk may have little actual control over their workplace situations, they can try to have mental control over their reactions by looking at the whole situation in a different light. Rather than taking everything so seriously, a lighter mood and a feeling of less desperation can be achieved by mentally stepping back from the situation. It is like the old “go with the flow” attitude, easing back a little and not fighting the situation.
Studies are showing that people undergoing the exact same type of stress react differently, and the way they react influences a host of biochemical reactions in the body. Remember the Type A personality that is characterized by impatience and a chronic sense of urgency? These are the people who have a higher risk of artery disease and subsequent heart problems. The more patient Type B personality has a less urgent view of time, is less competitive, and less easily angered.
Avoiding stress may be an impossible goal, but dealing differently with everyday stress can be a life-saving goal. If you find yourself impatient in a line or traffic jam, try looking at it as a time to relax instead. After all, while you are stuck in line you really have nothing to do, you can just stand there and relax for a moment while taking a few deep breaths before the line moves along and you have to get back to work on something. Those few moments relaxing and deeply breathing can lower blood pressure, reduce your heart rate, and refresh your mind.
Could calcium be one of the causes of heart disease? Well, a recent New Zealand study uncovered a startling connection between heart attacks and calcium supplementation in post-menopausal women. The study was a meta-analysis, looking at 15 different research trials with close to 12,000 participants.
Long recommended as a way of preventing osteoporosis, calcium supplementation, according to this study, presents larger risks than benefits. The actual benefit for bone health is marginal, as bone is composed of a wide range of minerals not just calcium. Despite findings that confirm the minimal benefit of calcium supplementation to bone health in aging women, it has long been recommended as a way of preventing bone density loss and osteoporosis.
There is also conflicting information on the benefits of calcium in preventing vascular disease. Some studies have shown that calcium seems to protect the cardiovascular system while others point to calcium supplements increasing the rate of vascular calcification or hardening of the arteries. The most disturbing finding show that there may be an increase in myocardial infarction (MI), better known as heart attack, caused by blockage of the blood supply to the heart muscle in post-menopausal women taking at least 500mg of calcium a day as a supplement.
Researchers conducting the New Zealand study feel that the wisest choice in most cases would be the discontinuation of calcium supplementation, especially if the woman has an adequate dietary intake of calcium. Looking at the five studies in this meta-analysis, there was a 30% increase in heart attacks in the groups that took calcium supplements.
Some have questions about the conclusions made during the meta-analysis, including whether stomach upset and heartburn were being confused with actual heart attacks. The incidence of heart attacks was both self-reported and taken from medical and death records and the question was raised whether some of the self-reporting was incorrect. Although the incidence of myocardial infarction, or heart attacks, increased significantly with the calcium supplement groups, there was no corresponding increase in mortality rates, casting doubt on whether calcium is really a culprit in cardiovascular events.
Even with the questions, the researchers’ conclusion still stands that calcium is not the best remedy for preventing osteoporosis and may have serious side effects including an increased risk for cardiovascular problems in post-menopausal women.
More research needs to be done on both the effectiveness for calcium on bone fractures in women and on possible negative effects caused by supplementation. Until more is known, women want to know what to do right now to help protect their hearts and bones. Getting adequate dietary calcium seems to be the best answer. We’ll talk about the best ways to increase dietary calcium in an upcoming post.
It is well known that there are significant differences between heart problems in women and men. Why calcium supplements seem to pose a risk for women is simply an unknown at this time. The greatest risk seemed to be present for those who already get adequate dietary calcium.
To Your Heart’s Health
Monique Hawkins
mentormonique@gmail.com
This is very interesting! Calcium can be one of the heart disease causes? A recent New Zealand study uncovered a startling connection between heart attacks and calcium supplementation in post-menopausal women. The study was a meta-analysis, looking at 15 different research trials with close to 12,000 participants.
Long recommended as a way of preventing osteoporosis, calcium supplementation, according to this study, presents larger risks than benefits. The actual benefit for bone health is marginal, as bone is composed of a wide range of minerals not just calcium. Despite findings that confirm the minimal benefit of calcium supplementation to bone health in aging women, it has long been recommended as a way of preventing bone density loss and osteoporosis.
There is also conflicting information on the benefits of calcium in preventing vascular disease. Some studies have shown that calcium seems to protect the cardiovascular system while others point to calcium supplements increasing the rate of vascular calcification or hardening of the arteries. The most disturbing finding show that there may be an increase in myocardial infarction (MI), better known as heart attack, caused by blockage of the blood supply to the heart muscle in post-menopausal women taking at least 500mg of calcium a day as a supplement.
Researchers conducting the New Zealand study feel that the wisest choice in most cases would be the discontinuation of calcium supplementation, especially if the woman has an adequate dietary intake of calcium. Looking at the five studies in this meta-analysis, there was a 30% increase in heart attacks in the groups that took calcium supplements.
Some have questions about the conclusions made during the meta-analysis, including whether stomach upset and heartburn were being confused with actual heart attacks. The incidence of heart attacks was both self-reported and taken from medical and death records and the question was raised whether some of the self-reporting was incorrect. Although the incidence of myocardial infarction, or heart attacks, increased significantly with the calcium supplement groups, there was no corresponding increase in mortality rates, casting doubt on whether calcium is really a culprit in cardiovascular events.
Even with the questions, the researchers’ conclusion still stands that calcium is not the best remedy for preventing osteoporosis and may have serious side effects including an increased risk for cardiovascular problems in post-menopausal women.
More research needs to be done on both the effectiveness for calcium on bone fractures in women and on possible negative effects caused by supplementation. Until more is known, women want to know what to do right now to help protect their hearts and bones. Getting adequate dietary calcium seems to be the best answer. We’ll talk about the best ways to increase dietary calcium in an upcoming post.
It is well known that there are significant differences between heart problems in women and men. Why calcium supplements seem to pose a risk for women is simply an unknown at this time. The greatest risk seemed to be present for those who already get adequate dietary calcium.
The best possible New Year’s resolution you can make is adding heart-healthy foods to your diet. Many of them require no disrupting dietary changes, many times it’s just a matter of adding nutritious, heart-healthy ingredients to foods you already prepare. Make it a goal to try five of these delicious foods that protect the heart to you meals each week. You’ll wonder why you’ve waited so long to enjoy healthy eating! You’ll be able to stop worrying about cholesterol, heart attacks, and you energy will increase as your whole body gets a boost from these nutritious foods! Here’s a list of the top foods that protect the heart and entire cardiovascular system.
1. Oatmeal is proven to lower cholesterol. Look for steel-cut oats that are full of fiber rather than overly sweetened and processed instant oats. Not only fiber but minerals and vitamins are found in oats. This grain is believed to help reduce the effects of stress, another factor that harms the heart.
2. Wild-caught Alaskan salmon is one of the most heart-healthy foods around. Full of omega-3 fatty acids, the wild salmon are virtually free of contaminants. Not so, the so called Atlantic salmon that are actually farmed fish feed colorants to brighten their flesh. Add grilled salmon to salads or serve as a main course. Omega-3 fatty acids increase HDL levels while lowering LDL, or bad cholesterol. They also reduce inflammation and lower blood pressure.
3. Berries are loaded with antioxidants that protect the cardiovascular system from free radical damage, a major factor in heart disease. Along with the antioxidants, berries have anti-inflammatory properties that help prevent artery problems. Add berries to vegetable or fruit salads, cereal, and homemade smoothies.
4. Almonds and walnuts are a great source of heart protective vitamin E, magnesium, and omega-3 fatty acids along with many other nutrients. Make a great trail mix of dried fruits and nuts, add to salads, or baked goods.
5. Legumes are just what the heart needs. Red, black, and kidney beans, chickpeas, and lentils are all excellent sources of soluble fiber and nutrients. Add them to soups and stews or salads.
6. Brown rice provides the B-complex vitamins that help the body deal with stress. It is also a great source of fiber and magnesium. Add some beans and you have a complete source of protein.
7. Green tea is another excellent source of heart-healthy antioxidants. Brew your own, adding just a touch of raw sugar or honey if you must sweeten it.
8. Tomatoes provide carotenes, lycopene, vitamin C, and other nutrients. Both cooked and fresh tomatoes are heart-healthy and can be added to salads, sandwiches, pasta, and soups and stews.
9. Spinach along with all fresh vegetables and fruits gives the body a full range of heart-healthy nutrients. Studies have shown that adding just three servings of vegetables to your diet significantly cuts the risk of heart disease. Eat your veggies raw in salads or add them to almost any recipe for a nutrient boost.
10. Olive oil has been used for millennia throughout the Mediterranean region. This monounsaturated fat lowers LDL cholesterol, reducing the risk for heart disease. Use this delicious oil liberally on salads, for cooking, or make a delicious dip with herbs and Parmesan cheese.
You can have a more healthy heart for 2011. Make sure you include these foods in your diet. Your heart will thank you for it!
Although few conclusive studies have been done, early research points to direct effects of environmental chemicals on many aspects of human health. One definite link that has been established is between obesity rates and the prevalence of endocrine disrupting chemicals in the environment. These range from various plastics to many agrochemicals. Obesity is a major factor in chronic diseases from cardiovascular problems to cancer.
Although Western science tends to isolate organs in their scientific research, when one organ or body system is affected, there is a chain reaction in the body as each system supports the others. If environmental chemicals affect the kidneys or lungs, the effect will eventually be noticed in the disruptions of the heart and circulatory system.
One study noted that pesticides damage the vascular system, may increase platelet aggregation, may contribute to plaque formation in the arteries, cause inflammatory responses throughout the cardiovascular system, damage the heart and blood vessel tissues, and increase hypertension by interfering with the functioning of the kidney.
How can you avoid overexposure to heart damaging pesticides? One simple method is to purchase as much produce, dairy, and meat grown by organic methods that never use agrochemicals. The less processed the food the better too; try to buy only fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy, and meats.
Not everyone has ready access to organic foods though, and not all foods need to be purchased organically. Certain fruits and vegetables grown commercially are relatively free of pesticides. These include asparagus, onions, bananas, pineapples and others. Some of those that have the highest levels and should thus be purchased organically include apples, strawberries, cherries, spinach, potatoes, and grapes. Keep in mind that the juices made from these fruits and vegetables should also be organic. Some of the most heart- healthy foods are some of the biggest offenders unfortunately, but it is still advised that eating a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables far outweighs the risks.
Another factor to remember is many of the agricultural chemicals become concentrated in the fat cells of animals. Human and animals both accumulate pesticides in fatty tissues because many of the pesticides are fat soluble. This also makes them hard to remove from fruits and vegetables with just water. If you can’t buy organic produce, invest in a good produce wash designed to remove pesticide residues. Fatty meats and dairy that aren’t organic can have high levels of damaging chemicals, in addition to high levels of cholesterol and saturated fats.
Our bodies are exceedingly complex; science doesn’t yet understand many of the intricate functions that go on every minute of your life. What they are beginning to discover though, is that man-made chemicals, ones that humans have only been exposed to in the last century, may be causing incredible damage to our bodies, especially the cardiovascular system. So, be always careful to watch what you eat!
Avoiding animal products can be an important component of a heart patient’s diet plan. Please note that avoiding is the key word here, not eliminating animal products completely from your diet. Becoming a strict vegetarian takes a level of commitment that some just can’t face and may not even be necessary to achieve optimal heart health. For most people, cutting down on the amount of animal products and choosing any that you do consume wisely is sufficient to promote a healthy heart and entire cardiovascular system.
Why avoid animal products? The primary reason is that dietary cholesterol comes only from animal products. I always find it a bit humorous to see a bag of apples marked “a no cholesterol food,” maybe people just aren’t aware that cholesterol comes from animals! Studies have shown that eating a diet high in cholesterol damages the cardiovascular system and raises blood cholesterol levels. Some surprising studies show that even if blood cholesterol isn’t raised, people consuming more animal products have a higher incidence of death from heart attacks and strokes. One of the greatest risks to the heart is atherosclerosis, hardening of the arteries. Cholesterol seems to play a major role in the formation of plaque inside the arteries, causing narrowing of blood vessels and limiting the flow of blood. In addition to being bad for the heart, research has shown that diets high in meat and other animal products contribute to other diseases including certain cancers, osteoporosis, and digestive disorders.
In addition to the cholesterol found in animal products, they also have much higher fat content than their vegetable counterparts, increasing dietary calories. Slimming down can greatly benefit the heart; carrying less weight eases the burden on the heart. Did you know that fat has nine calories per gram while protein and carbohydrates have only four? Eating a lower-calorie diet high in vegetables, fruits, and whole-grains and getting adequate exercise has been shown to reverse the effects of heart disease.
Many people worry that they won’t get enough protein without eating meat. There are many ways to get all the essential amino acids without meat. The most recent studies have shown that each meal does not even need to have complete protein as long as it is gotten in the daily diet. Combining beans and whole grains is the perfect combination; by eating these together you get high-quality, complete protein. Many studies have shown that getting too much protein is actually bad for the health of the kidneys and liver. Damage to either of these organs leads to high blood pressure and other problems that eventually affect the heart.
Set a goal of eliminating meat and animal products except for fat-free milk and yogurt at least four days a week. If you can’t start with this, try just two, building to four over a month. Incredible, hearty vegetarian recipes are easy to find everywhere now. Try experimenting with one for tonight’s dinner and your heart will thank you!
Remember to sign up for my “You Deserve To Have A Healthy Heart” Newsletter!
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If you are looking to add foods for a heart disease diet in your life, you will be interested in this. Coming soon from the European Society of Cardiologists is a custom cookbook designed with heart health as the primary objective. Cardiologist members of the society from across Europe have created recipes with cardiovascular health in mind but also delicious taste.
The society is trying to overcome the view that heart healthy eating is boring and lacking in taste. On a mission to educate the public about the benefits that can be gained from eating delicious meals that benefit the heart, the society is releasing the book to coincide with their ESC Congress 2010 that meets in Stockholm August 28, 2010.
The 62,000-member group is excited about this high-quality cookbook that begins with an overview of the heart and its importance to the body. The food is designed to support those with hypertension, atherosclerosis, and coronary artery disease. Eating right can prevent cardiovascular disease but those who already suffer from many forms of heart disease can greatly benefit from changing their diets.
The 200 page plus book is packed with exciting recipes from across the European Union representing a wide variety of cultural cooking. The goal is to educate people about the ease of preparing meals with ingredients that will benefit the cardiovascular system and the heart itself. Each recipe came from a member cardiologist and was then adapted by nutritionists and chefs to assure that every recipe is a delicious treat.
At the front of the book is a section detailing the function and anatomy of the heart which is easy to understand. There is also information on various heart related diseases and what can be done to prevent them.
The cookbook has advice about alternative ingredients, seasonings, and cooking techniques. The president of the society, Roberto Ferrari, hopes that people will start new cooking habits and experiment with their own recipes that can prevent high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, and high cholesterol.
The European Cook Book will be available in English from the European Society of Cardiologists’ website starting on August 28th. The introductory price will be 20 Euros.
To Your Heart’s Health
Monique Hawkins
540-858-2885
mentormonique@gmail.com
Remember to sign up for my “You Deserve To Have A Healthy Heart” Newsletter! P.S. For more information about Vita Che, the natural Roto Rooter for your arteries, visit this online nutrition store at http://699456.shopvitamark.com
Study after study supports the old idea that pet owners live longer. They do! Both dog and cat owners have been shown to have lower incidences of heart disease that those who do not own pets. In the United States, over 60 percent of households have pets and now it has been shown that not only do they provide companionship, they provide health benefits too.
One study conducted by the University of Minnesota’s Stroke Institute followed 4,000 Americans for ten years. The result of the study was the risk of a heart attack was reduced by almost a third when compared with people who did not own a cat. A key point seems to be that the lower levels of stress and anxiety among cat owners leads to a healthier cardiovascular system. Researchers cannot prove that it is the calming effect of owning a cat that lowers the risk for heart attack but the study conclusively showed that the cat owners had a significantly lower risk of fatal heart disease. Studies like this one point out the fact that many people are prevented from having pets due to regulations in apartment buildings.
Another study conducted by the Baker Medical Research Institute in Melbourne, Australia, measured blood pressure and cholesterol levels in pet owners and non-owners. This study found a significant difference in both measures. Men who were pet owners had lower systolic blood pressure and lower cholesterol levels. Women showed the same results. One issue raised in this study was that pet owners, especially dog owners, tend to get more exercise than non-owners. When all other factors including body-mass, smoking, and socioeconomic level were taken into consideration, a significant difference in blood pressure and cholesterol was found based on pet ownership.
An interesting study from 2002 shows that both heart rates and blood pressure increased less when pet owners were asked to solve math problems while their pets were present. The physiological sign of stress were reduced just by the presence of the pets.
These are just a few of the research studies that support the theory that pet ownership can reduce hypertension, reduce cholesterol, increase exercise and provide therapy for those who may suffer from coronary disease.
To Your Heart’s Health
Monique Hawkins
540-858-2885
mentormonique@gmail.com
Remember to sign up for my “You Deserve To Have A Healthy Heart” Newsletter!
P.S. For more information about Vita Che, the natural Roto Rooter for your arteries, visit this online nutrition store at http://699456.shopvitamark.com
