Posts Tagged ‘Omega 3 Oils’

Heart Disease Diet Plan-Why Fish Oil Is Great For Your Heart

Sunday, October 31st, 2010

Study after study has shown that a diet high in cold water fish like salmon and herring is good for the cardiovascular system. Rather than being full of saturated fats, cold-water fish are high in omega-3 fatty acids that have a dramatic effect on the heart and circulatory system. Cutting the risk for heart attacks and strokes may be as simple as adding fish or fish oil supplements to the diet. Along with these benefits come many more. Omega-3 oils reduce the likelihood of heart attacks by several actions.

A recent study shows that the risk for a heart attack is lowered by a full 65% when people have a high fish intake. Omega-3 fatty acids thin the blood, making it flow more easily and lessening the risk of dangerous clots. They also are anti-inflammatory, reducing the risk for artery damage and resulting atherosclerosis. Another benefit is the regulatory action they have on the heart itself. They are believed to stabilize electric currents that control the heart beat, decreasing the likelihood of arrhythmia and episodes of rapid heart rate.

Not only do omega-3s protect the heart, they provide many more health benefits as well. The anti-inflammatory properties of fish oil are believed to have a protective action that decreases cancer risk. Two recent studies have shown that women between the ages of 50 and 76 shows a 32% decrease in the rate of breast cancer in the group that took fish oil supplements. This study followed the dietary habits of these women for six years. Another showed that those who either ate cold-water fish or took fish oil supplements had half the rate of colon cancer as the group who didn’t.

Another benefit is to the skin. Both acne and psoriasis improve with the addition of omega-3 rich fish oil supplements. Dry skin becomes softer and smoother with increased omega-3 in the diet.

A recent study published in the Journal of the American medical Association studied heart patients and found that those with the highest levels of fish oil intake also had a lower marker for cell aging. This study found that telomeres, associated with the chromosomes, showed less shortening in those with the high omega-3 levels. Shortened and damaged telomeres are believed to lead to premature aging of the cell and possibly cancerous growth.

Slowing the aging of cells, fish oils can prevent many degenerative diseases that are blamed on early cell death and damage. Adding cold-water fish to the diet or taking fish oil supplements can help prevent damage and disease in the cardiovascular system, helping to prevent heart attacks and strokes. The great thing about natural foods and supplements when compared to many pharmaceuticals, is their multiple beneficial actions on many parts of the body. Any illness causes strain on the heart and cardiovascular system, so fish oil and all its health benefits result in a healthier heart and a healthier you.


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Heart Disease Treatments-How To Keep A Healthy Heart

Sunday, April 4th, 2010

The leading cause of death among North Americans continues to be cardiovascular disease. As lifestyle factors play such a major role in heart disease, it is important to understands some aspects of the disease and what you can do to prevent it.

The heart is a muscle in the body that like all muscles needs its own supply of blood in order to function. Working properly, it then pumps blood through the circulatory system, delivering oxygen and nutrients to the body and removing wastes such as carbon dioxide.

Coronary Artery Disease (CAD)

Heart disease begins in many when plaque begins to build up in the arteries. This causes the arteries to become narrow thereby restricting the blood flow through them. As the blood flow is reduced, the amount of oxygen delivered to the heart is reduced. This tends to create pains in the chest, called angina. Heart attacks result when the blood flow to the heart is totally blocked.

Diets low in fat, high in fiber coming mainly from fruit and vegetables help the body respond to CAD. Omega-3 oils found in foods like cold water fish and flax seeds are of benefit for a healthy heart, as they are felt to inhibit the blood from becoming ‘sticky’ thereby limiting the likelihood of clots forming and may slow down the process of plaque formation. In addition, regular exercise and stress reduction are also beneficial.

Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)

Congestive heart failure and related forms of heart failure affect over five million North Americans. It is a condition in which the heart cannot adequately supply the body’s other organs with blood. While a serious condition, the word failure does not mean that the heart stops beating.

As the pumping action of the heart is decreased, the blood does not move efficiently through the circulatory system and starts to back up, which then causes an increase of pressure in the blood vessels, and forces fluid from the vessels into body tissue. When the left side of the heart starts to fail, fluid tends to collect in the lungs, while when the right side starts to fail, fluid tends to collect in the feet and lower legs.

People with congestive heart failure tend to tire easily, have shortness of breath and can experience fluid retention and swelling. Diabetes, obesity and sleep apnea are commonly associated with CHF.

As with CAD a low fat, high fiber diet is recommended along with treatment for associated diseases. CoQ-10, a powerful antioxidant, has been clinically shown to be of benefit to CHF patients. Though exercise may be difficult for people with CHF, it would still be of benefit and therefore one should consult with their health professional to determine what the possibilities might be.

High Blood Pressure

As a leading cause of heart disease, high blood pressure, often called hypertension, is a condition in which too much pressure is being exerted on the walls of the arteries. Called ‘the silent killer’ high blood pressure can be present without a person experiencing any apparent symptoms.

In about 90% of high blood pressure cases an associated cause is not known. This is defined as primary hypertension. If it results from another disease or condition, it is called secondary hypertension and often returns to normal when the originating cause is treated.

There are some factors that though not causes, are often associated with high blood pressure such as: CAD as previously discussed, arteriosclerosis which is hardening of the arteries, imbalances in organs such as the kidneys, lungs and liver, obesity, lack of exercise, sodium (salt) sensitivity, alcohol consumption, and various pharmaceutical drugs. (Note this is not a comprehensive list.)

Once again a heart-healthy diet containing plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and fish, while low in saturated fats, salt and sugar is recommended for people with high blood pressure. As exercise helps lower blood pressure a regular exercise routine should become part of the daily routine.

Chickpeas, beans, soy products, proteins found in garlic, and other antioxidants such as bilberry help improve lipids in the blood and lower cholesterol. Avocados and nuts have been shown to boost your ‘good’ cholesterol.

Finally, a heart-healthy lifestyle will limit the amount of alcohol consumed as it has been shown to have an affect on cholesterol levels. It is recommended that women consume no more than one drink per day and men no more than two. Smoking has also been linked to heart disease, so the sooner a person can quit the better.

To Your Success,

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” Newletter!

P.S. Vita Che is the ultimate Roto Rooter for your arteries, visit http://699456.shopvitamark.com

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Heart Disease Treatments-Exercise Tips for Women

Monday, December 14th, 2009

In my previous posts, I talked about how being overweight and developing heart disease are related. Therefore, one of the heart disease treatments that work well is keeping yourself fit. How? By developing the right eating habits and exercising.

I recently had a reader post a question about exercise. She was mindfull that exercise was a good way to keep a healthy heart, but was concerned about becoming bulky.

It is interesting this question was posed, especially since I had recently read an article by Dr. Susan Lark regarding this very issue. De. Lark is one of the foremost authorities in the field’s of women’s health care, family practice, and complementary and alternative medicine.

Dr. Lark talked about how important it is for women, especially if they are menopausal, to do what they can to hold on to the muscle they have and gain back, if possible, the muscle lost. Her article was entitled “How to Build Postmenopausal Muscle Mass.” In it she gave 4 tips on how to do this. Following the principles are great heart disease prevention tips! Briefly, here they are:

1. Don’t go on a weight loss diet, even if you gained fat. Losing weight by drastically cutitng calories increases health risks because of the muscle loss. So inspite of your best intentions, it these diets make things worse.

2. DO go on a health-promoting diet. Replace processed and empty calorie foods, refined sugars, high fructose corn syrup and junk food with fresh, organic whole foods that are jam packed with nutrition. They should include fruits and vegetables, oats, qunoa, buckwheat, milliet, and chia; omega 3 oils, and salmon, tuna, and mackerel. This shifts your carbohydrates dominated diet to a more balanced and wholesomeone with proteins, fiber, and healthy fats, all foods your heart will love.

3. DO stregnth training in addition to cardio training. Dr. Lark said many women tell her that they find weightlifting boring, uncomfortable, and might make them bulky; the same concern a reader had. In fact, nothing can be further from the truth per Dr. Lark. The key is to work the muscles until they are fatigued and then allow them a day or two to heal between meals.

Some simple exercises for women to do are squats, lunges, leg lifts, ab work, shoulder presses, bicep curls, triceps work, etc. A good rule of thumb is 3 sets of 15 reps. Other exercise alternative are group sculpting classes such as Body Pump, Acquatic Resistance Training, using a Whole Body Vibration Device, etc. There are lots of choices and much material out there.

As someone who who has been exercising for years, I like to look at routines in magainzes such as Fitness and Shape for fresh ideas. There are also many books available on the market and women can also schedule an appointment with a personal trainer to help get them going with a routine that will work for them.

4. Do get physically active. Your heart will love you for it, you’ll have more energy, relieve stress, and feel great!

The article was lengthy. If anyone would like to read it in its entirely, contact me and I will send you a copy of it. My email address is mentormonqiue@gmail.com

So yes ladies, exercise is one of the most effective heart disease treatment and prevention strategies you can use. Take the time to do this everyday and your heart will thank you for it!

Monique Hawkins
540-858-2885
mentormonique@gmail.com
Remember to sign up for my “You Deserve To Have A Healthy Heart” Newletter!

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