Women and Heart Disease - Listen to Your Body

It started in the spring of 2005. More accurately, it probably started at least several years before that. A change in employment, reduced wages, long term care and the subsequent loss of my mother – in short, tons of stress. Couple this with bad eating habits, menopause, and less of the right kind of exercise you have a heart attack waiting to happen.

During that spring I noticed that I would easily get out of breath when climbing stairs. But, since I had put on almost 60 pounds since 1998, I figured that was the cause. I vowed, once again, to get serious about losing that weight. My doctor had expressed concern about this also on several occasions. Soon I started noticing a mild tightness in my chest that accompanied the shortness of breath, but only during extended periods of fast walking or while climbing stairs. At this point I contacted my doctor. His in office examination didn’t show anything conclusive, but in his words “at your age it probably wouldn’t hurt to have a stress test”. It seems that I hear that “at your age…” line more and more lately!

Oh well. His nurse scheduled the stress test for the following week. As it turned out I didn’t even make it to that Monday before I ended up in the ER. As that week progressed the pains were coming more frequently and going away more slowly. During the night on Friday they were the worst. I did not go to the hospital, but probably should have since I was having some pain in my left arm. I ended up spending most of Saturday in the hospital. Three EKG’s (electrocardiograms) and three sets of blood work later they finally determined that I had not had a heart attack, but my enzymes were elevated. Since I had the stress test scheduled for Monday morning they sent me home with a bottle of nitroglycerin and told me not to exert myself. The stress test did not go well. I was sent home with the same instructions as before and waited for the test results.

On Thursday morning I received the call. The cardiologist suspected at least one, if not two blockages. He could see me that afternoon and do the angiogram with a possible angioplasty the following morning. I could have made a dozen excuses for not following through that day, but in reality I knew that there was really only one decision to be made. Interestingly enough, as I sat in the hospital room waiting to go down for the procedure, Katie Couric was on the television doing a segment on what was now the number one killer of women – heart disease. Among the problems mentioned, in addition to the fact that women are the caregivers so they tend to not take the time to take care of themselves, is that heart disease in women presents itself in a very different manner than it does in men.

Oftentimes even if a woman does go to her doctor, or to the hospital complaining of chest pain she is sent home after being told that “it’s just gas”. Odds are, it’s not, and many of them die after being sent home. I did, in fact, have two blockages. One was at 60%, the other was 90%. A stent was inserted. I was back in my room in about 90 minutes. They didn’t even use general anesthesia, just valium. And while you have to lay flat until the blood clots properly, that isn’t really a big deal when you consider the alternatives. I spent the night in the hospital and went home the next morning.

After taking it easy over the weekend I was back at work on Monday morning. I did, however, take a slower pace that week. A recent article by Dr. Richard N. Fogoros found at About.com reiterates much of what had been reported in Katie Couric’s segment that May 13, 2005. That most women do not even realize that heart disease is the number one killer of women, that our symptoms do not present the same as men, and that since 1984 more women then men have died annually from heart disease.

Frequently it is not that crushing pain in your chest, but that tightness may be just as deadly. It is important to educate yourself as to what the symptoms may be. I will go one step further in saying that we, as a gender, have to start taking a more pro-active approach to our health. Not only do we have to take better care of ourselves and become more knowledgeable about our health issues, but also must be insistent with our health care providers that they follow through on our concerns. If you are having symptoms of a possible heart attack and feel that you are being put off, insist on a blood test that will include the markers for heart attack.

Are Middle Aged Men More Prone to Heart Disease?...post by irem bright

For years, heart disease has been associated most prominently with middle aged men. However, recent studies have put this myth to rest. Dr. Robert Beaglehole , WHO Director of Chronic Diseases and Health Promotion, states that "the old stereotype of cardiovascular diseases affecting only stressed, overweight, middle-aged men in developed countries no longer applies."

In fact the burden has shifted from gender to economics-- men, women, even children are at risk because 80% of those at risk come from low and middle-income families where healthy dietary and lifestyle habits are difficult to maintain. The emphasis in heart disease risk factors has shifted away from genetic disposition to lifestyle and diets. What this means is that no one is immune from heart disease because of gender and age. What it also means is that everyone has the ability to prevent heart disease by initiating active lifestyle changes.

At the bottom of this shift in attitude is a new understanding of the mechanism behind heart disease. Recent research suggests that atherosclerosis resulting from elevated cholesterol levels in the blood is not the major contributor to heart problems as once thought because half of the people who have heart attacks have normal cholesterol levels. Moreover, improved imaging techniques show that plague formation is not as critical in coronary fatalities as once assumed.

The culprit behind coronary events is now understood to be inflammation. Blood tests that measure C-reactive proteins (CPR) as prediction of heart attack are receiving a great deal of attention these days because elevated levels of this protein indicate active inflammation of the arteries. In fact, studies have shown that healthy middle-aged men with the highest CPR levels were 3 times as likely to suffer a heart attack in the next 6 years than those with the lowest CPR levels. Think of inflammation as a double-edged sword: it enables the body's immune system to defend itself against invading pathogens; if not turned off, it becomes the culprit that turns the body's immune system against itself.

The aftereffects of this unnatural chronic inflammation is more and more viewed by researchers to be the underlying cause not only of coronary problems, but of diseases like Alzheimer's, cancer and diabetes. What does this new shift in thinking mean in terms of prevention? a) Dr. Andrew Weil In "Healthy Aging" suggests that diet influences inflammation and strongly proposes that we adopt an anti-inflammatory diet that is rich in omega-3, fish, phytonutrients and low in sugar, high-glycemic carbohydrates and red meat. Such a diet would also reduce excess body fat and obesity-both contributing factors towards diabetes and heart disease. b) Moderate aerobic and strength-training exercises that tone the heart muscle and improve the elasticity of arteries are also recommended as exercise increases mood enhancing endorphins and reduces stress which can cause cardiac arrhythmias. c) Stop Smoking.

The risk of heart attack in smokers is more than double that of non-smokers. d) Lower blood pressure with breathwork. Dr. David Anderson at the US National Institute of Health suggests that how we breathe may hold the key to how the body regulates blood pressure. Slow breathing not only elicits relaxation response but may also be able to break down the salt we eat. Excess salt is related to hypertension. Meditation and guided imagery visualization are all tools that expand on the use of breathwork.

e) New FDA regulation that requires nutrition labeling to clearly state how much trans fat a product contains will also do much to raise public consciousness of the perils of trans fat. At the same time, public campaigns to identify foods that lower LDL cholesterol are also underway.

An example is the new cholesterol-lowering margarines that are fortified with plant sterols that block cholesterol absorption.

Heart disease is no longer the disease of overweight, highly stressed middle-aged men. All of us are empowered to view coronary problems as something we can change through lifestyle and dietary intervention. We can no longer hide behind the myth of "genetic" disposition or family history which unfortunately incapacitates us by indulging our excuse that we are victims of our physiology and that nothing can be done.

Heart Disease

You may be like a lot of us and have heart disease and not know it. There are millions of Americans that have heart disease and could take some helpful measures to prevent it from getting worse if they only knew they had a heart disease. After all if our heart fails, for whatever reason, we have a very serious problem. If this happens it's usually a life or death situation. Our heart has the most important function of pumping blood throughout our bodies, without which we cannot live.

Ensuring that one’s heart is in good condition and is functioning properly should be on our high priority list. However, sometimes one heart disease or the other creeps up on us. By being able to identify a heart disease symptom, that could potentially help to save someone’s life.

Heart Attack Symptoms A heart disease symptom that is associated with heart attacks may be easier to read than some other diseases but at the same time it can be quite confusing since some of the symptoms occur for reasons not associated with heart attacks or heart problems. If you are not sure of any one symptom, check with your doctor right away.

If someone is having a heart attack time is of the essence and is critical.

* Nausea, vomiting and/or general upper middle abdomen discomfort

* Sweating profusely * Heartburn and/or indigestion

* Arm pain – more commonly left arm but sometimes the right arm as well

* Upper back pain * Pain, fullness and/or squeezing sensation of the chest

* Jaw pain, toothache, headache

* Shortness of breath

* General feeling of being unwell One or more of these symptoms may occur at the same time depending on the person.

Each person is different and there are people where they have no symptoms whatsoever. Learning to recognize a heart disease symptom is not easy and often it may turn out to be a false alarm. However, never ignore any symptom that might be related to a heart attack. It’s better to be too careful than sorry.

Coronary Heart Disease Symptoms The symptoms associated with coronary heart disease are pronounced such as:

* Chest pain or angina – is the most common heart disease symptom related to Coronary Heart Disease however, the intensity of pain may vary from person to person

* Shortness of breath – this is a usual symptom of congestive heart failure; the heart is usually very weak at this point from lack of blood and oxygen and/or from a past heart attack Heart disease symptom recognizing is usually hard as many of these symptoms can be caused by many other different factors as well; this is probably one of the main causes why some people walk into emergency rooms, sometimes too late to be able to be helped.

If you are faced with any kind of doubt about a heart disease symptom that you may have, check with your doctor as soon as possible in order to avoid a disaster. Your health is the most important possession you can have.

Learn to listen to your heart and protect yourself from any heart disease by conducting regular check ups and exercising as much as possible. Be on the silent lookout for any heart disease symptom. By also eating healthy you can help avoid some of the complications caused by clogged arteries, too high blood sugar readings, too much fat on your body and other problems related to what you eat.

The media is starting to pay attention to some of the harmful things in food such as transfats and bad publicity is causing the food companies to remove it from many products.

The food you eat is something you can control, as opposed to age and heredity, so try to eat the good foods as much as possible.

PREVENTION OF HEART DISEASE-THE DIABETES-HEART DISEASE RELATIONSHIP

If you saw a tiger, you’d run for your life. But what if you didn’t see it? For those of you with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, heart disease is that unseen tiger. You’re two to four times more likely to develop a heart condition than people without diabetes? Even more shocking, those individuals are more likely to die from heart disease or other cardiovascular ills than from the complications of diabetes itself.

Yet surveys show that 68 percent of Americans with diabetes are unaware of their increased cardiovascular risk. If you have diabetes, now is the time to take steps to protect your heart. “High blood glucose alters cell metabolism,” says Richard Kahn, Ph.D., chief scientific and medical officer of the American Diabetes Association (ADA). When the function of platelet cells changes, the likelihood of blood clots increases and the risk of heart attack rises. Cells that line the artery walls are also affected; the ability of blood vessels to dilate is impaired, which can lead to high blood pressure.

One pivotal phenomenon underlying these changes is inflammation, already known to promote heart disease. Researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine in Charlottesville, for example, found high blood glucose linked to chronic inflammation in the blood vessel walls of mice. Prevention Works The first step to protecting your heart? Control your glucose. In the groundbreaking Diabetes Control and Complications Trial to determine the effects of glucose on complications, type 1 patients underwent intensive glucose control. A later study found these participants were 57 percent less likely to die from cardiovascular disease over the next 16 years.

Although the findings haven’t been confirmed in those with type 2, high blood glucose levels have been proven to increase the risk of heart disease in both kinds of diabetes. Says David Nathan, M.D., professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and co-chair of the type 1 study, “The major difference is that people with type 2 are generally older, heavier and more likely to have hypertension and abnormal cholesterol levels, all of which puts them at much higher risk for heart disease.”

For them, prevention is even more urgent. Keep your heart healthy by following the ABCs of diabetes prevention: Aim for A1C levels below 7 percent, blood pressure below 130/80 mm Hg and LDL cholesterol below 100 mg/dl. “Everyone with diabetes should know their numbers and goals, and get checked regularly,” says John Buse, M.D., lead author of the ADA and American Heart Association’s new joint statement on preventing cardiovascular diseases in people with diabetes. Start with a healthy lifestyle:

* Nutrition Eat less fatty red meat, cheese, butter, processed foods and fast food; instead, choose more beans, vegetables, fruits and whole grains, along with lean meats and poultry, seafood, low-fat dairy and nuts. If you’re overweight, cut some 250 to 500 calories a day until you’ve lost about 7 percent of your weight. “To do this right, ask your doctor to refer you to a registered dietitian,” Dr. Buse says.

* Exercise Each week, be sure to do a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity—swimming, biking, walking briskly. Exercise at least every other day. Even if your doctor prescribes medication, don’t give up on diet and exercise:

A healthy lifestyle not only has broad positive effects on blood glucose levels, blood pressure and cholesterol levels, says Dr. Buse, but also helps you fight depression, function at your best and maintain your energy. Sources: "Journal of the American College of Cardiology," November 20, 2002; "Journal of the American Medical Association," November 27, 2002, and January 21, 2004; "Arthritis and Rheumatism," 2005 supplement, Abstract 149; "New England Journal of Medicine," December 22, 2005.

If you have diabetes, you can stem your risk for heart disease by controlling your glucose levels and adopting a healthy lifestyle——and enjoy the years ahead in better health.

GOOD HEALTH FOR YOUR HEART-DRUGS ARE NOT ONLY THE OPTION

Sometimes events in your life lead you down one way streets that you can find very difficult to escape from.

Such is the case with my wife Jane. Some years ago, she was involved in a head on collision with a truck, caused by a hit-and-run driver, and spent months in hospital. Since then, her regular healthy hobbies, such as windsurfing, jogging, and long walks in the countryside have become a thing of the past. Finding it difficult to get involved in any exercise involving much use of her legs, and with osteoporosis brought about by the trauma of the accident, her weight increased, her diet changed, and she was forever having to pop pain-killers and other hormonal drugs.

So the inevitable happened. On a routine trip to her opticians, they noticed signs of high blood pressure, so off she had to go to the doctors, who, sure enough, diagnosed high blood pressure, and so put her on blood pressure pills.

In ten years then, she had gone from a drug-free environment, fit as a flea, to becoming a bit overweight, stymied in the exercises she could do, taking a number of hormone replacement drubs, and now had to take pills for high blood pressure... and in the mean time, she was facing a number of high stress situations in her everyday life due to a massive property scam she and I were fighting.

It was about then that we decide to take stock of our lives, and to make sure we prepared our bodies to be in the best state possible - after all, we both had many issues that were bringing about great stresses, which we knew, were totally bad for the health of our hearts. And the worst part was, Jane in particular, was propping up her body using conventional medicines.

OK, the first thing to realise is that a thin person in poor shape is a lot more susceptible to a more substantial person in good shape. (I am not saying my wife is fat by the way!) The second thing was to realise that, as people who have watched 'The Secret' will vouch for, is that the mind can have a great influencing effect on the health of the body, even making some conventional medicines redundant.

So we looked for ways in which Jane could get more exercise on a regular basis, which exercised her legs in a non-weight bearing manner. The personal trainers at our local Harpers gym were very good in that respect and the amount of swimming Jane did had a great effect on her overall fitness, but the biggest change came about by her determination ( use the Mind) to get off the conventional medicines, and get into more natural health remedies. Bearing in mind, exercise counts more toward a naturally healthy heart than diet (within reason), and that as well as contemplating 40 minute workouts on the gym 4 or 5 times a week, even doing the hoovering (Yes, I am a house husband), or having at least one or two sort brisk walk a day can be even more beneficial than your gym work.

The second attack was by looking at natural remedies from diets and natural health supplements, and we embarked in a regime of natural fruits and berries that actually helped to combat arthritis and high blood pressure. We will be discussing the success we have achieved in this manner in another article to be published shortly.

FDA LISTED NATURAL HEALTHY FOOD SUPPLEMENT: OPEN

Healthy Weight Loss Diet Plans – What Are The Key Ingredients? irem bright

Healthy weight loss diet plans have a different focus than many of the commercial programs. Too many of the commercial programs compete to show who can have customers losing the most weight in the fastest time. Healthy weight loss diet plans only aim to give participants a better quality of life.

These plans focus on turning you on to a healthy lifestyle. The goal is to teach you this new lifestyle beginning with the moment you start the diet. And you never really go off the diet; you will only adjust it to your new weight. You learn a new diet – or healthy way of eating – for life! One example of a "new" way of eating is a weight pyramid. At the base of the pyramid are the foods that you can eat without restriction.

These include all kinds of fruits and vegetables. There is such a variety of these foods that you should never want for a new choice. Next up on the weight pyramid are the carbohydrates and grains. Healthy weight loss diet plans will not leave these foods out. In fact, some good plans will allow 4-8 servings per day. An important detail is that the majority of these food choices are whole grains.

Oh, the exact number of servings depends on your current weight, height, and fitness level. Healthy weight loss diet plans also include at least 3 and up to 7 servings of protein and dairy. These include lean meats, chicken, and fish. Cold water fish is the best because it is full of Omega-3 oils which are healthy fats for your body. Even fats and sweets should be accounted for.

You might have a diet that allows you 3-5 servings of fat and 75 calories of sweets. Why? Because your body needs a small amount of fats. You won't stay on your diet for life if you know you can never eat sweets again. A good plan will also offer sample menus. These give you an idea of what is meant by the requirements of the plan. They make it clear how to put together a meal out of the many choices available.

You'll do better with healthy weight loss diet plans if you learn about correct portions. Check to make certain whatever plan you choose is clear on portion sizes. For example, a medium apple might be the size of a tennis ball. A 3-ounce piece of meat might be the size of a deck of cards. What's more, some plans even give instructions on how to figure servings on food you buy pre-packaged. Do you go by what the package says is a serving?

Or do you go by a certain number of calories or carbohydrate grams? Healthy diet plans will tell you. There's no quick fix for losing weight. You can't simply sit on the sofa and drop the weight you’ve been carrying. It takes effort to change behaviors you’ve spent a lifetime cultivating. However, healthy weight loss diet plans give you the tools and they make being in shape a life-long habit.

Easy Steps To Healthy Weight Loss..By Irem Bright

Calories are far more important then fats when it comes to affecting your weight, as long as you're eating healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats instead of saturated and trans fat. A good rule to follow is to keep the amount of saturated fat you eat per day less than 20 grams.

The human metabolism is to slow to be eating three big meals a day. In a perfect world six small meals a day is much healthier. Eating six meals a day will keep your metabolism active and also help keep your insulin levels stable.

PROTEIN!!! Protein supports, builds, and rebuilds muscle. The more muscle you have the faster your metabolism will be. (It takes fifty calories a day just to support one pound of muscle!). Lean meat, fish, and poultry are all very good sources of protein. Also it is important to spread your protein intake evenly throughout your day. By doing this you will enable your body to rebuild muscle all day long.

Controlling food portions. Low energy-density foods such as vegetables and fruits are less likely to be overeaten. Also they're full of nutrients such as vitamins and minerals which are critical to a healthy metabolism.
Don't cut any one food group. You should be consuming carbohydrates, protein, and fat at every meal.

Watch out drinks such as soda and fruit juices. They have tons of calories which can add up quickly. Plus they aren't even that

WATER!!! And lots of it! Water helps you stay hydrated which will allow for more intense activity. It also helps your body flush metabolic waste.

Eat your complex grains early in the day and then stick with the water rich carbohydrates such as fruit in the evening. This has to do with the way insulin is secreted into the bloodstream.

Sleep! 7-8 hours a night, More or less than that can have negative effects on your health.

Eat your meals slower; well chewed food is easier on your metabolism.

Eat some fish. Fish such as salmon is rich in Omega-3s, these Fatty Acids are essential. They'll keep your heart healthy, as well as the bad fat out. Fatty fish such as salmon, halibut and shellfish help reduce the size of fat cells which in turn helps out with fat loss.

Avoid hydrogenated fats (Trans fat), and High Fructose Corn Syrup. They send signals to the brain telling you that you are not full even when you've already eaten. Ever wonder why it's hard to drink 3 big glasses of water, but easy to down a 2 liter bottle of soda. It's the Syrup.
Exercise as frequent as recommended by your doctor, and keep honoring your medicla check up schedule as oultined by your doctor.

Fitness and Lifestyle After 30 with Diet, Exercise and Working pattern..By Vijay Varde, Irem Bright

Let's change our lifestyle and achieve fitness by modifying our diet,exercise and working pattern.
WHY?

As a Pathologist practicing in Mumbai,I am required to examine blood samples of various patients.During the last eight years of my clinical practice,there has been a definite increase in the number of new patients with diabetes,blood pressure,high cholesterol,obesity etc.It is all the more disturbing to know that these patients are in the age group of 30 to 40.On an average a person usually starts his career around the age of 25 years.

During the next 10 years of his/her career, he/she is subjected to high mental stress, long working hours,lack of physical exercise & wrong diet.As a result, by the age of 40 he/she is diagnosed with high blood pressure,diabetes or heart trouble and is advised a change in lifestyle;so why not start this change early at the age of 30 & prevent the damage.

The change in lifestyle should touch 3 main areas viz.Diet,Exercise and working pattern.
Diet
Meal timings: NO matter how busy we are, Let us keep the timings of our meals fixed.The ideal timings would be -- 7-8 am Breakfast,11 am snacks, 1-2 pm lunch, 4-5 pm snacks and 8-9 pm dinner.

Diet contents: Each meal should consist of complex carbohydrates (oats, whole wheat,brown bread,brown rice) Proteins(lean meat,fish,pulses,mushroom,Soya) Fruits & Vegetables.

Method of cooking: Let's prefer boiling,roasting,shallow frying to prepare our meals so that minimum oil is required.
Break the diet Pattern: Let's stick to this plan for 5-6 days a week.But it is also important to break the diet pattern & take some liberty on weekends so that we can come back strong next week.

Working pattern
Early career: In the early part of career,one tends to overwork in pursuit of his goals.However it is important to have realistic goals.After achieving the goals,one should also learn to enjoy the success.

Mid career: It is okay to set higher goals but this expansion should be slow and not tiring for the individual.

Late career: As one moves up the ladder,he should be able to believe his subordinates & deputize his duties to them, instead of trying to do everything himself.This way he can cut down his own working hours or at least regularize his working pattern.

At the end of the day one should hit the bed early (instead of watching television) because therein lies the beginning of a new day.
Exercise
If one retires early, it is not at all difficult to get up one hour earlier than one is used to. Exercise should be as compulsory to everyone as is brushing the teeth or shaving or taking a bath! The daily exercise should include warm up, cardio exercises,muscle training & breathing exercises.

Warm up: The aim is to loosen all the joints;so perform rotation movements of neck,shoulders,wrist,waist etc.

Cardio exercises: One can learn different cardio exercises viz.skipping,spot jogging ,brisk walking,cycling,tread mill,aerobics etc.These exercises can be done alternatively so as to have more fun.

Muscle training: Free hand exercises & Dumbells can be used to target specific muscle groups. Upper body - Shoulders, arms, forearms Lower body - Thighs (front,back & sides), Calves. Abdominal and Back muscles

Breathing exercises: These can help to cool down and reduce the mental stress.They can be learned from yoga (viz.Anulom-vilom,Kapalbhati,Shavasana etc.
So Let's start to change our lifestyles on the three fronts of diet, work and exercise.

HEALTHY KICKS- HEALTH INFORMATION VITAL FOR HEALTHY LIVING by Irem Bright,Yana

Dear Healthy You,

A healthy lifestyle is essential once we reach 40, a lesson that many of

us seem to be slow in learning. In 20’s and 30’s, we could get away with bad food

and lifestyle choices.

If we didn’t get eight hours of sleep at night, it wasn’t evident (at least not right away). If we ate or drank too much for a whole week, perhaps we added a pound or two, but not much more. And when decided to go on a diet, the pounds seemed to melt away. So I ask you, what the heck happened? At 40+, it seems that anything we do that is not appropriate to our age category takes an immediate toll. I’ve always had a weight issue -- I would eat, gain weight, diet, lose weight, and then repeat the cycle -- only now it seems worse than ever. I don’t think there’s a diet I haven’t heard of, tried or attempted.

Ironically, I’ve found that they all work as long as you count your calories. Take in fewer calories than you burn each day and you will loose weight. The challenge, of course, is keeping the weight off. Had I found the answer to that age-old problem I would have been the most celebrated woman on the planet. Let’s face it ladies, we live in a society that preaches that size 0 models are the most beautiful creatures on earth. We hear it, we live it, and worst of all, we teach it to our children. I remember preaching to my daughters to stop eating too much so they will not have my thighs, arms, or derriere.

Find What Works for You I have finally accepted the fact that as we age, we need to take care of our bodies in a more attentive way. Like it or not, every extra piece of bread we put in our mouths will end on our thighs, arms or somewhere in between. However, that doesn’t make it any easier to say no to that freshly buttered croissant and dive into a plate of raw carrots and broccoli instead. Recently, I came to the conclusion that although there are many ways to eat healthier and take better care of ourselves, the secret is finding out what works best for each individual. After trying countless diets and eating plans, I have discovered that Weight Watchers works best for me.

All I need to do is to make it a daily routine. For me, that means going to their meetings, having a workout buddy, and being held accountable for everything that goes into my mouth. What prompted this sudden revelation? Every year I gain 10 pounds during the holiday season, and every year I have to deal with the extra weight after the holidays.

This year, however, I managed to gain 10 pounds before the holidays even began, and it was downhill from there. Given that the pounds no longer come off as easily as they used to, the time had come to figure out what I need to do in order to stay healthy and vibrant for myself and my loved ones. Not long ago I scolded my dad to stop smoking and start taking care of himself. When he didn’t immediately oblige, I called him selfish. I laid on the “Jewish guilt” hard and thick because, after all, if he gets sick we children have to take care of him. If he chooses to get sick by being careless, that’s selfish and unfair.

So -- I am publicly announcing that from today forward I will be very conscious of what I eat and how much I exercise. If I don’t take care of myself now, my kids will have to take care of me, which I do not find appealing. I want to be a “cool” grandma, not an old and sick one. For this to happen, I need to have a plan and stick to it. If you’re a regular reader of my blog, you’re probably cringing just about now.

Natural Healthy FDA LISTED Food Supplements

ENJOYING HEALTHY HAPPY LONG LIFE By Irem Bright

Those who fail to take the time to be healthy will ultimately have to take the time to be sick." ~ Dr. James Chappell

So you want to enjoy a long, healthy, happy life or should I say, you want to be the “exception to the rule.” You should know from the start that the “odds” are stacked against you, but by accepting and tackling the challenge you will find it very worthwhile and rewarding, not to mention adding many years of happiness onto your lifespan. Talking of “lifespan”, lets pause for a moment and think about that.

Its key to differentiate between living a “long life” (lifespan) and living a “long HEALTHY life” (healthspan), which then can translate into the ideal situation where you can enjoy a “LONG, HEALTHY, HAPPY LIFE”. I know of many people, young and old who just exist from day to day with aches and pains, disease and suffering and with many bedridden for a number of years before they die prematurely from one of the modern lifestyle diseases like cancer or heart disease. One can hardly call that “living” or having had a great life.

Most people look forward to retiring after a long period of working and bringing up a family, with a vision of being able to relax, travel and enjoy a long, happy, healthy life with one’s family. The reality, unfortunately is very different for most people. This dream unfortunately, invariably has a perverse ending in this day and age. Virtually every one of us living a modern lifestyle will be diagnosed with a fatal chronic disease in our lifetime.

Most of us will land up having long term expensive drug treatment, causing misery, pain and suffering and eventually death without dignity. At least half of us will be diagnosed with cancer and will be treated by conventional medicine, resulting in a slow painful death after undergoing expensive poisonous chemotherapy, radiation or surgery. Those of us lucky enough to escape cancer will most probably succumb to heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s or some other chronic degenerative lifestyle disease. Supercentenarians However there are people, who in their early years, were never exposed to the current modern lifestyles, toxic pollution, fast foods, processed foods and pharmaceutical drugs, who have proved that you can “LIVE” a long, healthy and happy life.

The Gerontology Research web site (http://www.grg.org) have a validated worldwide list of living “Supercentenarians”. ( people who are 110 years old or older).

There are currently 69 women and 8 men on this list with 25 in the US, 24 in Japan, 26 from other countries and only 2 living in the UK. So from this you can get a true understanding of “longevity”, but the million dollar question is why do these people live so long ? Its all about “how we live” and “what we eat” which all boils down to “LIFESTYLE”. Take Control of Your Lifestyle and Your Healthcare The key challenge is to want to do this for yourself and your family.

The starting point is to take control of your lifestyle and your healthcare by becoming aware and informed and then to take the appropriate actions. Its hard to accept, but actually NOBODY out there is interested in you and your families healthcare or whether you live a “long, healthy and happy life” or not. As a matter of fact you will be very surprised to know that there is a whole industry that want just the opposite. I hear you say “But what about my GP, Gynie, Paede, Oncologist, Cardiologist, etc?, surely they are interested ?” They should be, but remember each of these people make a living from the “Disease Business” astutely managed and controlled by the Pharmaceutical Industry.

FDA Rec Healthy Natural Food Supplement: Open

DAILY HEALTH TIPS by Irem Bright.

An Arabian proverb says, he who has health has hope and he who has hope has it all. Contrary to the belief of many, living a healthy lifestyle is not complicated or time consuming. Living healthy life will reduce worries as well as money spent on health care insurance, health care lawyers, treating disorders like obesity, mesothelioma, diabetes, and hypertension. Living a healthy life starts with having free access to healthy quality health information, as being offered you here:

healthyliving,

keep visiting and you will be surely blessed.

Here are a few daily health tips to burn calories and stay fit while you work, play or even drive.

As you wake up sit up slowly.

Do not use your hands.

Straighten your legs and lean forward.

You then feel a gentle stretch in your back and hamstrings.

Hold; then using your abs, lower yourself flat.

Rest and repeat a couple of times.

This exercise strengthens the core. This is a daily health tip which you can practice as you make your morning cup of coffee or tea.

Stand sideways.

Put one hand on your kitchen counter.

Lift the outside leg straight out in front of you, keeping it extended.

With your upper body straight, hold for a few seconds and move it to the side.

Hold and extend it behind you.

Repeat 5 to 10 times with each legs.

This exercise tones up your outer thighs, hip flexors and quadriceps.

Use slim milk for your coffee and tea preparation.

Opt for whole grain preparations and cereals rather than instant food.

Have a protein heavy meal earlier in the day as you may eat less as the day progresses. Hard boiled egg is a good choice as it makes you feel full and you will not feel tempted to snack before lunch.

Every time you apply brake while driving, squeeze your derriere, holding it for 10 seconds. You will develop buns of steel.

Snack smart by grabbing an apple. It is packed with fiber and water. So the stomach will feel full and save you a few calories which you would otherwise gain by snacking on cookies.

Whenever you converse over the phone, stand up and pace around. Walk up to a colleague who is seated farthest from you and deliver the daily messages. Take the stairs whenever possible.

Carry some weight when you go on grocery shopping or running errands.

Sit in your chair with your back straight and your feet on the floor, squeeze knees together and gently bring them toward your chest. Do it a couple of times. It will strengthen your abdominals.

Start with a clear soup for lunch or dinner. You fill feel fuller and subsequently eat less. After dinner, while still sitting at the table, extend your leg out; slowly bend it up and down. Squeeze and hold in the up position for at least 5 seconds. Repeat with the other leg. It sculpts the quadriceps.

Finally, before you tuck in, lie on your back on the floor with your legs up on the edge of the bed or chair. Slowly bend your knees, lifting your hips off the floor. Hold for five seconds, relax and repeat for a few times. It firms up hamstrings and core. The above daily health tips will help you burn the calories throughout the day. You may not even realize it until you find yourself stronger, healthier, sharper, leaner, more energetic and feeling years younger in mind, body and spirit...

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HEALTH FITNESS TIPS by Irem Bright

It is a royal and highly esteemed dream of everybody living to be healthy, beautiful, fit, and spend lesser on pressing health issues like health insurance, personal injury lawyer, and medifast weight loss scheme. Especially when carefulness is being taken into consideration, one then, spends almost nothing on accident injury lawyer and accident victim claims. On careful look at our social life, issues like cosmetic surgery and plastic surgery becomes of importance, which we need to seek medical advice from qualified medical personnel.

The first fitness health tip is to believe that we are what we eat. Eat healthy and one will be healthy and beautiful. Healthy eating means eating three regular balanced meals-breakfasts, lunch and dinner daily and making sure that each meal is a combination of carbohydrate and protein foods. Meals should include cereals, pulses, milk or curd, eggs, chicken, fish, fruits and vegetables. There is a fitness health tip which may come as a pleasant surprise and that is- Adding sugar is not a crime. Three to four teaspoon of sugar a day is permitted if one is not diabetic.

Finally, the whole secret of fitness and weight control rests on how much oil is consumed daily and how much fatty foods are eaten in a day. The normal requirement is 2-3 or 3-4 teaspoons oil per person per day. One may indulge in richer food twice in a week. Another fitness health tip is that the major reason for an overweight and unhealthy body is a change in lifestyle.

Today we don't walk anywhere, and hop into and out of cars. We also spend a lot of time sitting in front of television and computer. This is one reason why people in their 20's and 30's suffer from hypertension, heart diseases and diabetes. Everybody from six years and above must ensure that a regular exercise session is fixed in the daily routine. A 20-30 minutes walk must be taught and practiced as regularly as brushing the teeth and bathing.

It is also important to avoid too many soft drinks and packed juices which most of us prefer and stock in our refrigerator. It not only increases our body weight but also harms our teeth and skin. Rather we should resolve to drink plenty of water. In continuation of healthy tips discussion… you can see, there is no shorter cut to achieving healthy, beautiful and fit body. It is highly important to keep a watch on what we eat. Keep the diet well balanced, regular and complete with salad and fruits. Make sure that one is active throughout the day and follow a regular fitness program that is in harmony with the person’s age, body and health.

Following these tips, you see how less you will spend on health issues such as health insurance, personal injury lawyer, medifast weight loss scheme, accident injury lawyer settlement, accident victim claims, plastic surgery and cosmetic surgery.

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