Perfect Health Tips » Heart Disease Prevention

Keeping cholesterol in check: five foods to improve your numbers

admin — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 11:00:06 +0000

There are so many different factors that we hear about when we talk about our overall health. Weight is always a big factor. And then of course there is your blood pressure to consider. What about cholesterol? Everyone talks a lot about it and how it is definitely not a good thing if it is high, so what do you do if you go to the doctor and he or she informs you that your cholesterol is too high? There is no magic wand to fix it, no magic wand that will improve it overnight. The trick is in what you eat. And sometimes, in today’s world of fast paced, fast food eating, eating right can be more difficult than it sounds.

The good news is that there are five foods that are known to lower your cholesterol! Hooray. Sounds simple. All you need to do is incorporate these foods in your diet, eat healthy, and your cholesterol will start to drop.

1. Oatmeal and oat bran.
2. Walnuts and almonds
3. Fish and omega-3 fatty acids
4. Olive Oil
5. Foods fortified with plant sterols or stanols (margarines, orange juice, yogurt drinks, etc.)

Start with a breakfast of oatmeal and orange juice and you’ll be on the right track. Maybe sprinkle some walnuts in your oatmeal for texture! Good luck.

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Ten tips for a healthy heart

admin — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 11:00:01 +0000

Do you have a top ten list? What is it? There are a lot out there, especially with the popularity of David Letterman and his late night talk show where he gives his own unique top ten lists every night. And while his lists are often light-hearted, funny, and sometimes irrelevant, here’s a list worth paying attention to. It’s the “Top Ten Tips for a Healthy Heart.” So here it goes.

1. Stop Smoking. Apparently this is the most important thing you can do to help your heart and at the same time live longer.
2. Stop eating so much salt. Salt increases your blood pressure, which increases the risk of developing heart disease.
3. Watch your diet. You might be nodding your head, thinking this one’s a no brainer. Just do not forget about it.
4. Monitor your alcohol. Too much of it will damage the heart muscle and can also increase blood pressure.
5. Watch your weight.
6. Exercise. Your heart muscle needs to stay fit so it can pump effectively.
7. Check your blood pressure and cholesterol regularly.
8. Manage your stress.
9. Check your family history. You are more at risk if there has been a problem in the family.
10. Recognize early warning signs. These signs include tightness or discomfort in chest, neck, arm, or stomach.

Keep this list with you and follow each one and your heart will be healthier.

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Prevent the Risk of Heart Attack by Eating Right

admin — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 23:58:22 +0000

It is estimated that more than 80 millions are suffering from some type of cardiovascular problem alone in America. The first step to prevent from heart disease is exercising regularly and losing some of your weight. It has been depicted through recent researches that slight changes in diet reduce the risk of developing any heart related problem.
Luckily by executing the following dietary changes, any one can significantly reduce the risk of any heart related complication.
Garlic
Garlic has a compound termed S-allyl-L-cysteine (SAC). This compound is considered to safeguard the individual from heart disease. Garlic has been found to be the food that lessens the risks of death from heart attacks and strokes. It also lowers down total cholesterol level, increases HDL level (good cholesterol)

Ginger
It is an herb widely used in cooking and is found to provide protection from different kinds of cardiovascular problems. It also helps in lowering down the cholesterol levels. Furthermore it is helpful in preventing clumps of blood platelets.

Fish Oil
Fish oil contains an essential fatty acid, termed Omega 3. This fatty acid provides protection from cardiovascular problems.

Amino Acids
There are different amino acids that play a significant role for the better health of heart. An example of this is L-argine; it enhances the blood circulation and recovers endothelial activity.

Vitamins
Some vitamins also assist to prevent drastic damage to heart tissue. This damage may most likely occur during heart stroke or attack. An example of such vitamin is vitamin E; it is an antioxidant and is proved to be effective to safeguard heart tissues.

Grape seed extract
An important constituent of grape seed extract is Polyphenols. It is an antioxidant it also ensures proper functioning of blood vessels. A study showed the ratio of heart related problems was lower in France, though there was not an apparent difference in the diet. On further closer research it was concluded that most of the French drink wine with their each meal. The wines contain polyphenols.

Ginko Biloba
It is an herb and has cardio protective properties. Research was conducted at the Milan University in which animals were studied for the effect of ginko. There was a significant increase in the antioxidant levels in the blood by using Ginko.

Soluble fiber
Taking a diet rich in soluble fiber helps in reducing the risk of heart attack. It absorbs cholesterol from the blood, which is then extracted from the body. The examples of fiber rich foods are apples, grapefruit, blackberries, oranges and different types of beans.

Minerals
Many minerals are specifically favorable for the normal heart functioning. Some examples of such mineral are magnesium, copper, calcium, selenium, zinc and chromium.

Coenzyme Q10
It is a radical scavenger. It assists the burning of fats, which lowers down the level of fat in the blood; this in turn minimizes the risk of heart attack.
Certainly nobody can give you a guarantee. Still an estimate says that healthy diet can reduce the heart related problems by 80%.

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