If you are planning for your winter vacation trip, please do remember to include a few more pieces of clothing in your things-to-bring list. Dressing appropriately and adequately should be your most important consideration when going on a holiday.
Harsh temperatures and climates can be deadly, especially to your heart.
1. In cold climates, your blood vessels constrict in order preserve heat in your body. This causes your heart to work harder so as to squeeze blood through the narrow vessels, leading to an increase in blood pressure. Although typically the increase in blood pressure is published to be between 12 to 18mm Hg, which is not a significant increase for a healthy person, it may be a deciding factor for someone who is already suffering from high blood pressure.
2. Symptoms of angina could also develop as a result of lack of oxygen supply. As the narrow vessels restrict the blood supply, the amount of oxygen transported may be inadequate. Angina is defined as an uncomfortable feeling or pain in the chest.
3. Blood composition may also change due to low temperatures. The amount of particles in the blood, such as platelets, red blood cells, fibrinogen and cholesterol increases in cold temperatures and make the blood become thicker. This decrease in blood viscosity increases the risk of blood clotting and may lead to blocked vessels in the heart, brain or lungs.
While there is no doubt that avoiding the cold is the best form of prevention, it is not always the most practical option. Life still has to go on and work still has to be done during cold weather. Just remember to don a thick sweater and jersey when heading out during winter.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
Recipe - Muffins for a Healthy Heart
Somehow, during Christmas, New Year and all the festive seasons, baking keeps coming to mind. Here is a nice recipe for delicious muffins, but good for the heart.
This recipe makes 24 muffins
Ingredients
3/4 cup unbleached flour
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup oat bran
3/4 cup flax seed meal
1 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 cups carrots, shredded
2 apples, peeled & shredded
1/2 cup raisins (optional)
1 cup nuts, chopped
3/4 cup soymilk
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla \
Directions
1 Mix together flour, flaxseed meal, oat bran, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt (if desired), and cinnamon into a large bowl.
2 Stir in carrots, apples, raisins (if desired), and nuts.
3 Combine milk, beaten eggs, and vanilla.
4 Pour liquid ingredients into dry ingredients.
5 Stir until ingredients are moistened.
6 Do Not over mix.
7 Fill muffin cups 3/4 full.
8 Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
This recipe makes 24 muffins
Ingredients
3/4 cup unbleached flour
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup oat bran
3/4 cup flax seed meal
1 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 cups carrots, shredded
2 apples, peeled & shredded
1/2 cup raisins (optional)
1 cup nuts, chopped
3/4 cup soymilk
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla \
Directions
1 Mix together flour, flaxseed meal, oat bran, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt (if desired), and cinnamon into a large bowl.
2 Stir in carrots, apples, raisins (if desired), and nuts.
3 Combine milk, beaten eggs, and vanilla.
4 Pour liquid ingredients into dry ingredients.
5 Stir until ingredients are moistened.
6 Do Not over mix.
7 Fill muffin cups 3/4 full.
8 Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Cardio Health: Drink to your Heart’s Content
Here is an interesting health tip. Drink. Yes, drinking! And I mean alcohol.
Well, do not be surprised. Although very often we hear that consuming alcohol is bad for our health, studies have shown that drinking moderately can actually help to protect our heart from diseases and breakdowns.
Here’s how moderate drinking helps:
1. Moderate alcohol intake improves fat balance in the blood and improves anti-clotting factors in our bodies. Alcohol also has a mild anti-coagulating effect, keeping platelets from clumping together to form clots.
2. Alcohol increases the levels of high-density lipoprotein, also known as good cholesterol, protects against the formation of plaques on blood vessel walls.
3. Drinking alcohol moderately also helps to regulate the level of insulin in the body.
Typically, a woman's body metabolizes alcohol differently so that 1 alcoholic beverage in a woman is equal to 2 in a man. Also, the older you are, the less efficiently the body metabolizes alcohol. However, it has to be noted that the level of moderate drinking varies from one individual to another. Although defined as less than four ounce equivalents per day, moderate drinking for one may be excessive drinking (or even crossing the legally drunk limit) for another. So, the next time, before you finish that last few cans in your fridge, do remember your threshold for alcohol. You wouldn’t want to suffer that horrendous hangover the next morning, do you?
Well, do not be surprised. Although very often we hear that consuming alcohol is bad for our health, studies have shown that drinking moderately can actually help to protect our heart from diseases and breakdowns.
Here’s how moderate drinking helps:
1. Moderate alcohol intake improves fat balance in the blood and improves anti-clotting factors in our bodies. Alcohol also has a mild anti-coagulating effect, keeping platelets from clumping together to form clots.
2. Alcohol increases the levels of high-density lipoprotein, also known as good cholesterol, protects against the formation of plaques on blood vessel walls.
3. Drinking alcohol moderately also helps to regulate the level of insulin in the body.
Typically, a woman's body metabolizes alcohol differently so that 1 alcoholic beverage in a woman is equal to 2 in a man. Also, the older you are, the less efficiently the body metabolizes alcohol. However, it has to be noted that the level of moderate drinking varies from one individual to another. Although defined as less than four ounce equivalents per day, moderate drinking for one may be excessive drinking (or even crossing the legally drunk limit) for another. So, the next time, before you finish that last few cans in your fridge, do remember your threshold for alcohol. You wouldn’t want to suffer that horrendous hangover the next morning, do you?
Monday, January 18, 2010
10 Simple Health Practices: 9. Drinking Sufficient Amount Of Water
Water is the essence of life. Our body is made up of 75% water. A 5% drop in body fluids actually cause roughly up to 30% energy loss in an average adult. A more severe dehydration of up to 15% drop in body fluid can be life-threatening. Therefore drinking sufficient amount of water on a regular basis is vital to good health. Drinking up to 2 litres of water daily is a good amount.
Here are a 4 ways on how you can drink 2 litres of water on a daily basis:
1. Always Carry A Water Bottle
A water bottle typically can contain 500-750 ml of water. All it takes is less than 3 minutes to get your water bottle ready. Remember to always wash your bottle after a day of usage. You must be careful not to fill very hot water into your bottle as it may deform your bottle and also may contaminate the water. This is because some plastics might melt when you pour very hot water.
2. Always Have 2 Cups of Water By Your Bed
When you wake up in the morning, you will probably feel thirsty. However most of us do not attempt to quench the thirst because usually we will be rushing to work in the morning. This is where having 2 cups of water by your bed makes it convenient and acts as a reminder to drink up when you wake up. In addition, research has shown that our water absorption rate is at a peak when we wake up because the body has been rested and has not been filled with water during our slumber hours.
3. Opt For Water Instead Of Coffee
Coffee is highly diuretic. What this means is that coffee will increase our rate of water excretion, which is not favourable. I can understand that we often take coffee as a form of beverage to keep ourselves awake and alert during work. However, substituting coffee with water is even better as it replenishes our natural energy. It also may make us visit the toilet more often for relief which will surely wake us up. Not to mention that regular trips to the toilet make us less sedentary which is good for our health and that drinking coffee is harmful to our health in the long run.
4. Opt For Fruit Juice Instead of Soft Drinks
During meals, we often order soft drinks. As carbonated drinks with high sugar content, soft drinks are not healthy drinks. In fact soft drinks are also highly diuretic and actually make us thirstier afterwards. Fruits by nature are high in water content. Thus getting an apple juice or your favourite orange juice, especially those freshly squeezed ones, makes so much more health sense. Of course you can have water as your drink for your meal. However always drinking water can be boring and thus difficult to maintain. Besides fruit juices are a great alternative to water, given that fruits are healthy foods and that they provide a savoury taste which does not cost much.
Having a sufficient amount of water intake daily will provide us with a wide range of benefits from good skin complexion to more energy. So be sure to drink at least 2 litres of water daily!
Here are a 4 ways on how you can drink 2 litres of water on a daily basis:
1. Always Carry A Water Bottle
A water bottle typically can contain 500-750 ml of water. All it takes is less than 3 minutes to get your water bottle ready. Remember to always wash your bottle after a day of usage. You must be careful not to fill very hot water into your bottle as it may deform your bottle and also may contaminate the water. This is because some plastics might melt when you pour very hot water.
2. Always Have 2 Cups of Water By Your Bed
When you wake up in the morning, you will probably feel thirsty. However most of us do not attempt to quench the thirst because usually we will be rushing to work in the morning. This is where having 2 cups of water by your bed makes it convenient and acts as a reminder to drink up when you wake up. In addition, research has shown that our water absorption rate is at a peak when we wake up because the body has been rested and has not been filled with water during our slumber hours.
3. Opt For Water Instead Of Coffee
Coffee is highly diuretic. What this means is that coffee will increase our rate of water excretion, which is not favourable. I can understand that we often take coffee as a form of beverage to keep ourselves awake and alert during work. However, substituting coffee with water is even better as it replenishes our natural energy. It also may make us visit the toilet more often for relief which will surely wake us up. Not to mention that regular trips to the toilet make us less sedentary which is good for our health and that drinking coffee is harmful to our health in the long run.
4. Opt For Fruit Juice Instead of Soft Drinks
During meals, we often order soft drinks. As carbonated drinks with high sugar content, soft drinks are not healthy drinks. In fact soft drinks are also highly diuretic and actually make us thirstier afterwards. Fruits by nature are high in water content. Thus getting an apple juice or your favourite orange juice, especially those freshly squeezed ones, makes so much more health sense. Of course you can have water as your drink for your meal. However always drinking water can be boring and thus difficult to maintain. Besides fruit juices are a great alternative to water, given that fruits are healthy foods and that they provide a savoury taste which does not cost much.
Having a sufficient amount of water intake daily will provide us with a wide range of benefits from good skin complexion to more energy. So be sure to drink at least 2 litres of water daily!
Thursday, January 14, 2010
10 Simple Health Practices: 8. Take Good Care of Your Fingernails
Merry Christmas everyone! Enjoy yourself tomorrow! Here is something you can do after all your wild parties, take care of your nails.
This is one area of our body that most people, especially the men, tend to neglect and take for granted. However, just like the way you dress and the disposition you portray, fingernails also tell a lot about one’s personality. Clean and trimmed fingernails give others the impression that the particular individual is someone who is neat and meticulous, always paying attention to the smallest details. On the other hand, having dirty and jagged fingernails tends to put others off. Just like asking for a cup of coffee from an air steward or stewardess on the plane, have you seen them with dirty fingernails? Well, you don’t, do you? Here’s how to keep your fingernails looking their best:
1. Never bite your fingernails
Never ever bite your fingernails. Kick this bad habit if you are guilty of it. Biting your fingernails may damage the nail bed and invite unnecessary and harmful bacteria into your body. Moreover, biting fingernails is an awful act and it hurts your beautiful image.
2. Never use your fingernails to poke or pry things
To prevent damaging your fingernails, never expose your fingernails to potential harm. Poking and prying can cause damage to your nail beds as well.
3. Protect your nails from harsh chemicals
When washing the dishes, it is best to wear gloves to protect your fingernails from the washing chemicals.
4. Trim and clean your fingernails regularly
Always make an effort to trim and clean under the fingernails regularly. After trimming, it is good to use an emery board to smooth the nail edges for an enhanced look.
5. Moisturise your fingernails frequently
When applying moisturiser to your hands, rub some lotion into your fingernails as well. Just like your skin, fingernails need moisture too. For ladies, always remember to apply moisturising lotion to your fingernails after removing nail polish.
6. Do not use nail polish remover more than twice a month (for ladies)
Try touching up the nail polish instead of removing it. However, if you really have to, avoid using those nail polish removers that use acetone, which dries up fingernails.
Now, you might not need to spend more money on a manicure.
This is one area of our body that most people, especially the men, tend to neglect and take for granted. However, just like the way you dress and the disposition you portray, fingernails also tell a lot about one’s personality. Clean and trimmed fingernails give others the impression that the particular individual is someone who is neat and meticulous, always paying attention to the smallest details. On the other hand, having dirty and jagged fingernails tends to put others off. Just like asking for a cup of coffee from an air steward or stewardess on the plane, have you seen them with dirty fingernails? Well, you don’t, do you? Here’s how to keep your fingernails looking their best:
1. Never bite your fingernails
Never ever bite your fingernails. Kick this bad habit if you are guilty of it. Biting your fingernails may damage the nail bed and invite unnecessary and harmful bacteria into your body. Moreover, biting fingernails is an awful act and it hurts your beautiful image.
2. Never use your fingernails to poke or pry things
To prevent damaging your fingernails, never expose your fingernails to potential harm. Poking and prying can cause damage to your nail beds as well.
3. Protect your nails from harsh chemicals
When washing the dishes, it is best to wear gloves to protect your fingernails from the washing chemicals.
4. Trim and clean your fingernails regularly
Always make an effort to trim and clean under the fingernails regularly. After trimming, it is good to use an emery board to smooth the nail edges for an enhanced look.
5. Moisturise your fingernails frequently
When applying moisturiser to your hands, rub some lotion into your fingernails as well. Just like your skin, fingernails need moisture too. For ladies, always remember to apply moisturising lotion to your fingernails after removing nail polish.
6. Do not use nail polish remover more than twice a month (for ladies)
Try touching up the nail polish instead of removing it. However, if you really have to, avoid using those nail polish removers that use acetone, which dries up fingernails.
Now, you might not need to spend more money on a manicure.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Cardio Health: 7 Easy Ways to Keep Your Heart Healthy
1. Exercise regularly. A regular workout is good for your heart as well as your waistline. The best exercises are aerobic exercises. Aerobic exercises will push your heart to work harder, thereby pumping more oxygen via the flow of blood. Thus by pumping your heart aerobically, it becomes fitter and stronger. The right level for good heart health should be somewhere between your resting heart rate and your maximum heart rate. A good rule of thumb is that if you can converse as you exercise, you are not overdoing it.
2. Eat colorful, low-fat meals. Adding color to your meals will give you a lot of nutrition to help you maintain good heart health. As you concentrate on vegetable produce as a key element in your diet, remember that these foods should not be drowned in heavy fats. Accompany them with fish or lean chicken for a low-fat meal.
3. Get good sleep. Getting sufficient quality sleep is vital for a strong heart. A strong correlation seems to exist between a lack of sleep and developing certain heart conditions. It appears that 7 to 8 hours is about right, while 5 or less can be harmful. Even sleeping too much may be a heart risk. Do yourself a favor and get just the right amount of sleep.
4. Reduce your stress. Stress not only creates problems within your body, such as dangerously elevated levels of certain hormones; it may also contribute to how you manage your other risks. When you are under stress, you are not so focused on what you eat, how you exercise, and other habits you might have. You can improve your health by learning to meditate, pray, or just plain relax.
5. Take fish oil supplements. Omega-3 fish oil supplements have been shown to help with certain aspects of heart health. If your triglycerides are high, it can be a precursor to heart problems if not treated. Omega-3 fish oil supplements can lower those triglycerides significantly or keep them at a healthy level. Omega-3 has also been shown to help by reducing arrhythmias and decreasing plaque in the circulatory system. [Note: MyHealthyLifestyle has a product called Cardio Protec that has multiple action against triglycerides and cholesterol.]
6. Try garlic. You may or may not decide to use them as a part of your daily regimen. The evidence on whether garlic helps your heart is mixed. It seems to lower blood cholesterol somewhat, and may lower blood pressure. It can be helpful, and many people have seen good results from using it. With the proper recipe, garlic can create some really nice culinary experiences.
7. You can get a supplement containing plant sterols. Plant sterols are well known for their ability to maintain low cholesterol levels. They work by imitating cholesterol and preventing its absorption into the body. They can be found added to certain foods or in capsule form as supplements.
2. Eat colorful, low-fat meals. Adding color to your meals will give you a lot of nutrition to help you maintain good heart health. As you concentrate on vegetable produce as a key element in your diet, remember that these foods should not be drowned in heavy fats. Accompany them with fish or lean chicken for a low-fat meal.
3. Get good sleep. Getting sufficient quality sleep is vital for a strong heart. A strong correlation seems to exist between a lack of sleep and developing certain heart conditions. It appears that 7 to 8 hours is about right, while 5 or less can be harmful. Even sleeping too much may be a heart risk. Do yourself a favor and get just the right amount of sleep.
4. Reduce your stress. Stress not only creates problems within your body, such as dangerously elevated levels of certain hormones; it may also contribute to how you manage your other risks. When you are under stress, you are not so focused on what you eat, how you exercise, and other habits you might have. You can improve your health by learning to meditate, pray, or just plain relax.
5. Take fish oil supplements. Omega-3 fish oil supplements have been shown to help with certain aspects of heart health. If your triglycerides are high, it can be a precursor to heart problems if not treated. Omega-3 fish oil supplements can lower those triglycerides significantly or keep them at a healthy level. Omega-3 has also been shown to help by reducing arrhythmias and decreasing plaque in the circulatory system. [Note: MyHealthyLifestyle has a product called Cardio Protec that has multiple action against triglycerides and cholesterol.]
6. Try garlic. You may or may not decide to use them as a part of your daily regimen. The evidence on whether garlic helps your heart is mixed. It seems to lower blood cholesterol somewhat, and may lower blood pressure. It can be helpful, and many people have seen good results from using it. With the proper recipe, garlic can create some really nice culinary experiences.
7. You can get a supplement containing plant sterols. Plant sterols are well known for their ability to maintain low cholesterol levels. They work by imitating cholesterol and preventing its absorption into the body. They can be found added to certain foods or in capsule form as supplements.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Cardio Health: Combating Diabetes
Most diabetics die from heart disease. If you are insulin insensitive type II diabetic, that means your body produces sufficient insulin, but the cells at the receptor sites do not respond because the receptor sites are clogged up by fat and cholesterol, becoming insensitive to insulin.
The damaged receptor sites cause the fluctuations in blood sugar, that leads to inner arterial wall damage. The major cause of insulin insensitive type II diabetes is uncontrolled diet with high intake of saturated fats. If you don't change your diet, the continual build up of high levels of cholesterol in arteries and receptor sites will make them even more difficult for blood to pass through, causing severe cases of diabetes, leading to higher blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. These are the risk factors and you must take steps to protect your heart.
Here are 3 tips that are recommended for you to protect your heart if you are a diabetic:
1. Control your cholesterol:
Even if your cholesterol falls within the healthy range, as a diabetic you still have to be conscious of your cholesterol level. Exercise and a healthy diet featuring plenty of vegetables, fruits, and whole grain; and cut back on meat and saturated fat would help you to get your cholesterol in line.
2. Reduce the Pressure:
Your risk of high blood pressure doubles as a diabetic and high blood pressure causes up to 75% of all heart disease in diabetics. But to get your blood pressure in the range of 135/85, you must have a proper diet---low in red meat, saturated fat and high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
3. Give up smoking and alcohol:
The easy way to lower your risk of cardiovascular disease is to quit smoking and cut down on drinking. This is something many of us hear all the time, and it is true.
As a diabetic, your risk of getting heart diseases is roughly 4 times higher. Please do take good care of your heart and cut down on sugars, it will do you good!
The damaged receptor sites cause the fluctuations in blood sugar, that leads to inner arterial wall damage. The major cause of insulin insensitive type II diabetes is uncontrolled diet with high intake of saturated fats. If you don't change your diet, the continual build up of high levels of cholesterol in arteries and receptor sites will make them even more difficult for blood to pass through, causing severe cases of diabetes, leading to higher blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. These are the risk factors and you must take steps to protect your heart.
Here are 3 tips that are recommended for you to protect your heart if you are a diabetic:
1. Control your cholesterol:
Even if your cholesterol falls within the healthy range, as a diabetic you still have to be conscious of your cholesterol level. Exercise and a healthy diet featuring plenty of vegetables, fruits, and whole grain; and cut back on meat and saturated fat would help you to get your cholesterol in line.
2. Reduce the Pressure:
Your risk of high blood pressure doubles as a diabetic and high blood pressure causes up to 75% of all heart disease in diabetics. But to get your blood pressure in the range of 135/85, you must have a proper diet---low in red meat, saturated fat and high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
3. Give up smoking and alcohol:
The easy way to lower your risk of cardiovascular disease is to quit smoking and cut down on drinking. This is something many of us hear all the time, and it is true.
As a diabetic, your risk of getting heart diseases is roughly 4 times higher. Please do take good care of your heart and cut down on sugars, it will do you good!
Monday, January 4, 2010
Cardio Health: Eating Healthily
It is commonly said that you are what you eat. This statement applies especially towards keeping our hearts healthy. You can cut your risk of heart disease by increasing your intake of fruits and vegetables.
The Journal of Nutrition reported in the October issue that each vegetable or fruit serving that is added to your daily diet can cut your risk of heart disease by as much as 7%.
To achieve the maximum benefits from vegetables and fruits as part of a healthy eating plan - follow these simple guidelines:
1) Vary the types of fruits you eat. It does not matter if the fruits are fresh, frozen, canned, or dried. An individual who consumes 2,000 calories a day should aim to eat approximately 2 cups of fruit a day. That is roughly 3-4 servings of fruits daily.
2) Eat a variety of vegetables. Think color when choosing vegetables, dark greens, and orange vegetables have the most nutrients. Try a variety of dark green vegetables, carrots, and other vegetables. The darker coloured vegetables tend to have more nutritional value.
3) Drink 3 cups of low fat or fat free milk per day. You can substitute with low fat yogurt or low fat cheese (1½ ounces of cheese equals 1 cup of milk).
4) Choose high Fiber multigrain breads rather than white breads. Eat at least 3 ounces of whole-grain cereals, breads, crackers, rice, or pasta every day. One ounce is about 1 slice of bread, 1 cup of breakfast cereal, or ½ cup of cooked rice or pasta.
5) Protein is important to your overall health. Protein builds muscle. More muscle content increases your metabolism. Aim for one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. Choose lean meats and poultry. Bake it, broil or grill it.
6) Drink 6-8 glasses of water per day to keep the body hydrated
7) Reduce sodium, fats and trans fats in your diet. Read the Nutrition Facts label on foods. Choose and prepare foods and beverages with little salt or added sugar.
Always take care with what you eat and your heart will love you more than ever.
The Journal of Nutrition reported in the October issue that each vegetable or fruit serving that is added to your daily diet can cut your risk of heart disease by as much as 7%.
To achieve the maximum benefits from vegetables and fruits as part of a healthy eating plan - follow these simple guidelines:
1) Vary the types of fruits you eat. It does not matter if the fruits are fresh, frozen, canned, or dried. An individual who consumes 2,000 calories a day should aim to eat approximately 2 cups of fruit a day. That is roughly 3-4 servings of fruits daily.
2) Eat a variety of vegetables. Think color when choosing vegetables, dark greens, and orange vegetables have the most nutrients. Try a variety of dark green vegetables, carrots, and other vegetables. The darker coloured vegetables tend to have more nutritional value.
3) Drink 3 cups of low fat or fat free milk per day. You can substitute with low fat yogurt or low fat cheese (1½ ounces of cheese equals 1 cup of milk).
4) Choose high Fiber multigrain breads rather than white breads. Eat at least 3 ounces of whole-grain cereals, breads, crackers, rice, or pasta every day. One ounce is about 1 slice of bread, 1 cup of breakfast cereal, or ½ cup of cooked rice or pasta.
5) Protein is important to your overall health. Protein builds muscle. More muscle content increases your metabolism. Aim for one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. Choose lean meats and poultry. Bake it, broil or grill it.
6) Drink 6-8 glasses of water per day to keep the body hydrated
7) Reduce sodium, fats and trans fats in your diet. Read the Nutrition Facts label on foods. Choose and prepare foods and beverages with little salt or added sugar.
Always take care with what you eat and your heart will love you more than ever.
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