Entries from January 2010 ↓

The brain is quite gluttonous. One-fifth of the blood that is being pumped by the heart is need by the human brain to function normally as expected. But on the other hand, it also starves quite fast. Hence, if and when the blood flow in the brain is decreased by any chance, it will be damaged permanently. Brain damage may occur in five minutes of blood starvation.

There are about 4 out of 5 stroke victims who usually survived the first time of stroke attack with only a partial damage of the brain of various degrees. But take note that there is one for every 5 deaths due to cardiovascular disease. Thus, an estimate of 80% of these deaths occurs on individuals over 65 years old.

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Weight loss solutions are easy to find if you want those that are trendy and promise quick results – but a green tea diet is neither – and its claims are scientifically based.

Weight reduction or control has become a very serious problem in western first world countries and is increasing as we indulge ourselves, taking full advantage of the "lifestyle of convenience".

It is our health that suffers as a result and we pay a great price both as individuals and as nations for this lifestyle that leaves us overweight (perhaps morbidly obese), subject to cancers, digestive disorders, heart disease, high cholesterol, deficient immune systems and infection, premature aging and reduced energy levels.

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Endurance training indeed burns a lot of calories, but researchers believe it is not the most optimal way to get rid of your body fat.

When performing moderate exercise, your body burns fat but does so for energy. Performing in this manner most of the time sends the signal to your body to hold on to fat. Thus, with moderate exercise alone, your body will store more fat.

On the other hand, when you perform short bursts of more intense exercises, your body consumes a substance named glycogen that is stored away in the muscle tissues. This high intensity workout will condition your body to store more energy in your muscle rather than in your fat. Exercising like this is also more beneficial to burn fat throughout your rest period, as this is when glycogen is replenished in muscle restored.

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It is important to have an exercise routine done daily or three or four days a week. However, sometimes some of us do not have time to exercise every day so we just exercise longer on the days we do have time. You may think this is a good idea but it can actually lead to you feeling hungrier after exercise and eating more which contributes to more weight gain. It is best to work out at least twenty minutes every day or three or four times a week. This will also help you to maintain your weight once the extra pounds are off.

It is also a good idea to eat before and after a workout or exercise routine. This will help give you plenty of energy for the activity and keep your blood sugar levels normal so you can avoid feeling really hungry and then possibly overeating. It is also important to drink water before, during, and after a work out to keep your body well hydrated. Also, to help avoid overeating, try eating five to six small meals a day instead of eating too much at one or two big meals. This will help replenish your body and make you feel good without eating too much.

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Hypertension is a very common problem. It is estimated that about 25% of adults suffer from high blood pressure and 30% of them don’t even know it. Hypertension is known as a silent killer, because it usually doesn’t give early warning signs.

This condition is associated with heart attacks, strokes and kidney problems.

It can also affect the blood vessels of the eyes and impair vision or even lead to blindness. Unfortunately, the symptoms appear in advanced stages when it’s quite late. When the symptoms do occur, they usually include dizziness, headaches and nosebleeds.

If you are trying to lower your blood pressure using natural ways, then you will find the following tips very helpful:

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So you are now a few days, weeks or maybe months into quitting smoking. That is the easy part, is it not?

Just about every smoker on the planet has managed to quit smoking for days, weeks and months. But how do you stay quit from smoking for good? How do you manage to go that stage further than the last time you tried to stop.

I have quit smoking on four occasions now but I have finally managed to stay quit for 13 months and I tell you, it feels great. I have not thankfully become one of those annoying anti-smoking ex-smokers because I understand the mind of a real smoker, understand the pleasure a person gets from smoking and so I cannot possibly criticize anyone who smokes. What I can say though is that once you have stayed quit for over 6 months it becomes much easier and you actually don not think about it as often.

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Our arteries are channels for blood to flow and circulate throughout our bodies. However, when atherosclerosis set in, the arteries narrow and harden. This makes it difficult for the blood to flow as the same volume of blood has to flow through a now-restricted space. This can lead to all sorts of troubles like heart attacks and strokes.

Atherosclerosis sets in when cholesterol and fat build up in the blood to such an extent that they get deposited on the walls of the arteries. This process actually starts from when a person a child and ends up becoming a problem when the child turns into an adult and reaches the age of 50 or 60 years. The cholesterol and fat turn into plaque and make the channels of the arteries smaller. Sometimes, the build up is so great that the entire artery can get blocked. When this happens, it ends up cutting blood supply to the heart or brain leading to a heart attack or stroke.

Besides unhealthy eating habits, smoking, stress, obesity and sedentary lifestyle can also lead to atherosclerosis. Usually this is a hereditary condition. In other words, if there is a family history of the condition, the chances are high that you too can get the condition. Also, men are more prone to the condition than women.

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As an alternative to statins, some people prefer to use niacin to help control cholesterol levels, and who can blame them? After all even though statins are very effective at controlling cholesterol levels they have some pretty serious side effects including muscle pain, heart failure and memory issues to name but a few. But how does niacin work?

Niacin is actually a vitamin (B3) and it helps by taking it at a higher than normal dosage, however because you are doing this it is advisable to do it under medical supervision, even though it is available without prescription, in case any adverse reactions occur. The niacin actually helps your body to raise the good cholesterol (HDL) and lower the bad cholesterol (LDL).

As far as niacin and cholesterol reduction goes, yes it is effective. Having been prescribed to patients since back in the 1950′s, there has been a lot of success with niacin and cholesterol control, however there has recently been further studies to decide conclusively how effective it is. The study involved just under 400 men and women aged 21 to 75 and lasted for 16 weeks and at the end of it the results were that increased HDL by 25%, slightly reduced LDL and reduced triglyceride levels by 30%. The only real concern from that report is that it only slightly lowers LDL, however with the raised HDL then it will catch more of the bad cholesterol to take back to the liver for reprocessing.

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By Dr. Casey Adams

The rhythm of the heartbeat can vary greatly between people. Research has indicated the average resting pulse for an American male is 70 beats per minute (or 4200 hertz), while the average American woman is 75-80 beats per minute (or 4500-4800 Hz). A resting pulse of 60-70 is considered healthy. However, healthy people who exercise regularly often register resting pulses of 50-60. One study showed that only three months of exercise reduced the heart rates of formerly sedentary middle-aged men (45-55 years old) from an average of 72 BPM to 55 BPM. Meanwhile highly conditioned athletes can have resting pulses far lower than these can. In comparison, competitive distance runners have average resting pulses of 45 BPM while some marathon runners have rates as low as the mid-30s.

The heart rate can rise significantly during stress. In a study of fourth-grade teachers, their heart rates would rise from 75 BPM to 110 BPM when they rose from their desks to speak to the children.

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If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with heart disease, or has been exhibiting heart disease symptoms, you should just know it’s not the end of the world. Although various forms of heart disease do end up killing half a million people each year in the US alone, there are many ways to naturally reverse it.

Unfortunately most of them are not convenient enough for lazy or weak willed individuals who have this childish notion that they should be able to keep performing the same activities that caused their heart problems in the first place and somehow things will still turnout just fine. Isn’t that what some great mind in history defined as insanity? To continue the same activities but expect to get a different result?

Such persons are usually influenced by the misconception they can get an operation or go on medication, and everything will be just hunky dory. Sorry, heart problems are invariably caused by an excessive and lazy lifestyle, and it only makes sense that reversing them requires the opposite.

There is nothing in existence that can replace reducing stress, regular exercise, and an optimum heart diet. If you expect a heart problem to be reversed in this lifetime, a complete 180 degree turnaround is what it’s going to take. You have to get with the program or become another victim. No exceptions!

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