Entries from February 2010 ↓

When most people think of cinnamon, they think of the tasty stuff on top of their morning latte. But cinnamon is so much more than just something you sprinkle on your coffee or add to your cookies. In fact, recent studies into the effect of cinnamon extract on stomach fat have shown that if you consistently add cinnamon to your daily diet, you can not only gain better mental clarity, but you will also lose more belly fat.

Long ago, all around the world, this fantastic little spice was used as a medicine, but in recent days, it seems, we have forgotten about it’s amazing properties. But that’s all begun to change. There have been several studies into the effect that it has on your body, with some amazing findings.

Recent studies have shown that cinnamon extract will

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A recent 2009 study by Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) concluded that America does not have the aggressive, coordinated nationally and state strategies needed to address the obesity crisis, and threatens to make the epidemic worse. 49 states have obesity levels over 20%. The national goal for all states to reduce the proportion of adults who are obese to 15% or lower by 2010 was not met.

As individuals we have to take it upon ourselves to get in the best shapes of our lives. A critical component when getting in shape and living a healthier lifestyle is cardiovascular fitness. Cardiovascular fitness, also known as cardio respiratory endurance, will strengthen your heart muscle and muscles involved in breathing, such as lungs. This type of fitness assists the body’s capability to get oxygen and blood to the muscles efficiently so that prolonged physical work can be maintained. The more oxygen you can use the more physically fit you are.

Having a good cardiovascular fitness routine can help you:

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Sugar diabetes is a serious disease that can literally kill you. The illness affects every organ of the body and can leave you in a very sick condition. It is important to realize what high blood sugar does to the organs. A recent study showed that this disease ages your lungs. The lungs of a diabetic is being attacked by the glucose in the blood. A diabetic may start having trouble breathing as the poison glucose spreads. The kidneys are also deeply affected, the kidneys must work overtime trying to remove the sugar by making you urinate. This wears the kidneys out.

The body is fighting but is losing the battle. The person with high blood sugar may have a constant thirst. The excess poison in the blood causes the body to filter the water sugar through the kidneys and this causes frequent urinating which leaves you thirsty. There is an imbalance in the body; the body is becoming dehydrated as it tries to throw out the sugar diabetes. The body is sadly dying out.

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Over the past few years, the fight against the ‘Aids’ and ‘H1N1′ epidemics has been the primary focus of most world governments and, in the process, has put an equally deadly medical condition on the backburner… diabetes. As diabetes statistics reveal, this potentially life-threatening, disease has long passed the epidemic threshold, with millions of people diagnosed with it, and more than half that number living with it but totally unaware they have it.

What Do Diabetes Statistics Reveal?

As per the diabetes statistics recorded and consistently updated by the American Diabetes Association (ADA), an estimated 18.2 million people in the United States (men, women and children) have been diagnosed with diabetes, accounting for almost 6.3% of the total population. What makes these figures more alarming is that in excess of 6 million people in the US now have diabetes but don’t know it. Moreover, according to an ADA forecast, an estimated 44 million people are likely to contract the deadly, disease in the next 15 years.

What’s Behind The Rising Figures?

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By Frank Tabino

With the current health care debate currently in the news, I keep hearing that the United States of America unquestionably has the best health care system in the world. Traditional medicine is replete with revolutionary advances that continue to stimulate the imagination of medical professional all over the planet. The way the U.S. treats a trauma patient is simply the best in the world. This is impressive, but when you think about it, most of us will never need this care to save our lives. However, the medical community’s handling of non-trauma patients is not impressive at all. The indiscriminate use of prescription drugs is killing more Americans that all other causes of death, while the medical pundits try to convince us that they keep us healthy.

A prime case in point is the careless use of a class of drugs known as statins, which incidentally, is also the biggest selling drug in the world. Revenue from the sales of statin drugs surpasses the revenues collected in all professional sports. In case you did not know, this class of drug has a single purpose, and that is to lower cholesterol levels to an unrealistically low level. I question whether everyone should have total cholesterol levels of less than 200. This is utterly ridiculous for a number of reasons. First and foremost, not everyone is the same, and everyone should not have the same cholesterol level. Secondly, how did the medical experts determine that a cholesterol level over 200 is dangerous for everyone? Last, but certainly not least, the drug companies and medical professionals mislead the public about the dangers of these drugs.

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Atrial maze (AM) surgery is used to treat a heart rhythm irregularity known as atrial fibrillation (alternatively called AF or AFib). Normally, a group of cells (called the sinus node) within your heart’s right atrium generates electrical impulses that travel through your atria and ventricles in a methodical fashion. This causes contractions within the four chambers. With AFib, the electrical signals disperse and travel in different directions. This causes the atria to quiver, or flutter. The result is a disorderly heartbeat that can hamper your heart’s ability to pump blood effectively.

During an atrial maze procedure, a surgeon will create scar tissue on the surface of your atria. The electrical impulses cannot cross the scars because the scar tissue does not conduct electricity. This allows the surgeon to create a labyrinth through which the signals can travel. Below, we’ll describe the steps you’ll need to take in order to prepare for the operation.

Before The Operation

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Vegetables, fruits, and grains are normally low in fat and have no cholesterol. Most are great sources of dietary fiber, complex carbs, and vitamins. The American Heart Association recommends that you eat foods that are high in complex carbs and fiber. Below are some tips for making healthy food choices:

1. Coconut is high in saturated fat, while olives are high in monounsaturated fats and calories. You should use these items sparingly to avoid getting too many calories from fat.
2. When vegetable grains are cooked, saturated fat or cholesterol is often added. For example, egg yolks may be added to bread or even pasta. Continue reading →

The screening, prevention and treatment of hyperlipidaemia is of great importance as it is a major risk factor for Coronary Heart Disease (CHD). CHD has become a major health problem facing communities in the developed world. In Singapore, CHD is the leading cause of death, second only to cancer.

The Role of Lipids In CHD:

1.Total Cholesterol: The risk of CHD begins when Total Cholesterol levels rise above 150 mg/dL (3.9 mmol/L), and this risk escalates sharply when Total Cholesterol exceeds 200 mg/dL (5.2 mmol/L). The type of cholesterol which is most significant, is the LDL-cholesterol ("bad cholesterol") component.
2.LDL-cholesterol: Too much of LDL-cholesterol causes development of atherosclerotic deposits in the walls of arteries, thus increasing the risk for cardiovascular disease and stroke.
3.HDL-cholesterol: Commonly referred to as the "good cholesterol", it has a powerful protective effect against CHD. One should aim to increase HDL levels via exercise and moderate alcohol intake. Obesity, smoking and a sedentary lifestyle all decrease HDL levels.
4.Triglycerides: The association between Triglycerides and CHD is less well established, however, their levels should be controlled in patients with diabetes and high CHD risk.

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Did you know that among its many attributes, Vitamin D can contribute to:

• Immune system regulation
• Healthy body weight
• Multiple Sclerosis prevention
• Healthy brain function
• Rheumatoid arthritis prevention
• Cancer prevention

And that’s not all… Recent studies show that there may even be a connection between vitamin D and heart health.

"D" Heart of the Matter
One study showed that people extremely low in vitamin D were twice as likely to suffer a heart attack, heart failure, or stroke within five years, when compared to people with higher levels. Those who seemed to be at greatest risk were people with high blood pressure. So, only those lacking in vitamin D need to be concerned about their hearts? That may sound like good news, but unfortunately a huge portion of the U.S. population doesn’t get enough vitamin D. And that might include you!

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Heart disease is not limited to the men in our world. Actually, heart disease is the number one health threat for women. Women need to take charge of their heart care. We offer some suggestions on how to get started.

• Track your numbers. The main numbers you need to track and the optimum levels you should strive for are blood pressure (120/80), LDL cholesterol (<100 mg/dL), HDL cholesterol (> 50 mg/dL), triglycerides (< 150 mg/dL) and fasting blood sugar level (<100 mg/dL). Ask your doctor to provide you with these numbers each time he/she runs blood work on you.
• Check your family history. If you have family members who have had heart disease or risk factors associated with it, such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure, you may be at risk for the disease yourself. If you do have family members, i.e. parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, who have a history of heart disease, be sure and let your doctor know this information. Continue reading →