Heart Facts

Quit smoking cigarette – five tips how to quit for good

Posted on March 2, 2009
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In my previous post I considered why you should quit smoking cigarette, and after reading this I am hoping you have finally made the decision to quit smoking for good. Now I will show you the best ways to quit smoking cigarette and improve your health.

First set a date for stopping and stick to it. Some people also have this false idea that cutting down on cigarettes smoked actually helps them to quit easier, well this is not true; it is better to stop completely. Do not keep putting the date back. Your date for stopping should be as soon as possible, and when it arrives make sure you have cleared your house of all cigarette products including the cigarettes themselves, lighters, ashtrays, matches and so forth. You do not want anything in the house to remind you of them.

Second make a list of all the reasons you want to quit smoking, such as those listed in the previous post.  Keep this list in a prominent place, perhaps stick it to your fridge.  Any time you feel a cigarette craving coming on, retrieve the list and read it to remind yourself why you are giving up.

Third save the money you would be spending on cigarettes. Put this money into a jar, and at the end of every month take it out and treat yourself. You could buy a holiday, new clothes, anything you fancy. The fact that you are rewarding yourself will make you feel more positive about giving up and encourage you to stay off the cigarettes.

Next join a group where others have also given up. This way you can all encourage and support one another, and exchange tips on how to beat cigarette cravings. If there are no local groups, find someone else you know to quit smoking cigarette and help each other.

Finally keep yourself busy and take up another hobby. If you keep active and busy then you will have less time to think about and crave for cigarettes.

These tips should help you on your way to quit smoking cigarette. In a subsequent post I will consider the nicotine replacement therapies available to help you quit.

Quit smoking cigarette- why you should quit in 2009

Posted on February 22, 2009
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Smoking cigarettes is highly addictive but there is no better time to quit smoking cigarette than now. Cigarettes contain more than 700 additives, 43 of which are carcinogens, as well as other chemicals including carbon monoxide and hydrigne cyanide. Would you eat foods that contained all these harmful chemicals and additives, I dont think so.   It is the nicotine in cigarettes which hamper people’s ability to quit smoking due to its additive nature.

Here are some smoking facts which may help you quit smoking cigarette for good

  1. It raises your heart rate and blood pressure. Therefore your heart has to work much harder due to the presence of carbon monoxide on the haemoglobin molecule decreasing the oxygen content and oxygen carrying ability.
  2. Stained fingers and teeth. Who wants to have to pay a fortune at the dentist to get their teeth whitened? Smoking has more costs than some people realise.
  3. Bad breath- What a turn off. You will constantly have to chew mints and use breath freshener to cover up the dreadful taste of cigarettes.
  4. Breathing problems such as wheezing, smoker’s cough. Not very ncie when you get into bed at night and are struggling to breath. Is it worth it just for a cigarette?

I am hoping now you will want to quit smoking cigarette for good but if not keep reading.

The biggest reason to stop is your health. Smoking leads to and is the main cause of a number of cancers, including lung cancer, throat cancer, bladder and kidney cancer amongst others. Combine this with the clogging of the arteries with tar and increased risk of heart disease and stroke and you have the ultimate reason to quit smoking cigarette for good.  Additionally your house will smell bad, and your blinds and walls will take on the yellow colour of the smoke, not very good for those that are house proud.  Go and try and get life insurance, you will pay alot more than a non smoker, so what ever way you look at it smokers are the losers here.

Five super foods for cholesterol reduce

Posted on February 1, 2009
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Many foods contain a large amount of saturated fat and these seem to be the foods we overindulge in. This is not good for us and results in us having high blood cholesterol levels.  The good news is that there are many foods out there which actually are tasty and help to cholesterol reduce giving you a lower cholesterol level, a lower LDL level and a higher HDL level.

1) Blueberries. I have mentioned before the benefits of blueberries in lowering high blood pressure, well they are also effective at cholesterol reduce including total blood levels and harmful LDL levels.  Blueberries are full of antioxidants and they contain pterostilbene which is thought to be responsible for cholesterol lowering and as the compound is specific to fat cells it causes less side effects compared to statins.

2) Oats and whole grains. Studies have shown that people who eat diets high in fibre containing oats and whole grains have lower cholesterol levels than their counterparts who dont eat a diet high in fibre. Fibre forms a gel which binds to and hold cholesterol thus helping its excretion from the body.

3) Garlic- this can be used to lower cholesterol but needs to be consumed in high doses as great as 5 cloves per day. A study in 2007 using a smaller amount of garlic daily showed no effect on blood cholesterol levels whereas many early studies where subjects were consuming 800mg of powdered garlic for 4 months showed that their cholesterol levels dropped by as much as 12% and triglyceride levels also dropped by a significant 17%. Overall I believe that garlic should be added to most meals as the majority of evidence suggests it lowers LDL levels and increases HDL levels and works similarly to a statin.

4) Fish and fish oils- these are both rich in omega-3 fatty acids which has a range of protective effects on the heart and reduces your risk of dying from heart disease through a mechanism involving reduction of inflammation. It is recommended you consume two portions of fish a week such as salmon or herring in order to cholesterol reduce.

5) Avocados- these are thought to help cholesterol reduce by increasing levels of HDL cholesterol and decreasing levels of LDL cholesterol.  Avocado was shown in one study to lower cholesterol levels by 8% whereas a low fat diet only lowered the levels by 5% highlighting the fact that avocados are more effective at cholesterol reduce.  Avocados have the ability to prevent LDL cholesterol absorption due to the presence of a plant alcohol known as Beta-Sitosterol.

I believe these five foods such be present in everyone’s diet in order to maintain ideal cholesterol levels and help your heart stay healthy.

Heart facts says you must cholesterol reduce for longer life!

Posted on January 30, 2009
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Cholesterol is an essential body component present in the cell walls and membranes of virtually every body cell. If it is so dangerous to the human heart why do we even need it?  Well it is required for the production of steriod hormones like Vitamin D and bile acids which help to digest and remove fat from the body.  However problems arise when the level of cholesterol in your blood becomes too high. Every region has a different diagnosis criteria for high cholesterol, but in my opinion a blood cholesterol level of greater than 200mg/dL indicates a high cholesterol. You should always aim for levels lower than 200mg/dL.   LDL cholesterol is also damaging to the human heart and contributes to the hardening and blockage of arteries with fat deposits. A LDL cholesterol level of higher than 190mg/dL indicates a very high risk of heart disease. One should aim for a level less than 100mg/dL. Additionally cholesterol can also be found in a high density form known as HDL cholesterol. This form of cholesterol helps protect against heart attacks and artery blockage and it is best to have a level 60mg/dL. HDL levels lower than 40mg/dL increase your risk of cardiovascular disease.

High cholesterol levels can be treated by a combination of lifestyle and dietary modifications as well as prescription medication.

Lower blood pressure natural with breathing control and music

Posted on January 22, 2009
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Recently my website has focused massively on ways to lower your blood pressure natural, and this is to be my final consideration of this area for the time being. I have found a way to achieve the ideal blood pressure through breathing exercises; breathing is a natural process and one we do constantly.  When we are stressed out or under pressure our breathing becomes rapid forcing the blood vessels to constrict, making arteries narrower, and increasing the blood pressure needed to push the blood around the body so it comes as no surprise that a technique involving slow breathing has been suggested to lower blood pressure natural.

Slow breathing sends a message to the brain to relax, which causes relaxation of the blood vessels and as a result blood flows more easily under less pressure.  It is recommended that the technique is combined with music. Other effects from the breatheasy program are better sleep patterns, less stress, lower LDL levels and increased energy levels.  This technique has also got the backing of medics and the Journal of Hypertension has published numerous studies outlining and describing its benefits including:_

It is thought that this breathing control procedure along with listening to relaxing music works by releasing nitric oxide into the bloodstream which helps to regulate the diameter of the blood vessels.  Another study late last year indicated that listening to relaxing music expanded the blood vessels by as much as 26%.  Blood can flow through expanded blood vessels much easier and under lower pressure than narrow blood vessels. Additionally blood is less likely to clot in wider blood vessels.

So get your ipod or walkman with some classical music switched on now and spend 10-15minutes daily with the breathing exercises. I guarantee you will see a drop in your blood pressure.

Latest high blood pressure causes

Posted on January 15, 2009
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Two recent news stories have published some interesting blood pressure information related to high blood pressure causes.  Firstly a link between low blood levels of potassium and high blood pressure was suggested.   A US study conducted on around 3000 people showed that increasing potassium intake along with decreasing salt intake was suspected to decrease high blood pressure in a group of prehypertensive individuals.  The study found that for every unit increase in an individual’s sodium /potassium ratio the risk of coronary heart disease was reduced by almost a quarter.  So as well as decreasing your intake of ready meals and meals with added salt I suggest you incorporate a banana into your daily diet. Bananas are an excellent source of potassium and are a way to help you achieve your ideal blood pressure.

Another interesting piece of blood pressure information was related to outside temperature and blood pressure in those aged over 65 years old in a study conducted in the French capital of Paris. Both blood pressure parameters, systolic and diastolic were higher in the colder months than the summer months in almost 9000 elderly people.   It was noted that systolic levels were as much as 5mmHg higher in the winter compared to the summer and the incidence of high blood pressure was 10% higher in summer compared to winter.

In summary latest high blood pressure causes suggest that a diet low in potassium and high in salt as well as living in a cold climate may increase your risk of high blood pressure.

Lower blood pressure natural potently

Posted on January 14, 2009
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High blood pressure remedies are hard to come by and last post I considered the benefits of  glutathione in lowering blood pressure naturally. I have found two other potent methods that really help to lower blood pressure natural.  One is an alternative therapy known as transcendental meditation ™ and the other is the ingestion of blueberries.  TM should be carried out twice daily and during the process individuals’ repeat a word or phrase for a 20 minute period whilst keeping the eyes closed at all times.  This promotes relaxation and wellbeing and has shown to be useful for high blood pressure treatment and prevention in all risk groups including high risk African Americans.  Tm is particularly useful for fighting against the effects of stress, and as stress is a well known factor in hypertension, this partly explains the role of transcendental meditation in lower blood pressure natural.  One previous study indicated that the therapy is able to reduce systolic pressure by around 5 mmHg and diastolic by 2.8 mmHg which can prove to be quite significant in achieving the ideal blood pressure.

As I mentioned the consumption of blueberries and berries in general is another excellent way of lowering your blood pressure the tasty way.  Berries contain lots of Vitamin C, very few calories and lots of fibre as well as being a very tasty snack.   A cup of blueberries only contain 83 calories but are packed full of antioxidants such as anthocyanosides.  As mentioned in an earlier post free radicals are part of the hypertensive process and antioxidants help prevent the formaion of free radicals therefore the consumption of blueberries helps prevent free radical damage which leads to hypertension.   Strawberries are another excellent fruit to consume to help lower blood pressure natural.  They contain even less calories than blueberries and contain essential components such as magnesium and potassium which help to lower blood pressure.

These are two more great high blood pressure remedies, which should be followed as much as possible. Remember high blood pressure is the silent killer, remaining undiagnosed until it is too late. Dont take a chance get eating berries today. and achieve the ideal blood pressure sooner rather than later.

Glutathione one way to lower blood pressure natural

Posted on January 11, 2009
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High blood pressure is a massive problem and is reaching epidemic proportions in the US and Europe. Latest blood pressure facts estimate that just under 20% of Americans, which is around 50 million people suffer from hypertension. That is an awful lot of people, especially when you consider the rates of mortality from high blood pressure, which are also accounted by the high percentage thought to be around 5 who are not diagnosed and therefore are not getting treatment.

Current prescription medications carry with them a range of serious side effects such as nausea, dizziness,and fatigue when used over a long period of time. As the majority of people are diagnosed with high blood pressure around middle age they may be on medication for decades so side effects can set in.   Therefore it is better to lower blood pressure natural and luckily there exists a range of products which can be used to achieve the ideal blood pressure. One such product is glutathione which is manufactured inside cells using precursor amino acids .  Glutathione is very pleasing to blood pressure levels when in the reduced state.   This is due to its antioxidant properties which help it prevent free radical damage to cells.  Free radical damage is thought to be involved in the pathogenesis and development of hypertension.  Animal studies have shown that doses of less than 100mg/kg of glutathione was able to reduce both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Another study illustrated the fact that glutathione infusions were capable of lower blood pressure natural by increasing free magnesium levels within cells.

There are many food sources which can help to boost your glutathione levels including asparagus, broccoli, avocado and spinach, as well as raw eggs and garlic.  I would suggest maintaining a healthy level of glutathione in order to lower your blood pressure the natural way.

Heart facts you may not know

Posted on January 9, 2009
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The human heart is an amazing organ- fact ! I have found a list of 10 heart facts which demonstrate how hard working and amazing the heart is.

1) Despite weighing less than a pound coin, the heart is the size of two adult fists. Very tiny considering the amount of work it is expected to do.

2) The human body contains 5.6 litres of blood which the heart distributes a massive 2000 miles daily, thats 60 000 miles a month. I dont think you could drive that amount of miles per month.

3) Heart has its own distinct rhythm made up of two sounds lub and dub, which occur due to heart value opening and closing as blood passes through the atria and ventricles.

4) Women have faster heart rates than men

5) Have you ever wondered how many heartbeats you have per day, well does 100 000 sound about right!That makes around 35 million times a year.  Is it any wonder we skip some!

6) Adults should have a pulse of 70 heart beats per minute, but if you are child your heart works much faster and beats sometimes up to 120 times a minute.

7) The heart muscle is the hardest working muscle in the body even while it is not pumping blood, as it works harder than an athletes leg muscles during the 100 metre sprint.

Last but not least the most common time to have a heart attack (myocardial infarction) is between the morning hours of 8 and 9.

Ideal blood pressure

Posted on January 7, 2009
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Blood pressure measurement

Blood pressure measurement

Blood pressure is necessary for the blood to be pumped around the body by the human heart.  Your blood pressure is made up of two components, systolic and diastolic. Systolic blood pressure refers to when your heart beats pumping the blood whereas diastolic refers to when your heart is at rest and not beating. The systolic value is higher than the diastolic value.  When you get your blood pressure measured using a sphygmomanometer you must be sitting down with your brachial artery level with your heart as measurements taken at head height will be lower than those whilst sitting down and similarly those taken at ground level will be much higher.  A blood pressure reading will be given with the two values, for example 120/80.

Blood pressure may be essential but what is the ideal blood pressure, that is the normal blood pressure for the heart to function. If blood pressure is too low (hypotension) then you may feel dizzy as there is too little blood getting pumped  around the body and due to lack of oxygen and nutrients vital body organs will suffer and cells and tissues may die causing organ damage and failure.  If blood pressure is too high (hypertension) then you are at a greater risk of heart disease, kidney disease, stroke, atherosclerosis and a number of other complications. 

Medical guidelines have set the ideal blood pressure for both males and females at 120/80 or lower. Prehypertension is defined as a blood pressure of 120-139/80-89, and hypertension is 140/90 or higher.  Unfortunately some cases of high blood pressure have no symptoms are are found accidentally while having a check up at your doctors surgery.  If you suspect you dont have a healthy blood pressure I would recommend a trip to your clinician.

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