Sunday, September 7, 2008

Secrets of Heart and Vascular Disease: Tell your friends and family!

Old Dog: "What kills you is usually your pumping goes...."

The #1 killer of Men and Women is Cardio Vascular disease. Number #3 is Cancer...but you can at least change your basic diet and maybe you won't get the BIG C.
(What is #3? Google it.)


Drink Green Tea: HOME BREW! Remember this will keep you up late!
Green tea contains several powerful antioxidants that may reduce cholesterol and may even lower blood pressure. To make a day's supply, bring 20 oz water to a boil, drop in three decaffeinated green tea bags, cover, and steep for 10 minutes. Remove the tea bags, and refrigerate the tea. When cool, pour the tea into a container, add ice if you like, and sip throughout the day.

Your Fat Budget: 1/3 is the MAX
Keep total fat intake between 20 to 35 percent of your calories, with most fats coming from polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, such as fish, nuts and vegetable oils.

Take the Italian Cure: Fall in Love with Olive Oil
In the world of fat, olives rule. Canola oil is good, but olive oil may be better. Substitute olive oil for butter or margarine at the table, drizzle it on salads, and use it to replace vegetable oils in baking wherever possible. Buy only cold-pressed, extra virgin oil; it retains more of the olive's heart-healthy antioxidants than other forms.

Rough Up Your Diet: Buy that $3 loaf of bread! Eat more Beans! Drop the Pasta!
Studies show that the more fiber you eat, the less likely you are to have a heart attack. Load up on whole grain breads and cereals that contain whole wheat, wheat bran, and oats. Toss beans into casseroles, soups, and salads. Aim for at least 25-35 g of fiber a day. Sweet Potatoes and Jams - that is why you see them more on menus - have the fiber you need.

Eat Salmon Tonight: This one was hard for me. Farm raised Salmon is killing off the wild varities. But I am just passing along the research. My Brother-in-Law and I love Anchovies! And you can get Omega-3 in plants....
Meat's saturated fat will clog your arteries. On the other hand, fatty fish such as salmon and anchovies are loaded with the omega-3 fatty acids that will help your heart maintain a steady rhythm. Aim to eat omega-3 rich fish at least twice a week. Remeber, wild is rich in mercury as well! Farm raised is not.

Don't Forget to Start and End your Day with Juice: Orange, Grape, and Tomatoe...
Orange juice contains folic acid that helps lower your levels of homocysteine, a possible heart attack risk factor. Grape juice is loaded with flavonoids and resveratrol, both potent antioxidants that may discourage red blood cells from clumping together and forming an artery-blocking clot. Have two glasses daily--one at breakfast and one at lunch. At least two meals a day!

Eat at least 2 cups of fruit and 2.5 cups of vegetables every day: notice I say EAT. Cambell's V-8 or Fruit/Veg Fusion does not cut it. You got to eat it.
Emphasize cruciferous vegetables such as kale, brussels sprouts, broccoli, and cabbage, which are a gold mine of antioxidants and other heart-saving phytochemicals. (good vocabulary words...)

Eat a handfull of nuts each week: But Don't Go Nuts!
Studies have found that those who eat more than 5 oz of nuts a week are one-third less likely to have either heart disease or a heart attack. Just don't overdo it--nuts can pile on the pounds.
Walnuts seem to be the king maker in this category of eating.

Cut the BUTTER and the OLEO!
The trans fatty acids in margarine and the saturated fat in butter both clog your arteries, so try one of the new spreads that contain cholesterol-lowering sterols instead--including Promise, Smart Balance, or Benecol. They're expensive, yes, but they can lower your cholesterol anywhere from 7 to 14 percent. Also consider spread alternatives such as hummus or nut butters. And OLIVE OIL!

Add Flaxseed: Remember Uncle Sam Cereal? Flax is the NEW miracle seed.
Flaxseed is one of the most potent sources of heart-healthy omega-3 fats. Studies indicate that adding flaxseed to your diet can reduce the development of heart disease by 46 percent while helping keep red blood cells from clumping together and forming clots that can block arteries. Sprinkle 2 Tbs flaxseed a day on your cereal or salad. Buy it preground, and keep it refrigerated.

RED WINE - not white, not rose, RED. NOT BEER. WINE. AND NOT A LOT!
Research overwhelmingly shows that 1 to 3 oz of alcohol a day (that is 1-2 glasses of wine per day) significantly reduce your risk of a heart attack. Unless you have a problem with alcohol or high blood pressure (notice that caution - WARNING if your family history has alcoholics or you are on high blood pressure meds - check with your doctor first), you can safely have one alcoholic drink a day. "Maybe, maybe not" as my son used to say when he was little... he is a big dog too today.

Can you spell Y-M-C-A!
Walking is a good start, but you have got to MOVE IT MORE!
Studies show that exercise reduces the risk of a heart attack by up to 50 percent--more than the best cholesterol-lowering drug. And it doesn't take much: just a few hours a week, according to experts. Pick an easy exercise such as walking, and begin to integrate two or three 15-minute workout intervals into your day. Once your body is used to this routine, work toward the optimal amount: 45 minutes, four or five times a week. Check with your doctor before starting an exercise program. Hey, take her out dancing, Guys! Play basketball with the kids!

Mom was right: "Prayer changes things.' Meditation is good. Silence is Golden! Practicing a form of meditation in which you focus awareness on the present moment and relax can reduce the effects of daily stressors. When stressful moments occur, they can be countered by simply closing your eyes and quietly focusing on your breathing for 5 to 10 minutes. Bring back some of the classics: http://www.catholictradition.org/prayers1.htm Send me your favorite prayer or meditation: freddallas@aol.com Or maybe Aum/OM http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Om Or, my TM days in College! http://www.tm.org/

Build a Strong Spiritual Life: Here is where I make the Quaker Pitch (http://www.quaker.org/) ( In TEXAS http://www.scym.org/index.html)
Studies indicate that those with regular spiritual practices who meet with a faith community--attending church or temple, for example--live longer, better, and are far less likely to have a heart attack. Get more involved in your religion, or develop your own traditions. Either way, sit down every day for 20 minutes, close your eyes, and focus on a particular word or phrase that you associate with something greater than yourself.

My Sister gave me this advice last week: "Get More REAL People in Your Life! Enough with the emails and Blogging!"

Hey! Go to find a meeting! Go find some Democrates! Everyone should eat lunch!
Strong connections to family, friends, community, and God reduce anxiety and fight depression--two factors that increase your risk of a heart attack. So first thing in the morning, make a lunch date with a good friend, tell your family that everyone needs to sit down for dinner tonight, or plan to visit your place of worship. Resolve to do these things every day.

Garlic : Didn't I just say go find some friends? Get them to eat it, too.

Just one clove a day reduces the risk of a heart attack at least three ways: It discourages red blood cells from sticking together and blocking your arteries, lowers cholesterol a modest amount, and may lower blood pressure, to help reduce arterial damage. HERE IS MY BEST ADVICE WITH THIS ONE: cook the WHOLE clove (one of sections of the whole bulb), the more your chop it... the hotter it gets. http://whatscookingamerica.net/garlictips.htm

Aspirin. Still a wonder drug... but this has more cautions.

Aspirin therapy reduces the occurrence of blood clots, possibly preventing heart attack and stroke. Talk to your doctor about whether you should take an aspirin a day. It's important to tell your doctor what other medications or supplements you're taking to avoid drug interactions.

That's it, Folks. All the secrets of modern and ancient medicine!
FD




1 comment:

jimpurdy1943@yahoo.com said...

This statement sounds like good advice:
"Rough Up Your Diet ... Studies show that the more fiber you eat, the less likely you are to have a heart attack ... Aim for at least 25-35 g of fiber a day."

I've just started a new very high fiber diet, and I'm hoping it works to improve my health.

Thanks for all the good health advice.