For every three American adults, one is estimated to have high blood pressure. Around 65 million Americans over the age of 20 have high blood pressure. Scary statistics? You bet. Especially if you consider the fact that, if left uncontrolled, high blood pressure can result in leading causes of death like heart failure, stroke, aneurysm, heart attack, and kidney failure.
Here are the tips to lowering blood pressure naturally:
1. Go easy on the saltshaker.
People consume around two teaspoons of salt a day, an amount that must be lessened for those with high blood pressure. Since a large portion of the sodium you take in is from processed foods, watch out for these. In addition, try using spices, lemon, and salt-free seasoning blends for seasoning what you cook.
2. Improve your diet.
One of the important points in lowering your blood pressure naturally is improving your diet and eating healthier. By limiting the sweets and red meat you take in, and incorporating more fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy products, and whole grains (the basics of the famed Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension - or DASH - diet), you're definitely on your way to lower blood pressure.
3. Exercise
Regular physical activity lowers blood pressure naturally and improves blood cholesterol levels. Exercise is important since it will help you maintain a healthy weight; being overweight raises your chances of developing high blood pressure. You will probably notice a decrease in your blood pressure within the first nine or ten weeks of regular exercise (around half an hour at least four or five days a week of physical activities like jogging, cycling, swimming, brisk walking and so on).
4. Decaf, please.
Stay away from caffeine, even if you may find it difficult to function in the morning without your cup of coffee. Caffeine does bad things to your blood pressure by increasing the effects of stress and getting your heart to start pumping like there's no tomorrow. To help lower your blood pressure naturally, get decaf instead.
5. Relax.
Close your eyes. Breathe in. Breathe out. Meditation, yoga, and other relaxation techniques can also help to bring your blood pressure down. You can learn these activities from videos or by taking classes.
By Tim Lee
Monday, September 22, 2008
Friday, September 19, 2008
Yoga breathing will induce relaxation of mind and body
A really positive benefit that you will discover soon after starting your yoga practice, that you will learn properly. Yes, you will start breathing in such a way as to bring an instant calmness and total relaxation into your life. As long as you are receiving good instruction, or following an accurate guide, the better you will get at this which will further enhance the quality of your life. Furthermore, if you find yourself in stressful situations, you will be better able to cope and remain calm thanks to your yoga training.A really common fear or phobia that people suffer with is having to speak in public to an audience. Many of the public speaking courses include components on relaxation techniques. These are incorporated into the course as they are considered vital techniques to either eliminate or control panic, which is a common reaction when people address strangers in public situations. People who perform yoga breathing exercises on a regular basis are found to be a lot calmer as individuals, they seem better able to control these stressful situations better than those who are untrained in these or any other techniques.
If you remain calm and in control of your breathing, the fear of public speaking will subside and the apparent enormity of the situation will seem to be in perspective, making the situation easier to accept and control. By simply breathing correctly you will notice a feeling of calm that will enable a person to complete a public speaking engagement; or any other stressful situation for that matter.
Yoga has also benefited many professional sports men and women by allowing them to perform at, and sometimes beyond, their best by eliminating the tension and anxiety that they feel pre-event. In all sports events optimum performance demands that the muscles and breathing of competitors remain as relaxed as possible at all times to allow for maximum performances. Yoga is the vehicle to allow you to achieve that optimum yet relaxed state of mind and body. Other yoga stretching techniques train the body to become more flexible, which is an additional benefit to athletes as a supple body will pick up fewer injuries.
Correct Yoga breathing exercises will imbibe a relaxed, focused individual who will remain calm under pressure and un-phased in the face of adversity.
Source:
Michael J McKay
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Old Age And Dieting
Adequate nutrition and a well balanced diet is of vital importance in old age so as to prevent the common hazards of aging. Many factors like poor income, decreased mobility, social isolation and depression are known to affect the health and well being of the elderly.
Under nutrition, obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and osteoporosis have been identified as the most important and commonly prevalent nutrition related health problems in old age.
Since during old age the significance of nutrition is of immense importance, it is important to take care about the diet and nutritional adequacy of their diets. With age the energy needs are reduced and because of this the entire quantum of food intake is reduced but requirement of most of the other nutrients remains unaltered. Thus, it becomes important to supply adequate nutrients in decreased energy levels.
During old age, intake of energy rich food like sweets, fried or high fat stuff, cereals, starches should be reduced and milk, milk products, fresh fruits, vegetables should be increased. Calcium rich food is also very important due to gradual demineralization of bones associated with aging. Intake of simples sugars must also be reduced as they are packets of empty calories. due to the loss of teeth, modifications in the consistency of food may be done;diet should be soft, well cooked.
Since sufficient exposure to sunlight may not possible due to being confined to the bed because of illness, vitamin D is not taken in by the body and hence, vitamin rich food stuff should be included.
With old age appetite and tolerance reduces hence, the number of meals should be increased with small amounts of food each time. Food must also contain a lot of fiber as it helps those suffering from constipation, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
By Dixita Dutt
Under nutrition, obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and osteoporosis have been identified as the most important and commonly prevalent nutrition related health problems in old age.
Since during old age the significance of nutrition is of immense importance, it is important to take care about the diet and nutritional adequacy of their diets. With age the energy needs are reduced and because of this the entire quantum of food intake is reduced but requirement of most of the other nutrients remains unaltered. Thus, it becomes important to supply adequate nutrients in decreased energy levels.
During old age, intake of energy rich food like sweets, fried or high fat stuff, cereals, starches should be reduced and milk, milk products, fresh fruits, vegetables should be increased. Calcium rich food is also very important due to gradual demineralization of bones associated with aging. Intake of simples sugars must also be reduced as they are packets of empty calories. due to the loss of teeth, modifications in the consistency of food may be done;diet should be soft, well cooked.
Since sufficient exposure to sunlight may not possible due to being confined to the bed because of illness, vitamin D is not taken in by the body and hence, vitamin rich food stuff should be included.
With old age appetite and tolerance reduces hence, the number of meals should be increased with small amounts of food each time. Food must also contain a lot of fiber as it helps those suffering from constipation, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
By Dixita Dutt
Monday, September 15, 2008
Five Key Elements to Health Body
With so many different obstacles in our way today it’s essential to do the things that are necessary to keep our bodies in top condition. Between diseases and pollution in our air and water, we must stay tuned into the needs of our bodies in order to assure a long and healthy life. Making the right choices in these areas will allow us to remain happy and productive many years past retirement.
1. Get plenty of sleep
Being well-rested is one of the most important elements in maintaining a healthy body. Sleep deprivation whether purposely or the result of insomnia can cause your body to become tired, fatigued, and run down. This lends its way to an invasion of many infections because of a compromised immune system. Sleep is the body’s best defence, so you need to make sure you obtain what your body needs. Each person requires on average between six and eight hours of sleep nightly, although some may function on as little as five hours while others need up to ten hours.
2. Exercise regularly
Besides having the ability to boost the metabolism, exercise also helps the body sleep most restfully. Whether you do a complete workout or just take a walk several times during the day, you will feel much better by participating in some kind of exercise. That doesn’t mean you have to do something boring—you can swim, bicycle, play tennis, ski, water ski, or do any other type of activity that you enjoy. The important thing is to make sure you do it regularly.
3. Eat healthy foods
In order to maintain a body that is healthy and active all of your life, you need to learn how to eat foods that are good for you. Certainly that high fat, high calorie burger from the local fast food place tastes good, but it is not good for you. You need to develop the habit of eating lean protein, steamed or raw vegetables, fresh fruits, and carbohydrates containing a low glycemic index such as whole grain cereals, brown rice, and wheat bread and pasta. That doesn’t mean you have to give up sweet desserts and snacks for good, but you need to learn to eat them in moderation.
4. Maintain a normal weight
Having excess weight puts a strain on both the heart and the back. In order to assure that you can stay active and do the things you enjoy, you need to make sure your weight is within normal range. If you are overweight but think you are still healthy, you need to review the things you are able to do compared to some of the things you used to be able to do. Certainly you are older which causes some difference, but your weight definitely has a detrimental effect on the level of activities in which you are able to participate.
5. Make sure you have an adequate supply of essential nutrients
No matter how many healthy foods we eat, it is likely we are not getting all of the nutrients we need. This is especially true of the Omega-3 Fatty Acids that help us maintain the health of our hearts. Although this nutrient is found in fish, few of us can eat enough fish to compensate, so we need to supplement this deficiency with fish oil supplements. The same holds true of many other nutrients such as Calcium, Iron, Folic Acid, and the B vitamins just to name a few.
A healthy lifestyle will help us keep our bodies healthy into our golden years, and following these tips will certainly help you in that process. You don’t need to give up your favourite foods to be healthy, but you do need to make sure you eat unhealthy foods in moderation. You also want to make sure to get enough sleep, exercise regularly, and supplement your diet with important vitamins and minerals.
source:
Author: Marie Watson
1. Get plenty of sleep
Being well-rested is one of the most important elements in maintaining a healthy body. Sleep deprivation whether purposely or the result of insomnia can cause your body to become tired, fatigued, and run down. This lends its way to an invasion of many infections because of a compromised immune system. Sleep is the body’s best defence, so you need to make sure you obtain what your body needs. Each person requires on average between six and eight hours of sleep nightly, although some may function on as little as five hours while others need up to ten hours.
2. Exercise regularly
Besides having the ability to boost the metabolism, exercise also helps the body sleep most restfully. Whether you do a complete workout or just take a walk several times during the day, you will feel much better by participating in some kind of exercise. That doesn’t mean you have to do something boring—you can swim, bicycle, play tennis, ski, water ski, or do any other type of activity that you enjoy. The important thing is to make sure you do it regularly.
3. Eat healthy foods
In order to maintain a body that is healthy and active all of your life, you need to learn how to eat foods that are good for you. Certainly that high fat, high calorie burger from the local fast food place tastes good, but it is not good for you. You need to develop the habit of eating lean protein, steamed or raw vegetables, fresh fruits, and carbohydrates containing a low glycemic index such as whole grain cereals, brown rice, and wheat bread and pasta. That doesn’t mean you have to give up sweet desserts and snacks for good, but you need to learn to eat them in moderation.
4. Maintain a normal weight
Having excess weight puts a strain on both the heart and the back. In order to assure that you can stay active and do the things you enjoy, you need to make sure your weight is within normal range. If you are overweight but think you are still healthy, you need to review the things you are able to do compared to some of the things you used to be able to do. Certainly you are older which causes some difference, but your weight definitely has a detrimental effect on the level of activities in which you are able to participate.
5. Make sure you have an adequate supply of essential nutrients
No matter how many healthy foods we eat, it is likely we are not getting all of the nutrients we need. This is especially true of the Omega-3 Fatty Acids that help us maintain the health of our hearts. Although this nutrient is found in fish, few of us can eat enough fish to compensate, so we need to supplement this deficiency with fish oil supplements. The same holds true of many other nutrients such as Calcium, Iron, Folic Acid, and the B vitamins just to name a few.
A healthy lifestyle will help us keep our bodies healthy into our golden years, and following these tips will certainly help you in that process. You don’t need to give up your favourite foods to be healthy, but you do need to make sure you eat unhealthy foods in moderation. You also want to make sure to get enough sleep, exercise regularly, and supplement your diet with important vitamins and minerals.
source:
Author: Marie Watson
Saturday, September 13, 2008
The Immortality Enzyme
A newly discovered gene may help scientist combat cancer and linked to aging.
As the human body ages, it loses bone. Individual cells lose something equally vital. Every time one divides, it sheds tiny snippets of DNA known as telomeres, which serve as protective caps a hundred divisions, a cell’s telomeres become so truncated that its chromosomes- site of the cell’s genes-begin to fray, rather like shoelaces that have lost their plastic tips. Eventually, such age cells die-unless like “immortal” cancer cells, they produce telomeres. Scientists have long dreamed of drugs that would inhibit the immortalizing enzyme because, observes M.I.T. biochemist Robert Weinberg then maybe cancer cells would run out of telomeres and just poop out.
Wishful thinking? Maybe not . In papers published just a week apart in the journals science and cell, two teams of researchers – one led by Nobel-prizewinning biochemist Thomas Cech of the university of Colorado, the other by M.I.T.’s Weinberg have announced a breakthrough that could help bring about such a drug. Both teams have managed to clone a gene that controls the activity of telomerase enzyme in human cells. That could set the stage for development not only of inhibiting drugs but also of substances that switch on the enzyme which might help combat degenerative diseases associated with aging
Such possibilities to be sure are speculative but that didn’t stop Wall Street where the stock of Geron Corp a small biotech company based in
In fact, Geron researchers have been looking for antitelomerase compounds for several years, using indirect-screening methods. Because tumor cells – the main source of the human enzyme – produce it in vanishingly small quantities, the scientists lacked pure telomerase, which could have sped the search for drugs that might be used against it.
With the new gene in hand the researchers should be able to churn out at will the protein for which it provides the genetic blueprint. That protein, they believe, is telomerase’s most important building block. For us, exults Calvin Harley, Geron’s chief scientist, it’s like having access to an organism’s brain.
The new protein, it turns out, bears an intriguing resemblance to an enzyme produced by HIV, the retrovirus that causes AIDS. Indeed, the AIDS dug AZT has already been shown to inhibit telomerase activity. But the viral enzyme and the human enzyme, says
The odds that such a compound will materialize now seem high. But experts caution that it could take years before the first telomerase inhibitors are ready to be tested on humans to determine if they’ll have any serious side effects – or if they’ll actually inhibit tumor growth. Such questions are perhaps one reason Geron’s stock leveled off at week’s end, closing at 12 ¼ share.
By J. Madeleine Nash
Monday, September 8, 2008
Great Diet for Busy moms
I've been researching a diet for moms that I think is one of the most effective ways to lose weight, keep the weight off and gain energy at the same time. The good thing about it is that it's not a pill or a quick weight loss scheme that doesn't work or makes you even more tired than you already are. Really all it takes is about 90 minutes per week and you won't lose any time that you would normally spend with your family.
You can still eat a variety of delicious and nourishing foods that you probably already eat so your family can be involved in your diet with you. The diet is actually called The Fit Yummy Mummy and I promise you won't find a better diet that works. It really works well for mothers who have just given birth and want to get their pre-baby body back. With this program you will reclaim your tight body and butt, tone your arms, legs and abs, lift your glutes, perk up your chest and reverse the aging process.
The results are quick and you would be pleased and excited about the diet, it's so easy. I recommend it to all moms regardless of age because there is practically no equipment to use so there is no dangerous strain from big equipment. You won't have to worry about what people are saying after you pass by or while you're standing on the sidelines at soccer games. This diet is a healthy alternative to all the scam diets and dangerous pill diets that women are trying. I highly recommend you ladies check it out.
By Gary P Martin, Jr
You can still eat a variety of delicious and nourishing foods that you probably already eat so your family can be involved in your diet with you. The diet is actually called The Fit Yummy Mummy and I promise you won't find a better diet that works. It really works well for mothers who have just given birth and want to get their pre-baby body back. With this program you will reclaim your tight body and butt, tone your arms, legs and abs, lift your glutes, perk up your chest and reverse the aging process.
The results are quick and you would be pleased and excited about the diet, it's so easy. I recommend it to all moms regardless of age because there is practically no equipment to use so there is no dangerous strain from big equipment. You won't have to worry about what people are saying after you pass by or while you're standing on the sidelines at soccer games. This diet is a healthy alternative to all the scam diets and dangerous pill diets that women are trying. I highly recommend you ladies check it out.
By Gary P Martin, Jr
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