Do you prepare meals at home?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the US. Every year, 720,000 American’s have a heart attack. Every year, about 600,000 people in the US die due to heart disease.
Alarming and hits close to home, right? Speaking for myself, I know many individuals who live with heart disease, have had a heart attack, and/or died due to heart disease. I believe it’s safe to say that rings true for most of us.
So then, why do our behaviors and habits not support healthier choices?
I have had three instances in the past week that have brought the issue of preparing home cooked meals front and center.
One was a good article I read in Time. Another was a comment from my aunt. They had an office potluck and out of all the dishes only two were homemade. The rest: store bought.
I don’t consider myself to be a great cook, but I do cook. Everyday.
Do you?
Diet Soda: Good or Bad for Your Heart Health
Research is shedding light on the impact drinking diet soda can have on your health. A study with 2,500 participants was presented at the American Stroke Association International Stroke Conference. Study results found those who drank diet soda daily had a 61 percent increased risk of cardiovascular events versus those who did not consume soda. These results remained even when factors such as smoking, physical activity levels, alcohol consumption, and dietary intake were taken into account.
Researchers did go a step further and took into account these 3 situations:
- Metabolic Syndrome
- Peripheral Vascular Disease
- Cardiac Disease History
When these were factored in, the cardiovascular risk associated with drinking diet soda did decrease to 48%… 48% is still significant.
The connection between diet soda and cardiovascular risk appears to be related to metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is the name given to a group of risk factors that raise your risk for heart disease. These risk factors include: Continue reading
High Blood Pressure: What You Need to Know
Blood pressure is the force exerted against your artery walls. A blood pressure reading is comprised of two numbers. The top number is the systolic pressure, which represents the force against artery walls when the heart beats and sends blood throughout the body. The bottom number is the diastolic pressure, which is the force against artery walls in between heart beats, or another way to state this, when the heart is at rest and filling with blood.
High blood pressure, also referred to as hypertension, increases your risk for heart disease, kidney disease, stroke, and eye damage.
A normal blood pressure reading is less than 120 (top number) and less than 80 (bottom number). Prehypertension, meaning you are at risk for high blood pressure, is a range between 120-139 and 80-89. High blood pressure is a ready greater than 140 and 90.
What causes high blood pressure?
How to customize your Cardio workout
Guest post provided by James Hundson
We all have come across posts and many of us also have enough experience about the importance of cardio. Cardio workouts do play an important role in the daily workouts that are being performed by an individual. There are number of posts that mention that cardio needs to be performed in enough amounts so that it matches with the intensity of workouts that you are about to perform. Less cardio may result in injury and thus lower results than one may be expecting.
But, are you really fond of the cardio that you usually perform? Is the normal walk over the tread mill enough to get your heart beats high? Or do you need to put in some more efforts while performing cardio? The body usually gets used to different workouts or even the cardio exercises that you may be performing every day. Thus, a change is something that is needed. A change in the way you workout can surely help your body get worked out in another way and it will surely give you brighter results.
Are you tired performing the same old cardio? Here are a few ways that you can adapt to while you think of customizing your workouts. These methods are quite simple and seem to be similar to the way things are performed otherwise. Let us take a look at each of these one by one.
- It is not just an Indoor Activity
Many of us who rush to the gym to perform regular workouts are the ones who are used to working out on machines thoroughly. Here is where one can lose interest. Cardio is not all about entering a gym and working out on the machines like you always do. You can also take part in few outdoor activities that help you cover up the efforts you would have put in the gym. Activities such as playing with Frisbees, blades and many more or trying rock climbing or a game of football with friends can be an excellent idea to perform cardio in a fun filled manner.
Continue reading
Use Beans to Lower Cholesterol in Just 3 Weeks
More than one study has supported the effectiveness of dry beans to lower cholesterol levels. A meta analysis released in the Canadian Medical Association Journal analyzed the results of twenty-six randomized controlled trials lasting at least three weeks in duration.
The findings conclude that consuming a diet that includes beans, chickpeas, lentils, and peas does lower low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels.
How much must you eat?
The diets in the analyzed studies consumed an average of 130 g/day. This would be equal to about 1 serving of beans, chickpeas, lentils, and peas. One serving is equal to ½ cup of kidney beans, pinto beans, or chickpeas.
Study participants who consumed ~1/2 cup servings of beans every day for a 3 week period of time had an average reduction in LDL cholesterol levels of 6.5 mg/dL.
Imagine the potential improvement in levels if consumed over a longer period of time. An easy and effective way to promote healthy cholesterol levels.
Easy Exercises You Can Do Before & During Work
Guest post provided by James Hundson
You love your job? Yes, you do! This is one of the main reasons that may keep you so determined and focused on working that you tend to keep aside your own health issues and fitness. The working schedule that most of us are made to follow does not allow us to move. It is difficult for an individual to move out of their place and workout. Sitting and spending hours in front of the computer is found to be one main reason why people are now gaining weight rapidly. We all need to realize that it is we who have to take care of our own bodies before it is too late.
Excess weight gain causes obesity and then results into the most critical illnesses that would require stronger medication. Are you earning so that you can spend it later on medication? Don’t you want to utilize it for a better cause? A little thought now would help you save your future. Just a few basic movements while you are preparing to go to work, or even while you are at work, will help you avoid those extra pounds to get counted.
Workouts before Leaving For Work
It is understood that it is difficult for us to take out an hour for working out. But, just a few 15 to 30 minutes of workout before you leave for work will help you feel fresh throughout the day. This will not leave you feeling drowsy and also avoid the stressed out feeling that might frustrate you during the day.
- Stretching: Have you seen a cat or a dog immediately after they wake up after a relaxing sleep? The first thing that you will find them doing is “stretching”. Stretching is a great exercise that can be done in the mornings. You can simply stretch any part of your body and thus get your muscles worked up. This will ease your muscle movements and strengthen them to stay fresh the entire day.
- Walking: A simple walk around the neighborhood in fresh air will help in keeping your legs worked out along with a few body movements that it imposes. Walking in the garden will also help you intake a good amount of fresh air that is needed after a night long sleep.
- Up and Down the Stairway: This is a great exercise that will help you workout your leg muscles, especially the thighs and also the other parts of the body. A few trips up and down the stairs will refresh your mind and will keep you ready to face the daily stress.
- Yoga: Yoga is an ancient workout that has been proved and thus trusted. People have worked wonders by simply adapting yoga. A few yoga movements in the mornings will help you refresh your body, mind and soul. You need not be an expert in yoga. Just a few basic movements while you are a beginner would help. You can gradually make use of more complicated movements.
