How to Improve Your Eating Habits and Manage Your Weight ~

You can improve your eating habits tremendously by making the right choices and doing  things just a bit differently. Healthy eating and an active live style can also reduce your risk of becoming overweight and obese which increases your risk for developing other chronic health conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke and many forms of cancer.

Consider These Tips for Healthy Eating

• Consider Starting your Day with Breakfast ~ Breakfast fills up  your "empty tank" ~ also known as "breaking the fast".  Breakfast gets you going after a long night without food..  Eating breakfast will  give you better endurance, strength, and concentration throughout the day.
  
• Eat a Variety of Foods.  Please don't feel like you have to give up things that you really like and enjoy-such as hamburgers, french fries, hot dogs and ice cream.  Understand you just have to be smart about how much you eat of these and how often you eat them.  Your body needs nutrients such as fats, carbohydrates and proteins as well as vitamins and minerals.  You can get these nutrients from a variety of different foods but you must balance your food choices to stay on a healthy course.
• Whole Grains, Fruits and Vegetables (Must Haves!!) ~ These foods give you energy, they also give you vitamins, minerals and fiber and quess what? ~~ They taste good too..  Try foods like brown rice, or whole-wheat bread.   Strawberries, bananas, blueberries  and melons are fantastic tasting fruits.  These fruits and vegetables are amazing in salads or on a sandwich.  And remember they come in a variety of forms ~ fresh, cooked. frozen, canned, dried.  So, no excuses not to eat your veggies and fruits.
• Watch You Portion Control ~ A portion is the amount of food a person eats.  Portions and servings are different.  A serving is a specific amount of food,  and it is probably smaller than you may think. Check out these examples:
• A serving of meat is two to three ounces this is roughly the size of the palm of your hand, a deck of cards or an audiocassette tape.
• A serving of fresh fruit is one medium piece and that would be about the size of as baseball.
• A serving of cooked pasta, rice or cereal is 1/2 cup or half a baseball or a rounded handful.
• A serving of nuts is 1/3 cup, or a level handful.
• A serving of peanut butter is two tablespoons or abut half the sixe of a golf ball

Eating the right amount of food at each meal is just as important as eating the right foods.  Consider these other tips to improve your eating habits.

~  If you normally use or drink whole or 2% milk try using low fat or fat free milk.
~  Instead of drinking soda drink water or other calorie-free drinks.
~  If you tend to always have a second helping, try putting the food away after you serve instead of placing serving dishes on the table.
~  Instead of white bread and pasta- eat a variety of whole-grain foods like whole-wheat bread, low-fat popcorn and brown rice.
~  Pack sandwiches, yogurt and lowfat crackers instead of buying fast food on the road.
~  Instead of snacking on chips and junk food- keep graham crackers, peanut butter, low fat cheese and and crackers along with fresh fruits and veggies on hand for those 'snack attacks'.
~  Try grilling and roasting instead of frying.
~  And remember ` Don't Skip Breakfast'.



Remember the saying "Eat to Live ~ Don't Live to Eat" ~

To Your Continued Health and Success ~
Miss Julia

JuliaGrayOnLine.com

 

What is Hypertension? Learn Why Nobody Can Ignore the "Silent Killer"

What is Hypertension? Learn Why Nobody Can Ignore the "Silent Killer"
by Chris Cage ~ Ezine Articles Expert

What is hypertension? It's a condition known as the silent killer because it is responsible for
millions of premature deaths around the world every year. In this article, discover exactly what
hypertension is and how you can avoid it.

Basic Definition of Hypertension
Hypertension means high blood pressure i.e. blood pressure higher than normal. Although a few
people actually have low blood pressure (hypo-tension), many more have hypertension. This puts greater stress on the organs of the body and the arterial walls and can lead to increased risk of cardiac death, stroke and other life threatening conditions.

Normal Blood Pressure Range
Even doctors disagree a little on what is a normal blood pressure. In the United Kingdom, they
will advise that you should be at 140/90 or below. Other doctors say that you should aim to be
even lower than this and 120/80 is a normal blood pressure.

The first figure is systolic pressure (when the heart contracts) and the second is diastolic
pressure (when the heart releases). So a good normal blood pressure range to have is 90-119 systolic and 60-79 diastolic.

How To Measure Blood Pressure
So how do you know if you have hypertension or not? The best way is to get it measured. Although your doctor can do this for you, a lot of people have "white coat syndrome". This means that the reading they get when measured at the clinic is either too high or too low. Think about it- a doctor's clinic is not a normal situation is it?

I recommend you borrow or buy a home monitoring kit. This will allow you to take measurements when you wake, during the day and before going to bed.

How To Treat High Blood Pressure
Although some cases are simply down to genetics, the vast majority are due to lifestyle. The
first thing you can do is to cut down on salt (sodium) in your diet. Also increase potassium, which is found in fruits and vegetables.

There are also several other easy homemade or natural cures that you can try and you do not have to make major changes to your lifestyle. Treatment is easy and it can mean between 10 and 15 more years on your life.

Need to know everything there is about hypertension and how to lower your blood pressure? Get the info you need quickly and now, here: Hypertension Library.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Cage

To Your Health !
Julia Gray aka Miss Julia
Proud Member My VM Team
Google Me ~ Julia Gray Online

REDUCE YOUR RISK OF HEART ATTACK AND STROKE

UNDERSTANDING THE THE RISK

Heart Disease is the No. 1 cause of death for men and women in the U.S. And, Stroke is the No 3 cause. This means it's important for you to do everything you can to reduce your risk and prevent a heart attack or stroke.

Learn about the things that increase your risk and take steps to make changes. Even if you've already had a heart attack or stroke, it's not too late to improve your health and prevent future damage to your heart or brain.



KNOW YOUR RISK

Your risk of a heart attack or stroke increases if you:

• have high blood pressure
• have high cholesterol

• have a family history of heart attack, stroke, or heart disease
• have had a heart attack or stroke
• are overweight or obese
• have diabetes
• smoke

If you've already had a heart attack or stroke, then you know it's important to prevent having another one in the future. Lifestyle changes and taking medications can reduce your risk. It's important to make a treatment plan with your doctor and stick to it.



Personal and Close to Home ~~~
This past weekend Saturday and Sunday consecutively two of my dear friend's husbands had 'heart attacks'. It was very scary there for a while for all of us. These men are 55 and 58 (not very old in the scheme of things) One was dealing with extremely high blood pressure; the other, this was his 3rd heart attack and he had also undergone open heart surgery about 3 years ago. Both were diagnosed with a blocked coronary artery (arteries that service the heart).



What Happens

1. Over time, high blood pressure can damage your artery walls and cause them to harden and thicken.
2. Plague, which consists of cholesterol, fat, calcium and other substances, can build up in the damaged lining of an artery. Over time, it narrows and blocks the artery. As this plaque continues to build, the artery becomes narrower, harder and less flexible. This reduces blood flow to the artery.
3. Eventually, the plaque cracks. If this happens, platelets, which are particles in the blood, clump together on or near the crack and can form a clot, thus cutting off the blood flow to the heart or brain - thus leading to a heart attack or stroke.

WARNING SIGNS
Symptoms of a heart attack or stroke are not the same for everyone. Also signs of a second heart attack or stroke may be different from those a person experienced the first time.


HEART ATTACK SYMPTOMS

• pain or discomfort in one or both arms, your back, neck, jaw or stomach
• pain or discomfort in the center of your chest that lasts for more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back
• pressure, squeezing or fullness in the chest
• shortness of breath
• nausea, vomiting, cold sweat or dizziness

STROKE SYMPTOMS

• sudden numbness or weakness in your face, arm or leg on one side of your body
• trouble walking or dizziness
• sudden confusion or trouble speaking
• loss of vision in one or both eyes
• sudden, severe headache
• 
  

NOTE: Women's Symptoms May be Different
In addition to the symptoms listed above, Women may also experience such things as:
- unusual fatigue
- sleep disturbance and anxiety 'weeks' before a heart attack

Minutes Matter - Every Second Counts...
If you or a loved one or someone you know are experiencing the symptoms of a heart attack or stroke, have someone drive you or them to the nearest emergency room or in most cases CALL 911. Many people waste valuable time thinking the symptoms aren't serious, but it's important to take action as soon as your symptoms appear. About 50 percent of people who die from a heart attack die within one hour of the onset of symptoms. And, it's no different for stroke patients --every minute that passes increases your risk of serous brain damage or disability.


REDUCE YOUR RISK
10 Lifestyle Changes that You Can Make to Reduce Your Risk of a Heart Attack or Stroke.

1. Reduce High Blood Pressure. If you have high blood pressure, make a plan with your doctor to lower it. Work with your doctor to reduce your current blood pressure.

2. Reduce High Cholesterol. Talk to your doctor about lifestyle changes and medications that can help you get your cholesterol under control.

3. Lose Weight. If you have extra body fat --- especially around your waist--- your risk increases. Losing just 10 pounds can reduce your risk. Make sure to talk to your docor before beginning a wight loss or exercise plan.

4. Be Active. Start slowly and add minutes to your workout everyday. Try to make exercise part or your daily routine. If you have had trouble sticking to an exercise plan in the past, choose activities that you enjoy and recruit friends and family to join you. If you miss a day, don't be discouraged -- just start again the next day.

5. Control your Diabetes. Monitor your blood glucose. The American Diabetes Association recommends that your A1C (the test that measures your average glucose over two or three months) be below 7 percent.

6. Quit Smoking. If you smoke, your risk of having a heart attack doubles. But, after just 24 hours of quitting, your risk goes down. After one year, your risk is half that of a smoker, and after 15 years, your risk will be the same as that of a nonsmoker.

7. Avoid Excessive Alcohol Use. Limit your alcohol intake to one drink per day for women (two for men). One drink is equal to 12 oz of beer, 4 oz o wine, or 1.5 oz of 80-proof liquor.

8. Reduce Stress. High stress levels can contribute to heart disease. Take steps to reduce stress in your life, and consider practicing relaxation techniques, such as yoga or meditation or getting a periodic massage.

9. Eat a Healthy Diet. Talk to your doctor abut developing a plan to help you eat a diet high in fruits and vegetables, and low in sodium. Read nutritional labels on packaged food, and pay close attention to total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol and sodium.

10. Talk Openly to Your Doctor. It's normal to experience anger, guilt or depression after having a heart attack or stroke. Your doctor can help.

For additional information and resources visits the Websites below:

- American Heart Association ~~ www.americanheart.org
- American Stroke Association ~~ www.strokeassociation.org


Information from Healthy Advise for You and Your Family - 2008 Healthy Advise Networks...


To Your Health & Success !
Miss Julia

JuliaGrayOnLine.com