GET HEART HEALTHY ~ STAY HEART HEALTHY

One important way to manage heart disease and maintain heart health is to make healthy lifestyle choices. Heart disease is one of the most serious health issues affecting American men and women today. As we get older it becomes harder to stay in good health. Consider these lifestyle changes to help you maintain good heart health:

• Control your blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol levels. High blood sugar levels can damage vital organs including your heart. High blood pressure makes it hard for your heart to work properly and bad cholesterol can clog your blood vessels.
• Eat more fruits , vegetables, beans and whole grain.
• Stay active. Build up to exercise sessions of 30-60 minutes several times a week.
• Maintain a healthy weight.

DASH to Good Health ~ Controlling Your Blood Pressure
High Blood Pressure is common in people with heart disease. The centers National Institute for Health have created DASH (Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertention). This is a diet that helps lower your blood pressure with healthy eating and lifestyle changes. The plan includes which foods to eat for heart health, recipes to make tasty and nutritious meals and exercise tips for any age or fitness level.

Get Active
Exercise is another important part of a heart healthy lifestyle. When you exercise, your body releases endorphins that help reduce stress and promote a sense of well- being. Exercise can also help lower your ‘bad’ cholesterol, raise your ‘good’ cholesterol, improve your blood sugar control and reduce your blood pressure. Here are some ways to get more active throughout the day:

• Leave the elevator and make more trips up and down stairs.
• Choose a parking spot that’s further away than usual.
• Walk together with a friend.
• Use part of your lunch break at work to walk for 10 minutes.
• Play active games with your kids or grandkids.

Heart Health for the Whole Family
When it comes to heart health, what is good for you is good for the whole family including the very youngest members. By teaching your children, grandchildren and other young family members the importance of eating well and getting regular physical activity, you will help them develop healthy habits for a lifetime.

Let them see you eating healthy nutritious snacks and enjoying outdoor activities. Invite them to join you. Show young children how to clean fruits and vegetables and combine them into salads. Teens can learn to make simple healthy dishes such as pasta, vegetables and baked or broiled chicken and fish.

Try to engage in activities that they enjoy so that won’t think of exercise as a chore. Go on outings such as hiking, swimming or bike riding.

Heart Health for a Lifetime
It does not matter how young or old you are. Whatever your age, you need to take action to protect your heart. Do remember to consult your doctor before beginning any diet or exercise program.

For more information visit:  Help in Lowering Your Blood Pressure and Cholesterol


To Your Continued Health and Success!
Miss Julia

JuliaGrayonLine.com

SURVIVING MENOPAUSE (Who Turned Up the Heat?) Part 4~Healthy Living During Menopause

Improve Your Health Whether You Use Hormones or Not

There are a lot of ways to stay healthy during this time in your life. These steps are more likely to keep you healthy than just taking hormones.

Be active and get more exercise. Try to get at least 30 minutes on most days of the week. Try weight-bearing exercises, like walking, running or dancing. If you smoke, quit. Ask your doctor for help.

Eat healthy. Eat lots of whole-grain products, vegetables, and fruits. Choose foods low in fat and cholesterol. Get enough calcium to keep your bones strong. Before menopause you need about 1,000mg of calcium per day. After menopause you need 1,500mg per day. If you drink alcohol, limit it to no more than one drink per day.

Control your weight. Ask your doctor what a healthy weight is for you. Talk with you doctor and get regular checkups.

Discuss bone health. Ask if you're getting enough calcium and vitamin D. Get a Bone Density Test if you are older than 65, or if your doctor says you have a high chance of Osteoporosis. Ask about taking medicine to help preserve bone and slow down bone loss.

Have your blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar checked. Have a breast exam and a breast x-ray (mammogram)

Researchers used to think that thin women have the worse menopausal symptoms. But researchers are now finding that the opposite is true ~ the heavier the woman, the worse some menopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes or night sweats, actually are.

Who should NOT take hormone therapy for menopause ~

Women who

• think they are pregnant
• have problems with vaginal bleeding
• have had certain kinds of cancers (such as breast and uterine cancer)
• have had a stroke or heart attack
• have had blood clots
• have liver disease

Just remember menopause is a normal change in you life. You can feel better by learning all you can about menopause and by talking with your doctor about your health and your symptoms. If you want to treat your symptoms, he or she can teach you more about your options and help you make the best treatment choices.

Part 1 - What's it all About Any?

Part 2 - Treatments for Menopause

Part 3- Practical Ways to Help Your Symptoms

Part 4 ~ Healthy Living During Menopause

To Your Continued Health and Success!

Miss Julia

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