Thursday, March 27, 2008

Tips for healthy heart

Since February is heart month it's appropriate to look at a healthy heart diet. The one that comes to mind is Dr. Dean Ornish's diet. He calls it the Program for Reversing Heart Disease.

Dr. Ornish showed that it is possible to reverse heart disease without drugs and surgery. His plan includes diet, exercise, support groups, meditation and yoga. His quotes a study that showed if you are 5% overweight you are 30 percent more likely to develop heart disease. Those that are moderately overweight have a risk 80 percent higher risk than lean people. And if you are 30 percent overweight you're over 300 percent more likely to contract heart disease.

His research showed that coronary heart disease can be reversed by making different lifestyle choices. The lifestyle changes include diet, stress management, quitting smoking, moderate exercise, and emotional support.

This weight loss program is a more healthful way of living. It is not just a diet with restricted calories. It involves moderate exercise. Note, moderate exercise has most of the same benefits of more intensive exercise without the risk of injury. Moderate exercise helps you lose weight and it strengthens your heart.

Stress management includes relaxation through meditation or yoga. Having a support team to cheer you on and encourage you is a big part of his program. To follow this diet program at home you need the support and encouragement of your family. The average person consumes about 40 percent of calories as fat. Dr. Ornish's diet recommends consuming only 10 percent of your calories as fat.

People in the study using this diet lost an average of twenty-two pounds the first year. On the diet you eat foods that are very low in fat, high in complex carbohydrates, and high in fiber. You avoid foods from animals, oils, high fat dairy, sugar, alcohol and any food with more than 2 grams of fat per serving.

This is pretty much a vegetarian, low fat, high fiber diet. There are no calorie restrictions, just good healthy food. Basically if you change the type of food you eat you to better quality food you can eat more of it. On this diet you eat more often and become healthier. This healthy diet and exercise plan has been shown to reduce blood pressure and cholesterol. It reduces chest pain or angina. And best of all it actually reverses coronary artery disease. It is more effective than traditional methods. The only drawback is that it is very hard to follow.

Dr. Ornish has shown that drugs and surgery are not necessary when people adhere to the program. It may take months to see a reversal in heart disease but you will start to feel better much sooner.

Healthy Hair

Like you, I also want to look and feel my best. One of the drawbacks of being human is that we're always self-conscious about our appearances. We can't help it. Call it thousands of years of scrutiny. It always makes me laugh when I hear someone say that so-and-so made a negative remark concerning their hair, body or image, but they don't care. Uh, sure they don't care. This is as false as statements get. We all care. We simply can't help it. If someone tells you that your teeth look bad, it will bother you. You may force it to the back of your mind, but it will still affect you in some way. The only trick with this game is to hide it as best as you can. Act like it doesn't matter, and give the person no satisfaction. Then you can address the issue on your own and see if it really calls for improvement. My daughter, for example, has issues with her hair. She constantly feels that it looks poor. Although I see a head of healthy hair, she sees a dew that's not quite up-to-par.

Our hair certainly calls for attention. It doesn't matter if you're male or female. You still have to treat your dew with respect if you want it to look nice. Healthy hair is not free. Well, at least not totally free. So what goes into keeping our follicles healthy? This is quite amusing considering they're already dead. Anyway, you should follow certain procedures. Vitamins, minerals, and a healthy diet with plenty of water are imperative for healthy hair. It's called treating from the inside. But, that's not the whole spiel. You also have to take proper measures from the exterior as well. This means quality shampoos, conditioners and hair products. It's imperative to properly cleanse and condition your hair to keep it looking healthy and feeling soft. I doubt you want a head of brittle straw.

So, we've determined that healthy hair is not free of charge. Some legitimate effort goes into keeping your dew primed and ready. One thing you'll want to keep in mind is that your hair may thin as you age. This is natural. But, you may want to take precautions in order to retain the healthy hair you currently have. There are products and treatments that help with this. Ask your physician or beautician for advice.

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Healthy Diet Foods To Improve Memory

There are many foods that help improve the memory power. Consuming these foods not only greatly enhances the memory power of an individual, but assists all round growth of the individual. It is recommended that people consume a healthy diet to maintain a level of intelligence. There are natural products without any artificial additives that help enrich a person's capabilities. For instance, high vitamin and protein rich foods are suggested to people whose performance is below average in an effort to boost their academic performance. This is a commonly accepted practice across the world. Dieticians and physicians suggest the intake of proteins and vitamins with moderate quantity of carbohydrates in an effort to help people with poor intelligence levels. Similarly, there are some agents such as synthetic products that help improve the memory power. However, it is best suggested that people avoid artificial products and opt for natural ways of improving the intelligence and academic performance. They include a variety of vegetables and fruits grown in organic manure. Avoid vegetables and fruits grown with fertilizers and artificial manures since they are laced with chemicals. At the most possible extent use naturally grown fruits and vegetables.

Some of the foods meant for super brains include chocolate, yogurt, spinach, egg plants, red cabbage, broccoli, tomatoes, avocados, egg, green tea, pumpkin seeds, blackberries, strawberries, walnuts, almonds and cashews.

These foods meant for super brains contain a lot of minerals and vitamins that will assist the all round development of an individual. The lack or deficiency in any of these minerals or vitamins could result in poor health condition of the individuals. For instance, the deficiency of Vitamin A could result in night blindness among many people. Doctors recommend food rich in Vitamin A in an effort to improve their condition. Similarly, people lacking Vitamin B are exposed to a condition called Beri Beri. The absence of Vitamin C causes scurvy, especially among the children. The lack of Vitamin D among people results in leads to certain chronic conditions. In an effort to avoid such conditions over a prolonged period, it is recommended that people consume plenty of greens and spinach, which are rich in vitamins and minerals.

Red cabbage is found to be essential for easy flow of blood. Similarly, broccoli improves the iron content in the human body. Strawberries are said to be good at raising the level of thought process in a person. Therefore, doctors recommend a rich diet consisting of a balanced mix of vegetables and fruits, which will help the overall growth of an individual. Similarly, people showing anemic conditions are asked to inculcate a habit of consuming large amounts of naturally grown fruits devoid of any chemicals or fertilizers. It so happens that the addition of vitamins and carbohydrates in such forms have yielded the desired results among people of all age groups. These foods are considered super foods meant for the brain in an effort to enrich the intellectual thought process of an individual.

Easy Healthy Diet Plans For Good Fitness Results

Regardless of where you turn, you're likely to spot some recent coverage of weight loss and dieting. It's virtually inevitable. Click on the television and view the latest infomercial break-through hoopla. I'm sure some pseudo intellectual MD will step out and attempt to sell you a questionable supplement. Most likely it's guaranteed to get those irksome excess pounds off in mere days. Or, flip open that magazine next to you in the check-out isle and scan the newest diet article for middle-aged women. Maybe it has something valid to offer and maybe not. It's often difficult to tell with all the data floating around.

Fitness nuts and exercise gurus will often offer varying information. While it's a cinch to read the latest diet article, how do you know what program is right for you? Well, you may want to look for the individual/specialist who isn't trying to pitch you something. Because let's face it; you can read diet articles and watch infomercials until the sun goes down, but simply listening and reading isn't going to get the job done. If you want my advice, and I'm sure you do; try a qualified personal trainer. Now I do realize that some charge an arm and a leg, but you don't have to go to the most exclusive professionals in the business. What about the personal trainers at your local YMCA? From what I've seen, they generally know just as much as the other guys and gals. Buy a month of sessions with them in order to get on the right track. They can talk to you about diet, and get you started with the ideal fitness program to suit your weak areas that need improvement. This is the route my wife took and she's extremely glad she did at this point. The lady who trained her passed on the knowledge my wife needed to proceed accordingly on her own. Now she doesn't sit around flipping through exercise magazines and reading the latest diet article for tips on weight loss. She goes about her life and does what she needs to do to stay healthy and fit.

It's sad, but you can't always trust a published fitness or diet article. While we might assume these are written by professionals, it's not always the case. Often articles are crafted to sell gimmicks and/or new products. Furthermore, they don't work well for everyone who reads them. Try a personal trainer and learn the process first-hand.