Heart Disease Prevention

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. According to the American Heart Association, at least 58.8 million American suffer from heart disease of any form. Around 950.000 people die every year from cardiovascular causes. It is also a major cause of disability for the survivors. Even though increased age is a risk factor, it's a big misconception to think that heart disease only happens to the elderly. One out of every 20 people below the age of 40 has heart disease.

The good news is that there are many ways to prevent heart disease. Studies show that nearly everyone, even those with unmodifiable risk factors such as old age and racial background, can become more heart healthy by following a few key steps, such as eating a healthy diet, exercising, quitting smoking, and maintaining a healthy body weight.

Quit Smoking

Smoking or tobacco use is one of the most significant risk factors for developing heart disease. Even occasional social smoking increases the chance of getting heart disease, as is exposure to second-hand smoke. Pipe smoking or using low-tar, low-nicotine products does not reduce the risk by much. However, when you quit smoking, your heart disease risk drops dramatically within just one year. No matter how long or how much you smoked, you'll start reaping rewards as soon as you quit.

Exercise regularly

Try getting at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity most days of the week. You can break up your exercise time into three times 10 sessions. Casual activities such as gardening, housekeeping, and taking the stairs all count toward your total.

Eat a heart-healthy diet

Following the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) eating plan can help protect your heart. The diet is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products. Limiting saturated and trans fat will also reduce your LDL cholesterol which plays an important role in the development of heart disease.

Omega-3 fatty acids is a type of polyunsaturated fat that decreases your risk of heart attack by lowering blood pressure and prevents irregular heart beats. Omega-3 is present in salmon, mackerel, flaxseed oil, soybean oil and canola oil. They can also be found in form of food supplements.

Moderate amount of alcohol, such as red wine can have a protective effect on your heart. Limit consumption to no more than two drinks a day for men, and one a day for women.

Maintain a healthy weight

As you put on weight in adulthood, your weight gain mostly consists of fat rather than muscle. Even a small weight loss can be beneficial. Reducing your weight by just 10% can decrease your blood pressure, lower your blood cholesterol level and reduce your risk of diabetes which in turn reduce your overall risk for cardiovascular diseases.

One way to see if your weight is healthy is to calculate your body mass index (BMI). If your BMI is 25 or higher, you have an increased risk of heart disease and stroke. The BMI is a good, but imperfect guide. Muscle weighs more than fat, and women and men who are very muscular and physically fit can have high BMIs without added health risks. Because of that, waist circumference also is a useful tool to measure how much abdominal fat you have. Men are considered overweight if their waist measurement is greater than 40 inches (101 cm). Women are overweight if their waist measurement is greater than 35 inches (88 cm).

Regular screening for heart disease risk factors

Check your blood pressure at least every 2 years starting from 18 years old. Check your cholesterol level every 5 years (more frequently if you are at an increased risk for heart disease) starting from 20 years old. Check your blood sugar level every five years (more frequently if you have other risk factors such as obesity or high blood pressure) starting from age 30 years old.

Exercise For Older Adults and The Elderly

A lot of seniors feel discouraged to do physical exercises because concerns about injury or falls. Sometimes a health condition such as heart disease and osteoarthritis can also prevent them from staying active. Below are some tips to manage exercise for older adults and the elderly.

Find an exercise plan that suits your condition.

Before starting, remember to consult your physician, especially if you have heart problem, bone and joint problem, or metabolic problems such as diabetes. You may need to have some medication adjustment if you are taking any.

Anyone who says elderly people don't need exercise can have a go at grandma.

Start and stop gradually.

Start and stop your exercise session gradually. Avoid doing sudden, intense sudden exercise. Try to prepare yourself with at least 10 minute warm-up before exercising and end your session with another 10 minutes cool down.

Know your limits.

Learn to take hints from your body. Shortness of breath, dizziness, nausea, or feeling shaky means you probably have overexerted yourself and it's time for a break.

Monitor your heart rate during exercise. In order for your body to reap the benefit of aerobic exercises, you will want to reach a target of 50-70% of your maximum heart rate. Your maximum heart rate is 220 subtracted by your age.

Combine different types of exercises

There are four main types of exercise and you need to do a little bit of each. Combining different types of exercise will reduce monotony and increase the overall benefit to your health.

• Cardio-endurance exercises like walking, swimming, hiking, cycling, and dancing improve the health of the heart and circulatory system  
• Strengthening exercises like weight lifting will build muscle tissue and prevent osteoporosis
• Flexibility like exercises stretching or bouncing  keep the body limber and increases your range of movement.
• Balance exercises like yoga and tai chi improve your posture and reduce the chances of a fall.

Stick to the plan.

Commit yourself to an exercise schedule for at least 3 or 4 weeks so that it becomes habit. Try to focus and keep yourself motivated towards your goals.

Managing Diabetes

Diabetes management aims to keep your blood sugar in control through various measures, from diet and lifestyle changes to medications and insulin injection. When it comes to diabetes, blood sugar control is often the central theme. After all, keeping your blood sugar level within your target range can help you live a long and healthy life. But do you know what makes your blood sugar level rise and fall?

Dietary Habit

By now you're probably getting bored of me stating the obvious, but healthy eating is the most important part of any diabetes management plan. It's not just about the quality and quantity of the foods you eat, the meal schedule matters too.

Blood sugar level peaks around two hours after meal then begins to fall after that. If you keep to a regular schedule by eating at the same time every day and dividing your total daily calories into several small meals at regular times, you can control the fluctuation of your blood sugar level.

Stick to the DASH (Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension) eating plan because it's also the best diet for diabetes. It's well balanced, have the right mix of carbohydrate, fruits, vegetable, and lower fat. Always remember to coordinate your meals and your medication, especially if you're using insulin to avoid low blood sugar (hypoglycemia).

Physical Activity

Staying physically active improves your body's response to insulin.

Regular exercise is another important part of your diabetes management plan. Regular physical activity improves your body's response to insulin. This is especially important in people with type 2 diabetes. When you exercise, your muscles take up the excess glucose and turn them into energy.

Pick the type of exercise that is appropriate with your condition. If you have a heart problem or sores in your feet, consult your physician first. Pay attention to your blood sugar levels before, during, and after exercise and recognize the signs of low blood sugar such as hunger, weakness, lightheadedness, anxiety, and fatigue. Bring an emergency snack or glucose pill with you when you're exercising. Drink plenty of water or isotonic fluids to prevent dehydration that can affect blood sugar levels.

Medication

Diabetes medications and insulin are used only when diet and exercise are not enough to control your blood sugar. If you have type 1 diabetes, then insulin must be included in your treatment plan. If you have type 2 diabetes, you may take either oral anti-diabetic medication (as a single drug or in combination) and/or insulin in combination.

pre-filled insulin pen to deliver insulin

Insulin works by increasing glucose uptake into your cells. There are many types of insulin which differ in how they act and how long they stay in your body. Oral anti-diabetic agents may either increase the amount of insulin secreted by the pancreas, increase the sensitivity of your organs to insulin, or decrease the absorption of glucose from the gastrointestinal tract.

Anti-diabetic drugs, like other type of pharmacological agents, may interact with other medications such as anti-hypertensive agents and birth control pills. Always consult your doctor to find the right medications for you and minimize drug interactions and side effects.

Stress

Psychological stress increases the production of stress hormones in body. These hormones may prevent insulin from working properly and increase your blood sugar level. Learn to manage your stress by relaxation techniques, learning coping strategies, setting limits and prioritizing tasks.

Illness, menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause may also put your body under extra stress. Anticipate to take extra measures to control your blood sugar during any of these conditions.

A Small List of Easy Exercises

Continuing from my last post about easy and enjoyable exercise, here are some examples of the easy exercises that will keep you healthy on the long run. Or if you're looking forward to weight loss, these are the the most healthy ways to do it. So, get up and leave your cozy couches behind to try these out:

1. House-cleaning

Why is it on top of the list? Because other than burning the calories, you'll have your home neat and tidy in no time. Mop the floor, vacuum the dust, move that stack of useless junk elsewhere. You can lose over 200 calories per hour if you put your back on it. 

Don't underestimate house-cleaning. Lose up to 200 calories per hour just by mopping the floor!

2. Aerobics

This type of exercise primarily targets the hip, bum and legs which most women want to tone up. It's also good for your cardiovascular health. Make sure you do it regularly. Just fifteen minutes of aerobics will take 200 calories off you.

3. Walking

This one is probably the easiest one to do and you may not realized that you're actually burning carbs while doing it. Make a few rounds in your house or go out to get some fresh air in the park. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. If you take the bus, get down a few stops earlier and walk rest of the distance. To get the most out of walking, try to walk faster than a stroll. However, even walking as slow as 2.5 Mph for an hour will burn off 200 calories.

4. Swimming

Another fun way to burn the calories. Swimming makes good work of most muscle groups in your body. If you increase the pace, you’ll get a good aerobic exercise with less strains on your joints. It's especially helpful if you have back or knee pain, but want to find ways to stay physically active. Going back and forth the length of the pool for half an hour burn around 400 calories.

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Other articles in exercise:

• In the year 2008 physical inactivity was responsible for the deaths of 5.3 million. These deaths could be avoided if only people would take 150 minutes or more of moderate exercise weekly. Read more about physical inactivity and the problems it brings
• Ever find yourself in need of a push to get you up in the morning and do some physical exercise? Read more about how to make exercise easy and enjoyable
• A lot of seniors feel discouraged to do physical exercises because concerns about injury or falls. Sometimes a health condition such as heart disease and osteoarthritis can also prevent them from staying active. Read more about exercise for older adults and the elderly
  

Physical Inactivity Is A Serious Health Problem

How serious of a health problem is physical inactivity?

In the year 2008 physical inactivity, or lack of exercise, was responsible for the deaths of 5.3 million, almost ten percent of the total annual death from all around the world. As if that wasn't scary enough, today lack of physical activity kills as many people as smoking. And that's saying something. 

The death caused by physical inactivity could be avoided if only people would take a total of 150 minutes or more of moderate exercise weekly, which calculates down to approximately 25-30 minutes a day. If you lead an active daily life, you may even don't have to exclusively spare some time to work out. Taking the stairs instead of the elevator in your office, for example. Read all about it in my previous entry how exercise can be made easy and enjoyable.

climbing stairs

What diseases can be prevented with regular physical exercise?

The four major disease that are related to physical inactivity are coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, bowel cancer and breast cancer. Around 6% of coronary heart disease cases are associated with physical inactivity. The number varies from 3.2% in southeast Asia to 7.8% in the eastern Mediterranean. Around 7% of type 2 diabetes cases (ranging from 3.9% to 9.6%), around 10% of breast cancer cases (5.6%-14.1%) and (5.7%-13.8%) colon cancer cases are linked to lack of exercise.

if you ever need a push to get out of bed...

"Physical inactivity affects both your physical and mental health." 

Not only that physical inactivity detrimental to your physical health, it also have a negative impact on your mental health. Researcher suggests that people who are physically inactive are twice more likely to suffer from depression. It also suggests that there is a connection between physical activity and the incidence of Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia. People who were physically active have 30-40% lower risk of developing dementia as they get older compared to people who were inactive. This effect was seen in both women and men despite of their education and socioeconomic status.

So if you ever find yourself in need of a push to get you up in the morning and do some exercise, remember that physical inactivity is a serious health problem and you could actually die or contract dementia from it.

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Other articles in exercise:

• A lot of seniors feel discouraged to do physical exercises because concerns about injury or falls. Sometimes a health condition such as heart disease and osteoarthritis can also prevent them from staying active. Read more about exercise for older adults and the elderly
• Even though they may not look like much of a calorie burner, these activities are just as effective as the more complicated exercises. Read more about this small list of easy exercises
• Obesity increases the risk for cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, and interferes with a person's normal functioning and quality of life. Read more about obesity overview
  

Exercise Made Easy (and Enjoyable)

Believe it or not, the hardest part is to get it going in the first place.

You wake up in the morning with the resolution to exercise only to find yourself dragging your feet to the couch some five minutes later. This article will provide you some tips to make your exercise easy and enjoyable.

Start gradually.

First of all, start out slowly and increase your activity gradually over time. This will help your body adjust and avoid injury. Start with 30 minutes of moderate cardio exercise each day. You can divide it into three 10 sessions if you're not able to go through it all at once. However if you do this, make sure you do reach around 75% of the maximum heart rate for your age. The maximum heart rate is calculated as 220 minus your age.

Move around whenever and wherever you can.

Try to include physical activity into your schedule whenever you can. For example, walk to the office or take the stairs instead of the elevator. By making a conscious effort to stay on the move, you may find yourself fulfilling the recommended amount of physical activity for the day without having to set aside exclusive time and place to exercise.

Bring a company to an active leisure time like bicycle riding.

Look forward to fun.

Select activities you find satisfying and that give you a feeling of accomplishment. Bring your friend or family into an active leisure time such as walking in a garden, riding a bike, swimming, or group sports. Their company will encourage you and they too will enjoy the health benefits of physical activity.

Stay comfy.

Try to make yourself comfortable as much as you can during exercise. Wear good fitting shoes with padded soles and don't wear anything too tight of a clothing. There's nothing wrong about wanting to look pretty and stylish when you're exercising, but if you had to make a choice between fashion and comfort, pick comfort.

Put on the beat.

Listen to music when you're exercising. An inspiring music can sometimes make a difference between a boring and exciting exercise session. It will also drive away monotonous feeling.

Know your body.

Most importantly, make sure your activities are compatible with your age and physical condition. Consult your physician if you are not sure about which type of exercise that will suit you. He or she will point you down the right direction to start and give you advices to avoid injuries.

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Other articles in exercise:

• Even though they may not look like much of a calorie burner, these activities are just as effective as the more complicated exercises. Read more about this small list of easy exercises
• A lot of seniors feel discouraged to do physical exercises because concerns about injury or falls. Sometimes a health condition such as heart disease and osteoarthritis can also prevent them from staying active. Read more about exercise for older adults and the elderly
• In the year 2008 physical inactivity was responsible for the deaths of 5.3 million. These deaths could be avoided if only people would take 150 minutes or more of moderate exercise weekly. Read more about physical inactivity and the problems it brings