SEVEN DONT'S AFTER A MEAL

1. Do not smoke after a meal! Experiments from experts prove that smoking a cigarette after a meal is comparable to smoking TEN cigarettes (Chances of Cancer are higher).

2.Do not eat fruits immediately after meals. It will bloat your stomach. Therefore have your fruits one or two hours before or after your meal.

3.Do not drink tea after a meal as tea leaves contain a high content of acid. This substance will cause the protein content in the food we consume to be hardened; making it difficult to digest.

4.Do not loosen your belt after eating. Loosening the belt after a meal can cause intestinal problems.

5.Do not bathe after eating. Bathing will cause the increase of blood flow to the hands, legs and body thereby causing the amount of blood around the stomach to decrease. This will weaken the digestive system in our stomach.

6.Do not walk after a meal even though you have heard people say that after a meal, walking a hundred steps will make you live till 99. Walking immediately after a meal will make it difficult for the digestive system to absorb the nutrition from the food we eat. Wait at least an hour after your meal and then walk if you want to.

7.Do not sleep immediately. The intake of food will not be able to digest properly thereby leading to gastro-intestinal problems.

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pervention is better than cure

Top Five Cancer Causing Food

1. Hot dogs
Because they are high in nitrates, the Cancer Prevention Coalition advises that children eat no more than 12 hot dogs a month. If you can't live without hot dogs, buy those made without sodium nitrate.

2. Processed meats and bacon
Also high in the same sodium nitrates found in hot dogs, bacon, and other processed meats raise the risk of heart disease. The saturated fat in bacon also contributes to cancer.

3. Doughnuts
Doughnuts are cancer-causing double trouble. First, they are made with white flour, sugar, and hydrogenated oils, then fried at high temperatures. Doughnuts, says Adams , may be the worst food you can possibly eat to raise your risk of cancer.

4. French fries
Like doughnuts, French fries are made with hydrogenated oils and then fried at high temperatures. They also contain cancer- causing acryl amides which occur during the frying process. They should be called cancer fries, not French fries, said Adams .

5. Chips, crackers, and cookies
All are usually made with white flour and sugar. Even the ones whose labels claim to be free of trans-fats generally contain small amounts of trans-fats.



============ ========= ========= ========= ========= ========= =========
BRAIN DAMAGING HABITS


1. No Breakfast
People who do not take breakfast are going to have a lower blood sugar level.
This leads to an insufficient supply of nutrients to the brain causing brain degeneration.

2. Overeating
It causes hardening of the brain arteries, leading to a decrease in mental power.

3. Smoking
It causes multiple brain shrinkage and may lead to Alzheimer disease.

4. High Sugar consumption
Too much sugar will interrupt the absorption of proteins and nutrients causing malnutrition and may interfere with brain development.

5. Air Pollution
The brain is the largest oxygen consumer in our body. Inhaling polluted air decreases the supply of oxygen to the brain, bringing about a decrease in brain efficiency.

6. Sleep Deprivation
Sleep allows our brain to rest. Long term deprivation from sleep will accelerate the death of brain cells.
7. Head covered while sleeping
Sleeping with the head covered increases the concentration of carbon dioxide and decrease concentration of oxygen that may lead to brain damaging effects.

8. Working your brain during illness
Working hard or studying with sickness may lead to a decrease in effectiveness of the brain as well as damage the brain.

9. Lacking in stimulating thoughts
Thinking is the best way to train our brain, lacking in brain stimulation thoughts may cause brain shrinkage.

10. Talking Rarely
Intellectual conversations will promote the efficiency of the brain

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Heart Attacks And Drinking Warm Water

This Study is not only about the warm water after your meal, but about Heart Attacks . The Chinese and Japanese drink hot tea with their meals, not cold water, maybe it is time we adopt their drinking habit while eating..



For those who like to drink cold water, this article is applicable to you. It is nice to have a cup of cold drink after a meal.. However, the cold water will solidify the oily stuff that you have just consumed. It will slow down the digestion. Once this 'sludge' reacts with the acid, it will break down and be absorbed by the intestinefaster than the solid food. It will line the intestine... Very soon, this will turn into fats and lead to cancer. It is best to drink hot soup or warm water after a meal.

Common Symptoms Of Heart Attack...

A serious note about heart attacks
You should know that not every heart attack symptom is going to be the left arm hurting .. Be aware of intense painin the jaw line.
You may never have the first chest pain during the course of a heart attack. Nausea and intense sweating are also common symptoms. 60% of people who have a heart attack while they are asleep do not wake up. Pain in the jaw can wake you from a sound sleep.. Let's be careful and be aware. The more we know the better chance we could survive.

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High Cholesterol: Tips to Protect Yourself

High Cholesterol: Heart-Healthy Diet

Learn how to eat a heart-healthy diet and reduce your risk of heart disease.

By paying close attention to what you eat, you can reduce your chance of developing atherosclerosis, the blocked arteries that cause heart disease. If the artery-clogging process has already begun, you can slow the rate at which it progresses. With very careful lifestyle modifications, you can even stop or reverse the narrowing of arteries.

While this is very important for everyone at risk for heart disease, it is even more important if you have had a heart attack and/or procedure to restore blood flow to your heart or other areas of your body, such as angioplasty, bypass surgery or carotid surgery. Following prevention advice can protect against restenosis, or the re-narrowing of your arteries.

Feed Your Heart Well

Feeding your heart well is a powerful way to reduce or even eliminate some risk factors. Adopting a heart-healthy diet can help reduce total and LDL cholesterol (the "bad" cholesterol), lower blood pressure, lower blood sugars, and reduce body weight. While most dietary plans just tell you what you CAN'T eat (usually your favorite foods!), the most powerful nutrition strategy helps you focus on what you CAN eat. In fact, heart disease research has shown that adding heart-saving foods is just as important as cutting back on others.

Here are 5 nutrition strategies to lower your cholesterol and reduce your risk of heart disease:

1.Eat more vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes.

These wonders of nature may be one of the most powerful strategies in fighting heart disease.

2.Choose fat calories wisely.

Keep these goals in mind: Limit total fat grams; Eat a bare minimum of saturated fats and trans-fatty acids (for example, fats found in butter, salad dressing, sweets and desserts); When you use added fat, use fats high in monounsaturated fats (for example, fats found in olive and peanut oil).

3.Eat a variety -- and just the right amount -- of protein foods.

Commonly eaten protein foods (meat, dairy products) are among the main culprits in increasing heart disease risk. Reduce this nutritional risk factor by balancing animal, fish and vegetable sources of protein.

4.Limit cholesterol consumption.

Dietary cholesterol can raise blood cholesterol levels, especially in high-risk people. Limiting dietary cholesterol has an added bonus: You'll also cut out saturated fat, as cholesterol and saturated fat are usually found in the same foods. Get energy by eating complex carbohydrates (whole wheat pasta, brown or wild rice, whole-grain breads) and limit simple carbohydrates (regular soft drinks, sugar, sweets). If you have high cholesterol, these simple carbohydrates exacerbate the condition and may increase your risk for heart disease.

5.Feed your body regularly.

Skipping meals often leads to overeating. For some, eating five to six mini-meals may help keep cravings in check, help control blood sugars and regulate metabolism. This approach may not be as effective for those who are tempted to overeat every time they are exposed to food. For these individuals, three balanced meals a day may be a better approach.

Other Heart-Healthy Strategies

1.Reduce salt intake.

This will help control your blood pressure.
2.Exercise.
The human body was meant to be active.
Exercise strengthens the heart muscle, improves blood flow, reduces high blood pressure, raises HDL cholesterol ("good" cholesterol), and helps control blood sugars and body weight.

3.Hydrate.

Water is vital to life. Staying hydrated makes you feel energetic and eat less. Drink 32 to 64 ounces (one to two liters) of water daily (unless you are fluid restricted).

4.Enjoy every bite.
Your motto should be dietary enhancement, not deprivation. When you enjoy what you eat, you feel more positive about life, which helps you feel better and less likely to overindulge.

How Much Is a Serving?

When you're trying to follow an eating plan that's good for your heart, it may help to know how much of a certain kind of food is considered a "serving." The following table offers some examples.



SERVING SIZES


Reviewed by the doctors at The Cleveland Clinic Heart Center.
This content is selected and controlled by WebMD's editorial staff and is funded by Pfizer.

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Health and Exercise --- Life Long Process

Photo by matchstickvideo

Exercise is a must through out the life to remain always fit.No doctor will guarantee that you will live longer if you are fit but will tell you that you will live better if you are fit.You can do your daily routines better or as you wish if you are fit.There is direct relationship between health and fitness.Exercise should be done properly and consistently.Cardiovascular fitness should be the prime.

There are so many problems which one can halt or even reverse through proper eating habits and a regular exercise programme to improve the cardio vascular endurance,muscle strength and flexibility.No matter how long its been since you did any regular exercise,your muscles( including your heart) are still just as responsive to it today as they were when you were 20.Start training them on regular basis and you’ll see gains in both strength and endurance.This is true no matter what age you are.

Exercise need not be strenuous or painful.Just light exercise do the miracle.Doctors find that even bed ridden patients who are as out of shape as anyone can quickly double or even treble there aerobic capacity to utilize oxygen with a couple of months of regular, light exercise.

If you really want to maximize your health you’ll need to start working out just half an hour a day.The Harvard analysis concluded that the people who burned 1500 calories a week or more by exercising had 25 percent lower death rate than those who expended less than 1500 calories per week.This is due to reduced rate of heart attacks and cardiovascular disease, since regular exercise improves cholestrol levels and also enhances general circulation.Your heart muscles will also grow stronger and pump more blood with each contraction.

Exercise should be a life long process and one must keep the exercise continue throughout the life vigorous or mild as per the age levels.

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Your Love Life and Coffee

Caffeine and how it can affect Your Love LifeBy Rallie McAllister


Photo By: Ahmed Rabea
If you would rather wake up to Mr. Coffee than to your dearly beloved, you’re probably hooked on caffeine. Scientists have officially proclaimed you an addict if you habitually consume more than 250 milligrams (mg) of caffeine a day, the amount in just two cups of coffee. If you’re an addict, you’re not alone. Caffeine is the most widely consumed drug—that’s right, drug—in North America, rivaled only by nicotine and alcohol. Americans drink more coffee than any other people in the world. The upside to all this caffeine consumption is that coffee gets us moving every morning. Low to moderate doses (30 to 200 mg) boost energy, wakefulness, and even improve some aspects of physical and mental performance.

Coffee: Health Impact
The downside is that caffeine is an addictive drug. Missing a single coffee break can send you into a well-defined withdrawal syndrome with symptoms like lethargy, irritability and a killer headache. Caffeine is a fairly potent stimulant, and drinking it too close to bedtime may cost you a few Zs. A single cup of coffee boosts your metabolic rate and increases blood pressure, heart rate and adrenaline levels. The paradoxical sense of relaxation you get with that first cup each morning results from the undoing of the early symptoms of withdrawal. Coffee seems like a necessity, but there’s no recommended daily requirement for it, and it hasn’t been recognized as an official food group. In fact, coffee interferes with the absorption of important nutrients in your diet.
Caffeine prevents your kidneys from reabsorbing calcium, pulling it away from your bones and rerouting it to your toilet. If you want to replace the calcium wasted by a single cup of coffee, you’ll need to add a half-cup of milk to each serving. Drinking coffee costs you iron, too. Compounds in coffee called polyphenols bind iron in the digestive tract and prevent its absorption. Drinking coffee around mealtime can reduce iron absorption from food by almost 40 percent.

Coffee and the Heart
The caffeine in coffee has been accused of far more serious offenses, including causing cancers of the breast, colon, and pancreas, but these reports appear to be groundless. There is, however, some hard evidence linking coffee to high cholesterol. Hard-core coffee drinkers can lower their cholesterol by as much as 13 percent just by giving up their Java. Coffee is thought to play an important role in cardiovascular disease. Drinking three to four cups of coffee a day may bump your risk of heartattack to twice the average, and drinking more than five cups a day can drive your risk to nearly three times the average.

Coffee and Sex
As far as your sexuality is concerned, a single cup of coffee or caffeine-containing beverage may give you more energy and stamina for sexual activity, thereby enhancing your performance and overall enjoyment. When athletes drink three or four cups of coffee about an hour before they compete, they can outlast caffeine-free competitors by up to 20 minutes. This affect on athletic performance is real—so real that the International Olympic Committee has classified caffeine as a “restricted drug.” Competitors are allowed to use caffeine, as long as they don’t overdo it.
The rest of us can benefit from a little moderation as well. Consuming too much caffeine on a regular basis leads to chronic over-stimulation of the adrenal glands, flooding the body and brain with hormones normally produced in times of stress. These hormones are known to negatively impact libido and sexual performance.
If you’re like most coffee addicts, you probably have no idea how much caffeine you consume on a daily basis. Cup for cup, brewed coffee is the richest source of caffeine. And remember, a cup means just that—a measuring cup—not that two-gallon plastic monstrosity you got for your last birthday. One cup of brewed coffee has 80 to 180 milligrams (mg) of caffeine, depending on how strong you make it. Instant coffee provides about 60 to 100 mg of caffeine, and tea has 25 to 75 mg per cup. The caffeine content of a 12 ounce soda ranges from 30 to 60 mg, and even decaffeinated coffee isn’t totally caffeine free: most brands have one to five mg of caffeine per cup.
If you need a calculator to determine your caffeine intake, there’s no doubt you’re hooked. As with other drugs, too much caffeine can be dangerous, but you’d have to drink about 75 cups of coffee at your next coffee break to sustain a lethal dose. If you’re getting close, maybe it’s time to think about cutting down.
The views expressed here are the author’s own. All copywright issues for the above excerpt to be addressed to anne@netconnectpublicity.com.
Article Source:http://www.webhealthcentre.com/general/diet_nutrition_caffeine.asp

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Food Types and Their Nutritional Power

Food Types and NutrientsFood can be classified according to their functions:

Energy giving foods
Body building foods
Protective and regulatory foods

Food groups comprise Basic Four, Basic Five, Basic Seven, Basic Nine and Basic Eleven Food Group Plans.

The nine-group plan is listed below.

1. Cereal and Millet
Some examples are rice, wheat, ragi, bajra, jowar, corn and all products made from these such as cereal flakes, puffed cereals, noodles, macaroni, bread, pizza bread and cakes.

2. Pulse, Lentil and Legume
Some examples are black, red and green gram, bengal gram, cowpea, peas and rajma.

3. Milk and Milk Products
Some examples are cow's milk, buffalo milk, goat's milk, butter, ghee, paneer, cheese, kheer, payasam, rabdi, basundi and similar foods.

4. Nut and OilseedSome examples are groundnut, cashew nut, walnut, pistachio and badam.

5. Fat and OilSome examples are groundnut oil, coconut oil, sesame (gingelly) oil, sunflower, safflower oil, butter and ghee. Fat can be visible fat, like oil. There is also invisible fat that cannot be seen but is consumed. For example, nuts and oil seeds also contain fat. Fat could be vegetable fat or animal fat.

6. VegetablesThere are four different groups of vegetables:
Green leafy vegetables - such as spinach, lettuce, coriander and mint.
Roots - such as beetroot, carrot and radish.
Tubers - such as potatoes, yams, onions and colocasia.
Other vegetables - such as cucumber, tomato, ladies finger and brinjal.

7. FruitsThere are four different groups of fruits:
Yellow and orange fruits - such as papaya and mango.
Citrus fruits - such as oranges, lemons.
Dry fruits - such as figs, dates, raisins.
Other fruits - such as banana, pineapple, grapes.

8. Herbs, Condiments and SpicesSome examples are fenugreek, turmeric, tamarind, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and pepper.

9. Meat, Poultry and SeafoodSome examples are mutton, chicken, eggs and all edible birds, fish, crab, lobsters and shrimp.

The food that you consume provides essential chemical compounds called nutrients. Some of these are:
Carbohydrates - energy giving
Protein - body building
Fats - energy storing
Minerals - protective and regulatory
Vitamins - protective and regulatory
Water

Nutrients and Food Powers Chart

Food Type	Nutrients Present	Powers
cereal and millet	major carbohydrate source; also provides fat	energy giving
pulse, lentil and legume	major protein source; also provides fat and carbohydrate	body building
milk and its products	major protein source; also provides fat and carbohydrate	body building, energy giving
nut and oilseed	major fat source; also provides protein	energy storing, body building
fat and oil	major fat source	energy storing
vegetables	major source of vitamins and minerals	protective & regulatory
fruits	major source of vitamins and minerals	protective & regulatory
herbs, condiments and spices	Phytochemicals
meat, poultry and seafood	major protein source; also provides a significant amount of fat	body building, energy storing

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Heart Care Tips for Healthy Heart

By Dr. Devi Prasad Shetty
A leading heart surgeon in India

Q What are the five thumb rules for a layman to take care of his heart
A. 1. Diet – Less of carbohydrate, more of protein, less oil.
2. Exercise – half an hour’s walk, at least five days a week. Avoid lifts and avoid sitting for a long time.
3. Quit smoking
4. Control weight
5. Control blood pressure and sugar.

Q Is eating non-veg food (fish) good for the heart?
A. No

Q. It’s still a grave shock to hear that some apparently healthy person get a cardiac arrest. How do we understand it in perspective?
A. This is called silent attack. That is why, we recommend everyone past the age of 30 to undergo routine health check-ups.

Q Are heart diseases hereditary?
A. Yes

Q What are the ways in which the heart is stressed? What practices do you suggest to de-stress?
A. Change your attitude towards life. Do not look for perfection in everything in life.

Q Is walking better than jogging or is more intensive exercise required to keep a healthy heart?
A. Walking is better than jogging since jogging leads to early fatigue and injury to joints.

Q You have done so much for the poor and needy. What has inspired you to do so?
A. Mother Theresa, who was my patient.

Q Can people with low blood pressure suffer heart diseases?
A. Extremely rare.

Q Does cholesterol accumulate right from an early age (I’m currently only 22) or do you have to worry about it only after you are above 30 years of age?
A. Cholesterol accumulates from childhood.

Q How do irregular eating habits affect the heart?
A. You tend to eat junk food when the habits are irregular and your body’s enzyme releases for digestion gets confused.

Q Can a healthy person without a medical history have a heart attack due to stress?
A. Extremely rare

Q How can I control cholesterol content without using medicines?
A. Control diet, walk and eat walnut.

Q Can yoga prevent heart ailments?
A. Yoga helps.

Q, which is the best and worst food for the heart?
A. Best food is fruits, worst are oils.

Q If a person has undergone angioplasty, what are the chances of the stent getting displaced?
A. Stent doesn’t get displaced. It can get blocked. You could prevent it by controlling sugar, cholesterol and taking medication to prevent clots.

Q Do negative emotions like depression or anger always cause heart disease?
A. Not always. On the other hand, positive emotions help recovery of the heart.

Q I have read about music therapy for the heart and the mind. What is your opinion on this?
A. Guess, it helps.

Q Which oil is better – gingili, groundnut, sunflower, saffola, olive?
A. All oils are bad. The so-called best oil company has the largest marketing budget.

Q What is the routine check-up one should go through? Is there any specific test?
A. Routine blood test to ensure sugar, cholesterol is ok. Check BP, Treadmill test after an echo.

Q How different was it in treating Noor Fatima, the little kid from Pakistan?
A. It was extremely difficult because of the media attention. As far as the medical treatment is concerned, she was like any other child with a complex heart problem.

Q What are the first aid steps to be taken on a heart attack ?
A. Help the person into a sleeping position, put an Aspirin tablet under the tongue with a Sorbitrate tablet if available, and rush him to coronary care unit since the maximum casualty takes place within the first hour.

Q How do you differentiate between pain caused by a heart attack and that cause due to gastric trouble ?
A. Extremely difficult without ECG.

Q Can drinking less water lead to heart problems ?
A. No. However, drinking plenty of water in normal people helps preserve good health.

Q Is it true that diabetic women seem to have 3 to 7 times greater risk of developing heart diseases than non-diabetic women? Is it the same with high BP patients as well ?
A. Women are protected by the hormones till the age of 45. After that, their risk increases like men and in general, the result of treatment on heart patients who are women is slightly poorer than men.

Q What are some of the precautions during pregnancy to avoid heart problems in the new born ?
A. German measles, which causes congenital abnormalities in the babies. No smoking.

Q What is the main cause of a steep increase in heart problems amongst youngsters? I see people of about 30-40 years of age having heart attacks and serious heart problems.
A. Increased awareness has increased incidents. Also, sedentary lifestyles, smoking, junk food, lack of exercise in a country where people are genetically three times more vulnerable for heart attacks than Europeans and Americans.

Q What is the right time to check the BP in any person?
A. Past the age of 30 and earlier, if you have symptoms.

Q Is it possible for a person for a person to have BP outside the normal range of 120/80 and yet to be perfectly healthy ?
A. Yes

Q Are there any symptoms for heart problems, which we need to be aware of ?
A. Shortness of breath on exertion, and chest pain.

Q If a person has had a heart attack, how frequently is regular heart check-up recommend?
A. Once in 6 months.

Q Marriages within close relatives can lead to heart problems for the child. Is it true?
A. Yes, co-sanguinity leads to congenital abnormalities and you may not have a software engineer as a child.

Q Many of us have an irregular daily routine and many a time we have to stay in office till late nights. Does this affect our heart? What precautions would you recommend?
A. When you are young, nature protects you against all these irregularities. However, as you grow older, respect the biological clock.

Q How can we find out about blockage of arteries, beforehand?
A. Routine cardiac evaluation by blood test, ECGs, TMTs, Stress Thallium Scan, Cardiac CT Scan for Calcium score.

Q Does a recurring pain in the left arm signify any heart related ailment?
A. Usually, you get chest discomfort or shortness of breath, months or years before the heart attack. So, when in doubt, go for a heart check-up, which should not take more than a couple of hours.

Q Will taking anti-hypertensive drugs cause some other complications (short/long term) ?
A. Yes, most drugs have some side effects. However, modern anti-hypertensive drugs are extremely safe.

Q Will consuming more coffee/tea lead to heart attacks?
A. No

Q What are the chances of lean people developing heart complications? Are they at less risk?
A. Obese people are at a higher risk. Lean people also develop heart attacks, but primarily because of genetic predisposition.

Q Is it true that after open-heart surgery, patients lose memory-recall to some extent?
A. No. Especially after bypass grafting on a beating heart, incidence of neurological problems have come down significantly.

Q Are Asthma patients more prone to heart disease?
A. No

Q How would you define junk food?
A. Fried food like Kentucky, McDonalds, Samosas, and even Masala Dosas.

Q You mentioned that Indians are three times more vulnerable. What is the reason for this, as Europeans and Americans also eat a lot of junk food ?
A. Every race is vulnerable to some disease and unfortunately Indians are vulnerable for the most expensive disease.

Q Does consuming bananas help reduce hypertension?
A. No

Q Is there any cure for chronic palpitations?
A. The patient should be investigated and if there is a cause for palpitation like an electrical abnormality of the heart, this can be rectified by a procedure called radio-frequency-ablation.

Q How would you rate the health facilities currently available in India?
A. There are institutions, which are as good or even better than the one in the US and Europe. However, they are exceptions. In general, the qualities of health-care available to the masses are poor.

Q If there is a small hole in the heart, what are the possible ways of curing it? Is operation the only solution?
A. Small holes in children less than 6 months of age usually closes. But the decision not to operate should be taken by the specialists who are experts in treating children with heart problems.

Q Are emotions really controlled by heart?
A. No. The heart is just a slave of the brain and it is the brain, which controls the emotions.

Q If a person does not do any physical exercise, he is bound to have shortness of breath on exertion; say climbing stairs. Is this an indication of heart disease?
A. No. But if one has difficulty in breathing on mild exertion, it is better to go for a heart check-up.

Q Can a person help himself during a heart attack?
A. Yes. Lie down comfortably and put an aspirin tablet of any description under the tongue and ask someone to take you to the nearest coronary-care-unit without any delay and do not wait for the ambulance since most of the time, the ambulance does not turn up.

Q Do, in any way, low white-blood-cells and low hemoglobin-count lead to heart problems?
A. No. But it is ideal to have normal hemoglobin level to increase your exercise capacity.

Q Sometimes, due to the hectic schedule, we are not able to exercise. So, does walking while doing daily chores at home or climbing the stairs in the house, work as a substitute for exercise?
A. Certainly. Avoid sitting continuously for more than half an hour and even the act of getting out of the chair and going to another chair and sitting helps a lot.

Q Is there a relation between heart problems and blood sugar?
A. Yes. A strong relationship is there since diabetics are more vulnerable to heart attacks than non-diabetics.

Q Do bypass surgeries reduce the risk of future heart attacks ?
A. It significantly reduces the risk of heart attack.

Q What are the things one needs to take care of after a heart oeration?
A. Diet, exercise, drugs on time. Control Cholesterol, BP and weight.

Q Are people working on night shifts more vulnerable to heart disease when compared to day shift workers?
A. No.

Q Can you brief us about angina attack? How major it is?
A. Angina is the pain, which comes on exertion and goes away with rest and medication. One has to be investigated in detail to plan treatment.

Q What are the modern anti-hypertensive drugs?
A. There are hundreds of drugs and your doctor will chose the right combination for your problem. But my suggestion is to avoid the drugs and go for natural ways of controlling blood pressure by walk, diet to reduce weight and changing attitudes towards lifestyle.

Q Does dispirin or similar headache pills increase the risk of heart attacks?
A. No

Q If there is about 85 percent blockage in the arteries, can the person be treated without surgery? If not, what other remedies and the power of your heart muscles
A. It depends on collateral or natural bypass, the quality of other arteries and the power of your heart muscles. It’s impossible to give an opinion without seeing the angiography film.

Q There is a feeling that bypass is unnecessarily being performed in some cases. When is bypass really needed?
A. When you have blockages affecting major arteries, bypass is the best option. I am sure, conscientious doctors will not perform an operation when it is not required.

Q Is it true that mechanical valves can fail any moment?
A. No. If you take medication to prevent clot formation and maintain the INR at accepted levels, the valve cannot get blocked. However, like any mechanical gadget, it can fail and fortunately, such incidences are extremely low.

Q Can you brief me on pulmonary stenosys problems? What are the complications involved and what care needs to be taken?
A. In this condition, the pulmonary valve is narrower at birth and putting a balloon across the valve and dilating it can easily correct it.

Q Why is it the rate of heart attacks more in men than in women?
A Nature protects women till the age of 45.

Q How can one keep the heart in a good condition?
A Eat a healthy diet, avoid junk food, exercise every day, do not smoke and, go for a health checkup if you are past the age of 30 for at least once in two years. And WORK VERY HARD.

***Courtesy : PERSONNEL TODAY, a journal of National Institute of Personnel Management
***************

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Daily Meal Schedule

Scheduling meal times is important. Regular intake of food keeps you energetic through the day. It ensures a digestive system that frees you of acidity, ulcers and other systemic dysfunctions. You feel less inclined to snack between meals and this prevents unnecessary weight gain.
Morning (6 a.m.)
Any hot beverage, usually milk based such as tea, coffee, cocoa or plain milk. Breakfast (8 a.m.)
This is the first solid meal for the day. Do not skip this meal. No work schedule is worth it. This meal provides you with all the nutrients that your body requires for the day. Both the quantity and quality of your meal are important.

Midmorning (10 a.m.)
You could have buttermilk, fruit juice, vegetable juice or occasionally solids such as fruits and biscuits.

Lunch (12 noon)
This meal replenishes the energy you have spent in the morning. Lunch should be the largest meal of the day. It is important that this meal be balanced and nutritive.

Afternoon (2 p.m.)
You could have a light drink such as barley water or coconut water.

Tea Time (4 p.m.)
Have a milk-based beverage that may include fruit or fruits along with milk. You can also have nuts, oilseeds, sprouts or snacks along with the milk. This meal is important because it keeps your energy level up till dinner. It is unwise to have a large time gap between lunch and dinner. Dinner (7 p.m.)
Dinner needs to be lighter than lunch, but just as nutritive and balanced. Do not skip this meal. It keeps your system ticking for the next twelve hours or so.

Bed Time (9 p.m.)
You could have a hot milk-based beverage.

Courtesy : Tata consultancy

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Healthy Diet -- Lifestyle Tips

American Heart Association has issued the following LifeStyle and diet guidelines based on the “prudent Diet”

***Limit saturated fat, trans, cholestrol, and sodium.
***Minimize sugary foods and beverages.
***Eat lots of vegetables, fruits, and whole-grain and high-fiber foods.
***Eat fat-free and low-fat dairy products.
***Eat fish at least twice a week.
***Be physically active and keep weight at healthy levels.
***Avoid using or breathing tobacco smoke.
***Achieve and maintain healthy cholesterol, blood pressure and blood glucose levels.
The study is published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

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Eat high prudent diet to live longer: Study

A new study has revealed that eating a "high prudent" diet can help people live longer and healthy as it reduces the chances of developing heart disease, cancer and diabetes.
Researchers have based their findings on an analysis of over 72,000 women, all aged between 30 and 55 years, with no history of health problems at the beginning of the study which spanned 18 years, from 1984 to 2002.
During the course of the study, every two to four years, the women answered questionnaires about what they ate.
Two distinct dietary patterns emerged. One dubbed "high prudent" diet that included lots of vegetables, fruit, legumes, and whole grains, as well as lean protein sources such as fish and poultry.
The other dietary pattern, dubbed "Western", included more red and processed meat, refined grains, french fries, sugary foods, and desserts.
During 18 years of tracking, 6,011 of the participants died. Women with the most "prudent diet" had a 28 per cent lower risk of dying from heart disease. They also had a 17 per cent lower risk of death from all diseases studied, including cancer, diabetes, and stroke, the 'WebMD' reported.
Women who followed a diet highest in meats, processed and refined foods, and sweets had a 22 per cent higher risk of dying from heart disease.
"The results highlight the importance of intensifying public health efforts to promote the adoption of a healthy overall diet including high intakes of vegetables, fruit, legumes, whole grains, fish and poultry and low intakes of red and processed meat, refined grains, French fries and sweets.

Two distinct dietary patterns emerged.

Researchers called one pattern the "high prudent" diet. This included lots of vegetables, fruit, legumes, and whole grains, as well as lean protein sources such as fish and poultry.

The other dietary pattern, dubbed "Western," included more red and processed meat, refined grains, french fries, sugary foods, and desserts.

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Yoga for Health and Peace

One must exercise for Keeping fit.Yoga is the best way to keep oneself calm and in peace.Happiness is in the mind, and the mind is supported by the body – a healthy mind lives in a healthy body.

Your happiness depends on your mind and it depends on your body. Without physical health you can't be completely happy, and without mental happiness you can't be completely healthy. Health is a positive state; not just the absence of a negative one. It's not only the absence of disease. For too long now traditional Western medicine has treated illness as only a disease: an enemy that attacks you and needs to be counter-attacked; but in reality it's nothing more than an imbalance in the natural harmony of body and mind.

True healing means restoring that balance, and true health means keeping it.
Yoga means "to unify." It's the holistic approach to all aspects of life: physical, mental and spiritual. Yoga views the person as a whole; as a unique combination of body, mind and soul, and its techniques maintain that body-mind-soul harmony.
Yoga is all about feeling good.Feel the blood surging through your veins, the energy pulsating through your nerves, the bliss coursing through your whole being. Best of all, Yoga is apt for all, regardless of age, color, caste, creed or religion, from the healthiest to the sickest, from the richest to the poorest, from the whitest to the blackest. And here are some of the specific – and immense – benefits of yoga.

***Brings down stress and enhances powers of relaxation
***Boosts physical strength, stamina and flexibility
***Brings down stress and enhances powers of relaxation
***Boosts physical strength, stamina and flexibility
***Bestows greater powers of concentration and self control
***Inculcates impulse Control
***Helps in rehabilitation of old and new injuries
***Intensifies tolerance to pain and enhancing mental clarity
***Boosts functioning of the immune system
***Enhances posture and muscle tone
***Improves blood circulation
***Results in healthy, glowing skin
***Cleanses and improves overall organ functioning
***Bestows peace of mind and a more positive outlook to life
***Infuses a sense of balance and internal harmony
***Inculcates impulse Control
***Helps in rehabilitation of old and new injuries
***Intensifies tolerance to pain and enhancing mental clarity
***Boosts functioning of the immune system
***Enhances posture and muscle tone
***Improves blood circulation
***Results in healthy, glowing skin
***Cleanses and improves overall organ functioning
***Bestows peace of mind and a more positive outlook to life
***Infuses a sense of balance and internal harmony

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Walking for Fitness

Fitness Walking For Exercise And Good Health

By JoiAnn Marshall

Picture Source:http://www.theduponthospital.com/

Want to improve your health and fitness? Try walking as exercise to get fit. Believe it or not, in past years, most people walked almost every where. There was not much of a choice available, since there were not others ways that they could get around. Most people did not have cars and there were not bus routes or subway stations just around every corner. If there even was public transportation, you'd have to walk quite a ways to find the nearest bus stop or station to catch it. Now days, most people get into their nice cars and drive wherever they want to go. They don't even consider just walking that mile to go a nearby store or to send a letter, even on a nice day. People prefer to drive, which makes it no surprise that so many people have health problems. If you rarely ever walk, then it is time that you do. Start walking to improve your health and fitness. Here are some fitness walking tips and food for thought.

You are missing the many health benefits that walking for exercise offers, while looking for a magic pill to cure your physical ailments. In many cases the solution to your health problems can be found in simple fitness walking and exercises. Here are just a few, not all, of the benefits that walking for fitness offers: weightloss management, a reduction in your risk of stroke or heart attack, you can increase good cholesterol and lower bad cholesterol (LDL), and controlling or reducing high blood pressure. Simply put modern technology has made us lazy and our bodies are suffering from it.

Get creative, just parking your car near the back of the parking lot can help you to walk further, since you'll have to walk all the way to the store and then back to your car. Take your time and spend some time walking around the store or the mall so you are sure to get some exercise as well. Try walking the stairs in you office building instead of the elevator. You'll be suprised how good you start to feel when you decide to improve your fitness walking.

Walking does not have to be unenjoyable or a chore. Regularly walking in the country or around a park is a great way for you to get the exercise you need and some fresh air as well. In fact, why not take the whole family. It will be a great time when you can educate your kids on the benefits of walking, as well as the wildlife and plant life that you see along the way. With a treadmill or other exercise machine, walking can be done at home inexpensively and at your convenience, with no regard of the weather. You can read, listen to music or even watch a dvd or tv show while you exercise!

If you are just starting think about exercise, walking is a great idea. Always make sure that you take the time to stretch before you exercise. Whether you choose to walk around the neighborhood a park or choose a exercise machine, when you are walking, be sure that you go fast enough so that you feel your heart working, but make sure you are able to talk as well. So, start walking today to improve your health and your fitness.

Get More information on exercise, walking and exercise programs here Start Exercising Also go to where you can get a fresh view of exercise equipment ideas, product information, news.

Article Source:

http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=JoiAnn_Marshall

Walking For Cardiovascular Health And Fitness

By Patricia Zelkovsky

Walking is one of the best forms of exercise for health and fitness. One reason for this is because it can provide you with an effective workout for the cardiovascular system. Also called aerobic exercise, brisk walking performed two to three times per week will not only strengthen your heart but will help you burn fat, as well.

One of the ways that walking can help you lose weight is that your metabolism stays high for up to 2 to 3 hours after your workout. Additionally, it also helps to redistribute stored fat to your muscles, giving you a well-toned physique when performed on a regular basis.

Moreover, even if you are not concerned about losing weight, walking helps you to keep your heart and lungs strong and healthy, giving you more stamina for your activities.

Another benefit of walking is that the stress it places on your joints and bones helps to strengthen them against breaks, fractures and osteoporosis.

Although walking is one of the easiest forms of exercise to engage in, there are a few things you should keep in mind before engaging in a walking program.

Watch Your Form

One thing that you need to keep in mind as you walk for fitness is to watch your form. To get the most from your walk, it's important to keep your feet hip length apart, your toes pointed forward and your arms bent at the elbows and close to your side. Additionally, you should keep your stomach pulled in and your back straight. As you walk, plant your heels on the ground and then roll to the balls of your feet and push off with your toes. By keeping the proper form as you walk you will ensure that you get the most benefit out of your walk and the best possible workout.

Vary Your Routine

Also important to any walking program that you engage in, is varying your routine each time you workout. If you walk at the same pace for the same amount of time each and every session, your body will eventually get used to the routine and your exercise will not be as effective. To challenge your body, try to vary your routine. For example, try mixing up your routine with short bursts of fast walking, jogging and normal walking; another way to vary your routine is to carry small weights in your hands as you walk. You could also wear leg or ankle weights as you walk or jog. All of these ways of varying your routine will help to keep your body from getting used to your workout and keep you challenged.

The Right Foot Gear

Last, but not least, before you engage in a walking program, be sure you wear the right foot gear. The comfort of your feet is of utmost importance when you are walking. Make sure that your foot gear has a good, supportive arch to avoid any foot pain or injuries during or after your walk. Additionally, your shoes should hug your feet without feeling too snug or tight. If you are unsure about what kind of walking shoes to use during your walks, check out a store which is geared towards athletes or sports. There, you will be able to find a number of athletic shoes for a variety of sports. A knowledgeable salesperson should be able to explain the differences between the various types of sports shoes and tell you which one is the best for you.

If you are taking your walking program seriously, make sure to check out the top weightloss site fitness calculators, fitness tips and fitness news at http://www.the-weightloss-guide.com right away.

Article Source:

http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Patricia_Zelkovsky

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