Since February is heart month I want to share some important information with you about the human heart. Did you know that heart disease takes the lives of more people than cancer, lung disease, accidents, and diabetes combined. More than 900,000 die in the United States from heart disease, the number one cause of death. First and foremost for men and women is prevention. Love your heart. "As with many diseases, heredity plays a role. However, we are talking about risk. Heart disease is not necessarily inevitable just because it runs in your family. But if it does, that's all the more reason to do everything possible to keep the heart healthy."
Guardian of our deepest emotions, hub of all bodily activity, the heart is an exquisite, fragile, efficient machine no bigger than the average fist. By expanding and contracting 100,000 times a day, the heart recirculates 4,300 gallons of oxygen laden blood through 60,000 miles network of vessels. It's a miracle that it continues to work so well,
considering its unending load of work. Most of us are only aware of the heart when we fall in love, suffer from a "broken heart", or find that it no longer works properly. The alarming reality is that the heart often malfunctions. This breakdown, known as a cardiovascular disease, is America's number one killer.
A heart attack occurs when the blood supply to some portion of the heart is either cut off or reduced to such low levels that cells in the area cannot survive. Heart cells have two function; they carry the electrical signals that coordinate the heart's rhythmic pumping action, and they also contract, thus providing the force needed for the pumping. During a heart attack, as cells either die or suffer from severe shortage of blood, dangerous abnormalities of heart rhythm may occur and the pumping force is weakened. If only a small area has been damaged, and if it isn't in the main line of conducting tissue, heart functions may return virtually to normal once healing is complete. But a large area of injury, makes full recovery much less likely.
Important Facts.
1. Exercise at least 30 minutes a day. A brisk walk will do. Any aerobic exercise helps your heart pump better and raise HDL, the good cholesterol. Consider strength training. It can reduce your cardiac risk as well.
2. Maintain a healthy weight for your height and body frame. The larger the waist is in relation to the hips, the higher the risk for developing heart disease.
3. Don't smoke. Smoking significantly increases the risk of heart attack and death. Fewer women than men have given up the habit, resulting in an increase in women's coronary death rates and a decline in men's.
4. An alcoholic drink a day, preferably red wine, raises the good cholesterol, HDL . Red wine contains resveratrol, which has been shown to prevent blood clots. If you prefer not to drink alcohol try red grape juice or blueberries. They contain resveratrol as well.
5. Eating foods with soy proteins can lower the bad cholesterol, LDL .
6. Post-menopausal women should speak to their physician about hormone replacement.
7. Lower the risk of heart attack by controlling anger. Try yoga, tai chi or other mind and body relaxation techniques to help keep your cool.
Warning signs and symptoms of heart attack.
Typical symptoms include chest pain or discomfort, often with shortness of breath that lasts more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back. Symptoms may also include a feeling of pressure, squeezing, and fullness. There may also be pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw and stomach. Other signs may include a sudden cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.
Women often experience different symptoms that should be a warning sign to them and physicians as well.
Diagnosis of heart disease presents a greater challenge in women than in men. Women often don't seek or receive medical attention quickly enough when having a heart attack, because their symptoms are not typical.
Cholesterol information.
High levels of cholesterol in the blood are a major risk factor in the development of coronary heart disease. Many doctors recommend that persons with high blood cholesterol reduce their consumption of fats. Suggested guidelines.
1. Cut down the egg yolks you eat
2. Avoid other high cholesterol foods, such as organ meats, some shell fish, and dark fish like mackerel, and caviar.
3. Use light fleshed fish tuna packed in water, clams, chicken, turkey, and veal.
4. Avoid processed meats that are high in fat, such as frankfurters, bacon and sausages or luncheon meats.
5. Avoid animal fats, such as butter, cream, bacon and lard.
6. Avoid convenience foods such as mixes, frozen dinners, snack foods and other prepared foods.
7. Fruits, vegetables and whole grain breads and cereals contain little or no cholesterol and can be eaten freely.
Hopefully this article will help you to love your heart and enjoy life today and tomorrow. See you next month with more moments with Mary
