Swine Flu-H1N1 Virus Symptoms-Precautions And Remedies
Swine Flu-H1N1 Virus Symptoms-Precautions And Remedies
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5 Habits to Adopt for Perfect Sleep
Sleeping issues continue to daunt most of us from time-to-time.
Our demanding schedules ensure that our sleep is disturbed either in terms of quality or duration-wise. A sporadic incidence of bad sleep isn't that big an issue. However, if you feel that lack of sleep or poor quality-of-sleep is hampering your performance at work or your health, you need to read about the following
Better Sleeping Habits:
1. Develop Your Personal Sleep Routine You don’t need to follow sleep timing-related advice that surrounds us in the form of tabloids and blogs. Just develop a pattern that is suitable to your lifestyle. It doesn’t make sense to follow a routine that inconveniences you and makes you “work” towards getting proper sleep. However, you need to follow some sort of routine. This means knowing when you should switch-off the lights and when you need to wake-up.This is best done by noticing at what time you tend to get a bit heavy-eyed at night. Keep your going-to-bed time around this period. Follow this with a wake-up timing that allows you an extra few minutes to laze in the bed. Ensure a wake-up time with the flexibility of 15 to 20 minutes. Even if you get less than the recommended eight or nine hours of sleep, it won’t matter much if your quality of sleep is good.
2. Eat Lighter & Early Dinner Ensure that you have had your major meal or supper at least three to four hours before the sleep time. Eating too close to bedtime tends to keep away the sleep.
Since the body is actively involved in metabolizing the food that you have consumed, its metabolic rate is up. This means that chances of falling asleep decrease.
You might wonder that often after having a heavy meal you get a bit drowsy. However, that is more of a nap that is induced by the body trying to maximize its resources towards digesting the food and slowing down other systems. However, to get a longer and refreshing nighttime sleep, you should eat lighter and a bit early.
3. Exercising Helps This might sound a bit strange to you but exercise and the quality of your sleep are interrelated. You need to understand that sleeping patterns are essentially a part of your internal body clock.
This includes the body’s ability to rest and return to active performance. However, due to issues like stress, anxiety and poor dietary habits, this inherent body clock is compromised. In order to sustain the optimal performance of our bodily rhythm, you need to exercise regularly.
This doesn’t mean pumping iron in the gym is compulsory. Any sort of activity where you can dedicate about 40 minutes, combining some stretching, running and jogging is sufficient.
4. Choose Evening/Night Foods with Precaution Once the evening sets-in, try to reduce your intake of alcohol and caffeine. Even nicotine is known to disrupt the action of biochemicals in our body that induce sleep.
There are some foods that help you in falling asleep with ease. For instance, milk and complex carbohydrates found in foods like brown rice contain a higher amount of Tryptophan.
This compound is known to assist the sleeping cycle. Avoid foods that are high in sugar before bedtime. These tend to induce the sugar-rush that can disrupt your sleep cycle.
Blog: Who knew? Eat more to gain less!
5. Keep Away From Nighttime Distractions Your pre-sleep routine can include reading a book or watching a bit of TV but ensure that you don’t indulge in something so fascinating that it doesn’t let you switch-off your mind.
Shun-out any kind of distracting light coming through the windows by drawing the curtains. Try to avoid watching typical genres on TV that can arouse your senses. This means keeping away from action-packed and thriller movies/serials.
Switch-off the cell phone, laptops/tablets or any other gadget that might buzz you. (www.Yahootrendz.com)
Don't miss: Health tips for those who work the night shift
7 ways to boost your confidence in bed
Laugh
Bedroom bloopers happen to everyone. Whether you hit your head, bite your tongue or make a weird noise, the best thing to do is not to ignore it, but to laugh about it. Sex is not always sexy and you should expect something, at some point, to go wrong. Treating it in this light-hearted way will show that you are confident and mature. Even if something doesn’t go wrong, throwing your partner the odd smile is reassuring and makes you both feel close.
Sex can be pretty daunting. If you’re not scared about getting your kit off, then there’s the small matter of your moves to consider, or the positions you like. Although sex can be scary, there are certain sex tips that will give your bedroom confidence a boost. Check these out:
Conquer a fear
If you want to be confident under the covers, you need to feel confident in yourself. Overcoming a fear is one of the easiest ways to boost your self-esteem. Choose something achievable and then work out a feasible way to reach your goal. Make sure you get people involved in your plan as this will make you stick to it. Ideally, the person you’re sleeping with is the best person you can choose to get involved in your challenge.
Stop having sex
If you stop making sex the main goal you might start to think about your naked body differently. Try to do more things naked, so that you and, if you have a guy or girl in your life, they will get used to seeing your naked body. Normalising nakedness will make you feel comfortable when you strip off. You could shower together, have a naked massage or even eat your dinners naked. Just remember to shut those curtains!
Props
Props make sex fun and if you choose the right ones they can make you feel great in the bedroom. A naughty costume, some devious make-up or a blindfold can add a spice of sauciness to your love life and it will also give you a new persona. If you go in as Fireman Sam or Police Officer Polly, think of them as a confident, sex god/goddess. Use the act once or twice then switch back to being yourself - remember that you were that person all along.
Sharing is caring
Men and women feel insecure and at some point it’s likely that both you and your partner have felt uneasy when the lights go out. Bring up what has been troubling you when you are both alone, in a private place. Let each other speak. If your partner doesn’t seem to know what to say, don’t take this as a sign they don’t care, ask them what they think or feel about the situation. Try to come up with a solution or a plan together – something you both feel comfortable with.
Do the maths
We’re all insecure about some part of our body and most of the biggest hang-ups are to do with guy’s penises and women’s chests. Remember, though, the average size of a flaccid penis is between 2.5 inches and 5.5 inches, whilst the average bra size for women is between a C and a D cup. If you’re still not happy, for guys trim your hair downstairs; it will make you seem bigger. Girls, do chest exercises to improve the firmness, lift and shape of your breasts.
Switch focus
If you start to get nervous, or if you can’t stop thinking about how big your tummy must look from this angle, switch the focus. If you’re just kissing, don’t think about what will come next. Just concentrate on the thing you’re doing and try to enjoy it. If you’re having sex and the insecurities or nerves arise, don’t panic. Look your partner in the eye and concentrate on how good everything feels. Also think: if you’ve got to this stage then they must fancy you.
Top 10 tips to avoid back aches
Looking after your back, is by far, one of the most important things you can do as part of your daily routine. Anyone who’s ever had a back ache will agree on how it affects every other aspect of your life and can range from mild discomfort to being utterly debilitating.
Top 10 tips for a healthy backBack exercises can help keep it in shape
Taking care of your back
The back extends from the neck, down to the buttocks, lending support to many structures and organs en route like the ribs and the pelvis. The back is formed by bones called vertebrae which are placed one on top of the other to form the spine.
There are many causes of backaches and most of them can be prevented by applying some basic principles, while others are serious enough to prompt a visit to the physician. Here are some general tips one can follow to keep the back in good shape.
Top 10 tips for a healthier back
1. Pay attention to your posture:
This cannot be said enough. Slouching, sitting on sofas which do not offer firm support to the back and sleeping in an awkward position may give you a stiff back the next morning.
Reclining in a chair without support to the lower back in the form of a cushion is a no-no. Sleeping on the side in the foetal position is the best way to take the pressure off a weak back.
2. Maintain optimum weight:
When you put on more weight than your frame can carry, you put pressure on the muscles of the back and abdomen which were not designed to be overloaded. This kind of backache is simply the muscles protesting against the added burden.
3. Avoid direct pressure on the spine:
When someone other than a professional offers to give you a back massage they may put pressure directly over the spine. This is a wrong technique and may further compound the problem. The best way is to massage on both sides of the spine in a symmetrical fashion with circular motions.
4. Be active and on the move:
Being in any one posture for long intervals of time causes a sore back. If you have a desk job, make sure you walk during your coffee and lunch breaks. This improves your blood circulation and uses the muscles to an extent.
5. Bend correctly:
While bending, one must remember not to bend from the waist but from the knees keeping the back straight as far as possible. This is especially important while lifting luggage or heavy items.
6. Increase exercise reps slowly and steadily:
Many people injure their backs while working out in the gym because of lack of correct instruction. Overdoing abdominal crunches, using heavier weights than you are used to and increasing your reps drastically will land you with a bad back. You land up with a muscle strain and then have to ease off or avoid the workout altogether.
7. For an acute backache:
Put up your feet and get some rest. Use ice packs a few times a day for the first two days, then switch over to heat in the form of hot compresses or a hot water bag.
8. Stretch a sore back:
Stretching is a great way to relieve backache. While lying flat on the bed, bring your knees slowly to your chest and put a little pressure then relax and repeat. This is helpful for lower back pain.
9. Get out of bed right:
When the alarm clock rings every morning the first thought is to hurry out of bed. Resist the thought and take your time. First roll over to the edge of the bed and lie flat on your back. Then bring your feet down to the floor and bend your upper body sideways. Do not get up vertically and sit in bed as that puts a lot of pressure on the back.
10. Medication:
An aspirin a day can help chronic backaches, which last for days together due to their anti-inflammatory effect.
An alternative is ibuprofen or another NSAID. Before starting on medication, check with your doctor first.
Bonus tip! Join a yoga or t’ai chi class:
The stretches in yoga and t’ai chi when done correctly will strengthen back muscles so make sure you find a good instructor for whatever you choose to follow. Backache will be a thing of the past.
Padmasana Yoga for Better Sex
Padmasana: Sit on the floor and stretch your legs forward. Place your palms onto the sides of your body. Now, hold the sole of your right foot and place it on your left thigh; repeat with the left foot. Know this: Yoga helps tackle sexual disorders and improves chances of conception your back straight, place your palms on your knees in gyan mudra. Close your eyes slowly and breathe normally. Hold for some time and return to original position. How it helps: This asana stimulates the pelvis, spine, abdomen and bladder.Yoga for Better Sex
Great sex is a terrific mind-body experience- as is yoga. Yoga not only relieves stress-one of the drive dampeners-but also improves flexibility, increases blood flow, strengthens your lower abdomen and fills you with energy that help steam things up in the bedroom. Try these yoga poses for better sex.
Poorna Halasana: Lie on your back with your feet together, palms resting on the floor. Inhale and then while exhaling raise both your legs up. With the help of your palms, raise your hips up and bring your toes above your head, without bending your knees. Now interlock your fingers with each other, stretch your arms together and hold the position. Breathe normally while in this position, keeping the neck and face muscles relaxed. Come back to the original position in reverse order. How it helps: This asana is known to sublimate sexual energies by strengthening the pelvic area. It alleviates menstruation discomfort, and claims to remedy certain sexual disorders.
Poorna Halasana: Lie on your back with your feet together, palms resting on the floor. Inhale and then while exhaling raise both your legs up. With the help of your palms, raise your hips up and bring your toes above your head, without bending your knees. Now interlock your fingers with each other, stretch your arms together and hold the position. Breathe normally while in this position, keeping the neck and face muscles relaxed. Come back to the original position in reverse order. How it helps: This asana is known to sublimate sexual energies by strengthening the pelvic area. It alleviates menstruation discomfort, and claims to remedy certain sexual disorders.
Health tips to follow if you work the night shift
If you have a job that requires you work the night shift, pay a little extra attention to certain things to avoid adversely affecting your health.
Whether you work in a call centre, hospital or are working with international partners; working the night shift is a way of life for many Indians today. Here are some simple health tips you can follow to avoid the pitfalls of working the night shift.
Health tips to follow if you work the night shift
Adjust your body clock – We are all naturally programmed to rise with the sun and sleep after dark. So if you’re new to the night shift you might be feeling bright in the day and groggy at night. Doggedly keep to the same time of waking up and going to bed every day so that your body gets the message and will slowly but surely shift your inner clock to match the new timings.
Diet – Most people working the night shift have at least one or two meals at work. The danger here is of overstuffing yourself since food is readily available. If you’re working the night shift, try and finish dinner by 8pm or so, before you start your shift. Between 12 midnight and 6 am, it’s best to eat light meals that are high in fibre and protein and low in sugar and fat.
Help yourself get a good day’s rest – When you get back home after a night shift, you may be so tired that you just crawl into bed. But take a few minutes to ensure that you get some undisturbed winks. Draw the curtains to shut out the sunlight as much as possible and turn off your phone. Check that your pillows support your neck and the mattress is not lumpy. A droning sound such as from an overhead fan or air-conditioner acts as a noise buffer and creates white noise, which aids sleep.
Sleeping tips – Try to get a big chunk of sleep in one go (at least 4-5 hours). If you break up your sleep in many smaller pieces, deep sleep will elude you and you will not be as rested as if you had slept at a stretch.
Watch the snacking habit – Most people working the night shift have sitting jobs; nine times out of ten in front of the computer. Keeping your facial muscles active by means of snacking and chewing may seem like fun but you are unwittingly consuming a lot of calories in the process. So if you must munch, avoid chocolates, chips and fried stuff, instead carry along a fruit or puffed rice that have a much lower calorie count.
Top 10 Winter foods in India
Winter foods in India
Winter is the season for fresh citrus fruits and oranges are our top pick here. This tart-sweet fruit packs in a load of the very essential vitamin-C — that helps your body in its fight against germs; in addition to potassium, folate, minerals and fibre. What more, you ask? It’s low in calories too! Have you started eating them yet?
Well, we have all heard it – “An apple a day, keeps the doctor away”. This otherwise super-expensive fruit is available in plenty during the chilly months, which makes it more affordable. Bite into one for your mid-day snack, and reap its benefits!
Next on our list are carrots. This root vegetable has more carotene (what the body converts to vitamin-A) than any fruit or vegetable. In addition, carrots are an excellent source of vitamins B, C, D, E and K, as well as calcium pectate (a pectin fibre that has cholesterol-lowering properties). Make gajar (carrot) halwa or eat them raw, this one is a must have.
A winter crop, the mustard plant’s leaves are highly nutritious. The young tender leaves of the plant are flavourful and very popular in the state of Punjab. Fresh mustard greens are an excellent source of several vital antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and carotenes. Include the goodness of these leaves in your diet this winter season.
Add them in your pulav or make some yummy muttar panner (peas and cottage cheese gravy). Peas, with their sweet taste and starchy texture come loaded with phytonutrients that provide us with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits. Further, recent research shows that these legumes can help prevent stomach cancer.
The best turnips come to the market in this season. A root vegetable about the size of an apple, turnips pack in insoluble fibre, folates, vitamins and minerals. This root vegetable has a rather pungent taste, which becomes mild after cooking.
Avoid Food Allergies
I think my son might be allergic to certain foods but he loves them too much to give them up. How can I ascertain the allergy or rule it out? -Aasha, Jalandhar
The prevalence of food allergies seems to be on the rise but the reason behind it could be that people often confuse food allergies with food intolerances. The signs and symptoms are usually misread, prompting most people to quickly conclude that they are allergic to certain foods, when, in fact, they may just have a food sensitivity or intolerance of some sort. A true food allergy affects the body's immune system, involving an abnormal reaction to an ingredient, (usually always a protein) that is otherwise harmless. Celiac disease is a typical example.
Food intolerance is a non-immunological reaction to food or food additives that originates in the gastro-intestinal system and involves an inability to digest or absorb certain substances. Lactose intolerance and sulphite induced asthma are common examples. Symptoms of food allergies are not uniform and range from mild (such as an itchy mouth, tongue or hives) to severe (shock or cardiac arrest).
The most severe food allergy reaction is called anaphylaxis. This infrequent, yet potentially fatal response to an allergen involves several different body systems and results in a number of symptoms- difficulty in breathing, throat constriction, decreased blood pressure and unconsciousness, occuring almost simultaneously, requiring immediate medical attention. Food sensitivities are rarely life-threatening and the symptoms tend to be localised.
Identifying Symptoms
Food allergies may appear at any age, but true allergic reactions to foods are most I think my son might be allergic to certain foods but he loves them too much to give them up. How can I ascertain the allergy or rule it out? -Aasha, Jalandhar common in infants and young children. Common food allergens for children include cow's milk, fish, eggs, peanuts, treenuts (almonds, walnuts, hazelnut), soyabeans and wheat.
A person who is allergic to one food, may also be allergic to other foods of the same food group. Allergens usually provoke the same symptoms each time, but many other factors such as intensity, quantity of the offending food consumed and method of preparation, define severity of any allergic reaction. Some allergens are easily identified because symptoms will develop immediately after eating the food with the allergen.
But it may be essential to maintain a food and symptom diary and document the time and content of all the meals and the appearance, timing and intensity of symptoms, if any. After a week or two, a pattern may emerge. If so, eliminate the suspected food from your diet for at least a week, and then re-introduce it in small amounts. If symptoms develop, chances are that the offending food has been identified.
Plan to avoid a food allergy situation:
1. Once allergens have been identified, eliminate these from your diet. 2. Read labels carefully. 3. When eating out, don't hesitate to ask the chef about the ingredients in your food. 4. In case of children and teenagers, parents must inform the school, teachers and friends to help prevent any complications. 5. When traveling, inform your airlines in advance. 6. Avoid cross-contamination by keeping utensils, food containers, cutting boards, serving dishes and even cooking mediums separate for both allergenic and hypo-allergenic foods.
10 Foods for Fabulous Abs
2. Switch to whole grain. The body shows a decreased insulin response to whole grain as compared to refined carbohydrate like rice and white bread. So replace those meals of white rice and milk bread with whole grains like lentils, brown rice, and whole wheat bread for a trimmer waistline.
3. Stock up on cruciferous veggies like broccoli, brussels sprouts, asparagus, peppers, and yellow beans. They contain folate, beta-carotene, calcium, magnesium, and fiber, and are rich in vitamins A, C, and K.
5. Apple cider vinegar: New research indicates that 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar (ideally mixed with a glass of water), consumed daily over a period of 12 weeks, works to lower body weight and reduce belly fat. This is attributed to vinegar's acetic acid, which is believed to pump out proteins that break down fat.
6. Green tea contains certain chemicals called polyphenols and catechins that boost metabolism and help burn fat. Including 2-3 cups of green tea in your diet will help reduce that waistline, as well as provide a host of other health benefits.
7. Apples are one of the most popular negative calorie foods. This means that an apple burns more calories that it adds to the body, while being digested, making for a great, tasty snack that does nothing to add to body fat.
8. Eggs are a great source of protein and contain essential amino acids that the body needs to build everything from muscle fibres to brain chemicals. It is the perfect breakfast food, and ensures you feel less hungry during the day and reduces that urge to snack.
9. Almonds provide the body with minerals like magnesium, and regulate blood sugar levels. A stable blood sugar level is key to prevent cravings that can lead to overeating.
10. Salmon, tuna and mackerel, in addition to being a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, also improve metabolism and help burn fat faster by improving the body’s glucose-insulin response.
Foods your refrigerator must have
Visiting malls/super-markets and shopping for food is among the most common of activities
we pursue and worrying for our health and seeking ways to improve it is among the commonest of interests we share. These two aspects come together when you need to decide the kind of foods that should be always present in your fridge. This basically points towards foods that should always be on your food shopping list. This list includes:3 - Foods All Men Should Eat
Starting this week, we bring you a new series on the power of the threes. Here is the second of the series, 3 foods all men should eat.
A varied, balanced diet is the cornerstone of healthy living for everyone, yet healthy eating can sometimes mean different things depending on your gender.
While there are some foods we should all be eating more of, men and women also have their own set of dietary requirements as well as their own unique health concerns. Here are three foods all men should eat.
While there are some foods we should all be eating more of, men and women also have their own set of dietary requirements as well as their own unique health concerns. Here are three foods all men should eat.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes are possibly one of the best "superfoods" around, and the popular fruit has particular benefits for men. Studies have suggested that the lycopene found in tomatoes may reduce risk of colorectal cancer, lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease; the leading cause of death in men. Research has also shown that men who frequently eat foods rich in lycopene may drastically reduce their risk of developing prostate cancer.
Tomatoes are possibly one of the best "superfoods" around, and the popular fruit has particular benefits for men. Studies have suggested that the lycopene found in tomatoes may reduce risk of colorectal cancer, lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease; the leading cause of death in men. Research has also shown that men who frequently eat foods rich in lycopene may drastically reduce their risk of developing prostate cancer.
Top 3 Longevity Secrets for 2012
Running out of ideas for a New Year’s resolution? Here are afew leading-edge health habits that can radically alter your health. Some aredrawn from the oldest wisdom, but new research and technology has them trendingnow. Try turning them into a longevity habit for you! 1. Twitter and Texting Can Help You Lose Weight
What? The same social media that is causing news-makingtraffic problems can make you healthy?
Yes, when used wisely, these new forms of communication canhelp you lose weight and curb bad habits. The key to getting benefits fromthese forms of communication is accountability. You may have heard aboutSenator Claire McCaskill, who took her mission to lose weight public onTwitter. She tweeted her nearly 60,000 followers news about her progress withher plan that included eating healthy foods every three hours and doing lots ofcardio, using Twitter to keep her accountable. After five months, she lost aremarkable 50 pounds.
Also, a recent study reported that young problem drinkersbenefited from sending and receiving text messages that tracked their alcoholconsumption. Although a preliminary study, it was found that the heavy drinkeryoung adults who texted how much they drank during the week and received afeedback text managed to curb their drinking behavior more effectively thanthose heavy drinkers that sent and received no texts.
Habit for you: The next time you want to break a habit thatisn’t serving your longevity plans, try going public! Make one resolution thisyear, and have your friends and family hold you accountable. Tweet yourprogress or keep a blog, and be receptive to their responses.
2. Is Vegan the New Diet?
After a quadruple bypass surgery in 2004 and stent surgeryin 2010, former president Bill Clinton decided it was time to make a majorchange to his diet: he went vegan, the strictest form of vegetarianism.Clintondrew national attention to his plant-based diet, reporting that he lost 24pounds for his daughter, Chelsea’s, wedding. While it is definitely notnecessary to go full-fledged vegan—cutting out meat, eggs, and dairy—thetakeaway is that eating plenty of vegetables can help you live longer, and inmuch better health.
Science shows that vegetarians have a lowered risk of heartdisease and cancer; not only that, but they tend to live longer and are lesslikely to be overweight. So does this mean you replace meat with potato chips?Not quite!
If you decide to eat in a more vegetarian direction, it is importantto emphasize balance in your diet: eat whole foods from the earth, likevegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and beans. It is very importantto make sure your meatless diet includes enough protein, iron, and zinc, whichis where beans and legumes come in. It is wise to work with a nutritionist ordietician to make sure all of your vitamin and mineral bases are covered.
Habit for you: Want a more moderate approach? Eat vegetarianduring the week and save the meat for the weekends.
Bonus tip: You can also make sure you are getting all yourminerals and vitamins—and absorbing them into your body—by trying a liquidwhole food drink.
3. New Healthcare Plan: Meditation and Mind-Body Exercises
A study published at the beginning of May 2011 in the Archivesof Internal Medicine found that mainstream health care providers are morefrequently referring patients to mind-body therapies, such as yoga, meditation,deep-breathing exercises, and tai chi. Once considered on the fringes of modernWestern medicine, these techniques are rising in popularity as more scienceconfirms their benefits on health. Just a few of the findings show that mind-bodyexercises can help:- Decrease psychological stress, which helps prevent avariety of diseases, such as heart disease, compromised immune system, andpremature cognitive aging
- Minimize pain
- Improve coping strategies, which contributes to happiness
- Improve overall quality of life
You can find more ways to live a long and healthy life in Secretsof Longevity: Hundreds of Ways to Live to Be 100, which is now available onKindle. In addition, The Natural Health Dictionary makes a great companion toyour quest for longevity. It is a comprehensive guide that answers all yourquestions about natural remedies, healing herbs, longevity foods, vitamins, andsupplements.
Reasons to Stop Smoking in 2012
Sure it’s hard to stop smoking, but it's worth the effort to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) and related health problems. You may realize that smoking puts you at high risk for CHD and a future heart attack. But did you know that smoking cessation is the most important lifestyle change you can make to reduce your risk for CHD?You may also be surprised to know that heart attack risk is greatest among younger smokers. In one study, compared to non-smokers, the rate of heart attacks was increased five-fold in smokers between ages 30 and 49. This compared to smokers between the ages of 50 and 59, who had about a three-fold higher increased risk than non-smokers. Also important to know, the overall risk for heart attack is about 25 percent greater among women smokers than among men smokers.
Let's take a closer look at the health risks that smokers face.
Other Risks of Cigarette Smoking
Smoking also raises the risk of stroke and peripheral vascular disease. And, of course, smoking is the greatest risk for lung cancer and chronic pulmonary obstructive disease (COPD), which both rank among the leading causes of death in this country. All of these risks are greater with an increased number of cigarettes smoked daily and the number of smoking years.Yet, even if you have smoked for many years, its ill effects on cardiovascular disease slowly wane and disappear about five years after stopping. Unfortunately, the higher risks for both lung cancer and COPD persist even after smoking cessation.
Cigar and Pipe Smoking and Passive Smoke
Although cigarettes are the greatest culprit, both cigar and pipe smoking somewhat increase the danger of a heart attack. In addition you will have to avoid smoke filled rooms because inhalation of such smoke (passive smoking) also raises the risk of CHD.Smoking Cessation Advantages
There’s still much dispute on the best diet and how much you need to exercise in order to keep your cardiovascular system healthy, but there is no doubt about how valuable it is to stop smoking. Smoking abstinence also differs from the lifelong need to take medications for elevated cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes—the other major risk factors for coronary artery disease and heart attacks.How Cigarettes Cause Heart Attacks
Smoking exerts its dangers both by speeding the development of plaques within the arteries and by triggering heart attacks. Smoking:- Promotes atherosclerosis, or narrowing of the arteries, by increasing inflammation and by lowering protective HDL cholesterol levels
- Triggers heart attacks by rapidly raising heart rate and blood pressure and increases the grouping of blood platelets that leads to blood clots
Help Your Family as Well as Yourself
Smoking in your house or car exposes your children and other family members to passive smoking. Make every effort to prevent your children from starting to smoke, but that may be more difficult if they know that you are a regular smoker. Visit the American Heart Association to learn about resources and information available to help you quit smoking.3 Tips for Heart Health
You don’t have to be a country-music songwriter to know what a broken heart looks like, and I’ve seen them all: hearts destroyed by the heavy artillery of fries, doughnuts and all kinds of dietary and lifestyle shrapnel that — over time — chip away at our body’s capital.
That’s certainly one of the reasons why I’ve changed my approach a bit. I’m not spending most of my time fixing the problem. Now I try to help prevent the problem.
While certainly family history plays a role in the future health of our heart, many of our lifestyle and nutritional habits are what really put our tickers at risk of, well, stopping to tick. Besides taking the major steps to help your heart (stop smoking if you do, start exercising if you don’t), you can also make changes that will go a long way in improving your heart health. Three of my favorites:
Add Fiber
We all know it’s great for improving your digestive system, but fiber also improves your cardiovascular health. You can get fiber with plenty of vegetables and 100% whole grains. One of my favorite swaps: changing out the white flour of your pancakes for the 100% whole grain variety.
Snack Right
Want to really sabotage your heart? Then snack on fried, processed, trans-fatty foods (hello, chips). Improve your heart’s future performance by adding more nuts, fruits, vegetables and other healthful foods as snacks over the processed ones.
Get Fishy
I don’t eat a whole lot of meat. Instead, I prefer fish, like salmon on a bed of leafy greens. It has incredible cardiovascular benefits, as the omega-3 fatty acids help lower blood pressure.
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