What Are The 3 Diseases Caused By High Blood Pressure?

Blood Pressure

Hi all,
Lets get serious about Blood Pressure today.

3 Diseases Caused By High Blood Pressure

Coronary Heart Disease:
The same plaque that blocks arteries to the brain can clog arteries that feed the heart. Remember that all cells need oxygen from the bloodstream to survive. So reducing the amount of blood to the heart muscle can drastically weaken it. If a blood clot gets stuck in one of these heart arteries (called coronary arteries), heart muscle cells can die. This is a heart attack.

When too many heart muscle cells die, or when the heart muscle has been strained for a long time, the heart can't pump blood through the body very well. This is called heart failure. Obviously, both a heart attack and heart failure are extremely serious and sometimes fatal.


Kidney Damage:
Your kidneys are responsible for removing excess fluid and waste from your body. They work by filtering the blood that passes through them. But high blood pressure can damage the arteries within the kidneys. It can also narrow the arteries that feed blood to the kidneys. Either way, the kidneys become less efficient at removing fluid and waste. The worst-case scenario is called renal failure - a complete shutdown of kidney function. When this happens, you need dialysis or a kidney transplant.

High blood pressure can be double trouble where your kidneys are concerned. If you have hypertension, you might suffer kidney damage and reduced kidney function. This, in turn, can lead to even higher blood pressure, since your kidneys won't be able to remove excess fluid from the bloodstream. This is why controlling high blood pressure is so important. It breaks the vicious circle of damage.

Aneurysm:
Constant high blood pressure puts quite a strain on your arteries. It can cause them to develop bulges that balloon out and weaken over time. Sometimes these bulges, called aneurysms, burst, causing drastic problems.

When the burst blood vessel is in the brain, the result is a hemorrhagic stroke. Another type of aneurysm involves the aorta, the huge artery that carries blood from the heart down the chest and into your midsection. Over time, extra pressure can weaken this vital artery and cause it to burst. In especially bad cases, the weak spot can actually split the walls of the aorta - a condition known as a dissecting aortic aneurysm. This type of aneurysm causes tremendous pain in your chest, abdomen, or back. Lowering blood pressure can reduce your chances of developing an aneurysm. If you already have one, you may need surgery to repair it. If the aneurysm is small, your doctor may just monitor it to make sure it doesn't increase in size and require an operation to fix.

So DO NOT take high blood pressure easy. It is dangerous. Shall share more at my next post.

Till we meet again, please take good care of your health.

Cheers.

Blood Pressure

The Key To Changing Your Diet Is To.........

Healthy Eating & Blood Pressure

Hi all,
I think we have been "eating" quite a lot, I would like to close this topic with this final post today and transit to the next topic which is "Blood Pressure".

3 Healthy Ways To Change Your Eating Habits

Changing the way you eat isn't always easy. After all, you've been eating this way for years and years. But if you really want to lower your blood pressure, or keep it from getting high in the first place, you're going to have to face the food issue.

The key to changing your diet is to do it slowly. You have lots of old habits to break and lots of new ones to make. It's not realistic to try to cut out fat, cholesterol, and sodium all in one day. And it's just as unwise to try to add fiber, potassium, and all of those other goodies at the same time. (Be especially careful about adding too much fiber too soon. If your digestive system isn't used to it, fiber can flow through you like a flood.)

Take your time. Learn to enjoy new foods. Don't feel like you're giving up rocky road ice cream forever; you can still have some once in a while. As time passes, you'll find your cravings for fat slowly disappearing. You'll forget about that saltshaker and, believe it or not, you may find yourself looking forward to that morning bowl of oatmeal.

Here are some additional tips to help you gently slide into your healthier lifestyle:

1. Love your legumes.
Beans are good for your heart. So try to include beans or peas in your meals at least a few times each week. Beans come in all sizes, colors, and tastes. They're easy to add to salads. And they're a great substitute for meat in chilies, soups, and stews. Just beware of canned beans: They're usually packed in salty water. Rinsing them well will help reduce the sodium.

2. Pass on the packages.
Big problems can come in small containers. A bag of potato chips can have a day's worth of sodium and fat. So can tortilla chips or flavored popcorn. Even the low-fat varieties can be swimming in salt. Instead, try out some unsalted hard pretzels. Or air-pop some popcorn and flavor it with something like a dash of Parmesan cheese.

3. Go easy on the oil.
Why fry? Any time you cook something in butter or oil, you're adding tons of fat and needless calories. Instead of frying your meat or fish, try to bake, broil, or grill it. The same goes for vegetables. Try steaming them, roasting them, or stir-frying them in chicken broth. If you just can't put down the frying pan, try using a nonfat cooking spray instead of oil. And if you can't avoid oil, pick olive or canola oil, which contains healthier fats than butter.

Okie, that's all for Healthy Eating, we shall touch more on Blood Pressure tomorrow.

But remember, Eat Healthy Stay Healthy.

Cheers.

Healthy Eating & Blood Pressure

What To Eat When You Are Stressed?

Healthy Eating

Hi all,
When a person under stresses, he/she will either eat more than what he/she normally does, or no appetite at all. So how should we eat when we are under stressed?

Fight Stress With Healthy Eating

Whenever we get too busy or stressed, we all tend to make poor food choices that will actually increase stress and cause other problems. To getthe most of your healthy eating and avoid stress, follow these simple tips.

Always eat breakfast
Even though you may think you aren't hungry, you need to eat something. Skipping breakfast makes it harder to maintain the proper blood and sugar levels during the day, so you should always eat something.

Carry a snack
Keeping some protein rich snacks in your car, office, or pocket book will help you avoid blood sugar level dips, the accompanying mood swings, and the fatigue. Trail mix, granola bars, and energy bars all have the nutrients you need.

Healthy munchies
If you like to munch when you're stressed out, you can replace chips or other non healthy foods with carrot sticks, celery sticks, or even sunflower seeds.

Bring your lunch
Although a lot of people prefer to eat fast food for lunch, you can save a lot of money and actually eat healthier if you take a few minutes and pack a lunch at home. Even if you only do this a few times a week, you'll see a much better improvement over eating out.

Stock your home
As important as it is to get the bad food out of your house, it's even more important to get the good food in! The best way to do this is to plan a menu of healthy meals at snacks at the beginning of the week, list the ingedients you need, then go shop for it. This way, you'll know what you want when you need it and you won't have to stress over what to eat.

Hahaha..... got it?

That's all for today folks. Remember "Eat Healthy Stay Healthy"

Ciao.

Healthy Eating

What The Nutrition Needed For The Elderly? Check It Out!

Healthy Eating

Hi all,
Yesterday, we shared about food for kids, today we shall share about healthy eating for older folks.

Nutrition For The Elderly

Healthy eating and nutrition for the elderly is greatly impacted by several factors, one of them being a change in body composition. During the later years in life, the body will lose bone and muscle and gain fat because the hormones aren't very active anymore.

There are many factors which hinder an elderly person's health. The information below will help you to lead a healthy life - no matter how old you may be.

Water
Water in the body decreases with age, so many older folks will become dehydrated very easily. Sometimes they won't feel thirsty, while other times it's too much work to pour a glass a water. With this in mind, it's recommended that they drink at least 1 ounce of water for every 2.2 pounds of weight.

Protein
At this stage in life, protein is very important. Protein is needed to support a healthy immune system and prevent the wasting of muscle. Since energy needs are less, older folks should eat high quality protein such as eggs, lean meats, poulty, and fish.

Carbs and fiber
Carbohydrates are the main source of energy for the entire body. You can find carbs in bread, cereals, pasta, and other grain products. A diet that's high in fiber and water will help to prevent constipation as well.

Fat
Fat intake for the elderly should be limited, not eliminated. You can limit fat by choosing lean meats, low fat dairy products, and food preperation methods that don't include frying.

Iron
For the elderly, iron deficiency can be seen with those who aren't eating much. Good sources for iron include lean red meats or breakfast cereals.

Zinc
Zinc intake is normally with the elderly, and to make matters worse, it's not absorbed very well either. Meat, poultry, and fish should be a part of your diet to help you meet the requirements for zinc.

Calcium
Calcium is one ingredient that most elderly folks simply aren't getting enough of. Most believe that milk upsets their stomach, and therefore they will avoid it. They should be getting around 1,500 mg of calcium a day, and non fat powdered milk can be used in recipes as a substitute for milk. Other foods such as yogurt, low fat cheese, and broccoli can also help you meet the requirements for calcium.

Vitamin B12
In order to absorb the benefits of B12, the intrinsic facotr must be produced by the stomach. Most elderly people suffer from a deficiency in B12 because they have a condition known as atrophic gastritis. This condition causes inflammation of the stomach, bacterial over growth, and the intrinsic factor. Without the intrinsic factor, this vitamin can be absorbed.

Each one of the above nutrients are needed to keep an aged body in good health. Elderly individuals should try to stay active and strive for a well balanced diet. Even though the aged body isn't the same as it used to be, proper care and the right nutrients can help the elderly enjoy a healthy and long life.

That's all for today folks.

Till we "eat" again, Eat healthy Stay Healthy.

Cheers.

Healthy Eating

How To Prepare The Most Important Meal For Your Kids & You?

Healthy Eating

Hi all,
Hope you have been eating healthily.
Today, lets talk something very important for our kids........ and you.

Healthy Breakfast Ideas for Kids & You

A lot of studies and research has shown that kids who eat breakfast perform better in school and have a healthier diet. Eating breakfast will help promote the proper growth and maximize school performance as well.

Breakfast is often times a victim of the morning time crunch. Even though you may be tempted to skip breakfast, you can simplify your morning routine by following these 8 tips:

1. Finish homework and pack school bags at night.

2. Decide on what your children will wear to school before you go to bed and locate lost shoes for the following day.

3. In the morning, get up 15 minutes earlier.

4. Give up computer games and morning television.

5. Have healthy foods on hand. You should also shop for breakfast foods with your kids and take into account their personal preferences.

6. Set the cereal out the night before. For younger children, fill a zippered plastic bag with her portion, then add the milk in the morning.

7. Allow your children to use the microwave often, as most breakfast foods can be prepared in under 5 minutes.

8. Allow your kids to eat in the car or on the way to school.

There are several foods that you can eat for breakfast, even left overs from supper if they are sufficient. You can eat bagels, pizza withfruit juice, pretzels, or the normal bacon and eggs that breakfast is known for. Most foods are a snap to prepare, and won't take you but a few minutes.

The next time you are in a hurry in the morning, remember that you are probably about to skip the most important meal of the day. If you follow the tips above, you'll find that you have plenty of time for breakfast.

Ok, till we 'eat' again, watch what and when you eat.

Cheers.

Healthy Eating

How Can Your Kids Eat Healthily?

Healthy Eating

Hi all,
Hope you had a wonderful weekend.

For healthy eating, unavoidably, we need to talk about -

Kids Eating Healthy

Fast food is a big part of modern life these days, making it very hard to teach a child how he or she should eat healthy. The cheapest and easiest foods are those that are normally the least healthy. If you give your child the choice between healthy food and junk food, you normally won't like the results.

Even though it isn't possible to get a child to like all healthy foods, there are some ways to get your child to try and hopefully like at least a few of them. You can be as creative as you like, as getting kids to eat healthy foods can be a little harder than you may think.

- Sneak the healthy food in.
Even though it would be great if your kid understood the importance of fruits and vegetables, this isn't always possible. If you can't get them to eat good food willingly, there are ways to sneak them in, such as making muffins out of bananas or apples, or pizza with spinach on it.

- Call fruits and vegetables by funny names.
You can refer to broccoli as "trees", making them more fun to eat. There are many different names you can call fruits and vegetables, even making up your own if you prefer. Most kids prefer to eat foods that sound fun.

- Make the foods taste better.
Ranch dressing is great for broccoli, while peanut butter is a great topping for celery. There are several combinations for vegetables that can make them taste much better. You can let your child pick a topping for a vegetable, even if it's something you wouldn't normally like yourself.

- Dress the vegetables up.
Just as much as calling them names help kids eat healthy foods, making them look funny also helps. You can do this by making funny designs on the plate, or setting them up to look like people. Although some parents don't like their kids playing with their food, sometimes it helps to get them to eat healthier.

There are several ways to make your kids eat healthier, but to make them enjoy it also has to be fun as well. This isn't always an easy task, because kids normally don't like foods that are good for them. It can however, be done with a bit of creativity. Hopefully, doing this will help your child develop a love of healthy foods for the rest of their lives.

Just be creative and Do It!

Till we 'eat' again, have fun feeding your kids.

Cheers.

Healthy Eating

How To Have Fun and Eat Healthy During Vacation?

Healthy Eating

Hi all,
So you are going for a vacation, how to stick to healthy eating?

Eating Healthy On Vacation

It can be very tempting to abandon your good sense of healthy eating on vacation. Although you may strive for healthy eating, it's easy to drift off and grab an ice cream cone here and there. There are however, ways to watch what you eat on vacation.

It's easier than ever these days to request a low fat or vegetarian meal on airplane flights. If you choose to instead drive to your destination, the quest to find healthy food can get a bit more complicated.

Rather than simply relying on greasy foods for nutrition, pack some nutritious foods in a cooler full of ice packs. Fruits and vegetables, crackers, yogurt, and sandwiches are all great to have with you on the road.

Once you arrive at your hotel, you should do yourself a favor and turn the minibar key down - as this helps to avoid the temptation. If your hotel offers a continental breakfast, stick to fruits, cereals, and proteins. If your hotel has a stove or microwave, consider bringing your own healthy food with you.

If you simply must eat out, do so only when you are hungry. Restaurants will usually serve large portions, so be careful. If you do go a bit overon a meal, simply cut back on the next.

If you find it hard to fit in three square meals a day, try to fit in six smaller meals or snacks, as your body needs fuel every four hours or so.When you eat out, avoid appetizers. Whatever you do, do not miss any meals.

When it's possible, you should avoid eating large meals at night. When your body gets ready for sleep and slows down, it also burns calories at a much slower pace. Never eat bread before bed, and make sure to avoid the butter. Choose fish or poultry for your meal instead, and include vegetables as a side dish.

Even though it may sound hard, eating healthy on vacation isn't really that difficult. All you have to do is use a little will power, and pass up foods that you know aren't good for you. This way, you'll enjoy healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle wherever you go.

The next time you go on a vacation, always remember that eating healthy is a way of life. You can afford to get something you crave, although you shouldn't make a habit of it. One ice cream cone or a pizza isn't going to matter - as long as you know when to stop.

Well, school vacation is coming, watch what and when you put food into you mouth during your vacation.

Till we'eat' again, Stay Healthy Eat Healthy.

Cheers.

Healthy Eating