High Cholesterol Foods Saturated Fats = Heart Disease!

“Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are,” said the French philosopher. Two hundred years later, doctors agree. If you eat unhealthy, you end up unhealthy. Here we focus on just one of many dietary villains: cholesterol, and his sidekick, triglycerides. If you want to steer clear of heart and artery disease, then you must understand the unhealthy nexus between the cholesterol- (and triglyceride-) laden food you consume and cardio-vascular disease. This understanding is crucial to making an informed decision about your choice of food, because that’s going to affect your health and your life.

What is the actual effect of cholesterol? High levels of cholesterol in the bloodstream cause a number of cardio-vascular diseases including artery blockage, strokes, coronary disease and heart attacks. The kicker is the fatal influence of many modern day lifestyle-related vices: smoking, drinking, hypertension, and obesity. Some unfortunate people have the added burden of a hereditary weakness which makes them naturally prone to any or all of the above diseases.

Cholesterol comes in two flavors: good (HDL) and bad (LDL). As the names imply, good cholesterol is good for us, bad cholesterol is bad for us. The body requires some triglycerides, but too much is bad. Saturated fats are a form of triglycerides which is really bad news for the heart. On the other hand, Omega-3 fats famously found in fish, is good at controlling the other bad triglycerides and cholesterol. So we should avoid the bad and accept the good. It’s a simple principle which applies to everything. If only we can live this principle!

We grew up to a simple fact: Eggs are good for us! Then came the pronouncement: Eggs contain a lot of cholesterol! Immediately eggs were taken off the diet lists of almost every household. Now eggs are back without the yolk because research has shown that it is the yolk which contains the cholesterol and not the white. So chefs everywhere are dreaming up yolk-less egg delicacies! The point is that we often bad name a food without really understanding what about it is really harmful.

So now you are careful about eating eggs. You have restricted to one poached egg. But are you looking at what you’re having along with the egg? Bacon and cheese and sausages, with thick slices of white bread liberally coated with butter! The egg isn’t going to harm you, but those side helpings definitely are! Once again the point is that instead of adopting a policy of exclusion of a specific food, we should have a more holistic approach to the entire meal.

In general you should avoid greasy foods which are fried or deep fried. You take a perfectly healthy, non-cholesterol-aggravating eggplant, then you coat it in batter and deep fry it that’s a perfect recipe for a whole slew of cardio-vascular problems! Yes, there are some foods which are bad for your heart which you must avoid. All animal products like meat, poultry, dairy produce and egg yolks are known contributors to high cholesterol levels in the blood. So go easy on those red meats, for your heart’s sake!

Saturated fats are a deadly ingredient in your diet, making the liver increase production of LDL and triglycerides which leads to artery blockage and strokes.

The key to good health it appears is to moderate the dietary intake of high cholesterol foods and saturated fats. So choose poached eggs over that egg omelet, and grilled chicken over fried chicken, and a fresh salad over French fries! That’s the way to a healthy heart and a healthy life!

Written by Ned Dagostino on December 21st, 2009 with no comments.
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Moderate Your Intake Of High Cholesterol Foods

“Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are,” said the French philosopher. Two hundred years later, doctors agree. If you eat unhealthy, you end up unhealthy. Here we focus on just one of many dietary villains: cholesterol, and his sidekick, triglycerides. If you want to steer clear of heart and artery disease, then you must understand the unhealthy nexus between the cholesterol- (and triglyceride-) laden food you consume and cardio-vascular disease. This understanding is crucial to making an informed decision about your choice of food, because that’s going to affect your health and your life.

Medical research shows that high cholesterol food is the main cause of morbid cardio-vascular conditions resulting in strokes and heart attacks. The patient’s health is aggravated further if the morbid cardio-vascular condition is accompanied by hypertension, smoking, obesity, and hereditary factors.

Cholesterol comes in two flavors: good (HDL) and bad (LDL). As the names imply, good cholesterol is good for us, bad cholesterol is bad for us. The body requires some triglycerides, but too much is bad. Saturated fats are a form of triglycerides which is really bad news for the heart. On the other hand, Omega-3 fats famously found in fish, is good at controlling the other bad triglycerides and cholesterol. So we should avoid the bad and accept the good. It’s a simple principle which applies to everything. If only we can live this principle!

A further twist in this tale is that, more often than not, we wrongly blame specific foods for high levels of bad cholesterol. The cooking method, the medium used for cooking, and the other foods that we consume along with the specific food contribute significantly to aggravated cholesterol levels. As an example, eggs were standard breakfast fare once. Then they were declared ‘Bad!’ because they contained cholesterol. Further research has shown that we should avoid the yolk of the egg and not the white! So now we’re seeing eggs dished up with most of the yolk removed.

These swings in favor of or against cholesterol-containing foods confuse the man on the street. Eggs are not the main culprit in raising the level of bad cholesterol. The thing to avoid is not eggs by themselves, but to say no to the large helpings of bacon, cheese and sausages on the side. Paying attention to the way in which your food is cooked will pay off more than simply concentrating on including this and excluding that food from your diet.

Avoid foods, even cholesterol-safe ones that are deep fried. The oil or margarine that’s used to fry or cook the food will do you more harm than the food being cooked. Deep fried foods and animal products. These two should be avoided to stay healthy and free from cardio-vascular disease. Dairy products and poultry products come under animal products and must be avoided.

Saturated fats are a deadly ingredient in your diet, making the liver increase production of LDL and triglycerides which leads to artery blockage and strokes.

There is no sense in banning specific food items from your diet. It makes more practical sense to maintain a moderate approach. Have everything, but in moderation. Keep a strict vigil on what you eat and how it is cooked. A fresh potato salad is good but French fries is not! Choose to grill your food rather than fry it. Have plenty of fresh vegetables. These very ordinary precautions will help to keep your heart beating perfectly for many, many years!

To find out more about eating low cholesterol food go to www.reduce-high-cholesterol.com, a popular website designed to help you eat a heart healthy diet. Also find out how a cholesterol monitor can help you maintain your levels where they need to be.

Written by Ned DAgostino on December 21st, 2009 with no comments.
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Zoll AED Plus $100 Rebate When Purchased From American Med Supply

ZOLL Medical Corporation (NASDAQ GS: ZOLL), a manufacturer of resuscitation devices and related software solutions, announced today it is offering a $100 rebate on their Zoll AED Plus, when purchased through American Med Supply. The rebate is only valid on units purchased before February 20, 2009.

American Med Supply is doing their part as well – American Med Supply is taking $719 off the suggested retail price of the Zoll AED Plus through February 29, 2009.

When asked why they were reducing the price of the Zoll AED Plus, Allyn Cutts, Vice President of American Med Supply said – “February is American Heart Month and it’s our stated mission to make sure anyone in America is within four minutes of a defibrillator. They save lives. It’s just that simple.”

Mr. Cutts went on to say – “The Zoll AED Plus is one of the absolute best automated external defibrillators (AEDs) on the market. I can use anyone I want, and it’s the one I choose to carry.”

More than 340,000 people die from sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) each year in the US alone – That’s more than from breast cancer, prostate cancer, house fires, firearms, traffic accidents, and AIDS combined. Fewer than 7% of the people who experience a sudden cardiac arrest survive – without external defibrillation.

And for every minute that goes by without treatment, a cardiac arrest victim’s chance of survival decreases by 7-10%. After about 10 minutes without defibrillation, few if any attempts at resuscitation are successful.

SCA is estimated to affect more than 7,000 children annually, according to the Pediatric Clinics of North America Journal.

ZOLL Medical Corporation is committed to developing technologies that help advance the practice of resuscitation. With products for pacing, defibrillation, circulation, ventilation, and fluid resuscitation, ZOLL provides a comprehensive set of technologies, including Real CPR Help and See-Thru CPR, that help clinicians, EMS professionals, and lay rescuers resuscitate sudden cardiac arrest or trauma victims. ZOLL also designs and markets software that automates the documentation and management of both clinical and non-clinical information.

To take advantage of the American Med Supply discount and the ZOLL rebate, visit http://www.AmericanMedSupply.com or call their toll-free number: (877)899-0002.

About American Med Supply: American Med Supply has offices in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Florida and is one of the nation’s leading providers of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs), AED Batteries, AED Pads and AED Cabinets. American Med Supply supplies many of the largest cities and municipalities, gas & electric companies, police forces, government branches, the State Department, US Embassies, Fortune 1000, small businesses, as well as hundreds of YMCA’s, and school districts across the nation with their emergency medical equipment.

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Written by C Allyn Cutts on December 10th, 2009 with no comments.
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Living With Congestive Heart Failure

Though I have been through a lot in my life, I was not prepared to hear the doctors say that my grandmother had congestive heart failure. She had already been through so much. She had a stroke when she was in her fifties, and she was never the same after that. She was always healthy though, and until this, had been OK for the most part. Now we had to face something that scared me. I didn’t want to go through it again, though I do realize that grandparents don’t live forever. I just didn’t want to face losing her now. (more…)

Written by John Walker on December 10th, 2009 with 6 comments.
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Having A Blood Pressure Monitor At Home Can Be Helpful

A blood pressure monitor is a good thing to have on hand, especially if you know that you suffer from high blood pressure, or have a family history of heart disease.  Because blood pressure is an excellent indication of how your heart is performing, and how much stress it might be under, your blood pressure is a vital piece of information in determining your overall health.  Indeed, along with your heart rate, your blood pressure numbers are often referred to as your ‘vitals’.  One of the first things most doctors or nurses will do when they see you in a treatment environment is to measure your vitals with a blood pressure monitor. (more…)

Written by Nancy Blackett on December 10th, 2009 with no comments.
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How Your Body is Affected by Heart Disease

The United States is not the only place heart disease has become the number one killer of men and women. This silent killer is also prominent in England and Canada. A generalized term, heart disease is most often used to describe a blockage in the arteries which then cuts off blood flow to the body. This generic terminology is also used to describe other ailments of the heart such as:

To better understand the affects of disease on the body, it is important to evaluate the circulatory system and the roll of the heart in it. The circulatory system, is comprised of blood, the heart, and the blood vessels that supply oxygen, blood, and nutrients to the body.

A normal functioning body is supplies oxygen and nutrients to cells and tissue. If there is a malfunction in the circulatory process, heart disease will occur, thus affecting the body’s metabolism.

Coronary artery disease is the result of plaque on the arterial walls, causing the blocking off of the blood vessels. Blood clots form in the cracks of the plaque, which can grow to close off the artery to the normal flow of blood. If the flow of blood is blocked, it will have a major impact on the other organs of the body, namely, the heart, lungs, kidneys, and brain.

Peripheral vascular disease is a result of blocked arteries in the arms or legs. It may disturb the ability to move the extremities, which can lead to disability. At times, these plaques can rupture, leading to the closure of the artery. It can also cause the skin to break down causing skin ulcers of the lower extremities. Additionally, plaque can break off and travel through the blood stream to the heart or lungs causing cardiac or respiratory arrest. This is an emergency situation requiring immediate attention or it can lead to the death of the patient.

For example, a woman, born with a congenital heart disease can consider pregnancy, but the risk factors for both the mother and baby must be evaluated before pregnancy begins. Otherwise, there is a risk for maternal and/or fetal death during the pregnancy.

These are ways heart disease affects the body as a whole. Often times, a diagnosis of heart disease can lead a patient into depression or extreme stress. While there is the belief that stress and heart disease are related, there has not yet been any scientific evidence to back it up. Prevention is the key. Making healthy choices regarding, weight, not smoking, avoiding alcohol, controlling high blood pressure, lowering cholesterol and getting daily exercise are all great ways to living a healthier, longer life.

Written by Barb Hicks on December 10th, 2009 with no comments.
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Signs and Symptoms of Heart Attacks in Women

Recently conducted research suggests that the infamous signs and symptoms of heart attacks in men are not the same for women. Over 500 women who had undergone a Myocardial Infarction or MI (acute heart attack), reported symptoms such as anxiety, sleep deprivation, stomach disturbances, and breathing problems.

With today’s women leading busy lives, they tend to ignore any unusual indicators and chalk them up to their hectic lifestyles. Of the women studied, only 30% admitted experiencing tightness or aching in the chest. As the symptoms reported are so obscure, it is more likely that women will not associate them with having an actual heart attack and not seek out medical assistance. In addition, the day to day buzz of daily life for today’s woman also impedes their willingness to acknowledge the onset or risk of heart disease.

Studies have shown that the risk of heart disease and heart attacks in women are much higher than men. As women age, their bodies change, thus creating a fluctuation in estrogen levels. This, combined with the use of tobacco products and birth control pills puts women in extreme danger of accelerating the onset of heart disease. Proper education, tools and awareness are extremely important for today’s woman in fighting the battle of this silent killer. A woman’s survival rate after experiencing a heart attack is less than a man’s, making the point that women need to stop and listen to what their bodies are telling them.

There are no age limits where heart disease is concerned, which is why it is critical for every woman to take charge of her own health. Knowing the family health history is key in recognizing the risk factors as well as being able to utilize all the resources available to them for prevention. Taking control is one giant step towards preventing this number one killer of women from becoming a wide spread epidemic.

Physicians require distinct symptoms in order to make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe the proper treatment. Each patients needs are different and there are many forms of treatment available from surgery to medication. Taking the reins of daily life and making wise, healthy choices aid in ensuring a long and happy life.

Written by Barb Hicks on December 10th, 2009 with no comments.
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What is Ischemic Heart Disease – Are You At Risk?

Ischemic heart disease is defined as decreased blood flow to the heart due to narrowed coronary arteries. The obstruction results from cholesterol deposits sticking to the artery wall interrupting the flow of blood to the heart. The deposits harden causing hardening of the arteries. This is called atherosclerosis, which is a medical term sometimes interchanged with arteriosclerosis. Both have the same affect, whereby both impede blood flow to the heart.

Arteriosclerosis, or plaque buildup, is a common factor in Ischemic heart disease. Plaque, a result of high cholesterol and triglyceride levels, builds up in the vessels that feed the heart causing blockage to occur. This interferes with blood flow to the heart and results in heart attack symptoms to occur. The patient may exhibit signs ranging from shortness of breath to irregular heartbeats, and chest pain. Sometimes, there are no symptoms due to damage to the nerves that surround the heart due to heart disease.

As time progresses, Angina will occur. This is when the arteries narrow, creating inefficient blood flow to the heart. This strangling of the heart or Angina Pectoris causes chest pain due to the lack of oxygen from the lack of blood flow to the heart. Patients afflicted with this type of heart disease are at an extremely high risk for attack and cardiac arrhythmia.

People who are at risk for ischemic heart disease most likely have a family history of heart disease, high blood pressure, or diabetes. The risks, in most instances, can be alleviated or eliminated altogether by drastic changes in lifestyle such as losing weight and stopping smoking. While these changes may reduce risks, they do not necessarily cure ischemic heart disease that is already present. If the person has had a previous heart attack, they have an increased risk for having another heart attack within 5 years. Regular visits with your physician to monitor any changes in the patient’s condition will alert the physician to any potential problems that may crop up and slow down the rate of disease progression.

The good news about ischemic heart disease is it can be prevented, or at least lessen its severity. The answer is simple but may not be easy to implement. Its not easy to change the way we have been doing things for the past 20 to 30 years, but when you think of the alternative, change can be a good thing.

Written by Barb Hicks on December 10th, 2009 with no comments.
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Using A Heart Rate Monitor

Are you one of those people that is totally committed to your personal exercise routine?  Or are you a person that enjoys working out in an effort to stay strong and healthy? Whichever type of exercise enthusiast that you might be, you really should be using a heart rate monitor. (more…)

Written by Nancy Blackett on December 10th, 2009 with 2 comments.
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Getting To Know Your Health Guardian, HDL Cholesterol

The level of cholesterol in our blood has a deep impact on our health. LDL (low density lipoprotein) cholesterol affects our health adversely, whereas HDL (high density lipoprotein) cholesterol is beneficial for us. Maintaining the balance of good and bad cholesterol levels is essential for a good, healthy life, one that is free from heart disease.

Simply put, we should do our best to enhance the level of HDL (good) cholesterol and reduce the level of LDL (bad) cholesterol.

Cholesterol levels can be controlled using chemical intervention in the form of medicines. This is an emergency solution, not a long term solution. Natural, holistic therapies are preferred for cholesterol control. Cardiovascular exercise is the prime example of such therapy. This exercise improves the blood circulation. The improved blood circulation means firstly, more health and secondly, better elimination of harmful wastes like LDL cholesterol.

The generally held medical opinion is that thirty minutes of cardiovascular exercise every day is sufficient to control bad cholesterol levels. Dr. Mercola thinks otherwise. He stresses the importance of exercise being exercise, not a form of relaxation. Exercise is beneficial to health only when we feel exerted. This can be done in two ways: either increase the stress level of the exercise, or increase its duration. He feels that the second option is the safer of the two. Simply jogging in the park for the stipulated thirty minutes is not going to do an iota of good for our cholesterol level, says Dr. Mercola. Extend the jog to an hour, and then you’ll experience an appreciable reduction of bad cholesterol. Whatever form of exercise you choose, just make sure you exercise regularly.

Cardiovascular exercise is your most formidable weapon against cardiovascular disease. Diet control is extremely important to reap the full benefits of cardiovascular exercise. Recognize that some types of fat are good for HDL cholesterol: these are mono-unsaturated fats, and omega-3 fats. Virgin olive oil is recommended for your health. Avoid canola oil, because though it is a mono-unsaturated fat it is generally obtained from genetically modified sources. Saturated fats are bad for the HDL cholesterol level.

Omega-3 fats are instrumental in raising good HDL cholesterol. Salmon and tuna are good natural sources of omega-3 fats, but you can get your dietary requirement through purified omega-3 supplements. Avoid margarine as completely as possible. Pastries and processed food treats which are sugary and fatty are bad for HDL cholesterol. Follow these simple guidelines and watch your HDL cholesterol bounce back to good healthy levels.

Next put your lifestyle under a scanner. Do you smoke? Cigarette smoking is turning out to be a bigger killer than originally thought. Stop it, immediately! Smoking smothers the HDL cholesterol in the blood. Are you obese? Obesity aids and abets the malefic HDL cholesterol. Follow regular workouts specially designed to reduce obesity.

Last but not least, there is one more lifestyle factor that affects your cholesterol balance. This factor is stress, aka tension. So learn to manage stress in your life. If the stress is bound to the work environment consider changing your occupation. If it’s the neighborhood that stresses you out, consider moving. Changing your occupation or your residence is a very big ask, no doubt, but you should consider it seriously for the sake of your health.

Cardiovascular exercise, dietary control, and lifestyle modification: these are the three important ways to a better cholesterol situation. Follow the steps we’ve put together for you and your risk of suffering heart disease will just fade away. Have a healthy, happy life!

Written by Ned Dagostino on December 10th, 2009 with no comments.
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