Incorporating Heart Healthy Habits in Life

According to the American Heart Association, heart disease remains the No. 1 global cause of death with 17.3 million deaths each year. That number is expected to rise to more than 23.6 million by 2030.

The Heart Foundation suggests that cardiovascular diseases claim more lives than all forms of cancer combined and coronary heart disease is the most common type of heart disease, killing nearly 380,000 people annually.

Many of us are well aware of these facts about heart diseases but still we do so little for the health of our tickers, which keep working grudgingly for us despite being subjected to our neglect. Caring for our tickers requires attention to many aspects of our life. By adopting the following heart healthy habits, we can add years to life besides staving off financial burden.

Heart healthy habits:

Exercise regularly - Our heart is a muscle that needs to be worked regularly to stay strong and healthy. Though any amount of exercise is better than no exercise, we must aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic physical activity (e.g., brisk walking) every week or 1 hour and 15 minutes (75 minutes) of vigorous intensity aerobic physical activity (e.g., jogging, running) or a combination of both every week.

In addition, we need muscle strengthening activities that work all major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest shoulders, and arms) on 2 or more days a week.

Eat healthy - We must choose foods low in saturated fat, trans fat, and sodium. In addition, we must eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, fiber-rich whole grains, fish (preferably oily fish at least twice per week), nuts, legumes and seeds and try eating some meals without meat. Further, one should limit sugar-sweetened beverages and red meat. If one chooses to eat meat, one should select the leanest cuts available.

Quit smoking - Smoking is a major cause of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and causes one of every three deaths from CVD. The risk of CVD increases with the number of cigarettes smoked per day as well as the numbers of years they were smoked. Smoking cigarettes with lower levels of tar or nicotine does not reduce the risk for cardiovascular disease.

Avoid second hand smoke - People are more likely to develop heart disease if exposed to second-hand smoke at home or work. According to the American Heart Association, exposure to tobacco smoke contributes to about 34,000 premature heart disease deaths and 7,300 lung cancer deaths each year. This is because the chemicals emitted from cigarette smoke promote the development of plaque buildup in the arteries.

Practice dental hygiene - It has been found that bacteria in the mouth, involved in the development of gum disease, can move into the bloodstream and cause an elevation in C-reactive protein, a marker for inflammation in the blood vessels. These changes may, in turn, increase our risk of heart disease and stroke.

Have regular and adequate sleep daily - A 2011 European Heart Journal review of 15 medical studies involving almost 475,000 people found that short sleepers had a 48% increased risk of developing or dying from coronary heart disease (CHD) in a seven to 25-year follow-up period. Interestingly, long sleepers, those who averaged nine or more hours a night, also showed a 38% increased risk of developing or dying from CHD. Lack of sleep doesn't necessarily cause heart disease but it really increases the risk factors for heart disease.

Simple habit changing tips:

Substituting healthy habits for unhealthy ones rewards us with good health and better quality of life. Still many find it difficult to incorporate healthy habits in their life as sooner or later they revert back to unhealthy lifestyle, thereby losing all the beneficial effects they had. Like any other health habit, heart healthy habits need to be followed throughout life.

The following tips will help us to incorporate heart healthy habits in life:

• One has to make a decision and do conscious efforts to stick to the commitment.
• One has to discover triggers and obstacles that need to be overcome otherwise one will set oneself up for failure.
• One should devise a plan and review it from time to time.
• One should employ visualizations and affirmations, relating to habits to be changed because they program the subconscious with the right mindset for establishing a new habit.
• By enlisting the support of family and friends, we can steer away the temptation that may thwart our efforts.
• One should find ways to reward oneself because they make us feel good, even if it's just temporarily. They will help keeping us motivated to stay on the track.

The bottom line:

Our awareness about the heart disease as number one cause of death worldwide has risen. Nevertheless, many still lack the adequate knowledge of those heart healthy habits that need to be incorporated to keep our ticker strong. What's more, though many do make efforts to adopt them, they fail to continue with them and are thus unable to derive benefits from them.

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Dr._Pran_Rangan/2322082

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9840967https://ezinearticles.com/?Incorporating-Heart-Healthy-Habits-in-Life&id=9840967

Ultimate Full-Body Dumbbell Workout | Andy Speer

No Excuses for Healthy Ageing Exercises

As we age there are a number of so-called reasons why we put off exercise. These are in fact only excuses and they can be easily debunked. In this piece we will cite why many people as they get older stop exercising and why in effect those excuses are nonsense. Exercise as we grow older becomes even more important than when we were young. In our younger days we would get a lot of our exercise from daily work activities which no longer hold in our retirement years.

So let's debunk those arguments now and get going on an exercise program that is going to make you feel better almost immediately:

1. There's just not enough time. You really don't have to put in massive amounts of time in order to make exercise a huge benefit. I must admit I used to feel a bit guilty only spending a half hour a day working out, when other people would be there when I entered the room and still there when I left. But I vowed to make certain that every minute of my workout time was put to good use. That means planning it out and not standing around watching television instead of going about your business. Also, I know that if I'm only going to be there for a half hour I'll always have that much time to go back on a consistent basis.

2. I might as well just accept the fact that I'm getting old. If you choose to accept that fact you will indeed get old much faster than if you exercise. It is really a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you exercise on a regular basis a body will better stave off those old age disease like high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes and Alzheimer's disease much better.

3. I should save my strength as I get older. This is the old argument that there's only so much tread on the tire, so don't waste it in the exercise room. This argument is completely off-base. Nothing will cause the body to age faster than doing nothing and leading a sedentary life.

4. Exercise can cause injuries. It's true that if you exercise the wrong way doing even the simplest exercises can be hazardous to your health. But that is certainly not an excuse to abstain from working out. That is only a reason to exercise in a smart manner. It should be noted that by not exercise at all you are putting yourself at a greater risk for injury due to loss of balance and muscular breakdown from unused muscle. Balance and stretching should be a part of any exercise routine as we age.

5. It's too late in life to begin exercising. Studies have shown time and again that it is never too late. The body is extremely resilient, even with elderly people. Usually in these cases the hardest part is just getting started. If it's been a while start with light walking and gentle activities to begin building yourself up. As you progress you will increase your strength and energy levels, making it easier, not harder to maintain a fitness program.

We are learning that when you eat is as an important factor for losing weight and gaining muscle as what you eat.  Read more about creating delicious meal using garlic and other spices [http://losethatbellyfat.info/recipes-for-garlic/] on our website. Rich Carroll is a writer and avid health advocate now living in Chicago.

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Rich_Carroll/1009184

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8927138https://ezinearticles.com/?No-Excuses-for-Healthy-Ageing-Exercises&id=8927138

5 Reasons Why You Should Stretch

Stretching is very important in beginning and ending an exercise. But its functions go beyond preventing strains and sprains. So why stretch?

1. Stretching before beginning an exercise prevents injuries. It helps the muscles "warm-up" and prepare before divulging into more intense exercises. It helps prevent "pulled muscles". It allows a longer range of motion. For instance, if you are going to do a strong punch without stretching, you will 'shock' your relaxed muscles into motion, thus it will cause pain and soreness. To prevent these from happening, begin with by gently pumping your arms, or by extending your arms overhead or below. You may also do leg extensions, either on the ground or elevated. For elevated leg stretches, it must not be immediate, but gradual and slow. The higher the leg stretch is, the more the muscles are pulled, so one has to do it slowly. When stretching, don't bounce. Bouncing can cause small tears (micro tears) in the muscles which can cause scar tissues. These scar tissues can make movement painful and future stretching more painful and difficult. If you feel that the stretch is becoming more painful, then it means that you have gone too far. Focus on a more comfortable, pain-free stretch. Make sure to stretch both sides, too. It extends your range of motion more that way. Plus, movement doesn't just go one direction, does it?

2. Stretching improves flexibility. When you constantly stretch, you are also making yourself more flexible, thus activities that require flexibility, such dancing and kicks, short sprints and dashes, even basic tasks such as lifting and tying your shoe, can become easier. Flexibility also wanes s people ages, so it's best to regularly stretch so that you can maintain your flexibility.

3. Stretching promotes better breathing and respiratory (or oxygen) flow. Stretching allows oxygen to flow better through your body and it also helps better blood circulation. Body pains and sores usually root from increased tightness and tension from the lack of oxygen that flows to the different parts of your body. Stretching allows the oxygen to move freely and move better.

4. Stretching reduces stress and improves posture. Stress causes the muscles to tighten and knot, thus it can cause strain and back pains. Tension causes negative effects on your body. Muscles harden and slow down the flow of the oxygen (carried by the blood) to the brain which muddles thinking. Stretching brings back the oxygen flow and regulates it, re-oxygenating the brain and also the heart. Aside from contributing greatly to the circulation or blood flow, stretching also releases endorphins or the feel-good hormones in the body which can improve your mood and make you feel good. Stretching also greatly improves posture as it prevents the muscles from getting too tight, which causes slouching and rigidness of the body. When you have good posture, circulation flows better and you can look good and feel good throughout the day.

5. Stretch after exercising. Lactic acid builds up in your muscles while you exercise which leads to fatigue and soreness. This can be remedied by "cooling down" exercises or post-exercise stretching. Post-exercise stretching can help in workout recovery, decreases muscle soreness that comes after the workout and ensures that your muscles and tendons are in good working order. If you stretch after exercising, you are conditioning your muscles, and, in a way, you are relaxing your muscles after a vigorous regimen. Its goal is to return your muscles to the pre-exercise stage. It's like telling your muscles that the hard part of the workout is done. This part of the exercise is called the "cool down" and usually consists of light exercises such as brisk walking, calf stretching and static stretching. Aside from relaxing your muscles, cool down exercise are also meant to re-oxygenate your heart, since you have used too much oxygen working out. This means allowing steady breathing and the muscles push the oxygen back to the heart.

Stretching, although takes minimal time in the whole workout or exercises, is still a very important part of the activity and should not be taken lightly. How sore you can get or how good you feel after a workout depends on how properly and how effectively you have stretched.

Helping fellow Singaporeans to lose weight one person at a time: Singapore Weight Loss Challenge [http://sgweightlosschallenge.com/]

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Jeremiah_Say_Zhihao/1649741

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7881242https://ezinearticles.com/?5-Reasons-Why-You-Should-Stretch&id=7881242

5 best exercises for beginners over 40 from home

Cardio Fitness for the Aged Person

One needs to understand the pressure put on the heart and lungs by overweight and lack of exercise. Both these are pertinent to people who are over 70 years because many tend to sit back, eat more, and indulge themselves in table games or, like me, on the computer. Hours of sitting is extremely unhealthy and one day a voice inside me told me to join a gym. This was completely unexpected and obeying that voice was the best thing.

That voice inside is well-known to me because of memory of reincarnation and link to the Universal Spirit, the real God. It has given me a job to do which is the reason I spend long hours at the computer. Over the last 30 years or so exercise involved only garden maintenance and walks, aside from house work.

Now the command was received and a local gym for women only received me with open arms. Aside from a fortnightly fee of $38, well affordable on a pension, there are PT classes that include one for healthy heart. It is held twice a week and is basically very enjoyable.

The exercises are simple and over the course of 45 minutes involve little weights, steps, and ball movements, such as throwing and catching. Sometimes there is also some square dancing type movements that help with balance. Stretching and flexing of muscles has become now a daily routine with me.

On the other days the gym provides all forms of equipment for those who want to work-out. For me the bike is my favourite although many use the walking and rowing machines. Other equipment allows stretching of muscles in the neck, back, and legs, which I also find useful.

Building up muscles that have disappeared over the years of inactivity is one of my achievements and being able to get up from the ground when I fall over is another. Since starting at this place my balance has improved to the point where there have been no falls at home whereas before I would trip and fall over anything in my path.

It is something for older people to consider. Don't sit around and wait for death to catch up with you but enjoy yourself doing physical training and show the world what you are made of. The other benefit for me has been the great friends made while exercising - a real bonus.

Norma Holt has knowledge that enables her to understand many issues. Political, social and behavioural problems are usually on her list for discussion as well as anything to do with the Spirit of the Universe and reincarnation, which she experienced. She is happy to hear from any of her readers.

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Norma_Holt/270038

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9758793https://ezinearticles.com/?Cardio-Fitness-for-the-Aged-Person&id=9758793

Top Benefits of Almonds You Must Know

Almonds are the oldest and most widely grown nuts in the world. Incorporating them into your diet will add value to your total wellness and this piece tends to expose the great benefits you can derive from doing this.

Almonds contain healthy fats that give your body the necessary energy and fuel it needs for daily activities. It is important to note that not all fat makes you fat. There are bad fats like trans fats (found in fried, fatty foods) which are not that good for the body. But there are good ones that are very essential for your survival and wellbeing.

Furthermore, eating almonds lowers your risk of having a heart attack. They help in reducing bad cholesterol levels and prevent dangerous blood clotting. They contain flavonoids which prevent the artery wall from damage and work with other vitamins to boost the cardiovascular system. Research shows that the consumption of nuts at least five times every week reduces the risk having a heart attack by 50%.

It has also been proved that almonds help in keeping the blood sugar levels regulated and prevent the insulin from spiking when they are taken after meals. They are a great snack for those who want to stay away from sugary, processed foods. They can also help you to reduce your craving for sugary snacks if you take them during the day.

In addition, almonds contain phosphorus which is very essential in building as well as maintaining strong bones and phosphorus also helps in strengthening your teeth. Almonds are also good for your brain. They contain vitamin E, riboflavin and L-carnitine which are nutrients that help in maintaining cognitive abilities through aging. They boost the overall brain activity and reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease.

It is generally agreed that diseases cannot thrive in an alkaline environment, hence, your body needs to be slightly more alkaline than acidic and maintaining this pH is very vital for feeling good and living free of illness. The good news here is that almonds are one of the only nuts that have an alkalizing effect on your body.

Almonds can be taken raw, soaked and in powdery form. Their oil is well-known in ayurvedic cooking because of its smoothness and soft flavour. Their flour is a great alternative for cooking as well as baking because it bakes more easily and has a great taste. Their milk can also be an alternative for you if you really need to stay away from animal milk.

For more information on almonds and their uses, especially in Maharishi Ayurveda products, you should visit MaharishiAyurvedaIndia.com.

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Anand_Kumar/2510323

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9875461https://ezinearticles.com/?Top-Benefits-of-Almonds-You-Must-Know&id=9875461