Passive smoking greatly increases cardiac risk

It has long been known that passive tobacco smoke increases one's risk of developing lung cancer. Indeed, because most cigarettes have filters, some scientists think that sidestream smoke is more harmful than the smoke inhaled by the actual smoker.



Now, recent studies suggest that passive tobacco smoke causes coronary artery disease far mort often than it causes cancer. A recent analysis combining the results of 18 studies involving more than half a million subjects suggests that exposure passive tobacco smoke increases one's risk of coronary artery disease by 25%.



And while passive tobacco smoke causes an estimated 3000 deaths a year from lung cancer, the American Heart Association now believes that passive smoke causes as many as 40,000 cardiac related deaths per year.

Look for even more aggressive efforts to ban smoking anywhere near public places.

Smoking and the Heart.

Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S., and the leading cause of death caused by smoking. Smoking is hard on the heart, and the toxins in cigarette smoke cause plaques to form in the arteries, which leads to atherosclerosis, otherwise known as hardening of the arteries.Toxins in the blood from smoking cigarettes contribute to the development of atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is a progressive hardening of the arteries caused by the deposit of fatty plaques and the scarring and thickening of the artery wall. Inflammation of the artery wall and the development of blood clots can obstruct blood flow and cause heart attacks or strokes.


Smoking causes coronary heart disease, the leading cause of death in the United States. Coronary heart disease results from atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries.Smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death and has negative health impacts on people at all stages of life. It harms unborn babies, infants, children, adolescents, adults, and seniors.

Alcohol Consumption and Heartburn.

Alcohol consumption affects everyone differently. For some, a beer or cocktail is a way to unwind and relax. But for others, the relaxation that takes place involves the LES, or the lower esophageal sphincter, and this can trigger heartburn.

Drinking alcohol can contribute to heartburn in several ways. Alcohol consumption can increase the relaxation of the LES – the natural valve that keeps stomach acid in the stomach and out of the esophagus – allowing acid to reflux, or flow backward, into the esophagus when it normally would not. The acid irritates the wall of the esophagus, causing heartburn. Alcohol can also trigger heartburn by causing the progressive contractions that occur with swallowing to become erratic. Normally, the muscles of the esophagus contract and relax in order to carry food from the throat to the stomach, and to prevent acids from backing up from the stomach into the esophagus. An irregular rhythm can allow acid to enter the esophagus and trigger heartburn symptoms.



In addition to affecting the function of the LES, drinking beer and wine can increase the amount of acid produced in the stomach. Alcohol can also make the esophagus more sensitive to harsh acid, and cause inflammation, or swelling, in its protective lining

Drinking & Driving

Driving while either intoxicated or drunk is dangerous and drivers with high blood alcohol content or concentration (BAC) are at greatly increased risk of car accidents, highway injuries and vehicular deaths. Possible prevention measures examined here include establishing DWI courts, suspending or revoking driver licenses, impounding or confiscating vehicle plates, impounding or immobilizing vehicles, enforcing open container bans, increasing penalties such as fines or jail for drunk driving, and mandating alcohol education. Safety seat belts, air bags, designated drivers, and effective practical ways to stay sober are also discussed.



Every single injury and death caused by drunk driving is totally preventable. Although the proportion of crashes that are alcohol-related has dropped dramatically in recent decades, there are still far too many such preventable accidents. Unfortunately, in spite of great progress, alcohol-impaired driving remains a serious national problem that tragically effects many victims annually.

Good Heart Health and Preventing Heart Attacks

Drinking Alcohol in Moderation Lowers Women’s Risk of Heart Attack


Alcohol Reduces Heart Disease Says U.S. Government

Overall Heart Health Improved by Drinking Alcohol

Drinking Alcohol Protective against Coronary Heart Disease (CHD)

Frequent Consumption of Alcohol Reduces Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) Risk

Drinking Alcohol Reduces Coronary Vascular Disease(CVD) Risk

Drinking Alcohol Reduces Congestive Heart Failure

Cardiovascular Deaths and Alcohol

Alcohol And Health

Moderate drinkers tend to have better health and live longer than those who are either abstainers or heavy drinkers. In addition to having fewer heart attacks and strokes, moderate consumers of alcoholic beverages (beer, wine or distilled spirits or liquor) are generally less likely to suffer hypertension or high blood pressure, peripheral artery disease, Alzheimer's disease and the common cold.




Sensible drinking also appears to be beneficial in reducing or preventing diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, bone fractures and osteoporosis, kidney stones, digestive ailments, stress and depression, poor cognition and memory, Parkinson's disease, hepatitis A, pancreatic cancer, macular degeneration (a major cause of blindness), angina pectoris, duodenal ulcer, erectile dysfunction, hearing loss, gallstones, liver disease and poor physical condition in elderly.

Raw Foods for Weight Loss!

Weight loss doesn't have to be hard, painful or full of denial. You don't have to be deprived or depressed. You deserve to know how to lose weight easily and without feeling hungry.

All of your planning for the raw food weight loss diet has been done for you RIGHT
Begin memorizing these 4 Weight Loss Rules and you'll be on your ROAD to weight loss success:

• Eat Raw
• Eat Organic
• Eat Alkaline
• Eat Delicious

Also remember that you can eat as much, as often and as pleasurable as you like.
HERE! Even your kids will be exited about all of these delicious, fun and easy raw food recipes, diet plans, menus, shopping lists and time saving ideas.

Fast Foods.

America has been called a "fast food nation" and for good reason. Everyday, one out of four Americans eats fast food. If you are eating out, fast food restaurants are often the cheapest option, but unfortunately, not usually the healthiest one. Eating just one fast food meal can pack enough calories, sodium and fat for an entire day, but the quick-and-cheap temptation can be hard to resist.
As an informed customer, you can make healthier choices and still enjoy the convenience of fast food restaurants.

Learning to make healthier choices at fast food restaurants

If you don’t prepare ahead of time, common sense guidelines help to make your meal healthier. For example, a seemingly healthy salad can be a diet minefield when smothered in high-fat dressing and fried toppings, so choose a salad with fresh veggies, grilled toppings and a lighter dressing. Portion control is also important, as many fast food restaurants serve enough food for several meals in the guise of a single serving.

Making healthier choices at fast food restaurants is easier if you prepare ahead by checking guides that show you the nutritional content of meal choices at your favorite restaurants. Free downloadable guides help you evaluate your options. If you have a special dietary concern, such as diabetes, heart health or weight loss, the websites of national non-profits provide useful advice. You can also choose to patronize restaurants that focus on natural, high quality food.

Green Vegetables.

Enjoyed cooked or raw, cauliflower is a great addition to your Healthiest Way of Eating. While green vegetables may contain more chlorophyll, cauliflower is still rich in nutrients and, like its cousins, cabbage, kale, and broccoli, it also provides health-promoting sulfur compounds not found in many other vegetables.

Fruits And Vegetables In Our Diet.

Most Americans are not eating enough fruits and vegetables. In fact the Center for Disease Control, CDC, has a new initiative to get the majority of Americans to eat 2 servings of fruits and 3 servings of vegetables a day by the year 2010. The question is, are these government objectives going to make a difference in reducing diseases like obesity, diabetes and heart disease?The best thing you can do for your health is to eliminate processed foods from your diet and choose to eat whole foods as close to the garden as possible. At the least make it your aim to eat raw fruits and vegetables with every meal. At best make it your aim to make raw fruits and vegetables your main meal, rather than the condiment of your meal.
By making these changes you will feel better, look better and do much to protect yourself from the deadly diseases that plague Americans who eat the Standard American or SAD diet.

Healthy Diet-Healthy Living.

What is a healthy diet? It's not about counting calories, measuring portions or cutting carbs. You won't find it on the lite menu at your favorite restaurant and you certainly won't find it at the local fast food joint. A healthy diet is all about what you eat rather than how much you eat.The best thing you can do to keep yourself healthy is to eat a healthy diet…all the time, not just when you want to lose weight. Eating healthy is a long-term lifestyle choice, something you are going to do for your entire lifetime.
But what is a healthy diet? Is it what we have been lead to believe – milk for strong bones and teeth, protein in the form of lean beef or chicken and maybe a “healthy” microwave dinner if we are “on the go.” Unfortunately this diet is what is identified as the Standard American Diet or the SAD.

What Is Child Abuse?

Child abuse can be when someone does something harmful, or does not provide for or protect, a child or young person.  Child abuse can cause long-lasting emotional, physical and behavioural damage.
Sport is a particularly vulnerable area for potential child abuse because it:

• involves a large number of people under the age of 18
• can involve overnight and away trips (e.g. training camps or competitions)
• usually involves close relationships between adults and children, where the adults are in positions of trust and able to assert authority and power over children.

Healthy Enviroment For Children.

Children come into closer contact with their environment than adults.
They crawl on the floor and the ground, put their fingers in their mouths and because of their curious nature touch and taste things without knowing if they are harmful.
They may also be more sensitive to some harmful substances because of their stage of development.
As a parent or caregiver you have an important role to play in providing a healthy environment for your child(ren).
This booklet has information on what you can do and gives Internet links and telephone numbers for more information.
Your local Public Health Department may have information on providing healthy environments for children.

Love and Health.

Love has consequences for health and well-being. Engaging in joyful activities
such as love may activate areas in the brain responsible for emotion, attention,
motivation and memory (i.e., limbic structures), and it may further serve to control
the autonomic nervous system, i.e., stress reduction. Th is specific CNS activity
pattern appears to exert protective effects, even on the brain itself. Moreover,
anxiolytic effects of pleasurable experiences may occur by promotion of an inhibitory
tone in specific areas of the brain. Th us, love and pleasure clearly are capable
of stimulating health, well-being and (re)productivity: Th is wonderful biological
instrument makes procreation and maintenance of organisms and their species a
deeply rewarding and pleasurable experience, thus ensuring survival, health, and
perpetuation.
Is love healthy?
Love has consequences for health and well-being.
Th e better we understand the concrete
neurobiology of love and its possible secondary
implications, the greater is our respect for the significance and potency of love’s role in mental and
physical health . Love is closely related to the
concept of pleasure and ‘positive psychology’, i.e.,
joyful mental states, and therefore has become a
feature not only of thorough psychological but
also basic science research – e.g., neurobiology –
and clinical medicine.
Love, particularly in the beginning (i.e., falling
in love), can sometimes be stressful .
However, it still possesses a strong and overall
stress reducing potential . By helping individuals
to cope with stressful situations and, at first,
survive, love truly represents an essential ‘ingredient’ of a
healthy and satisfying life.

Stress and Anxiety

Happiness is a summum bonum (total good) of a man’s life. To be at peace with his inner self is the purpose of his existence. When you move away from it, you are agitated. Distortions in your normal disposition begin to occur. You experience fear and confusion envelops you. But that is not the end of the program. You need to emerge victorious out of the confusing cobweb. And, that is all about the cure of stress and anxiety.

Stress and anxiety is always about coming to the terms with you. Anxieties about what happened in the past are not that intense. If they continue to hurt you, they hurt in a lesser degree. Anxieties about the future are what really matter. Out motivated approach to the problems of future lead us to never ending confusion and anxiety.

how to cure cough?

Coughs are usually one of two types--dry or wet. Depending on which type of cough you have depends on how you cure the cough. The best way to diagnose the cough is by seeing a doctor. However, if it's a recurring problem, you can treat the cough the way your doctor treated it in the past, but if it doesn't clear up in a couple of days consult your doctor.

1. Step 1
   Decide on the type of cough you have. A dry cough is when you have an itchy scratch in your throat. A wet cough is one in which you are coughing up mucus.
   
2. Step 2
   Get the right cough medication for your cough. There are two types of cough medicines--antitussive or expectorant.
   
3. Step 3
   Use an antitussive cough mixture when you have a dry cough. An antitussive stops the natural reaction of the body to cough, which is what you want to do since the cough makes the irritation worse.
   
4. Step 4
   Buy an expectorant cough medicine when you have a wet cough. You are coughing up mucus and you don't want to suppress it. If you don't cough it up, it will stay in your lungs and cause more problems in the long run.
   
5. Step 5
   Try a home remedy such as honey and lemon to cure your cough. Some home remedies do work some of the time, but if your cough lasts more than a couple of days, consult your doctor.

Simple truths about weight loss.

Many people think weight loss is like emptying a bucket with a ladle. A scoop out of the bucket today, tomorrow, next week will eventually empty the bucket. Not so with our bodies. When we decrease our food intake, our bodies try to absorb and store more calories the next time we eat in excess of what our body needs. So, even though we are cutting down most of the time, we will not lose weight if we get extra calories part of the time.

The simple rule of weight loss is that you must consistently burn off more calories than you take in. Any type of weight loss diet can work as long as calorie intake is consistently reduced, every day. A diet that is balanced with small quantities of vegetables, fruit, grains and lean meat or fish is the healthiest. Exercise helps, but unless you are an athlete, you will have to cut calories, too. And remember, it’s OK to be hungry when losing weight. Once a goal is achieved, every day is for maintaining. If you go back to eating more and exercising less, the weight will go right back on.

Factoring exercise into your weight loss plan

You can exercise more to lose weight, but beware of this idea. Most people don’t realize how much exercise is needed to lose weight without cutting calories. Plus, exercise increases appetites. If a dieter can avoid eating any more than was consumed before the diet and can burn off an additional 500 calories every day, that person can lose a pound a week. One mile, walked or run, or five miles on a bike, burns 100 calories. If you can do five miles a day—every day—and not eat any more no matter where you are or what you are doing, you can lose a pound a week. Or, you can cut 250 calories per day and do two and a half miles to accomplish the same thing.

Everyone can lose weight. Not everyone can or should be skinny, but everyone can reach a normal, healthy weight. It requires an acceptance that we cannot eat all we want, whenever we want. We can enjoy food and the occasions in which food is served, but our food intake must be balanced with our activity to achieve and maintain a normal weight.

 
By John Messmer, MD

Weight loss Via jogging

Okay, when I lived in Maryland about a year ago, I was 260 pounds. After 3 months of working and getting back and forth to work on a bicycle, I lost a total 60 pounds, which is good for a 3 month period. I moved back to maryland about 3 months after that and stayed at 200, going down to 190 a few times but mostly at 200.
I decided to move back down to Florida about two weeks ago to talk to my recruiter about joining the Air force. He wants me to lose another 20 pounds in a month, and potentially another 10 in the next month.. which is possible.
Statistics: 5′8″ 200 lbs, 19 years old.
Okay, so i decide to start jogging.. I’ve never been good at distance running.. My first day out i do my stretching, push ups, crunches, then i go for a half mile walk. After that i go for a real light jog for the same path which equals another half mile. each half mile I drink about 10 OZ of water because the temperatures are really high. I went a total 1 1/2 miles through the entire day. The method I used of crunches is to increase by 10 each interval. 30 first, then 40 the next set. 50 after that, then 70 after that.
My diet consists of few carbs, lots of fruits and salads, and sometimes a hearty breakfast… Generally the same daily. (plus one-a-days, fish oil, and hootia.)
Through the past 5 days, i’ve worked myself from only being able to slow jog a half mile up to a total 3-5 miles depending on the heat of the morning/evening twice a day bringing a total 6-10 miles a day, and am currently at 110-120 crunch intervals.
Now what has me confused is with all this going on, i’m GAINING weight. In the two weeks of being here, eating healthy, and exercising at the beginning of the second week, i’ve actually GAINED 10 pounds.
I dont believe it is muscle nor any physical disorders.. i’m just confused as to why i’ve had a 10 pound weight gain in two weeks..
Thanks,

Nalj10.

8 Tips for Eating Well.

These practical tips can help you make healthier choices. The two keys to a healthy diet are eating the right amount of food for how active you are and eating a range of foods to make sure you're getting a balanced diet.

A healthy balanced diet contains a variety of types of food, including lots of fruit, vegetables and starchy foods such as wholemeal bread and wholegrain cereals; some protein-rich foods such as meat, fish, eggs and lentils; and some milk and dairy foods.

 

1. Base your meals on starchy foods

 

2. Eat lots of fruit and veg

 3. Eat more fish

 4. Cut down on saturated fat and sugar

 5. Try to eat less salt - no more than 6g a day

 6. Get active and try to be a healthy weight

 7. Drink plenty of water

 8. Don't skip breakfast

It's a dog's dinner-but not as we know it!

Modern processed food can affect pets’ health in similar ways to people, as design consultant Louisa Jenkins discovered when her miniature dachshund, Eugene, developed a nasty skin condition.
‘He had flaky skin and dry lesions inside and outside his floppy ears,’ she says. ‘The vet tested for conditions such as ringworm, but everything came back negative. He thought it might be an allergy but didn’t suggest how to deal with it.’
Eugene’s ears went on getting worse, until Louisa decided to change his food. ‘A friend suggested an organic brand called Lily’s Kitchen. After a month, his ears cleared up and the problem hasn’t returned.’
According to holistic vet Richard Allport, skin conditions often clear with a more natural diet. ‘There are many problems with the ingredients in commercial pet food. Dogs and cats are designed to eat lots of meat but the percentage in most products is tiny and it’s usually bulked out with wheat, which is the most common allergen.’
An additional factor in skin sensitivity may be the over 400 permitted artificial additives in pet foods, including colourings and flavour enhancers, plus the large amount of sugar and salt. 
That’s not the only problem, says Richard. ‘Around two thirds of pet dogs and cats are obese. And there’s a huge increase in feline diabetes because commercial brands contain carbohydrates which shouldn’t be part of cats’ diets. The food predisposes them to diabetes, then the manufacturers sell expensive diabetic food to treat it.’
Richard refused to sell pet food but now he stocks Lily’s Kitchen and gives it to his own dogs. ‘Ideally, I’d give dogs and cats home-cooked food, but few owners have the time. Lily’s Kitchen is the best alternative.’
The brand was developed by former magazine publisher Henrietta Morrison with her vet brother Bob Ghandour.
‘Lily, my border terrier, kept getting ear infections with red sores and itchy skin,’ says Henrietta. ‘Eventually Bob said there was no point in giving her more hydrocortisone, the root cause had to be her food. The problem was there was no good natural food for cats and dogs, so he said, “Why don’t you do it?” ’
With advice from holistic vets, Henrietta spent two years sourcing good-quality organic ingredients for Lily’s Kitchen, which offers dry and wet food.
As well as chunks of real meat (in commercial brands the chunks are often powdered bones, mechanically recovered meat and wheat), her dog food contains starches, fruit and veg, in the right proportions for good nutrition.
Slow-cooked Lamb Hotpot has 60 per cent lamb, with brown rice, peas, squash, apple, pearl barley, broccoli, blueberries, carrots, plus essential fatty acids and herbs. My cat is munching Organic Dinner with Chicken, and the bonus is that the smell is as appetising as your own food (and the packaging is recyclable and compostable).  
It may take fussy eaters time to convert from flavour-enhanced products to a natural diet (like weaning children off junk food). But it’s worth it.
As veterinary consultant Rodney Zasman says: ‘We underestimate the vital importance of diet in animals to prevent and treat diseases. The ingredients in Lily’s Kitchen are balanced, good quality and organic.’ 

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/you/article-1178888/Health-notes-Its-dogs-dinner--8211-know-it.html#ixzz0eHNs63Nm