Eating alone will not keep a man well; he must also take exercise... food and exercise, while possessing opposite qualities, yet work together to produce health.
-Hippocrates, Fifth century
Women with blood pressure on the high side of normal are at increased risk of developing heart disease
According to The Mayo Clinic Health Letter, if your blood pressure is at the high end of normal ranges, and you are female, you might be at increased risk for cardiovascular disease.
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A recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that women with high-normal blood pressure were two-and-one-half times more likely to develop heart disease than those with blood pressure in the optimal range.
The increased risk for men was lower; men with high-normal blood pressure readings were one-and-one-half times more likely to develop heart disease than men with optimal readings.
An optimal blood pressure reading is below 120 for systolic pressure (when the heart is pumping) and below 80 for diastolic pressure when the heart is between beats).
A high-normal reading is 130 to 139 for systolic pressure and 85 to 89 for diastolic pressure.
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Mayo Clinic doctors advise people with high-normal readings to take steps to lower their blood pressure including losing weight if necessary, eliminating tobacco use, exercising, eating a healthy diet and controlling your intake of sodium.
Magnesium supplementation is one way of lowering blood pressure
Magnesium supplements (including Epsom salts, which make a soothing bath allowing Magnesium to be absorbed through the skin) play a small, but significant effect on lowering blood pressure, according to a new study by The American Heart Association.
Japanese researchers say magnesium may play a role in relaxing the blood vessels, an effect generally proven to help lower blood pressure. When blood vessels are constricted - not relaxed - the heart works harder to pump blood through the body, causing blood pressure to increase.
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Epsom salts baths have the added affect of reducing leg and foot cramps. They are recommended all around.
Urinary Incontinence, diabetes and pre-diabetes
I thought this study was fascinating. For women, urinary incontinence often is a complication of diabetes and pre-diabetes (a condition where blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not in the diabetic range). Might a woman's weight play a role in this finding?
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The study, published in www.familydoctor.org, analyzed data on 1,957 overweight, pre-diabetic women who had been randomly assigned to participate in a diet and weight-loss program or to take an oral diabetes drug (Metformin), or a placebo.
Those in the first group ate a low-fat diet and exercised moderately for 30 minutes, five days a week, and, on average, lost 5 to 7 percent of their initial weight. After about three years, 38 percent of these women reported having instances of urinary incontinence at least weekly, compared with 48 percent of those in the drug group and 46 percent of those taking the placebo.
The diet and exercise benefited people affected by stress incontinence (leakage during coughing, sneezing or exercise) while urge incontinence (leakage associated with a sudden, strong need to urinate) was similar in all groups.
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The people most affected by these findings are overweight women who are diabetic or pre-diabetic. Although nearly half of all women middle-aged or older experience occasional incontinence, the risk increases 50 percent to 70 percent with Type II-diabetes.
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The FDA is considering making fat blockers available over the counter
Fat blockers are a way of lowering the calorie intake of people who want to lose weight. However, there are two fats that are absolutely necessary for the health and well being of humans. These fats are called essential fatty acids. They are called essential because they are absolutely required for life. These fatty acids are called Omega 3 and Omega 6 essential fatty acids.
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One of the problems with the low fat diet (besides the fact that it made people gain weight because the replacement food was loaded with sugar) is that it deprived the body of essential fats. One result was depression and another result was the explosion of Diabetes Type II. As I have written before, Thomas Smith reversed his Type II Diabetes by changing the oils he ate to include essential fatty acids and by adding a full spectrum of mineral supplements including chromium, potassium and zinc.
Tumeric
The health section of the Los Angeles Times reported that Turmeric is being investigated to prevent and treat a broad range of diseases: cancer, cystic fibrosis, Alzheimer’s and arthritis. It is used in India as a disinfectant (Johnson and Johnson make turmeric Band-Aids for the Indian market). Many people in India sprinkle the powder on wounds to help them heal faster. They gargle with turmeric when they have laryngitis and rub it on the skin to cure cuts and psoriasis. Also it is swallowed to treat bronchitis and chronic diseases such as diabetes.
Turmeric is a relative of ginger. It fights disease partly by shutting down a powerful protein that promotes an abnormal inflammatory response in the body. It is also a potent antioxidant and may even lower cholesterol.
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Inflammation and oxidative damage are contributors to so many diseases, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, arthritis and various cancers. It's a wonderful tasting spice, particularly used in curries.
The Latest Report on Low Fat Diets
Low fat diets made the headlines as a failure for women over 50 in reducing the risks of heart disease, breast and colon cancer. Well, that is subject to question. The study on low fat diets (which we don't support, by the way) didn't separate healthy fats from unhealthy fats. Omega 3 and Omega 6 essential fatty acids are the healthy fats. Omega 3 actually helps your body burn unhealthy fat. Low fat diets add tons of sugar to the mix, which is immensely unhealthy. Low fat diets have severe impact on the brain, which is 67% fat. Clinical depression has resulted in many low fat dieters, along with a significant loss of energy. So before you believe what the news says, it's a good idea to check on the facts of the study. Did they take into account healthy oils, foods or supplements when it made the evaluation. For adults, three tablespoons of golden omega oil, or flaxseed oil should be ingested during the day: one at each major meal. Simply substitute it for virgin olive oil in your salad dressing.
Regular Exercise Helps Lower Bad Cholesterol - Raise Good Cholesterol
Research shows that regular exercise can begin to raise your level of 'good' HDL cholesterol in as little as eight weeks. A more exciting finding is that exercise changes the makeup of cholesterol particles themselves making them less problematic for the heart. A study in the 2002 New England Journal of Medicine showed that these positive changes can occur from exercise alone.
Contrary to popular belief, the amount of exercise is more important than the intensity of exercise in bringing about the changes. Too many people - including many exercise teachers - believe that the only good exercise is intense exercise. This belief runs contrary to the findings of the NEJOM study. The fact that benefits were determined to be from the exercise itself - and not from weight loss -confirms what other studies have found. Here's the kicker in these studies - research from The Wellness Center at the Cooper Clinic in Dallas, supports the belief that exercise offsets some of the problems of cholesterol, even in people who are overweight.
Along with the effects that exercise has on the cardiovascular system and diabetes (exercise is the single most important thing you can do to offset the effects of Type II diabetes) - developing a consistent exercise program should lead to changes in your cholesterol profile. Even though meaningful change may take from 6 to 12 months, expect to see your HDL cholesterol go up. And don't forget that not only are the cholesterol numbers changing; the particle structure is improving as well.
