7 Tips for Lowering Your Risk for Heart Disease

Heart disease is one of the number one killers of women. Though women suffer fewer heart attacks than men, they are less likely to survive when they do have a heart attack. Men and women should be mindful of the risks of heart disease and take steps to reduce their risk.

1. Stop smoking. Smoking increases the risk of heart disease. If you are having trouble, try using a nicotine patch or the gum.
2. Know your blood pressure. When the arteries of the body and the heart are narrowed due to plaque buildup in the vessels, blood pressure will increase. When blood is under such pressure, it can dislodge pieces of arterial plaque into the bloodstream. This could lead to a heart attack if the plaque lodges in a coronary artery or a stroke if the plaque lodges in the brain.
3. Have your cholesterol checked. High blood cholesterol leads to plaque deposits on the walls of arteries. As more plaque builds up, the vessels will narrow. There are three main components: HDL, LDL, and triglycerides. HDL lowers total blood cholesterol by removing plaques that have been deposited on the walls of arteries. LDL causes the plaques to stick to the arteries in the first place. Triglycerides are a fatty substance in the blood. High triglyceride levels have been linked to heart disease. The doctor may prescribe medication to lower your blood cholesterol. A number less than 200 mg/dl is desirable.
4. Lose weight if necessary. Maintaining a healthy weight is essential to lowering your risk of heart disease. Carrying too much weight, especially around the midsection, increases the strain on your heart, not to mention your back and your legs.
5. Start an exercise program. Performing an exercise for at least thirty minutes most days of the week will increase your cardiovascular health and your oxygen output. Aerobic exercise also helps you sleep better at night and maintain an overall good mental attitude.
6. Check for diabetes. Developing diabetes puts you at risk for developing heart disease down the road. If you are diabetic, get your blood sugar under control with insulin shots or a change in diet. Your doctor will determine which is better for you.
7. Change your eating habits. A healthy diet consists of whole grains, vegetables, fresh fruits, and low-fat dairy products. Lean beef, chicken, and pork will provide daily protein along with fish and seafood. Invest in a good multivitamin to provide the nutrients that you may miss from day to day.

Heart disease doesn’t have to affect you. Know the warning signs and the risks. Work with a doctor to lower your chances of suffering a heart attack.

You CAN Fight the Middle Age Spread

This is it...the magical year - I'm turning 40 this fall. I'm starting to see it and maybe you are too. The Middle Age Spread!

Is this just a fact of life? I have many friends over 40 who tell me that it really is a turning point in your life emotionally AND physically. Is this something that I can fight? Are exercise and diet enough to ward off this impending doom? According to weight loss experts, it’s all in the metabolism. When you hit middle age (somewhere in the 40 range), your metabolism changes. Your body somehow puts on the brakes.

There is hope, though. Here are some tips that can help speed up your metabolism when you reach that magical age :)

Exercise
The main ingredient in increasing your metabolic rate is to increase muscle mass (which burns more calories) and, at the same time, reduces your body fat. This is not to say you should pump up your muscles to such an extent that you redefine your body image; but it is a well known fact that without exercise, you lose muscle not fat. Therefore, if you wish to avoid the middle age spread, begin an exercise program which is appropriate for you. Try walking 20 minutes a day, and work up to a mile or more. If you enjoy swimming, this is another very healthy exercise which can shed those pounds. More importantly, these exercises speed up your metabolism which yield a higher rate of return. In other words, more calories will be expended after your exercise routine is finished.

Diet
Perhaps the most important key to keeping your metabolism at a higher rate is to eat low-fat foods. Combined with strong doses of protein such as fish, and leafy green vegetables, a healthy and balanced diet has proven to be the best method in which you can burn fat and gain additional energy. Leans meats, chicken and low-fat dairy products can be very beneficial in burning calories. While it is true that not everyone’s metabolism is the same, it is also true you can maintain the same metabolic rate in middle age as you did in your early adult years. A proper diet is the key.

Emotional Well-Being
Try to remain stress-free. Yoga can be a great stress reducer! It will not only improve your emotional state, but your physical being as well. We all tend to eat when stressed or depressed - that's where the term "comfort food" came from. Maintaining a balance within will deter you from eating and snacking unnecessarily.

While fighting the middle age spread may sound difficult to achieve, it doesn’t have to be. If you exercise, enhance your diet with nutritional fat burning calories, try to keep your stress level to a minimum, you can be feeling lean and mean just like you did in your twenties!