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Heart
Disease
Heart
disease is
something man has always feared. Even today it remains the
nation's number one killer. In the past it was considered as part of
getting old. You get old, your heart gets old along with you, you can't
run
like a child anymore, your heart gets worse, and too soon it seems you
start gripping your chest after exerting yourself. Then you
start to wonder when
your time will come, when your number is up. Next comes the sharp pain
in
your chest - it's over! You throw your hands up to the
heavens and wail - "Lizbeth, I'm
coming... I'm coming, Lizbeth." Quite sadly that
used to be a common scenario for many people...
The Good News
Well, hold
the presses! Today the good news is - in recent years medical science
has learned a lot about heart disease, its causes, and ways of
preventing it. Wait, it gets even better. There are cardiologists
(heart doctors) who believe that you can even reverse heart disease.
And just
recently I've read that scientists are working on ways to
remove plaque buildup from arteries thereby making people many years
younger. Totally removing the risk of heart attack altogether!
In
any case, today the choice
is yours. Do you want to follow the old scenario
outlined above and gradually get sicker and sicker? Or do you want to
work on developing a healthy, strong
heart, pumping as it did when you were younger?
Super-Size Me
with Fats
The
major cause of coronary heart disease is the fact that our society has
become obsessed with large-portioned
meals full of
fats. Each day we eat like there is no tomorrow. Fast food and all its
artificially enhanced, tasty goodies have 'super sized'
many of our
population
into obesity. Fats make things taste wonderful, but they come with one
big
downside
– cholesterol.
Our bodies process the saturated fat and
cholesterol, and more
cholesterol is added to our blood systems – much more than
our
bodies need to remain
in good health. This extra cholesterol arrives in the bloodstream and
with the
right nudge it burrows into and builds up in our artery walls,
constricting them. For years we may not have
symptoms even though a plaque is forming. When part of the plaque
breaks off, a clot forms blocking the blood flow to that part
of
the heart muscle, that muscle dies, and we have a
heart
attack which might be fatal.
Preventing Heart Disease
So
the simple answer to preventing heart disease (any heart doctor would
tell you) and even reversing it - is to eat a
heart-healthy diet and exercise. The diet should be full
of fresh fruits and vegetables and small 4- ounce portions of fresh
meat or fresh fish. Run
away from fast food and processed food.
Exercise aerobically at least 30-minutes a day for five days a week.
You must exercise in a way that you are sweating, and you feel your
heart beating. Use the breath test to determine if you are
exercising aerobically - if you can keep a conversation while you
exercise, you don't get out of breath, than you are in the aerobic
zone.
Remember
to always check with your doctor before beginning an exercise program.
A heart-healthy diet coupled with exercise will prevent heart disease
and in many cases will even reverse the damage already in your artery
system. You'll live longer and feel great.
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