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Many
people resort to following rigid diets of just soups or
Some asanas can benefit the cardiovascular system and reduce the risk of coronary heart diseases Heart-healthy action plan Coronary heart diseases, though preventable, still remain one of the common causes of death. People with a family history of heart diseases, hypertension and genetics have a greater risk of developing CHD. So shake off that complacency and take a closer look at your lifestyle your diet, activity etc and put yourself on a healthy heart plan that is listed below. Follow these tips and keep your heart healthy and robust:
Optimise your daily eating pattern with low fat, moderate, complex carbohydrate diet. Focus must be on reducing the dietary fat intake, especially that of saturated and trans fats, fatty meats and meat products, fried snacks, pastries, full-fat dairy products, spreads and dressings. Opt for good fats that provide essential fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins like A,D,E,K. Low-fat milk, nuts, olive, sesame oils, lean cuts of meats etc. pumpkin seeds, walnuts, fish like salmon, sardines etc are good sources of omega 3 fatty acids that are beneficial for the heart, help improve the blood-fat levels and reduce clotting. Have whole-grain pastas, breads and potatoes but dont overload these items with butter, cream and cheese as this would make these high in fat again. Key dietary components for a healthy heart lie in eating fruits and vegetables at least 3-4 portions a day. These are high in nutrient value, antioxidants and dietary fibre. Reduce salt. Excess salt consumption increases blood pressure. So keep a check on sodium-laden foods like pickles, papads, processed, cured and preserved foods.
Be active: Individuals who don't exercise and/or are obese also put themselves at greater risk. Excess weight strains the heart, increases blood pressure, blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels; and also increases the risk of diabetes. One of the key benefits of exercise is to keep your cardiovascular system working efficiently. Research shows that exercise need not be of the strenuous kind. Gentle walks, swimming, cycling, light aerobics, calisthenics and yoga can benefit the cardiovascular system and reduce the risk of CHD. Regular exercise lowers blood pressure, helps maintain desirable body weight, improves strength and stamina and makes you flexible and energetic. Yogasanas or postures play an important role in maintaining a healthy heart. Studies have shown that practising yoga and its therapeutic asanas regularly has many benefits like controlling high blood pressure, heart ailments, arthritis, asthma and many medical problems. Yogasanas stretch and tone the entire musculature, spine, joints and the whole skeletal system. These also regulate and maintain the internal organs, glands and the nerves. Pranayama or breathing exercises help to revitalise the entire mind and body leading to radiant health, better mental strength and better blood circulation. The asanas that are beneficial for the spinal column like dhanurasana, bhujangasana, trikonasana, pashchimottasana and halasana are also beneficial for the heart. However, a word of caution these postures must be practised under supervision and care must be taken to consult your doctor or cardiologist before begining. These asanas are beneficial for the entire body and the spine. Any exercise or asana that benefits the spine will also benefit or improve heart-lung capacity and function. Avoid smoking, excess alcohol and stress. Toxins and the free radicals in tobacco increase the chances of heart diseases. Carbon monoxide from cigarettes reduces circulation of blood. Smokers have twice as high a risk of a heart attack as non-smokers. They also have two to four times the risk of sudden cardiac death. Smokers are also more likely to die sudden death than non smokers Genetic risk factors
Certain factors increase the risk of a heart attack. Some can be changed, while others are inherited. The few major factors that an individual cannot change include: age, gender and heredity. Our genes also influence how our body produces and handles cholesterol. Factors that can be reduced and corrected: The major factors individuals can change include smoking, high blood cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, obesity, physical inactivity, being overweight and stress. Stress may also contribute to the development of heart disease, because people may overeat, exercise less or smoke more when they're under stress. Regularity and commitment are the essence of any lifestyle-correction plan. The core requirement is determination and dedication. It is important to understand that the health of the heart depends on the health of the body as a whole. The writer is one of the leading holistic health gurus and has a health portal www.mickeymehtahbf.com
Group-based incentives may produce more weight loss
Looking for a fitness buddy? Get a dog Zeus, the pit bull, helps his owner slog through interval training, Goldie and her master enjoy Tai Chi together and Izzie, the three-legged shih tzu, can't hike up the mountain but acts as a hand weight for her owner's bicep curl. Experts say a dog may be man's best fitness friend, and dog-and-master workouts don't have to be limited to a run or a Frisbee toss. New MRI machine A new MRI machine that can detect persistent pain in a patient by scanning the body in a standing, sitting and other positions is available in India now. Doctors at Indrapratha Apollo Hospital where it was introduced claimed that the new open-standing MRI machine provides a unique additional diagnostic element for patients who continue to experience pain even after spinal surgeries."When lying down, the patient hardly puts weight on the lower limb because of which a conventional MRI scan cannot detect some vital problems. This technology enables true weight-bearing examination which was not possible before," said S.K. Sogani, senior consultant neurosurgery at the hospital. Chinese herbs may reduce hot flashes Women taking a Chinese herbal formula experienced less than half the number of menopausal hot flashes they had before the treatment, according to a new study from Hong Kong. Among women taking an herbal mix called Er-xian decoction (EXD), the frequency of daily hot flashes dropped by 62 per cent, compared to a 52-per cent drop seen among women taking a placebo. Chewing gum can make you chubby A new study has found chewing gum could make people fat since its minty taste makes sugary food more tempting. Scientists found people given to chew gum eat more high-calorie sweet foods. This is because the chemical responsible for the minty flavour of gum makes savoury foods, especially fruit and vegetables, taste unpleasant, Daily Mail reported. The study's co-author Christine Swoboda, a doctoral candidate in nutrition at Ohio State University, said: "The chemical change is the same reason why when you brush your teeth and then drink orange juice, it tastes bad. We also wanted to observed whether this helps with weight loss. Forty-four volunteers the volunteers were asked to chew mint gum before meals, while for the rest of the time they were simply asked to note down their food intake. Their food diaries showed while chewing gum, people ate fewer meals but that did not consume fewer calories. Swoboda said that the menthol in mint interacts with nutrients in fruits and vegetables to create a bitter flavour and this might healthy food seem unappealing. Migraine sufferers may have brain abnormalities
Patients who suffer from migraines have reduced cortical thickness and surface area in pain-processing regions of the brain, compared to individuals who never have migraines, Italian researchers found. More than 300 million people suffer from migraines worldwide, according to the World Health Organisation. In the new study, researchers used a surface-based MRI method to measure cortical thickness, the journal Radiology reported Massimo Filippi, director of the Neuroimaging Research Unit at the University Ospedale San Raffaele, said "The most important finding of our study was that cortical abnormalities that occur in patients with migraine are a result of the balance between an intrinsic predisposition, as suggested by cortical surface area modification, and disease-related processes, as indicated by cortical thickness abnormalities." "Whether the abnormalities are a consequence of the repetition of migraine attacks or represent an anatomical signature that predisposes to the development of the disease is still debated, he added.
Agencies
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Employees offered financial incentives to lose weight may drop more pounds when they're part of a group of colleagues, says a new study. Researchers compared two incentive scenarios. Under one, employees got $100 for each month they met the goal of dropping at least one pound per week. In second scenario, $500 was given each month to a group of five and the ones who met their goal got to split the prize. 
Migraines are related to brain abnormalities present at birth and others that develop over time, a new study suggests.