Heart Healthy Tips For Women Approaching Menopause

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Heart Healthy Tips For Women Approaching Menopause

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These heart healthy tips for women approaching menopause can help keep the heart healthy despite the changes that occur as menopause arrives. Women generally start transitioning into menopause between 45-55 years of age, some sooner if they have had a hysterectomy. The changes that occur during this general time frame put women had substantial increased risk for heart problems in menopause. Implementing heart healthy tips before the woman goes into menopause is ideal.

Heart healthy tips for women approaching menopause are necessary because at age 45-55, certain changes often take place in the body, which makes a woman more susceptible to heart concerns. Hormone levels are changing, which can cause weight gain in the mid-section. When estrogen starts dropping, the body will actually increase your appetite, even up to 67% researchers say. This is because fat stores release estrogen. This is the body’s way of getting its declining estrogen back. As we grow older, the body has a tendency to redistribute weight and for many women in menopause, the extra weight goes right to the mid-section. Unfortunately, it often does not stop at just subcutaneous fat, but builds up as visceral or internal fat. Visceral fat builds up around the internal organs, including the heart. As you can imagine, this is not a good thing for your heart or the rest of you. If your waist size is 35 inches or higher, you likely have visceral fat. The good news is that hormone levels eventually level off, but if you aren’t prepared, you could have a bunch of extra visceral fat that is going to put you at higher risk for heart problems. In addition, visceral fat takes a lot more effort to get rid of. 

Keep Heart Healthy By Decreasing Visceral Fat

Visceral fat is deep and surrounds internal organs.

Heart Healthy Tip #1 For Women Approaching Menopause

Prevent visceral fat around the heart and mid-section by adopting healthy eating habits before menopause. If you are too late and you already have this visceral fat, then talk to your doctor about your concern. Discuss with him/her a plan to lose this visceral fat through a good nutritious diet lifestyle change and exercise program. Visceral fat is stubborn and usually some type of aerobic exercise will be needed to burn it off. There has been some differences in studies regarding hormone replacement therapy. Some say that it may help decrease heart disease, but it can increase your risk for other diseases. Some say that it doesn’t really help that much. Talk with your doctor about the hormone replacement possibility, pros and cons.

Heart Healthy Tip #2 For Women Approaching Menopause

Another cause for heart concerns for women approaching menopause is that your body is just slowing down, which can make it easy to become more sedentary. Your heart still needs exercise. It is made out of muscle cells. To stay strong, it needs aerobic conditioning. If we are slowing down and not making an effort to keep its muscle fibers strong, then it will weaken. If you add that concern with the visceral fat around the heart, it gets a double whammy. 

Exercise for a healthy heart.

Even regular walking can help keep the heart healthy. Click here to see some healthy supplements.

 

Even if you are not as active as you were when you were 20 and you don’t necessarily have to be, you can still exercise your heart. Research has shown even taking a fairly brisk 30 minute walk 3-4 times a week, can help tremendously with keeping your heart healthier. If you can do more, great. Invest in a treadmill if you live in a place where you can’t walk outside. There are also a ton of exercise videos out there these days, so you can pick something that works for you, especially if you have particular health concerns that you have to work around. Again, if you do have health concerns, discuss your new exercise program with your physician.

Heart Healthy Tip #3 For Women Approaching Menopause

Sometimes people can have heart issues before they even approach menopause. It would be good to have a check up around your early 40′s to get a baseline of where you are at. Due to the body’s metabolism slowing down during the menopausal age range, unhealthy lifestyle patterns will hit women harder during menopause. Any positive changes you can start before menopause will make it easier on you. So getting a physical exam with your doctor is a good place to start. Get some blood work to see where you are with your heart including cholesterol ratios. Then make sure you have a plan to keep your cholesterol down such as healthy dietary habits and an appropriate exercise routine.

Heart Healthy Tip #4 For Women Approaching Menopause

If you haven’t already, quit smoking. Heart damage caused by tobacco can often reverse itself in time if tobacco is stopped.

Heart Healthy Tip #5 For Women Approaching Menopause

Keep stress down as much as possible. Stress releases another hormone called cortisol. It often leaves in its wake, visceral fat in the mid-section. This obviously will add stress to your heart. Whatever helps with your stress management, be sure to practice it daily. Maybe it is prayer, women’s support group, meditation, exercise, listening to music, taking a walk with a friend, being positive, having enjoyable hobbies or laughing as much as possible. Find what works for you in effectively managing your stress level and get in the habit of practicing it daily.

A Heart Healthy Meal Tip For Anytime Of The Year

Heart healthy tips for women approaching menopause are healthy tips for everyone, but it is even more critical for women approaching menopause. Women approaching 45-55 have such an increased risk for heart disease, that these other controllable factors can be the difference between heart disease and not. Work on improving your overall eating habits, cutting out harmful fats, sugars and calories, having a routine exercise program, not smoking, getting doctor check ups from time to time and good stress management. All these heart health tips for women approaching menopause can help to prevent heart issues from developing during this time and beyond.

　

Fidget Calories-How Much Do They Count?

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Fidget Calories-How Much Do They Count?

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There have been some studies on fidget calories, but just how much do they count in an overall weight management plan? Let us review on our basic calorie needs. Our resting metabolic rate is the amount of calories we need to just keep all our involuntary body functions going. If we just sat there, didn’t voluntarily move, then the body would burn calories to keep our digestive processes going, our cells functioning internally and us breathing, etc. Anything we do past that takes energy or calories. So, yes even fidgeting requires the burning of calories, which can count to an overall weight management plan, but still, how much?

Fidget Calorie Count Varies

Fidget calories and how much they count is different based on the type and quantity of fidgeting. There was a study done back in 1986 by Eric Ravussin. He had 177 subjects put into rooms about the size of an average bedroom. He had them in there for 24 hours. Subjects were able eat, sleep and use stationary bike. It was the determined by this study that fidgeting played a big role in the calories loss in this study. The people that lost more calories tended to pace, play cards and were just overall more restless. It was not just a few calorie spread either, but 2,300 calories difference between the different subjects and their activity. There are some other variables, which are always true for anyone burning calories, that being muscle mass, age, gender and metabolism. The large calorie difference made this a very interesting study.  

Fidgeting Only A Small Part Of Overall Weight Management Plan

If you understand the basic concept of a resting metabolic rate, then it stands to reason that any activity, even fidgeting, will burn calories. And we know that if we take in less calories than we burn each day, we lose weight. So, fidgeting could be part of an overall weight loss or weight management plan. It’s not that easy, however. For fidgeting to have much significance, you would have to do it consistently every day. Researchers have found that there seems to be a genetic disposition to fidgeting. So the tendency to fidget is not in everyone’s make up, so to speak. That doesn’t mean that you cannot incorporate some fidgeting principles into your daily lifestyle, but you would have to make a conscious effort to do so.

Fidget Calories Add Up

An approximate fidget calorie count of tapping your foot vigorously and continuously for about one minute would be about 3 calories. Maybe over the course of the day, you do this for a total of 15 minutes. That is 45 calories. Or maybe while you are tapping a foot, you are also tapping your pencil on the desk. Between the two, you could be burning an extra 100 calories. Actual amounts will vary depending on current weight, age, current lean muscle mass, metabolism, health status and the particular intensity of the fidget. In addition to those fidgets, maybe you pace while talking on the phone for 10 minutes, that is another possible 30-40 calories. You can see how the calorie count can add up to a significant amount of fidget calorie loss.

When considering your fidget calories and just how much they count toward your overall weight goals, think about what you can consider as part of your fidget calories. Some ideas might be to pace while talking on the phone, pace while brushing your teeth, tap your feet if sitting at a desk a lot, get up every hour to just stretch or walk around, do leg lifts or arm movements during commercials, etc. Burning an extra 230 calories a day could equal 2 pounds a month or 24 pounds in a year just from fidgeting. When you think of it that way, fidget calories do count in an overall weight management plan.

Adopt Basic Heart Healthy Plan For Overall Good Health

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Adopt Basic Heart Healthy Plan For Overall Good Health

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To adopt a basic heart healthy plan for overall good health, a good nutritious diet is an excellent place to start. More and more research is showing direct correlations to many health conditions and poor nutrition. We have known that our diets affect our heart for a while. To help prevent heart disease, then adopting a basic heart healthy plan for overall good health is a must. Check with your doctor when starting a new diet regimen as well as lifestyle. And especially if you have already had a heart attack. Consultation with a cardiac rehab nutritionist or dietician who specializes in heart health may be recommended as well.

To adopt a basic heart healthy plan for overall good health, a good nutritious diet is an excellent place to start. More and more research is showing direct correlations to many health conditions and poor nutrition. We have known that our diets affect our heart for a while. To help prevent heart disease, then adopting a basic heart healthy plan for ovreall good health is a must. Check with your doctor when starting a new diet regimen as well as lifestyle. And especially if you have already had a heart attack. Consultation with a cardiac rehab nutritionist or dietician who specializes in heart health may be recommended as well.

Adopting a basic heart healthy plan for overall good health will include fruits and vegetables. Particular fruits and vegetables part of a heart healthy plan could be apples, grapefruit, strawberries, oranges, bluberries, cantaloupe, spinach, broccoli, carrots, tomatoes, onions, squash. If you are on a cholesterol lowering medication of the statin category, then you may want to eliminate grapefruit. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist regarding this. Eating fruits and vegetables as well as whole grain products and beans will help increase fiber. This is a good thing. It is also important to keep saturated fats to a minimum. Limit red meat. Skinless chicken, turkey or fish are healthier choices. When you do have red meat, be sure to get the better cuts that don’t have as much fat in them. It is also important not to overdue the salt or sodium. It is amazing how much salt gets put into our packaged foods such as soups, crackers, sauces, etc. When cooking, use other spices in place of the salt.

Consider heart healthy supplements such as omega-3 fatty acids and garlic. Also, if you are taking a statin cholesterol lowering medication, it will be important to take Co-enzyme Q10. Statins block the body’s ability to create CoQ10. CoQ10 is required by every cell in your body and provides energy for the heart. It also can help with lowering of cholesterol. (Also, of special note for people suffering with fibromyalgia, studies have shown that patients have 40% less CoQ10 in their cells).

Adopting a heart healthy plan for overall good health also involves getting some exercise, both aerobic and strengthening. Getting yourself pumped up a little widens the arteries helping them keep more elasticity and helps to decrease blood pressure. Keeping muscles strong, of course, has many related benefits, but one is that muscle burns more calories than fat. This will help you keep your weight down and metabolism up.

Don’t forget keeping your stress level in check with your basic heart healthy plan. Again, this is good for your heart, but your overall good health as well. Stress, particularly if it is prolonged, can increase your risk for heart trouble plus a whole bunch of other things. Take time for yourself and your family. Resolve issues without anger. Make a conscious effort to put laughter into your day as much as possible.

There it is, your basic heart healthy plan to adopt into your lifestyle. Nutritious diet, exercise, perhaps a couple supplements, control stress and add laughter. We can’t control everything, but you can control some things by simply making the choice to and incorporating them into your lifestyle. It doesn’t guarantee you will never have heart issues, but it can help decrease your risks by adopting a basic heart healthy plan that is good for your overall health too.

The Heart Attack-Wacky Wellness Inside Look Into Heart Death

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The Heart Attack-Wacky Wellness Inside Look Into Heart Death

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Wacky Wellness takes an inside look at the heart attack, the cause of heart death. Today, we are discussing Joe. Joe has other family members who have had heart attacks. He is not that old yet, but he has never eaten terribly well and doesn’t really take time to exercise. He is a few pounds overweight. He did smoke cigarettes for 10 years, but quit about 5 years ago. All of these things put him at higher risk for heart attack, although stopping the tobacco is in his favor. Through the years the vessels have not stayed real elastic as they haven’t had the best of nutrition to keep them springy and there is build up inside the walls. As the years roll on, things wear out a bit faster because of the added strain on them. If he continues on this path, his odds for a heart attack are great or the development of some other life altering condition. It isn’t too late for Joe though. He could still do things to decrease his heart attack risk.

If you hitched a ride on one of his blood cells, you could spot the pre-heart attacknarrowing of the arteries where saturated and trans fatty acids have been sticking to the sides of the vessels.  

pre-heart attack build up
This cross cut photo shows build up right where vessel curves.

Saturated fats have trouble dissolving. Everyone has probably seen how saturated fat solidify when left out on the counter. That is what can happen inside the body as well. It doesn’t make for a healthy heart and over time, it can lead to a heart attack and subsequent heart tissue death.

When these vessel pathways are narrowed by build up, stress or other health reasons, the blood carrying oxygen and nutrients cannot get through to nourish the tissues. A heart “attack” ensues. If this happens, every place where that vessel needs to take nourishment and oxygen will die, thus suffering areas of heart death. If too much dies, then the heart fails as it cannot effectively do its job or continue to pump adequately. If it cannot do that, then it cannot send the needed blood with nourishment and oxygen throughout the body efficiently, including the brain. If the crisis is not reversed immediately, the whole body will fail.

Some of the risks for heart attack can’t be avoided, like your age or gender. Once a male reaches 45 and a female 55, it automatically increases the risk for heart attacks or other heart disease issues. Men are still at higher risk, although that gap is narrowing. Once a woman is post menopausal, the risk rises sharply. There does seem to be some increase in people who have a family history of heart attack. Not much you can do about these things, but there are many things that you can do to decrease your risk.

1. Not smoking is huge. It is never too late to quit either. Research shows positive changes even after being tobacco free for 24 hours and within 1-3 years, all ill effects can be reversed.

2. Keeping your weight down. Even just a few pounds can add stress to your heart.

3. Exercising, even if just simple walking several times a week. This can go a long way in decreasing your risk.

4. A good, healthy diet on a consistent basis can decrease your risk substantially for heart disease or heart attacks as well as many other health conditions.

Joe took an inside look into his heart attack risks and decided it was time to do something about it. He did not want to take unnecessary risks for a heart attack. He wanted to be around for his family as long as possible. He is learning that changing lifestyle patterns he has had all his life can be difficult at times, but he is taking a day at a time. He incorporated some easy healthy meals and is finding ways to enjoy exercising. He is feeling better and has taken the steps to decrease his risk for heart attack and heart death.

Can You Lose Weight On A Gluten Free Diet?

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Can You Lose Weight On A Gluten Free Diet?

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The question of can you lose weight on a gluten free diet is being raised more and more. More information is coming available about how gluten affects many people. Let’s first look at the process that happens in the body if you are gluten sensitive or intolerant as in celiac disease. Eating the offending substance, in this case gluten, causes inflammationin the “gut” or intestines, wearing down the mucosa lining.

Inflammation from gluten sensitivity.

This can cause “leaky gut syndrome.” This allows incompletely digested food and other toxins to enter the bloodstream, which in turn, can cause different immune system reactions. If you have celiac disease, you know that just a little bit of gluten can make you very ill, but there are many who have a gluten sensitivity, which more often manifests itself as fatigue and gastrointestinal complaints. It has also been found with gluten sensitive people that they have low vitamin levels such as vitamin B-12, folic acid and iron.

Why Can You Lose Weight On A Gluten Free Diet?

So why can you lose weight on a gluten free diet just because of this inflammation process? Partly this is due to decreasing the inflammatory process in the intestine. This is where the nutrient exchange happens between food and body. If the inner lining of the intestine is inflammed, it decreases the body’s ability to absorb nutrients from the foods that pass through. Your body needs a certain combination of nutrients in just the right amounts or it will start looking for where it can find it. Even a micro nutrient. So if it can’t find what it needs, it will trigger a message to the brain that you need to eat because it is missing a nutrient. You start feeling hungry. Also, due to this inflammatory process or immune response from eating gluten products, you can feel tired or run down, which triggers you to eat more. Unfortunately, your intestines are still messed up and you still may not get the nutrient you need in your body. Sometimes if you eat enough of the right things, you will, but then you have eaten too many calories. In addition, many can develop the “leaky gut syndrome,” which causes problems as mentioned above.

Gluten Is Not All Bad

Gluten is not all bad. Obviously, for people who suffer from celiac disease, it is all bad. Many of the whole grains contain gluten. Whole grains are healthy for the body. To eliminate gluten means you will eliminate many sources of healthy grains. Some of the alternative grains do not have the same health benefits. Some of the “gluten free” products have more fat and sometimes more sugar. It is wise to do a lot of comparative shopping initially to make sure you focus on products that still provide some health benefit. It is also worthy to note that many people who say they are sensitive to gluten actually have a wheat allergy, not a gluten allergy. This is important as it will open up other grain options for these people. Also, for many people with gluten sensitivity, eating high quality whole grain products can decrease fatigue and GI symptoms that sometimes occur with eating gluten products.

Better Nutrient Absorption Can Actually Help You Lose Weight On A Gluten Free Diet

Some will say because of the increase nutrient absorption that you will not lose weight on a gluten free diet and can actually gain weight. Of course, there are always certain variables that could make that possible. Generally though, if the body is getting a good nutritious diet on a daily basis, it will not be telling you to eat more because of missing nutrients. Of course, in today’s society, eating a nutritious diet can be somewhat elusive. Bottom line is that if you feel you have symptoms of fatigue, gastrointestinal complaints such as constipation, diarrhea, bloating or discomfort or maybe more serious symptoms, you need to see a physician. He/she can do a blood test to see if you show gluten intolerance or sensitivities. It can also tell you if you are allergic to wheat as opposed to gluten. For many people, you can lose weight on a gluten free diet, but as mentioned, there are certain variables to consider. The pros and cons of going on a gluten free diet should be discussed with your physician.