Garlic is mythically known to ward off vampires, but it can ward off many health problems as well. But to get the most out the health properties from this wonder-food, it is important to know how to prepare it. Garlic has the most effect when it is crushed, chopped or consumed raw. If you are cooking garlic with food, you should not add it to your cooking until the last ten minutes. If you add it at the beginning of your cooking, the garlic will loose its health benefits. Try adding a few cloves to your olive oil and pouring it over your salad, this is a milder way to consume garlic. Now that we know how to prepare garlic, let’s take a look at how it can improve your health.

High Cholesterol and Heart Disease

Cholesterol can be a confusing subject because there are two types: one that is good for you (HDL) and one that is bad for you (LDL). Garlic is thought to prevent LDL from oxidizing and building up in the arteries. It is this build up that can lead to heart disease.

The Mediterranean diet contains a large amount of garlic. It is no coincidence then that people from this area have a significantly lower percentage of their population that suffers from high cholesterol and heart disease. If you want to start taking garlic and you have high cholesterol, make sure that it is taken in conjunction with a balanced diet and if you have further concerns, seek your health care provider’s advice.

Antibacterial

Garlic has been proven to have the antibacterial properties equivalent to 1% of penicillin. It can be used to prevent a number of harmful bacteria such as E. Coli and Salmonella. The problem with most antibacterial medicines is that the bacteria evolves and builds up a resistance to it, but with garlic this is not the case. The common cold can also be prevented with the consumption of two to three cloves of garlic. More and more we are seeing that it is essential to include this super-food into your balanced diet.

Blood Clots

There have been clinical trails that have proven garlic supplements reduced blood pressure by up to 5%. While this figure does not sound that impressive, the reduction can shrink the risk of heart disease by up to 25%. Garlic supplements make for a great alternative to those who do not enjoy the taste of garlic. If you are worried about garlic giving you bad breath, you can also take the supplement as an alternative.

Although garlic is a proven super-food that has many benefits, you should not take too much. Too much garlic can irritate your digestive system and cause discomfort. You should also take garlic supplements with caution; they can interact and reduce the effectiveness of certain drugs such as anticoagulants. Always consult with your doctor before you start taking a regular supply of garlic.

n the past ten years or so, deaths due to cardiovascular disease and strokes have dropped drastically. While those are good things, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done for the good of heart health in this country. Far too many people continue to smoke and far too many people continue to be obese. In fact, recent studies have shown that obesity will soon be a bigger health risk factor than even smoking.

Good Cardiovascular Health Starts With Behavioral Choices

Not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, in addition to getting the necessary amount of exercise (around thirty minutes each day), are activities that are crucial for cardiovascular heath.

Good Cardiovascular Health and the Important Health Exams That You Need

Yearly exams that include blood pressure, A1C (a comprehensive test for blood sugar) and serum cholesterol levels should all be done. Kidney and liver function tests should also be completed if there are risk factors for these conditions as well.

The American Diabetic Association, the American Heart Association and the American Cancer Association have all focused on individual diseases in the past. This has changed now. Now, there is no focus on just a single disease. Instead the objective is to work toward a healthy lifestyle. Here are some tips for maintaining good cardiovascular health:

Smoking and Cardiovascular Health

In the case of the adults, the faster that you quit smoking the more health benefits you will get. By stopping smoking you can restore your lung function quickly, and thus reduce your chances of developing heart disease, including lung disease. Second hand smoke is dangerous as well, therefore, if not for yourself, at least stop smoking for the sake of your family.

In the case of children, avoid smoking in the first place. However, if children are already smoking, it is not impossible to quit.

Healthy Weight and Good Cardiovascular Health

Some doctors use the BMI for a guideline, others use hip to waist ratio. However, keep in mind that pear shape is more healthy than apple but overweight is not healthy regardless.

Children: the rate of childhood obesity is frightening to say the least. Children should be encouraged to eat small, healthy meals, never made to clean their plate and be banned from TV, computer or cell phones for at least one hour every day. Exercise gaming consoles might be a good exception to this rule however if they are actually actively participating.

It is easier to make these healthy changes as a group- for instance, a family game of freeze tag in the backyard is far more fun than having to do jumping jacks all alone in the basement. No one wants to feel like they are being left out and no one wants to feel like they are being punished. Imagine being the person, adult or child, who is sitting in front of a plate of steamed broccoli while everyone else is having Mama’s famous ooey-gooey lasagna and garlic bread. Little changes should be made, and should involve the whole family.

Guiding Principles for Cardiovascular Health

The American Heart Association has set up a chart with three levels: poor, intermediate and optimal health. The healthier your diet becomes and the healthier your other behaviors are the higher your score will be.

Heart Care and Diet: A Case Study

Shawn is going to the doctor for a regular check up. He is fifty years old, fairly trim and confident that nothing bad will be said at the office. What he finds out however is that his risk factors and heart score can be better. He still smokes (more than one cigarette, cigar or pipe per week) he drinks more than two drinks each evening and he does not exercise as much as he should. He also spends far too many nights up late.

Another aspect of his life that is not good in the doctor’s eyes is Shawn’s diet. He eats burgers at least a few nights a week. He does not eat very many vegetables at all and does not care for fruits of any kind. He likes fried foods and consumes way too much saturated fat. This is all reflected in his cholesterol numbers.

While Shawn is not more than a few pounds overweight, he does have serious health issues that are revealed by his health exams. In addition to the cholesterol problem, his A1C shows that he is borderline diabetic and he is also showing some impeding kidney problems according to some other tests. The doctor orders even more tests which also reveal that his liver is not at its best health either, all of which can stress the heart. Finally, his blood pressure is quite high, and while the doctor is concerned he does not want to automatically put him on medications, hoping that he will be able to get back to a healthier lifestyle.

His job is a high pressure one and he may not be able to retire like he had planned. In addition to his health problems, Shawn and his wife are not getting along very well, another stress factor that can lead to poor cardiovascular health.

It is time for Shawn to make some major changes in his life. First, his doctor sends him to a nutritionist to discuss his diet. He also makes suggestions for exercise that he can try. The exercise helps him deal with the stress at work in a healthier way and he is not as cranky with his wife. They have found that they can talk better when they are walking laps at the high school track and the other day; she took his hand during the last lap.

In addition, Shawn has started using a protein supplement that will give him highly digestible protein in a small and convenient package. Each serving gives 25 grams of protein and 100 calories. There are a number of flavors so that Shawn can have variety- he uses this twice a day as a between meal snack. He is not hungry through the day and can focus on eating better foods without succumbing to the junk food traps that he used to fall for.

At a follow up visit, Shawn’s doctor is thrilled with the improvement that he has made in his life. His blood pressure is back to normal range as is his blood sugar readings. The potential kidney problems are no longer there and his liver function test is normal as well. His heart is pumping normally and he shows no signs of blockages or other problems.

But the truth is to enlighten the fact that, no matter how much you try to keep up with your health, age and lifestyle will certainly trap you into some disease or illness, even if it’s a smaller one. And there’s no doubt about one thing that with changing time not only the number, but also the severity of disease also increases.

This is where health news comes to our rescue. Earlier we could receive health news only through news papers and health brochures, but with the cyber revolution we have so many health news blogs, websites, and discussion boards to give us latest information on different health issues.

By keeping in touch with the latest health news we also come to know about public health concerns like blood donation camps, kidney or eye donation programs conducted by government health institutes.

There is no dearth of diseases in today’s world, but there are some fatal diseases which raise a lot of concern in society, like cancer, AIDS and diabetes are some of the volatile diseases that take thousands of lives every year. These are diseases that even the people not suffering from should be concerned about.

To commemorate the significance of these diseases and to spread awareness among people we dedicate certain days to them.

Like 1st December is celebrated as World Cancer Day and 4th February is the World AIDS Day and November 4th is the World Diabetes DAY.

Children health news is also very important, as they help us to get all the facts about infant and adolescence health, because with growing age every parent has concerns about their kids or teenager’s health. Change in hormones, proper growth of bones, height and weight ratio, puberty are few things every parent wants to talk about.

Even maternal health news is of equal importance because it involves both fetal and maternal health. Providing proper care to the mother and the baby, like the type of food exercise, or environment that can keep both the mother and the baby healthy is equally important.

Healthier the person better is his or her lifestyle, so why not keep in touch with the latest development in the health news and make our lives pink of health.

Living a healthy lifestyle doesn’t have to be hard. It just takes the motivation to change our bad habits into good, healthy ones. Below is a list of 10 healthy lifestyle tips to get you started. Once you start, you can come up with more healthy choices that work for you.

o The first thing is to eat a balanced diet. Eat more fruits and vegetables and get rid of the high sugar, processed foods. Along with eating better is getting the right nutrients in the system.
o So the second thing is to take vitamins and minerals to help your body work properly.
o The third tip is to quit all those nasty unhealthy habits. Smoking, drinking, drugs, chewing tobacco, whatever your vice may be quit now. You are in charge of your health and living a healthier lifestyle means getting rid of the things that may kill you.
o The fourth thing to do is exercise. Exercise makes you feel good and can motivate you to get other things done as well.
o Along with exercise, number five is making sure you see a doctor each year for an annual physical. This is more important in women, but men should be seeing a doctor every 2-3 years to make sure there are no big health concerns.
o The sixth is to surround yourself with a strong support network, or a group of people who will be there for you and participate in a healthy lifestyle as well.
o Your family and friends can help you with the seventh tip, have fun and enjoy life.
o Eighth tip is to create a good balance between work and play.
o The final two tips are to accept yourself for the unique individual you are and love what you do. If you can accept yourself, the good and the bad, it will show in all you do. Your job is something you will be doing for at least the next 20 years, so you should love it. If you don’t keep looking until you find something you do love.

Start with those healthy lifestyle choices and see how you feel in the next few weeks. You should feel more energized, motivated, and positive.

1) Drink lots of Water and nothing else. Water is very valuable for overall physical condition and it also helps limit the amount of food you consume. When you feel hungry, you could in truth be experiencing the first signs of dehydration, Keep hydrated right through the day and your hunger should decrease.

2) Consume Smaller portion sizes and more often. Your metabolism works best as you actually consume food, and not while you’re starving yourself. Consuming lighter meals and more evenly keeps your metabolism working more often and over a extended cycle. Eating lighter meals makes it simplier for your body to extract all the nutrients out of that food and to draw on it as energy. By consuming bigger portions your body might not have sufficient time to break all that food down, so the surplus amount could be converted as fat.

3) Fruit & Vegetables. 1/3 of your daily food intake ought to be fruit and vegetables. Both of these food groups have many health benefits and It’s common sense that you must try and consume as much fruit and veg as you can.

4) Exercise. 30 minutes of daily fitness is sufficient enough to get your metabolism working quicker and you losing extra pounds. The fitness doesnt need to strenuous, but just sufficient to get your heart rate up. You can go for walks or fool around with the kids, as any exercise is better than nothing.

5) Eliminate Fat out of your diet. This is probably the hardest one to stick to, but it does come with the most benefit. Ridding your diet of all additional foods will drastically reduce the amount of calories you eat. For example: 4 slices of Pizza has the same amount of calories as consuming 32 Apples.

Heart disease is the number one killer of both men and women in the United States.  Many times heart disease is preventable with life style changes that you can do.  Here are five changes that you should take to prevent heart disease.

1. Stop smoking and all use of tobacco products.  Even occasional smoking, low tar and low nicotine cigarettes and smokeless tobacco put you at risk.  Even worse news is that even second hand smoke is risky to your health.  Cigarette smoke and nicotine make put stress on the heart and make it work harder.  Women who take birth control pills and smoke increase their risk of heart attack and stroke.  The risk is even greater after women turn 35.  Within only a year after quitting smoking, the risk of heart disease drops quickly.

2. Start exercising.  Moderate exercise can reduce your risk of a heart attack.  It also helps you to maintain a healthy weight and can help reduce chances of high blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes.  You should get ½ to 1 hour of exercise most days of the week.  The time can be broken up into shorter segments as long as you reach the total time during the day.

3. Eat better food.  The American Heart Association has published the DASH eating plan that is available online.  The plan encourages you to eat low cholesterol, low fat and low salt.  It is also important to include Omega 3 fatty acids in your diet to lower cholesterol.  Almost all of us should include more fruit and vegetables in our diet.  Also remember that if you drink alcohol, it should be in moderation.

4. Keep your weight under control.  Excess weight leads to greater chances of developing other conditions that lead to heart disease.  One indicator of a healthy weight is a BMI of less that 25.  A ten percent reduction in weight can lower your blood pressure.

5. Visit the Doctor regularly.  Unless you are checked your will probably not know that you have high cholesterol or high blood pressure.  Regularly having these checked also allows you and your doctor to know if the trends are increasing or remaining about the same.  If your blood pressure is normal, it should still be tested every two years.  Cholesterol should be tested at least every five years.  If the numbers are high, then have them checked more regularly.

Heart disease prevention is a numbers game.  If you take steps to reduce the risk factors, you reduce the risk of developing heart disease.  Remember that heart disease is not only the number one cause of death among both men and women, but also is the number one cause of disability for both sexes.  If heart disease disables you, it reduces your earning potential and may cause economic hardship for your family.  If heart disease kills you, it not only causes economic hardship but also causes emotional pain for the family left behind.  Take steps to prevent heart disease you are worth it and your family will appreciate it.

The problem with most high blood pressure remedies is that they are expensive, especially over the long run.

Exercise
Sustained exercise does more than burn calories and help aid you in weight loss. It builds stamina and improves overall strength and endurance, not only in the muscles being worked, but in the heart as well. A stronger heart does not need to work so hard to pump blood throughout your body, which reduces your blood pressure.

Weight Loss
The same is true for substantial weight loss if you are overweight. Studies have shown that even modest weight loss has a significant impact on blood pressure. There is a very strong correlation between obesity and hypertension, and blood pressure steadily drops as you lose weight.

Water
Of all the blood pressure remedies we’ve discussed so far, this one comes as the biggest surprise to many. Recent studies have indicated that persistent hypertension may be a response to chronic dehydration.

When the body is dehydrated, the blood vessels constrict in an effort to hold on to the body’s moisture. That constriction causes what fluids are available to exert more pressure on the blood vessels, increasing blood pressure. So, it stands to reason that an increased intake of water should help relieve that.

Day One:

Create a list of your health and fitness goals. Be aware of any outside voices in your head telling you what you should do and think about what you want to do. Why do you want to this? What benefit will you get from this? Review your list again and make sure the only goals remaining are yours and yours alone.

Day Two:

Create and plan and a time-line for achieving them. Post this plan where you will see it every day. Do not skip this step. Creating a plan and then stuffing it in a drawer will not help you. Decide to hold yourself accountable.

Day Three:

Take a step toward the direction of your goal. If your goal is to run a marathon and you used to be a “runner” but babies and work and life have gotten in the way, you just have to get out there and run. Do not worry about where, when, or for how long. Just get your shoes on and get moving. The periodization and the tapering will come later. You need to get back into the groove and make running a habit.

If your goal is to simply get to the gym more, set a reasonable goal to get there 3 days a week and if you do more, great. If you want to lose a certain amount of weight, create a calendar with goal weights in the short and long term that are visible to you every day. Create goals that are challenging but that are not too much of a stretch. The point here is to take the step today and then take another one tomorrow.

Day Four:

Appreciate what your body is capable of and how much control you have over how you look and feel and how much energy you have. Do not waste any time or energy focusing on body parts you feel are unattractive or how that run that used to be a “recovery run” had you panting for far too long after it. Concentrate on what you accomplished today and believe that you will do even more tomorrow.

Day Five:

Listen to your body regarding food. If you are not hungry, do not eat just because it says 5:00. Eat for fuel and for performance and to give your body the necessary juices to function at its peak. Would you put sludge and junk in your car and expect it to run? Your body knows what it wants and what it needs. Listen to it; however, if you think it is telling you to grab a pint of ice cream, listen again.

Day Six:

When it comes to your health and fitness choices, apply the 10-10-10 rule. How will it feel in 10 minutes, 10 months, and 10 years? It may feel good in 10 minutes to sit on the couch and cozy up to a good movie but in 10 months you could be a lot worse off than you feel now and there is no telling what the outcome would be in 10 years. If you choose to get up and go, in 10 months you will have gotten up off the couch so many times that you can’t imagine your life without exercise and in 10 years, when you are alive and kicking and feeling better than ever, you will be so glad you made the small choices along the way that lead to big rewards.

Day Seven:

Take responsibility for the shape your body is in. You cannot blame your overweight and out of shape body on the fact that you have had 3 children. You cannot blame it on a slow metabolism. Those are excuses that people use to sabotage their own success. In the end they still have an overweight and out of shape body and nobody wants to listen. You have control, you make the choices, you decide how healthy you want to be. Do not give up that power for one minute. Embrace it and use it and you will be able to accomplish all of your health and fitness goals faster than you think.

Keeping healthy is extremely important, no matter what age you happen to be. It’s imperative that you take measures to work on your health and fitness throughout your entire life. Wondering where you can begin? Well, here are 5 great fitness and health tips that you can use to make sure you stay healthy and fit all your life.

Get Moving – First of all, if you want to stay fit and healthy, you have to get moving. Every day you need to think about how you can get moving in order to keep your body in good shape. There are many little things that you can do to keep moving throughout the day. While going to the gym is a great idea, you don’t have to spend an hour at the gym in order to get the movement that you need. Simply take the time to take the dog for a walk, mow your own lawn, take the stairs, park further away in the parking lot, or even to play with your kids. This will help you to get the exercise that you need on a regular basis and it is also great for lowering your stress level too.

Cut Back the Fat – Another important tip to remember for fitness and health is to make sure that you cut back the fat in your diet. Bad fats can lead to a variety of different physical problems that can end up haunting you as you grow older. So, start cutting the fried foods out of your diet, as well as fast food and even meets that are fatty, such as sausage, bacon, salami, and even ham. You should limit dairy products as well and eat lower fat products instead. Limit the sauces, lunch meats, butter, and mayonnaise that you eat as well. Try to eat lean and you’ll definitely reap the benefits.

De-Stress – Start getting rid of some of the stress in your life. Stress can lead to a variety of health problems. Spend time enjoying yourself each day, such as listening to music, enjoying a hot bath, a long walk, or even reading. Meditating can also help you out as well.

Stop Smoking – One of the worst things that you can do for your health is to smoke. If you want to be healthier, then one of the best things that you can do for your health is to stop smoking. When you smoke you raise the risk for a variety of nasty diseases, so take the steps to quit as soon as you can.

Drink More Water – Most people don’t drink enough water each day and it shows in their health and fitness. If you want to be fit and healthy, then water is an important part of your diet. You should be drinking at least 8-10 glasses each day, and more when you are exercising. The body needs water to be healthy, and the more you drink water, the healthier you will be.

The human heart is without doubt an extraordinary organ, in an adult it weighs in at around 200 – 425 grams, is about the size of a fist and beats around 100,000 a day with the precision of a Swiss watch. With every beat, it alone separates us all from life and death. Having said this it is so easy for us to become complacent in respect to it’s (and our overall) health and neglect it in many ways.

In order to keep it in top working condition it only takes a few careful lifestyle choices to insure it stays that way. 

Keeping out of the fat zone

Diet as we all know plays such an important part in our lives, and changing it for the better does not necessarily mean dull and boring foodstuffs. We have been seduced over the years into the fast convenient food arena which is slowly killing us all. I am not saying that one must abstain from such rather be more selective and balance it more wisely. Don’t believe all you hear with regard to being healthy, natural for you etc. Low glycemic is better on the whole and when it comes to fats, unsaturates are better than saturates, the latter being animal based as opposed to the better plant based fats or oils. Fats should not be totally eliminated (even though that would not be an easy task) as simple fat molecules (lipids) are what cell walls are created from.

      Sugars or carbohydrates are a hot topic also. Think simple rather than complex or refined. Plants by virtue of nature produce simple carbohydrates and our bodies have no problems dismantling these for use. The consumption of grains, cereals and fruit and vegetables will go along way in keeping your heart system in good working order.

Staying alive with activity in mind

This doesn’t mean becoming athletic overnight as this will end you quicker than you started. More so getting of the couch and get things happening. Use any opportunity you can to walk a little more, switching the TV off usually helps here. Taking the stairs instead of the elevator or lift. Try parking the car a little further away from your destination. Just be creative on this topic, generally speaking some is better than non at all. Many experts now agree that accumulating 30 mins of physical activity a day is a big step in the right direction.

Clearing the smoke

 Virtually everyone is now full aware that that it is a prime factor in many cardiovascular vascular illnesses as well as cancer, emphysema, and many oral deseases. For your hearts sake take a breath of fresh air instead and butt out that stub forever.

Some beneficial items to add to your diet.

Garlic

It’s healthful properties have been known for some 5,000 years. It’s powerful aroma is also the substance that gives make it beneficial. So if your eating it with a partner make sure he/she eats some also otherwise you will be out of luck.

Grape seed extract

A natural source of folic acid.

Hawthorn berry extract

Has a long history of medicinal uses by herbalists.

Carambola fruit

Also known as `star fruit’ which comes from Asia and is very high in vitamin C.

L-Arginine

Semi-essential amino acid found in meats, wheat germ, cottage cheese, ricotta, nuts, eggs, milk and granola.

Taurine

Also an amino acid found in red meats, fish, beef, human milk and animal tissue.