10 Heart Friendly Foods

Heart is our vital organ. No bodies can life without heart. So we must protect our heart and keep it healthy. There are many tips for keeping our heart still in health condition. But how?

God gives us a perfectly body, not less one or more. God gives us healthy bodies. God never gives us disease and illness. We can go sick caused by our habits. We usually have bad habits in our life. There are any substances affects to our health. There are foods, water and air. The most affects are foods. We usually have wrong consumption of foods. Foods also have big affect to our heart. Bad foods can make our heart broken. So, how to select foods which friendly to our heart?

Here are 10 heart friendly foods I suggested:

1. Salmon

This cold-water fish is a great source of protein and is also packed with heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. The American Heart Association advises eating salmon and other omega-3 rich foods twice a week for benefits that go beyond heart health. Americans love salmon because it is so versatile, easy to cook, and tastes great.
2. Blueberries

Blueberries top the list as one of the most powerful disease-fighting foods. That's because they contain anthocyanins, the antioxidant responsible for their dark blue color. These delicious jewels are packed with fiber, vitamin C, and are available all year long.

3. Soy Protein

This inexpensive, high-quality protein contains fiber, vitamins, and minerals -- all the ingredients for a heart-healthy meal. Also, a diet rich in soy protein can lower triglycerides, which help prevent cardiovascular disease and keep your heart strong and healthy. In those with high cholesterol levels,the benefits of soy foods are due to their high levels of polyunsaturated fats, fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

4. Oatmeal

Oats are nourishing whole grains and a great source of vitamins, minerals, and cholesterol-lowering fiber. The FDA allows manufacturers of oats to make health claims about the grain on their products, suggesting that a diet high in oats can reduce the risk for heart disease. Researches shows oats lower cholesterol levels, keep you regular, and may help prevent certain cancers.

5. Spinach

Spinach is the powerhouse of the vegetable kingdom. Its rich, dark color comes from the multiple phytochemicals, vitamins, and minerals (especially folate and iron) that also fight disease, protect against heart disease, and preserve your eyesight.

6. Apples

Apples contain a phytochemical called quercetin which acts as an antiinflammatory and will help prevent blood clots as well. Apples contain vitamins and fiber, come in several delicious varieties and are portable. Eat an apple with a handful of walnuts or almonds as a healthy snack or add apple slices to your healthy salads.

7. Red Wine

Red wine contains a powerful antioxidant called resveratrol. Resveratrol has been shown to be good for your heart. Be sure to enjoy red wine in moderation. Studies show that only 4 to 8 ounces of red wine is needed each day.

8. Tomatoes

Tomatoes are packed with vitamins and lycopene, which has been shown to reduce heart disease risk. Add thick slices of tomatoes to sandwiches and salads or enjoy tomato sauce on whole-wheat pasta. In fact, cooked tomato sauce and canned tomato sauce that you buy in the store both contain more lycopene than raw tomatoes.

9. Almonds

Almonds and other nuts contain healthy oils, vitamin E and other substances that will help keep cholesterol levels in check. Almonds are also a good source of protein and fiber. Almonds make a great snack on their own, or sprinkle slivered almonds on green beans or asparagus with lemon juice as a deliciously healthy side dish.

10. Avocado

Packed with monounsaturated fat, avocados can help lower LDL levels while raising the amount of HDL cholesterol in your body. Avocado allow for the absorption of other carotenoids especially beta-carotene and lycopene, which are essential for heart health.

source :
1. www.webmd.com
2. www.health.com
3. www.americanheart.org
4. www.about.com

Weight loses tips

Have a slim bodies are women’s dreams. It is difficult to keep her bodies in slim condition if they have bad life styles. Wrong food consumptions can bring more fat in our bodies. So keep your slim bodies with healthy life style.

If you had overweight and need to lose it fast, don’t worried about it. Before jumping to concluded and said that this was not possible, read on and then give it a try. It is not difficult to lose weight fast and naturally, as long as you have the correct approach to do it and you are doing this rationally. You have to be strong and to give up some of your old eating habits in order to be able to achieve your goal. If you used to be a regular consumer of fast food, forget about it.

Do you know that you can lose weight naturally? But to do so, you need to focus and you need to be dedicated and also you definitely need to be prepared. Read on to find out how to lose weight naturally fast.

If you want to lose weight fast, then maybe you should try natural remedies. Besides providing quick results, these do not cause side effects, and this makes them some of the safest weight loss remedies. There are numerous herbs, fruits and vegetables that will help you get rid of the extra pounds before you know it. The active ingredients of these natural remedies are antioxidants, vitamins, minerals or other substances capable of modifying the metabolic rate.

Another ways in losing your weight is going to sauna. There is more type of sauna. The latest and most wanted sauna is infrared sauna. Far infrared Sauna was better than regular heat in a conventional sauna. Why?

An infrared sauna uses infrared radiation, which is absorbed directly by the body and thus heats it up. Heating is thus direct although a very small percentage of the infrared radiation also heats up the air in the sauna.

What relations does sauna have with weight control? Well, for one, a person in a sauna sweats profusely, leading to weight loss. However, this weight loss is not expected to be permanent, as drinking fluid will easily replace this temporary weight loss. However, it is the opinion of some that the heart beats faster and there is an increase in metabolic rate, both of which leads to an increase in consumption of calories (energy). In a study, it was found that sauna-induced dehydration was effective in inducing significant weight loss in men and women (1.8% and 1.4%). Whatever it is, this induced weight loss can be critical for athletes competing in sports where weight is a factor in placing the athletes in classes according to weight such as weight-lifting or boxing.

Need more information in far infrared sauna? Don’t waste your time and visit their official website here far infrared sauna …

Herbs for eye health

Reader Question :

MY son, 12, was found to be short-sighted recently. His reading was 1100 degree (1.1) for each eye. Is there any supplement that can help him? How about tips that he can practise on a daily basis?

We answered :

BILBERRY, with standardisation of 25 per cent anthocyanidins, is a potent antioxidant and possesses collagen-stabilising action and smooth muscle-relaxing properties, which also exert anti- aggregation, blood sugar lowering and anti-ulcer effects. Bilberry extract has been shown to hasten the regeneration of rhodopsin (a light-sensitive pigment found in the rods of the retina) and improve visual acuity in dim light. Eyebright helps relieve conjunctivitis, itchy and irritated eyes.

A herbal formulation containing bilberry and eyebright, with other herbs of value such as lycium, also known as wolfberries, which are rich in carotenoids, helps improve night vision and blurred vision. As a rich source of lutein, spinach offers protection against macular degeneration. This synergistic formulation will be well-suited for maintaining and treating various eye conditions, including short-sightness.

You may also advise your child to eat plenty of fresh, raw, green and leafy vegetables. Apricots, mangoes, cantaloupes, blueberries, carrots and yams are elixirs for the eyes. They are rich in vitamin A which is vital for healthy eyes, preventing easy tiring, irritability, light sensitivity and night blindness. Consume foods that are high in anti-free radical nutrients such as beta-carotene, vitamins A, C, E and mineral zinc and selenium to protect against the harmful effects of free radicals that damage protein in eye. Exercise the eyes. Rotate them in a circular motion without moving your head. Blink the eyes. Do not stare at the computer screen for too long, if he is working on a computer. (source www.medical-explorer.com)

What is epiglottitis? How to prevent from epiglottitis?

Overview

Epiglottitis is a medical emergency that may result in death if not treated quickly. Epiglottitis is inflammation of the epiglottis - the flap that sits at the base of the tongue, which keeps food from going into the trachea (windpipe). Due to its place in the airway, swelling of this structure can interfere with breathing and constitutes a medical emergency. The infection can cause the epiglottis to either obstruct or completely close off the windpipe. When it gets infected and inflamed, it can obstruct, or close off, the windpipe, which may be fatal unless promptly treated.

Respiratory infection, environmental exposure, or trauma may result in inflammation and infection of other structures around the throat. This infection and inflammation may spread to involve the epiglottis as well as other upper airway structures. Epiglottitis usually begins as an inflammation and swelling between the base of the tongue and the epiglottis. This may cause the throat structures to push the epiglottis backward. With continued inflammation and swelling of the epiglottis, complete blockage of the airway may occur, leading to suffocation and death. Autopsies of people with epiglottitis have shown distortion of the epiglottis and its associated structures including the formation of abscesses (pockets of infection). For unknown reasons, adults with epiglottic involvement are more likely than children to develop epiglottic abscesses.

Epiglottitis Causes

Conditions that cause epiglottitis include infectious, chemical, and traumatic agents. Infectious is the most common. H influenzae type b was once the most common cause prior to vaccination. Currently, other organisms such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi are the causes, especially among adults.

• Various organisms. For examples: Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus parainfluenzae, varicella-zoster, herpes simplex virus type 1, and Staphylococcus aureus, among others.
• Heat damage injured. Heat damage that results in epiglottitis is also known as thermal epiglottitis. Thermal epiglottitis occurs from drinking hot liquids, eating solid foods, or using illicit drugs such as inhalation of metal pieces from crack cocaine pipes or the tip of marijuana cigarettes. In these cases the epiglottitis from thermal injury is similar to the illness caused by infection.
• Unusual causes of epiglottitis include brown recluse spider bites to the ear, which may result in swelling or eating buffalo fish, which may cause an allergiclike reaction and swelling. Blunt trauma or something blocking the throat may also lead to epiglottitis.
  

Epiglottitis Symptoms

When epiglottitis strikes, it usually occurs quickly but may range from just a few hours to a few days. The most common symptoms include sore throat, muffling or changes in the voice, difficulty speaking, fever, difficulty swallowing, fast heart rate, and difficulties in breathing.

Fever is usually high but may be low at 37.8°C (100.1°F) in adults or even slightly lower at 37.2°C (99°F) in cases of thermal epiglottitis.

• Signs of respiratory distress, or trouble breathing, are seen with epiglottitis as drooling, leaning forward to breathe, taking rapid shallow breaths, "pulling in" of muscles in the neck or between the ribs with breathing (retractions), high-pitched whistling sound when breathing (stridor), and trouble speaking. Someone with acute epiglottitis usually looks very ill.
• Children may sit in a "sniffing position" with the body leaning forward and the head and nose tilted forward and upward as though they are sniffing a good smelling pie.
• People with epiglottitis may appear restless and breathing with their neck, chest wall, and upper belly muscles. While they may be taking in less air with each breath, they will still manifest the high-pitched whistling sound, called inspiratory stridor.
• Typically, a child who comes to the hospital with epiglottitis has a history of fever, difficulty talking, irritability, and problems swallowing for several hours. The child often sits forward and drools. In infants younger than 1 year, signs and symptoms such as fever, drooling, and upright posturing may all be absent. In this small population group, the infant may have a cough and a history of an upper respiratory infection. Thus it is very difficult to know if an infant has epiglottitis.
• In contrast, adolescents and adults have a more general appearance with sore throat as the main complaint along with fever (50-70%), difficulty breathing (25%), drooling (15%), and stridor (noise with breathing) (10%). Doctors have characterized adult epiglottitis into 3 categories:

1. Category 1: Severe respiratory distress with imminent or actual respiratory arrest. People typically report a brief history with a rapid illness that quickly becomes dangerous. Blood cultures, which are tests that check for bacteria in the blood, are often positive for Hib.
2. Category 2: Moderate-to-severe clinical symptoms and signs of considerable risk for potential airway blockage. Symptoms and signs usually are of sore throat, inability to swallow, difficulty in lying flat, muffled "hot potato" voice (speaking as if they have a mouthful of hot potato), stridor, and the use of accessory respiratory muscles with breathing.
3. Category 3: Mild-to-moderate illness without signs of potential airway blockage. These people often have a history of illness that has been occurring for days with complaints of sore throat and pain upon swallowing.

Medical Treatment

Currently, immediate hospitalization is required whenever the diagnosis of epiglottitis is suspected. The person is in danger of sudden and unpredictable closing of the airway. So doctors must establish a secure way for the person to breathe. Antibiotics may be given.

• Initial treatment of epiglottitis may consist of making the person as comfortable as possible including placing an ill child in a dimly lit room with the parent holding the child, humidified oxygen, and close monitoring. If there are no signs of respiratory distress, IV fluids may be helpful. It is important to prevent anxiety because it may lead to an acute airway obstruction especially in children.
• People with possible signs of airway obstruction require laryngoscopy in the operating room with proper staff and airway intervention equipment. In very severe cases, the doctor may need to perform a cricothyrotomy (cutting the neck to insert a breathing tube directly into the windpipe).
• IV antibiotics may effectively control inflammation and get rid of the infection from the body. Antibiotics are usually prescribed to treat the most common types of bacteria. Blood cultures are usually obtained with the premise that any organism found growing in the blood can be attributed as the cause of the epiglottitis. However, in many cases, if not the actual majority, blood cultures fail to yield this information.
• Corticosteroids and epinephrine have been used in the past. However, there is no good proof that these medications are helpful in cases of epiglottitis.
  

Follow-up

Continue taking all antibiotics until the full course is completed. Keep all follow-up appointments with your doctor. In the event that a breathing tube had to be placed through the neck, follow-up with the surgeon to have the tube removed and make sure the site is healing well. Most people improve significantly before leaving the hospital, so taking the antibiotics and returning to the hospital if there are any problems are the most important parts of follow-up.

Prevention

Prevention of epiglottitis can be achieved with proper vaccination schedules against H influenza type b (Hib). Therefore it is important that your doctor make the appropriate recommendations for vaccination against Hib for children (see the children's immunization schedule). Adult vaccination is not routinely recommended, except for people with immune problems such as sickle cell anemia, splenectomy, cancers, or other diseases affecting the immune system.

When there is a member of a family with an unvaccinated child under age 4 years who is exposed to a person with H influenza epiglottitis, preventive medication (rifampin, Rifadin) should be given to all household contacts to make sure that both the person with the illness and the rest of the household have the bacteria completely eradicated from their bodies. This prevents formation of a "carrier state" in which a person has the bacteria in the body but is not actively sick. Carriers can still spread the infection to other family members in this state.