Heart Disease and Homocysteine

 Heart Disease and Homocysteine

There has been a lot of talk lately about a compound called homocysteine and its relationship to heart disease.Homocysteine is a common amino acid (one of the building blocks that make up proteins) found in the blood and is acquired mostly from eating meat. High levels of homocysteine are related to the early development of heart and blood vessel disease. In fact, it is considered an independent risk factor for heart disease.

High-risk patients with high homocysteine levels should increase their intake of B-vitamins especially folic acid in their diet. It is found mainly in green leafy vegetable, mushrooms, pulses, nuts, fruits and root vegetables.

Heart Healthy Foods - Garlic and Onions

 Heart Healthy Foods - Garlic and Onions 

Garlic and Onions contain a compound that acts as an effective blood thinner. Ideally a daily dose of two pods of garlic and one onion in your diet can help the heart work better. For people already suffering from heart disease or plaque formation, onions and garlic can prove to be very beneficial.

Heart Healthy Foods - Nuts

 Heart Healthy Foods - Nuts

Nuts such at Walnuts, almonds are high in Omega-3 Fatty acids. These omega-3 fatty Acids are like elixirs for your heart. They help in proper functioning of the heart and help reduce the plaque formation in its arteries. The fibre content in the nuts help to ease the digestive tract, thereby helping your metabolism. A  hand full of nuts, had as a mid day snack can help speed up your way to weight loss and protect your heart. 

Eat nuts to prevent heart disease.

JAVAS LEHSUN CHUTNEY (Alsi garlic chutney)

JAVAS LEHSUN CHUTNEY (Alsi garlic chutney). 

A decent combination, this is great for cardiac types....Flax(omega 3), Garlic (flavonoids and sulfur-containing Allicin), Capsaicin(from chillies).....helps reduce cholesterol provides heart friendly omega 3. FLAX SEED chutney !

--Grind together 250 gms roasted flax seeds, a big palmful of dried red chillies, and 1-2 whole garlic (the whole thing). Add salt to taste. Enjoy on toast, curd rice, boiled veggies, dal-rice ,bhakri, idli, dosa what else

 ----Also one can add a little roasted channa dal, udid dal, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, dry coconut (copra), hing, salt n tamarind.

---For those who are anti-garlic, a ground mixture of dried kadhipatta leaves, dried mint leaves, flax seeds and dried red chillies is also very tasty.

--- Make a delcious mixture of juice of a few lemons, salt, red chilly powder, fenugreek powder(methi), haldi (turmeric), and add in ground flax seeds chutney, or just plain ground seeds. This makes a delicious sandwhich spread.

 Go ahead and spice up your diet with this chutney

World heart day 2013 - superheart power

 World Heart Day 2013 
  superheart power

This year’s theme will focus on: a life-course approach to the prevention and control of cardiovascular disease (CVD) with a focus on women and children…… because healthy children lead to healthy adults and healthy adults lead to healthy families

In today’s digital age, men, women and children are becoming less and less active. Even during leisure time, people spend less time exercising and more time in front of the TV, computer, mobile or video-game console. Plus add on to it unhealthy junk food habits of both the parents and the kids are putting them at risk of heart diesease at an early age.

In a cartoon created for World Heart Day and aimed at 7—10-year-olds, Superheart, a hero who kicks a football rather than plays computer games, and chases away burgers, chips, and sugary drinks, goes right to the heart of the matter. If children drank water instead of sugar-sweetened drinks, the energy intake per head could be reduced by 120 calories per day. 

Obesity at the population level is a consequence of the unhealthy market-driven food environment we live in. We need to change that if our children are to have a healthy future. Superheart will need superpowers to do so.

The World Heart Federation goes on to say that heart disease is the number one killer of women, causing 1 in 3 female deaths, which amounts to about one death per minute. Children are also at risk of developing heart diseases because of diet constituting bad fats and sugar, low physical activity and childhood obesity.

Gear up guys....start moving towards healthy lifestyle now.

Eat an apple a day 21st sept

 Eat an apple a day 21st sept

It's one of the most recognizable expressions around: "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." 

The first printed mention of this saying can be found in the February 1866 issue of the publication "Notes and Queries." The publication printed the proverb like this: "Eat an apple on going to bed, and you'll keep the doctor from earning his bread." Nearly 150 years later, variations of this adage are still quoted. It's unlikely that the saying would have maintained such popularity if there wasn't some truth to it, right? With that in mind, let's consider some of the apple's components and their effect on our health:

• Pectin -- Pectin is a form of soluble fiber than lowers both blood pressure and glucose levels. It can also lower the levels of LDL, or "bad" cholesterol in the body. Pectin, like other forms of fiber, helps maintain the health of the digestive system. Apples are an excellent source of pectin.
• Boron -- A nutrient found in abundance in apples, boron supports strong bones and a healthy brain.
• Quercetin -- A flavonoid, this nutrient shows promise for reducing the risk of various cancers, including cancers in the lungs and breast. It may also reduce free radical damage. Free radicals develop when atoms in the body's cells have unpaired electrons, which can lead to damage to different parts of the cell, including DNA. Quercetin may neutralize free radical damage, which has been implicated in a variety of age-related health problems, including Alzheimer's disease.
• Vitamin C -- Vitamin C boosts immunity, which helps maintain overall health.
• Phytonutrients -- Apples are rich in a variety of phytonutrients, including vitamins A and E and beta carotene. These compounds fight damage from free radicals and can have a profound affect on health, including reducing the risk of heart disease, diabetes and asthma.

Apples also act as a toothbrush, cleaning teeth and killing bacteria in the mouth, which may reduce the risk of tooth decay. They're also low in calorie density, one of the trademarks of a healthy food. When a food is low in calorie density you can eat good size portions of the food for relatively few calories. In addition, apples are affordable and readily available.
With all of this information, it's easy to see that, yes, an apple has its health benefits.

World Alzheimer's Day 2013

World Alzheimer's Day 2013

World Alzheimer's Day 2013

Every year on the 21st of September, Alzheimer associations across the globe unite to recognize World Alzheimer's Day. Together, we are making small but important strides toward increasing awareness and combating the stigma.  

The theme for World Alzheimer's Month 2013 is Dementia: a journey of caring.

The Alzheimer's disease is a progressive and irreversible disease which has millions of victim in every part of the world with at least two people getting the disease every three minutes. Almost ten percent of adults above the age of 65 are affected by Alzheimer's and it is believed that the incidence and the rate of disease will increase with age and time. 

What is Alzheimer's Disease?

Alzheimer's is a degenerative disease of the nervous system where the patient starts to lose their memory and in later cases even show behavioral disorders and forgets their own identity. Dementia is the major symptom of Alzheimer's disease where the person loses the activity of the brain and the memory.Till now only symptomatic treatment are available for it and neither the reason behind the disease or its progression is clearly understood.

Nutrition and Alzheimer’s disease

Age and family history/genetics are major risk factors, but emerging research is suggesting that lifestyle factors including diet and exercise can also play an important role in prevention. 

Here are a few other things you should consider.

Up your Vitamin E. Vitamin E is a very potent anti-oxidant and appears to play a role in staving off Alzheimer's. Research shows that those with the highest amounts in their diet  have a significantly lower risk of Alzheimer's disease. 

Top food sources include sunflower and safflower oil, nuts and seeds (almonds, sunflower seeds, peanuts, hazelnuts) and green vegetables including broccoli and spinach. Make sure to consume green vegetables with a little healthy fat to maximize the absorption of vitamin E.

Go for fish. Getting adequate amounts of poly-unsaturated omega 3 fatty acids found in fish is associated with a lower risk of Alzheimer's disease. DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), which is present in larger amounts in the brain, appears to be particularly important. 

Low levels of DHA in the blood have been associated with worsening mental function. If you don't eat fish, take a fish oil capsule daily or eat 1tbsp of flaxseed or walnuts, almonds.

Move more. Moderate to heavy exercise can decrease your risk of Alzheimer's by up to 45%. Moderate exercise includes house work, climbing stairs, and sports like bowling and golf. And start early -- exercising in your teens can protect you later in life. 

Being fit has been show to decrease brain shrinkage, a common finding in dementia, and may help fight depression, which also commonly occurs in Alzheimer's disease patients. Aim for an hour per day, but every little bit adds up.

Spice things up.  All of us would be happy to know India has a much lower incidence of Alzheimer's disease, and many researchers believe it may be due in part to their extensive use of turmeric (a component of curry) in their cooking. 

Turmeric contains a powerful phytonutrient called curcumin which may help protect the brain from Alzheimer's disease in several ways. Research is currently underway to determine the optimal intake (very little taken by mouth actually gets to the brain) but consuming curry regularly along with a little healthy fat may help and certainly can't hurt.

 Make changes to your lifestyle today, and be consistent, to decrease your risk of Alzheimer's disease. All of the things mentioned above work much better for prevention than for slowing of progression or treatment.