Many conventional nutritionists and physicians pass along a standard piece of advice with regard to managing heart disease via diet: follow the guidelines set forth by the American Heart Association (AHA). After all, who better to offer guidance than an organization that specializes in matters relating to cardiovascular disease? My Health Monday tip of the day is to discuss different, and I think, more promising, dietary options with your health care team.
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The wisdom that comes only after many years of living and learning is generally a desirable by-product of the aging process. On the other hand, many of the physical changes that are a part of the equation are almost always unwelcome. A similar dynamic occurs in the maturation of food. A certain degree of ripeness is necessary in order for most fruits and vegetables to be edible. But if they’re left to ripen for too long, they’ll spoil. However, there are certain instances where prolonged aging of food can yield medicinal properties. One example is the unique aging process that Allium sativum (garlic) sometimes undergoes. Read more »

Being “green”, as in environmentally sensitive, is a big part of the social consciousness these days. It’s nearly impossible to read a newspaper or watch the evening news without noting some mention about the ecology and what can be done to improve the current state of things. But there’s another way to be “green” that I wish would also get some attention. My mission for today is to start a different kind of green revolution. It’s a lifestyle movement that requires only one change – eating and drinking more green foods. Read more »

Some people like to play board games, watch sporting events or knit in their spare time. Me? I like to browse around the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention web site. I sometimes search around there for statistics that help shape the content that ends here. The other day I found a few interesting facts and figures. I already knew that heart disease is the “leading cause of death for both women and men in the United States”. But I was still stunned by a few other statistics. In 2005, 7.6 million people’s lives ended prematurely due to coronary heart disease. In 2003, almost 40% of adults exhibited two or more of six risk factors for heart disease and stroke (diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, physical inactivity and smoking). These figures have probably only gotten worse in the time since they were compiled. This is evidenced by the most recent figure available: “In 2009, heart disease is projected to cost more than $304 billion dollars, including health care services, medications and lost productivity.” Read more »

To drink or not to drink coffee, that is the question; Whether ’tis nobler in the morning to suffer the slings and arrows of a poor night’s sleep, Or to take arms with a cup of Java against a sea of fatigue, And by sipping, to end it. To live, to energize. Read more »

In yesterday’s blog, I described one possible strategy to help reduce the risk of heart disease. My hope is that the information I present here will help keep your cardiovascular system healthy and symptom-free. But I understand very well that there are no guarantees in life.  Unfortunately, some of us will have to deal with the stark reality of a heart attack or stroke. It may happen to us personally or to someone close to us. So today, I’d like to offer a brief overview of the most common symptoms that should warn us that a heart attack or stroke is occurring. Read more »