Health & Wellness
 

Slightly High Blood Pressure Is Also Hazardous High blood pressure or hypertension means high pressure in the arteries. High blood pressure (hypertension) is often called ' silent killer' because one can have it for years without knowing it. http://www.theindiancatholic.com/newsread.asp?nid=5706  January 20,2007 A person is said to have normal BP when his blood pressure reading is around 120/80. Canadians regard blood pressure with systolic reading between 130 and 139, and a diastolic reading between 85 and 89 as high-normal blood pressure. Approx. 2.5 million Canadians have high-normal blood pressure according to the Heart and Stroke Foundation. A recent research suggests that people with so-called "high-normal" blood pressure cannot afford to relax and must consider themselves to be at risk and seek treatment and follow certain health guidelines. "We now have evidence that people in the high-normal upper range of blood pressure are more likely to develop hypertension," Dr. Sheldon Tobe, of the Heart and Stroke Foundation, told CTV News. He added "40 per cent will develop hypertension within two years." Patients with high blood pressure, or hypertension have greater risk for heart attacks, strokes, kidney failure and even dementia. According to a Canadian Heart Health Survey, about one in 10 of those aged 18 to 35 have high blood pressure. "Many of these young men go undiagnosed because they're (otherwise) healthy and they often don't see their family doctors," said Tobe. "And if they do, it's not to have their blood pressure checked." "If they start early, perhaps they will not need medication at all or could delay the need for it by years or decades." The Heart and Stroke Foundation has revised its guidelines regarding hypertension. The existent guidelines are: People with high-normal blood pressure must check BP at least once a year; Blood pressure should be checked during all visits to the doctor; As too much sodium can cause hypertension, Canadians should restrict their salt intake to less than 2,300 milligrams a day. An active, healthy lifestyle, which includes regular physical activity, is necessary to prevent high blood pressure. Source -- Medindia

A Banana A Day Keeps The Doctor Away Never, put your banana in the refrigerator!!! This is interesting. After reading this, you'll never look at a banana in the same way again. Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes. But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet. Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier. PMS: Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood. Anemia: High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia. Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banan a industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke. Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert. Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives. Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system. Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief. Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness. Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation. Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.  Overweight and at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at wor k leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and crisps. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady. Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach. Temperature control: Many other cultures see bananas as a "cooling" fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand , for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan. Smoking &Tobacco Use: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal. Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack. Strokes: According to research in The New England Journal of Medicine, eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%! Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape! So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, "A banana a day keeps the doctor away!"

Time to bridge the gender gap, says the Heart and Stroke Foundation http://ww2.heartandstroke.ca/Page.asp?PageID=24 When it comes to heart disease and stroke, Canadian women’s progress has not kept pace with men’s, according to the 2007 Heart and Stroke Foundation Annual Report on Canadians’ Health. Research shows that, compared to a man, a woman’s risk of dying following a cardiovascular event such as a heart attack or stroke is higher, women are less likely to be treated by a specialist, are less likely to be transferred to another facility for treatment, and less likely to undergo cardiac catheterization or revascularization. “It’s a real concern that women’s heart health has not kept pace with men’s,” says Dr. Beth Abramson, cardiologist and spokesperson for the Heart and Stroke Foundation. “There has been some progress in closing the gender gap, but when it comes to Canada’s leading cause of death, there are women who may be under-served on the front lines compared to men.” For years, it was assumed that care differences occurred because women tended to be older and sicker at the point they were hospitalized. But recent analysis shows that even when you control for age and other health conditions, a women’s risk of dying within the first 30 days is 16% higher for heart attack, and 11% higher for stroke, than a man’s[1]. The reasons for this are unclear - contributing factors may be systemic, social, and biological – but answers need to be found. Further, the Heart and Stroke Foundation reveals that for the first time in 30 years, women have caught up to men when it comes to the number of deaths from cardiovascular disease. Read the full report, learn about women’s unique risk factors, and find out how these women survived a heart attack. Are you at risk? Take the assessment now.