2013 Annual Heart Walk!

Promoting Heart Health with Cacao!

Heart Disease Pointers 2013

As we mark American Heart Month this February, what better time to stop and do a heart checkup on habits, lifestyle and matters of the heart. In our daily quest to manage stress, exercise, eat well- and other priorities of the day - I want to take a moment to emphasize why all of these actions matter in the long run, that is, for your heart health. 
Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women - causing 1 in 3 deaths each year. That's about one each minute. To help you on the road to heart health, I have compiled a checklist:

Schedule your annual physical - Having a yearly appointment with your primary care physician (PCP) for a physical exam can detect certain diseases early on. Typically, the PCP will look at your blood pressure, heart rhythms, vision, hearing, and others areas. The blood work drawn measures cholesterol, blood sugar, and others. Your physician may also ask about your emotional well-being because symptoms of depression or anxiety can take a toll on your heart.
 

Know your numbers -- This oft-used term describes the key indicators of your cardiovascular health. The numbers you need to know and the ideal measurements are:

Blood pressure less than 120/80 mm Hg

Total cholesterol less than 200 mg/dl

LDL - "Bad" cholesterol less than 100 mg/dl

HDL - "Good" cholesterol more than 50 mg/dl

Triglycerides less than 150 mg/dl

Blood glucose less than 100 mg/dl

Body mass index (BMI) between 18.5-24.9 kg/m2

Waist circumference less than 35 inches

Quit smoking - If you have never smoked or quit smoking more than a year ago, you have already reduced your risk for cardiovascular disease by 50 percent. If you want to quit smoking, help is available. Smoking cessation counselors, nicotine replacement or drug therapy, and support groups help many kick the habit for good. 

Exercise - The optimal workout to improve your heart health amounts to 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise a week. Another way to say it is exercise 30 minutes a day, which can even be broken up into 10 minute increments. Simple steps add up in time.

Stock up on healthy foods - A heart-healthy diet consists of many fruits and vegetables, whole-grain, high-fiber foods, and fish. Consume fish at least twice a week, preferably oily fish such as salmon, or talk to your healthcare provider about taking omega-3 fatty acid (fish oil) supplements. Pregnant women should avoid fish with high mercury levels.

Limit or throw out the junk foods - Junk or processed foods tend to be high in sugar and sodium. Your sodium intake should be less than 1500 mg a day. Avoid foods with trans-fatty acids or strive to eat very little of them. (Transfats are found in meat, cheese and butter). Try to eat less than 150 mg of cholesterol a day and drink no more than one alcoholic drink a day.

React quickly to heart attack symptoms - As with men, women's most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, including:

Uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain in the center of your chest. It lasts more than a few minutes or goes away and comes back.

Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.

Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.

Breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.

If you have any of these signs, don't wait more than five minutes before calling for help. Call 9-1-1 and get to the hospital right away.
Power of Prevention
With all the advances in heart care and more emphasis on prevention, lowering the staggering statistics of heart disease is achievable. Main Line Health is proud to join the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women campaign in the fight against heart disease. Join me and the rest of the MLH team in living a heart healthy lifestyle!

For more information, please visit http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=resources/lifestyle_community&id=8975881

Cities at Risk for Heart Disease

In Rocky III we see two knockouts in the ring—and one in the locker room, where Mickey is Ko'd by a heart attack. It's a familiar script: Philly guy goes up against heavyweight heart disease and is leveled. In fact, if there's an eye of the tiger in the city, we bet it's staring at a cheesesteak.

Here's the tale of the tape. We began with death rates for heart disease and then factored in big clues to cardiac woes: the number of people who smoke, don't exercise, or are overweight or obese, along with the number who have type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol (all from the CDC). Next we checked how many households floss (inflammation from gum disease can contribute to heart risks) and take cholesterol-lowering meds (SimplyMap). Finally, we included EPA stats on the number of bad-air days. (And if you want to keep your ticker in top shape like Rocky Balboa, start our 82-day Speed Shred workout program to blast fat, lose your gut, and strengthen your heart.)

Prime pumps 

1. San Francisco, CA (A+)
2. Aurora, CO (A+)
3. Seattle, WA (A+)
4. Austin, TX (A+)
5. Colorado Springs, CO (A+)
6. Burlington, VT (A+)
7. Minneapolis, MN (A+)
8. Portland, OR (A+)
9. Boise City, ID (A)
10. Oakland, CA (A)
    

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11. St. Paul, MN (A)
12. Lincoln, NE (A)
13. Madison, WI (A)
14. Salt Lake city, UT (A)
15. Durham, NC (A)
16. Sioux Falls, SD (A)
17. Raleigh, NC (A)
18. San Jose, CA (A-)
19. Anaheim, CA (A-)
20. Denver, CO (A-)
    

    ---

21. Charlotte, NC (B+)
22. San Diego, CA (B+)
23. Bridgeport, CT (B+)
24. Albuquerque, NM (B+)
25. Fargo, ND (B+)
26. Anchorage, AK (B+)
27. Atlanta, GA (B+)
28. Chesapeake, VA (B)
29. Plano, TX (B)
30. Virginia Beach, VA (B)
    

    ---

31. Manchester, NH (B)
32. Sacramento, CA (B)
33. Boston, MA (B)
34. Portland, ME (B-)
35. Orlando, FL (B-)
36. Bakersfield, CA (B-)
37. Washington, DC (B-)
38. Honolulu, HI (C+)
39. Phoenix, AZ (C+)
40. Reno, NV (C+)
    

    ---

41. Los Angeles, CA (C+)
42. San Antonio, TX (C+)
43. Billings, MT (C+)
44. Omaha, NE (C+)
45. Wilmington, DE (C+)
46. Nashville, TN (C+)
47. Freso, CA (C)
48. Des Moines, IA (C)
49. Wichita, KS (C)
50. Ft. Worth, TX (C)
    

    ---

51. Jersey City, NJ (C)
52. Norfolk, VA (C)
53. Tucson, AZ (C)
54. Cheyenne, WY (C)
55. Baton Rouge, LA (C-)
56. Greensboro, NC (C-)
57. Winston-Salem, NC (C-)
58. Little Rock, AR (C-)
59. Houston, TX (C-)
60. Riverside, CA (C-)
    

    ---

61. Rochester, NY (C-)
62. Stockton, CA (C-)
63. Dallas, TX (C-)
64. Columbia, SC (C-)
65. New York, NY (C-)
66. Laredo, TX (D+)
67. Jacksonville, FL (D+)
68. Las Vegas, NV (D+)
69. Corpus Christi, TX (D+)
70. Tampa, FL (D+)
    

    ---

71. Newark, NJ (D+)
72. Columbus, OH (D+)
73. Miami, FL (D+)
74. New Orleans, LA (D+)
75. Memphis, TN (D)
76. Cincinnati, OH (D)
77. El Paso, TX (D)
78. Providence, RI (D)
79. Lubock, TX (D)
80. Lexington, KY (D-)
    

    ---

81. Chicago, IL (D-)
82. Louisville, KY (D-)
83. Kansas City, MO (D-)
84. Fort Wayne, IN (D-)
85. St. Petersburg, FL (D-)
86. Pittsburgh, PA (F)
87. Oklahoma City, OK (F)
88. Jackson, MS (F)
89. Indianapolis, IN (F)
90. Detroit, MI
    

    ---

91. Tulsa, OK (F)
92. Cleveland, OH (F)
93. Buffalo, NY (F)
94. Toledo, OH (F)
95. Milwaukee, WI (F)
96. St. Louis, MO (F)
97. Baltimore, MD (F)
98. Charleston, WV (F)
99. Birmingham, AL (F)
100. Philadelphia, PA (F)

HOW TO RESIST ARREST
You know the drill: If a person suddenly collapses and is unresponsive, call 911—he may be in cardiac arrest. Your phone can help in another way too. Take a second now to download the American Heart Association's Hands-Only CPR app (free); it includes a 1-minute instructional video. A Maricopa Medical Center study found that people who watched a video like this were more likely to try CPR and perform it better. The benefit: Immediate CPR can triple a victim's odds of survival. (Better yet, dodge this leading killer with these 5 Steps to Save Your Heart.)

Read more at Men's Health: http://www.menshealth.com/best-life/coronary-capitals?cm_mmc=Yahoo_Health-_-The%2010%20Worst%20U.S.%20Cities%20for%20Heart%20Health-_-Slideshow-_-Coronary%20Capitals#ixzz29aIm9XzT

9 Dehydrated Fruits That Are Great For You Health

1. RAISINS : OSTEOPOROSIS
Often called "nature's candy," raisins are cholesterol-free, low in sodium, high in fiber and totally fat-free. They are one of the richest sources of boron, a mineral documented to reduce bone loss in post-menopausal women. Sprinkle a handful into calcium-rich yoghurt for optimum bone-benefits and add pecans, another food rich in boron. Average boron intake is 1-2mg a day, but a minimum of 3mg (and maximum of 10mg daily) is probably healthier.

2. DATES : FATIGUE
Feeling exhausted can make you crave sugary snacks. Dates are a great alternative as they have a relatively low glycaemic index (GI), which means they release their sugars slowly and keep energy levels steady, despite their intense sweetness. Eat with protein -- a handful of walnuts, for example -- to keep you feeling full.

3. DRIED APPLES : HEART DISEASE
Help protect women against heart disease lowering blood fat levels by almost 25 percent, a claim unattainable by cardiovascular prescription medications. The flavonoids in dried apples act as antioxidants -- enzymes that target free radicals that can damage DNA.

4. DRIED CHERRIES : GOUTThe anthoycyanins in cherries, particularly the sour, or tart, type that are found in most health stores, may be beneficial for a range of inflammatory-related conditions, including arthritis, gout and post-exercise muscle soreness.
A recent study by University of Michigan researchers revealed a cherry-enriched diet reduced inflammation markers in animals by up to 50 per cent. An effective ‘dose’ for humans seems to be half a cup of dried cherries twice a day.

5. DRIED APRICOTS : HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
Dried apricots weigh in with more than three times the potassium content of bananas and contain only a trace of salt.
That’s good for keeping down blood pressure -- potassium counters the water-retaining properties of sodium, keeping blood volume lower. Recent research at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta showed that consuming more potassium than sodium is protective against high blood pressure and heart disease.
Eating apricots dried means you’re likely to eat more, so will take in more nutrients.
6. DRIED MANGOS : COLON & BREAST CANCER
One of the best tasting dried fruits, mango is a rich source of potassium and is also rich in iron. People who suffer from anaemia can take mangoes regularly along with their dinner. It is especially good for women after menopause. The most impressive findings recently attributed to mangos is their ability to prevent or stop certain colon and breast cancer cells for proliferating.

7. DRIED CRANBERRIES : BLADDER INFECTIONS
If you’re prone to bladder infections -- and 20 per cent of women suffer recurrent problems -- snack on dried cranberries.
In a U.S. study, two handfuls (42.5g) reduced the ‘stickiness’ of E.coli bacteria in infected women’s urine samples.
This means fewer urinary infections because the bacteria cannot attach to the bladder wall.
Proanthocyanidins are the active ingredient in cranberries that provide this anti-adherence effect.

8. PRUNES : CONSTIPATION
Your mother was right -- six prunes (50g) twice daily proved better at easing constipation than the laxative ispaghula (the active ingredient in Fybogel), according to a recent study. Prunes are rich in sorbitol, which draws water into the stool, making it easier to pass.

9. FIGS : ANAEMIA
Vegetarian? Four dried figs supply a quarter of the recommended daily allowance of anaemia-protective iron. To get the full advantage, eat as part of an orange juice-steeped compote -- vitamin C helps improve the iron your body absorbs from plant sources.

*Please note that if you purchase processed dried fruits, many food manufacturers add preservatives, sugars, emulsifiers and sweetners. Most of these ingredients are actually toxic. Whenever you can, purchase organic fruits and dehydrate them yourself with a dehydrator. With the exception of a juicer and blender, a dehydrator is one of the most valuable appliances you will ever own to create delicious snacks while energizing and optimizing your health.

http://preventdisease.com/news/12/091812_9-Dried-Fruits-And-The-Ailments-They-Can-Treat-If-Youre-On-The-Go.shtml

Eating Red foods for Heart Health

Cardio, cardio and more cardio...

Cardio training is good for your heart - The increased heart rate you will achieve during your cardio workout will improve the condition of your heart and lungs, by training your heart to pump more blood in fewer beats and your lungs to move more oxygen with less effort. The improvement you will gain in your cardiovascular health will reduce your risk of heart disease and improve your blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Aim for 30-60 minutes at least 3 days a week in order to achieve the best results for improving your heart.

*http://www.streetdirectory.com/travel_guide/23142/fitness/7_reasons_to_add_cardio_training_to_your_workout.html