Reducing Blood Pressure

Recent research underscores the importance of a healthful lifestyle including a fitness regimen for both the prevention and treatment of hypertension. Often, changes in diet and exercise habits are enough to control blood pressure without medication, especially for people with mild to moderate blood pressure levations. Sometimes diet and exercise can even reduce the need for medication, and thereby reduce side effects and lower costs.
If you are already taking medication for hypertension, it's important to discuss your lifestyle changes with your doctor, and continue taking your medication as prescribed. If lifestyle changes result in improved blood pressure, your doctor will want to work closely with you to reduce your dosage in a safe and effective manner. Following are some of the most important things you can do to prevent and control hypertension.
Reducing your sodium intake is a major factor. Many people with hypertension find that reducing sodium intake reduces blood pressure as well. Learn which foods are high in sodium, and avoid them as much as possible.
Regular exercise is the most important hypertension-prevention habit for three reasons:
First, it helps prevent and control hypertension. Formerly sedentary people who begin exercising regularly experience, on average, a drop of six or seven points in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
Second, active people have lower death rates than their sedentary friends, even when they have the same blood pressure. Research has shown that exercise reduces risk for cardiovascular and other disease. Exercise also helps prevent obesity, another hypertension risk factor.
Third, regular exercise provides the foundation for successful behavior change programs. Exercise makes you feel good and feel positive about yourself. Stress reduction is one of the greatest benefits of exercise. Stress not only raises blood pressure, but it makes you less inclined to stick to your positive eating plan, your
smoking cessation program or your decision to cut down on your alcohol intake.
Eating more fruits, vegetables and grains increases your intake of important minerals such as calcium and potassium, not to mention vitamins and fiber. One study found that volunteers consuming a diet high in these foods and low in fats (such as the diets created by our on-staff nutritionist) reduced systolic blood pressure by four points, and diastolic by three points. This small but significant reduction was accomplished with diet alone. Add exercise, stress management and weight loss for people who are overweight, and blood pressure reductions often improve much more.
Eating well and exercising regularly are the cornerstone.
Deprivation programs are out! Don't focus on weight loss; focus on a healthy lifestyle. A little weight loss may occur by cutting down on "junk food," eating more fruits, vegetables and grains, and increasing physical activity. Even a relatively small loss, such as 5 to 10 pounds, can reduce blood pressure. The most important goal is the development of healthful habits that stay with you for a
lifetime, so that the weight stays off. Weight cycling (repeatedly losing and regaining weight) may raise your blood pressure and be harmful to your health.
Reducing stress is another lifelong task. Take a stress management workshop, develop your sense of humor and read some good books. Develop coping techniques that increase your resistance to stress related illness. And don't forget the importance of exercise for stress reduction.
Limiting your alcohol and caffeine intake will make a profound difference in your health. You should strive to drink alcohol and caffeine in moderation, if at all.

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Ways to Fight Bad Breath

Bad Breath haunts a lot of us, and we can easily admit it. Bad Breath is quite an easy case to treat when it comes to bad oral heath (so do not worry about it). Everyone develops bad smelling breath every now and then, especially after we get done eating food. There are simple ways to fight breath that stinks by means of appropriate dental hygiene.
Common dental hygiene that actually works quite well is the old "brush your teeth 3 times a day," routine. Even if you simply brush your teeth 2 times a day you will be well off. A simple remedy for bad smelling breath after you eat is to chew on a stick of mint gum or purchase some mints.
I can also personally recommend that you use mouthwash, as it not only kills bacteria, plaque and gingivitis but it also makes your teeth whiter and smell great. If you simply use good dental/oral hygiene you will be less likely to develop severe cases from Bad Breath such as Halitosis (a chronic disease of unpleasant smelling breath).
Do not worry about it though because it is very common to get bad breath that does not smell too pleasant, even if you do keep the appropriate dental hygiene methods. If you have a feeling that you have a case of severe Halitosis (no matter what you do, your breath stinks horribly), you may want to set up an appointment with your dentist.

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Four Powerful Keys To Healing

Here is a simple process to become pro-active with your health.
Many people with an illness waste a lot of time on future events that have not or will not happen. A future event is anything not in the NOW. For example: I might not feel like going out tonight because I am might be tired (notice the words-might be tired).
I had a friend that was HIV (diagnosed with AIDs) and every statement he made was like this: "Let's go to the beach today because I might be dead tomorrow."
Starting today be aware of your words because they have power. Here is an easy technique to focus on all the good in your life and NOT on what may or may not happen in the future.
Write this format on a piece of paper:
Statement
Pro
Con
Turnaround
Action
Example One
Statement
I am always in pain.
Pro
I have friends that always sympathize with me and I get attention.
Con
I wish I could spend more time with my grandchildren.
Turnaround
I felt great this morning.
(NOTICE: I did not say, "I was pain-free in the morning" because that would still be focusing on the pain.)
Action
Pick-up the phone and say Hi to your grandchildren. Ask them how THEY ARE---focus on the good and positive of other people. DO NOT talk about how much pain you were in before.
In addition after you have worked with one statement you can also take a sentence from your PRO or CON list and apply it to this format. Pick the ones that have the most "charge" or emotions attached to them.
Example Two
Statement
I have friends that always sympathize with me and I get attention.
Pro
I feel like I am needed.
Con
I feel useless.
Turnaround
I get attention by listening to other people.
(This is NOT about having a pity party and sharing negative stories. Focus on the good and positive aspects of the day. Take action and direct the conversation to a place of joy.)
Action
I do things that are helpful around the house.
This simple process is easy to do and it works. The best way to starting using this process is today. Be aware of what you are saying and then immediately write it down.
To help you stay in the moment say, "I am healthy whole and complete and I love myself for who I am right here, right now."
Remember, be pro-active with your health and keep all conversations positive. Make a sign that says, "No Whining Allowed" to remind you of your commitment to health. People will notice you have changed. Focus on the good in your life and the beauty around you. Soon you will be feeling better, doing more and living a more fulfilling life.

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