Search This Blog

Saturday, August 16, 2014

Diabetes Positive Approach Newsletter #1408 on Heart Healthy Lifestyle

Welcome to Diabetes Positive Approach Newsletter #1408 issue on Heart Healthy Lifestyle. Studies have shown that there is a correlation between diabetes, heart attack and stroke. There are quite a few statistics on the gloom and doom scenario regarding this connection, but we will not dwell on that. Why? Because we will cut them down to size. We will show them we can do it. How? Read on and find out.

By the way before we continue, without your feedback, I cannot go on with this newsletter. It takes hours of work which I don’t mind but without anyone benefiting from this, it will be an exercise of futility. So let me read ten comments from you in the contact form below and I will continue on with this. Otherwise, this will be the last issue. I will just send you alerts from time to time.

In This Issue: All About Heart Healthy Lifestyle”

A healthy lifestyle can help prevent heart disease. If heart disease runs in the family, you can't change that, but there are steps you can take to control the other risk factors like cholesterol, high blood pressure, smoking and central obesity. Despite the dismal statistics for diabetics when it comes to the heart, you can help keep your heart and blood vessels healthy. You can do so by taking the following steps.

1. Eat a heart healthy diet. Have at least 14 grams of fiber every day for every 1,000 calories you eat like oatmeal, oat bran, cereals and whole grain bread, dried beans and peas and fruits and vegetables. Make sure you increase the fiber intake gradually so you will avoid digestive problems.

Have no more than 300 milligrams a day of cholesterol in your diet. They are in meat, eggs and dairy products. Cut down on saturated fats as well, for they raise the blood cholesterol level. Saturated fat is found in poultry skin, dairy products with fat, meats, butter, shortening and lard like palm and coconut oil. Coconut oil has lately been found to be good for us though.

Cut down also on the amount of trans fat as they raise the cholesterol level. Lower your consumption of cookies, cakes, microwave popcorn, fried foods and salad dressings including other foods that are made with partially hydrogenated oil.

Choose healthful meal and snack options to avoid heart disease and its complications. And make sure to eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Eating foods low in saturated fat and cholesterol and high in fiber can help prevent high blood cholesterol. Limiting salt or sodium in your diet can also lower your blood pressure.

2. Keep active by exercising regularly. Being active not only help in maintaining a healthy weight but also it lowers the blood pressure and the unhealthy cholesterol levels. Do you want to know how much exercise should you do to accomplish this? Well, the Surgeon General himself recommends 2 hours and 30 minutes each week of exercise that is of moderate intensity.

Physical activity that is done on a regular basis helps maintain healthy weight, makes bones, joints and muscles stronger and lowers the risk for many diseases. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention is putting into practice a policy with a plan to make eating healthy and being active, more reasonably priced and available for all.

What can you do for you and your family? More and more people walk to better health. Take action for your family. Get everyone to walk with you. More people walk for fun or for transportation, exercise or relaxation or for such activities as walking the dog. Brisk walking, swimming, bicycling and running are aerobic activities that make one breathe harder which in turn makes the heart healthier.

What can you do where you work? Healthy workers are productive workers. There is a guide to put into action in the Physical Activity Guidelines in the workplace. Bring this to the attention of the employer because there are steps to build and sustain physical activity and wellness programs.

What can you do for your community? Find out what the communities can do to make it easier for the residents to be physically active. There is a guide that will help the policy makers and program managers on how to select approaches so the residents in the community can keep physically active.

3. Keep a healthy weight. This is important because being obese and overweight can raise one’s risk for heart disease. Do you want to know if your weight is within the healthy range? Well doctors compute a number that is called BMI or Body Mass Index where you can calculate your BMI which is a dependable indicator of body fatness. I am going to put here a widget for you to use but I am not sure whether that will work so I am also offering you the above link.

Or you can determine your BMI by finding your height and weight in this BMI Index Chart. If your BMI is less than 18.5, you are "underweight" . If your BMI is 18.5 to 24.9, you lucky duck, for you have "normal" or Healthy Weight. If your BMI is 25.0 to 29.9, sorry for you are "overweight". If your BMI is 30.0 or higher, very sorry for you’re within the "obese" range.

Don’t worry though because eating healthy and exercising more will give us normal weight.

4. Quit smoking. Smoking seriously raises the risk for heart disease. The Surgeon General says, “evidence has linked smoking to diseases of nearly all organs of the body.” So don’t start if you don’t smoke, and quit if you’re smoking for this will reduce your risk for heart disease. Your doctor can help you stop smoking.

5. Limit alcohol consumption. Drinking alcohol excessively can lead to health problems like liver diseases, cancer, high blood pressure, violence and injuries. What is excessive alcohol use? It’s 4 or more drinks on an event for women and 5 or more for men. Thank goodness we can get help from CDC's Alcohol and Public Health Web site to overcome this.

Some people don’t know whether they have a drinking problem or not. How do you know if you are one of these people? It’s easy. If your drinking is making you have problem in your relationship, then you have a drinking problem. The same thing is true when you are having problem in schools, in how you feel and think and in social activities. Consult with your health care team if you or someone you know might have this problem.

6. Take low-dose aspirin. Taking this every day can decrease the risk for stroke and heart disease, but talk to your doctor first because this is not for everyone. In fact, the latest news on low-dose aspirin is that FDA Has Reversed Its Position on Daily Aspirin if you haven’t had a heart attack. You don’t believe me? Read this and be surprised!

Here are some important information from that report:

Aspirin May Cover up a Cardiac Event in Progress.

Studies Reveal Aspirin Miserably Failed at Preventing Heart Attacks

Aspirin Tears Down the Lining of Your Gastrointestinal Tract

Aspirin Raises the Risk of Bleeding

When I read that report and it’s from a very reliable source, I was floored. I have been taking the low-dose aspirin for a long time. I knew about the bleeding risk but I was prepared for that if it meant, I won’t suffer from a heart attack. But I suppose we learn as we grow from year to year. That is why it is important to keep track of developments.

But we know there is a better way to avoid heart attack. The key is to address chronic inflammation. And how do we do that? Just do the good old lifestyle changes like healthy diet, regular exercise, sunshine, and grounding. Grounding is basically contact with the earth with bare skin. Let’s go barefoot walking sometimes but take precaution with the diabetic feet.

7. Treat Transient Ischemic attacks (or TIAs) promptly. This is sometimes called mini-stroke and treating this early can prevent stroke in the future. Sudden weakness, blindness on one or both eyes, loss of balance, severe headache, double vision and difficulty speaking are some signs with most going away, likely with no permanent damage. But TIA could be a precursor for a future stroke.

Here’s a video on Diabetes and Heart Disease



2. Must-Reads from Around the Web

Diabetes and Heart Disease

Diet and Exercise Beat Drugs for Diabetes Heart Risks

Diabetes - Dr. Fuhrman

Diabetes care: 10 ways to avoid diabetes complications

Long-Term Complications of Diabetes - KidsHealth

3. “Alerts I Can’t Resist To Send You

If you took Actos You May Be Eligible for Financial Compensation

Report on increased rate of hospitalization for heart failure with use of saxagliptin (marketed as Onglyza and Kombiglyze XR) compared to an inactive treatment.

Despite rosiglitazone's effectiveness at decreasing blood sugar in type 2 diabetes mellitus, its use decreased as studies showed apparent associations with increased risks of heart attacks and death

FDA Warns Statin Users of Memory Loss and Diabetes Risks

Eating breakfast may reduce risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease

4. A Success Quotation of the Month“

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” Winston Churchill

5. Dessert Recipe”

Wacky chocolate cake

6. Some Humour - Let's laugh together at the joke below even if it's not funny. Bakerman said, “Hazardous to illness, humor leads to laughing, smiling, and good feelings” Isn’t that so true? It cannot be denied that laughter and humor can make one feel good. When you come to a difficult situation, laughter can take the edge off of it.

The only trouble is that my jokes are kind of lame so this may be the last issue unless I get ten names in the contact form below. There is no sense spending hours to write this newsletter if nobody is reading it. I will just send alerts or something important to share with you

I Think This is Funny.

Girl: If you’re my husband, I will put poison in your coffee.

Boy: You know what? If you‘re my wife, I will drink it.

7. Do you have a question or comment for the team?

Drop us a line at diabetes.alertatgmail.com. Put on the subject line “Diabetes Positive Approach” so no one can mistake it as spam. Write your questions or comment there.

You may see your question answered in an upcoming issue of Diabetes Positive Approach like the one below.

7. How Is Stroke Treated?"

Answer: As soon as you know you have stroke, call 911 and get medical help right away. How do you if you have stroke? If you’re suddenly feeling numbness or weakness one side of your body, feeling confused, dizzy, severe headache, being confused suddenly, having trouble walking and talking, having trouble in both eyes or just one but could be having double vision.

So call for help right away in order to prevent permanent damage if you do this within the hour of the occurrence. The doctor will give you tests like neurological examination to check your nervous system, blood tests, x rays, special scans and ultrasound exan. To dissolve the blood clots, the doctor may give you some clot-busting medicine.

Other treatments for stroke includes medications and physical therapy, as well as surgery to repair the damage. Meal planning and physical activity may be part of your ongoing care. In addition, you may need medications to lower your blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol and to prevent blood clots. 8. Got something to say? Please write down your questions and comments in Facebook.

Just go to the https://www.facebook.com/pages/Free-Diabetes-Alert/22286671840 Just copy and paste that on your browser. Facebook will want you to join me first before you can send me a message.

Conclusion

Now that we know more about glycemic index, we feel good because the next step will be easier but not for the crowd we left behind for they do not belong to our exclusive group. No matter what happens now, know that you are not alone for many of us have gone through failures and frustrations. The only thing we ask of you is to set a good example for others. Then no one will have to set the rules for us.

Your Turn

How about you? Do you know more about glycemic index? Please share them with us in the comment box below or at the email address below the authors‘ names. If my host will agree, I will publish it here with your name as the contributor.

Warm Regards,

Roger and Evelyn Guzman diabetes.alertatgmail.com

Here’s a guy who does not believe in Glycemic Index. Instead, he believes in a solution called 4 Cycle Fat Loss Solution. He said Until You Discover Exactly HOW To Eat High Carb Foods The RIGHT Way, You’ll NEVER Burn Off “Stubborn” Belly Fat.

Today’s diet industry relentlessly markets dangerous low-carb plans that can cause chronic "Metabolic Damage" and SLOW DOWN Your Metabolism. The High Carb foods you THINK you need to avoid actually burn WAY MORE fat than all the low carb health foods you eat everyday.

But do you really think lean and healthy people, like the Japanese, obsess over choosing low glycemic foods, counting calories and carb grams? Absolutely not. Here is the link again. 4 Cycle Fat Loss Solutiona>.

Have More Fruits and Vegetables for a Healthy Lifestyle!

Did you like this newsletter? If so, please recommend it to your friends. If you have any questions or tips, please leave a comment at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Free-Diabetes-Alert/22286671840 Just copy and paste that on your browser. Facebook will want you to join me first before you can send me a message.

Remember that all these are for your information only. They do not take the place of the treatment and advice of health care professionals. You should continue to consult and work with them.

Please get permission if you want to publish this. Also, this newsletter disclaims all responsibility for any product mentioned. Please do not rely on the newsletter having examined or endorsed any product unless the author clearly said it. You are advised to exercise due diligence before buying.

Know somebody who'd like to read this? Please forward it to your family, friends, coworkers, and anyone else that you think might need or enjoy it. Thank you for your help and support.

References:

http://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/index.html

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/08/04/daily-aspirin-side-effects.aspx?e_cid=20140804Z1_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20140804Z1&et_cid=DM54467&et_rid=609697178

CDC's Alcohol and Public Health Web site

http://betobaccofree.hhs.gov/quit-now/index.html#how

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/lose_wt/BMI/bmi_tbl.htm

http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/assessing/bmi/

BMI Index Chart

http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/downloads/PA_2011_WEB.pdf

http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpao/hwi/toolkits/pa-toolkit.htm

This newsletter is copyright 2014 Roger Guzman, M.D.