Young women need to pay attention to their hearts too
Filed under: Diet, Family history, Prevention, Research, Exercise, Women Heart Health
Recently, a friend of mine went to the ER with pain in her left shoulder and shortness of breath. I'm too young for heart disease, she said to me when I called to check on her. But they soon had admitted her overnight for some tests, and though thankfully everything was fine, we both learned a lesson that day. We may be young at heart, but we aren't too young for heart disease. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in women over the age of 25 and it takes more lives than all cancers combined in that age group. I was astonished by that fact. Though women under 50 are less likely to have a heart attack than men, they are more likely to die from them -- likely because women's symptoms can be vague and because women also tend to ignore them. Though those statistics may concern you, there are steps you can take to keep your ticker ticking in a healthy way. Check out this article from Women's Health Magazine that'll give you eight steps you to a healthy heart. There's a ton of good information there, including specific screening tests you can ask for at your next doctor's visit.
Avandia advertising strategy targeted African Americans
Filed under: Type 2, Drugs, Daily News, Products
In the wake of the disastrous media coverage now being given to GlaxoSmithKline over its diabetes drug, Avandia, Louise Story of The New York Times has taken a closer look at Glaxo's strategy for selling the drug. It appears that a central pillar of that strategy was pitching the drug extra hard to the African American community. Seems Glaxo was faster and savvier than its competitors to recognize what seems sort of obvious in retrospect: African Americans suffer from Type 2 diabetes at a rate disproportionately high compared with that of the general population, so reaching out to that community could be lucrative for drug manufacturers. Glaxo has been targeting diabetic African Americans in a glossy and carefully crafted ad campaign for some years now.Della Reese (pictured) was Glaxo's big star for the campaign. Remember Reese? The Touched by an Angel actress and jazz singer was too perfect. Black diabetic? Check! Celebrity status? Check! Grandmotherly yet sassy? Check! Click here to see a sample of the ad literature and images featuring Reese.
The question that industry analysts are now asking is this: will Glaxo's strategy now backfire in the wake of the Avandia scandal? That is, will black diabetics lose trust in the company name over this controversy? Times journalist Story speculates that this could indeed happen; that African Americans have been ill-used before by drug companies and scientists, most famously in the notorious Tuskegee syphilis experiments. Regardless, this is a sector of the market Glaxo can't afford to lose.
Living with heart disease: One woman's story
Filed under: Books, Women Heart Health
She was 39, athletic, a non-smoker and a healthy eater. Kathy Kastan thought she had taken all the right steps to prevent heart disease, and when she started to feel symptoms of a heart attack, she was shocked. She was diagnosed with a heart blockage and underwent lifesaving surgery but even after the surgery, she felt ill and anxious. She promised herself that if she ever got her health back, she would help others with her firsthand knowledge of heart disease. Well, She did get her health back and she's kept her promise. Kastan is now the president of the board of directors for WomenHealth: The National Coalition of Women with Heart Disease, and she's reached out to others in her situation by writing a book, called From the Heart: A Woman's Guide to Living Well with Heart Disease. To learn more about her story, check out this article.
None of us are immune to heart disease, and I'm glad Kastan is using her unfortunate experience to reach out to others who may living with this killer disease.
Think you're getting a healthy amount of sodium? Think again.
Over-consumption of sodium is rampant in our society. Sometimes it's because people really don't care about how much sodium they're getting but sometimes, in the case of people who actually do try and limit their sodium intake, it's because we just don't know enough about sodium to know that it's in almost everything. Eating out? Chances are you're getting a significant portion of your daily intake of sodium in just one meal, even a healthy meal like a chicken caesar salad.
But what can you do? The first step is becoming aware that sodium is in so many things we don't think about. When you're grocery shopping, read the labels. When you're eating out, try to obtain nutritional information. And when you're cooking at home, look for other things to add flavour, like pepper, garlic and other fresh herbs. Check out this for more information.
How do you keep track of your sodium intake when eating out?
5 Great Ways to Burn More Fat Today!
"Can't find what you are looking for? Try Google Search" Calorie Feature Article 5 Great Ways to Burn More Fat Today!Author: HSF Vitamins "If you're trying to lose weight, give these 5 techniques a try. You'll melt off the pounds and feel great to boot."1. Do not eat poor quality carbohydrates before bed. Poor quality carbohydrates are those that contain sugar or are highly processed. These would include most breakfast cereals, breads, snack foods, candies, and even fruits and juices. Eating these foods immediately prior to bedtime will likely result in increased fat deposit and will prevent your body from maintaining a successful fat-burning mode.2. Increase your muscle mass! The more lean muscle you have, the more calories your body will burn even at rest. Muscle is extremely active metabolically. Do some resistance training, add some muscle, and crank up that metabolism.3. Never let yourself get too hungry, or too stuffed. It really is all about moderation. Time your meals so that you eat before you are starving . . . doing this one simple thing will cause you to almost always eat less. When you do eat, stop when your satisfied not when you are so stuffed you cannot even get down another bite.4. Double up on your cardio training. From time to time it may be beneficial to the fat-burning process for you to split your cardio training into two short sessions rather than one longer one. Studies suggest that people who do 30 minutes of morning cardio and then 30 minutes of evening cardio lose more fat than those doing just one 60 minute session.5. Eat more high fiber foods. Most of us do not get enough fiber in our daily diets, and that?s just a shame. Fiber not only promotes overall general health, but also can significantly aid in your fat-burning efforts. Leafy greens and salads are ideal sources of fiber. Check out the strongest FAT BURNERS available at www.hsfvitamins.com About the Author At www.hsfvitamins.com you will save money on the vitamins and fitness products you need to be your best everyday! Learn what to use and when to use it. We have great prices on vitamins, minerals, muscle products, weight loss - everything you need! ... Calorie Diet Negative Recipe SoupCalorie Carb Counter FatCalorie Burning Calculator
Good carbs = low blood pressure
Filed under: Diet, Prevention
Reducing your risk of heart disease could be as easy as changing up the type of carbs you eat -- from refined carbs to whole grains. In fact, according to recent studies, eating just one serving of whole grains can reduce your risk of high blood pressure by 4%. That might not seem like much, but it's a pretty promising result for such a small change in your lifestyle. Imagine the difference you could make to your heart health if you changed all of your grains to whole grains?Cutting your blood pressure risk is as easy as switching from regular pasta to whole wheat, from white toast to whole wheat. You might not like the taste at first but you'll get used to it. I used to live for white bread and now I only eat whole wheat -- it's the only kind of bread I have a taste for these days.
Another thing to keep in mind is to check the labels on supposed 'whole grain' products to make sure they really are. If 100% whole grains isn't the first item on the ingredients list, toss it.
Hypertension - What Exactly Causes High Blood Pressure?
By Mark Littlejohn High blood pressure (hypertension) is often called the “Silent Killer” because of a distinct lack of symptoms. The first time someone finds out they may have hypertension is after a routine test at the doctor’s office. Your doctor can quickly and easily check your blood pressure, but do be warned, there is a [...]
Unique Travel Kit for People with Diabetes
Filed under: Type 1, Type 2, Childhood, Adult Onset, Lifestyle, Products, Support
Here are some fun travel facts about diabetes: an average Boeing 737 carries nearly 10 passengers who have diabetes. For every five cars on the road, there is one person with diabetes present. Whether you're going on a weekend getaway or a once-in-a-lifetime excursion across Europe, if you have diabetes, careful preparation is an essential component of getting ready for your trip.
Accu-check has put together a free resource guide for people with diabetes to help them travel with ease and confidence. It offers some tips, lists and suggestions to help them prepare for the journey and enjoy the ride, worry-free. The diabetes travel kit includes: a brochure detailing tips like proper handling of test supplies and medications, traveling across time zones, and special circumstances like traveling with an insulin pump. The kit also includes a Doctor's Declaration/medical certificate form that lists the physician's contact information and approves the user to be carrying diabetes supplies (helpful when going through airport security, border crossings and customs). And probably among the most important and least considered - the kit provides a foreign language phrase book, which translates some key phrases for people with diabetes into French, German, Japanese, Russian and Spanish.
Whether your travels take you down the road, or across the globe - knowing that you've covered all bases before you depart will help you keep your mind on your business or your pleasure. Your diabetes is something you can pack for as easily as your weekly attire, thanks to Accu-check for the helping hand!!
"World Guy" rolls giant rubber globe 416 miles for diabetes
Filed under: Type 1, Type 2, Fundraisers, Support, Personalities
Hmm, another "walking for diabetes" fundraiser in the news. But, what's this? Here's a guy walking with a giant inflatable rubber globe. Novel, huh? Check out the picture at right.Erik Bendl, aka "World Guy," is walking 416 miles from his home in Louisville, Kentucky, all the way to Pittsburgh. The plan is to raise money for the American Diabetes Association (ADA). Just as important, Bendl hopes to raise awareness about the condition. Every step of the way, Bendl is rolling his eight-foot-tall globe too. Bendl got the globe from a summer camp, whose staff had no use for it.
Bendl is the son of the late Kentucky state Rep. Gerta Bendl, who suffered from diabetes. Bendl was inspired to do something not only because of his mom's experience, but also by watching lots of other friends deal with the condition. He's encountering lots of good support along the way in the form of conversation, kind words, and meals. "I'm almost brought to tears by people's kindness," he told the Cincinnati Post.
Bendl and the rubber globe are accompanied by Bendl's faithful dog, Nice, who is probably thinking "this is the longest walk pops has ever taken me on!"
Click here to visit Erik Bendl's MySpace blog. He also has a website where supporters are invited to send in a donation for the ADA. Want to talk to the man himself? Go ahead and give him a buzz at (502) 408-5772.
Hypertension – What Exactly Causes High Blood Pressure?
By Mark Littlejohn High blood pressure (hypertension) is often called the “Silent Killer” because of a distinct lack of symptoms. The first time someone finds out they may have hypertension is after a routine test at the doctor’s office. Your doctor can quickly and easily check your blood pressure, but do be warned, there is a very [...]