- Pulse Rate: Your pulse rate tells you a lot about the health of your heart. Not only should you test your "resting" pulse rate, but you should also test yourself during and after exercise. And one of the best tests is your "recovery rate." For this you walk on a treadmill for 10 to 12 minutes, or until you are about 80% of your maximum heart rate. Wait for one minute after you stop and take your heart rate. If it has decreased by about 20 beats per minute you are likely in good shape. The greater the decrease, in fact, the stronger your heart is. I'll have more to say about this later.
- Blood Pressure: I've already talked about blood pressure in some detail, so I won't say anything more about it here, except to emphasize its importance again. You should have readings in the range: Systolic: 100 -120 and diastolic in the range 70 -80. If they are higher make sure you do something about it,
- Cholesterol and Triglycerides: Cholesterol has got a lot of attention over the last few years, but it's surprising how many people are still confused about it. The two forms of cholesterol are HDL and LDL. You've likely heard that HDL is referred to as "good cholesterol" and LDL as "bad cholesterol." This is true, but it's important to remember that both forms play an important role in your body. Overall you want: Your total cholesterol to be less than 200, your LDL to be less than 100 and your HDL to be as high as possible, but preferably higher than 40. Triglycerides should be less than 150.
- Body Fat: This is rather difficult to measure by yourself. Furthermore, the acceptable range depends on your age and it differs for men and women . For young men it should be in the range 8 - 20 and for older men it should be 12 - 25. For young women it should be 21 - 34, and for older women 24 - 35.
- BMI: This is closely associated with body fat, and it is an abbreviation for Body Mass Index. It gives you a good indication of how much body fat you have, and it's helpful in assessing your risk for heart disease. Again age (but it's not as critical here as above) and gender are important. The guidelines are: for men a BMI of 20 - 25 is acceptable; if you have anything over this you are overweight or obese. For women 19 - 24 is acceptable and anything over is too high.
- Waist to Hip Measurement: This one is closely associated with BMI and it's much easier to check. You can, in fact, easily do it yourself. Merely measure your waist at its narrowest point, then measure the widest part around your hips. Women should have a waist to hip ratio of less than .8. Men should have a number less than .95. Some people say this measurement is just as critical as cholesterol so it's a good thing to check.
- Aerobic Capacity (VO2 max): This is a good measure of how you process your oxygen, and whether you use it efficiently. It's not too complicated to take: you merely have to walk a mile and note your heart rate at the end of the time. The formula is a little complicated so I won't give it here (I'll talk about it later).
- Blood Sugar: This is a check to see whether you have diabetes. If you have it and know it, you're already checking your blood sugar several times a day. But surprisingly, many people with diabetes and pre-diabetes don't know they have it. And this is why you should get it checked periodically
- Bone Density: The bone density test is critical for older women, and the reason is that they are prone to osteoporosis. That's not to say that men don't get it; some of them do. This test measures the amount of calcium and other minerals in your bones, and it's a test that has to be taken by a doctor. If your bone density is low, you should increase the amount of calcium you are taking.
- CRP: This is the C-reactive protein test, and it is used to check for the presence of inflammation. We talked about inflammation in considerably detail earlier, and I pointed out that it is associated with many serious diseases, so it's something you should watch for.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Ten Tests That Everyone Needs to Assure Themselves They are in Good Health
How healthy are You? One of the best ways to tell is to test yourself and there are several tests you can do. Ten of the best are described below. I'll talk about some of them in more detail in later articles
Monday, May 30, 2011
High Blood Pressure II: A Ten Point Program For Controlling it
We looked at the major causes of high blood pressure in an earlier article. In this one we'll look at the best ways to control it.
One of the first things you can do is watch your diet. A diet called the DASH (Diet Appropriate for Stopping Hypertension) has been shown to be particularly effective. The major components of it are:
Potassium is particularly effective in lowering blood press. Many people do not get enough, but you have to be careful if you take potassium pills; it's easy to overdose on them. The best source of potassium is food, and some of the better foods are listed below
While you are increasing your potassium you should also take a second look at your intake of calcium and magnesium. They are also effective in lowering blood pressure. In general 1200 mg of calcium is recommended along with 400 mg of magnesium,
Now to our 10-point program. It is as follows:
One of the first things you can do is watch your diet. A diet called the DASH (Diet Appropriate for Stopping Hypertension) has been shown to be particularly effective. The major components of it are:
- Eat more grains, vegetables and fruit.
- Eat poultry, fish, nuts and seeds.
- Limit the amount of salt in your diet.
- Keep saturated fats to a minimum, and keep cholesterol low.
- Use low fat or no fat dairy foods.
Potassium is particularly effective in lowering blood press. Many people do not get enough, but you have to be careful if you take potassium pills; it's easy to overdose on them. The best source of potassium is food, and some of the better foods are listed below
- Bananas
- Cantaloupe
- Skim milk
- Nectarine
- Orange juice
- Potatoes
- Prunes
- Beans
While you are increasing your potassium you should also take a second look at your intake of calcium and magnesium. They are also effective in lowering blood pressure. In general 1200 mg of calcium is recommended along with 400 mg of magnesium,
Now to our 10-point program. It is as follows:
- Exercise. Get on the treadmill and get your heart beating. People who are in good shape usually have lower blood pressure.
- Lower you salt intake. In particular, read labels on processed foods.
- Increase your potassium intake.
- Make sure you get enough calcium and magnesium.
- Control stress.
- Adhere to the DASH diet.
- Lower the saturated fat in your diet.
- Lose weight if you are overweight.
- Get enough fiber in your diet.
- Stop smoking, and control alcohol.
- Diuretics. This is a "water pill." It works by reducing the volume of blood.
- ACE inhibitors. They work by relaxing the walls of the arterioles.
- Alpha and Beta blockers. They reduce the force and speed of the heart's pulse.
- Calcium channel blockers. They dilate the arteries and reduce the resistance to flow.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
High blood Pressure: Best Ways to Control it I
High blood pressure, or hypertension as it is usually called, is not just a serious problem, it is a serious disease. One of the major difficulties is that it usually has no symptoms; people with it say they feel fine and don't think they are in any danger. But they are. This is why high blood pressure is frequently referred to as the "silent killer." Indeed, if it is left untreated, it can cause many problems including stroke, aneurysm, heart attack, and kidney problems; it can even cause death. Even mild hypertension can cut your life span by two to four years. This is why it is important to deal with it as quickly as possible.
Blood pressure is a result of the force that the bloodstream exerts against the walls of the arteries as blood circulates through the body. When the heart contracts it creates a pressure surge that sends blood throughout your arterial system. This surge is called the systolic. When it is complete the heart rests briefly, then it expands and gets ready for another surge. This is called the diastolic. Your blood pressure consists of two numbers associated with these two periods (e.g. 120/80). The first of these numbers is referred to as the systolic pressure, and the second as the diastolic pressure.
What do these two numbers mean? Let's say they come out as 120/80; this is a good reading and indicates that your arterial system is probably in good shape. It is generally recommended that these two readings are in the range:
Systolic: 100 - 120
Diastolic: 70 - 80
In general you want to keep the systolic under 140 and the diastolic under 90. In the range 129 - 140 and 80 - 90 you are considered to be pre-hypertension, and if it gets any higher you are said to have hypertension.
What should you do if your numbers are high? The first thing is that you shouldn't worry if a single test gives high numbers. A lot of things affect your blood pressure, so you should take several readings. Your blood pressure changes over the day, and it also changes depending on how you feel -- particularly if you are stressed. So, prior to the test, you should sit and relax for at least five minutes. In addition, you should take the test at different times of the day, as your blood pressure is usually lower in the afternoon than it is in the morning. It is, in fact, lowest overnight, when you are sleeping, but increases rapidly when you wake in the morning. Also, if you are having it taken by a doctor there's a problem that affects some people called the "white coat" effect.. The stress caused by worry about the test can increase your pressure. So, try to relax.
The body actually has mechanisms for controlling blood pressure. First of all, it can change the amount of blood that your heart is pumping; if your pressure is too high, for example, decreasing the amount of blood will decrease the pressure. Secondly, it can also change the diameter of the arteries to allow more blood through. (Actually, the arteries are continually changing to some degree as blood surges through them, so it's important that they remain elastic and flexible. If a large amount of plague accumulates on the artery walls they lose much of their elasticity.) Finally, your body can control the volume of blood in the bloodstream. Each of the above mechanisms is controlled by the autonomous nervous system and the kidneys.
Of course, sometimes these safeguards don't work as well as they should and despite them you develop high blood pressure. What causes this? There are several reason. They are:
1. Genetic
2. Lack of exercise
3. Stress
4. Overweight
5. Smoking
6. High cholesterol
7. Too much salt in the diet
8. Too much saturated and trans fat in the diet.
We can't do much about genetics but we can do something about the other things on the list, and I'll talk about them in the second in this series.
Barry Parker, Ph. D., author of "Learn form Yesterday, Live for Today, Hope for Tomorrow. His website is Barryparkerbooks.com
Blood pressure is a result of the force that the bloodstream exerts against the walls of the arteries as blood circulates through the body. When the heart contracts it creates a pressure surge that sends blood throughout your arterial system. This surge is called the systolic. When it is complete the heart rests briefly, then it expands and gets ready for another surge. This is called the diastolic. Your blood pressure consists of two numbers associated with these two periods (e.g. 120/80). The first of these numbers is referred to as the systolic pressure, and the second as the diastolic pressure.
What do these two numbers mean? Let's say they come out as 120/80; this is a good reading and indicates that your arterial system is probably in good shape. It is generally recommended that these two readings are in the range:
Systolic: 100 - 120
Diastolic: 70 - 80
In general you want to keep the systolic under 140 and the diastolic under 90. In the range 129 - 140 and 80 - 90 you are considered to be pre-hypertension, and if it gets any higher you are said to have hypertension.
What should you do if your numbers are high? The first thing is that you shouldn't worry if a single test gives high numbers. A lot of things affect your blood pressure, so you should take several readings. Your blood pressure changes over the day, and it also changes depending on how you feel -- particularly if you are stressed. So, prior to the test, you should sit and relax for at least five minutes. In addition, you should take the test at different times of the day, as your blood pressure is usually lower in the afternoon than it is in the morning. It is, in fact, lowest overnight, when you are sleeping, but increases rapidly when you wake in the morning. Also, if you are having it taken by a doctor there's a problem that affects some people called the "white coat" effect.. The stress caused by worry about the test can increase your pressure. So, try to relax.
The body actually has mechanisms for controlling blood pressure. First of all, it can change the amount of blood that your heart is pumping; if your pressure is too high, for example, decreasing the amount of blood will decrease the pressure. Secondly, it can also change the diameter of the arteries to allow more blood through. (Actually, the arteries are continually changing to some degree as blood surges through them, so it's important that they remain elastic and flexible. If a large amount of plague accumulates on the artery walls they lose much of their elasticity.) Finally, your body can control the volume of blood in the bloodstream. Each of the above mechanisms is controlled by the autonomous nervous system and the kidneys.
Of course, sometimes these safeguards don't work as well as they should and despite them you develop high blood pressure. What causes this? There are several reason. They are:
1. Genetic
2. Lack of exercise
3. Stress
4. Overweight
5. Smoking
6. High cholesterol
7. Too much salt in the diet
8. Too much saturated and trans fat in the diet.
We can't do much about genetics but we can do something about the other things on the list, and I'll talk about them in the second in this series.
Barry Parker, Ph. D., author of "Learn form Yesterday, Live for Today, Hope for Tomorrow. His website is Barryparkerbooks.com
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Overcoming Chronic Inflammation II
We saw in the first blog on this topic that chronic inflammation has been proven to be responsible for many serious diseases, and it's important that you get rid of it as quickly as possible. Indeed, if left unchecked it can continue for months and even years, and the longer it is around the more damage it does. We also saw that the inflammatory response is suppose to shut off when the injury is healed, but in some cases the message is not received or understood, and this is what creates chronic inflammation.
Let's review the major causes of the problem. They are: our genes, polluted air and water, smoking, high cholesterol, the food we eat, and lack of exercise and proper sleep. To this list I'll add:
1. Obesity or overweight
2. Stress, anxiety and depression
3. Various bacteria and viruses
4. High sugar levels in the diet
5. Periodontal disease
6. Chronic infections of the kidney, bladder and so on.
Treatment:
One of the first things you should do to get rid of chronic inflammation is change your health habits (if they are bad). They include the following:
1. Get the proper amount of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients.
2. Eat a well-balanced diet with plenty of vegetables, fruit, whole grains and proper proteins.
3. Maintain proper weight.
4. Exercise regularly.
5. Avoid stress.
6. Get sufficient sleep.
In addition, the following are also helpful:
1. Green tea
2. Omega-3 fats (fish is best source)
3. Vitamin E
4. Reversatrol
5. Various spices such as turmeric (curcumin), ginger, garlic, and rosemary
6. Bromelain
In particular, you should watch the fat (saturated and trans) in your diet.
What about medicines? You should, of course, do all of the above before you resort to medicines. But if the condition is particularly stubborn you may need them, and you'll have to talk to your doctor about them. The two major inflammation fighters are: NSAIDS (non steroid anti-inflammation drugs) and corticosteroids.
NSAIDS are the most common drugs used for inflammation. Some of the over-the-counter ones are: aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen. For others you need a prescription. The most common corticosteroid is prednisone, which is quite dangerous at high dosage. Again you will have to check with your doctor for it.
Barry Parker Ph. D. is the author of "Learn from Yesterday, Live for Today, Hope for Tomorrow," and "Feel Great. Feel Alive." His webpage is Barryparkerbooks.com
Let's review the major causes of the problem. They are: our genes, polluted air and water, smoking, high cholesterol, the food we eat, and lack of exercise and proper sleep. To this list I'll add:
1. Obesity or overweight
2. Stress, anxiety and depression
3. Various bacteria and viruses
4. High sugar levels in the diet
5. Periodontal disease
6. Chronic infections of the kidney, bladder and so on.
Treatment:
One of the first things you should do to get rid of chronic inflammation is change your health habits (if they are bad). They include the following:
1. Get the proper amount of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients.
2. Eat a well-balanced diet with plenty of vegetables, fruit, whole grains and proper proteins.
3. Maintain proper weight.
4. Exercise regularly.
5. Avoid stress.
6. Get sufficient sleep.
In addition, the following are also helpful:
1. Green tea
2. Omega-3 fats (fish is best source)
3. Vitamin E
4. Reversatrol
5. Various spices such as turmeric (curcumin), ginger, garlic, and rosemary
6. Bromelain
In particular, you should watch the fat (saturated and trans) in your diet.
What about medicines? You should, of course, do all of the above before you resort to medicines. But if the condition is particularly stubborn you may need them, and you'll have to talk to your doctor about them. The two major inflammation fighters are: NSAIDS (non steroid anti-inflammation drugs) and corticosteroids.
NSAIDS are the most common drugs used for inflammation. Some of the over-the-counter ones are: aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen. For others you need a prescription. The most common corticosteroid is prednisone, which is quite dangerous at high dosage. Again you will have to check with your doctor for it.
Barry Parker Ph. D. is the author of "Learn from Yesterday, Live for Today, Hope for Tomorrow," and "Feel Great. Feel Alive." His webpage is Barryparkerbooks.com
Friday, May 27, 2011
Overcoming Chronic Inflammation I
Inflammation is something everybody has experienced. It is a result of the immune system's response to an injury of some sort, and it plays an important role in your body. It protects you when you are injured, so it's not something you can do without. Strangely, though, it can also cause serious problems if it gets out of control. We refer to out-of-control inflammation as chronic inflammation, and as you will see, it is something you definitely don't want. It occurs when the inflammation response is triggered again and again, and you end up with inflammation that is never cleared away properly -- in other words, too much inflammation.
Chronic inflammation has attracted a lot of attention recently because scientists have shown that it plays a role in relation of the initiation of both heart disease and cancer, and several other diseases. The role that it plays in relation to heart disease has been well-documented. It's well known that in many cases it is responsible for the coronary blockage that causes a heart attack. Things are not quite as clear in the case of cancer, but it has been shown that various cells and chemicals involved in inflammation can create mutations within DNA that can eventually lead to cancer. Inflammation also plays a role in several other diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, MS, lupus and emphysema. Indeed, any disease that ends with "itis" is an inflammation disease. Examples are: bursitis, tendinitis, arthritis, hepatitis, colitis, and myocarditis.
One of the most serious problems in relation to inflammation is that it is a whole body disease. This means that it is not always located in only one area of the body; if you have it in one place, there's a good chance you'll find it elsewhere. An example is gum disease and atherosclerosis. If you have serious periodontal disease (inflamed gums), there's a good chance that you also have inflammation in your arteries, where it can be deadly. Inflammation can, in fact, spread through your body, and one place where it develops relatively easily is in your teeth. So it's a good idea to take care of your teeth; floss and brush them daily, and use a good mouthwash.
It's important to point out that chronic inflammation can occur at any age, but it is more common in older people. Let's begin, then, by looking at what causes chronic inflammation. It is, as I mentioned earlier, the immune system's response to any injury that results from bacteria, chemicals, heat, physical injury and several other things. With this in mind, we can easily make up a list of several of the major causes. It is as follows:,
1) Our genes
2) Polluted air and water
3) Smoking
4) High cholesterol
5) The food we eat
6) Lack of exercise and proper sleep
We can't do much about our genes, but we can so something about the other things on the list. I'll talk about what you can do in detail in a second article, but for now I'll give a brief list. You can, of course, avoid polluted water and air, stop smoking (if you smoke), keep your cholesterol in check, and eat the proper food. One of the best anti-inflammation agents, in fact, is omega-3, and one of the best sources of it is fish -- particularly, salmon and sardines. Aside from fish, make sure you eat as many vegetables and fruit as possible, and eat whole grains and nuts. Finally, exercise, maintain your proper weight and get sufficient sleep.
Barry Parker, Ph. D. is a professor emeritus at ISU. His most recent book is "Learn from Yesterday, Live for Today, Hope for Tomorrow," and his website is Barryparkerbooks.com/
Chronic inflammation has attracted a lot of attention recently because scientists have shown that it plays a role in relation of the initiation of both heart disease and cancer, and several other diseases. The role that it plays in relation to heart disease has been well-documented. It's well known that in many cases it is responsible for the coronary blockage that causes a heart attack. Things are not quite as clear in the case of cancer, but it has been shown that various cells and chemicals involved in inflammation can create mutations within DNA that can eventually lead to cancer. Inflammation also plays a role in several other diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, MS, lupus and emphysema. Indeed, any disease that ends with "itis" is an inflammation disease. Examples are: bursitis, tendinitis, arthritis, hepatitis, colitis, and myocarditis.
One of the most serious problems in relation to inflammation is that it is a whole body disease. This means that it is not always located in only one area of the body; if you have it in one place, there's a good chance you'll find it elsewhere. An example is gum disease and atherosclerosis. If you have serious periodontal disease (inflamed gums), there's a good chance that you also have inflammation in your arteries, where it can be deadly. Inflammation can, in fact, spread through your body, and one place where it develops relatively easily is in your teeth. So it's a good idea to take care of your teeth; floss and brush them daily, and use a good mouthwash.
It's important to point out that chronic inflammation can occur at any age, but it is more common in older people. Let's begin, then, by looking at what causes chronic inflammation. It is, as I mentioned earlier, the immune system's response to any injury that results from bacteria, chemicals, heat, physical injury and several other things. With this in mind, we can easily make up a list of several of the major causes. It is as follows:,
1) Our genes
2) Polluted air and water
3) Smoking
4) High cholesterol
5) The food we eat
6) Lack of exercise and proper sleep
We can't do much about our genes, but we can so something about the other things on the list. I'll talk about what you can do in detail in a second article, but for now I'll give a brief list. You can, of course, avoid polluted water and air, stop smoking (if you smoke), keep your cholesterol in check, and eat the proper food. One of the best anti-inflammation agents, in fact, is omega-3, and one of the best sources of it is fish -- particularly, salmon and sardines. Aside from fish, make sure you eat as many vegetables and fruit as possible, and eat whole grains and nuts. Finally, exercise, maintain your proper weight and get sufficient sleep.
Barry Parker, Ph. D. is a professor emeritus at ISU. His most recent book is "Learn from Yesterday, Live for Today, Hope for Tomorrow," and his website is Barryparkerbooks.com/
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Biorhythms: Are They Real?
There's no doubt that our bodies go through several cycles. There is, in fact, a branch of biology called chronobiology that is devoted to the study of rhythms, or cycles, in living beings, and there's no question about its validity. The first indication that there might be body rhythms came in 1890 when the Berlin physician Wilhelm Fliess began researching the occurance of fevers, illnesses and deaths amongst his patients. He came to the conclusion that our bodies undergo two rhythms, or cycles: a 23 day cycle and a 33 day cycle. The 23 day cycle was a physical cycle that affected our well-being, strength and coordination; the 33 day cycle was an emotional cycle that affected our mood, awareness, creativity and perception. This was taken a step further in the 1920's when the Austrian engineer. Alfred Teltscher, added a third cycle that he referred to an an intellectual cycle; he claimed it had a period of 33 days
According to Fliess and Teltscher, these three cycles were biological rhythms or biorhythms that effected our life, and they were particularly important in relation to our everyday tasks. They were controlled by the bioelectricity in our body. Each cycle went through a positive and negative phase. In general, when you were in the positive part of the cycle, you were better able to interact with the world in all three areas. The days when the cycle passed through the first day of the cycle were critical days -- days you were suppose to watch. You might, for example, be more accident-prone on these days.
Not everyone believes in bioyhthms, however, Most scientists will admit that there our physical, emotional, and intellectual states are continually changing, and they may go through some sort of cycle, but not necessarily the ones put forward by Fliess and Teltscher. What do you think?
Barry Parker, author of "Learn from Yesterday, Live for Today, Hope for Tomorrow." Webpage: Barryparkerbooks.com
According to Fliess and Teltscher, these three cycles were biological rhythms or biorhythms that effected our life, and they were particularly important in relation to our everyday tasks. They were controlled by the bioelectricity in our body. Each cycle went through a positive and negative phase. In general, when you were in the positive part of the cycle, you were better able to interact with the world in all three areas. The days when the cycle passed through the first day of the cycle were critical days -- days you were suppose to watch. You might, for example, be more accident-prone on these days.
Not everyone believes in bioyhthms, however, Most scientists will admit that there our physical, emotional, and intellectual states are continually changing, and they may go through some sort of cycle, but not necessarily the ones put forward by Fliess and Teltscher. What do you think?
Barry Parker, author of "Learn from Yesterday, Live for Today, Hope for Tomorrow." Webpage: Barryparkerbooks.com
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