Posts Tagged ‘heart health’
The Basics Of Making Gourmet Olive Oil
Extracting oils from olives using a press is one of the oldest ways to make olive oil, dating back over hundreds of years to the ancient Greeks. A simple process that is undergone using an olive press. But before the press is used there are certain processes that must be undergone first. Once pressed the liquid is put into a decanter so that the liquids can be separated. Let us take a closer look at the complete process:
After the olive harvest has taken place, the olives are placed under a millstone or ground stone for thirty to forty minutes to ground them to a paste called olive paste. The olives are left under the stone for this amount of time to achieve the flavor they need and to form large olive oil drops. The aromas that the olive enzymes let out are also need to create a better aroma for the oil.
Once the olives have been grounded the paste is placed on fiber disks. These fiber disks are stacked one on top of another and put into the olive press. Pressure is then placed onto the disks, compacting the olive paste and percolating the olive liquid and vegetation water. To make this process a lot less complicated, water is run down the sides of the press to facilitate the percolating process.
When the pressing process is over the two liquids are placed in a traditional decanter to separate them, although this process can also be done using a vertical centrifuge. This process separates the two liquids a lot faster then when using a traditional decanter thus completing the process of olive oil extraction a lot quicker.
After the olive oil has been made and before restarting the process to make more, the materials used must be cleaned expertly to avoid any contamination to future oils caused by fermented paste from the olives that can get stuck on the disks and ground stones. Once cleaned the disk and ground stones undergo another examination to make sure that all excess pastes and oils have been removed.
The advantages of making olive oil using this traditional pressing method include a better grinding of the olive and easier to pomace as less water is added. But there are also disadvantages that include a difficult clean process, a lot more manual labor and a longer time space between harvesting the olives and pressing them.
Tags: benefits of olive oil, cooking, extra virgin olive oil, fitness, gourmet olive oil, Health, healthy cooking, Healthy Food, heart health, olive oil, recipes, virgin olive oil
Vitamin D Deficiency may be Linked to Increase Risk of High Blood Pressure
The lazy days of summer have passed once again, and old man winter is just around the corner. The winter will bring colder weather and less sunlight. In a society where many people rarely journey outdoors, vitamin D deficiency is a vital concern, particularly during the winter months when sunlight is minimal. According to research reported at the American Heart Association’s 63rd High Blood Pressure Research Conference, vitamin D deficiency may raise the risk of high blood pressure later in life.
Women who had a vitamin D deficiency in 1993 were 3 times more likely to suffer from hypertension 15 years later in 2007, researchers have found. The researchers controlled for age, fat mass, anti-hypertensive medication use, and smoking.
“This study differs from others because we are looking over the course of 15 years, a longer follow-up than many studies,” co-author Flojaune Griffin told Science Daily. “Our results indicate that early vitamin D deficiency may increase the long-term risk of high blood pressure in women at mid-life. Our study highlights the importance of vitamin D in the risk of high blood pressure later in life, a major health problem in the United States.”
Vitamin D deficiency may also increase the risk of certain cancers and inflammatory diseases. Hypertension and chronic inflammation often go hand-in-hand. As plaque builds up on arterial walls (which increases blood pressure), the immune system begins to attack the plaque as if its a foreign invader. This triggers an inflammatory response.
The chief source of vitamin D is sunlight. Your body synthesizes vitamin D when ultraviolet B rays hit the skin. You cannot get too much vitamin D from sunlight, and sunlight furnishes the ideal form of vitamin D.
Dietary vitamin D, found in supplements and fortified foods, provides a slightly less efficient form of vitamin D and it is possible to consume too much dietary vitamin D. Some researchers suggest that the current recommendation of 400 to 600 IU is too low, and they suggest 1,000 to 5,000 IU. However, daily consumption of over 2,000 IU of vitamin D may cause side effects such as nausea, constipation, and poor appetite. Talk to your doctor before you start taking any supplements.
If plausible, get 15 to 30 minutes of healthy sunlight exposure each day. Enjoy your time in the sun. Use it as your time to unwind. Exposure as much of your body to the sun as you can; more exposed skin means more vitamin D. During the winter, think about supplementing vitamin D, but don’t take too much. If you think you might have a vitamin D deficiency if you suffer from high blood pressure and chronic fatigue, for instance your doctor can check your vitamin D levels with a simple blood test.
Other methods to lower blood pressure naturally include a healthy low-fat diet and regular exercise. See high blood pressure exercises to learn more about three simple exercises that are guaranteed to lower your blood pressure.
And don’t forget vitamin D deficiency appears to raises the risk of high blood pressure later in life, so don’t let your children stay indoors and play video games or watch TV all day. Have them go outdoors and play.
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Tags: heart health, high blood pressure, hypertension, lower blood pressure naturally, natural, Sunshine, vitamin D
What Cholesterol Really Is
Today’s health gurus spend plenty of time talking about cholesterol. You might be surprised to find out that this substance is actually necessary for the body. It is used to build cell walls that help the body produce necessary substances like hormones and bile. However, the body doesn’t need much cholesterol to function properly. When it begins to build up, it can have a detrimental effect on the cardiovascular system specifically and the rest of the body overall.
A Good Thing In Small Amounts
The good cholesterol becomes a problem when there are too much and the body is unable to eliminate this excess from the system. The excess cholesterol then builds up as a plaque in the arteries and in doing so blocks the flow of blood.
When blood cannot flow as easily, the heart must work that much harder to keep the blood moving through the body. This puts a strain on the heart, and places the person at much higher risk for cardiovascular disease and a heart attack.
It is indeed the strain on the heart that makes it so important that you monitor your cholesterol on a regular basis. Once an individual is diagnosed with high cholesterol he and his doctor can work together using exercise, diet and medication to lower cholesterol to allow the heart to return to normal. Make sure you check your cholesterol levels on a regular basis as early diagnosis leads to early intervention.
What Types Are There
There is more than one type of cholesterol found in the body. The first is low density lipoproteins, or LDL. LDL delivers cholesterol to the body, so the lower the number of LDL, the better for the patient. High density lipoproteins, or HDL, help remove cholesterol from the bloodstream.
A higher HDL generally means a healthier cardiovascular system. The numbers are figured individually and then factored together for a complete cholesterol level that provides a good indication of the overall health of the cardiovascular system.
Understanding what cholesterol is and how it can both benefit and negatively influence the cardiovascular system is an important step towards heart health. Regular monitoring of your cholesterol levels is an important step towards making the necessary changes for a healthier heart.
You can talk to your doctor about what good cholesterol levels are and how you can achieve or maintain them.
Aaron Black is a health expert and blogger. If you have ever asked the question how do I lower my cholesterol or want more information on natural cures for high cholesterol you can find the answers on Cholesterol Natural Remedies.com
Tags: cardiovascular, cholesterol, diet, exercise, Health, heart, heart health, how do i lower my cholesterol, natural cures for cholesterol, natural remedies, Nutrition
Is Olive Oil Good For You?
A healthy diet should incorporate many foods which support and nurture your body, and virgin olive oil is one of these. Scientific and anecdotal research has proven how incredibly beneficial this oil and its numerous compounds is to the way the body functions as a whole and certain important bodily systems in particular.
Oleic acid has been isolated as one of the single most important elements in virgin olive oil. It is important because it contains such high levels of antioxidants. These are critical to the continued health of cells because it shields them from damage caused by oxidization. Damaged cells may reproduce incorrectly and the problem with this is that if the genetic material is also damaged they can replicate out of control and then form cancerous tumors inside the body which can ultimately be fatal.
You may also find that the use of virgin olive oil can help you improve the health of your heart and circulatory system. Improved cardiovascular and circulatory health means much less of a chance of having a heart attack or a stroke. One of the critical benefits of olive oil is that it can regulate levels of both bad (HDL) cholesterol and good (LDL) cholesterol which can also help reduce the incidence of heart attack and stroke. Keeping both forms of cholesterol within healthy limits and in a good proportion to each other is critical to maintaining good heart health and preventing the build-up of plaque which can clog arteries and blood vessels. Although LDL cholesterol can be oxidized in the body, virgin olive oil can also prevent this from happening due to its antioxidant properties.
It may not seem like it would be important to use virgin olive oil but you need to know that not all olive oils are made alike. You want to make sure it is as unprocessed as possible and virgin olive oil is the second least processed of all of the grades of olive oil. Because it has not been processed as much as later pressings higher levels of beneficial compounds will still remain in the oil itself. The only oil with higher levels of antioxidants and beneficial elements is the first pressing, or extra virgin, oil.
Many people may be concerned that using virgin olive oil in cooking will be difficult but this is not the case. The easiest method is to simply substitute olive oil instead of the butter and animal fats that you may currently be using. Because virgin olive oil can be quite flavorful it can be an excellent way to lightly dress salads or use as a healthy dip for bread and can replace fattening alternatives this way as well. If you are choosing to use virgin olive oil, try using it in areas where it does not need to be heated as much since it can allow more of the flavor to come through in the foods you are making.
The Mediterranean diet was the first definitive proof that eating olive oil can help you maintain and even improve your health. It showed the beneficial effects that it can have in lowering heart disease and cancer rates. This proof alone has been enough to make many people include this wonder food in their daily diets.
Discover the many health benefits of olive oil. You can find more olive oil health benefits on my website.
Tags: cooking, cooking oil, diet, extra virgin olive oil, heart health, olive oil, olive oil benefits, olives, virgin olive oil
Heart Attacks and Heavy Metal Toxicity
Cardiovascular and heart disease kills about 1,000,000 Americans each year, dont become one of the statistics. Is heart Disease reversible? Research shows it is. If you have high blood pressure, heavy metal toxicity, or heart disease oral chelation may benefit you.
It’s a shame over 60 million Americans suffer from heart disease when alternative options in treating and reversing this disease are available. One of these options is the nutritional supplementation offered in a well-balanced oral chelation formula, which helps your body fight back naturally.
With all the chemical and heavy metal toxicity existing around us and burdening the body’s detoxification pathways, it is exceedingly difficult to obtain the levels of nutrients and energy necessary for a healthy lifestyle. Pesticides, soil depletion, radiation, mercury from dental amalgam fillings, cadmium from cigarettes, second hand smoke, chemicals in the air, lead from old mines, gasoline, tap water, and lead-based paints are just some of the toxins we are exposed to on a daily basis.
Health problems caused by low level chronic exposure to heavy metals may take years to appear, and are linked to conditions, including cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, insomnia, and many more. Many of these heavy metals have been scientifically linked to causing free radical damage, leading to: Heart Attacks, Strokes, Cancers, Fatigue, Memory Loss.
There is a link to Heavy Metal Toxins and Cardiovascular Disease. Oral Chelation offers an alternative to help cleanse your arterial walls and thereby reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes while also helping the body detox from heavy metal toxins throughout the body.
Tags: arterial plaque, artery blockages, cardiovascular disease, cardiovascular health, Health, heart attacks, heart disease, heart health, natural health, risk of strokes
Chelation for Cardiovascular Health
We all warned about high cholesterol foods and how we shouldnt eat too many of them because they contribute to heart disease and the risks of heart attacks and strokes. What is not as well understood is that rogue calcium mixes with the cholesterol to form a hard plaque on the artery walls.
It is not well appreciated that calcium is a heavy metal and as we age it is released by our bones. The dangerous mix of that calcium and cholesterol on the artery walls combine to form a hard plaque that continues to trap more cholesterol and plaque worsening the problem and increasing the chance of heart attack or stroke.
Do you have these danger signs of arterial plaque? Poor circulation including cold feet, hands or arms? Do you get out of breath easily? Are you frequently forgetting things? Are you frequently tired and lacking energy? After walking short distances do you experience aches and pains? Are there any indications of cardiovascular problems? High Blood Pressure Chest Pains Slurred speech Headaches Erectile Dysfunction in Men
Consider these statistics from the American Heart Association: -approximately one-third (34%) of cardiovascular disease deaths occur prematurely! (before age 75). -Post-menopausal women are in as much danger as men of suffering heart attacks or strokes. -Million Americans Die each year from Cardiovascular Disease. (150,000 of those are under the age of 65!)
Chelation therapy with EDTA was first introduced in the United States in 1948 as a treatment for the lead poisoning- of workers in a battery factory. Shortly thereafter, the U.S. Navy advocated chelation for sailors who had absorbed lead while painting government ships and facilities. The FDA approved IV EDTA chelation as a treatment for lead poisoning. Physicians administering the chelation for lead toxicity observed that patients- who also had atherosclerosis (fatty-plaque buildup on arterial walls) or arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) experienced reductions- in both conditions after chelation. Since 1952, IV EDTA chelation has been used to treat cardiovascular disease.
Tags: alternative medicine, cardiovascular disease, cardiovascular health, Health, healthy living, heart attacks, heart disease, heart health, Holistic Health, natural health, Nutrition, nutritional supplements, preventive medicine, strokes
Women’s Heart Disease Symptoms Can Be Sneaky!
Men and women experience heart disease symptoms much differently. The heart disease symptoms women experience may go unnoticed to the average female.
Shortness of breath, chest pain, increased sweating, and pain that moves from the shoulders through the neck and arms have often been classic heart disease symptoms. Heartburn, indigestion, dizziness and even loss of consciousness are also common symptoms that have been highlighted by doctors for women and men.
However, heart disease symptoms women experience can be very different, and much more sly. Not only do many women never realize they are experiencing symptoms of a heart attack, but many end up having heart attacks without seemingly any warning at all.
Heart disease symptoms women can experience include fatigue and weakness, usually unexplained and unexpected. Discomfort or pain between the shoulder blades that can easily be mistaken for sore or tight muscles is also a symptom reported among women, as is pain resembling gas or indigestion, dizziness, and possible nausea or vomiting. Recurring discomfort in the chest is also common, as well as a hard to shake sense of anxiety or doom.
Women can have these unusual symptoms for weeks, months, and sometimes years before the heart attack actually takes place. The National Institute of Health did a study and demonstrated that the majority of women realize that something isn’t right before they have a heart attack. They are experiencing unusual symptoms such as fatigue, sleep upset, and shortness of breath, but they do not realize that these can be symptoms of heart disease. What’s more, less than a third of all women ever experience chest pain, which has been long associated as a primary symptom of a heart attack.
Heart disease symptoms women tend to have can be mild and virtually unnoticeable, and for that very reason can be extremely deadly. If a woman does notice unusual symptoms, she may disregard it as common stress factors.
Being proactive when speaking to your doctor could be just the thing that saves your life. It is important to make sure you get your blood pressure and cholesterol levels checked regularly each year, and request more tests that screen for heart disease if the risk runs in your family. Make sure you let your doctor know of any uncommon or unusual symptoms you may be experiencing.
Also remember to analyze your lifestyle and health. Monitor your diet and make sure that you are fueling your body with foods that will improve and sustain your health. If you smoke, quit as that is a leading cause of heart disease. And use moderate and consistent exercise to maintain a healthy weight. The heart disease symptoms women experience may be subtle, but they are very real and must never be taken lightly.
Tags: disease prevention, Health, health and wellness, health education, heart attacks, heart disease, heart health, lifestyle, wellness, women and heart disease, women's health
