NEW-AGE HEART MEDICINE
By Armand rankly
HEALING NUTRITION • BLOOD PRESSURE • ASPIRIN • INFANTS • TEENS
NUTRITION NEW-AGE HEART MEDICINE
The greatest medical advance of the past half century is not the discovery of DNA, nor insulin, nor bypass surgery. The real discovery is the body's awesome power to heal and rejuvenate itself. This new perception will surely change the way we practice medicine in the future.
We may not have to depend on surgery, drugs and other unnatural invasions. The fact is, proper nutrition may be the single most powerful tool for the treatment of many diseases, better than anything in the doctor's bag. Nutrition has been largely ignored as a treatment for disease. (Consult your doctor for diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions. Certain conditions need medical or surgical treatment, but even then, optimum nutrition can be critical to your body's healing response.)
Your heart responds to what you eat. The great epidemic of heart disease today is largely the result of a bad diet. In MUSCLE & FITNESS you'll discover the principles of a heart-healthy diet and the role of exercise for excellent health. There's no sacrifice or torture in the healthy diet. On the contrary, it is tasty and appealing. Proper nutrition combined with exercise is an elysian trip to total health and good looks.
BLOOD PRESSURE: EASY DOES IT
Many studies have shown that inactive people are 50% more likely to develop high blood pressure than those who exercise. Regular exercise can lower both diastolic and systolic pressure 10 points. Recent research suggests that, apart from the benefits of weight loss, working out has benefits on blood pressure that are entirely its own.
In people with insulin-related blood pressure problems, exercise alters .hormone levels in the body to reduce insulin resistance. High-intensity exercise is not as effective as low-intensity exercise at lowering blood pressure. Aerobic training at around 50% of maximum appears to offer more benefit than training at 70% or more. Moderate aerobic exercise alone, aside from weight loss, increases the size of coronary arteries, enhances the network of smaller blood vessels, and reduces the reaction to physical stress, all of which reduce blood pressure.
ASPIRIN? MAYBE
If you are a man 40 or over with no sign of heart disease, but at
increased risk for heart disease, talk with your physician about taking aspirin as preventive medicine, Increased risk means you have high blood pressure, diabetes, or high blood cholesterol. Add to that smoking, obesity, a sedentary lifestyle and a family history of heart trouble.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force suggests a daily dose of one "baby" aspirin, which has little side effect. Aspirin does increase the risk of internal bleeding, which could contribute to a stroke if an artery to your brain ruptures. If you are a woman, aspirin may help prevent a heart attack, but the benefits have not yet been proven. If you are allergic to aspirin or have an irritated stomach, don't take aspirin unless advised by your doctor.
INFANT DIET
High fat diets increase the risk of heart disease. But how about children? According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, which has recently updated its dietary guidelines, parents should not put young children on low-calorie/lowfat regimens. During their rapid growth U3 period, children need a lot of calories to o do the job right. For the first six months,
breast milk is sufficient. The academy
recommends 30% of total calories from fat after age 2. The average American today gets a critically high 40%. Later, throughout childhood and adolescence, the organization suggests low-fat dairy products and lean meats.
TEEN OBESITY
A fourth of all teens are fat enough to put them at risk of fatal heart attacks, strokes, colon cancer, gout and other health problems later in life. In fact, slimming down as an adult doesn't reduce the risk. The warning was issued by researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center at Tufts University who looked at the weight and health of their subjects as young schoolchildren and tracked them for the next 55 years.
Males who were 20 pounds too heavy in their teens were found to be twice as likely to have died or fallen victim to heart disease, colon cancer or gout by the age of 70. Although the risk of dying by 70 was lower for heavy adolescent girls, they became eight times more likely to have difficulty walking, climbing or lifting, and had double the risk of arthritis later in life.
Of course, you don't try to impress rigid diets and such on "immortal" teenagers. Better to limit their tube time at home and get them into sports like bodybuilding. And, of course, if mothers and fathers are in good shape, the kids are more likely to follow suit.