Catch of the Day Keeps Heart Failure Away :: Healthy Lifestyles and Natural Weight Loss Information

Catch of the Day Keeps Heart Failure Away
by author Ken Stark, MSc

When women think of their health, they worry about breast cancer and osteoporosis–not heart disease. Heart disease is an issue for their grandfathers, fathers and husbands. In reality, heart disease and stroke are the two top killers of Canadian women, responsible for approximately 40 percent of all deaths. This is especially the case for women 50 and older. After menopause, a woman’s risk of developing heart disease increases greatly. The lack of the hormone estrogen is believed to be the main reason, but recent research suggests hormone replacement therapy may not eliminate heart disease risk in women.

Good Fats and Oils

How can women reduce their risk of heart disease? One way is to eat more fat in the form of omega-3 fatty acids.

Many people are aware that cholesterol is an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, recent studies show that, especially for women, another type of blood fat called triglycerides is a very important risk factor. Triglycerides are fat particles and high amounts in the blood can lead to clogging of the arteries and can cause heart disease.

By decreasing their triglyceride levels, women can significantly decrease their risk of heart disease and consuming omega-3 fatty acids can be effective.

Research on omega-3 fatty acids is a result of observations of the Greenland Inuit. In the 1970s it was believed that all dietary fat promoted heart disease. The Greenland Inuit seemed to be a strange exception to the rule. They consumed very high levels of fat and protein and very little carbohydrates. In fact the Greenland Inuit diet had low amounts of fruits and vegetables and was largely based on what they caught from the sea, namely fish and seal. It was found that by eating seafood the Greenlanders had a high intake of omega-3 fatty acids, a type of polyunsaturated fat. In particular, their diet contained a lot of eicosapent-aenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), two important types of omega-3 fatty acids. People of other seafood-consuming nations such as Japan also have high omega-3 fatty acid intakes and low risk for heart disease.

The Greenland observations encouraged researchers to study the impact of omega-3 fatty acids on men and until recently, there was very little research looking specifically at omega-3 fats and women. At the Department of Human Biology and Nutritional Sciences at the University of Guelph, our research team focused on the benefits of various nutritional products on heart disease risk in women. Our study, published in the American Journal of Nutrition, investigated the benefits of omega-3 fats from fish oils on postmenopausal women. The results were positive. The women in our study reduced their triglyceride levels.

The study was conducted according to strict scientific methods (placebo-controlled and double-blind) with 35 postmenopausal women. The participants taking omega-3 fats took eight capsules of omega-3 fatty acids per day, which contained EPA and DHA. After 28 days the women taking the omega-3 fatty acids had a 26 percent decrease in levels of fat particles (triglycerides) in their blood. (In women, a 26 percent reduction in blood triglycerides can actually decrease the risk of heart disease by 27 percent.)

EPA and DHA are the types of omega-3 fats responsible for most health benefits for the heart. Marine sources of these fats are the best. Research has already revealed that EPA and DHA can decrease triglycerides, inhibit blood clotting and are crucial for proper eye and brain development. It has been recommended that at least 650 mg of EPA plus DHA be consumed per day for overall health benefits.

The best vegetarian source of omega-3 fatty acids is freshly pressed flax oil which should be taken daily–either by tablespoonful (two tablespoons daily is recommended) or on salads and as a topping for cooked vegetables and greens.

Ken Stark is a scientific researcher with the Department of Human Biology and Nutritional Sciences at the University of Guelph.

Source: alive #220, February 2001

Nine Tips for Whole-Hearted Health
Our hearts, in a tireless and endless effort, work to circulate blood throughout our body. But in return we tend to often neglect and abuse our hearts, with heart disease being the number one cause of death in Canada..

Exercise Your Heart Safely
The major killer in North America today is heart disease, even though it is preventable with proper nutrition and regular exercise.

Supplements And Herbs For A Healthy Heart
Heart disease statistics could make one's blood run cold--clogged arteries, heart attacks and strokes are responsible for almost 40 per cent of North American deaths.

Prevent Heart Deterioration With Supplements
Ask yourself, "What is the one health challenge that most Canadians will face?" The answer is always heart disease. Heart disease is the most likely condition to shorten lifespan and affect quality of lif.

Whole Foods for Heart Health
Be your own valentine! As you think of ways to please your sweetheart, think of your own heart too. How healthy is it? We have to take this question seriously, since heart problems just keep on increasing in our country. I have checked many sources to come up with these heart-friendly recipes.

Hard on the Heart
The idea that too much animal fat and a high cholesterol level are dangerous to our hearts and blood vessels is nothing but a myth, according to Swedi.

Your Venous System
The cardiovascular system consists of the heart, arteries and veins working in synchronicity. Taking good care of your heart is common sense. Plenty has been written on keeping arteries clear, but a system is only as strong as its weakest link. Most people don't give their venous system a second thought until it's too late..

Herbs for Your Heart
It's easy to forget about the heart, as it does its job automaticall.

Hearts Love Herbs
You can't think about heart herbs, especially during the month of February, without thinking of heartsease, the little three-coloured wild pansy (Viola tricolor).

Heart Problems?
Homeopathy has an excellent history of use in acute and chronic heart ailments. A man has his first heart attack. In the emergency department, the physician observes his overwhelming fear of impending death and gives him two pellets of homeopathic Aconitum under his tongue.

Angina
Bypass surgery is five to 10 times more likely to kill you than save you. Angina is more than just chest pain. The symptoms are similar to those of a heart attack, albeit less severe, and they usually end in one to 10 minutes.

Are You Overdue For A Brain Lube?
The consumption of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids-the beneficial fat found in fish and fish oil-can reduce the symptoms of, and even prevent, a variety of psychiatric illnesses including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depression, severa.

Understanding the Cardiovascular System
To understand your cardiovascular system, with its hardworking heart and complex support network of arteries, veins and capillaries, think of it as a delivery system of highways and roads that allow oxygen-rich blood to reach every cell of your body.

The Heart of the Matter
Hospital waiting rooms are lonely places. Unfortunately for many people, the firstintroduction to cardiac disease involves waiting for physicians and nurses to deliver news about loved ones.

Heart Happy
Your heart must be challenged on a regular basis. It is a muscle and, like any other muscle in the body, the more it is used, the stronger it becomes. And, also like other muscles, a stronger heart will also be more efficient at doing its job.

Do You Suffer From Heart Disease?
Cardiovascular disease is the number-one preventable cause of death in Canada today. A healthy diet of whole natural foods, regular exercise and good quality sleep can go a long way to reduce the stresses on our heart, arguably the body's most important organ.

Soothe Inflammation
Inflammation is associated with a wide range of chronic and acute diseases.

Reel in Some Fish Oil
Although best known for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease and arthritis, one of the hottest areas of omega-3 fatty acid research is related to brain health and behaviour.

Food Allergies: The EFA Connection
Healthy fats help give your body the natural defence mechanism it need.

Seniors: Hooked on Drugs
About 75 -per -cent of seniors 65 and older living in private households take prescription or non-prescription drugs on a daily basis. For institutionalized seniors, this jumps to a whopping 96 -per -cent.

The Importance of Fats for a Healthy Heart
Recent landmark studies have highlighted the important way in which long-chain omega-3 fatty acids from fish oils protect against cell membrane dysfunction and disease.

Heart Pains
Heart disease accounts for the death of more Canadians than any other disease with about 79,400 deaths annually. Yet, many Canadians do not understand, or perhaps refuse to believe, the potentially life-saving power of food.

Beat the Blues
Higher fish consumption is associated with a decreased risk of depression, postpartum depression, and suicidal thought.

Omega-3s
Most North Americans are familiar with the term "winter blues and some are affected by the decreased daylight hours of winter. This condition is known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

Mood Boosters
Some people are almost always in a good mood. They're happy, even-tempered, and always see the bright side of situations. They don't take themselves too seriously and they love to laugh. Keeping on the sunny side of life seems to come naturally..

Grape Expectations
It is sobering news for women that they now not only suffer equal rates of heart disease as men, but are more likely to die from their heart attacks.

Heart on Track
In this month of cupid's arrows, the emotional health of our heart is under the spotlight. Amid the deluge of chocolates and flowers, however, it's important to remember to nurture the physical health of this most vulnerable organ..

Preventing Heart Disease
Has blood cholesterol been overemphasized as a risk factor for heart disease? Elevated blood cholesterol levels, particularly the bad form of cholesterol - low-density lipoprotein (LDL) - is definitely a risk factor, bu.

Shopping List for a Healthy Heart

Vitamin E (100 percent natural source mixed toco.

Warm Feet, Warm Heart

Boost Your Brain Power
Memory loss can happen to anyone. Children with attention deficit disorder, parents under stress, students cramming for exams, and aging seniors all experience a degree of forgetfulness and lack of concentration.

Reduce Your Risk of Heart Disease Without Prescriptions
Cholesterol tests have been the standard for predicting heart disease for many years. However, a new risk factor - high levels of homocysteine - have gained increasing interest and research in recent years.

Omega-3 Fats
Although the trend over the last 20 years has been toward a more "fat-free diet, we now understand that the body needs essential fatty acids to control a large number of cellular processes.

Hear the Hemp Oil Buzz
My friends often ask me why I'm high on hemp. I respond by explaining the many nutritional merits of hemp foods. After suffering through their witty jokes about its distant cousin, marijuana, I pour emerald green hemp seed oil on their salad. One taste and they're hooked.

Soy for the Heart

The Four Cornerstones to Heart Health

All Aglow
From sunburn to psoriasis, acne to eczema, inflammation is often the common thread in most skin conditions. As nutritional medicine advances, it is becoming increasingly clear that a diet that includes omega-3 fatty acids from fish can influence inflammation and promote healthy skin.

A New Start?
Ready to make a new start this year? Don't forget about your heart! A routine of healthy diet, stress reduction, and exercise will go a long way toward helping to improve your odds of avoiding heart disease. Many natural products, too, can help improve your heart health.

Move Over Has-Bean
Recently, while my friends and I were sharing a laugh over a cuppa java, I looked across the table at Amanda's cup and realized there was no ebony liquid in it. Instead, she was delicately sipping green tea. One of Amanda's jokes?

Healthy Heart Metabolism
Everyone knows that one of the main keys to healthy heart metabolism is regular exercise. Aside from the fact that exercise strengthens muscle tissue-and your heart is a muscle-exercise also enhances one of the body's main repair biochemicals, insulin-like growth factor-1, or IGF-1.

Omega-3s for Good Health
A daily balance of omega-3 essential fats is necessary for good health. Thanks to the news media and health advisors, fat-consciousness has become a part of daily life. In contrast to popular opinion that all fat is bad, there is such a thing as good fat.

What's your expiry date?
To know the date of your death well in advance would be a rare gift. Or would it?

We're Pregnant! Now What?
"How do I ensure a healthy pregnancy? You can have a healthy pregnancy by eating a healthy, well-balanced diet augmented with the right supplements for baby and maternal health, making sure exercise is part of your weekly routine, and maintaining a healthy weight.

The Copper Connection
Copper is at the core of normal body function. Without copper, we cannot form superoxide dismutase, the superpower of all antioxidants. Copper also helps our bodies create collagen, the protein that forms healthy joints and supple, young skin. And it has a role in helping our bodies store iron, a critical component of the formation of hemoglobin in red blood cells.

Healthy Fats for Healthy Children
Essential fatty acids (EFAs) are required for good health by everyone, and they are especially important during infancy and childhood. This is because the omega-3 fatty acids docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and, to some extent, the omega-6 arachidonic acid (AA) are critical for nervous system, brain, and retinal development.

Food and Mood
The relationship between food and mood is mediated by both psychological and physiological factors. It is clear that food can influence mood while mood can influence food choices. It is a complex relationship and based on taste, experience, expectations, culture, stressors, and nutritional status.

Moving on Up!
Just about everyone goes through an occasional bout of feeling down. Along with a better diet and daily exercise, adding a few tried and true mood boosters to your nutritional and herbal supplement program often makes a noticeable difference in a short period of time.

Legumes Lower Heart Disease Risk

Fish Oils for Heart Health

Insomniacs: Stop the Sheep!

Breakfast Energizers

Five Ways to Get your Fruits and Veggies

Supersize Dilemma

Start young for better health

Encouragement goes a long way

Stressful skin reflections

Smoking isn't pretty

Ironing out wrinkles of EFAs

Heart Displayed in Whole New Light

Improve Your Memory

More Than Just Brain Food

Coronary Heart Disease
This month we look at preventing and treating heart disease. Nathan examines ounces of prevention, measured in grams of fat per serving, while Janice discovers the importance of familial connection, measured in speed of returned phone calls.

Top 10 Tips For a Healthy Heart
Can diet and lifestyle changes really help you fight family history of heart disease and prevent heart attacks, high blood pressure, and stroke? Medical research says yes.

Coenzyme Q10
One of the most important coenzymes discovered-CoQ10-has been compared to a spark plug in a car. Just as a car cannot function without that initial spark, the human body cannot function without CoQ10.

Heart to Health
Traditional merges with modern in this short list of herbs, nutritional supplements, and natural foods recommended by naturopathic and medical doctors, researchers, and, yes, even your dear old granny.

Superfood in a Nutshell
What nuts lack in size they more than make up for in nutrition.

Acne's Oily Secret
From sunburn to psoriasis, acne to eczema, inflammation is often the common thread in unwanted skin conditions. Now, as nutritional medicine advances, it is becoming increasingly clear that dietary choices can influence inflammation in all parts of the human body, including the skin.

Remember Rhodiola
A herb that was widely used by ancient Nordic seafarers is still being used by monks of the Himalayas. The therapeutic properties of this Arctic herb, rhodiola (Rhodiola rosea), have also been impressing modern researchers.

This Might Save Your Life
"I'm going to call an ambulance, I told my patient, a woman in her early 50s. She knew that something was wrong, but I knew she wasn't convinced that her symptoms were serious. Most women, and many men, aren't aware of the more subtle signs of a heart attack.

Stress Less
Many Canadians suffer from stress. It’s the root cause of numerous health challenges we experience. Finding ways to reduce stress is essential to improve our health and our quality of life.