Heart Health – Ultalife Blog

My Favorite Fruit–Or Is it A Vegetable?

Summer in the United States begins on June 21, 2018. Is the time of year the children are off from school—we plan fun in the sun activities and vacations. When I think of summer, one word comes to mind—WATERMELON!! It has always been my favorite fruit and I eat it for breakfast whenever possible. AND it is good for us! It contains 92% water and is nutrient dense.

You notice I called it a fruit. Others say it is a vegetable in the squash and cucumber family. In fact, in 20017 Oklahoma made it their state vegetable.

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Signs Of A Heart Attack In Women

I was 60 and in good health. I was not super skinny, but my weight was under control. I had eaten healthy most of my life. I exercised. I could not be having a heart attack…and yet I was. All my friends and family were surprised, yet I have a strong family history of heart problems on my dad’s side. I had thought my healthy lifestyle would protect me.

Now I know that I had had several warning signs over the year before, but I didn’t recognize them. A few times when working hard or exercising, I would break out in a sweat and feel very nauseous for 30 minutes or longer. And that is how it all started 9 years ago. I had gone to my church to help with a Fall Festival when I suddenly broke out in a sweat and start feeling extremely nauseous. An older lady in my church saw I was not feeling well and asked me to come inside and sit with her. That terrible sick feeling was just getting worse, but I had no chest pain or pain down my arm so I would have never guessed a heart attack. My friend recognized what was happening and called 911. I spent 8 days in the hospital following what they called a significant heart attack.

I don’t want another lady to miss the signs of a possible heart attack and possibly wait too long to get help so here are some of the warning signs for a woman from the American Heart Association.

Uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain in the center of your chest. It lasts more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back.
Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.
Other signs such as breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.
As with men, women’s most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting and back or jaw pain.

If you have any of these symptoms, call 911 or get to a hospital right away!! Don’t wait—you just might save a life-YOURS.

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Can Walking Really Make A Difference?

Walking is probably the easiest way to begin an exercise program. You don’t need to join a gym or buy fancy equipment—just a pair of good supportive shoes! It’s easy on your joints and can be done anytime of the day or night. You can walk outdoors….in a mall…on a treadmill in your house. I used to work in a dental office which had a big circular path through both sides of the office. At lunch time, when there were no patients, two of us would power walk around and around.

How much do you need to walk? 10,000 steps most days of the week is recommended—that is approximately 5 miles per day. You say you are just starting to exercise? First, check with your doctor. Then start out moderately—Rome wasn’t built in a day!! If you can only do 2000 steps to begin, that is great. Keep on doing the 2000 steps and as you are able, add another 100 or 200 steps. Build gradually. Using a pedometer to count your steps is a good idea—and many phones have a health app that will count your steps.

How fast should you walk? It is generally recommended to walk about 3.0 miles per hour (or more) if you are able. 3.0 miles per hour would mean you would walk a mile in 20 minutes. Walk faster if your goal is to lose weight. Web MD recommends walking briskly a total of 300 minutes per week. If you walk 5 days of the week, that is one hour per day. Don’t get overwhelmed thinking you cannot possibly walk for an hour. Divide the time up into 2 or 3 sessions per day—and remember any walking is better than none!

Can you walk if you have back pain? Again, always consult your doctor and get his approval. Most doctors will recommend physical therapy for people with chronic lower back pain….and in some cases walking can be just as effective. You are not doing a marathon—just try to walk 20-40 minutes two or three times a week. Web MD

Walking is good for your overall health—can help you lose pounds—can help to keep you limber—can improve your mood—prevent or manage many health conditions such as heart, blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.—strengthen your bones and muscles. For those with osteopenia or osteoporosis, weight bearing exercise is recommended—walking is perfect for that!

Watch for our blog article next week on the many benefits of walking if you have arthritis

Nourishing Your Body, Mind & Spirit.

Are you an UltaLifer? Learn about the many supplements designed to make you stronger and healthier!

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Ten Minute Health Challenge

I am one of those people who try to do everything 100%. I have found that expecting myself to be nearly perfect is a task I can never achieve. What about you?

Let’s use exercise as an example. I read—and my cardiologist insists—that I should exercise 30 minutes most days of the week. That seems reasonable, doesn’t it?

Want my list of excuses? “I am overwhelmed by all I have to do and just don’t have the time”…”It’s too hot (or cold) outside to walk”…”It is boring to walk on the treadmill”….and I am sure you could add to my list.

The truth is that most days I am unable (or unwilling) to commit to the 30 minutes of exercise!! But wouldn’t 5 or 10 minutes be better than nothing?? Of course it would and maybe some days I could sneak in 10 minutes twice a day….and some days even get in the full 30 minutes!!

This is my challenge to me and to you. Every day work in some exercise. Don’t be defeated and do nothing if you don’t have time for a full 30 minutes of exercise.

Let’s commit to at least 10 minutes daily. You can do it…and so can I!!

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Nourishing Your Body, Mind & Spirit.

Are you an UltaLifer? Learn about the many supplements designed to make you stronger and healthier!

Click Here to check out all of our great products.

Are You Taking Care Of Your Heart?

Want to lower your cholesterol and enhance your heart health? My cholesterol always ran slightly higher than normal, but my doctor was not concerned…until my heart attack.

This is based on my personal experience with Cholesterol Prescription Drugs!! Do they work? Absolutely….but at what cost? There are so many side effects from the prescription cholesterol drugs–statins!!

Mayo Clinic reports about statins that “they have been linked to muscle pain, digestive problems and mental fuzziness in some people and may rarely cause liver damage.” Mayo Clinic also says if you are currently on a statin (Cholesterol Drug), do not stop taking it without consulting your doctor.

Continue reading Are You Taking Care Of Your Heart?

Are There Good Fats?

For years we have been told that FAT is our enemy and to avoid it!! But did you know that there are healthy fats that are essential to our health? These are Omega-3 fatty acids. EPA and DHA -and are primarily found in certain fish. Our bodies need these essential fatty acids to function but they also provide some great health benefits.

So what are the health benefits?

*Supports cardiovascular health

*Lowers LDL (bad cholesterol) and triglyceride levels

*Increases HDL (good cholesterol)

*Supports normal blood pressure levels

*Supports Healthy Brain Function

*Boosts immune system

You can see from these positive benefits that most of us can benefit from Omega 3—and especially those of us with heart problems. I read in Web MD that we should have 2-3 servings weekly of anchovies, bluefish, herring, mackerel, salmon (the wild rather than farmed is richer in Omega 3s), sardines, sturgeon, lake trout or tuna.

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Is Eating Salmon Good for Your Heart?

Omega 3 fatty acids are crucial to your health—especially your heart and brain!! Two important ones are EPA and DHA and are found in certain fatty fish. ALA’s are found in certain nuts and seeds. Most of the Omega 3 benefits have been found in EPA and DHA. The best food sources of EPA and DHA are salmon, sardines mackerel, grass fed beef and certain seeds and nuts –these are listed from highest to lowest amounts of Omega 3’s.

Sounds simple, doesn’t it? Just eat those foods—especially the salmon-and you will be fine!!

EAT YOUR SALMON—-OR NOT??

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Who Needs Omega 3?

Does everyone need an Omega 3 supplement? I will let you be the judge of that.

Here is my story—I have been health and weight conscious all my life. I had always maintained a reasonable (not perfect) weight–exercised regularly–ate healthy—never drank and never smoked. No one was more surprised that I was when I had a significant heart attack 8 years ago.

Following my hospital stay, my cardiologist put me on prescriptions that he said I would have to be on the rest of my life AND told me to always take Omega 3. In fact, my cardiologist has never had a heart problem and he takes Omega 3 regularly. He checks in every six months to be sure I am continuing to take my Omega 3.

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Do You Eat Even When Not Hungry?

We love our food!! We eat to maintain and support our bodies, but some of us eat even when we are not hungry. Or we eat when we are hungry and never stop until we are stuffed.

Overeating can lead to weight gain and obesity, but there are so many other risks associated with overeating. It can lead to Type 2 Diabetes. Web MD says Type 2 Diabetes means your body cannot use insulin correctly and this makes your blood sugar levels harder to control. If left untreated, this can lead to other problems like damage to your kidneys, your eyes and your heart.

Then consider depression and anxiety. Often overweight people suffer with these. Are they bought on by overeating and being overweight….or does the depression or anxiety cause a person to continue eating way past the full signal? Either way, the extra pounds are just not good for your body!

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Inflammation

I had my 6 month appointment with my cardiologist last week. I mentioned my Omega 3 capsules. He told me if I ever got an aftertaste from them, I should freeze them and then it wouldn’t happen. I had no idea of this!! He told me the purpose of the Omega 3 (fish oil) is to reduce inflammation. Well, it turns out inflammation does damage to many more areas of our body than the heart.

Continue reading Inflammation