Omega 3

Omega 3 by: grahamz

Omega 3

Omega 3 Reduce Inflammation And Help Chronic Diseases

Omega 3(Omega-3) is also known as Fatty Acids. Omega-3, derived from ALA (alpha-linolenic
acid) is described as essential as, like vitamins, it must be obtained from
diet. According to the human nutrition, the long-chain omega-3 fatty acids EPA (eicosapentaenoic
acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) are considered much more valuable as these
are the forms the body requires.

Humans are able to synthesise EPA and DHA from dietary ALA, but in practice this
process is inefficient. Scientists have therefore accomplished that EPA and DHA
should be obtained from diet. Oil-rich fish and supplements such as fish oil and
cod liver oil are the richest and most eagerly available sources. Other sources
such as krill and fortified everyday foods like bread and fruit juices are in
production in a slight way in various parts of the world.

Extensive research indicates that
Omega 3 fatty acids are considered essential
fatty acids, which means that they are essential to human health but cannot be
manufactured by the body. For this reason, omega-3 fatty acids must be obtained
from food. Omega-3 fatty acids can be found in fish and certain plant oils. It
is important to maintain an appropriate balance of omega-3 and omega-6 (another
essential fatty acid) in the diet as these two substances work together to
promote health. Also known as polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), omega-3 and
omega-6 fatty acids play a crucial role in brain function as well as normal
growth and development. Omega-3 fatty acids reduce inflammation and help prevent
certain chronic diseases such as heart disease and arthritis. These essential
fatty acids are highly concentrated in the brain and appear to be particularly
important for cognitive and behavioral function. In fact, infants who do not get
enough omega-3 fatty acids from their mothers during pregnancy are at risk for
developing vision and nerve problems.

Omega 3 Benefits:

• Omega 3 fatty acid can also be used for the treatment, control, and improvement
  of depression.


• Omega 3 fatty acids reduce inflammation and help prevent certain chronic
  diseases
  
• Omega 3 group showed improvement of depression compared to the olive oil.


• Omega 3 fatty acids help reduce inflammation.
  
• Omega-3 fatty acids may be helpful in treating a variety of conditions.


• Omega 3 help protect us from an array of illnesses including Alzheimer''s
  disease.
  
• Omega-3 fatty acid supplements dramatically reduce the risk of death.
  
• Omega 3 fatty acids may also act as an anticoagulant to prevent blood from
  clotting.


• Omega-3 fatty acids offer protection against cardiovascular disease.
  Omega 3 Precautions:
  
  Dietary supplements should be taken only under the supervision of a
  knowledgeable healthcare provider.
  
  Omega 3 Dosage:
  
  As a dietary supplement, take one tablespoon (15 ml) 1 to 2 times daily,
  preferably with meals. For best results, take 1-1/2 tablespoons per 100 lbs. of
  body weight daily with meals.
  
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Heart Problem Prevention

How to Prevent Heart Problems and Stroke by: Dr. Mital John

Coronary heart disease and heart attack and stroke can be avoided to a large extent by lifestyle measures.

The direct causes of coronary heart disease and stroke are factors like these:
- Restriction of blood vessels in the heart and the rest of the body by arteriosclerosis.
- High blood cholesterol level.
- High blood pressure.
- Excess weight.
- Diabetes.
- High level of the amino acid homocysteine in the blood.
- High content of low density lipoprotein (LDL) and low-density lipoprotein (HDL) in blood. Lipoprotein is a combination of protein and fatty substances that are linked to each other.
- Inflammation in the circulatory system.
- High age.
- Inherited tendencies for high cholesterol and heart disease.
- Men are more likely to get heart disease than women.

These factors are interrelated in complex ways, and are causing or amplifying each other. For example, arteriosclerosis will cause higher blood pressure, high blood pressure and will cause even more atherosclerosis. Many of these factors are ultimately caused or aggravated by the lifestyle of these factors:
A too-high intake of fat, cholesterol and sugar.
-The fat consumption of the wrong type.
-Lack of fiber, vitamins, minerals and other dietary deficiencies.
-The stress at work and in everyday life.
-Smokers.
-Lack of exercise.

Lifestyle adjustments will therefore be the main methods of prevention of heart failure. A diet with the aim of preventing heart disease is usually the same as a diet to prevent cancer and other diseases. Here are the general diet advice:
- Avoid or reduce the amount of food that are industrially processed, artificially made or heavily fried.
- Eating fish at least every second day. Also eat seafood and fouls.
- Do not eat much red meat.
- Eat 5 fruits or vegetables per day. Each piece should be the size of an apple or carrot. They should be raw or carefully boiled so that nutrients are not washed out.
- Eat full corn bread, whole grain corn, peas, beans and potatoes.
- Eat only a moderate amount of fat.
- Consume cholesterol rich foods like egg, spawn or liver in only moderate amounts.
- Ideally most fat you eat, shall be of the mono-unsaturated. You also need some of the polyunsaturated omega-3 and omega 6, but not too much of omega-6. The consumption of saturated fats should be moderate.
- In order to achieve a balance of fat, most of the fat supply should come from a mixture of sources such as olive oil, canola oil, nuts, sunflower oil, sunflower oil, linseed oil (oil fiber), fish and fish oil.
- Use only a moderate amount of soy oil and corn oil in the diet. Only using such oil types will give you too much polyunsaturated fat of the omega-6-type.
- Use only a very moderate amount of fat sources like butter, coconut oil and palm oil. A high level of consumption of these fat sources gives you a lot of saturated fat.
- Avoid letting the fat has been chemically modified, thus called trans-fat. This type of fat is often found in margarines, crackers, snack foods, fast food and other food pre-made.
- Consume just a very moderate amount of sugar, refined flour or refined cereals.
- Consume just a moderate amount of tranquilizers and stimulants like alcohol and caffeine.
- Use only a moderate amount of salt in food. However, in hot weather and the hard physical work, you will need more salt.

Evidence suggests that it will be helpful to take supplements of some natural remedies to prevent heart disease and help improve already have heart problems.

Read more on Remedies for Coronary Heart Disease and Divya Hridayamrita Vati for Heart Disease
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Heart Health

Coronary Artery Disease -What You Need to Know by: Blubert Tavedorn

Coronary Artery Disease is commonly known as Heart Disease or Atherosclerosis. In coronary artery disease, plaque builds up inside the arteries. These plaques are formed by fats and cause the arteries to harden. The deposits are made of fat that came from the food that we eat. These fat deposits narrow the arteries and impede circulation. The narrowing of the arteries also causes high blood pressure because the body tries to compensate for the inadequate supply of blood throughout the system.

Fat deposits in arteries are very dangerous. Aside from the fact that these arteries should not be present in the arteries, these deposits also cause a disturbance in the heart's normal functioning. The blood vessels with fat deposits are narrowed. It also causes hardening that inhibits the normal elastic function of the vessels. It causes decreased blood flow to the heart which results in chest pain called angina.

Angina occurs when the heart doesn't have enough supply of oxygen for it to function properly. The heart muscles need oxygen for them to function because it is necessary for the energy formation of muscles that it uses for working. Without adequate energy, muscles will fail to work. Angina is described as a painful squeezing feeling in the chest that is also felt in the jaws, extremities and the back.

A heart attack occurs after angina. The heart ceases to function because its muscles did not receive much oxygen. Certain muscles in the heart have died because of the inadequate supply of oxygen and therefore the remaining muscles have to compensate for the loss. Compensation gives extra workload and fatigue, causing it to stop.

There are a lot of factors that cause coronary heart disease. One of them is a major risk factor that can't be avoided and that is family history. If your family is known to have coronary heart disease, then you will likely also have the condition. Little is known about this theory but it is very consistent among patients with coronary heart disease.

If you are living a sedentary or inactive lifestyle, it is now time to change your ways and to do some serious physical work. A sedentary lifestyle will increase your risk of developing heart disease because without physical activities, your heart muscles will become flabby and weak. You need to do some simple exercises to tone your heart muscles and make it strong.

Obesity also increases the chance of having heart disease. Fat is a major contributory factor for the development of heart disease and people who are obese or overweight have a lot of fat stored in their bodies. These fats need to be burned down to lose weight and prevent having serious complications such as heart disease.

All in all, heart disease is caused by living an inappropriate lifestyle. Keep in mind that no matter how rich you are, it is not an excuse for you not to work. Exercise should also be a regular habit so that your muscles will be tougher and can reach their optimum functioning.

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Heart, Cardiology

After A Stroke: The First Days To Weeks by: Stephanie Trelogan

After a patient moves from the ER to the hospital, doctors will deal with any complications and help prevent future strokes. Here's what to expect during his hospital stay, and how to prepare for his care and recovery after he gets out.

Once a patient's stroke has been evaluated and his condition has been stabilized, he'll be transferred out of the ER and into a hospital bed. How long he spends in the hospital depends on a number of factors, including the type and severity of his stroke, what medical complications arise, and the extent of his disability. But it's unlikely that he'll be in the hospital for long. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, the average length of hospitalization for stroke in 2005 was 5.2 days.

Even though the person you're caring for is out of the ER, serious complications may still arise. An estimated one out of five stroke patients dies during his hospital stay.

The patient's treatment team has two main goals: To prevent another stroke from occurring and to minimize and respond to any complications.

To this end, the person you're caring for will undergo more testing to determine the cause of this stroke. Although the doctors should know what type of stroke he had, they'll still need to pinpoint the exact cause. They may perform one or more of the following tests:

• Carotid ultrasound to determine if either carotid artery is narrowed or blocked. This test is noninvasive and painless: A technician applies jelly to the patient's neck, then slides an ultrasound wand over the skin covering his carotid artery.
  
• Transcranial Doppler test for blockages in the large brain arteries. This test is similar to the carotid ultrasound, although the sound waves go through the patient's skull instead of his neck.
  
• Cerebral angiogram to look for atherosclerosis or a brain aneurysm. The patient will be sedated to minimize his anxiety and discomfort during this procedure. A long, thin catheter, or tube, is inserted into a large artery in his groin, then maneuvered all the way through blood vessels into his chest. Once the tube reaches his carotid artery, dye is injected, which travels through the artery into the brain. Then a series of X-rays is taken to spot any abnormalities in the blood vessels of the brain. Because this procedure carries a slight risk of causing another stroke, it will be performed only if other tests are inconclusive.

Depending on the patient's test results, his doctors will treat him to reduce his risk of having another stroke:

• For an ischemic stroke, he may be given anticlotting drugs, have a procedure known as a carotid endarectomy, or both.
  
• For a hemorrhagic stroke, he may need to have a torn brain artery or aneurysm repaired, both of which require major surgery.
  
• No matter what type of stroke he had, risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes will be evaluated and treated.
  
• Complications could include brain swelling, seizures, clots in his legs, aspiration due to difficulty swallowing, arrhythmias, bleeding stomach ulcers, and pressure sores. The patient's doctors will be on the lookout for these serious and potentially fatal complications.

The patient's hospital stay may be even more stressful for you than his stroke and time in the ER. Now that you're no longer in crisis mode, you have more time to think -- and worry -- about the future. But try to use that time to prepare for life after his discharge instead:

• Figure out how much care he will need. The extent of his stroke-related disability may not be immediately obvious, but it will become clearer as his recovery progresses. Talk to his rehabilitation team about how much care he'll need immediately after discharge, then discuss options for his care with his family or friends. Will he be able to return to his own home or to a family member's home? Or will he need more short-term or long-term attention and care? For more information about this decision-making process, see difficult work of recovery
  
  Resources:
  

• First Days After Stroke
  
• Short Hospital Stay After Emergency Room
  
  About the Author

Stephanie Trelogan is Senior Editor of the Heart, Stroke, and Depression channels. Older people in Stephanie's family have coped with a variety of stroke- and heart-related conditions, and several family membersincluding Stephaniehave struggled with depression.
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Blood Pressure

Savory Veggies Lower Blood Pressure by: Kurt Nimmo

It is known that certain dietary factors contribute to keeping a healthy and normal blood pressure, such as avoiding salt and eating plenty of high fiber vegetable, fruits and grains. But now, research has revealed that there is a certain flavor-enhancing compound found in all vegetables which could be one of the reasons why the "five portions a-day" diet protects people against heart disease. What they found is that vegetables such as broccoli and cabbage are particularly high in a chemical called glutamic acid which creates the fifth taste sense known as 'umami' - otherwise known as 'savory'.

Many people know this flavor as the one that also comes from MSG, a flavor enhancer commonly used in Chinese food and snack foods. Umami flavor is strongest when combined with aromas (e.g., monosodium glutamate and garlic), a result leading to speculation that glutamate may stimulate umami effects by acting simultaneously with the aromas, texture, and appearance of food. Other common natural sources of the umami flavor include beans, whole grains including whole grain rice, breads and cereals, soy products such as tofu and durum wheat which is used to make pasta.

The study of 4,680 people aged 40 to 59 found, on average that the more of the savory substance they consumed the more their blood pressure fell. The new research suggests glutamic acid may partly explain the link between vegetable protein and lower blood pressure. Future steps will be to reproduce this finding in other studies, and investigate how glutamic acid might exert an effect on blood pressure. Interestingly, MSG has been linked to high blood pressure but this may be due to the salt content in it. In the meantime, this much is clear: broccoli and cabbage are good for you so until the final results are in, feel free to chow down to keep blood pressure low and healthy!

Kurt nimmo is a health specialist and exercise guru. For more tips and advice by kurt, visit www.kurtnimmo.com
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Circulatory Problems

Circulatory Problems - Natural Solutions Robert Elias Najemy

Robert Elias Najemy

Natural Effective Solutions:

1. Carefully observe guidelines for healthy eating. Avoid as much as possible cooked oils, white flour, meat, white sugar, and any foods, which have been over processed or have chemical additives.

2. Eat whole grains, fresh vegetables and fruits and a little raw unheated vegetable oil each day.

3. Occasional fasting helps to purify the blood vessels. One could fast on apples, pears or brown rice or do a juice fast for a few days. If one wants to do a longer fast, consult your doctor. Fasting on grapes is considered one of the most effective ways to purify the blood.

4. Vitamins and antioxidants help with better circulation: A, C, E, and Lecithin, B complex (especially B3, B2).

5. Alternating Hot and cold baths help the blood flow to penetrate into all parts of the body. In general finishing with a cold shower helps stimulate circulation. Consult your doctor as to whether this is for your specific case.

6. Dress warmly so as to allow your blood vessels to be relaxed and let blood flow.

7. Swimming in the sea all year long helps to keep the circulation flowing and the body vital. One must be regular. If you cease for a period of time, your body will loose its ability to adapt to the cold water in the winter.

8. Nettle tea and beating the extremities with nettles is a folk remedy for increasing circulation to the extremities. This may be painful while doing it, but it brings results.

9. Reflexology massage can be used to bring circulation to organs, which cannot be affected by other means. By massaging the reflex point on the bottom of the foot we are able to bring blood flow to the various interior organs, so as to revitalize them.

10. Swedish muscular massage can be used to bring better blood flow to the various extremities.

11. All forms of movement and activity are helpful, i.e. running, walking, dancing, swimming, playing, sports and exercising. These are a must for those with poor circulation.

12. Breathing facilitates the return of the blood through the veins to the heart. When we breathe deeply and slowly, we help the blood to return to the heart an also move the lymph through the system. Deep breathing every day is an essential for those with circulatory problems.

13. When we relax the blood vessels, our blood flows freely to the various parts of our body. We tend to obstruct the free flow of blood through unconscious tensing of the various muscles and also the blood vessels themselves. Relaxation is essential for healthy circulation. Perform «deep relaxation» daily, imagining the blood vessels opening and the blood flowing freely to the parts of the body which have insufficient circulation.

14. Various forms of heat, such as hot compresses, hot water bottles, and electric heating pads can be used to increase the circulation momentarily to various parts of the body.

15. Physical Exercises

a. The abdominal area is considered the «furnace» of the body, where heat and energy are produced. Sluggishness and tension in this area can impede our general flow of energies and also blood. Thus, you will need to do a number of exercises to stimulate and vitalize the area of the abdomen.

b. The endocrine system regulates our overall metabolism. You would do well to learn and employ specific exercises for rejuvenating and harmonizing the endocrine system.

c. Add other exercises for the various joints such as the shoulders, elbows, wrists, fingers, hips, knees, ankles and toes according to where you need better circulation. Even if our problems are located at the extremities such as with the fingers and toes, we have to open up all the other joints, which come before them. Although the symptoms may be in the extremities, the cause may be in one of the preceding joints. It is usually at the joints that the circulation gets blocked.

d. Ensure good circulation to the brain by lying on your back next to a wall and placing your feet up on the wall, so that the blood flows into the lungs gaining oxygen and then into the brain oxygenating and bringing nutrients to all the cells of the brain. This is essential for the pituitary and hypothalamus and thus for the endocrine and autonomic nervous system and thus for all bodily and mental functions.

16. Observe to see if emotional factors are involved. You may have an unconscious holding and a need for control of feelings or expression, which is also restricting the free flow of blood. If you are suppressing your emotions, learn to express them in effective and positive ways (without hurting others).

When we care for our body and mind, they serve us much more efficiently.

May you be well on all levels of your being.

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Robert Elias Najemy is the author of over 600 articles, 400 lecture cassettes on Human Harmony and 20 books; sold over 100,000 copies.
His book The Psychology of Happiness is available at http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0971011605/holisticharmo-20 and http://www.HolisticHarmony.com/psychofhappiness.html.
You can download FREE articles and e-books and get guidance at http://www.HolisticHarmony.com
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Muscle Cramps

Muscle Cramps by: Richard Romando

Muscles, the storehouse of energy in a living body, contract to help in the movement of different parts of the body. The general body composition consists largely of voluntary muscles. It is called voluntary because its contraction and movement is consciously controlled by the living being. Sometimes, these voluntary muscles contract involuntarily and refuse to relax and return to normalcy. This is called a Muscle Cramp. Muscle Cramps are forceful contractions that sustain for sometime and reappear, often till the muscles relax. Cramps can happen to any voluntary muscle, mostly bending or curling the affected muscle.

Muscle Cramps come from the vigorous use of muscles. Cramp can result when a muscle or group of muscles that acts together in the movement of a certain part of the body forcefully become involuntary. For instance, athletes often complain of Muscle Cramps in calf muscles. But when it affects the feet, the group of muscles in the fingers too gets cramps.

Muscle Cramps occur due to various reasons. These can be dehydration or excessive loss of body fluid due to vigorous exercise or activities of the muscle; or a muscle fatigue caused mostly from a long rest period for muscles in one position or exertion of muscles leading to injury. It may also happen from some kinds of muscle disease. It is not always necessary for the cramps to attack 'over activated' muscles. Muscle Cramps can attack even when the muscles are at rest or dormant for a very long time. For instance, sitting in the same position for a very long time can cause muscle fatigue and may later become a cramp. Most of the cramps come especially at night, like the cramps in the calf muscle. This last for some time till the bend muscles flex and relax.

Muscle spasm and Muscle Cramp may seem to be the same. But a Muscle Cramp, unlike a muscle spasm, affects only a certain muscle. The affected muscle bulges or rolls and hurts till it gets its normal shape. Cramps can thus affect anyone, anytime and anywhere. Muscle Cramps affect pregnant women too. Hence as a precaution, their diet is supplemented with calcium and magnesium. Cramps can be kept at bay through exercises, especially stretch exercises, a nutritious balanced diet and proper water intake.

Muscles provides detailed information on muscles, build muscles, muscle cramps, muscle diseases and more. Muscles is affliated with Female Body Building.
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