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HYPERTENSION:
"THE SILENT KILLER" |
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By
Marilyn St. Hill
Super Fitness Model/Spokesperson
How
important is it for you
to know your own blood pressure?
Do you know what your blood
pressure is? High blood
pressure is the leading
risk factor for death in
Canada. Why? Mainly because
there are no symptoms. You
will never know whether
your blood pressure is high
or low unless you check
it. "Nine (9) in ten
(10) Canadians will develop
high blood pressure or hypertension
during their lives."
(www.hypertension.ca) Blood
pressure can vary throughtout
the day due to emotion,
medication or food and drink.
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Hypertension
is another word used to describe
high blood pressure. Uncontrolled
hypertension can lead to heart attack,
stroke, heart failure or kidney
failure. A person can have a high
blood pressure for years and never
know it. Get your doctor or healthcare
professional to check yours today!
You need to watch out for something
called "white-coat hypertension".
White-coat hypertension is when
your blood pressure reads normal
at home and higher when with a healthcare
professional. Another thing to watch
out for is "masked hypertension",
which is the reverse of white-coat
hypertension. High readings at home
and normal readings with the doctor.
WHAT'S
A NORMAL BLOOD PRESSURE READING?
On
standard, blood pressure is taken
by auscultatory method. This method
is most common and is "where
the professional uses a manual blood
pressure cuff and stethoscope to
listen to the blood pulsing through
your brachial artery." (www.hearthub.org)
Here are some guidelines
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Systolic
(mmHg) |
Diastolic(mmHg) |
| Normal
BP |
less
than 120 |
less
than 80 |
| PreHypertension |
120-139
|
80-89 |
| High
Stage 1 |
140-159
|
90-99 |
| High
Stage 2 |
160
or higher |
100
or higher |
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Blood pressure is measured in millimetres
of mercury, or the abbreviated form
seen behind the number, mmHg. A
person with prehypertension should
be checking their blood pressure
regularly to ensure that it does
not escalate to hypertension.
The
systolic pressure (or top number)
is the pressure of bloodflow when
the heart beats. The diastolic pressure
(or bottom number) is the pressure
between heartbeats, when the heart
relaxes and fills with blood.
WHO
SHOULD BE CHECKING AT HOME?
Using
home monitors is a growing trend
in monitoring your own blood pressure.
According to the American Heart
Association, the following are examples
of patients who should be using
a home blood pressure monitor:
*patients
starting BP pressure treatment,
to determine treatment effectiveness
*patients
requiring closer monitoring than
intermittent office visits can provide,
especially those with coronary heart
disease, diabetes and/or kidney
disease
*pregnant
women because of pre-eclampsia (pregnancy-induced
hypertension)
*elderly
patients, the white-coat effect
increases progressively with age
*people
with masked hypertension
WHO
SHOULDN'T CHECK ALONE?
As
recommended by The American Heart
Association:
*people
with Atrial Fibrillation (AF or
afib) - Abnormal Heart Rhythm
*people
with any other arrhythmias - Abnormal
Electrical Activity in the Heart
In
both cases listen to the physicians
advice that is specific to you!
WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO?
For
starters, The Canadian Hypertension
Society suggests practising the
ABC's of preventing heart disease,
stroke and heart attack:
A- AVOID tobacco smoke
AVOID stress
AVOID high blood pressure
AVOID high blood cholesterol
B- BE more active
C- CHOOSE good nutrition -watch
alcohol consumption, as alcohol
raises blood pressure
Following a diet that is nutrient-rich,
but lower in calories is ideal.
The diet would include vegetables,
fruits, whole-grains, high-fiber
foods, fish, lean protein and fat-free
or low fat dairy. Research has shown
that blood pressure decreases on
this type of diet.
As
far a blood cholesterol? We have
two kinds. The "good"
HDL fat and the "bad"
LDL fat. The "good" in
men should be 40mg/dL or higher
and a woman, 50mg/dL or higher.
The "bad" should be less
than 200mg/dL.
And
ofcouse, exercise. Research as also
proven that thirty (30) mintues
of physical activity most days of
the week lowers your blood pressure.
What are you waiting for? Find out
your blood pressure today! |
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EGGS!
WHAT'S UP WITH THE YOLK?
The
Egg. For years, it has been a myth
that the yellow part of the egg,
or yolk is high in cholesterol and
bad for you. Or is it a myth? Well,
the truth is, the yellow
part of the egg is indeed high in
cholesterol. However, it is high
in good cholesterol. "It's
not the amount of cholesterol...
Read More
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WHOLEFOODS
Whole
foods are foods that are as close
to their natural state as possible.
These foods are full of essential
vitamins and minerals that can help
protect our bodies from chronic
diseases like heart disease, stroke,
some cancers and diabetes. Whole
foods are also full of proteins,
enzymes...
Read More
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OVER
TRAINING
In
the beginning phase you learn the
level of fitness of the body. During
training "the targets level
of fitness decreases and training
becomes a catabolic process"
(www.wikipedia.org) The third stage
is the recovery process. The body
will enter a recovery stage and
will rejuvenate to the initial fitness
level...
Read More
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HYPERTENSION
How
important is it for you to know
your own blood pressure? Do you
know what your blood pressure is?
High blood pressure is the leading
risk factor for death in Canada.
Why? Mainly because there are no
symptoms. You will never know whether
your blood pressure is high or low
unless you check it...
Read More
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SUSHI
In
North America, western sushi is
the most popular. California roll,
dynamite roll, caterpillar roll,
rainbow roll, spider roll, salmon
roll, crunchy roll and seattle roll
all fall under the category of western
sushi. All sushi uses rice as a
base and compliments with other
ingredients...
Read More
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ELECTROLYTES
Electrolytes!
What are they? How important are
they? Given the amount of times
this word is mentioned in relation
to exercise, my guess? Pretty important.
My educated guess lets me assure
you that electrolytes are extremely
important for our bodies to function
correctly. Electrolytes are "substances
that...
Read More
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WHAT
ABOUT GLUTEN?
Gluten
is a protein included in various
foods like breads, flours, frozen
yogurt, cereals, salad dressings
and even dried fruit. People with
Celiac disease (also known as Coeliac
disease) have "an abnormal
immune reaction to partially digested
gliadin..."Read
More
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UNDERSTANDING
BODY MASS INDEX
BMI,
the acronym for Body Mass Index "is
defined as the individuals body weight
divided by the square of his or her
weight." (www.wikipedia.org)
Originating as early as the 1830's,
BMI really only became popular in
the early 1950's and 60's. At this
time, western societies were begininning...
Read
More
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LETS
BEAT OBESITY
Maintaining
a healthy weight can mean life or
death. Obesity is a disease that
Canadians face. Statistically people
who are overweight, do not live
as long as those who maintain a
“normal” weight... Read
More
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ARE
YOU A VEGETARIAN?
Are
you a vegetarian? “A vegetarian
is someone who chooses not to eat
meat, poultry, fish or by products
of meat and fish, such as gelatin”
(The Vegetarian Cookbook, pg. 10)
There are different types of vegetarians.
For instance, lacto-ovo-vegetarians
allow eggs and dairy products in
their diets... Read
More
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PESTICIDES
Pesticides,
most commonly known as being used
in grocery stores and any other
company that manages food, have
been around for quite sometime.
As early as the 15th century, toxic
substances like arsenic, lead and
mercury were being used by farmers
who would apply these chemicals
... Read
More
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THE
DANGERS OF LOW-CARB DIETS
For
several years there has been a craze
called "the low-carb diet".
The assumption that follows low-carb
diets is that if you eat little
or no carbs, you will lose weight.
True? Yes! Effective? No? Best method?
No? Long-term? Gosh no! Lets look
deeper into why. Read
More
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THE
BENEFITS OF A PERSONAL TRAINER
The
article you are about to read is
a special story to me. As a
personal trainer, I consider it
my duty to inform the public about
how beneficial a personal trainer
can really be. Everyday I help,
educate and motivate clients. I
dish out efficient workouts that
help them get closer and closer
to reaching their ultimate goal.
Read
More
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HEART
HEALTH
On
February 20th and 21st 2009, the
Trillum Health Centre Foundation
held their annual 24-hour spin.
The spin is held every year to raise
money for the Hazel McCallion Centre
for heart health, "the Trillium
Health Centre's newly named, regionally
acclaimed, advanced cardial care
program" (www.24-hourspin.com),
in Mississauga. Read
More
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TIME
FOR AN ENERGY BOOST!
Improved
energy levels is the number one
desire for some. Attaining higher
levels is possible, but not without
knowledge, focus and ofcourse, change.
In this article, you will learn
ways in which we lose energy and
ways in which we can gain more.
Read
More
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ELIMINATE
CRAVINGS FOR GOOD!
Everyone
gets cravings. Whether it's late
at night or in the middle of the
day, there's a time in everyones
life when they just feel like chocolate,
or something salty or something
sweet. What is a craving? Well,
a craving is "a strong desire
for particular foods or types of
food." Read
More
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GO
NATURAL!
As
the winter months progress, so does
the chance of catching a virus.
Once a cold hits, most of us run
straight to the drugstore for a
quick fix. Is this the best solution?
Some might argue no. People such
as holistic specialists or ...
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STRESS
Consider
your stress level. Where do you
place on the stress scale? The anxious
feeling controls everyone at one
time or another. Stress can arise
from bad situations, but you can
also feel stress from good sitautions.
Read
More
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STRENGTH
TRAINING: WHAT WE ALL SHOULD KNOW!
Strength
training, also referred to as weight
training is one of the best things
you can do for your body and health.
There are a tremendous amount of
benefits to incorporating this type
of exercise. Regardless of age or
gender, everyone needs to lift weights.
Read
More
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SUPERFOODS!
Essential
for healthy living, superfoods should
be added to every diet. Adding superfoods
to your daily meals will change
your whole life! Superfoods have
been proven to prevent (and in some
cases) reverse diseases like hypertension,
cardiovascular disease, type II
diabetes and some cancers.
Read
More
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TO
SLEEP OR NOT TO SLEEP?
How many hours of sleep do you get
a night? Millions of canadians suffer
from lack of sleep. Sleep deprivation
is "a general lack of the necessary
amount of sleep." (www.wikipedia.com)
Meaning, the sleep that your body
should be getting, it's not getting!
Read
More |
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HOW
SAFE IS YOUR CHICKEN?
Chicken!
A popular choice by many at dinner
or lunch. High in protein, low in
fats and carbohydrates, chicken
has many benefits and is a very
important part of many peoples diets.
However, with several cases of illness
and death due to meat and poultry
consumption, there are some things
you should know! Read
More |
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WHY
EGGPLANT?
Anyone
who decides to consume a healthy
and balanced diet, first struggles
with the question, What do I eat?
Eggplant, not always at the top
of the list, has many nutritional
benefits.
Read
More |
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