Naturalpath

Healthnotes Newswire (September 6, 2007)—Oatmeal in the morning and brown rice for dinner—this could be the recipe for healthy blood pressure. A new study found that women who eat whole grains are less likely to develop high blood pressure (hypertension) than those who don’t.

Healthnotes Newswire (July 5, 2007)—Women with high blood pressure (hypertension) were able to lower their blood pressure and cholesterol but substituting soy nuts for nonsoy protein in a heart-healthy diet, a new study has found.

Healthnotes Newswire (May 31, 2007)—Reducing sodium intake is a well known first-line treatment for high blood pressure (hypertension), and the more salt is restricted, the more positive impact the change has on health. But the cardiovascular benefits of cutting down on sodium don’t stop at blood pressure reduction: new research has found that eating less salt also seems to prevent other cardiovascular diseases.

“Until now, there have been few observational studies and virtually no trial data to show the effect of sodium intake on cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack and stroke,” said Nancy R. Cook, ScD, associate professor of Medicine (Biostatistics) at Harvard Medical School and lead author of the new study.

Healthnotes Newswire (April 26, 2007)—Everyone knows that cigarette smoking causes cardiovascular disease, but now there is evidence that, over time, damage to the arteries may repair itself in people who quit.

Cigarette smoking is one of the most important avoidable causes of cardiovascular disease. A smoker’s heart attack risk is markedly higher than a nonsmoker’s, and the likelihood goes up with the number of cigarettes smoked per day and the number of years of smoking.

“When you work with people who are economically disadvantaged, as well as socially disadvantaged, the stress level is immense.

“And now my practice is with very privileged, highly educated people that have great means. Their stress level is also immense.

“I think that stress is the key and most important lifestyle factor there is in the major health problems that we face in America.

“Even the privileged are stressed beyond belief with different kinds of stress. Food is a way that we learn to modulate it, and unfortunately the food that we learn to modulate it or reduce that stress with, taken in over long periods of time in excess, creates many of the illnesses that we’re struggling with medically – diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and all of the sequela of those kinds of things.”

Fats have gotten a bad rap. Cruise any supermarket aisle, and the promises of “fat free” and “no trans fats” leap from the shelf. Confused consumers trying to eat well mistakenly eschew any kind of fat - and think they’re doing their body a favor. The fact is there are good fats and bad fats and it is important to know the difference.

Here is something to chew on: eating the right kind of fat isn’t just delicious, but it is necessary for optimum health. Some fats are so important that they are called essential fatty acids, and are essential for proper cell function, brain functioning (especially in children), hormonal balance, for calming inflammation, and for maintaining healthy skin and hair.

“No man can be wise on an empty stomach.” - George Eliot