How To Eat For Your Healthy Heart

Bad cholesterol or a bad diet is something we all experience at some point in time. It's impossible to eat healthy our whole lives, even though we may try hard to do it. Eating healthy for your heart is something everyone should try to do, especially when it comes to restoring health and reducing heart attacks.

Your heart and food. We know these things for sure - a diet high in saturated fats will help raise your cholesterol, which is a risk factor for heart disease. People that are obese are more prone to heart disease. A diet high in sodium may elevate your blood pressure, leading to inflammation and even heart disease.

To help prevent heart disease and improve your health, put the tips below to good use.

Eat plenty of fish. Herring, sardines, and salmon are all excellent sources of Omega 3 essential fatty acids. Other fish are great to, although Omega 3 may help to get your cholesterol down to a healthier level.

Choosing healthy fats and oil. Saturated fat will increase the risk of heart disease. It's found in meat, butter, and even coconut oil. You should avoid them until your cholesterol levels are down and you are at a healthy weight. Even those that love red meats can enjoy seafood and nuts for their main sources of protein.

Monounsaturated fats such as olive oils will help you to protect your heart. Olive oil is an ideal choice for cooking, dressing, or even as a dipping sauce.

Plenty of fiber. Fiber can help you control your cholesterol. You can find fiber in whole grain products to help control sugar absorption as well, which will help you keep your digestive system healthy.

Choosing carbohydrates. Eating for your heart involves staying away from sugary foods such as candy, cookies, cakes, and pastries. Eating a lot of sugar isn't good for your heart disease at all. Healthy carbohydrates involve whole grain breads, whole grain pasta, brown rice, and a lot of vegetables. You should make fruits and vegetables the main aspect of your diet.

Healthy cooking methods. Stir frying and sautéing with olive oil or canola oil are both great methods, as you shouldn't dip your food in batter and fry it anymore. If you cook chicken, remove the skin and bake it in the oven in foil.

Instead of frying your fish you should always bake it. Steaming your vegetables can help maintain the most nutrients. You should use cream sauces or lots of butter anymore either. When you eat vegetables, try squeezing lemon juice on them or using your favorite seasonings.

As you make the proper changes to your diet, keep in mind that it takes time for them to become habits. Eating healthy is always great for your body and your lifestyle, especially when it comes to your heart and the prevention of heart disease.

Copyright (c) 2007 Stewart Levison

Natural Cures: The Confusion?

There is a lot of confusion and controversy regarding the topic of natural cures. What is natural cures? Does it really work? Do many people use natural therapies? What's the reasoning behind natural medicine? How do I find out which nutrients to take? Why doesn't my doctor prescribe these nutrients if they are so effective? Why do the labels on vitamins, mineral and herbs say that they are not intended to treat, cure or prevent any disease? Let's address each these questions.

What is a natural cure?
Terms such as natural cures, natural medicine and naturopathy are very similar and used intermittently. They all refer to a form of health care that uses diet, herbs, vitamins and minerals to prevent or cure bodily diseases. The goal is to strengthen the body's immune system so that the body can cure itself of an existing disease or prevent other diseases from forming, without the use of synthetic drugs.

Does it really work?
Speaking from personal experience, yes. I have been cured of repeating bouts of sinusitis, my wife has had relief from arthritis and acid reflux and my daughter has had a reduction in pain from a pancreatic condition. However, for someone who has never experienced it, it is hard to believe that something as simple vitamin C can help where medicines have not. No belief is necessary; the proof is in trying it.

Do many people use natural therapies?
Yes, today, many people are choosing to use natural therapies (In varying degrees) over orthodox medical treatment because they are safer, less expensive, and in many instances more effective than drugs.

What's the reasoning behind natural medicine?
Most drugs are poisonous to the body. Want proof? Just read the warning labels as to the possible side effects. Some drugs even list "death" as a side effect! I think "death" is more than a side effect. In most cases, drugs only mask the symptoms of a disease and trick our brains that the pain and discomfort has diminished or left. Actually, the disease is still present in the body and will run its course until your body's immune system (if it's strong enough) either destroys or eliminates it. Drugs only address the symptoms of a disease not the causes. Natural medicine addresses the causes of a disease. For example, one cause of a migraine headache is a deficiency of magnesium in the body; not a deficiency of aspirin. Taking aspirin will relieve the pain symptom, but not the cause of the pain. Taking a magnesium supplement will eliminate the deficiency which in turn will cure the headache.

How do I find out which nutrients to take?
Most people find out what to take through self-study and research, They'll read books, websites, magazines etc. pertaining to the subject. Many people also learn by the word of mouth from people who have tried a natural remedy and had great success. You may also seek out a course on natural medicine or a naturopathic doctor (but they may be hard to find).

Why doesn't my doctor prescribe these nutrients if they are so effective?
There are several reasons for this. The main reason is that he/she probably has not had any training whatsoever in vitamins, minerals and herbs. Most medical doctors (MDs) have been taught from day one that treating the symptoms with drugs is the only reasonable therapy and to be closed-minded to anything else. Pharmacists are taught the same way. Want proof? Just ask your doctor or pharmacist if they took any classes on natural medicines when they were in school. However, a doctor of osteopathy (DO) is a little less closed-minded because they're trained more in preventative medicine and do have some nutrition knowledge.

Another reason that doctors do not prescribe nutrients is because they are pressured by the pharmaceutical companies and their own peers not to. There exists within the medical community an unwritten rule of consensus medicine, a protocol of not "bucking the system". Drug companies cannot patent nutrients and control their prices like they can with the chemical drugs they manufacture. Therefore, they pressure medical review boards to pressure their member doctors to follow protocol and prescribe only drug therapies whether they work or not. The doctors that deviate from this protocol may lose their professional standing, be condemned as a quack, lose hospital privileges and possibly be subject to arrest.

Why do nutrients have disclaimer labels?
Why do the labels on vitamins, mineral and herbs say that they are not intended to treat, cure or prevent any disease?
Again, this is the result from the efforts of the pharmaceutical companies to control the medical marketplace. They lobbied the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to have Congress pass the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994, which states that only a drug can legally make a claim to treating, curing or preventing any disease. Therefore, nutritional supplement manufacturers must have that disclaimer label on all their products or risk being shut down by the FDA.

In conclusion, the primary cause of all the confusion concerning natural cures can be traced back to the elites of the drugs industry. These elitists are only concerned about corporate profits and have absolutely no concern for the general public. Many ill people, who may be helped or cured by a natural remedy, will suffer and die because of this greed.

Explainations as to why there is such confusion and controversy about natural cures.

Effectivity of herbal Remedies As Natural Cures for Prostate Cancer

The debate surrounding the effectiveness of using natural cures for prostate cancer has gone on for quite some time. Although some people are advocating the use of herbal medicines and other natural processes in treating cancer, most of the scientific community is still hesitant to endorse such options.

According to some medical societies, natural cures for prostate cancer are not accurately termed since these natural procedures and materials cannot really cure cancer but are mostly used to improve the quality of life of cancer patients. Natural treatment methods are usually based on proper nutrition. Herbs, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants are the most common basic ingredients of these so-called natural cures.

Most natural treatment options are based on herbs or antioxidants. In studies advocating the use of natural methods for treating prostate cancer, saw palmetto is often highlighted. This herb is primarily known for its anabolic properties and is more commonly used in treating benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH). The herb operates by inhibiting the synthesis of growth-stimulating dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and promoting DHT elimination through the lowering of estrogen levels.

According to several clinical studies, saw palmetto is actually more effective in treating enlarged prostate than the prescribed drug, Proscar. These studies also argue that using the herb is better than using Proscar since the latter is more expensive and is associated with several side effects that include erectile dysfunction.

Another popular herbal remedy promoted by a number of studies is pygeum. Pygeum is an indigenous African remedy derived from tree bark. This herbal remedy contains chemicals that inhibit DHT synthesis and is often used to treat enlarged prostate. Aside from saw palmetto and pygeum, there is another herbal remedy that has become popular among natural cure advocates, and this is Cernilton. This herbal product is prepared from the extract of rye pollen and is used to treat BPH and prostatitis. In some parts of the world, the herb stinging nettle is also used to cure prostate disorders. This herb is marketed in the Europe under the name Bazoton.

Some natural remedies for prostate cancer and other prostate disorders use antioxidants as their primary ingredients. Lycopene, resveratrol and selenium are among some of the more common of these antioxidants. Most herbal remedies or antioxidant-based cures are marketed as supplements since absolute confirmation of their ability to cure cancer has yet to be issued by medical and health authorities.

The effectiveness of natural cures for prostate cancer has not yet been fully agreed on and some medical societies still oppose the use of these remedies. Nevertheless, advocates of these methods are continuously promoting them as treatment options for cancer.

Natural Cures for Prostatitis

Prostatitis is an inflammation of the prostate gland usually caused by a migrant bacterial infection originating from another part of the anatomy. When this inflammation develops all of a sudden, it is called acute prostasis; when it builds up over time, it is called chronic prostatitis. Having prostatitis is very unpleasant and a man who has it lives a very unnatural and uncomfortable life - but having it is not the end of the world; there are cures to it. While traditional cures are present and varied, there is another school of thought that believes natural cures for prostatitis are even more effective.

Benign prostatitic hyperplasia, or BPH, is the nonmalignant enlargement of the prostate which often afflicts men whose age is over-60. This disease could often cause nocturia, the uncomfortable sensation that one has to wake up at night because he feels like he needs to go to the bathroom. This sensation may or not mean urinating normal volume of liquid - often, the volume is minimal and there is pain in the process.

Not only are these natural cures for prostatitis effective, the benefits are also more lasting. And, since these alternative treatment are herbal and, therefore, organic by nature, the debilitating side effects that are characteristic in most traditional medications are simply not there. Take saw palmetto, for example; the extract from this herb is widely popular for treating benign prostatic hyperplasia, or enlargement of the prostate gland. Oral ingestion of saw palmetto extract in small doses and on a regular basis inhibits the actions of testosterone on the prostate which is known to cause enlargement of the prostate interfering with the natural urinary flow.

Another one of these wonder natural cures for prostatitis is pygeum africanum, extracted from the sap of the evergreen African prune tree that grows in central and southern Africa. It is as popular, and has similar actions, as the saw palmetto extract in the treatment of BPH. Both of these famous extracts are also believed to be effective in curing other prostate-related problems like erectile dysfunction and impotence. These are also rumored to make good aphrodisiacs!

Saw palmetto and pygeum africanum are both used alternatively in the same pharmacologic sense, often in the same dosage, and both are recommended to be taken continuously to obtain the ultimate benefit, even after the infection has subsided. Other herbal extracts in the list of often-administered natural cures for prostatitis are Cernilton, extracted from rye pollen, and Bazoton herb extract. Benefits from ingestion of natural honey, ginseng extract and the pristine water from young coconuts are also among the popular natural cures for prostatitis. Of course, for overall wellness, these natural cures for prostatitis should always be coupled with physical exercises - a healthy body has natural resistance to diseases in its system.