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Gibsons Chiropractic Blog

February 7, 2012

Heart Healthy Quiz: How Much Do You Know?

By Dr. Stacey

Source: www.chirodirectory.com

Quiz

1. Which of the following foods is not specifically linked to a reduced risk of heart disease?

a. Garlic b. Oats c. Corn d. Grape juice e. Nuts

2. The fiber in which of the following foods will lead to a reduction of blood cholesterol?

a. Whole-grain bread b. Brown rice c. Bran cereal d. Carrots e. Oats

3. What percentage of total deaths in the United States is linked to heart disease?

a. 20% b. 30% c. 40% d. 50% e. 60%

4. Which of the following conditions is not linked to metabolic syndrome, a cluster of conditions that vastly increases the risk for development of heart disease?

a. Kidney disease b. Low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol c. High total cholesterol d. Insulin resistance e. Abdominal obesity

5. How many calories are contained in each gram of fat?

a. 2 calories b. 3 calories c. 6 calories d. 9 calories e. 12 calories

6. Which of the following oils is high in saturated fat?

a. Canola oil b. Palm oil c. Safflower oil d. Corn oil e. Soybean oil

7. How much soy should you eat each day to lower cholesterol levels?

a. 5 grams (g) b. 10 g c. 15 g d. 20 g e. 25 g

8. If you are trying to reduce your sodium intake, it is recommended that one serving of any food should not contain more than ________ milligrams (mg) of sodium?

a. 100 mg b. 200 mg c. 300 mg d. 400 mg e. 500 mg

9. Potassium is shown to reduce blood pressure in humans. Which of the following foods is not high in potassium?

a. Green, seedless grapes b. Oranges and orange juice c. Potatoes d. Tomatoes e. Bananas

10. Which of the following is a lean cut of beef?

a. 80%/20% ground beef b. T-bone steak c. Sirloin d. Brisket e. Chuck blade roast

 

Answers

1. c. Corn Garlic, oats, grape juice, and nuts all are proven to reduce cholesterol levels and the risk of heart disease. A high intake of fruits and vegetables is proven to lead to better heart health, but no specific citation mentioning the benefits of corn exists.

2. e. Oats Whole-grain bread, brown rice, bran cereal, and carrots all contain insoluble fiber. Oats contain soluble fiber, which binds with bile and prevents the absorption of cholesterol. However, both soluble and insoluble fibers are good for you, and you should try to eat as much fiber as possible.

3. c. 40% According to the National Center for Health Statistics and the American Heart Association, cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of mortality in the United States, accounting for 40.1% of all deaths.

4. a. Kidney disease Metabolic syndrome is diagnosed if any of the following three conditions are present: Waist circumference ?40? in males or ?35? in females Triglycerides ?150, HDL cholesterol ?40 mg/deciliter (dL) in men or ?50 mg/dL in females, blood pressure ?130/?85 millimeters of mercury (mmHg) Fasting glucose ?110 mg/dL

5. d. 9 calories Each gram of fat contains 9 calories. For comparison, each gram of carbohydrate or protein contains 4 calories.

6. b. Palm oil Canola, safflower, corn, and soybean oils are all unsaturated oils. Other unsaturated oils are olive oil, cottonseed oil, wheat-germ oil, flaxseed oil, sunflower oil, and peanut oil.

7. e. 25 g The US Food and Drug Administration has approved a health claim for soy foods?consuming 25 g/day, when combined with a diet low in cholesterol and saturated fat, may reduce the risk of heart disease.

8. d. 400 mg People trying to reduce their sodium intake should read food labels carefully and choose foods that contain less than 400 mg of sodium/serving.

9. a. Green, seedless grapes All of the other food choices are good sources of potassium.

10. c. Sirloin All of the other choices are high in fat and cholesterol, and people who are at high risk for developing heart disease or who already are diagnosed with heart disease should avoid eating these cuts of beef.

Filed under: Blood Pressure,Heart Health,Nutrition — Tags: , ,

September 2, 2011

To Your Health Newsletter 08-31-2011

By Dr. Stacey

Brought to you by www.toyourhealth.com

Find Your Fountain of Youth

TYH image History shows us that people will go to great lengths to search for ways to remain young. The literal and figurative quest for the elusive “Fountain of Youth” is alive and well to this day. While there is no way (at least yet) to “live forever,”  the process of searching has helped us to learn more about the multitude of factors that seem to allow for longevity and lifelong health. Here are some easy ways to find your own Fountain of Youth and live a healthier, happier life.

  • Hydration is important for cellular functioning, so make sure you drink liquids regularly throughout the day.
  • The phytonutrients in plant-based foods are essential for health and wellness. Eat plenty of vegetables and low-sugar fruits every day.
  • Rest is necessary for your body to run optimally. The way to figure out how much sleep you need is to think about how much you sleep on a relaxing vacation, when you fall asleep naturally and wake up without an alarm. The number of hours you get on a relaxing vacation per day is generally how much time your body is craving for sleep.
  • Take time to have fun with your loved ones. Social support and positive experiences have been seen in studies to be beneficial to health.
  • Make sure to keep your body moving every day, even if it’s just walking up and down stairs at work or taking a noon-time stroll around the block. Exercise is key to living a long and healthy life!

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Jump-Start Your Next Workout

TYH image Has your workout program been in a downward spiral lately? Have you been doing less and less physical activity? Are the once pain-free activities now causing increased pain? If so, you might want to resume your workouts with isometric exercise. Find out more about isometric exercises and try these beginner exercises to get you started.

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Too Much Salt in Your Diet?

TYH image The fast- and processed-food industries offer a staggering variety of sodium-laden foods, many of which make a huge dent in your recommended daily allowance for sodium in a single serving. These days, a major culprit when it comes to sodium intake isn’t what we sprinkle on our foods – it’s the food itself. Here’s why sodium can be dangerous in excessive amounts and what you can do to help keep it in check.

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Filed under: Aging,Blood Pressure,Exercise,Fitness,Nutrition,Wellness — Tags: , , , ,

March 16, 2011

To Your Health Newsletter 03-15-2011

By Dr. Stacey

What’s Causing Your Cough?

A cough, while common, can be caused by all manner of things; some fairly benign and some more health-threatening. Here are a few (varied) reasons why your child – or you, for that matter – could be coughing, courtesy of the Mayo Clinic. Talk to your doctor for more information.

Respiratory Tract Infection: A cough is often a symptom of a cold, flu, pneumonia or other infection affecting the upper respiratory tract. Unlike most of the other symptoms associated with these conditions, it can linger for some time, whether because the infection is hanging around or because your airways are still inflamed and sensitive to irritation.

Asthma: The leading cause of chronic cough in children and also common in adults, asthma can also cause wheezing and shortness of breath, although with at least one type of asthma, cough may be the only symptom. As you might expect, asthma-related coughs may be worsened by respiratory infections or other conditions characterized by coughing.

Blood Pressure Drugs: Yes, some children (and many adults, of course) take ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) inhibitors, which may cause chronic cough; in fact, it’s estimated that 20 percent of people taking blood pressure drugs develop chronic cough that may linger even after medication is discontinued. Your chiropractor can tell you about some of the other unpleasant – and potentially dangerous – side effects of over-the-counter and prescription medications.

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease: GERD causes stomach acid to flow back into the esophagus, so the throat and even the lungs can be chronically irritated, the result of which can be chronic coughing.

There are other causes of cough, but keep in mind that an occasional, temporary cough is completely normal; it helps keep your lungs clear of foreign substances, secretions, etc., and helps to prevent infections. It’s the unrelenting cough that deserves a visit to the doctor for further investigation, if nothing else than to rule out anything serious as a causative factor.

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Healthy Eating: A Matter of Balance

Balanced eating means taking in the amount of nutrients your body needs for optimal functioning, when your body needs it, and no more. Simple to understand, hard to do! Every person requires different levels of nutrient intake, and your age, activity level, whether you’re a man or woman, and your current weight all play a role in what your plate should look like. One thing is for sure, though: It shouldn’t look like one big bagel. Here’s why.

Not to pick on bagels, but in general, they’re unbalanced -nutritionists would call this “calorie dense / nutrient light,” meaning that within your average medium-sized cinnamon-raisin bagel with butter, most of the 300-plus calories come from one nutrient: carbs. Exchange that bagel for something like a slice of whole-grain bread with cheese and tomato and you get a more balanced profile of nutrients and a lot more vitamins and minerals – key to a nutrient-dense food. And nutrient density is what you want.

Unbalanced nutrition (in either direction) causes your body to work harder. Eating a diet that’s devoid of vitamins and minerals makes your body prioritize its activity – for example, without enough calcium, your body will take it from your bones to make sure your muscles have enough. Conversely, eating more than your body needs means extra energy goes toward processing nutrients, storing them and dealing with the long-term effects of extra weight (joint pain and inflammatory chemical changes, for example). The key is to get the right amounts of macronutrients (carbs, protein and fat) and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) in the right balance so your body can function. Here are five easy ways to ensure balanced, healthy eating:

1. Pay attention to what you eat. It may be boring, but writing down what you eat is the best way to actually see what your daily diet looks like. And you may be surprised by what it shows. Once it’s there in black and white, you can see what you’re doing right and what you might want to change.
2. Make sure every grain you eat is a whole grain. Grain products like bagels can ramp up your calories without providing much bang for the buck. Be adventurous! Try a new grain like quinoa, or replace the white flour in a muffin recipe with whole wheat or even a mix of oat, whole wheat and bran.
3. Eat a fruit and vegetable with every meal. Yes, even breakfast. And no, most jelly doesn’t count. Cold cucumbers with an egg sandwich or a reheated spinach omelet can help you meet your daily need for the vital nutrition found in fruits and vegetables.
4. Look at labels. If any one of the “daily values” for fat, protein, or carbohydrates is off the charts, put that item back.
5. Buy fresh and local as much as possible. Stay on the perimeter of the grocery store where the fresh food lives. And if your grocery store doesn’t stock local growers, talk to the produce manager and ask your friends to make comments, too. You could also join a community supported agriculture co-op, or make a point to visit your local farmers market.

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There’s No Better Time to Exercise

When it comes to exercise, you have to find time, make time and save time or invariably, you’ll have no time left in your busy day, week, month or year to make it happen. Regardless of how hectic your life is, here are four simple ways to ensure exercise doesn’t drop off your daily To-Do List.

Rise and Shine. With the exception of extra sleep, which is important for health in its own right, few things should beat out exercise first thing in the morning. Start the day with exercise and you’ll feel invigorated, if for no other reason than knowing you’ve gotten it done.

The World Is Your Gym. Too many people think that if they don’t make it to the gym or hit the open road for a 5-mile run, they can’t meet their exercise quota. Pure nonsense; after all, physical activity existed long before fitness clubs and fancy workout equipment did. Walk from work to lunch and back; take your dog for a jog; do push-ups with the kids; there are endless ways to stay active even during the busiest of days.

Two Is Better Than One. You want to go to the gym, but dread that it will consume precious hours of your time? Here’s what you can do: Circuit train, which means working out different body parts one after the other with little or no rest. (Many gyms have an equipment “course” set up for this very purpose.) You can also “superset” exercises, combining biceps and triceps routines, for example.

Don’t Go It Alone. If you’re one of the millions who struggle to stay the course (whether it’s exercise, diet, quitting smoking, etc.), it’s not cheating to recruit a little help. Schedule workouts with a friend or office acquaintance, join a walking or running club, or even pay for personal training sessions if you can afford it; whatever it takes to ensure exercise stays front and center.

Increasing research demonstrates the powerful benefits of consistent exercise. Talk to your chiropractor about these and other ways you can incorporate exercise into your life – and keep it there.

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[Source: www.toyourhealth.com]

Filed under: Allergies,Blood Pressure,Chemicals,Colds/Flu,Digestion,Exercise,Nutrition,Prescription Drugs — Tags: , , , , , ,

February 16, 2011

To Your Health Newsletter 02-16-2011

By Dr. Stacey

Eat Your Way to Heart Health

What is a prudent anti-aging approach to heart health? While the benefits of cardiovascular activity are well-established and often receive the bulk of attention when discussing heart health, the scientific literature suggests a number of nutritional approaches also are worthy of consideration for achieving optimal cardiac fitness.  Here are three you can incorporate into your daily diet starting today. Talk to your doctor for more information.

The Power of (Healthy) Protein. Previous studies have linked consumption of red meat to increased risks of cardiovascular disease and cancer. Adam Bernstein, from Harvard School of Public Health, and colleagues studied data collected on 84,136 women, ages 30 to 55, enrolled in the Nurses’ Health Study. The research team examined the women’s medical histories and lifestyles, including dietary habits, and tracked the incidence of non-fatal heart attacks and fatal coronary heart disease for 26 years.

Women who consumed two servings per day of red meat, as compared to those who consumed only half a serving per day, had a 30 percent higher risk of developing coronary heart disease. By comparison, the data also showed that eating more servings of protein sources such as poultry, fish and nuts was significantly associated with a decreased risk of coronary heart disease. Compared to eating one serving each day of red meat, women who substituted other protein-rich foods experienced a significantly lower risk of coronary heart disease.

Where’s the Watermelon? Watermelon is a rich natural source of L-citrulline, a compound closely related to L-arginine, which is crucial to the formation of nitric oxide, which helps to widen blood vessels and thereby mediate blood pressure. Arturo Figueroa, from Florida State University, and colleagues evaluated four men and five women, average age 54 years, with pre-hypertension (134/77 ± 5/3 mmHg). Subjects were randomly assigned to six weeks of watermelon supplementation or placebo, followed by a four-week washout period and then crossover. The team found that supplementation with 6 grams of L-citrulline from watermelon improved arterial function and lowered aortic blood pressure in all pre-hypertensive subjects.

Healthy Fats, Healthy Heart? Low HDL (high-density lipoprotein, “good” cholesterol) levels and high LDL (low-density lipoprotein, “bad” cholesterol) levels are a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. David Jenkins, from St. Michael’s Hospital (Ontario, Canada), and colleagues recruited 17 men and 7 postmenopausal women to complete a very low saturated fat diet before being randomly assigned to either a high-monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) diet or a low- MUFA diet. Both groups of patients were assigned to a specific vegetarian diet that included oats, barley, psyllium, eggplant, okra, soy, almonds and a plant sterol-enriched margarine.

In the high-MUFA group, the researchers substituted 13 percent of calories from carbohydrates with a high-MUFA sunflower oil, with the option of a partial exchange with avocado oil. The team found significant reductions in blood cholesterol levels over the two-month study period for participants, with the replacement of 13 percent of total calories from carbohydrate by monounsaturated fats in the dietary portfolio resulting in a 12.5 percent increase in HDL and 35 percent reduction in LDL.

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Meditation, Not Medication

Antidepressants have been the mainstay treatment for depression, an approach that has garnered significant criticism over the years from those who believe the drugs are widely overprescribed and unsafe. For example, in some cases, antidepressants appear to actually increase the risk of suicidal thoughts and/or behaviors; certainly not a desired consequence for anyone, but particularly for someone suffering from depression.

Now for some good news: Research is suggesting alternative treatments may be as effective as – and definitely safer than – antidepressant medications. Case in point: a study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry that suggests meditation benefits depression patients in remission from the disorder.

In the study, patients who learned how to meditate 40 minutes a day instead of taking antidepressant medication were as likely to avoid a relapse as patients taking antidepressants or a placebo (an inactive pill patients believed contained medication to help them control their depression symptoms).

Keep in mind that depression, particularly major depressive disorder, goes far beyond “feeling blue”; symptoms can severely impact home, school and work life. For additional information about depression including the warning signs, visit the NIMH Web site at www.nimh.nih.gov/health/index.shtml.

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Extraordinary Exercises

Here’s a common snag with people who exercise consistently, especially during the first few months of a new year: You don’t look forward to doing the same exercises you did last year. Although squats, push-ups, lunges and pull-ups are the foundation for most, if not all exercises, they can get monotonous over time and your body could do the thing we don’t want it to do: plateau. If your body plateaus, it means it essentially gets used to the exercises and figures out a way to burn less calories efficiently. That means a less productive workout for you, which is never a good thing. Here are some challenging variations on common exercises that will take your workout from ordinary to extraordinary:

“Uchimata” Push-Up Variation: From a one-leg push-up position and squeezing the glute (buttock) of your support leg, slowly lower your body as one unit until your chest grazes the floor and pause for a count. From there, use your glute to slowly raise your lifted leg as high as you can without overly hyperextending your lower back. Then push back up to the starting position, switch sides and repeat for time. The one-leg lift really increases the demands on your core, lower back, glutes, and hamstrings; and since it shifts your weight forward onto your hands, it really challenges your shoulders, too.

Vertical Squat Jump: Stand in the start position for a body-weight squat, then squat down and jump up as high as possible.

Lunge Hops: Start in the bottom of a split-squat position (one leg in front, one in back). Your front thigh should be parallel to the floor, your torso upright and your abs braced. Jump up explosively and switch leg positions in the air. Your back leg becomes the front leg, and vice-versa. Absorb the landing with your muscles. Keep your abs braced and torso upright. Alternate sides without resting between sides. Repeat for 10 reps total.

Inverted Rows: Set a bar at hip height in the Smith machine or squat rack. Lie underneath the bar and grab it a few inches wider than shoulder-width apart. Row (pull) yourself up the top position with your upper back and lats. Keep the abs braced and body in a straight line from toes (knees) to shoulders. Slowly return to the start position. Repeat for 10 reps. (For beginner inverted rows – keep feet on the ground.)

Hope these twists on some original exercises get you excited and ready for a new, better you in 2011. After all, having an arsenal of exercises that you can do safely and effectively is the only true way to lose weight, gain strength and stay healthy in the long term. Now go out there and get started! Remember to talk to your doctor before beginning any new exercise routine, particularly if you have a health condition that could impact performance or safety.

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[Source: www.toyourhealth.com]

Filed under: Blood Pressure,Exercise,Fitness,Heart Health,Mental Health,Nutrition,Stress — Tags: , , , , , , ,

February 15, 2011

Happy Valentines Day!

By Dr. Stacey

Chiropractic adjustments lower blood pressure

A new study in the Journal of Human Hypertension, one of Nature Publishing Group’s journals, reveals that chiropractic adjustments to correct subluxation of the atlas vertebrae lower blood pressure (BP).
The double blind, placebo-controlled study enrolled 50 patients with Stage 1 hypertension, who were not taking medication for the condition. During an eight-week period, half of the subjects underwent chiropractic care for restoration of atlas alignment using a National Upper Cervical Chiropractic (NUCCA) procedure. A control group received a sham procedure.
Compared with members of the placebo group, those undergoing chiropractic care enjoyed significant drops in both systolic BP and diastolic BP. No adverse effects were detected. However, chiropractic care did not appear to influence heart rate.
“We conclude that restoration of atlas alignment is associated with marked and sustained reductions in BP similar to the use of two-drug combination therapy,” conclude the study’s authors.

Journal of Human Hypertension – January 25, 2007;Epub.www.nature.com.

[Thanks to Dr. Michael Beattie

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Filed under: Blood Pressure,Heart Health,Inflammation,Nervous System,Prescription Drugs,Stroke — Tags: , , , , ,

December 22, 2010

To Your Health Newsletter 12-22-2010

By Dr. Stacey

Pain: Putting the Fire Out

Back pain, neck pain, knee pain, foot pain – wherever the pain is, it’s a pretty powerful motivator. In fact, depending on the severity of the pain, you may be willing to do just about anything to get rid of it. That’s why so many people rush to the medicine cabinet and pop a few pills at the first sign of pain. Here’s a much better idea: Ask your chiropractor about these simple exercises that can actually help reduce pain caused by common overuse conditions.

You wake up at night with numbness and tingling in your hands. Sleeping through the night is almost an impossible task. You may be suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome, a condition in which nerves from your neck traveling into your hand can become compressed in the wrist.

What you can do: Extend (straighten) your arm out in front of your body with your palm facing up. Straighten your fingers, keeping them close together. Bend your wrist backward and try to point your fingers toward the floor, and with the opposite hand press down on the palm side of your fingers to bend (extend) your wrist slightly further. Hold this stretch for 2 seconds, return the wrist to a straight position, and then repeat the entire movement for 10 repetitions

Do you feel clicking and popping in your knee? Perhaps walking up and down stairs has become a challenge and taking those after-dinner walks is more and more difficult. Knee pain can be a tricky condition because proper motion depends on the functioning of the hips and ankles.

What you can do: Stand on the edge of a step with the balls of your feet. Make sure you have something to hold on to for balance. Keep a slight bend in your knees and let your heels drift downward towards the floor, so your toes are higher than your heels. Sink the heels downward as far as you can and hold for 5 seconds. You can progress to one foot at a time for increased intensity. Return to the starting position and repeat 10 times.

If you experience sharp pain on the outside of your elbow when trying to twist open a jar or grasping something with your hand, it may be tendonitis of the forearm muscles. This injury became known as tennis elbow because players would get elbow pain after hitting repetitive backswings in tennis.

What you can do: Stand sideways against a wall. Bend your arm 90 degrees at the elbow with the thumb facing up. Place a tennis ball between the top of the forearm and the wall, with the opposite hand press against the inside of your forearm, putting additional pressure into the ball. Move the forearm back and forth in a circular motion on the tennis ball, searching for tender spots. Spend between 30-60 seconds on each tender spot until the pain begins to fade; then search for other tender areas. Do this three to five times per day.

The most important point to remember is that no exercise should make your pain worse. Soreness and discomfort are acceptable and expected; however, increased pain and dysfunction is not. It takes time for an injury to properly heal. Talk to your doctor for more information about what you can do to keep pain away the natural way.

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How Nutrition Can Help Eczema

There are three main objectives in the treatment of eczema: reducing inflammation, relieving itching of the skin, and moisturizing dry patches. As most alternative health practitioners know, certain dietary practices and various supplements can help to accomplish these objectives in many cases of eczema that seem to be resistant to standard medical treatment. The most evidence-based lifestyle, dietary and supplementation strategies shown to improve cases of eczema are as follows:

Dietary and Lifestyle Considerations: Avoid any known dietary or environmental irritants or allergens. Reduce the build-up of the polyunsaturated fat arachidonic acid within skin cells, as it is the direct building block of inflammatory prostaglandin hormones. To accomplish this, reduce the intake of the following foods: high-fat meat and dairy products; corn oil, sunflower seed oil, safflower seed oil, and mixed vegetable oils; alcohol, hydrogenated fats (e.g., margarine, commercial peanut butter, shortenings).

Replace the above foods with the following: chicken, turkey, fish, Cornish hen, 1 percent milk or yogurt, low-fat cheese (3 percent or less milk fat), olive oil, canola oil, or peanut oil (for salad dressings, to sauté vegetables or stir fry only).

Important Supplements: Omega-3 fats provide the building block for the production of prostaglandin hormones that reduce the inflammatory activity of skin cells. They also reduce the build-up of arachidonic acid in skin cells by blocking the enzyme that converts linoleic acid and gamma-linolenic acid to arachidonic acid. Examples of omega-3 fats of importance to skin health include EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and ALA (alpha-linolenic acid). EPA is found in fish and fish oils, and ALA is found primarily in flaxseed oil. Clinical trials have shown that omega-3 fats can be effective in the treatment of eczema.

Gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) has also been shown to help in cases of eczema. Studies reveal that many patients with eczema lack the enzyme to convert linoleic acid to gamma-linolenic acid. As gamma-linolenic acid is the building block of an important anti-inflammatory prostaglandin hormone, supplementation with an oil that is high in gamma-linolenic acid, such as borage, black currant or evening primrose oil, has been shown to favorably affect cases of eczema.

A number of B vitamins (especially B6 and niacin) are necessary co-factors to speed up the enzymes that produce anti-inflammatory prostaglandins in the skin. Vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium and zinc are also required to support various enzymes within skin cells that promote the formation of prostaglandins, which reduce skin inflammatory conditions, including eczema. I recommend a high-potency multivitamin/mineral supplement that contains a B-50 complex along with boosted levels of antioxidants.

In many cases, once specific allergies have been ruled out, the medical profession is at a loss to provide eczema sufferers with any meaningful treatment options. For this subgroup of patients, specific dietary and supplementation practices outlined in this article can provide significant improvement of their condition in many cases. Your doctor can tell you more about the connection between diet and skin health.

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Lower Sugar, Lower Blood Pressure

Sounds pretty simple, right? Except in a society overwhelmed by processed foods loaded with added sugar, keeping your sugar (or blood pressure) in check can be a major challenge.

But let’s leave the topic of limiting sugar consumption from all sources for another day, and instead focus on sugar from a single source: sugar-sweetened beverages. According to a study published in the June 2010 issue of Circulation (a journal of the American Heart Association), a reduction in sugar-sweetened beverage consumption of one serving per day reduced systolic blood pressure in adults by 1.8 mg Hg and diastolic blood pressure by 1.1 mg Hg over 18 months. (If your blood pressure is 120-75, for example, your systolic blood pressure is 120 and your diastolic blood pressure is 75.) Diet beverage consumption and caffeine intake did not appear to be associated with blood pressure.

Remember, even a small reduction, particularly if all you have to do is drink less sugar-sweetened beverages, can make a big difference. In fact, it might save your life. Your doctor can tell you more – much more – about the considerable dangers of sugar and high blood pressure.

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[Source: www.toyourhealth.com]

Filed under: back pain,Blood Pressure,Feet,Inflammation,Neck Pain,Nutrition,Pain,Skin,Stretches,Supplements — Tags: , , , , , ,