How to Prevent Stroke in Women Naturally

The American Heart Association has established guidelines to help women avoid a stroke naturally to live a longer, healthier lifestyle.

Every year about 800,000 Americans have a recurrent or a new stroke, which happens when a blood vessel in the brain is blocked by bursts or a clot. The American Heart Association has recently put out its first guidelines to prevent strokes for women. The main focus is pregnancy, birth control and other risk factors that women encounter uniquely or more frequent than men. With stroke being the third leading cause of death for women and the fifth leading cause of death for men, this is a very serious risk factor for Americans.

My sister had a stroke last year that shocked the entire family but she has been very blessed to recover very fast and well. She has been taking her morning walks, jogging in the afternoon and following a healthy diet since then. She has lost about twenty pounds and her health has improved greatly. The guidelines by the AHA apply to patients like my sister Michelle who suffered a stroke.

The key to surviving a stroke and minimizing disability is recognizing symptoms like weakness or numbness in one arm, trouble speaking, and drooping on one side of the face. Guidelines for preventing stroke focus on controlling diabetes and blood pressure, more physical activity or fat loss and healthy eating, and quitting smoking. According to Dr. Cheryl Bushnell, stroke chief at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C. she led the panel that wrote the guidelines, published in Stroke, a Heart Association journal.

Pregnancy

During pregnancy strokes are not very common but the risk is still higher, especially the last three months and immediately after delivery. The real issue is dangerously high blood pressure that can cause a seizure and other problems, which is called preeclampsia. Later in life it doubles the risk of stroke and quadruples the risk of high blood pressure after pregnancy. The guidelines mention you can lower the risk of preeclampsia with calcium supplements and pregnant women with very high blood pressure (160/110) may need medications.

Menopause

According to the guidelines, hormone therapy should not be used to try to prevent a stroke. Now the guidelines put women's concerns "on the table" so more physicians discuss them, said Dr. Shazam Hussain, stroke chief at the Cleveland Clinic.

Birth Control Pills

It is recommended that women be checked for high blood pressure before taking oral contraceptives because the combination can increase the risk of strokes. Even though the risk is small it increases greatly in women between the ages of 45 to 49. There are more than 10 million women currently on birth control pills.

Aspirin and Migraines

An aspirin is always recommended for anyone who has already suffered from a stroke unless the stroke was caused by bleeding in the brain rather than a blood clot, or if bleeding is a risk concern says Bushnell. A low-dose aspirin each day "can be useful" to reduce stroke risk in women 65 and older only if its benefits is higher by the potential for bleeding or other risks, according to the guidelines. Women are four times more likely to suffer from migraines than men, and they usually coincide with hormone changes. Migraines with aura do raise the risk of stroke but no alone. Smoking and using oral contraceptives increase the risk even more, so the guidelines stress that patients quite smoking.

I highly recommend that all Americans especially women do follow these guidelines issued by the American Heart Association to prevent all strokes to live longer and healthier. Balanced diets and daily exercise is a very important key to reducing stroke, heart attack, diabetes and other serious issues that affect your health so take action today to improve your health.

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Buy Quinoa and Live a Healthier Life

Don't be the last to try! Buy quinoa now! 

This is the best time to really think about your health, not just for yourself but also for the people you love, not only to lose those extra size and weight for you will surely lose them, but to seriously consider having a longer and healthy life. Switch to a better eating habit and switch to a healthier lifestyle when you buy quinoa.

Where can you buy quinoa? You can buy quinoa online as a Whole Grain, a natural and organic cultivar mostly from Peru and Bolivia; it is usually sold in 12 oz. packages or boxes. It is cooked in just 10 - 15 minutes, wheat free and gluten free, this makes quinoa the perfect food for people who follow a wheat free and gluten free diet. It is certified organic which means it was planted and cultivated on an unfertilized and healthy soil.

Why buy quinoa? Simple, it's an amazing grain, a super food. Here are a few heartening reasons:

1. Buy your way to good health because it contains more high quality protein than any other grain. It is actually one of the best sources of protein in the vegetable kingdom.

That's right, it is a vegetable. Quinoa is a broad leaf plant vastly grown in South America, and the leaves are used in salads with other salad greens and served as a side dish, and the seeds of quinoa are consumed like grains and mostly substituted for rice. Quinoa in itself is a complete protein grain. It provides all the essential amino acids in a balanced fashion, close to the standard set by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. Buy quinoa for a light, tasty and easy nourishment. This delicate grain is much less filling than most other grains and has a delicious nutty flavor all its own.

  2. Quinoa is fiber-rich, light and easy to digest.

3. Purchase quinoa to get a high level of carbohydrates that are slow-releasing and helps maintain your blood sugar level, and keep you full and satisfied and your energy high for most of the day with lesser cravings for more food.

Quinoa has a delicate nutty flavor and is very easy to prepare. Perfect for today's active lifestyle, quinoa can be served as a side dish; in soups, in salads, as a pilaf, and even as a nutritious breakfast cereal. When you purchase quinoa, the package should say that the quinoa grain had been pre washed and thoroughly rinsed and air dried to remove the naturally occurring bitter saponins, and there are some brands that do as they promise. Although it is always so much better if you wash it before cooking, to really enjoy its great flavor.

You can also find and buy Quinoa Flour, Quinoa Flakes and Quinoa Pops for their variety of uses in your kitchen. They come in three variants of natural whole grain; white quinoa, red quinoa and black quinoa. Although there is no big difference in taste or health benefits and the preparation, it will always make your presentation appealing with each color of quinoa grain.

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How to Eat Healthy When You Cannot Cook Your Own Meals

Trying to stay healthy can prove to be a very difficult task especially if you have limited resources to work with. Take college students, they live in small dorm rooms with tiny refrigerators and they have no access to stoves or kitchen appliances.

 If you are a business traveler, you rely on pre-made restaurant food that is often loaded down with salt, fat and other unhealthy preservatives. It is very hard to find a good wholesome meal with fresh fruits and vegetables without the necessary support. The good news is that there are ways that you can stay healthy and prevent weight gain even when you are not able to prepare your own meals.

The most obvious way to prevent weight gain is to engage in some form of regular physical exercise. You do not have to belong to a gym membership as that can be expensive or too far away from your home. Walking 30 minutes a day is a great way to exercise. It can include walking to work if you live close, going to and from your car in the parking lot, shopping in malls or taking a nice walk after work around the park or your town. If you live in an area where safety is an issue, exercise indoors by going up and down the stairs, doing sit-ups, walking or running in place or jumping rope.

Make sure that you do not make the choice to skip meals in order to try to lose weight because this is a myth. It may seem like a logical decision because the eating less means consuming fewer calories, but the truth is when you do this, your body's metabolism will slow down to conserve energy, thus storing fat. When you do decide to eat, the food will be broken down much more slowly then it normally is and it will also be stored as energy or fat which will not be burned during exercise.
Another problem with skipping meals is that your body will be so hungry that it will cause you to overeat once you do decide to eat a meal. A good rule of thumb is to eat every few hours somewhere around 5 or 6 small meals a day. You could have eggs for breakfast and have a small piece of fruit a few hours later. Have a sandwich for lunch and snack on crackers in the afternoon. Make sure that you include protein and carbohydrates in every meal. Healthy snacks include nuts, dried fruit and peanut butter.
Try to avoid as much stress in your life as you can because it can lead to weight gain. It can lead you to skip meals, eat more fast food, reduce exercise and get little to no sleep. One of the best ways to combat stress is to take frequent breaks at work or school. You can also talk with one of your coworkers or take a short walk during your lunch break. You may choose to do some deep breathing exercises or listen to some soft music to ease your worries. The most important thing for you is to be able to recognize the signs that your body is ready for a physical or mental break.
If you have a busy hectic schedule, it can cause you to eat out more often and that is not good as most of the food is packed with fat and salt which can lead to weight gain, but there are healthier options available that you need to look for. Salads are always good choices, but be careful when adding cheeses, dressings or croutons because they can add many grams of fat and calories to your meal. Order grilled or baked foods instead of fried because they will have less fat. Cut your meal in half as the majority of restaurant meals have twice as much food as you need in a single serving. Ask for a box and take the remaining food home with you and that way, you will not only save calories, you will have lunch for tomorrow.

Last of all, you should make sure that you drink plenty of water to keep yourself healthy and hydrated. Make sure to carry water with you while you are away from home. If you are trying to lose weight drink a glass of water before your meal and after your meal and it will help prevent you from overeating. Make sure to rehydrate your body if you lose a lot of sweat during exercise. If you get tired of drinking water, try some juice or tea for a variety, but remember that juice has calories and sugar, so drink it in moderation. Do not drink a lot of soda or coffee as it is not good for your body.
Stopping weight gain can be difficult, but by making a few small simple changes, you can be on your way to a healthier lifestyle.




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Considering a Vegetarian Weight Loss Diet?

Tired of feeling unhealthy, heavy, and somewhat bulky? Do you feel like you should go for a healthier lifestyle than the one that you are leading today? Did you just consider a vegetarian weight loss diet? With all the diets out there that are up for grabs, creating hype on the market, the vegetarian way is often overlooked, and that is quite unfortunate since it is one of the healthiest, natural ways of wellness.
An Overview on Veganism

Basically, when one says "vegetarian", it means having a plant-based diet. However, there are 3 types of vegetarians, and these classifications are determined through what they eat. Lacto-ovo vegetarians include dairy products and eggs to their plant-based diet; lacto-vegetarians only include dairy products to their plant-based diet; and vegans only consume a plant-based diet.

The Benefits of a Vegetarian Diet
This means not only the benefits of a vegetarian weight loss diet, but conceptually, a vegetarian way of living. Based on scientific studies, it has been discovered that individuals following a plant-based diet (aka veganism) have a significantly low tendency to become obese or overweight, even by having unlimited amounts of fruits and vegetables to keep them from getting hungry.
It is also discovered that a plant-based diet, is an effective way for women to lose weight, thus improving insulin sensitivity. This is true for both total plant-based (vegan) and partial plant-based diets (lacto-ovo and lacto-vegetarian). However, for omnivorous diets, the effectivity isn't nearly as high. This was shown in a new study of The American Journal of Medicine (September 2009 issue). So not only does women end up looking good on the outside with a vegetarian weight loss diet, but they also end up becoming healthy on the inside as well.
However, do note that not all vegetarians and vegans are spared from being overweight or obese. There are a number who are too - but they are significantly lower than those who include meat regularly in their diets. It is also worth noting that worldwide, vegetarians have lower rates of heart diseases, high blood pressure, and diabetes.

Vegetarianism and Losing Weight
Everyone who has been overweight or obese that has used a vegetarian weight loss diet to become healthier and fit can tell you that it did let them lose a lot of weight while keeping them healthy and strong.
By eliminating meat from their diet they end up with less fat, less sodium, but more fiber because of their new plant-based diet. Hence, you can say that a plant-based diet, plus some exercise will shape a healthier, happier you.



























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