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Genealogy and Your Health

Did you know that you can use genealogy to keep yourself and your family healthy? Medical research shows that certain genetic disorders, as well as the tendencies to develop certain preventable health conditions, are hereditary. A family medical history is a useful tool that you and other members of your family can use to assist your physicians in caring for your health. Unfortunately, some families are at an increased risk for developing chronic conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, and certain cancers. If you discover any of these conditions as you research your family’s medical history, let your doctor know. Your … Continue reading →

Inversion Is Not for Everyone

Inversion — hanging or otherwise positioning yourself upside down — can be beneficial for your health. Sometimes called the “perfect stretch”, inversion can reverse pressure on muscles, joints, and organs. However, inversion may not be right for everyone. Certain health conditions may make inversion a dangerous practice. If you are concerned that inversion may not be good for you, talk to your healthcare provider before attempting any kind of inversion. Bone problems — like osteoporosis, spine injury or trauma, or fractures. Inversion may worsen bone problems. Circulatory problems — like high blood pressure, heart disease, and clotting problems. While some … Continue reading →

Healthy Choice Dieting

I know what they say about frozen dinners. They are high in sodium, which is not a good thing. However, when you need to lose weight, Healthy Choice was what worked for me and I will tell you why. I am not a spokesperson for Healthy Choice or in any way connected to them. Healthy Choice dinners enabled me to lose a great deal of weight. Yes, too great to talk about. It is a sensitive topic with me that I would rather not remember. My doctor suggested medication for my high cholesterol. I took it one day and my … Continue reading →

Low Blood Pressure

High blood pressure gets a lot of press — why it’s bad, what you can do about it, and more. But low blood pressure can be a serious problem, too! What can cause low blood pressure? Standing up quickly — this can cause a brief imbalance in your circulatory system that leaves you feeling light-headed for a moment. Eating a large meal. Standing for a long period of time. This can put you at risk for falling if you get light-headed. Certain medications can cause low blood pressure. Dehydration. Diabetes. If you are experiencing low blood pressure frequently, you should … Continue reading →

Hypertension in Cats: Causes

The most common causes of high blood pressure in cats are kidney disease and thyroid issues. Why does kidney disease cause hypertension? Normal aging may lead to changes in kidney size. As kidneys shrink, it becomes harder for blood to filter through the organs. This can lead to an increase in blood pressure as blood gets backed up. At least one study has found that approximately sixty-five percent of cats with age-related kidney failure also have high blood pressure. Why does hyperthyroidism cause hypertension? When the thyroid is over-producing hormones, many organs are affected — including the heart. The heart … Continue reading →

The Right Incentive Can Help You Fight Heart Disease

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Are you at risk for heart disease? Are you already suffering from some form of heart disease — like high blood pressure or high cholesterol? Here’s a more important question: what are you doing about your heart disease risk, and why? Are you losing weight, eating a healthy, balanced diet, and exercising regularly? Or are you just coasting along and not making any lifestyle changes in order to reduce your risk? Cardiologists report that having the right incentives for fighting heart disease are just as important (sometimes more important) than anything else. Look at my mom, for example. She has … Continue reading →

Marriage and Blood Pressure

Make all the jokes you want about how being married can raise your blood pressure… a new study from Brigham Young University has shown that a happy marriage can lead to lower blood pressure. In fact, a happy marriage seems to have some big health benefits. Study participants included more than two hundred married adults and 99 single adults. All participants wore a blood pressure monitor for a full day and night. Basically, the researchers wanted to see blood pressure levels during a normal day — periodic readings at a clinic don’t give an accurate representation of the changes in … Continue reading →

Lower Your Risk of Heart Disease with a Good Meal

You like to eat, right? For many people, a good meal with friends or family is one of life’s finest pleasures. There are some meals that can help reduce your risk of heart disease — ensuring that you will be around for many meals with friends and family to come. Cut back on salt. Too much salt can put you on the path to high blood pressure. High blood pressure is key in causing heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. Check the sodium content of packaged foods like frozen dinners, canned soups, and snack foods. Limit your intake to 1500 … Continue reading →

High Blood Pressure Linked to Dementia

Did you really need ANOTHER reason to take care of your high blood pressure? Here’s one for you — high blood pressure has been linked to dementia by research from Columbia University Medical Center in New York. Researchers tracked more than nine hundred elderly people in New York starting in 1992. The average age of the study participants was seventy-six. None of the participants had any form of cognitive impairment (dementia) when the study began. Participants were examined every eighteen months for more than four years. Approximately one third of study participants developed mild cognitive impairment during the course of … Continue reading →

Reducing Sodium Around the World

A high sodium diet isn’t just a problem in the United States — it is a problem around the world! Too much salt can contribute to serious health issues like high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, and kidney failure. Technological advancements have helped reduce sodium levels in foods. In the 1960s, salt was used generously in frozen vegetables. Better freezing techniques have reduced the amount of sodium in frozen vegetables by more than seventy-five percent. That doesn’t mean all frozen veggies are safe and healthy — check the sodium content in sauces. Around the world, governments are making an effort … Continue reading →