How Midlife Heart Disease, the #1 Killer, can be Avoided 
by www.SixWise.com

It is the size of a clenched fist, beats approximately 72 times a minute and is one of the most important organs in your body -- the human heart. But with incredible endurance and life-sustaining responsibilities comes the likelihood for breakdowns, ranging in severity from transient or chronic and slow developing to sudden or even deadly.

And while heart disease is a widely known illness -- and the leading cause of death in the United States -- there are actually several different “types of heart disease” that fall under the classification of heart disease.

Heart disease, often referred to as cardiovascular disease, is defined as any condition that affects your heart. It is the number one worldwide killer of both men and women and takes approximately 2,500 American lives each day.

Breakdown and Prevalence of Types of Heart Disease

• High blood pressure: 73,600,000

• “Coronary heart disease”: 17,600,000

• Myocardial infarction (acute heart attack): 8,500,000

• Angina pectoris  (chest pain or discomfort caused by reduced blood supply to the heart muscle): 10,200,000

• Stroke: 6,400,000

• Heart failure: 5,800,000

Can You Lower Your Risk of Heart Disease?

Many forms of heart disease can be prevented by following a healthy diet and making smart lifestyle choices, which we’ll detail shortly. However, there are two groups of risk factors: those that you can control and those out of your control due to genetic inheritance, infections and the natural aging process. 

“What Causes Heart Disease?”

Risk Factors Out of Your Control

• Male sex

• Older age

• Family history of heart disease

• Post-menopausal

• Race (African Americans, American Indians, and Mexican Americans are in a higher risk bracket for heart disease than Caucasians)

Risk Factors You Can Control

• Smoking

• High LDL, or "bad" cholesterol and low HDL, or "good" cholesterol

• High blood pressure

• Lack of exercise

• Obesity

• Uncontrolled diabetes

• High-C Reactive protein

• Uncontrolled stress and anger levels

You Can Lower Your Risk, Even in Middle Age and Beyond

Findings from a study in the American Journal of Medicine confirm that it’s never too late, even if you’re in your mid-40s to mid-60s, to start making healthy lifestyle changes to reduce your risk of developing heart disease, coronary heart disease, and any other type of heart disease.

At the beginning of the study only 8.5 percent of the middle-aged participants met all four criteria for healthy living:

• Eat at least five fruits and vegetables daily

• Walk or get other exercise for at least 2.5 hours weekly

• Keep BMI (body mass index) out of the obese range

• Don't smoke

The 970 participants that decided to take on the challenge of incorporating all four healthy lifestyle changes were 40 percent less likely to die and 35 percent less likely to develop heart disease than those who didn’t make any lifestyle changes.

The Way to a Happy, Healthy Heart

The key to a healthy heart begins with taking responsibility for your body and your lifestyle choices. There are some proactive steps you can take to lead a heart-healthy lifestyle and reduce your risk of heart disease.

6-Step Plan to a Healthy Heart and Vibrant Life

1. Quit smoking—Smokers face double the risk of suffering a heart attack than non-smokers. If you smoke, make a commitment to yourself to quit, as smoking is one of the most preventable risk factors for heart disease.

2. Make healthy food choices—Eating a heart-healthy diet is one of the biggest lines of defense against cardiovascular disease. Add fresh vegetables, fruits, whole-grain and high-fiber foods and low-mercury fish to your diet and stay away from foods high in salt, unhealthy fats and refined sugars.

Once you start adding more fruits and veggies to your diet, you can help maximize nutrient absorption from these nutrient-rich foods using the plant-based enzyme supplement, AbsorbAid Platinum from NutritionsFinest.com.

This vegetable-based digestive enzyme system combines its effective ratio of proteases, amylases, lipases and cellulases with two "acid-tolerant" bacteria or a probiotic combination, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium bifidum, to help break down all food groups and maximize nutrient absorption from the food you eat.

Keep Your Healthy Fruits and Veggies Fresh Longer! Once you invest in produce for the health of you and your family, protect your investment using the MiniMate Refrigerator Unit. The MiniMate deodorizes (replacing baking soda boxes in the fridge) and kills potentially dangerous food-borne bacteria. This extends the freshness and life of many foods 3 to 4 times longer! Plus, the MiniMate: Features an activated oxygen generator to eliminate odors, keep foods fresher longer and kill bacteria in your refrigerator Naturally kills odors without any cover-up scents or fragrance Reduces food spoilage and prevents cross-contamination of food odors Breaks down pesticides and herbicides on produce Featured by the Food Network’s Paula Deen as a "Hot Pick" and was given the National Health and Wellness Seal of Approval! Find Out More About the MiniMate Refrigerator Unit Now!

3. Lower your high blood pressure levels—Along with maintaining a healthy diet, get out and start exercising to lower your negative numbers.

Ideally, your blood pressure reading should be less than 120/80 mmHg.

4. Get out of the house and exercise every day—People who lead sedentary lifestyles are at higher risk of death and heart disease compared to those who make a point of getting mild to moderate amounts of exercise.

Aim for 30 minutes of exercise each day to reap the benefits. Some ideas for a good aerobic workout that target the large muscle groups include cycling, swimming, jumping rope and jogging. If you enjoy walking, pick up a pedometer and shoot for 10,000 steps a day.

If it’s been a while since you exercised and you are unsure on how to start up again, you can get some good direction by first reading this past article How to Most Effectively Start Working Out When You Haven’t Exercised in Years. It contains nine great tips to get you moving.

Next, if you’re not sure what type of exercise would best suit you, try using a personal trainer. He or she can educate you on a variety of workout routines designed to meet your individual fitness goals.

If you’re looking for an exercise program you can do right from your own home, we highly recommend adding SheaNetics from MySheaNetics.com, a mind-body workout, to your exercise routine.

For just starting out or to improve your health MySheaNetics.com DVD Program Set offers the best progressive exercises. Founded by fitness expert Shea Vaughn, blends ancient and contemporary movements with eastern philosophy, creating a stylized approach to fitness designed to improve the quality of today’s western living.

Shea spent years researching and teaching in the commercial fitness industry and has a first-hand understanding of the physical, mental and emotional benefits of living a life of exercise.

MySheaNetics.com DVD Program reveals steps that help you realize your goal to find total health and fulfillment that is life lasting. This is achieved by creating harmony in body, mind and self.

MySheaNetics.com also knows “exercise and good health are both a state of your body and a state of your mind.” The key to finding well-being is to embrace the MySheaNetics.com Five Living Principles -- Commitment, Perseverance, Self Control, Integrity and Love. They are a positive guide for all you do.

The range of SheaNetics students are impressively diverse from 25- to 75-year-olds, men and women, fitness buffs and athletes, people who want to get in shape, those who wish to maintain their present state of fitness and many who want to take it to a higher level.

So start your journey now!

Infuse your life with energy and purpose, reduce stress and enjoy a lifestyle of fitness, accomplishment, personal balance and well-being you deserve! Order your 6-PACK DVD/CD workout collection today!

• Maintain a healthy weight through practicing good nutrition and exercise—Obesity puts a heavy strain on your heart and raises your risk factors for heart disease such as diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

• Manage your stress levels—Out of control stress levels can contribute to heart attacks and strokes.

You can reduce your stress levels by practicing relaxation techniques such as listening to calming music or trying Tai Chi, yoga or the excellent combination of movements in SheaNetics.

To keep stress levels at bay, the staff at SixWise also LOVES Staying Healthy in a Stressful World CD, the highly praised CD by Dr. Peter Reznik, one of the most respected mind/body integrative therapists of our time. The program will actually help you to embark on a practice for transforming your stress into life-enhancing experiences.

Recommended Reading

Trans Fat's Strong Link to Cancer, Diabetes & Heart Disease, and How to Avoid It

The Top 15 Signs of Heart Disease Everyone Needs to Know

Eight Natural Ways to Lower Your Triglycerides

Sources

American Journal of Medicine 2009 Jun;122(6):528-34.

CBS News June 28, 2007

American Heart Association: ABCs of Preventing Heart Disease, Stroke and Heart Attack

American Heart Association: Cardiovascular Disease Statistics

WebMD