by Millie Bruce

May is National Blood Pressure Awareness Month. In the spirit of educating our consumers about cardiovascular health, Millie Bruce, advocate for heart health, has contributed this article.

As always, we encourage you to include holistic modalities into your lifestyle to help support cardiovascular health and all-round well-being.  A healthy lifestyle is naturally dependent on sensible eating habits, which include 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables each day, alongside a variety of whole grains, nuts and seeds for example.   Consider incorporating some form of mindful and relaxing practice, such as yoga or meditation into your daily routine; and look to complementary methods, such as acupuncture and herbs to keep you on top form. 

Cardiovascular Misconceptions: It's Easy To Get Lost In a Labyrinth of Data about the Planet's No. 1 Killer

For men and women of all ages, coronary disease could possibly be the main killer. It kills more people than ALL forms of cancer put together. If you are African American or over 65, you are at higher risk for a heart attack, however it is an equal opportunity destroyer. Anyone, at any place, anytime may have a cardiac event [1].

Myth #1: Only adults need to be concerned about their cardiovascular system.

Things that may induce a heart attack tend to accumulate over the years. Being a couch-potato, boredom and unhealthy food choices are often improper habits which began during childhood years. Unfortunately, many doctors are seeing patients with cardiovascular problems in at younger and younger years.  Working out regularly and keeping the right body weight does help in the quest to maintain optimal cardiovascular health. Make sure to have your cholesterol and blood pressure levels checked regularly. A desirable blood cholesterol (or lipid profile) range is less than 200mg/dl. According to the American Heart Association, healthy blood pressure levels would be at, or below 120/80 mg HG.

Myth #2: I'd feel unwell if I had high blood pressure levels or high cholesterol levels. 

These health markers are labeled "silent killers" mainly because they demonstrate NO signals. 30 % of all older people have high blood pressure. Of those, one-third can't say for sure they have it.  High cholesterol is a measure of the fats maintained through your blood. Fats may be dropped anywhere in your own body, but sometimes they congregate all around body organs; including your heart. So, even if you are at a good body weight and don't smoke cigarettes, have your blood cholesterol and blood pressure levels checked regularly.  [2].

Myth #3: Males and females DON'T have the same symptoms.

Men and women CAN have those same symptoms, however they typically don't.  Women seem to have the subtler warning signs while those for males may be a little more obvious. Subtler indicators, such as jaw achiness, nausea or vomiting, shortness of breath and intense fatigue, often get explained away. "My jaw hurt simply because my sandwich was on whole-grain bread and I had to chew very hard," or, while clutching their stomach, "I probably should not have had that extra piece of pizza." "Half of females have no chest pain at all," states Kathy Magliato, a heart specialist at California's St. John's Health Center. Put all the little signs together with each other and pay attention to your own body.

Myth #4: Assuming that my blood glucose level is in check, Type Two Diabetes is not a heart risk.

While maintaining your sugar level with a standard range (80ml-120ml) helps keep you significantly healthier, just having the additional glucose in your system takes its toll on arterial blood vessels. You will be performing exercises and eating much healthier to help take control of your diabetes, bear in mind to test your blood pressure and cholesterol, too.

Myth #5: My medical doctor would order tests if I were at risk for heart disease.

From time to time, all of us forget to tell the doctor the little aches we feel. The medical professionals, with no knowledge of some of the things we consider as unimportant, might pass over heart checks.  "Mammograms and Colonoscopies are regularly recommended," Says Merdod Ghafouri, a cardiologist at Inova Fairfax Hospital in Va, [3] "and are usually very important, but heart scans are not often conducted." A heart scan can detect plaque build-up within the arterial blood vessels even before you realize you have a problem.

Do you have the motor oil pressure and transmission liquid tested in your car or truck?  Do you other precautionary routine service done? Doesn't your only heart require as much care as your car?

References and Links to Complementary Guides about Heart Disease: -

- [1] http://www.webmd.com/heart/features/heart-health-myths

- [2] Mediterranean Book is the National Board for the preservation of the Mediterranean healthy eating lifestyle -    http://www.mediterraneanbook.com/the-mediterranean-diet/

- [3] http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/reprint/CIR.0b013e3182160726

About the author:
Millie Bruce of Banffshire, Scotland, has an undergraduate degree in Meds from the University of Glasgow. She has worked as Dietary Counselor and has taught adult nutrition in Adult Day Care Treatment Centers. She has worked in publications for the New England Journal of Medicine. Now retired, Millie is a guest author writing on medical and health related issues.

By Sahaja Douglass

There are few things that feel better than a deep, full, breath!

Inhaling slowly through my nose, my chest, rib cage, and abdomen expand gently, followed by a brief pause, a cherished moment of stillness. My mind ceases telling me what to do. My laundry list of chores is hung out to dry. My nourished cells vibrate steady gratitude. And…….  Then…….  I exhale, breath slowly traveling the path from whence it came, relaxation spreading from shoulders to toes, like a waterfall of Grace cascading down the well worn facade of a mountain.  I feel spacious. My zealous and vigilant mind quiets. My heart pulsates blood and prana throughout my body and I open to the infinite wisdom of the Universe. Life is beauty and joy. All that magic happens when I practice relaxed breathing. At other times, I notice that that I am breathing backwards, inside out or worst of all....I stop breathing.  In spurts, as I am deliberating, or debating. During those moments of reversed, shut-down breath, my heart constricts and I un-plug from the infinite wisdom of the Universe. I become so attached to my point of view, my certainty of small-minded rightness, that I sacrifice my sense of well-being for a fleeting intellectual victory. I grew up in New York City-it’s almost genetically pre-programmed.  But, for impaired breathers like myself, there is HOPE! Recently, I read ‘The Breathing Book’ by Donna Farhi, a beautifully written book about (don’t hold your breath in anticipation) the anatomy and psychology of breathing, including various common patterns of breathing and exercises for improving your breath, or mind/body connection.

Donna recommends:

1. Become aware of your breath and breathing patterns.

2. Notice what your breath does to your mind/body/spirit.

3.Observe what circumstances cause you to constrict, freeze, or grab your breath.

4. Dismantle your pattern.

5. Practice relaxed, expansive breathing.

I recommend:

1. The Breathing Book, by Donna Farhi and Light on Pranayama, by B.K.S. Iyengar.

2. When you feel yourself poised for a mental or emotional fight, breathe deeply and slowly, allowing your abdomen to expand and release with each breath. It is impossible to do this while simultaneously interrupting someone who is speaking with you, or reaming someone out.