healthy weight

Heart Health And The Effects Of Stress

Submitted by Maryglenn Boals on June 21, 2012 - 2:49am

How much stress you feel and how you react under stressful situations affects your heart, whether it has a direct physical effect or leads to behaviors proven to increase risk such as smoking or overeating. Learning to effectively manage stress is an important part of maintaining a healthy heart and avoiding numerous health problems associated with stress, such as high blood pressure, asthma, and ulcers. Experts recommend managing stress with relaxation and natural techniques rather than medication and tranquilizing drugs. Exercising, maintaining a positive attitude, not smoking, cutting back on coffee, and maintaining a healthy weight and diet are among the top recommendations from the American Heart Association on how to manage stress and reduce risk of cardiovascular trouble. Read more »

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Early Heart Habits Determine Disease Risk Later In Life

Submitted by Maryglenn Boals on March 6, 2012 - 9:14am

A new study, published in the journal Circulation, finds that young adults who practice healthy habits have a lowered risk of developing heart disease later in life. The researchers followed 2,336 people beginning in 1985. The average age of the participants at the beginning of the study was 24 and researchers monitored whether or not they kept a healthy weight and diet, didn’t smoke or drink excessively, and exercised regularly. Among the participants who maintained healthy habits, 60 percent had a low risk of heart disease compared to those who didn’t live a healthy lifestyle. Among those that didn’t keep a healthy weight or diet, drank, smoke and didn’t exercise, only 5 percent were categorized as low risk. Read more »

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