What can I do to prevent heart disease?

You can reduce your chances of getting heart disease by taking these steps:

Know your blood pressure. Your heart moves blood through your body. If it is hard for your heart to do this, your heart works harder, and your blood pressure will rise. People with high blood pressure often have no symptoms, so have your blood pressure checked every 1 to 2 years. If you have high blood pressure ,

Don't smoke. If you smoke, try to quit. If you're having trouble quitting, there are products and programs that can help:

• Nicotine patches and gums
• Support groups
• Programs to help you stop smoking

Get tested for diabetes . People with diabetes have high blood glucose (often called blood sugar). People with high blood sugar often have no symptoms, so have your blood sugar checked regularly. Having diabetes raises your chances of getting heart disease. If you have diabetes, your doctor will decide if you need diabetes pills or insulin shots. Your doctor can also help you make a healthy eating and exercise plan.

Get your cholesterol and triglyceride levels tested. High blood cholesterol can clog your arteries and keep your heart from getting the blood it needs. This can cause a heart attack. Triglycerides are a form of fat in your blood stream. High levels of triglycerides are linked to heart disease in some people. People with high blood cholesterol or high blood triglycerides often have no symptoms, so have your blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels checked regularly. If your cholesterol or triglyceride levels are high, talk to your doctor about what you can do to lower them. You may be able to lower your cholesterol and triglyceride levels by eating better and exercising more. Your doctor may prescribe medication to help lower your cholesterol.

Maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight raises your risk for heart disease. Calculate your Body Mass Index (BMI) to see if you are at a healthy weight. Eat a healthy diet and exercise at a moderate intensity for at least 30 minutes most days of the week. Start by adding more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains to your diet. Take a brisk walk on your lunch break or take the stairs instead of the elevator.

If you drink alcohol, limit it to no more than one drink (one 12 ounce beer, one 5 ounce glass of wine, or one 1.5 ounce shot of hard liquor) a day.

Find healthy ways to cope with stress. Lower your stress level by talking to your friends, exercising, or writing in a journal. 

Soy Protein

SOY PROTEIN

Soy protein has been used from past two decades as ingredients for its functional properties in a variety of foods such as salad dressings, soups, vegetarian foods and meat imitations. Its functional properties are emulsification and texturizing. Recently the popularity of soy protein is increasing, mainly because of its health benefits. It has been proven that soy protein can help to prevent heart problems and many countries allow health claims for food, which are rich in soy protein.

Soy contains protein, isoflavones, and fiber, all thought to provide health benefits. Soy is an excellent source of dietary protein, including all essential amino acids. Soy is also a source of lecithin or phospholipid. Soy isoflavones and lecithin have been studied scientifically for numerous health conditions. Isoflavones such as genistein are believed to have estrogen-like effects in the body, and as a result are sometimes called "phytoestrogens."

Common sources of soy isoflavones include roasted soybean, green soybean, soy flour, soy butter, soy nut butter, soy ice cream, soy milk, soy yogurt, soy noodles etc. Soy protein has also been investigated for benefit in terms of heart disease risk factors, reducing menopausal symptoms, weight loss, arthritis, brain function, and exercise performance. Dietary soy may decrease the risk of breast cancer in women and prostate cancer in men, as well as other types of cancers. In general, the supportive evidence for use of phytoestrogens as treatments for menopause, heart disease, bone disease, weight loss, and cancer is limited. The use of soy formula has been investigated in the treatment of diarrhea in infants and is an effective and safe alternative to cow's milk formula in most infants.

Categories of soy proteins

Soy proteins can be divided into different categories according to their production method:

• Soy protein isolate is the most refined form of soy protein and is mainly used in meat products to improve texture and eating quality. Soy protein isolate contains about 90 percent protein.

• Soy protein concentrate is basically soybean without the water soluble carbohydrates. It contains about 70 percent of protein.

• Textured soy protein, often called TSP, is made from soy protein concentrate by giving it some texture. TSP is available as dry flakes or chunks. It will keep its structure when hydrated. Hydrated textured soy protein chunks have a texture similar to ground beef. It can be used as a meat replacement or can be added to meat. Textured soy protein contains about 70 percent protein.

Control your Hypertension Naturally

It is often seen that people with high blood pressure are given prescription medicines by the doctors to control their blood pressure levels. Some of the most common hypertension medicines include Beta Blockers, ACE, Diuretics, Vasodilators, etc. 

However, several problems are associated with these medicines. They hardly cure the root cause of the problem. Generally, sufferers need to take such medicines throughout their entire life to control their hypertension levels. Due to this, many people have started looking for a new approach to maintain their blood pressure at a proper level.

Many people have started looking for ways to reduce their high blood pressure in a natural way without using any medications. There are some natural ways to control your blood pressure levels by means of exercise and diet. 

1. Include a lot of vegetables and fruits in your diet. Apples, bananas, celery, garlic, onions and tomatoes

    are very useful to lower high blood pressure and control it. 

2. Hypertension diet comprises of processed foods in a very small quantity as these are high in saturated

    fats, salt and sugar. Instead, replace these with basic and natural foods. This will make you happier

    and healthier. Even cooking at home rather than going out to a restaurant is a very good thing. 

3. Do not make the mistake of eliminating salt completely from your diet. Most of  the salt is present in

    processed foods. If processed foods are removed from the diet, then there is no way in which your  

    body can get too much salt. 

• Limit sodium to 2,300 milligrams (mg) a day or less.
• A lower sodium level — 1,500 mg a day or less — is appropriate for people 51 years of age or older, and individuals of any age who are African-American or who have high blood pressure, diabetes or chronic kidney disease.

4. Supplements play a vital role in anti hypertensive diet. You can take daily dosages of calcium, Vitamin

    B12 and C, Omega 3 and magnesium. 

5. Table salt can be substituted with Celtic Sea salt that is harvested naturally and contains essential

    minerals. 

6. Rather than consuming red meat, go for consuming fish. You can also go for chicken breast instead of

     pork. In general, lean beef is good for you in very small amounts. 

7. Eat more fish, especially deep sea fish. If you are not someone to eat fish regularly then investigate

    Omega 3 capsules that you can easily add into your diet every day.

Apart from diet, exercises like deep breathing and cardiovascular exercises like swimming, cycling, climbing and jogging are very helpful. Exercise regularly and you will see the beneficial results for yourself. 

Overcoming your hypertension is that easy. All you need is stress reduction, physical exercise and a good diet. So, use these natural methods instead of going for any kind of medications. You will enjoy a lowering of your blood pressure and improved general health.