FitSugar

Was That a Heart Attack or Am I Just Tired?

FitSugar — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 12:00:35 PST

I was shocked when I first heard that heart disease is the leading cause of death amongst women. It's not something many people talk about, at least not in the same way as breast cancer or obesity. Since I associate heart attacks more with men, I wasn't too surprised to hear that a lot of other women are misinformed too.

A study found that almost half of 2,300 women surveyed wouldn't call 911 if they were having a heart attack, primarily because they couldn't identify the symptoms. Most women didn't know that heart disease is also the leading cause of death amongst their gender.

The American Heart Association (AHA) conducted the study as a way to determine how to educate the public about heart disease. Researchers say that the messages provided by the media about heart disease are often confusing - the AHA's goal is to raise awareness by delivering the facts in a straightforward and simple way.

Ladies, it's American Heart Month, meaning there's no better time to learn the warning signs that you may be experiencing a heart attack. Here are the symptoms WebMD advises we look for. Please call 911 if you think you or someone you know is experiencing an attack.

Discomfort, pressure, heaviness, or pain in the chest, arm, or below the breastbone
Discomfort radiating to the back, jaw, throat, or arm
Fullness, indigestion, or choking feeling (may feel like heartburn)
Sweating, nausea, vomiting, or dizziness
Extreme fatigue, weakness, anxiety, or shortness of breath
Rapid or irregular heartbeats

New Approach to CPR Saves More Lives

FitSugar — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 02:00:00 PDT

Many of you have been trained in CPR (Cardiopulmonary resuscitation), so I thought you would be interested in this new approach to the technique. Now emergency medical workers may be using a new approach to CPR called MICR. It stands for "minimally interrupted cardiac resuscitation" and it focuses on increasing blood flow to the heart and brain. This new method can triple the rate of survival for heart attack victims treated in "out-of-hospital" situations.

MICR should only be administered by trained professionals and it involves more than just chest compressions. It involves an initial series of 200 uninterrupted chest compressions and then the victim receives a shock. Then another set of 200 chest compressions is given. If there's still no pulse, the workers will give the victim a shot of epinephrine to stimulate the heart. Then they'll insert a flexible plastic tube into the trachea to help ventilate the lungs.

The success of this new method is great news since cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of women in the United States. Each year about 88,000 women, aged 45 to 64, suffer from a heart attack. The best way to take care of your heart is to exercise regularly (cardio is essential), don't smoke, eat a healthy diet that's low in sodium, cholesterol, and saturated fat, and try to limit the amount of stress in your life. Remember that it's never too early to start taking care of your heart.

Source

From the Community: Aerobic vs. Anaerobic Activity

Fit Community — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 02:39:22 PDT

Not sure what the difference between aerobic and anaerobic activity is? In our Get Fit For 2012 group, FitSugar reader meetcasey explains what each term means and why we should be doing both.

Aerobic exercise requires the body to utilize oxygen to create energy. With anaerobic exercise, the body creates energy without extra oxygen - your body relies on its natural chemicals to create energy.

Learn the benefits of each, after the break!

Get Smart About Soy

Health — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 04:48:14 PST

We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Health.com here on our site.

There are so many ways to get this good-for-you protein into your daily diet. Here's how to do it - and why you absolutely should.

By Sally Kuzemchak, RD

If you bypass tofu at salad bars, skip the meatless dishes at Chinese restaurants, and avoid edamame when you're out for sushi, well, it's time to give soy-based foods a second look. "Whole soy foods are a great substitute for meat," says Christine Gerbstadt, MD, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Their healthy protein content makes them a good option even if you're not one of the growing number of people going "flexitarian" or opting to eat less meat.

Here's your guide to making this legume a regular and great-tasting part of your diet.

Soy 101
All soy products are made from soybeans, mostly grown here in the United States. You can buy whole soybeans dried or canned, or in the produce section or freezer aisle as edamame, the common name for soybeans picked before they're fully mature. (Edamame can be purchased either in pods or shelled.)

Health.com: The 10 best foods for your heart

Beyond whole beans, soy takes on a number of different guises. Roasted soybeans are sold as soy nuts or ground into soy nut butter. Soybeans can be soaked in water, cooked, and filtered to make soy milk and soy yogurt. Adding a coagulant to soy milk curdles it, producing tofu, which ranges in texture from "silken" (very soft) to "extra firm," depending on how much liquid is removed.

Soybeans can also be fermented into a paste called miso (the base for miso soup) or a cake or patty called tempeh, which is often used in place of meat in sandwiches or grilled and eaten on its own. Finally, soy can be found in many packaged foods - such as frozen meatless burgers, cereals, and energy bars - often in the form of "soy protein isolate," meaning it's mostly the protein from soybeans you're getting.

Keep reading for more on soy.

5 Strange Ways Chocolate Keeps You Healthy

Prevention — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 04:02:26 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Prevention here on FitSugar!

This sweet treat may also boost brainpower, help you relax, and more!
By Mara Betsch, Prevention

Show your heart some love this Valentine’s Day by nibbling a few chocolates - and making them a regular treat throughout the year. A recent study found that those consuming the highest levels of chocolate had a 37 percent reduction in cardiovascular disease and a 29 percent reduction in stroke compared to those with lower chocolate intakes.

Though experts are quick to clarify that we should stick to moderate consumption of high-calorie chocolates, it’s hard to deny the cold, hard facts that chocolate can be a healthy addition to our diets.

Seven Surprising Ways to Sharpen Your Mind

Hundreds of studies have shown that dark chocolate is packed with antioxidants that promote heart health and may prevent many cardiovascular-related conditions, but we’ve dug up five more surprising health benefits. Read on for five new ways to justify your chocolate craving.

1. Chocolate May Help You With Math
Flavonols, compounds in chocolate with antioxidantlike properties, are thought to improve circulation, including blood flow to the brain. A 2009 study asked participants to count backward in groups of three from a number between 800 and 999. After drinking hot cocoa filled with flavonols, the participants were able to do calculations more quickly and accurately and were less likely to feel tired or mentally drained.

Learn a four more things chocolate can do for you after the break.

5 Surprising Health Benefits of Being a Sports Fan

Prevention — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 04:19:15 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Prevention here on FitSugar!

By Cristina Goyanes, Prevention

It’s no wonder your friends aren’t available to hang out on Sundays in the Fall and Winter - according to a 2005 Gallup Poll, 64 percent of Americans claim to be professional football fans, and as of 2010, women make up 44 percent of the NFL fan base.

Being a sports fan doesn’t mean you’re expected to know all the players and stats of your hometown teams and destined for a beer gut - it’s about coming together in the name of good times as part of a community.

“Bonding over sports - the highs and lows of the game - strengthens ties, helps us feel supported, and makes it easier for you to open up about personal things,” says Renee Clauselle, PsyD, who runs a private psychology practice in Long Island, NY.

Seventeen Unexpected Side Effects of Exercise

Rooting for the same team creates an immediate sense of family, says Daniel Wann, PhD, a Murray State University professor who has been studying the psychology of sports fans for over 20 years. “If you identify with a local team, you build an instant connection to others around you,” he says.

Beyond the bonding aspects, watching sports can motivate you to pump up your own workouts - and even burn a few extra calories when you jump, cheer, and clap during the highlights of the game. Find out more ways being a sports fan is a winning situation for your health.

Keep reading to learn how being a sports fan benefits your health.

4 Lazy Moves That Boost Your Health

Prevention — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 04:05:16 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from Prevention here on FitSugar!

You don’t have to go on a deprivation diet or spend hours exercising to ward off disease and be your healthiest self! Instead, try these supersimple tips
By the editors of Prevention

Staying healthy can feel like so much, well, work (think: logging hours at the gym and whipping up nutritious meals from scratch). However, there are plenty of small moves that you can make in your everyday life that will have big health benefits. We’ve rounded up 15 practically zero-effort ways to fight disease, whittle your waist, lower stress, and more. Bonus: many of these good-for-you moves feel good, too. So say sayonara to the old adage “no pain, no gain” and try these tips today.

Lazy Move No. 1: Protect Your Ticker by Snoozing
Need a good excuse to grab your comfiest set of pajamas and hit the sack? Skimping on shut-eye may do more than make you cranky or unproductive - it also boosts your risk of a heart attack. According to one Norwegian study, people who reported that they did not wake up feeling refreshed in the morning had a 27 percent higher risk of a heart attack, those who had trouble staying asleep almost every night in the last month had a 30 percent higher risk, and those who had trouble falling asleep almost every night in the last month had odds that jumped to 45 percent.

Twenty Ways to Sleep Better Every Night

Some researchers speculate that insomnia might trigger your body to release more of the stress hormone cortisol. High levels of cortisol have been linked with high blood pressure and diabetes, which are both risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Plus when you’re exhausted, you may be more likely to make unhealthy choices that up your heart disease risk, such as skipping your workout or reaching for fatty or sugary snacks for a quick energy fix.

Keep reading for three more lazy ways to improve your health.

Get Heart Healthy With Just 30 Minutes of Exercise a Week

Heather Dale — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 12:37:26 PST

Don't just sit there! A little exercise goes a long way. A recent study led by the Population Health Research Institute at McMaster University in Canada found that just 30 minutes of exercise a week can lower the risk of a heart attack by about 30 percent. Fighting heart disease might not be your biggest concern, but the power of even a bit of physical activity is certainly motivating.

The study followed over 24,000 men and women of all ages, from 52 countries, and compared the work and exercise habits of the participants, 10,043 of which had already experienced a heart attack and the other 14,217 had no history of cardiovascular disease. The research found that any level of physical activity can lower the risk. The data, which made its way into the European Heart Journal this week, notes how the risk drops 13 percent for mild activity like yoga or slow walking, 24 percent for moderate activity like biking, and 30 percent for more strenuous physical activity like running. Surprisingly, the percentage didn't increase if the duration of physical activity went up - although 30 to 60 minutes of exercise a week was the sweet spot - which can be spread out over each day.

Now we all know how good exercise is for our overall health, which is why it's important to make sure you are exercising at least 60 minutes each week. And if you are looking to lose and maintain a certain weight, you'll want to engage in moderate exercise for five days a week. And by moderate, I mean "slightly breathless," making sure you get your heart rate up.

Procreate For Better Health?

Natasha Dantzig — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 08:32:09 PST

Forget about apples; maybe it's really a baby a day that keeps the doctor away! Two recent studies point to the health benefits of having children, and the first study, conducted at the University of California, San Diego, goes so far as to say that the more the merrier! Researchers followed 1,300 women from California and concluded that women who experience at least four pregnancies are less likely to die from cardiovascular disease than those who have never given birth - mothers of large families are half as likely to die from a stroke.

A second study, conducted by Australia's Deakin School of Health and Social Development found that childless women appear to be in poorer general health, and rank lower on measures of vitality, social functioning, and mental health. Researchers asked themselves what came first - were the women in poor health because they didn't have children, or were they childless because they were in poor health to begin with?

Does the possibility of improved health make the idea of procreation more appealing?

The Truth About the Health Benefits of Tea

Health — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 04:13:17 PST

We are pumped to share one of our favorite stories from Health.com here on our site.

Tea - does it really fight cancer? Lower cholesterol? We filter the research to find out which health claims actually hold water.
By Kate Lowenstein

The way scientific studies and health gurus alike have touted the perks of tea over the past few years, you'd think the stuff was some kind of all-powerful magical elixir. Improving heart health, reducing cancer risk, warding off dementia and diabetes - there's barely a health benefit that hasn't been credited to tea. It's true that the brew has disease-fighting antioxidants, and, as far as anyone can tell, should be great for us.

"The science is certainly promising," says David L. Katz, MD, director of Yale University's Prevention Research Center. "But the hype goes beyond it and tends to make promises which the science can't yet deliver." (No, tea probably will not cure depression, eliminate allergies, or boost your fertility!) We talked to the experts and weighed the studies to separate the truth from the hype.

Health.com: Drink This Tea to Lose That Belly

Why tea is so hot
First, a definition: When scientists talk about tea, they mean black, green, white, or oolong teas - all of which are made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. Herbal brews, like chamomile and peppermint, are not technically considered tea; they're infusions of other plants with different nutritional characteristics. If you're not sure what kind you're drinking, check the ingredients for the word "tea."

Keep reading to learn even more about tea.