2015 EDITION Vol.3 Issue 11 DIGITAL

Health
Simple things that
matter to your heart
The heart might be a small organ of your
body, but it has a crucial function in your
life. It is therefore important to keep
your heart healthy. Sadly, cardiovascular
disease is the leading cause of death in
both Europe and the USA. However, with
the latest research available, doctors are
now beginning to have a better knowledge
of the functionality of – and dangers
associated with - the heart. Knowing
these dangers is a better way of finding the
best way to keep your heart healthy. Yes,
we all know that doing regular exercises
is a good weapon to fight cardiac disease
– especially in middle age. We are also
aware of the fact that those unhealthy
eating habits do no good for your heart.
Right? But is that all? You better think
twice, if you think it is!! You definitely
might consider taking a look at other
simple moves that can help boost your
cardiac health.
LISTEN TO MUSIC: The latest
medical research in 2015 shows
that music is a good therapy
for the heart. Listening to
the music for just about
30 minutes helps to lower
one’s circulatory - system
pulse and the stiffness of the
arteries – two important elements
necessary for determining how hard the
heart works. Interestingly, one does not
need to spend money going to the orchestra
or opera. Listening to any kind of music –
even traditional African music – for just
half an hour could be a key to your healthy
heart.
STOP THAT DAILY
ASPIRIN INTAKE:
Yes, aspirin is a very
effective tablet against
pain, but have you
considered the risks? Many adults take
aspirin as a prevention against a heart
attack, but results of different medical
research – including those published in the
American Journal of Preventive Medicine
- have indicated otherwise. Daily aspirin
intake can not only cause internal bleeding,
it could in fact, lead to other serious issues.
RELAX: Life is not all about work and
stress; sometimes, some hours of
relaxation could prolong your life.
Doubt that? Since stress is not
good for your heart, relaxation
through medication, yoga or any
other way to keep yourself mentally relaxed
is a plus for your heart.
GO TO SAUNA: Sauna might be
considered typical for a cold climate, but
with the latest studies pointing to the
benefits of a sauna to the heart, it might not
hurt if you consider paying a regular visit to
one. Having in mind that a good schvitz is
like exercise, a frequent sauna visit increases
your heart rate and sweating, which are very
common with exercises.
DO NOT BURY YOURSELF
INSIDE TV: With the power of the
media, one can hardly avoid the TV, but
the question is how often does one
stay behind the TV? Now a big
bomb: A 2011 medical research
shows that spending 2-3 hours daily
watching TV exposes one to risks
of heart problems. That is not all.
The research equally suggests that too
many hours watching TV could cause Type
2 diabetes as well.
AVOID PHONING MUCH: Not
only regular interaction with TV is a
harbinger for cardiovascular disease; the
result of a 2013 research shows equally that
the sound of a ringing phone can clearly
increase one’s blood pressure.
A good reason to send
more SMSes than initiate
frequent phone calls?
STOP SNORING:
Ordinarily, frequent snoring is a
sign that something is wrong health-wise.
Snoring could be caused by overweight or
other medical problems. A study conducted
in 2013 shows that snoring could trigger
problems in the carotid arteries, responsible
for the supply of oxygenated blood to the
brain. But that is not all. Excessive snoring,
which is a sign of sleep apnea, can be
damaging to your health. It can not only
increase heart attack, but stroke and high
blood pressure are not exempted. Thus, even
though you might consider your snoring
harmless, it is definitely not.
CONSIDER NOT LIVING
ALONE: Believe it or not, the result of
the latest Harvard medical research shows
that living alone could increase one’s
chance of dying from stroke, heart attack
or other cardiac health problems. Like
in Africa and other southern countries,
strong social networks and interactions
could lower the risk of those cardiovascular
diseases. Not even having a pet like a dog
or cat is a bad idea, as shown by a 2013
research conducted by the American Heart
Association.
TRY OTHER FOODS: A medical
research by the Shanghai Cancer Institute,
which is affirmed by the Vanderbilt
University shows that trying foods like
peanuts and much maligned potato can
help reduce chances of heart attack, stroke
and high blood pressure. Perhaps, a good
reason to depart from beef, steak and other
regular / traditional meal and try something
different.
You definitely need a strong heart to have a
good health.
Kata kata cartoon magazine
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