"Happy 2009 New Year to All!"

LET 2009 BE THE YEAR WE MAKE IT HAPPEN!

BLAKE PUBLISHING WEBSITE EMPIRE & BLOGS

Wishes Everyone ALL over this Planet a


New Year Filled with HOPE, Good Health,


Peace among Men, and much Prosperity...

May we all Enjoy Good health, a Calm Spirit

and a Safe Journey in this New Year.

William Blake

www.blakepublishing.com

Do You Have High Blood Pressure?

High Blood Pressure Information:


Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). Hypertension (high blood pressure) is when your blood pressure frequently goes over 140/90 mm Hg.

A patient is considered "pre-hypertensive" if the top (systolic) number of the blood pressure reading is 120-139 mm Hg and if the bottom (diastolic) number is over 80-89 mm Hg on most measurements.

If you have pre-hypertension, you are likely to develop high blood pressure at some point, unless you make lifestyle changes to lower your blood pressure to normal.


Alternative Names

HBP; Blood pressure - high


Considerations

High blood pressure can affect all types of people.


About 1 in every 5 adults in the U.S. has high blood pressure. High blood pressure occurs more often in men than in women and in African Americans almost twice as often as in Caucasians.

Most people feel no symptoms with uncomplicated high blood pressure. Essential hypertension (hypertension with no known cause) is not fully understood, but accounts for between 80-85% of all hypertension cases in people over 45 years of age.

Even though many times high blood pressure does not have a known cause, the condition can still be treated effectively with both lifestyle changes and medications.

Lifestyle changes include following a low sodium diet, exercising, quitting smoking, losing weight, and avoiding excessive alcohol intake. There are dozens of different medications available for the management of high blood pressure.


Common Causes

Most of the time, no cause is identified. This is called essential hypertension. High blood pressure that results from a specific condition, habit, or medication is called secondary hypertension.


Some reasons for secondary hypertension include:


Use of certain medications (such as appetite suppressants, cold preparations, and migraine medications)
Habitual alcohol use
Excess sodium (salt) in your diet
Obesity
Anxiety or stress
Arteriosclerosis
Coarctation of the aorta
Pain
Renal artery stenosis
Diabetes
Drugs such as alcohol toxicity or cocaine
Renal disease

Home Care

Have your blood pressure checked at regular intervals (as recommended by your health care provider) to monitor its condition and response to treatment.

A proper diet, weight loss, exercise, and salt and alcohol reduction are often recommended for patients with hypertension or pre-hypertension.

The goal of treatment is to reduce your blood pressure, which will lower the risk of complications. The goal is blood pressure at least below 140/90 and below 130/80 if you have diabetes or kidney disease.

If your blood pressure reading is consistently above 140/90 mmHg, your doctor may prescribe medication. If you have any other risk factors for heart disease, especially diabetes, your doctor will consider starting medications sooner rather than later.


Call your health care provider if:

If you have high blood pressure, you will have regularly scheduled appointments with your doctor.

In between appointments, if you have unexplained and persistent high blood pressure -- this assumes home blood pressure monitoring -- or any of the following symptoms call your health care provider right away:

Severe headache
Excessive tiredness
Confusion
Visual changes
Nausea and vomiting
Chest pain
Shortness of breath
Significant sweating

What to expect at your health care provider's office

Your health care provider will perform a thorough physical examination. The physical examination will include blood pressure measurement. Your blood pressure may need to be monitored several times over a period of weeks or months.

He or she will also ask questions such as:

Time pattern
Has your blood pressure increased recently?
Did it suddenly become high?
Quality
What is your blood pressure reading?
When the blood pressure is measured on multiple occasions, what is the average systolic (top number) and diastolic (bottom number)?
How much has the blood pressure gone up within the past two weeks?
What is the blood pressure now?
What was the previous blood pressure?
What other symptoms are present?
Diagnostic tests that may be performed include:
Blood tests, such as a chem-20
Urinalysis
X-rays of the kidneys
EKG or echocardiogram


Prevention:

In people with hypertension, modification of sodium intake may be recommended. Products containing sodium (e.g., salt, MSG, and baking soda) often have little effect in people without hypertension, but may have a profound effect in those with hypertension.


Take care of your Heart -
And Your Heart will take good care of you!

There are many websites and resources available for information on high blood pressure, strokes and heart problems effecting all ages.

Never hesitate to ask your doctor questions regarding how to maintain a healthy heart and be sure to have your blood pressure checked with each physical.

Reviewed by: Irfan A. Agha, M.D., Department of Medicine, Renal Division, St. Louis University, St. Louis, MO. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

Are You a Healthy & Fit Star?

Welcome to Our New Healthy Body Blog!

We hope to share many posts relating to health, fitness,
skin care, diets, weight loss, pain relief, aging and so much more!
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7 Diet Secrets of the Stars


Celebrities always look fabulous. Whether appearing in television or films or strutting down the red carpet during movie premiers and awards, they never cease to fascinate us with their larger than life presence. The truth is, it takes a lot of effort to look the way they do, and being the public figures that they are, they cannot afford to slack off when it comes to taking care of their physical appearances. Their livelihood largely depends on how they look. Aside from the clothes, the hair and the makeup, celebrities have to take good care of their bodies.

So it is no surprise that these stars have their own secrets when it comes to staying fit and gorgeous. Their health agenda can range from extreme workouts to well-planned meals. Who doesn't want to know their secrets in staying absolutely sexy?

Here are some of the diet secrets of seven women celebrities.

1. Jennifer Aniston:
The star of the phenomenal television show Friends not only mesmerized audiences with her adorable comic sense and her famous hairstyle, she was also known for having one of the sexiest bodies in Hollywood, as she appeared in countless magazine covers.

To stay trim, Jennifer follows the 40:30:30 diet method. The diet consists of:
40% Low glycemic carbohydrates-Foods such as beans, fruits and vegetables, legumes
30% lean proteins-Tofu, fish, chicken, turkey, beef and low fat dairy products
30% essential fats-nuts and seeds, fish and olive oils
It is essential that every meal should contain macronutrients to attain the balance of hormones and maximum weight loss.


2. Kate Hudson:
The gorgeous daughter of actress Goldie Hawn gained 60 pounds during her pregnancy, which she needed to shed quickly before commencing on her next film. From her previous eating plan, she switched to a higher protein diet. She consumed high protein meals in smaller portions, and she combined this diet with an exercise program that includes weight training and cardiovascular workouts. After getting a lot of flak because of her post-pregnancy figure, Kate removed all that baby weight in only four months and has gained abdominal muscles that gained the envy of many in Hollywood.


3. Oprah Winfrey:
As one of the most successful talk-show hosts in the world, there is no question that Oprah needs to maintain her physical appearance for her millions of audiences. Known as one of those celebrities who are constantly battling weight gain, she has recently toned up her figure and has never looked figure in age 50 by combining a regular exercise regime and diet plan. Oprah works out five days a week, spending 30 minutes on the threadmill and doing free weights. Her eating plan consists of legumes, fish, nuts, fruits and vegetables, chicken and dairy products that are lowfat. She limits her consumption of white sugar and flour. Oprah also credits her trim figure to her habit of not eating anything after seven in the evening.


4. Gwyneth Paltrow:
A lot of people may find it hard to believe that the perpetually slim Academy award-winning actress actually needs to diet. Gwyneth actually follows a healthy eating plan that resembles Oprah's, avoiding sugar and white flour. She usually follows a macrobiotic diet, eating foods like vegetables, brown rice, and lean meat. She also eliminated dairy from her diet, and does yoga everyday.

5. Madonna:

The pop star known as the Material Girl has always flaunted a body that is to die for, and has become a true fitness paragon over the years. She keeps herself in tip-top shape by having Ashtanga Yoga, and follows a strict diet that mostly shuns junk foods. She adopted a macrobiotic eating plan that includes organic foods rich in lean protein.


6. Claudia Schiffer:
The bodacious German supermodel eats salad and steamed vegetables for dinner and eats only fruits before the afternoon. While on locations, she prefers to eat black grapes and drinks tomato juice and herbal tea.


7. Christie Brinkley:
Long-time supermodel maintains her all-American good looks by being a vegetarian. She does not keep junk foods of any kind inside her home to make sure that she does not eat them when cravings occur. She snacks on sweet potatoes in place of candy bars, and she adopts a liquid juice diet when she needs to slim down fast.


Celebrities are just like ordinary people. They need to maintain their figures just like anyone else, and there is more pressure on their part since they are constantly in the public eye. Ordinary folks can have celebrity-like bodies, too, and by following these diet and fitness plans, they can also look like red-carpet worthy.


Check out all Our Free Health Articles & Health Resources @


http://www.bodyhealthy.info/


You are a Star just for trying to be Healthier & Fit!

So don't ever let anyone put you down - the Mirror
forgets how to reflect the Inner-You...

To a Healthy Pain-Free New You!

Kind Regards,

Bill & Evelyn