Heart Facts

• Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, and the #1 killer of women. It’s also one of the most preventable health concerns.

•Cocaine affects the heart’s electrical activity and causes spasm of the arteries, which can lead to a heart attack or stroke, even in healthy people.

•Three years after a person quits smoking, their chance of having a heart attack is the same as someone who has never smoked before.

•People that suffer from gum disease are twice as likely to have a stroke or heart attack.

How to take care of your Heart

Heart disease is a serious health concern. Every 25 seconds, an American will have a (negative) coronary event. It’s a very common problem, yet very preventable.

Now that you know that this major health concern is in your control, what are you going to do about it?

Here’s some tips that can help you – and your heart – become healthier.

Exercise – Regular physical exercise has been proven to positively effect the body, including one’s heart. If you want to have a healthier heart, exercise is a great way to use your hardest working muscle. When the heart is healthy and strong, it has a positive impact on the rest of your body.

Healthy Foods - Nutrition plays a big role in helping your heart become healthy. To help with nutrition that targets heart health, enjoy foods like Wild Salmon, tomatoes, avocados, squash, and carrots.

Avoid Tobacco – Whether your smoking or chewing it, tobacco is very dangerous for your heart and overall health. If you currently smoke, successfully quitting would be one of the healthiest things you could do for your overall health.

Avoid Stress – I know first hand how trying to avoid stress is easier said than done. I also know first hand how stress can negatively effect you, and it’s important that you do everything you can do minimize the stress in your life, and learn how to manage the stress you can’t quite get rid of.

Sleep - It’s important to get enough rest, which helps your body recover from everything it has to accomplish during the day. Getting enough sleep would be something that could help you manage your stress effectively. A lack of sleep never helped anyone.

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

Sources:

www.whitehouse.gov

www.cdc.gov

Related posts:

1. 10 Steps To A Healthier Heart
2. Know Your Heart Rate Zones
3. Twinkie’s Challenge: Exercise Regularly

The Harmful Effects of Sugar

Processed Sugar and Artificial Sweeteners are really bad for you. But how bad can it be?

•Raises insulin levels in the body, which promotes the storage of fats. By storing excess fats, it causes your body to gain weight, and Sugar has been linked to causing Obesity.

•Depresses the Immune System. If your body is trying to fight an illness, Sugar and Artificial Sweeteners are only going to make things worse for you by preventing your body to fight back whatever illness it is trying to get rid of. If you want to lower your risk of getting sick this Fall and Winter Season, avoid processed Sugars and Artificial Sweeteners!

•Diabetes. Though people don’t like to blame sugar as causing their Diabetes, they admit that “Sugar may have been part of the cause”. First of all, too many calories leads to weight gain, which causes Diabetes. If you are eating that many excessive calories to cause weight gain to cause Diabetes, I am taking a shot that you are probably consuming a lot of processed Sugars and Artifical Sweeteners in your diet, and I doubt you would be eating too many vegetables.  I will let you decide on this one.

•Cardiovascular Disease  is the leading cause of death for both men and women. There are many studies that show that Sugar is linked to Cardiovascular disease, but the FDA believes that processed Sugar has no harmful outcome other than Dental issues. No offense to the FDA, but I can’t believe that Sugar in the amounts being consumed today (2-3 pounds a week) is actually OK and not a “hazard” as they put it. Puh-lease…

•Stroke. There was a study published back in July 2002 in the Journal “Neurology”, and it showed how stroke victims who have High Blood Sugar were found to have a higher risk of death,  than the stroke patients with normal Blood Sugar levels.

•Blood Clots. Sugar can increase the blood’s platelet levels and becomes more adhesive, which causes not only Blood clots, but also strokes as well.

•Yeast Infection. Sugar feeds off of Yeast Infections! If you are trying to prevent or get rid of a Yeast Infection, be sure to avoid all forms of processed Sugars and Artificial Sweeteners.  An all natural yoghurt is really good for you since it has what’s called “Good Bacteria”. Just be sure to get the Plain Yoghurt that doesn’t have anything added to it (a lot of them have added sugars or artifical sweeteners that defeat the pupose of the youghurt in the first place).

•Depression. Large doses of processed Sugar causes the brain to slow down it’s production of endorphins. With the lack of endorphins, this causes anywhere from a minor to a major depression- depending on the person.

•Cavities. I think we have all known that Sugar causes cavities since we were all like 5 years old, but I thought I would mention it anyways. Sugar mixed in with Plaque Bacteria causes Cavities. If you go off of Sugar, you will notice your teeth tend to feel cleaner. If you eat a bunch of junk food, your teeth tend to feel dirty.

•Cancer is fueled by Sugar. If you have cancer and  can suppress the amounts of Processed Sugars and Artificial Sweeteners in your diet, build your immune system back up to fight it off, exercise – you would be so much better off. There is a difference between “trying to eat good”, and “be healthy”.

•Etc. The list goes on…

Ask yourself this…is that candy worth it? No!!!

How you can win this battle against processed Sugars and Artificial Sweeteners…

So now that you have had processed Sugars and Artificial Sweeteners, how do you get rid of the habit? You and I know very well how addicting Sugar can be, so how do we avoid it altogether?

Overcome Sugar cravings

Be sure to have plenty of healthy and natural sugar in your diet, such as fruit, agave nectar, and raw honey. If you are getting enough natural sugar in your body, you shouldn’t be craving the unhealthy processed sugars and artificial sweeteners that you are trying to avoid. It’s good to know that once you stop having processed sugars and artificial sweeteners, you stop craving it after awhile!

Plan meals ahead

Review what you are currently eating for your Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and Snacks. Read the labels, and think about every aspect of the meal (sauces, side dishes, etc), and see if you need to replace anything that has processed Sugar or Artificial Sweeteners in it.

Come up with planned meals for the upcoming week (or two weeks, depending on how often you go to the grocery store). Make sure you read labels (I can’t stress this enough!). Buy foods that you love to eat, and will enjoy. This will ensure that you will stick to your planned meals throughout the week. Be sure to prepare enough food throughout the day, so you won’t be hungry and desperate for anything- including something with processed Sugars or Artificial Sweeteners. This is exactly what we are trying to avoid!

Read Labels,  and understand what they really are

The following are words you need to look out for, and avoid:

Sugar is the easiest label to read and understand, since it is just Processed Sugar

Brown Sugar is processed, and it is refined sugar with some of the molasses returned to it.

Sucrose is regular known as Table Sugar

Dextrose is Corn Sugar

Corn Syrup is not naturally created or possible, and must be processed. The only company who believes Corn Syrup is Healthy, is the ones who sell it and make money off of it.

High Fructose Corn Syrup is produced by processing Corn Starch to create Glucose, and then processing the Glucose to produce a high percentage of Fructose. Let’s just say, it is NOT natural, NOT considered a Vegetable because it was made from Corn (sad, but some believe it is actually healthy), and it has to be processed several times.

Fructose, considered to be a “simple sugar”, but since it is not found in natural forms of Sugar such as Vegetables and Fruit, you should avoid it.

Aspartame is also known as “NutraSweet” and “Equal“, and is an Artificial Sweetener, and not good for you.

Saccharin, which is also known as “Sweet ‘N Low“,  is an Artificial Sweetener, and not good for you.

Acesulfame-K, which is also known as “Sunette” or “Sweet One“, is an Artificial Sweetener, and not good for you.

Sucralose, which is also known as “Splenda“, and this is an Artificial Sweetener, and not good for you.

Beware of Marketing Traps

You will probably find a lot of things labeled as “All Natrual”, “Healthy”, “Sugar Free”, etc. I urge you to read the ingredients, and see exactly what is included. Most “Sugar Free” products have an Artificial Sweetener in the product (Splenda, Aspartame, etc.), and they are promoted as being “Healthy”, but in reality, they are not good for your body.

Even foods that you would have never believed to have sugar added (I found frozen vegetables with sugar added, for example), or Artifical Sweeteners (I found Wheat Thins with High Fructose Corn Syrup), you need to read the labels to make sure you are getting the real Health Food, rather than all of the scams out there.

Make it official

Tell someone else about it. Blog about it. Create a YouTube video about it. Post your goals on Twitter or Facebook. Just make it official however you do it, so you will stick to it. If you don’t, you will make it too easy to just let yourself off the hook. If you tell the world about your determination to live without Sugar (even if it is for just one month!), you will be more likely to stick with it, especially if you know people will follow up with you in the weeks to come.

Believe and Know that you can accomplish this goal

You have to believe you will accomplish the goal, and focus on the end result – to be Healthier. Know that this is a possible goal, and you can succeed! I know you can! Know that you aren’t doing this challenge all by yourself. I am here with you, every step of the way as your support group, and together we will make this happen.

Holidays are coming up

Related posts:

1. Twinkie’s Challenge: Exercise Regularly
2. Twinkie’s Challenge: Say “No Way!” to Fried foods
3. Twinkie’s Challenge: Buy Organic

Don’t let money hurt your health

I know too many people that need to go the Doctor to take care of some serious health concerns, but they don’t because they think they can’t afford the trip to the Doctor’s office. I believe there are some things in life that are priceless. Your health is one of them, and a lack of money should never be a reason why you don’t take care of yourself or your family. The cost of Health Insurance is more than worth it for your family’s health.

Buy it before you need it. Yes, Health Insurance costs money. A trip to the Emergency Room without coverage cost even more. In a state of emergency and panic, you don’t want to worry about money.  Make sure you are getting the treatment you really need.

You can avoid the worry in emergency situations by choosing a health plan that you understand, and a deductible that makes sense for you.

Healthy or not- You need it!

Are you already in good health? Whether you are healthy right now or not, you should always strive to maintain a balanced diet and exercise regularly. This will not only help with the cost of your Insurance premiums, but may also reduce the risk of needing to go to the Doctors for  a serious health concern. Prevention is key!

Do you have a family history of Heart Disease, Cancer, Obesity, High Blood Pressure, etc? If you do, even more reason to maintain a healthy lifestyle and all the more reason to make sure you have Health Insurance – just in case. I know we don’t like thinking about it, but who does? By having Insurance, it can give you and your family some piece of mind.

Cost of not having Insurance

Not having Health Insurance is not worth the risk for yourself or your family. Here are a couple of common procedures, and the cost associated with each – if you don’t have insurance.

•Back Surgery – Do you have a herniated disc like I did? If I had to have surgery, according to surgery-guide.com, it would cost about $8,000. If you need a more complex back surgery, it could cost upwards of $17,000.

•Heart Surgery – The cost can be $20,000 or more.

•Cancer – There are so many different types of cancers. Based on the type of cancer and it’s location in your body, will be a determining factor to the total cost. So what are some people paying for cancer treatments? The cost can be upwards of $200,000 or more without insurance – this would be for the surgeries, chemotherapy, radiation, X-Rays, etc.

•Medications – A single pill can be several hundred dollars. Depending on your needs, it can cost $2,500 or more each month to keep taking the pills your Doctor prescribes to you.

•In hospital stay- Need to stay overnight at the hospital? Plan on it costing anywhere from $750 to $2,500 a night.

Help

I am a huge believer of natural healing and preventative care. Sometimes you have to do more (I don’t like to admit it either), but just in case you need the hospital’s help to get you back on your feet, be sure you get the help you need without breaking the bank.

If you are in need of Health Insurance, check out www.explorehealthinsurance.com to see what options are available to you, and find the plan that is best for you and your family.

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

No related posts.

What is considered  ”Fried foods”?

Anything cooked in a lot of grease or oil, at very high temperatures. Fried foods are things like french fries, most potato chips, onion rings, doughnuts, and in most cases, anything with the word “fried” in the title (though many products can be sneaky with their names!).

Why try to give up Fried foods?

Fried foods have little to no nutritional value, and if you have learned anything from my posts, your body needs good-for-you-fuel to survive and function properly. Those fried onion rings? Not helping you in any way. Fried foods are drenched in unhealthy oils-most commonly used are Canola, Vegetable, or Peanut oil-that are not good for your body. These oils become even more harmful for you when they are heated at such high temperatures to cook your food. Adding your food-whatever you may decide to fry- just decreases the nutritional value, and actually making things worse for your body. How bad can it be? Ever heard of the obesity epidemic? I guess fried foods fuel one thing-obesity. Fried foods not only cause obesity, but it also has been found to cause heart disease, clogged arteries, cholesterol, high blood pressure, and the list unfortunately goes on. Nothing good can come from frying your foods- nothing!

What are my alternatives to Fried foods?

Steaming, Baking, or Toasing your food! Trust me, not only will you be preparing better-for-you foods (you know, the ones where your body can actually benefit from what you are eating), but you will enjoy a variety of benefits from not frying your foods.

I believe your food will taste better. You will consume much less calories! Your body won’t feel so sluggish, and you should experience more energy (more noticable for those who eat fried foods on a regular basis and then suddenly stop). You can feel better- an excess of fried/greasy foods always made me feel really sick- literally. It was my body’s way of telling me “No more Fried foods”, and that it just wasn’t benefiting my body in any way. I finally wisened up, and avoid Fried foods.

Twinkie’s Challenge

My challenge for you: No more Fried foods! Take it one day at a time. If you are used to eating Fried foods on a regular basis, it may take a little bit of time to get out of the habit.  When you go grocery shopping, don’t buy fried potato chips or doughnuts. When you go out to eat, don’t get fried chinese food or don’t get the french fries at the Burger joint. Your body will thank you.

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

Related posts:

1. Twinkie’s Challenge: No Sugar or Artifical Sweeteners!
2. Twinkie’s Challenge: Throw away your Microwave!
3. Twinkie’s Challenge: Buy Organic