Some risk factors are beyond our control, while others involve relatively simple lifestyle changes that can make substantial strides in improving our overall health. To achieve a healthier way of life, you should begin to differentiate between the areas of your life in which you can make changes, as compared to those factors you can’t change.

Risk Factors You Can’t Change

Your parents. They gave you a gene pool that may have included a predisposition to a coronary artery disease. Did either of your parents or any siblings have a heart attack before 55 years of age (male) or 65 years (female)? If so, you may have inherited these genes.

Your age. The older we get, the more likely we are to have less elastic, more fat clogged arteries.

Your sex. Men and women alike develop coronary artery disease. It remains the biggest cause of death for both men and women in the United States. Women seem to develop symptomatic heart disease (heart attack, angina, etc.) 10 to 15 years later than men. The average age at which men begin to show symptoms of heart disease is 50 to 60, while for women the average age is 60 to 70 years.

Women appear to be protected by hormones against developing coronary heart disease prior to menopause, but after menopause quickly catch up with men.

Risk Factors You Can Change

Control Your Cholesterol. A fat-like, waxy substance called cholesterol is found in animal tissue. It is present in foods from animal sources such as whole milk dairy products, meat, fish, poultry, and egg yolks. An estimated 400 to 500 milligrams or more of cholesterol is ingested each day in the average American diet. Cholesterol is also produced in your body—primarily your liver—in varying amounts, usually about 1,000 milligrams a day.

Cholesterol is essential for producing new cells and manufacturing certain hormones. There are basically two major types, High Density Lipoproteins (HDL) and Low Density Lipoproteins (LDL). It is believed that HDL picks up cholesterol and brings it back to the liver for reprocessing. Some researchers believe that HDL may also remove excess cholesterol from fat gorged cells. Because HDL clears cholesterol out of the system, HDL is often called “good cholesterol”. LDL, on the other hand, is considered “bad” because it deposits itself along artery walls as it travels from the liver to the cells of the body.

Through a combination of exercise and improved eating habits, you can lower your cholesterol level. Your doctor may advise you to have periodic cholesterol testing to keep track of the progress you are making.

Lower Your Blood Pressure. The measurement of the force of your blood against your artery walls as your heart contracts (beats) and relaxes is your blood pressure. If you have “high blood pressure,” it means that your heart has to work harder to deal with the extra pressure of the blood coursing through your arteries.

You can help lower your blood pressure by following your prescribed treatment and taking your medicine according to direction. Because high blood pressure usually has no symptoms, many people stop taking medications that keep pressure in check. A low salt diet is prescribed to reduce the amount of fluid the heart has to pump.

Keeping track of blood pressure is easy with a home blood pressure monitor.

Lose Weight. Many of us are overweight. It is estimated that over 46 million Americans are more than 20 percent over their desireable weight. Extra pounds make the heart work harder. Being overweight not only makes your heart pump harder, it can raise blood pressure, constrict your lungs, and make your body require more oxygen.

Control Diabetes. About 17 million people in the United States have diabetes and the number keeps growing. Approximately 10 percent have Type 1, that is, they are insulin dependent. Their bodies produce little or no insulin. Insulin regulates the utilization of glucose in the body. Approximately 90 percent of people with diabetes have Type 2. They are non-insulin dependent. Their bodies produce insulin but do not use it properly. If you have either Type 1 or 2 diabetes, your diet, exercise and weight management play an extremely important part in preventing complications. Type 2 diabetes may be managed or controlled by diet, weight loss and exercise.

Exercise. Regular exercise prescribed for you by your physician and cardiac rehabilitation specialists is one of the most powerful ways to improve your heart function. The American Heart Association regards physical inactivity as the fourth major risk factor for coronary artery disease.

Regular exercise will increase your endurance, help to lower your blood pressure, control your weight and will give you an overall sense of well-being. It may also increase the “good” HDL cholesterol and decrease triglycerides in your blood stream. Remember that even exercises done in bed or in a chair can be beneficial. As you regain your strength, your exercise routine will be increased.

Follow your doctor’s instructions for any an all medications!

Reprinted from:

http://www.fitnessandfreebies.com/seniors/heart-risk-factors.html

Hoarding is defined as the acquisition of, and inability to discard items, even though they appear to others to have no value. People with compulsive hoarding syndrome have immense difficultly throwing things away, even items of little or no value such as old newspapers, bits of string, worn-out clothes, and junk mail.

A person who is a compulsive hoarder has a variety of thoughts going through his or her mind. Items may be perceived to have sentimental value, and “If I throw it away, I am throwing away part of myself.” Hoarders have a difficult time making decisions, so they will save an item to avoid making the “bad choice” of getting rid of it. Hoarders may feel responsible for those around them, so they will save items “just in case I or myloved ones need them.”

Hoarders also have control issues. They may feel that the moment they throw something away, they are no longer in control, and what happens to this item is in the hands of others. Hoarders are also afraid of forgetting what something looked like, or its content, and fear that “once the item is gone, it’s gone forever.” There is also a fear of “letting go.” For example, a hoarder may fear that once she has thrown something away, that part of her life, no matter how insignificant, is gone forever.

Hoarding also creates safety issues. Excessive clutter causes fire and tripping/fall hazards. People have trapped themselves in homes and apartments, and floors have collapsed due to the weight of hoarded materials.

Hoarding also creates a stress for family members, who may feel embarrassed, frustrated, or resentful of the hoarding behavior. They are ashamed of the clutter, but are forced to live amidst chaos. Family members often resort to “self-help” methods by attempting to clean or organize without the consent of the hoarder, which leads to arguments and fights.

Compulsive hoarding is considered to be a form of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). There are two forms of treatment: medications and behavioral techniques. People working with compulsive hoarders should encourage them to find a psychiatrist or therapist who is experienced in the treatment of OCD who can prescribe appropriate medications and help teach the person to gradually begin to discard items.

By Geoff Bernhardt, Elder Law Attorney
Reprinted from: www.theseniorresourcenetwork.com

Foods containing healthy amounts of fiber include dried fruits (such as raisins, dates, prunes, and apricots), vegetables (such as green peas, broccoli, and spinach), peas and beans (such as black-eyed peas, lima beans, and kidney beans), nuts and seeds (such as flaxseed and almonds), whole fruit (such as apples with the skin, oranges, avocados, kiwi, and pears), and whole wheat grains (such as barley, brown rice, and the various whole wheat pastas and cereals).

So there you have it. To keep your brain healthy and your memory at its best, simply start eating foods from all of these groups on a regular basis.

Slowly replace the high-sugar, high-fat foods in your diet with these healthy brain foods. Drink plenty of fresh, clean water. Consider supplements of vitamins, fish oil and perhaps a fiber supplement as well. Not only will your brain and memory benefit, but your body will, too. I guarantee you will notice a difference!
Reprinted and abridged from article by Douglas Jobes from:
http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/Brain_Foods_and_Memory.html

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