Heart healthy foods | Treat your heart to good food

Heart disease is known to be significantly related to lifestyle. Other mammals are not known to get heart disease. So evidently heart problems stem from the foods we eat and the kind of lifestyle we adopt.

The following are some foods to include in your diet for a healthy heart:

Foods high in fiber - Whole wheat grains, whole wheat bread, oatmeal, grits

Blueberries, Cranberries, Raspberries

Green leafy vegetables such as spinach and kale

Seafood like salmon

Dark chocolate

Avocados, guacamole

Soy products like tofu, edamame, soy milk

Lentils and beans

Nuts

Tomato

Garlic

Supplements containing Vitamin C, Vitamin B, Potassium and Magnesium

Herbs like Arjuna and Guggul

Foods to avoid in a heart healthy diet are:

Red meat and meat with high fat content

Processed foods

Trans fatty acids such as in margarine and hydrogenated oils. Check cereal boxes to avoid hydrogenated oils

Deep fried foods

Dairy with high fat content like whole milk and butter

Salt

Ice cream, sugar, pies, cakes which have high sugar content and may also have hydrogenated oils

Coronary artery disease herbal remedy

Coronary artery disease is the most common form of heart disease and is the leading cause of death in the US. Plaque builds up in the coronary arteries, narrowing them and preventing the flow of blood to the heart. Also since the blood platelets clump together, the possibility of blood clots forming also increases.

When oxygen rich blood is unable to reach the heart muscles, they get weakened causing heart failure in which event, the heart cannot pump enough blood into the body. Lack of blood can also cause arrythmia or a condition where the heart beats become irregular.

Blockage of the coronary arteries often leads to angina or heart attack. Symptoms of a heart attack include chest pains or even pains in the jaws, shoulders, arms and back.

Changing your lifestyle which includes exercising, giving up smoking, eating heart healthy foods can prevent and reverse coronary artery disease.

Arjuna herb is recommended by ayurvedic medicine for maintaining heart health. It is useful for preventing angina, arrythmia and strengthening the heart muscles.
Read more on Arjuna herb benefits for the heart.

Abana which is a proprietary ayurvedic medicine comprises arjuna and a variety of other heart healthy herbs and minerals in a formulation designed to protect the heart and prevent heart disease.

Prevent heart attacks | Heart disease natural treatment

Heart attacks and heart disease can be prevented and even reversed with natural treatments. The following simple measures can be taken to prevent and treat heart disease:

Stop smoking: Doctors have indicated that within 2 years of giving up smoking your risk of heart disease will be the same as non-smokers.

Exercise: It has been shown that women who walk at 3mph or faster at least 3 hours a week and men who walk for at least 1 1/2 miles a day significantly reduce their risk of heart disease.

Chronic stress raises homocysteine levels that raises the risk of heart disease. Relax with exercise and yoga to prevent heart attacks

Heart healthy foods: Avoid red meat, high fat dairy products and foods containing saturated fat. Incorporate green leafy vegetables, fish, nuts, orange juice, a small amount of dark chocolate and guacomole in your diet.

The herb Arjuna is well known in Ayurvedic medicine as a healer of the heart. Arjuna's various heart healthy benefits include strengthening the heart muscles, reducing high blood pressure and normalizing cholesterol levels.

Abana a herbal ayurvedic formulation includes Arjuna as a main ingredient along with 40 other heart healthy herbs and minerals. It acts as a cardio-protective, improves in blood circulation, helps to reduce hypertension, lowers cholesterol and prevents blood clotting. Taken as a daily health supplement it helps to prevent and reverse heart disease.

Bleeding gums herbal remedy | Herbal toothpaste

Bleeding gums generally indicate neglected gums, teeth or gum disease. If plaque is not regularly brushed away from teeth, it causes gums to get infected, inflamed and bleed. This is known as gingivitis. If plaque hardens to tartar it can lead to a more severe form of gum disease known as periodontitis where gum and bone tissue are lost.

However bleeding gums can also be due to other causes such as improper , flossing, chewing on hard foods, hormonal changes during pregnancy, dentures, infections, a bleeding disorder, use fo blood thinners and lack of Vitamin K. Bleeding gums can also indicate other diseases such as leukemia and scurvy.

It is therefore important to visit your dentist and get your teeth cleaned every six months. Use soft tooth brushes, floss regularly, rinse thoroughly after eating anything, avoid smoking.

The use of herbal dental toothpastes like Himalaya dental cream also helps in stopping gums from bleeding and promoting dental care.

Find out how to prevent and treat gingivitis naturally.

Herbal laxative Herbolax Himalaya

Constipation is a very common condition and can range from infrequent passing of stools to dry stools or straining or a sense of incomplete evacuation after a bowel movement.

The causes of constipation are also varied and include dehydration, low fiber in diet, poor diet, pregnancy, medicines, hormonal disorders as well as overuse of stimulant laxatives.

Herbolax from Himalaya Herbals is a gentle laxative and most importantly is non-habit forming. This herbal ayurvedic formulation corrects constipation by softening stools and improving intestinal motility. Herbolax not only helps to correct chronic constipation but is also an effective aid for pre-radiographic abdominal preparation.

Herbolax is comprised of 8 ayurvedic herbs including

• Trivruth / (Ipomoea turpethum Syn. Operculina turpethum)
  
• Chebulic myrobalan / Haritaki / (Terminalia chebula)
  
• Wild chicory / Kasani / (Cichorium intybus)
  
• Negro coffee / Kasamarda / (Cassia occidentalis)
  
• Black Nightshade / Kakamachi (Solanum nigrum)
  
• Licorice / Yashti-madhu (Glycyrrhiza glabra)
  
• Ginger / Sunthi (Zingiber officinale)
  
• False Black Pepper / Vidanga / (Embelia ribes)

Herbolax has been subjected to clinical studies and has shown no side effects when taken as per the prescribed dosage.
Find out more about Himalaya Herbolax

Doctors recommend boswellia for arthritis

Boswellia also known as Shallaki is actually a large branching tree found in India and the Middle East. When the bark is peeled away, a gummy oleoresin oozes out. It is the extract of this resin that is used for medicinal purposes.

Boswellia is a well-known ayurvedic herb used for treating arthritis. Boswellic acid in the gum resin has anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic properties. In fact boswellia is even applied externally to reduce inflammation. In addition to being anti-inflammatory, boswellic acid also has an analgesic, sedative effect and improves immunity.

The remarkable properties of boswellia have prompted western medical science to subject it to various studies. It has been found that Boswellia serrata extract may be as effective as a selective COX-2 inhibitor for osteoarthritis pain relief.
Eileen Klein, M.D., FACP with Summit Medical Group indicates that anti-inflammatory herbs such as boswellia may inhibit the formation of prostaglandins, which cause inflammation.

Find out more on Boswellia facts and properties.

Diabetes and Alzheimers link

Recent medical studies have shown that there may be a link between diabetes and Alzheimer's disease. Although there is much controversy, some scientists have even indicated that Alzheimer's disease is a form of diabetes. The reason behind these inferences is that proper utilization of insulin is necessary for the brain to make and retain memories. It was demonstrated in a 2005 study on rats that when insulin resistance was created in the brain, a form of Alzheimer's developed. Oxidative damage and inflammation were also shown to result from abnormal insulin.

A small clinical trial in 2007 showed that when patients in the early stages of Alzheimers were given small doses of insulin, their brain functions improved. Another trial showed that when Alzheimer's patients were given Avandia (a diabetes medication) they showed better attention and better memory recall. However Avandia has many side effects including raising the risk of heart attacks. More studies are now in progress to see if diabetes drugs can be useful for Alzheimer's patients.

Gymnema and Karela are two herbs that are well known in sugar metabolization and diabetes control without any side effects. Diabecon a herbal ayurvedic formulation from Himalaya Herbals is also known as an excellent remedy in controlling diabetes. It acts like insulin, promotes glucose utilization, provides protection from oxidative damage to b-cells and helps in their regeneration