This recommendation does not mean you must eliminate sweets, desserts, and alcohol from your diet. However, they are a major source of calories (because they usually contain large amounts of fat or sugar) and contribute very few other beneficial nutrients to your over all diet.People who have high levels of tryglycerides (a type of fat in the blood that contributes to atherosclerosis) a usually decrease their triglyceride level by:Losing weight and then maintaining a desirable body weightCutting back significantly on significantly and sugar-containing foods. The sugar in beverages, such as sweetened soft drinks or sweetened coffee or tea, can add up quickly. Even reducing the amount of fruit and fruit juice, because they naturally contain sugar, may help lower triglyceridesDrinking less alcoholIncreasing the amount of exercise *302\252\8*
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a silent killer. It places tremendous stress on the arteries and overworks the heart with each beat. Hypertension may progress for years without symptoms, slowly chipping away at the blood vessels, heart, and kidneys. And it eventually takes its toll – high blood pressure is the major underlying cause of heart attacks and strokes. Conventional treatment is sometimes worse than the disease, as patients with hypertension are often overmedicated with prescription drugs that have unpleasant side effects. Even if these drugs do lower blood pressure, they may significantly decrease quality of life and increase the risk of other health problems, while doing little to prevent cardiovascular complications.
Though many doctors still define hypertension as “causeless” or of “unknown origin,” don’t buy it. Extensive medical research makes it perfectly clear that unhealthy living is the primary cause of hypertension. And while it’s true that age, race, and genetic and environmental factors can put you at increased risk, your daily habits do far more to determine whether or not you will develop this condition. This is great news, for it means that preventing and reversing hypertension are within your control.
It is important for you to know that 90 to 95 percent of all hypertension cases can be treated. And an estimated 80 percent of patients with high blood pressure have what is classified as mild to moderate hypertension, which can often be managed through diet, nutritional supplementation, exercise, and stress management. By taking full responsibility for your health and making a few changes in the things you do every day, you can turn you health – and your life – around.
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