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99 Ways To Keep Your Heart Pumping
ririanproject.com — "Heart disease kills more people than any other disease. According to the American Heart Association, almost 33 million American men have cardiovascular disease, and over 430,000 die from it every year. Sadly, many of these deaths were preventable."
kevinrose- 1353 diggs
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- rrobster, on 10/12/2007, -2/+9Good advice here. Even if you can't follow all of these, at least try to do some of them. OK, now I have to go "hug" my wife.
- HateStation, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3Diet and exercise...it's as simple as that.
- gconeen, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4ever think that people digg kevin's stories just because who he is?
- ch33sehead, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7I would recommend having your wife "(30) Toss your salad with olive oil" or maybe have her "(37) Snack on nuts"
- resplence, on 10/12/2007, -0/+199 is waaay too much to read. Come up with only one more, make that a series of ten top 10s and get rich after 6 months of intense diggin'.
- Aupajo, on 10/12/2007, -4/+299? That's too hard to remember in one go!!
- nreynolds, on 10/12/2007, -6/+3Damn, way #100 is what's going to kill me. I wish I knew what to do.
- neoian, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2Good advice, and cool site.
- Ruckgesicht, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Very good advice. Hopefully one day medicine will allow for all death to be preventable. But I'll leave the issue of aging to Aubrey de Grey and the rest of the experts for now.
- Koray, on 10/12/2007, -9/+4Oh yeah, 5 people for every square foot sounds like heaven.
- Ruckgesicht, on 10/12/2007, -8/+4You don't read much, do you? If everyone were to live indefinitly, the solution would already be at our disposal since it already exists in our fiction; take, for example, the elves from Lord of the Rings. They still have children, but the rate of birth has to be low on purpose so that this problem of overpopulation does not occur. This is not impossible to apply in real life given all the safe sex education already out there.
- ZippidyDoo, on 10/12/2007, -2/+11LOL Lotr compared to real life. NICE.
- Ruckgesicht, on 10/12/2007, -5/+3If you have offered criticism or complaint I've yet to see it.
- Pluckie, on 10/12/2007, -0/+10"7. Fight cholesterol with fat. A group of 17 Australian men with high cholesterol swapped macadamia nuts for 15 percent of the calories in their diets, and their total cholesterol dropped by between 3 and 5 percent, while their HDL (good) cholesterol rose by nearly 8 percent. The reason: Macadamias are the best natural source of monounsaturated fat."
A study containing only 17 people isn't enough to convince me to eat macadamia nuts for 15% of my calories...- bash, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1You don't need a large sample size to make a solid conclusion because of this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Student%27s_t-distribution
That said, I agree that it would be more accurate if you had more people.
- bash, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1You don't need a large sample size to make a solid conclusion because of this:
- dhoonlee, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1A lot of this advice makes no sense or sends the wrong message. You can't undo bad eating habits or an unhealthy lifestyle by taking vitamins or oils. You shouldn't eat take out food for the "curcumin". They had to try really hard to get to 99 apparently.
- spinningobo, on 10/12/2007, -1/+15or for diggers,
way #100 - masturbation. - LucidHawk, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3"Pick the can. The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that many canned vegetables contain up to 40 percent higher levels of heart-disease-fighting antioxidants than fresh vegetables do."
Gotta be kidding me..- fremeer, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5its true, same goes for the use of frozen vegetables. frozen vegetables and canned food don't ripen and lose their vitamins and anti-oxidants. In general the fresher the fruit or vegetable the healthier but at a certain point they start decomposing which denatures most of the good stuff in em, that's why over ripe fruit tastes vinegary, they have oxidized and the increased pH killed off the good food. Canned vegetables don't oxidize.
Also garlic bread is good for you, its not covered in poly saturated fats like onion rings and big mac buns are highly processed unlike garlic bread which is normal bread covered in garlic butter(butter in moderation can be very good for you and some of the new margarines are designed to reduce cholesterol if u want to make your own garlic bread) - entro, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3A couple of these are surprisingly in conflict with one of the major diets that are suggested in terms of a healthy heart... primarily the DASH diet. Canned foods, chinese and indian takeout are all high in sodium content (yes even if not cooking with msg)... while it can be disputed possibly that salt and sodium affects blood pressure only in salt sensitive people... (which alot of people don't even know if they are...) there is no doubt after being on a low salt diet for over a year that I was consuming WAY over the daily recommended limit of around 2300mg a day. There is also talk that that number needs to be changed to a lower number like 1500mg a day.
To put it into perspective... if you took an ear of corn and made a serving of corn you are probably around 15mg... a canned corn serving is probably 100-150mgs. And thats a very small portion. Some pasta sauce is close to 650mg a serving which is pretty high for a really small portion.
When you add it all up... some days I could probably be consuming upwards of 6000 mg's of sodium a day. Which no matter if someone is not salt sensitive... can't be great for the body or heart.
I don't doubt alot of the suggestions, its just really surprising that DASH or salt aren't prominent on this list. As someone who has dual family history of High Blood Pressure and who incorporates both daily cardio with low salt and vegetarian diet... I've effectively lowered my BP (under 120/80 from 145/95) without medication for the time being until my doctor thinks otherwise.
Another suggestion: Up your natural potassium intake... mango's are great... potatoes are too.
link to dash
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/hbp/dash/
EDIT: sodium is on there... but still in conflict with the above - ubuwalker31, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@entro:
The Dash diet is similar to the Total Lifestyle Change (TLC) diet. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/cgi-bin/chd/step2intro.cgi
My advice to everyone is to count all of the nutritional data you can for one week using a site like fitday.com and figure out how many calories, how much cholesterol, and how much fat your eating everyday. Before starting the diet, I was eating over 5000 calories a day. How? Having a large 12oz hamburger for lunch (1000 calories right there) and then a decent size steak for dinner (800 calories) and rich ice cream for dessert (600 calories) along with whatever I had for breakfast and snacks and side dishes along the way. Calories add up very quickly and so do fats.
These 99 tips seem likely to lead to overeating, IMHO.
- fremeer, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5its true, same goes for the use of frozen vegetables. frozen vegetables and canned food don't ripen and lose their vitamins and anti-oxidants. In general the fresher the fruit or vegetable the healthier but at a certain point they start decomposing which denatures most of the good stuff in em, that's why over ripe fruit tastes vinegary, they have oxidized and the increased pH killed off the good food. Canned vegetables don't oxidize.
- NanoStuff, on 10/12/2007, -11/+4I stopped reading after 10, this is retarded. "Garlic is good for you, eat garlic bread"
That's the same logic as onions are good for you, eat onion rings, or grains are good for you, eat big macs. What a fool.- pharmd, on 10/12/2007, -6/+2...
- techpimp, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Yep, it's not very detailed. Eating some types of garlic bread can be worse for your diet (fats, cholesterol)
- TheEditor1, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2Actually, and this is coming from someone with heart disease and two stents in his heart, garlic is an anti-oxidant and quite good for you. People need to do more research before commenting negatively on things like this and making a complete ASS of themselves.
I had two heart attacks when I was 37 years old. - techpimp, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Garlic bread = garlic + butter + bread
There are many types of garlic bread, so the point he was trying to get across is you can't be broad about it. Just because it says garlic doesn't mean that it'll be healthy part of your diet because of the other "nutrients."
- BubbleBobble, on 10/12/2007, -1/+15"8. Eat grapefruit. One a day can reduce arterial narrowing by 46 percent, lower your bad-cholesterol level by more than 10 percent, and help drop your blood pressure by more than 5 points."
DANGEROUS for patients already taking drugs: grapefruit is known to raise the blood level of certain drugs (including statins) to toxic height. Grapefruit inhibits the "cytochrome P-450 3A4" system which is involved in the metabolism of many drugs.
see: http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/drugReactions/default.htm- pharmd, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Took the words right out of my mouth
- theexpress, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2i was wondering what grapefruit did wrong. i had a seizure at one time, and for the next two years, i had to take certain pills to prevent any further ones, and i was told not to eat grapefruit. i never did the research into why, but i finally know now.
- terafnord, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3On a quick read-through I noticed an awful lot of gratuitous product placement.
I'm cynical enough to suspect that all the products identified by name are somehow produced by subsidiaries of the same companies that fund the "ririanproject" site, but too lazy to research it. - super_spyder, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1any one else notice the picture they use is the "activity monitor" program in os x
- iAlex, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Good find Kevin! :) These stuff are extremely good to know.
- lysdexia, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6I'm not sure I understand the need for the nit-picking nature of some cynical comments above - I had a heart-attack 2 years ago and I'm delighted to simply be alive.
Of course it would be virtually impossible to implement all of those ideas - and a healthy chunk of them would be risky for diabetics for example - but the gist of the article is advice to look out for your ol' ticker.
I'd encourage anyone to avoid a heart attack - the pain and fear are worse than anything you might imagine. The realisation that (unless someone saves you) you are about to die is a visit to the blackest hole of doom.
It's worth repeating ladies and gentlemen - avoid it if you can.- Murphys, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Here!! Here!! After just having my second Heart attack on Thursday, I must agree. Facing death is a great motive for improving your lifestyle. After 5 years I had slacked off the diet and exercise. I am back on the program now. BTW, I'm only 43.
- HsoKinees, on 10/12/2007, -0/+112. Order take-out. Lots of Chinese and Indian foods contain ginger or turmeric - spices packed with natural anti-inflammatories. “Anything that helps keep levels of inflammation low is good for your heart,” says Andrew Weil, M.D., author of Eating Well for Optimum Health.
13. Drink cranberry juice. University of Scranton scientists found that volunteers who drank three 8-ounce glasses a day for a month increased their HDL-cholesterol levels by 10 percent, enough to cut heart-disease risk by almost 40 percent. Buy 100 percent juice that’s at least 27 percent cranberry.
Niiiiiiiice, I had both last night LoL but while i was waiting for the meal to be cooked, I drank half of my juice :( - Kniggit, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I don't fully dispute a lot of what the article is saying, but some of these suggestions are too loaded for me to take them seriously.
For example, they talk about putting double sauce on a pizza. Well, if you're ordering a low-fat cheese pizza that MIGHT be ok, but most people ordering pizza are putting high-fat meats and cheeses on them. This likely negates any positive effects the tomato compounds would have on heart disease. In addition, all of the nitrites and preservatives in these same meats may be contributing to cancer risk.
Another is using the rotisserie. While you may end up creating compounds via the heat that reduce cardiovascular disease risks, you may increase your risk of cancer due to the smoke and charcoal.
One other key point now is that many people believe that it isn't simply clogged arteries but inflammation that contributes to the negative outcomes of cardiovascular disease. My guess is that inflammation will actually help to close off arteries that are already clogged and thereby causing heart attack and stroke. This inflammation is also caused by various viruses and bacteria which is why they probably say to wash your hands. It's also why low-dose aspirin seems to help, though again your risk of stomach cancer goes up significantly if you take anti-inflammatory drugs over too long a period of time.
Overall a decent article, but use your better judgment because it isn't just your heart you need to protect. - TheEditor1, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0People should realize that these are recommendations for a healthier lifestyle. If you are going to try them, and you have heart disease and are on medical therapy for it then it make sense to check with your doctor about dietary changes. People like BubbleBobble & NanoStuff obviously don't understand that based on their comments here.
Any herbal or non-standard dietary changes should always be under consultation with your doctor when you have a series issue with something like diabetes or heart disease. I am fortunate that I have a very good cardiologist, one of the top 20 in the USA and a Fellow of the American College of Cardiologists, that takes the time to discuss with me the possible interactions with any drug I am taking, any changes that I want to make in my diet.
Just as an aside, and I do NOT work for the company or am I connected in an way, one thing that can help greatly is a product called ResQ 1250 from N3 Oceanic. I use it and it has kept me off the statin drugs for cholesterol management. I also helps with removing the fats from the arteries that cause atherosclerosis. - beerden, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1This list has some problems:
#4 Tuna - what happened to all the hype about excessive mercury levels in all tuna on the planet?
#5 Flaxseed - some people don't have the ability to absorb the omega fatty acids from flax.
#6 Grill a Steak - go for organic or wild game meats, as they are not tainted with growth hormones from animals that are force-fed their own species.
#10 Order Garlic Bread - no, order garlic without the bread. Restaurant bread is usually the non-nutritious White Bread and high in gluten, which the body cannot digest.
#12 Order Take Out - Chinese food = high in MSG (yes, still), Indian food = high in carbs (white rice, which is less nutritious than brown rice). Both cuisines rely on far too many animals.
#29 Pick the Can - nothing beats a fresh vegetable for all the nutritious ingredients in the right proportions. Sure, if the study is right and canned veggies have more anti-oxidants, what about all the other nutrients that have broken down while in the can? Where do these "extra" anti-oxidants come from?
#39 Have a Fiber Appetizer - if you have the money to spend on Metamucil, then sure. Aren't there other cheaper alternatives, such as whole foods with fiber already in them?
#60 Root for the Yankees - does nothing for the team-sports-disinterested component of the population. (me)
#92 Go Fish - don't go for the over-fished and near-extinct species. Unfortunately these days this includes most fishes. I am amazed that Atlantic Cod is still sold in stores and restaurants - it's almost extinct from the Atlantic.- TheEditor1, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2#4 Tuna - what happened to all the hype about excessive mercury levels in all tuna on the planet?
:: Anything in moderation can't be bad.
#5 Flaxseed - some people don't have the ability to absorb the omega fatty acids from flax.
:: True, discuss something like this with your doctor/cardiologist.
#6 Grill a Steak - go for organic or wild game meats, as they are not tainted with growth hormones from animals that are force-fed their own species.
:: Good advice, organic is better and unfortunately more costly in most areas.
#10 Order Garlic Bread - no, order garlic without the bread. Restaurant bread is usually the non-nutritious White Bread and high in gluten, which the body cannot digest.
:: Again, good advice. Most garlic bread is, exactly as you state, white bread which can be bad for you, but the garlic is great for anti-oxidant power.
#12 Order Take Out - Chinese food = high in MSG (yes, still), Indian food = high in carbs (white rice, which is less nutritious than brown rice). Both cuisines rely on far too many animals.
:: Most of the chinese place near my home no longer use MSG and if they do they offer the ability to order without MSG.
#29 Pick the Can - nothing beats a fresh vegetable for all the nutritious ingredients in the right proportions. Sure, if the study is right and canned veggies have more anti-oxidants, what about all the other nutrients that have broken down while in the can? Where do these "extra" anti-oxidants come from?
:: Canned vegetable have a greater concentration of salt so they can have a long shelf life. Salt can adversely raise blood pressure which can put undue presssure on your heart.
#39 Have a Fiber Appetizer - if you have the money to spend on Metamucil, then sure. Aren't there other cheaper alternatives, such as whole foods with fiber already in them?
:: Whole Grain breads are a great source of fiber, also a nice salad with low fat dressing and whole grain bread croutons (cheese and bacon optional based on dietary requirements).
#60 Root for the Yankees - does nothing for the team-sports-disinterested component of the population. (me)
:: Nothing I have ever read proves that this will help with heart disease, but I do root for the opposing team when the Ravens play.
#92 Go Fish - don't go for the over-fished and near-extinct species. Unfortunately these days this includes most fishes. I am amazed that Atlantic Cod is still sold in stores and restaurants - it's almost extinct from the Atlantic.
:: Most fish sold in stores, Cod, Roughy (Sp?) and the like are farm raised now and fish is high in Omega 3 and good for the heart.
- TheEditor1, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2#4 Tuna - what happened to all the hype about excessive mercury levels in all tuna on the planet?
- entro, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2@ beerden
actually alot indian cuisine is pretty vegetarian friendly... and often some of the only options for people who don't eat meat in cities that are strictly carnivore.- beerden, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Yes, I agree. The vegetable korma is usually great, although I will eat such dishes with chicken (or fish) in them at times too. (hungry now..) Chinese food seems to rarely have vegetarian options - I try to stay away from beef and pork.
- DiodeGravy, on 10/12/2007, -2/+0...there's no scientific evidence that any dietary changes reliably reduce heart disease in the general population.
Carrying a lucky 4-leaf Clover in your pocket might be just as effective
{.. placebo}.
Heart Disease is a complex malady that is still barely understood by modern medical science. Sure cures are unknown to anyone.
At the start of the 20th Century, most average Americans died of infectious diseases before even reaching age 50 ... they didn't live long enough to have to worry about heart disease.
Keep things in perspective.- TheEditor1, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0@DiodeGravy
"...there's no scientific evidence that any dietary changes reliably reduce heart disease in the general population."
Actually there is a ton of evidence, you just have to READ it.
- TheEditor1, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0@DiodeGravy
- CharlieMonkey, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Eggs. If you want to keep your heart healthy. The yokes of eggs are a water solvent so they bond with water molecules. They are shaped like those game pieces used in shoots and ladders. One end bonds with a small trans fatty acid while the other end bonds with a water molecule. This type of fat will actually pull plaque off your arteries and you will just ***** the fat out. Also, for you dieters out there...fat does not make you fat. Not all calories can make you fat. Fat cannot be converted to fat in the body. What you do not use, depending on the type of fact either gets crapped out, or clogs your arteries or usually, both.
- driftersgold, on 10/12/2007, -4/+1this is all a bunch of crap. Eat what you want when you want, smoke and drink the same. Live well because when it is time to go face it. Life has to end someday for everyone. Remember not everyone wnats to live to one hundred and three years old. Personally I think that would be a pain in the ass.
- skellener, on 10/12/2007, -0/+110. Order garlic bread. In addition to lowering cholesterol and helping to fight off infection, eating garlic may help limit damage to your heart after a heart attack or heart surgery. Researchers in India found that animals who were fed garlic regularly had more heart-protecting antioxidants in their blood than animals who weren’t.
29. Pick the can. The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that many canned vegetables contain up to 40 percent higher levels of heart-disease-fighting antioxidants than fresh vegetables do.
83. Buy a dog. All that love (”You’re a good boy, yes you are!”) and aggravation (”Bad dog! No eat Daddy’s crab dip!”) makes your heart more adaptable and better able to deal with the stress that can lead to heart disease.
84. Have a drink every other day. A Boston study of 38,000 men found that men who drink alcohol three or four times a week have a 32 percent lower risk of heart attack than men who drink less than once a week. Moderate amounts of alcohol raise HDL cholesterol levels and keep the blood thin, reducing the threat of artery-clogging clots. Drinking more frequently is fine (up to the limit at which your friends - or the state police - gather and confront you), but won’t provide additional heart protection, the study’s authors report.
97. Schedule a flu shot. A New England Journal of Medicine study found that people who’d been vaccinated against the flu were also 19 percent less likely to be hospitalized for heart disease than people who hadn’t gotten the shot.
Eat garlic bread and canned vegetables, get a dog, drink alcohol every other day and get a flu shot?
I just don't buy it. I'll take fresh vegetables and fruit skip the bread and no alcohol over this recommendation any day. Haven't had the flu in years and never get a shot. OK, the dog is optional if you want to take him on a run.
There are maybe a third to half good suggestion in the list. The rest are complete B.S. - BWhaler, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Great article.
I love how the internet spreads things like this. Great stuff.
(Going to leave the office on this beautiful Saturday and ride my bike for an hour. Thanks for the inspiration.) - helpseeker, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2If i do 1,2,4 and 9 I'll lower my risk of heart disease by 112%. Phew
Great list! - Brokenmonkey, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Being careful kevin?
- bludo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1down
- CharlieMonkey, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Prunes are the highest fruit in anti-oxi power. They out rival even the highest fruits by 10 to 1. One serving is about 1000% the RDA. Garlic is good for the heart, but better for the immune system.
2. Egg yolk does not raise your col it actually lowers it, by bonding with trans fats and water to remove bad fat from your blood and artery walls. Doctors, with tiny i.q.s of only 120-125 do not know this.
3. Fat does not make you fat. The body will not process fat and store it, but fat will clog your arteries.
4. Milk and other dairy products are not that good for you, as they overload your system with calcium. The adult body makes it's own calcium from about 16 differing compounds in fresh veggies, it does not use calcium already made. infants and small children do because their skeletal systems are mostly cartilage and the calcium is absorbed directly.
5. Chicken and peanut butter slow down the metabolism.
6. Garlic bread, uuuhhh..no...the butter will clog up your veins and butter is the leading cause of pancreas cancer.
7.fish=mercury.....cilantro(1 cup)+2 tbs olive oil + 4 tbs lemon juice + 1 tbsp nuts(not peanuts) + blended together into a paste= cilantro pesto. 1 tbsp of cilantro pesto a day removes all heavy metals from the body in 3 weeks, so eat all the fish you want, but do not forsake your pesto,otherwise you will forsake your I.Q.
8. You can reverse heart disease by changing your diet to healthy foods and doing exercise unless your 85 with ruptured arteries, then good luck and much love. - Dave757, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0#100 (or a variation on #61, Meditate for 20 minutes a day): Instead of boring old meditation why not do slow breathing and get the benefits of meditation and relaxation plus lower blood pressure? It's proven time and time again in clinical tests.
Here's how you do it: 1. Get as relaxed as possible. Gentle, slow tempo music works best for many but do what's best for you. 2. Breathe slowly and gently. The keyword at this point is "gently". Too many people confuse deep breathing with strenuous, lung-filling breathing. This only leads to hyperventilation. 3. Slow your breathing rate gradually to the lowest rate you can manage comfortably. 4. At the same time, start extending your exhale phase to around twice the length of your inhale.
Do this in a relaxed state for 15 minutes a day and it's guaranteed to lower your blood pressure, sometimes by an amazing amount! Not to mention you'll also get relaxation and stress relief. Further benefit: Use this breathing method for quick relief at times of stress, anxiety or anger.
Tips for success: 1. DO NOT try to count your breathing. It's counter-productive (forgive the pun!). Relaxation is the key here: the more relaxed you are, the greater the benefits. You can't relax when counting your breathing or focusing on any form of timekeeper. Just keep the 1:2 inhale/exhale ratio in mind and you'll get there eventually.
2. This is where music is so helpful: If you relax to very slow-tempo music (a classical adagio, for example) the beat of the music will help serve as a timekeeper and will slow your breathing down to its tempo. It also helps relax you and diverts your focus away from your breathing.
3. Get full details on slow breathing with music at the website: control-your-blood-pressure.com - bexy4506, on 10/12/2007, -0/+171. Drink more tea.
YAY! Kevin has a healthy Heart! - parkernicky50, on 04/26/2008, -0/+0I read your post it is nice and informative. I liked it very much so i vote for it. Keep posting.If you have any new and interesting post, please share with me.
- beststrollers, on 05/18/2008, -0/+1http://www.freedietplans.biz/safestdiet/saltdiet.h ...
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