Free Tips to Prevent Obesity, Diabetes, Heart Disease, High Cholesterol, And High Blood Pressure

They are the biggest killers in America: Diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and heart disease. The most common causes of these deadly conditions are: Physical inactivity, fattening snacks and beverages, obesity, stress, and smoking. The shocking news is that these diseases are so easily preventable.
A frequent cause of blame is the unhealthy food choices people make regularly. It’s okay to splurge once in a while, but it is the habits you follow daily that will determine your overall health. Constantly consuming chips, bacon, cakes, sugary drinks, candy, sausage, and cigarettes will get you nothing but poor health, deadly diseases, and a ticket straight to heaven prematurely.



According to the CDC over 63% (that’s over 180 million) of the US population is overweight or obese and is physically inactive, resulting in tens of millions who have chronic deadly, but preventable, conditions such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, and pre-diabetes. Recently the CDC reported that more than 70% (over 1.7 million) of all causes of death in America are caused by only three preventable factors: obesity, sedentary lifestyles, and smoking. The very fact that these factors are easily preventable is heartbreaking.
One of the major contributors to poor health is the excessive consumption of cholesterol. The body produces over 85% of the cholesterol we need and the sugar stores in our liver and muscles remain saturated due to physical inactivity. Because we are largely a couch-potato society and the food we consume every day is loaded with animal-based fats, the extra fat gets dumped into our arteries, belly areas, and under the skin all over our bodies.
Another major contributor to deadly diseases, poor health, and premature aging and death is physical inactivity. Most of us sit throughout an entire workday then go home and sit in front of the TV for another 5 to 6 hours while consuming large fatty meals, snacks, and sugary or alcoholic beverages that are rich in saturated fats, salt, and sugar, all of which contribute to increased belly fat. Shockingly, belly fat is the most dangerous kind because it causes inflammation in the arteries contributing to plaque build up in the arteries and insulin resistance leading to heart attacks and diabetes.
Yet another common issue is that people are unaware of how unhealthy the foods they consume are. When people don't read nutrition labels they tend to consume very dense food and sugary beverages that are nutrient deficient. These foods are readily available in fast food restaurants and vending machines and contain loads of sugar, fat, and unwanted calories. Sugary soft drinks (which alone contribute to over 33% of all US obesity), sugary lemonade, sweetened iced tea, smoothies, lattes, and frappucinos, which contain loads of sugar and fat that further contribute to the accumulation of belly fat, make you more of a magnet to all sorts of deadly, but preventable, diseases. One of the worst mistakes people make as well is skipping meals which makes the body more efficient at storing and gaining fat weight.
Fortunately there are important steps to help you make balanced food and activity choices and help you start a lifestyle makeover process which will be your shield against deadly diseases as you age gracefully:
• If you have any chronic disease(s) take your medications as prescribed.
• Eat 3 main balanced meals, reduce your portion sizes, and raise your fiber intake.
• Consume 2 fruit and nuts snacks between meals.
• Switch all sugary drinks to water or diet soft drinks. Sweeten all other hot or cold beverages with artificial sweeteners or sugar-free flavoring powders. Limit all non-water beverages to a couple a day.
• Increase your daily walking activity to over 10,000 steps a day by making more frequent trips at home, the office, while shopping, and anywhere else.
The good news is that diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic diseases can be prevented, managed, and reversed with your own choices, actions and a lifestyle makeover. Now is the time to start putting these tips to good use and begin feeling better and living healthier right away!

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Cure For High Blood Pressure

Medical scientists continue to research in order to establish the ultimate cure for high blood pressure. Because the disease is potentially life- threatening, it is recommended that you get your blood pressure checked regularly. If hypertension, also referred to as the ‘silent killer,’ is left untreated, it will increase the risk for heart disease, kidney disease and stroke. An astonishing one 1 of 3 Americans suffer with high blood pressure.
Although no specific cure for high blood pressure has been discovered, the medical care providers recommend ways to prevent and control the disease. Research indicates that these prevention methods have been successful in that they have alleviated the onset of or controlled the progression of high blood pressure in patients allowing them to live healthier lives. Ironically, the factors that contribute to high blood pressure are often evident which suggest that the patient has the ability to reverse the effects that it can have on the body.



The most effective way to prevent and control high blood pressure is to adopt healthy lifestyle habits. Any one person who suffers with high blood pressure or is at high risk of developing it can benefit from living a healthier life. More so, high blood pressure-lowering methods decreases the risk of additional complications. By incorporating this list of healthy habits into your daily routine, it will help keep your blood pressure levels in control.
Adopting a healthy eating plan: Consider implementing the DASH Diet Action Plan which lowers cholesterol, improves glucose control and overall health.
Loose weight if you are overweight or obese: Eat less food that is high in calories and fatty acids. Reduce sodium (salt) in your diet. Concentrate on eating foods that are natural such as fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Increase water intake.
Implement daily physical activity and exercise: The American Heart Association suggests aerobic exercise.
Limit Alcohol consumption
Quit smoking
Lifestyle changes are extremely important and effective for the overall health. However, this is not sufficient for certain groups of people. In some cases, genetic predisposition calls for other precautions.
Finding a cure for high blood pressure in regards to this group of patients may prove more stringent. In addition to the lifestyle modifications; that has actually proven to significantly lower blood pressure, some patients may also require treatment such as hypertensive medications. Medication has not proven to cure the disease, yet it has certainly been effective.

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Ways to Limit Alcohol Consumption

One of the major contributors to high blood pressure is the consistent consumption of alcohol. Regular alcohol drinkers increase the risks of elevated blood pressure because it affects the normal functioning of the body by reversing what it needs to remain healthy.
Any hypertension patient who has an alcohol problem must have their medications carefully prescribed and monitored by a physician. Alcohol and high blood pressure is a significant threat for further medical problems.

Although hypertension patients are administered blood pressure medications, the alcohol has a tendency to alter the effectiveness of the medications. The ultimate effect that the alcohol has may vary amongst individuals because of tolerance levels. Yet, the fact remains that the alcohol affects the flexibility of the blood vessels which elevates the blood pressure to critical levels.
Here are some effects that alcohol has on high blood pressure.
1. Weight increase: The large amount of alcohol causes weight gain due to increase in calories. As a result, further medications have to be prescribed to control the hypertension. This task renders difficult as the alcohol effects the medication which may cause extreme danger.
2. Increases risks for other medical complications: Drinking alcohol increases the risk of further complications that result from hypertension. People that suffer with cardiac illnesses, severe hypertension or congestive heart failure are in a severe life- threatening situation.
3. Decreases nutrient intake: Regular alcohol consumption affects the intake of calcium and magnesium. These nutrients are essential to lower blood pressure as well as to maintain a healthy body.
4. Diminishes effects of medication: Because the alcohol elevates and constantly alters your blood pressure, it diminishes the effects of the medication. Also, the alcohol generally increases the side effects of the medications. The two mixed together simply causes further medical complications.
If you are a heavy alcohol drinker, it is recommended that you seriously consider making a change in your lifestyle. As you can see, alcohol has a variety of negative affects on the outcome of high blood pressure. Your primary physician should assist you with developing a healthy eating plan along with a plan to decrease the amount of alcohol that you consume.

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Lower Your High Blood Pressure With Proper Diet

High blood pressure is a medical condition that requires absolute attention on the food that you eat. There are certain foods that make the blood pressure shot up to alarming levels. High blood pressure is usually related to the aging process. It is also medically referred to as hypertension and it is a condition that indicates that the heart is working extra hard to pump blood to the different parts of the body. More often than not, high blood pressure is a symptom of a more complicated disease.
To most people, the recently developed new diet for high blood pressure called DASH, or Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, Diet is a veritable shot in the arm. Across the globe, hypertension afflicts people of all societies at alarming rates. In the U.S. alone, over 65 million - or a third - of the adults have hypertension. It therefore comes as a great boon to be informed that the right diet combined with a healthy lifestyle will not only keep blood pressure levels low among sufferers, but will also prevent healthy ones from being afflicted.
The diet that has to be followed by people with high blood pressure is simple – cut out on salty foods or foods with high sodium content. Sodium can make your blood pressure go up unnecessarily. You don't want your arteries all clogged up, adding more strain to your heart. Live a healthy lifestyle and counter high blood pressure. Here are good diet and meal suggestions:
Breakfast and Snacks
Fruits such banana and applesOats Bread Low-fat milk Tea
Fruits contain vitamins that can help in the oxidation process. You don't want free radicals in your system that could affect your cells, more particularly your red blood cells. Fruits are vital to every balanced diet. Eat them for snacks and breakfast rather than consuming tortilla chips, pork rinds, and peanuts, which can be very high in salt content and cholesterol.
Oats is very high in fiber that can help dissolve bad cholesterol in the blood. Without too much cholesterol, the blood moves freely to the different parts of the body. Oats are better alternatives to ready-to-serve breakfast cereals, which can have high sodium content.
Lunch and Dinner
Freshly cooked chicken soupRoasted lean meatVegetable saladFruits for dessert Fresh fruit juice
Canned chicken soup cannot replace freshly prepared homemade chicken soup. Besides, the canned variants are high in salt. People suffering from high blood pressure should refrain from eating canned or preserved foods plainly because they are prepared unnaturally. You don't want the added ingredients they have there interfering with your blood pressure.
Lean meat is a good source of protein. But the better choices for meat will always be the white meat variants, such as poultry and fish. High blood pressure patients are advised to follow a diet that is moderately high in protein.
Vegetables are good sources of vitamins and minerals. However, people with high blood pressure are advised not to eat too much green leafy vegetables, as they are conducive to blood clotting. However, the fibers they contain are essential to the health so they should not be removed from your meals altogether. Other vegetables such as carrots, peas, potatoes, and radish have nutrients that are going to be very helpful as well.
The foods that have to be avoided at all times are smoked meats, cured meats, seasonings, salted snacks, picked foods, cheese and cheese spreads, fatty foods, butter, and sodas.
About the Author
Jack L Bloom is the owner of The Diet Guide. For more information about lowering high blood pressure with proper diet visit the Diet for High Blood Pressure page.

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