Are
You a Heart Attack Waiting to Happen?
Expert Marks American Heart Month
2010
With Tips And A Wake-Up Call
Everyone
should know the warning signs for a heart attack-but according
to Dr. Isaac Eliaz, effective prevention requires much more
than a list of potential symptoms.
"Heart
attacks strike quickly and without warning," said Dr. Eliaz
- an author, lecturer, researcher, clinical practitioner and
product formulator for natural health supplement manufacturer
Econugenics (www.econugenics.com).
"So as the national discussion turns to preventing heart
attacks during American Heart Month, the real question isn't
whether people can recognize the warning signs, but rather,
whether they can recognize if they are at risk in the first
place."
According
to the American Heart Association, an estimated 81 million American
adults -- more than one in three -- have one or more types of
cardiovascular disease (CVD). Of these, 38 million are estimated
to be under 60 years of age.
"And
those are just the reported cases," Dr. Eliaz said. "What
about the people who have CVD and don't know it or haven't been
diagnosed by a doctor because they haven't seen a doctor? Our
mission should be to help these people recognize they are in
high risk categories and get checked out."
According
to Dr. Eliaz, high risk factors include:
· Smoking
· Excessive alcohol consumption
· A diet high in saturated fat and cholesterol
· Sedentary lifestyle
· Obesity
· Glucose intolerance
· Diabetes
· High salt intake
"There are a number of lifestyle options that may avert
the condition," he added, referencing a free report he
wrote about it at http://cardiobalance.org/. "The obvious
advice, of course, is to maintain a healthy body weight, moderate
consumption of alcohol, exercise, reduce sodium intake, alter
intake of calcium, magnesium and potassium, and reduce stress.
But there's more than that."
Dr. Eliaz recommended the following tips for heart healthiness:
· Heart Healthy Diet -- The first and most obvious step
is to shed excess weight through exercise and adopting a heart-healthy
diet with heavy consumption of antioxidant-rich fresh fruits
and vegetables as the best way to reach both of these goals
-- but be sure to eat organic as often as possible, as pesticides
will only introduce aggravating toxins into your body.
· Watch Your Fiber -- Moderate intake of high-fiber whole
grains that are low on the glycemic index scale is also important,
along with lean protein like chicken, turkey, and fish (as long
as you beware of excess mercury content in the fish).
· Anti-oxidant Snacks -- Other heart-healthy snacks include
seeds and nuts, and even small amounts of antioxidant-rich dark
chocolate. Drinking green tea and red wine (in moderation) are
also excellent ways to protect your heart.
· Good Fats and Bad Fats -- It's more important that
you choose "good" fats as opposed to"bad"
fats. The saturated and trans fats that you'll find in red meat,
butter, and most fast foods are more likely to clog arteries
than unsaturated choices like olive oil and fish oil - the latter
of which can actually boost your heart health.
"At the end of the day, we need to understand the things
about our lifestyle that contribute to our risk for heart disease,"
he said. "That way, it really won't matter whether we memorized
the warning signs of a heart attack, because we may never experience
them."
About Dr. Isaac Eliaz
Dr. Isaac Eliaz is a respected author, lecturer, researcher,
product formulator, and clinical practitioner. He has been a
pioneer in the field of integrative medicine since the early
1980s.
To
interview Dr. Isaac Eliaz contact Rachel Friedman at (727) 443-7115
ext. 206 or email Rachel@NewsAndExperts.com
Please include your name and publication with your request.