Eat MORE Turkey!

Turkey is a good source of protein with 24 g of protein per 3-oz. serving. One 3-oz. serving of light turkey meat has 132 calories and 3 g of fat. Turkey contains no carbohydrates. In addition, turkey is a good source of selenium, vitamin B6, niacin, and tryptophan.

Selenium is a trace mineral that is essential to good health but required only in small amounts. Selenium is incorporated into proteins to make selenoproteins, help prevent cellular damage from free radicals.

Additionally, selenium can protect the heart, primarily by reducing the "stickiness" of the blood and decreasing the risk of clotting, in turn, lowering the risk of heart attack, and stroke. Moreover, selenium increases the ratio of HDL ("good") cholesterol to LDL ("bad") cholesterol, which is critical for a healthy heart. Smokers or those who've already had a heart attack or stroke may gain the greatest cardiovascular benefits from selenium supplements, though everyone can profit from taking selenium in a daily vitamin and mineral supplement

Researchers for more than 20 years animal studies have suggested that tiny amounts of selenium in the diet can reduce the risk of cancer in several organs, but much less is known about the anti-cancer benefits of selenium in humans. In recent years, laboratory experiments, clinical trials and epidemiological data have established the role of selenium in the prevention of a number of degenerative conditions including cancer, inflammatory diseases, cardiovascular disease, neurological diseases, aging, and infections. Most of these effects are related to the function of selenium in the antioxidant enzyme systems.

Tryptophan is an amino acid that the human body cannot make and can only be obtained through food. It is a protein without which humans could not survive. It comprises one of the building blocks of DNA and is vital to the production of serotonin and melatonin.

In the body, tryptophan is converted into 5-HTP, which then can be converted into serotonin (a potent neurotransmitter in the brain). Serotonin is involved in mood, appetite, sleep and impulse control. When carbohydrates are consumed, an increase in insulin is created, removing from circulation other amino acids that compete with tryptophan. This makes it easy for tryptophan to enter the brain to make serotonin, which influences the brain in regulating food intake and sleep patterns.

Certain old-fashioned cures for sleeplessness were based on the consumption of foods with tryptophan. For example, drinking a glass of milk before bed was said to aid in sleeping. Though people were unaware at the time that such a thing as tryptophan existed, it is clear that such early prescriptions for increasing sleepiness were at least mildly effective. Today, one may hear similar prescriptions for including tryptophan foods in the diet not only to promote sleep but also to improve mood.

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-tryptophan.htm

http://www.vitamins-nutrition.org/vitamins/selenium.html

Read more at Suite101: Turkey Nutrition Facts — The Health Benefits of Turkey http://www.suite101.com/content/turkey-nutrition-facts--the-health-benefits-of-turkey-a311757#ixzz16EeH9FBx

http://www.nutritional-supplements-health-guide.com/benefits-of-selenium.html

I had a STROKE! / I'm going to DIE of a Heart Attack!

I turned 45 in September. I have never smoked or drank any kind of alcohol.

On October 5th I woke up to use the restroom at 6:05 am and as I was walking out of the bathroom the world began spinning. I fell to the ground because at the rate the spinning was increasing, I would eventually fall to the ground... So I chose to fall (I did not hit my head or anything).

Someday I'll tell the whole story, but for now, and after 2 days, and much confusion I ended up at Ohio State University in the SICU diagnosed with a stroke. A stroke is when part of the brain has been deprived of blood flow and therefore has not had oxygen.

It was not a heart attack, it was a stroke!

So, I've been home for couple weeks and I went to see my regular family doctor.

After talking at length with him,

He says to me, "Do you know what you will die from?"

I didn't answer!

"You may come in here with a stroke or cancer...but the one thing that will probably kill you will probably be a heart attack!"

We continued to talk about all of the statistics and studies done by the American Heart Association. And the odds are that I will die, and YOU who are reading this, will die of a heart attack!

The number one cause of death in America is a heart attack!

If we are so consumed with taking care of certain parts of our body (our skin, our eyes, our muscles), we should concentrate on our main concern ~ our heart!

Fearfully & Wonoderfully Made!

Have you ever stopped to think of what an amazing machine the human body is?

As intricate as our bodies are it is amazing what abuse our bodies can withstand. Our body can withstand extreme temperatures, extreme climates and adapt to maintain basic functions.

But as tough as our body is, it can only take so much. Eventually the stress that we put on our bodies by requiring that they over work or when we provide less than adequate quality food supply will have a permanent affect. 

It will be then that we will have plenty of time to educate ourselves and to try to remedy our ails. Wouldn't it, however, seem prudent to apply a bit of preventative actions now so that we can try to delay or prevent a disruption of the normal operations of our bodies.

Try today to remove stressful things.

   Before getting uptight about something, ask yourself...

• Will this matter 10 years from now?
• Does this affect my integrity?
• Why is this so important?
• If I wait 1 hour, can I come back to this with a clearer head?

Looking forward to the Holiday Season, try to enjoy your days more by looking on the bright side of life, and letting go of some of the Stress that you carry around each day!

Healthy Habits ~ Happy Heart!

Trying to become more heart healthy conscious is important. We spend our lives taking for granted the constant strain and the importance of this organ.

We have a new list to ponder. But instead of dealing with a heart attack after it has happened, it would seem prudent to do what we can to prevent it in the first place.

1. Stop Smoking.
2. Cut down on salt.
3. Watch your diet.
4. Monitor your alcohol.
5. Get active.
6. Manage your weight.
7. Get your blood pressure and cholesterol levels checked by your doctor.
8. Learn to manage your stress levels.
9. Check your family history.
10. Make sure you know the signs of coronary heart disease.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2005/mar/17/NHS1


Have you learned and put to memory the 12 symptoms of a heart attack?? If you have, you're already on your way to a healthier heart!
Educating yourself about the symptoms and remedies will help change your thinking! Changing your thinking, will eventually change your actions! See! It's not so hard!

Heart Attack Help

There is so much to be understood by the common person about the types of heart attacks and the various symptoms that are detected.  But this is one of those occasions when ignorance is NOT bliss. And you would think that as we further educate ourselves, and as we become increasingly aware of our own health, that we would be more vigilant in getting treatment for something that we cannot understand or diagnose ourselves.

But in a report by Jennifer Warner of WebMD we learn that statistics show that from the years 2001 to 2006 the time between when a patient observes symptoms and when that person seeks medical attention averages two hours. TWO HOURS! 60% of these patients reported waiting more than two hours to seek treatment, and even more alarming 11% of these waited as much as 12 hours after experiencing symptoms.

The ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), the most dangerous type of heart attack occurs when one of the hearts arteries has a sudden and complete blockage. But whether the heart attack is discovered to be a STEMI or non-STEMI immediate attention will lessen the damage done to the body.

http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/news/20101107/many-with-heart-attack-symptoms-delay-care

Timing is Everything~ And the TIME is NOW!

There is so much to be understood by the common person about the types of heart attacks and the various symptoms that are detected.  But this is one of those occasions when ignorance is NOT bliss. And you would think that as we further educate ourselves, and as we become increasingly aware of our own health, that we would be more vigilant in getting treatment for something that we cannot understand or diagnose ourselves.

But in a report by Jennifer Warner of WebMD we learn that statistics show that from the years 2001 to 2006 the time between when a patient observes symptoms and when that person seeks medical attention averages two hours. TWO HOURS! 60% of these patients reported waiting more than two hours to seek treatment, and even more alarming 11% of these waited as much as 12 hours after experiencing symptoms.

The ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), the most dangerous type of heart attack occurs when one of the hearts arteries has a sudden and complete blockage. But whether the heart attack is discovered to be a STEMI or non-STEMI immediate attention will lessen the damage done to the body.

http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/news/20101107/many-with-heart-attack-symptoms-delay-care

2020 Goals for AHA

From the American Heart Association 2010 report Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics, we see the importance of keeping a constant vigil against the deadliest disease to Americans. According to this report more than one in three adults in America have one or more types of Cardiovascular disease (81,100,000). Approximately 47 percent of these are over the age of 60 (38,100,000).

The AHA lists high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, heart failure, and stroke as Cardiovascular Diseases.

The most recent statistics for one year are from 2006. And in 2006 More than 151,000 American killed by CVD were under the age of 65. Nearly 33 percent of people who died from CVD died before their 75^th birthday.

To put these numbers in better perspective, here is a comparison of other leading causes of death and their mortality rate.

Cardiovascular Diseases: ................... 1,347,000

Cancer................................................. 559,888

Alzheimer’s disease............................... 72,432

HIV (AIDS).............................................. 12,113

In hopes to change these statistics, the American Heart Association has committed to what they are calling the 2020 Impact Goal.

“By 2020, to improve the cardiovascular health of all Americans by 20 percent while reducing deaths from cardiovascular disease and stroke by 20 percent.”