This is How Your Hot Dogs are Made [Video]

You wonder why fruit tastes so good!

It's filled with SUGAR!

Obese people at 29% higher risk of premature death

People who are obese have a 29% increased risk of premature death.
This could come as a wake-up call for 8 million women and 4.4 million men in India who are obese (body mass index of 30 kg/m2).
One of the largest analyses done - 100 studies that included 3 million adults - has found that obesity was associated with a significantly higher all-cause risk of death.
In this meta-analysis that looked at 2.7 lakh deaths that occurred in the US, Europe, Mexico, India, Israel, Brazil, Japan, Taiwan, China and Australia, researchers found a 18% higher risk of death for obesity - BMI equal or higher than 30 and a 29% increased risk of death among those whose BMI was higher than 35.
The study says that the presence of a wasting disease, heart disease, diabetes, renal dialysis or older age are all associated with an inverse relationship between BMI and mortality rate, an observation termed the obesity paradox.
Over one in 10 adults, who 20 years and above, are obese globally.
That's over half a billion people (205 million men and 297 million women were obese in 2008).
Researchers say excess bodyweight is an important risk factor for mortality and morbidity from cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancers and musculoskeletal disorders, causing nearly three million deaths every year worldwide.
While the number of obese men in India increased from 2.3 million to 4.4 million between 1980 and 2008, the number increased from 2.1 million to 8 million among women during the same period
According to the study that was published on the January 2nd issue of the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA), "Estimates of the relative mortality risks associated with normal weight, overweight and obesity may help to inform decision making in the clinical setting."
Katherine Flegal, of the National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, conducted the study to compile and summarize published analyses of body mass index (BMI) and all-cause mortality that provide hazard ratios (HRs) for standard BMI categories.
All-cause mortality HRs for overweight (BMI of 25 and 30), obesity (BMI of 30), grade 1 obesity (BMI of 30-35), and grades 2 and 3 obesity (BMI of 35) were calculated relative to normal weight (BMI of 18.5-25).
The researchers found that the summary HRs indicated a 6% lower risk of death for overweight; a 18% higher risk of death for obesity (all grades), a 5% lower risk of death for grade 1 obesity and a 29% increased risk of death for grades 2 and 3 obesity.
Professor Majid Ezzati from the School of Public Health at Imperial College London had said, "Excess bodyweight is a major public health concern."
Now, India is in the grip of an obesity epidemic. Experts say the trend needs to be immediately arrested by taxing junk food, restricting food ads and making food labelling clearer.
A study that looked at the burden of overweight citizens in six countries - Brazil, China, India, Mexico, Russia and South Africa - has found that between 1998 and 2005, India's overweight rates increased by 20%. Currently, almost one in five men and over one in six women are overweight. In some urban areas, the rates are as high as 40%.
Published in the Lancet by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development ( OECD), the annual cost of broad-based prevention strategies tackling obesity and other health threats, such as alcohol consumption, smoking, high blood pressure and cholesterol, would be less than $2 per person per year in India.
Obesity is the root for several non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Another study in the Lancet predicted that by 2030, nearly 70% of all global deaths will be from non-communicable diseases like cancer, diabetes, and respiratory and heart disease. Of these 70% of fatalities, 80% will be in less wealthy nations like India.
According to WHO, NCDs - principally cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancers and chronic respiratory diseases - caused an estimated 35 million deaths in 2005. This figure represents 60% of all deaths globally, with 80% of deaths due to noncommunicable diseases occurring in low- and middle-income countries, and approximately 16 million deaths involving people below 70 years.
The total deaths from NCDs are projected to increase by a further 17% over the next 10 years.
Up to 80% of heart disease, stroke and type-2 diabetes and over a third of cancers can be prevented by eliminating shared risk factors, mainly tobacco use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and the harmful use of alcohol.

2012 Goals!

2012 was a great year. Accomplished many things health wise. I've completely stopped eating meat and chicken. Still eat seafood, need a little variety.

March I placed second in a weight loss challege.

In June I started working out at Train Studios. They emphasize on core training using ropes, kettle bells, TRX and your own bodyweight. My waist dropped 2 inches and my shirt size went from XL to L.

2013 will bring many changes including juicing. My biggest goal is to be down 60 ibs by my 1 year annivesary at Train Studios.

The Truth About Soda!? (Selling Diabetes In A Bottle)

Would you eat a stack of 16 sugar cubes?

This website breaks down the sugar content in common things you eat and drink.


http://www.sugarstacks.com/

2 year anniversary!

Today makes 2 years since I started this blog. I've had my ups and downs, but I'm still focused. My BMI is now 34.6. Continue to follow my progress.

May totals

Life is about to change.

Full time at Train Studios today and new eating habits to go along with it. Most dairy, sugar, fruit, butter, salad dressings, potatoes, rice, pasta, most meats and other things are not allowed. They said No Snacks, if you are hungry drink water! I'm ready.

Watch and see my progress.

Beyonce Shows Off 60 Pound Weight Loss at Concert

Richard Carmona - America's Obesity Epidemic

Obesity could affect 42% of Americans by 2030

WASHINGTON – A new forecast on America's obesity crisis has health experts fearing a dramatic jump in health care costs if nothing is done to bring the epidemic under control.

• 
  Jeff J Mitchell, Getty Images
  "The obesity problem is likely to get much worse without a major public health intervention," says health economist Eric Finkelstein.

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Jeff J Mitchell, Getty Images

"The obesity problem is likely to get much worse without a major public health intervention," says health economist Eric Finkelstein.

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The new projection, released here Monday, warns that 42% of Americans may end up obese by 2030, and 11% could be severely obese, adding billions of dollars to health care costs.

"If nothing is done (about obesity), it's going to hinder efforts for health care cost containment," says Justin Trogdon, a research economist with RTI International, a non-profit research organization in North Carolina's Research Triangle Park.

• MORE: BMI calculator

As of 2010, about 36% of adults were obese, which is roughly 30 pounds over a healthy weight, and 6% were severely obese, which is 100 or more pounds over a healthy weight.

The obesity epidemic:

Reporter Nanci Hellmich's latest coverage on the obesity epidemic that is crippling the country.

• More obese people have joint pain, heart conditions
• Obesity rate inches up for males, but levels off overall
• It's an uphill climb for obese kids and their parents
• Family plays key role in monitoring a child's weight
• Study finds gene variants behind childhood obesity risk

"The obesity problem is likely to get much worse without a major public health intervention," says Eric Finkelstein, a health economist with Duke University Global Health Institute and lead researcher on the new study.

The analysis was presented at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's "Weight of the Nation" meeting. The study is being published online in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

The increase in the obesity rate would mean 32 million more obese people within two decades, Finkelstein says. That's on top of the almost 78 million people who were obese in 2010.

Extra weight takes a huge toll on health, increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, many types of cancer, sleep apnea and other debilitating and chronic illnesses.

"Obesity is one of the biggest contributors for why healthcare spending has been going up over the past 20 years," says Kenneth Thorpe, a professor of health policy at Emory University in Atlanta.

The obesity rate was relatively stable in the USAbetween 1960 and 1980, when about 15% of people fell into the category. It increased dramatically in the '80s and '90s and was up to 32% in 2000 and 36% in 2010, according to CDC data. Obesity inched up slightly over the past decade, which has caused speculation that the obesity rate might be leveling off.

Finkelstein, Trogdon and colleagues predicted future obesity rates with a statistical analysis using different CDC data, including body mass index, of several hundred thousand people. Body mass is a number that takes into account height and weight. Their estimates suggest obesity is likely to continue to increase, although not as fast as it has in the past.

Finkelstein says the estimates assume that things have gotten about as bad as they can get in the USA, in terms of an environment that promotes obesity. The country "is already saturated" with fast-food restaurants, cheap junk food and electronic technologies that render people sedentary at home and work, he says. "We don't expect the environment to get much worse than it is now, or at least we hope it doesn't."

In an earlier study, Finkelstein and experts from the CDC estimated that medical-related costs of obesity may be as high as $147 billion a year, or roughly 9% of medical expenditures. An obese person costs an average of $1,400 more in medical expenses a year than someone who is at a healthy weight, they found. Other researchers have estimated the costs may be even higher.

If the obesity rate stays at 2010 levels instead of rising to 42% as predicted, then the country could save more than $549.5 billion in weight-related medical expenditures between now and 2030, says study co-author Trogdon.

Patrick O'Neil, president of the Obesity Society, a group of weight-control researchers and professionals, says that these new projections "indicate that even more people will be losing loved ones and others will be suffering sickness and living lives that fall short of their promise because of obesity."

There's no one-size-fits all solution to a complex problem that has been decades in the making, says Sam Kass, assistant chef and senior policy advisor for Healthy Food Initiatives at the White House. "This national conversation — this national movement — must continue. This is literally life and death we are talking about."

How can you lose weight and keep it off for good?

Successful dieters in the National Weight Control Registry, a group of 10,000 people who have lost 30 pounds or more and maintained that loss for a year or more, have developed many weight-control strategies. For instance, they:

•Follow a low-calorie, low-fat diet of about 1,800 calories a day.

•Keep track of food intake.

•Count calories, carbs or fat grams or use a commercial weight-loss program to track food intake.

•Walk about an hour a day or burn the same calories doing other physical activities.

•Eat breakfast regularly, often including whole grains and low-fat dairy products.

•Limit dining out to an average of three times a week, and fast food to less than once a week.

•Eat similar foods often and don't splurge much.

•Watch fewer than 10 hours of TV a week.

•Weigh themselves at least once a week.

Red Meat Can Be Unhealthy, Study Suggests.

I haven't eaten meat or chicken in over a month. Yes I miss it and it's hard. But the study below reinforces why I stopped.

Eating a lot of red meat may shorten your life, while consuming more fish and poultry may extend it, a new study suggests.


Red meat is associated with a higher risk of dying from heart disease, cancer and any other cause, the researchers reported.

For many people, red meat is a primary source of protein and fat. But meat has been associated with increased risk for diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some cancers in other studies, the researchers noted.

"We should move to a more plant-based diet," said lead researcher Dr. Frank Hu, a professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health. "This can substantially reduce the risk of chronic disease and the risk of premature death."

For the study, Hu's team collected data on more than 37,600 men who took part in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study and more than 83,600 women in the Nurses' Health Study.

Over 28 years, almost 24,000 of the study participants died. Nearly 6,000 of the deaths were from cardiovascular disease and more than 9,000 were from cancer, the researchers found.

Hu's group calculated that for every daily serving of red meat, the risk of dying increased 12 percent. Broken down further, the researchers found the risk was 13 percent for a serving of unprocessed red meat and 20 percent for processed red meat.

A single serving is about the size of a deck of cards, Hu noted.

By replacing a daily serving of red meat with a serving of fish, poultry, nuts, legumes, low-fat dairy products or whole grains, however, the risk of dying was lowered, the researchers said.

The risk of death decreased by 7 percent for fish, 14 percent for poultry, 19 percent for nuts, 10 percent for legumes, 10 percent for low-fat dairy products and 14 percent for whole grains, the researchers found.

If people ate less than half a serving of red meat a day, deaths during the 28 years of follow-up could have been reduced by 9.3 percent for men and 7.6 percent for women, the researchers noted.

The report was published online March 12 in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

A representative from the beef industry took issue with the findings.

"The scientific evidence to support the role of lean beef in a healthy, balanced diet is strong and there is nothing in this study that changes that fact," said Shalene McNeill, a registered dietitian and executive director of nutrition research at the National Cattlemen's Beef Association.

"Research clearly shows that choosing lean beef as part of a healthful diet is associated with improved overall nutrient intake, overall diet quality and positive health outcomes," she added. "Overall, lifestyle patterns including a healthy diet and physical activity, not consumption of any individual food, have been shown to affect mortality."

"This was an observational study," McNeill also noted. "Observational studies cannot be used to determine cause and effect."

Another dietary expert said cutting back on red meat might not be a bad idea.

Samantha Heller, a dietitian, nutritionist, exercise physiologist and clinical nutrition coordinator at the Center for Cancer Care at Griffin Hospital in Derby, Conn., took issue with the notion that meat is somehow intrinsic to the human diet.

"'But we are born carnivores,' is the cry I hear when I suggest that my patients and students reduce their intake of red and processed meat," Heller said. What most people do not realize, Heller said, is that humans are not designed to handle the huge amount of saturated fat, iron and other compounds in red and processed meats that they consume.

"A diet high in red and processed meats deluges the body with inflammatory compounds like saturated fat and nitrites," she said. Over time, the body's best efforts to cope with the influx of unhealthy compounds are overwhelmed.

"We get heart disease, cancer, diabetes and other chronic diseases," Heller said. "There are numerous studies showing a link between eating red and processed meat and chronic diseases and death."

Research suggests that going meatless even a few days a week can significantly reduce the risk of these devastating diseases, she said.

"Cut back to eating red or processed meat once or twice a week to start," Heller said. "On other days, substitute chicken, fish, beans, soy, nuts, whole grains like quinoa, and low or nonfat organic dairy for your protein sources."

70-Year-Old Woman Finds The Fountain Of Youth! (This Is How)

UCSF scientists declare war on sugar in food

Like alcohol and tobacco, sugar is a toxic, addictive substance that should be highly regulated with taxes, laws on where and to whom it can be advertised, and even age-restricted sales, says a team of UCSF scientists.

In a paper published in Nature today, they argue that increased global consumption of sugar is primarily responsible for a whole host of chronic diseases that are reaching epidemic levels around the world.

Sugar is so heavily entrenched in the food culture in the United States and other countries that getting people to kick the habit will to require much more than simple education and awareness campaigns, said the UCSF scientists.

It's going to require public policy that gently guides people toward healthier choices and uses brute force to remove sugar from so many of the processed foods we eat every day, said Dr. Robert Lustig, a pediatric endocrinologist at UCSF.

"The only method for dealing with this is a public health intervention," Lustig said in an interview. "Everyone talks about personal responsibility, and that won't work here, as it won't for any addictive substance. These are things that have to be done at a governmental level, and government has to get off its ass."

In response to the study, the food and beverage industries said in statements that sugar cannot be blamed for high rates of chronic disease in the United States and elsewhere.

Comparing sugar to alcohol and tobacco is "simply without scientific merit," the American Beverage Association said. "There is no evidence that focusing solely on reducing sugar intake would have any meaningful public health impact."

Lustig has written and talked extensively about the role he believes sugar has played in driving up rates of chronic illness such as heart disease and diabetes. Excessive sugar, he argues, alters people's biochemistry, making them more vulnerable to metabolic conditions that lead to illness, while at the same time making people crave sweets even more.

It's sugar, not obesity, that is the real health threat, Lustig and his co-authors - public health experts Laura Schmidt and Claire Brindis - say in their paper. They note that studies show that 20 percent of obese people have normal metabolism and no ill health effects resulting from their weight, while 40 percent of normal-weight people have metabolic problems that can lead to diabetes and heart disease. They contend that sugar consumption is the cause.

In other words, not everyone gains a lot of weight from over-indulging in sugar, but a large proportion of the U.S. population is eating enough of it that it's having devastating health effects, they say.

"The gestalt shift is maybe obesity is just a marker for the rise in chronic disease worldwide, and in fact metabolic syndrome, caused by excessive sugar consumption, is the real culprit," said Schmidt, a health policy professor who focuses on alcohol and addiction research.

Americans eat and drink roughly 22 teaspoons of sugar every day - triple what they consumed three decades ago - and most people aren't even aware of the various ways sugars sneak into their diets, often via breads and cereals and processed foods.

Ultimately, getting those sugars out of the American food culture is going to require a massive shift in how foods and beverages are made in the United States, the authors say. In the paper, they say that the Food and Drug Administration needs to remove sugar from the list of foods "generally regarded as safe," meaning they can be used in unlimited quantities.

But the food and beverage industries have repeatedly denied that sugar is the main villian behind rising rates of obesity, or the increases in diabetes and heart disease. Instead, industry representatives say that a complex cultural shift - toward a more inactive lifestyle and increased calories overall - is to blame.

And not all scientists agree that sugar should shoulder the entire burden for the chronic diseases afflicting modern Americans.

"When you get into this argument about sugar in the diet, you also have to look at the type of food that has a high sugar content," said Jo Ann Hattner, a San Francisco registered dietitian who teaches nutrition courses at Stanford. "Those foods have few nutrients and little fiber, and that's not good for you. So is it sugar itself, that's harmful?"

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That said, Hattner added, there's no doubt that people in general consume too much sugar and that everyone could benefit from eating less - and especially looking out for "hidden" sugars in their diets. Those sugars are often found in processed foods like sodas, cereals and breads. Even cookies contain much more sugar than they did a decade or two ago, nutritionists say.
But while individuals certainly can make small changes to their diets to eat more nutritiously, that alone is not going to effect major public health improvements, Lustig and his co-authors said.
In their paper, they argue for taxes on heavily sweetened foods and beverages, restricting advertising to children and teenagers, and removing sugar-ladened products from schools, or even from being sold near schools. They suggest banning the sale of sugary beverages to children.
Schmidt noted that those policies could nudge people toward healthier choices - but only if, at the same time, healthier choices are made widely available. Such policies have worked in reducing alcohol consumption and smoking rates, she said. There's no reason they can't work with sugar too.
Lustig said he realizes that there will likely be heavy resistance to the idea of largely removing sugar from American diets - and resistance not just from the food and beverage industries, but from the public at large.
"Everybody yells, 'Nanny state, this guy is trying to control our food,' " Lustig said. "But it's already being controlled. It limits consumer choice when so much of our food is controlled by these industries. I'm actually trying to undo the nanny state."

No More Fast Food!

Today I made sure I ate fast food. For lunch hd Mcdonalds and for dinner had Popeyes. That's it, all done. Now hopefully I will banish bad foods forever.

People who eat several fast-food meals a week are significantly heavier than those who don't eat fast food very often, according to a new study released Monday.

Each additional fast-food meal packs on pounds, so someone who consumes one fast-food meal a week is on average 1½ pounds heavier than someone who eats no fast food, says Kelley Borradaile, an obesity researcher at Temple University in Philadelphia. She presented her research at the annual meeting of the Obesity Society.

"These results largely confirm commonly held perceptions about the relationship between fast food consumption and body weight," she says.

Borradaile and colleagues analyzed national survey data on about 4,600 adults who reported their height and weight and eating habits in 2006.

Respondents said they purchase about five meals outside of their home a week, either take-out or dining out. Other research shows a similar trend. About 252 meals per person were purchased away from home in 2007, according to NPD Group, a leading market research firm.

The Temple study found fast-food places are the top choices for breakfast and lunch; casual dining restaurants and fast-food are top picks for dinner.

Among the findings reported Monday:

•The weight of people who consumed three to six fast-food meals a week was significantly greater than those who consumed no fast food or ate one to two such meals a week.

•Every additional fast food meal during the week was associated with a 1½ pound higher body weight. "We don't know if this is a direct cause-effect relationship," Borradaile says. "There may be other factors at play here, including sedentary lifestyles of people who tend to eat fast food."

•About 50% of respondents say they would be more likely to order healthful items if they were offered as part of a value/combo meal, and 41% would like to have nutritional information on menus. "These data reveal some important clues about what factors may help people make healthier choices at restaurants," researcher Gary Foster says

9 Surprising Secrets of Sugar!

Our foods are loaded with sugar so its no surprise we're eating way too much of it. If you cant stop craving the sweet stuff, you may have a sugar addiction. This can have serious implications for your health and your waistline. Read on to get the hard facts about sugar.

SUGARS RISKS ARE ANYTHING BUT SWEET

Excess sugar cause weight gain and tooth decay but whats more is that it also increases your risk for T2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and especially fatty liver. The American Heart Association recommends no more than 6 teaspoons of added a sugar a day for women and 9 a day for men, but most Americans consume 22 teaspoons daily. Rule of thumb: take the number of grams of sugar per serving in your food and divide by 4—thats how many teaspoons youre getting.

SUGAR COMES WITH UNHEALTHY FRIENDS

High-sugar foods often bring bad friends with it, including refined flour, which lacks fiber and other nutrients. Foods with a lot of added sugar also usually contain unhealthy saturated and perhaps even trans fats, which are bad for the heart and possible high in calories.

FRUIT ISNT ALWAYS A GO

Although fruit is good for us, it contains naturally-occurring fructose and glucose. Many of our fruits are now much larger in size than they used to be so a serving now may only be half a piece of fruit.

HONEY ISNT A PERFECT NATURAL SUGAR

Although it has health benefits beyond those of ordinary sugar, including the ability to boost immunity, aid digestion, and reduce inflammation, it still has a relatively high glycemic index value, which is a standardized indicator of a foods carbohydrates, 52 versus sugar's 65. Raw and unfiltered honeys contain high amounts of antioxidants and most people can eat without a problem, however its still recommended that diabetics avoid it.

SUGAR SUBSTITUTES ARE SWEETER THAN SUGAR

Artificial sweeteners are synthetic sugar substitutes and sweeter than sugar. In the Unites States, there are 6 that are FDA-approved: acesulfame potassium, aspartame, neotame, saccharine, stevia, and sucralose. Interestingly, sugar substitutes wont necessarily lead to weight-loss. For example, aspartame-sweetened diet soda has consistently been linked to obesity and risk for metabolic syndrome.

THE NEWEST SUGAR SUBSTITUTE MIGHT BE THE BEST

Stevia, made from the leaves of the stevia plant, has garnered quite a following from the diet community because its thought to be an all-natural alternative to chemical sweeteners, and can be used safely in moderate or small amounts.

APPLESAUCE MIGHT BE THE BETTER SUBSTITUTE

Try all-natural applesauce in place of sugar to add sweetness without the high glucose level or artificial sweeteners. Similarly, you can use an equal amunt of applesauce in place of oil in recipes to cut down on calories and fat.

HIGH-FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP GETS A BAD RAP

Its taken a lot of heat as a serious health risk thanks to its presence in many processed foods, but some experts think its no worse than table sugar. They both contain similar caloric content and mixtures of glucose and fructose and are metabolized similarly in the body, therefore some scientists and respected authorative bodies agree they are nutritionally equivalent. Still, this is a hotly debated topic and other researchers remain unconvinced.

SUGAR IN YOUR BLOODSTREAM PUTS YOUR HEALTH IN DANGER

Glucose, the name given to sugar when its in your bloodstream, is essential to your body and its cells. The health problems occur when you get too much. Anytime your blood sugar spikes above 120 mg/dL, your pancreas over-releases insulin and this causes your body to shift into fat-storing mode. The more blood sugar spikes you have, the more fat you store and this can lead to an onslaught of health challenges, including obesity, heart disease, and T2 diabetes.

50 days unitl I'm 50!

Well now the biggest challege starts, losing weight by my 50th birthday. Besides the goal to lose by a certain date it will fix a lot of my health problems, especially the blood pressure.

HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE OVERVIEW

Hypertension (high blood pressure) is a common condition that can lead to serious complications if untreated. Making dietary changes and losing weight are effective treatments for reducing blood pressure.
Other lifestyle changes that can help to reduce blood pressure include stopping smoking, reducing stress, reducing alcohol consumption, and exercising regularly. These changes are effective when used alone, but often have the greatest benefit when used together.

Do You Know How to Lower Blood Pressure?

Did you know that high blood pressure is one of the leading causes of death in the world? What’s worse is that you may have it without even knowing it! This is why it so important for everybody to know how to lower blood pressure and keep their heart healthy.

High blood pressure (or hypertension) is caused when the blood flows through your arteries at a higher rate, and it’s a very serious medical condition to have. Generally, if your blood pressure is more than 120/80, then you have hypertension. If you have been diagnosed of having high blood pressure or want to become healthier, this article will give you some surefire tips to lower blood pressure.

One of the best ways to lower blood pressure is to go through a lifestyle change. If you persist on continuing with the same kind of way of life that you had prior to contracting high blood pressure, then there’s only so much that medications can do for you. Changing a few things in your lifestyle can actually be enough for you to control your blood pressure.

Some of the options include:

Losing weight

Losing a few pounds is actually one of the most effective natural ways to lower blood pressure. Studies have shown that blood pressure also increases when you put on weight. The same holds true the other way around: the more weight you lose, the lower your blood pressure will be. Coordinate with your doctor to come up with a target weight that you can set for yourself. Losing 10 pounds can actually do wonders on your blood pressure.

You will also need to check your waistline as well. Like weight, the bigger the size of your waist, the higher your blood pressure will be. Men are at risk of contracting high blood pressure if their waistline is wider than 40 inches (36 inches for Asian men), while for women, its 35 inches (32 inches for Asian women).

Proper diet

Proper diet is also needed to be followed. There are actually diet plans that have been already developed for those who have or are at risk of having high blood pressure. This meal plan involves a diet that lessens the amount of saturated fat and cholesterol that you take in. Patients are also advised to reduce the amount of sodium in their food, because the substance has known to greatly affect blood pressure. Lessen the amount of salt that you take in to help you lower your blood pressure. The diet plan also recommends whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products as good additions to your diet.

Regular exercise

Regular exercise will not only increase your chances of losing weight, which is one of the effective ways to lower your blood pressure, increased physical activity can also lower your risk of contracting hypertension. Again, you can consult with your doctor to get help in coming up with an exercise program that’s tailored to meet your needs.

Stop smoking

Nicotine actually raises your blood pressure. If you cut back on the cigarettes, you stand to succeed in lowering your blood pressure.

Lessening the amount of caffeine and alcohol intake

While alcohol can be good for the body in small amounts, too much can actually do damage your system. The recommended amount is one drink daily for women and two for men. It’s important to note that those who don’t drink don’t need to pick up the habit, because they can experience the benefits of alcohol from other sources, especially since alcohol can bring harm to them. Caffeine, on the other hand, can spike your blood pressure, so it’s better to cut back instead of drinking several cups per day.

Stress reduction

Stress has also been found to increase blood pressure. Learn to effectively manage your stress by finding ways to help you cope with these or cut the stressors out of your life permanently.

McDonald's Fruit & Maple Oatmeal review

I used a FREE coupon to try the new oatmeal from McDonalds. I ordered through the drive-thru, so I didn't see them make it. The only option they asked if I wanted brown sugar and I said yes. When I took top off, I saw that it was a little loose so I had to stir it. You have to make sure you stir from bottom in case there some oats that didn't get mixed in. I liked the taste, except I really couldn't taste the brown sugar. It wasn't overly sweet, they had it perfect for my taste. I liked the fruit that was in it. Apples has a crunch to them. Would I get it again, YES!