More than 1 out of every 10 Americans has high blood pressure. Many of those who have high blood pressure do not know it. This is a uniquely silent disease. There are no symptoms until it is too late; the catastrophe of a heart attack or stroke is all too often the first indication of a problem.
We monitor our body’s condition all the time. We watch for pain and notice subtle changes in the way we feel. However, one of the most critical aspects of our health, our blood pressure, is silent and impossible to monitor without help. We are used to finding a blood pressure monitor inside the doctor’s office. We have all had the cuff of a blood pressure monitor strapped around our arm as the doctor or nurse pumps it up to check our blood pressure.

What many people do not understand is they can do exactly the same with a modern blood pressure monitor. Taking your blood pressure is a simple exercise. A blood pressure monitor is a simple device and getting the results is easy. Then if there is a problem, you can go to a medical practitioner for further tests.

People think they are not used to using the same equipment they see in the hospitals. Few of us have friends who own a blood pressure monitor unless their doctor has advised them. However, we have many medical related things in our houses. A thermometer is always part of our medical supplies. Who would think of being without one? We have other first aid supplies like gauze and bandages. So why not a blood pressure monitor?

In fact, the truth is, whether you are are over forty or in your twenties, you should regularly monitor your blood pressure and it is safe and easy with your own blood pressure monitor.

Perhaps part of the apprehension of owning your own blood pressure monitor is that it looks a bit complicated when the doctor or nurse checks your pressure. Many think blood pressure machines are cost-prohibitive. This couldn’t be further from the truth. With advances in technology and consideration of the user, these new home blood pressure monitors are easy to operate for everyone. Furthermore, there are many types of monitors to choose from, including automatic or manual blood pressure monitors, wrist bp monitors, specialty and even pediatric blood pressure monitors.

There are models that require you strap the cuff around your hand or wrist. The least expensive types need you to pump up the cuff with the bulb all of us have seen our doctors do. However, the results are electronically displayed just like on a calculator. Many of these models are small, lightweight, and battery powered. Some of the simplest models are worn around your wrist like an oversized wristwatch. There is absolutely nothing to do with this style of blood pressure monitor except to wear it.

In addition to blood pressure, some models even measure heart rate. Best of all, everyone can afford a quality home blood pressure monitor. Prices start from well under $50, but if you’re searching for one that contains all the features to monitor your health, consider a premium model.

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After all, it’s epidemic in the US now. Hundreds of thousands of people get it every year. It has moved into the top 10 killers of people. It’s not contagious. You do not get it from a sneeze or not taking you vitamins.

You get Diabetes from being overweight. This is Type two Diabetes. It usually occurs after age 40. The overweight person circulates sugar in his bloodstream continuously because he is taking in too many calories. Sugar in the bloodstream causes the production of insulin in the pancreas. The insulin helps get the sugar into the cells so that they can be burned for fuel. This continuous production of insulin can have two results. The cells that produce insulin can get “burned out”. They just can not make enough insulin any more. Or the part of the cell that works with the insulin to burn sugar gets “burned out” from over use. Either way, the body can not get the sugar it needs.

What are the effects [symptoms] of Diabetes? You are tired because your body can not use sugar [almost all the foods we eat get turned into sugar]. You are thirsty [the body tries to lower the sugar level by adding water]. You urinate a lot [you just drank a lot of water].

Diabetes causes blindness,gangrene [yes gangrene, the limbs feet, hands, etc. die because they do not get enough blood and food]. Yes, Diabetes will kill you if nothing else does first.

How do YOU avoid Diabetes? Calorie restriction and exercise. That is right. You need to keep your weight down. Controlling your calorie intake and exercise are the only ways to avoid diabetes. If you do not take the calories in then you do not need to burn them off. Exercise is essential to burn calories and improve muscle tone.

In summary;the only way to avoid Diabetes is to keep your weight down.

Good Luck

Ray

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ray_Sipe

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With all of the diabetes diet cookbooks and eating plans on the market, you might think that it is easy for diabetics to learn how and what they should eat, but the truth is that people may be getting inappropriate or inaccurate advice. According to the American Diabetes Association Diet experts, there is no single eating plan that works for everyone. A pre diabetes diet or a diet for those who are at high risk for developing diabetes may be quite different from a diet for those who are managing existing diabetes.

It would be great if everyone who is at risk for or suffers from diabetes would consult a nutritionist to help them design a specific eating plan based on their preferences and their individual needs for blood sugar, blood pressure and weight control, but since some people do not have that option and others simply want to “do it themselves”, the American Diabetes Association Diet experts have created some basic guidelines and recommendations. What follows is a brief summary of those guidelines.

The first recommendation from the experts applies to all individuals with problems controlling their blood sugar. Avoid the Fad diets. This is good advice for anyone. Fad diets never help people keep the weight off. They may lose weight quickly, only to gain it back in a short period of time. We have learned that “see-sawing” changes in weight are just as unhealthy as obesity. A safe diabetes diet or pre diabetes diet is a plan for life, not for short term weight loss.

The American diabetes association diet guidelines for people who are at risk for diabetes (a pre diabetes diet) call for high fiber foods, nutrient-rich foods and whole grains. Nutrient rich foods are sometimes referred to as nutrient dense foods. In short, the term means that the nutritional value of the food is high when compared to the caloric value. More complete information about nutrient dense foods is available on this web page.

The American diabetes association diet guidelines for people who already have diabetes are more specific. Get carbohydrates from fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes. Use low fat milk. Eat fiber rich foods. Less than 7 percent of total calories should come from saturated fat. Eat two servings of baked or broiled fish per week. Avoid trans fats. Reduce cholesterol intake to less than 200 mg/day.

The fish recommendation for the diabetes diet is because of the omega-3, long-chain fatty acids found primarily in fish. Some doctors recommend an even higher intake for blood sugar control and many recommend a fish oil supplement. There are other nutrients, botanicals and herbs that can help with blood sugar control and can be added to an appropriate diabetes or pre diabetes diet. For a complete list of diabetes specific dietary supplements, visit the Diabetes Type 2 Info Guide. There’s lots of information there for people who suffer from or are at risk for diabetes.

Patsy Hamilton was a health care professional for over twenty years before becoming a health writer. Learn more about managing diabetes at http://www.diabetes-type-two-info-guide.com

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Gout is painful and debilitating. But it can be largely controlled by the food you eat. The gout food to avoid is the kind with high levels of purines. This substance produces uric acid. Too much uric acid in the body causes gout. So it follows that avoiding eating foods with high levels of purines will help to lessen the chances of a gout attack. Here is my top 3 list of some gout food to avoid…

1. Offal foods are bad for gout. Things like kidneys, tripe, liver and tongue should all stay well off your menu. So should any red meat, at least if taken in excessive quantities.

2. Shellfish are also off limits. Avoid eating scallops, cod roe, crab, lobster, etc. They may taste great, but gout is very, very painful, and there are other, better things you can eat for nutrition.

3. Alcohol… Sorry, but too much of the booze will only add to your gout pain. OK, you can have a couple of glasses of beer, or maybe a glass of wine occasionally, but keep it down to sensible limits.

Gout is a painful form of arthritis. Some 5% of all cases of arthritis is accounted for by gout. It affects the joints and characteristically the sufferer experiences sudden, usually severe, bouts of swelling with redness and pain, often warmth too, in one or several inflamed joints. If you lose excess weight, this will help too, but pay attention to the gout food to avoid and sudden, painful and debilitating attacks will be much less likely.

John Coutts is an experienced author who writes on a variety of popular subjects. Did you find these tips useful? You can learn a lot more about from this resource, http://www.3minuteguides.com/gout.html

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Diabetes is the process of your body not processing food properly. This disorder can effect your energy and growth. Food we eat turns to glucose and when you have diabetes the food you eat is not broken down into glucose. Glucose is the basic source of energy for the human body.

There are 3 types of diabetes, Type-1, Type-2 and Gestational diabetes. The worst type and the one you will most likely not want to have is a Type 1 because this is where your body turns against itself. In Type 1 diabetes the bodies immune system turns against your internal organs and attacks the insulin produced in the pancreas. People with Type 1 diabetes need to take insulin shots daily in order to stay alive.

Type 2 diabetes is the most common because it is often caused by being overweight and today’s society there is a big obesity problem which helps contribute to this type of diabetes. In Type 2 the body makes enough insulin but for some reason the body does not use much of it, if it uses any at all. Symptoms include blurred vision, weight loss, fatigue and wounds that take a long time to heal.

The last kind of diabetes is called Gestational Diabetes. This is most often encountered with women who are pregnant or are late in their pregnancy. This form of diabetes usually will go away after the birth of the child. However, women who get this form of diabetes are more like to develop Type 2 diabetes later on in life.

For more information on this subject be sure to visit Diabetic Diets

Or maybe you would like to read more about Natural Weight Loss

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