How to Prevent Colon Cancer Disease

There are many cases of colon cancer today, with significantly more people being diagnosed with this potentially deadly disease below age 50 than previously. Colon cancer used to be considered a disease of the elderly, but nowadays many younger people are diagnosed with this kind of disease. This is more because of unhealthy lifestyles such as eating habits, lack of exercises and many other factors.

People tend to consume junk food and any other foods that are over-processed and contain high fat and sugar. This allows the chemically-laced food to sit in colon for longer time and lead to the cancer disease.

Several ways to keep your colon healthy:

1. Balancing your diet

A balance diet will supply your body with sufficient nutrition: balance in carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals. It will be better to get all these nutritions naturally by consuming healthy foods such as: fresh vegetables and beans, fish, fruits, seafood and milk. Taking daily supplements also will help.

2. Reduce over-processed foods

Reduce intake of over-processed foods, especially fried foods because these foods contain of high fat that is dangerous to health. You can also choose organic foods that are higher in nutrition. Avoid sausage, hot dogs, ham, and many of which contain salt, sodium nitrites and sodium nitrates, which play big role in leading to colon cancer.

3. Exercise regularly

Do exercise at least 3 times a week is adequate to maintain your stamina and health. If you have any disease, it would be wise to consult with your doctor what exercise suits your current condition.

4. Drink eight glasses of water daily

Adequate water is essential to your body and will help to clean your system by gently washing out offensive bacteria and germs that can harbor in the colon and lead to illness or problems.

5. Colon cleansing

Colon cleansing method has been so popular as an option to keep your colon healthy. Consult with your doctor if you wish to take this method.

6. Visit your doctor and have an annual medical check-up to prevent diseases.

J. Raizel is the owner of Beauty, Health and Fitness blog and Beauty, Health and Fitness eStore. You will find updated news, information, tips and articles about health, beauty and fitness and related products.

The Biggest Cause Of Death In The Western World!

Drugs can control symptoms, but in severe cases or after a heart attack, surgery may be the only option. Some risk factors you can change and improve upon, but some you cannot. Therefore it is vital that you make all the possible changes to your lifestyle to reduce as many risk factors as possible.

Two of the biggest causes of death in the Western world are heart disease and atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis clogs up the hearts arteries and is then known as coronary artery disease or heart disease. Heart disease may develop slowly and the first symptom may be a heart attack.

When one or both coronary arteries get blocked by deposits of atheroma, the tissue beyond that blockage no longer receive a healthy blood supply and results in the heart muscle dying due to oxygen starvation. The risk factors for heart disease are the same as those for atherosclerosis. In order to predict your risk factor your doctor will probably ask you questions about your state of health, your exercise routine, check your blood pressure and smoking habits. Some risk factors you can change and improve upon, but some you cannot. Therefore it is vital that you make all the possible changes to your lifestyle to reduce as many risk factors as possible.

The risk factors that you cannot change are: ? Genetic inheritances - Heart disease can often run in families and seems to be more common in people originating/living in northern Europe. ? Gender - Men under 65 years are more likely than women under 65 years to suffer heart disease. This may be as estrogen gives women protection until menopause, but after menopause they are as equally at risk as men. ? Ethnicity - Certain ethnic groups have indicated a higher risk of suffering from heart disease. ? Age - Heart disease is more common with increasing age. ? Diabetes - Diabetics are more at risk of developing heart disease or suffering a stroke. Controlling glucose levels will lessen the risk, but it is especially important to control other risk factors too.

Risk factors that you can change are: ? Smoking - Between 30 and 40 per cent of deaths from coronary artery disease can be linked to smoking, therefore the more you smoke, the higher the risk. With smoking there is no safe level, not even one cigarette a day. After giving up smoking, the risk factor of heart disease does significantly decrease, but it can take up to 20 years to reach the level of a nonsmoker. ? High blood pressure - Managing your high blood pressure can reduce your level of risk, although it will always remain higher than someone with normal blood pressure. Hypertension increases your risk of heart disease. ? High cholesterol levels - Doctors agree that there is a link between high levels of cholesterol in the blood and heart disease. ? Obesity - Being overweight definitely affects the health of your heart and the risk of heart disease is three times more than a person of a healthy weight. ? Inactivity - Participating in regular physical exercise will reduce the risk of developing heart disease quite dramatically.

In the early stages of heart disease there may be no symptoms, until the later stages. The first symptom in the later stages is usually chest pains or possible heart attack. Some people develop arrhythmia and suffer from dizziness and heart palpitations. Drugs can control symptoms, but in severe cases or after a heart attack, surgery may be the only option.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Heart Disease

Heart Attack: Causes Risks and Prevention

Heart attack, medically known as Myocardial Infarction, is the sudden stoppage of the heart due to death or damage to a large part of the heart muscles known as myocardium. It is widely acknowledged that heart related conditions (cardiovascular diseases) are the number one cause of death and disability in the United States and most parts of the civilized world, today. And sudden death, from heart attack is by far the most common consequence of cardiovascular diseases.

We have all seen someone, seemingly healthy days or hours before, suddenly slump and die. This is the kind of death or disability that heart attack visits on its victims. Of the numerous types of cardiovascular conditions, the one that is most likely to lead to a heart attack is what is known as Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) or more appropriately, Coronary Artery Disease (CAD).

Coronary arteries are the vessels (arteries) that carry oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscles or myocardium. So, as the name implies, Coronary Artery Disease is a condition that affects the coronary arteries (i.e. arteries of the heart). This condition is characterized by the slow and gradual buildup of fatty deposits (fat streaks, plaques or atheromatous streaks) in the walls of the coronary arteries. Initially, these atheromatous streaks/plaques expand into the walls of the arteries, but subsequently, they start building up and growing into the lumen of the affected arteries, narrowing such arteries and obstructing blood flow. This is known as atherosclerosis.

As the build up of the plaques continue, over the years, the plaques increase in thickness and the degree of obstruction of blood flow to the heart muscles becomes severe. Though, the buildup of the plaques takes a very long time to completely occlude the lumen of an artery and result in heart attack, however, sudden rupture of a plaque usually speeds up the process. The rupture of plaque activates the blood clotting system and the clot-plaque interaction fills the lumen of such artery to the point of sudden closure. Such sudden occlusion of a coronary artery causes irreversible death of the heart muscle supplied by that artery (myocardial infarction) and precipitates a 'heart attack' i.e. the sudden stop of heart beat.

Coronary heart disease, the commonest underlying cause of heart attack, as with several other cardiovascular conditions has been associated with a number of risk factors; however, a family history of coronary heart disease appears to be one of the strongest risk factors. Also, men are more likely to suffer a heart attack than women, though after menopause, the risk of women approaches that of men, especially with hormonal therapies, which tend to increase a woman's risk of CHD. Other risk factors include: Smoking, diabetes, hypertension, obesity (especially central or female-type obesity), a chronic sub-clinical lack of vitamin C, elevated homocysteine levels, elevated blood levels of asymmetric dimethylarginine and also importantly, sedentary or inactive lifestyle.

Beside some factors which cannot be controlled, such as hereditary and gender, prevention of CHD and hence, heart attack, is usually achieved through the modification of risk factors. Leading an active life style with frequent exercise, cessation of smoking, maintaining a low-fat, low-calorie diet and decreasing blood cholesterol levels, especially Low density lipoproteins (LDL) are crucial to preventing heart attack. Exercise and healthy diet have been shown to have profound effect on cardiovascular risks, although, cessation of cigarette smoking can also profoundly reduce the risk of heart attack.

It is important to note that despite the increasingly growing number of deaths recorded as a result of heart related conditions, cardiovascular diseases can still be prevented, or at least delayed, in most cases, contrary to general beliefs. The increasing number of deaths recorded in most western countries is mainly due to unhealthy lifestyles; such as smoking, lack of physical activity and unhealthy eating habits; and worst still, the unwillingness to modify these lifestyles in most individuals.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Heart Disease