Babies Parenting Tips

Chocolate – real chocolate that is – is now recognised as having many qualities that can be beneficial for your health. By ‘real chocolate’ I mean chocolate containing Cocoa, Sugar, Milk Solids, Vanilla, Lethicin and nothing else.

THE UPSIDE OF CHOCOLATE!

Chocolate contains high levels of beneficial chemicals and antidioxants such as Seratonin, Phenylethylaminea, Pentamer and flavonoids. It is also high in essential trace elements, minerals and vitamins such as iron, calcium, potassium, vitamins A. B1, C, D, and E as well as many nutrients. Cocoa powder is also the highest known natural source of Magnesium.

Because it contains Seratonin and Phenylethylamine, chocolate can be good for mental health. These substances are ‘mood lifting’ agents which are released naturally into our system by the human brain when we are feeling happy or in love. Eating chocolate also releases Seratonin and Phenylethylamine into the system, thus (as all chocoholics know), when we are feeling down or depressed chocolate can provide a ‘lift’, instantly improving our mental state.

Studies indicate that a chemical found in chocolate called Pentamer help can protect against cancer.

Chocolate is very high in anidioxants in the form of flavanoids Also found in lesser amounts in tea, fruit and red wine, studies indicate they protect the heart and arteries from damage by free radicals.

Magnesium deficiency is linked with hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, joint problems and pre-menstrual problems, otherwise known as PMT or PMS. This condition is caused by a pre-menstrual drop in progesterone levels and it’s this which precipitates the violent mood swings familiar to so many women (and their families). Adding magnesium to the diet has been proved to increase pre-menstrual progesterone levels, helping to reduce or even eliminate the problem.

There are benefits for men too, as well as the high Magnesium and flavanoids content which are beneficial for the heart, arteries and hypertension, studies indicate that the cocoa butter in high quality chocolate, although technically a ’saturated fat’, does not fur up the arteries or contribute to high cholesterol levels.

Chocolate is an unsurpassed nutritional source, providing high levels of vitamins, minerals and nutrients, a single chocolate chip can provide enough energy for the average man to walk about 170′ or 50m. Napoleon carried chocolate with him on his campaigns and today most armies provide chocolate in daily ration packs for soldiers in the field. For over 100 years the British, army have issued soldiers with emergency or ‘Iron Rations’ of chocolate, containing very high levels of cocoa (80%+), for use in emergencies. Each ‘iron ration’ of 8oz’s – 227g of chocolate can not only provide enough nutrition to keep a soldier going for 7 days or more, it also helps keep up moral in difficult circumstances.

STOP PRESS Nov, 06: Results of a study by Johns Hopkins University indicate that chocolate acts in a similar way to Aspirin in effectively preventing blood clots in the arteries, reducing the likelihood of heart attacks.

THE DOWN SIDE OF CHOCOLATE!

They say “there’s no such thing as a free lunch” and chocolate, like all good things in life, has it’s problems too. It contains sugar and fat in the form of chocolate butter and eating too much of either will cause health problems. As a result, chocolate has developed an undeserved reputation for being unhealthy.

But, although recognised as being addictive to many people, particularly to Women, chocolate itself is not really the cause of the major health problems it’s been associated with.

These problems are caused by the simple fact that many chocoholics choose to satisfy their chocolate cravings in the unhealthiest way possible, by buying heavily advertised, mass produced, brand name, milk and white chocolates.

These products are generally very low in chocolate solids (ave less than 20%) and very, very high in sugar and saturated fats. The beneficial cocoa butter has usually been replaced with Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils (HVO’s), and there’s no question that HVO’s are catastrophically ruinous for your health. To make matters worse, because of the very low chocolate content, chocoholics have to eat 3 or 4 times more of this type of product to satisfy a craving for chocolate.

Filled chocolates, both the commercial variety and, sadly, many

High blood pressure is frequently difficult to treat in a short time by acupuncture or herbs. Patients become discouraged and turn to western medicine. Some forms of Qigong can help lower blood pressure. However, most of these forms must be taught to the patient and are not simple to learn.

Most of these Qigong methods have a common factor. The rate of respiration is slowed down. This may be the chief parameter which accounts for their lowering of blood pressure.

Recent research shows that 3 or 4 15-minute sessions of slow breathing (less than or equal to 10 breaths per minute) can lower both systolic and diastolic blood pressure, usually within 8 weeks (1) – (19). In one clinical trial, some diabetics were not able to sufficiently lower their respiration rate. However, with a longer training period a lower rate of respiration might be achieved.

The breathing exercise should be performed using normal, Buddhist or diaphragmatic breathing, like opera singers. The Daoists thought that normal breathing was one of the secrets of longevity. If you look at a baby in its crib you will only notice its stomach move up and down as it breathes. By contrast, when most seniors breathe their upper chest heaves up and down and there is no visible movement of their abdomen, a consequence of shallow breathing. A Chinese doctor looks at the abdomen of a critically ill patient. If it moves up and down as the patient breathes, the patient has a better chance of surviving than a patient with no visible abdominal movement on breathing. Thus, you may have to instruct patients so that normal or diaphragmatic breathing is done automatically.

Normal or diaphragmatic breathing can be practiced lying down or sitting in a chair. The practice methods are similar. The method of practice while sitting in a chair will be described. Inhale and exhale gently, smoothly and continuously through your nose. Sit comfortably, with your knees bent and your shoulders, head and neck relaxed. Place one hand on your upper chest and the other just below your rib cage. This will allow you to feel your diaphragm move as you breathe. As you inhale, the hand on your chest must move as little as possible, while the hand on your abdomen must move outwards. When you exhale, the hand on your abdomen moves inward, which you can help by slightly and gently pulling your abdominal muscle inward. Once again, the hand on your chest moves as little as possible. At first, you’ll probably get tired while doing this exercise because an increased effort will be needed to use the diaphragm correctly. Keep at it, because with continued practice, diaphragmatic breathing will become easy and automatic. Practice this exercise 5-10 minutes a few times a day.

Slow breathing has the physiological effect of relaxing the muscles surrounding the small blood vessels, which allows the blood to flow more easily. Alpha blockers block receptors in arteries and smooth muscle. This action relaxes the blood vessels and leads to an increase in blood flow and a lower pressure for the control of hypertension. The action in the urinary tract enhances urinary flow for an enlarged prostate. Slow breathing seems to have the same effect as alpha blockers. Thus, it may also reduce the symptoms of an enlarged prostate. This conjecture has not been subjected to clinical trials, but has worked on two subjects.

There is another simple breathing technique purported to help eliminate and prevent heart attacks due to abnormal electrical events to the heart, and to generally enhance performance of the central nervous system (CNS) and to help eliminate the effects of traumatic shock and stress to the CNS. Most patients would prefer to try this approach rather than the risks of ablation or a cardiac pacemaker.

The method requires 1 breath per minute (BPM) respiratory exercise with slow inspiration for 20 seconds, breath retention for 20 seconds, and slow expiration for 20 seconds, for 31 consecutive minutes. Do not attempt to use the required time intervals to start. Use a time interval – say, 5 seconds, or even less, so that no straining is involved. Try to practice every day.

This technique produced favourable shifts in all hemodynamic variables measured for 4 subjects during the 1 BPM exercise and in the post-exercise resting period (20). The authors conclude that the long-term effects of this technique appear to reset a cardio-respiratory brain-stem pacemaker. This effect may be the basis for the purported health claim of this yogic breathing exercise. Large scale clinical trials seem warranted.

References

1. Device-Guided Breathing to Lower Blood Pressure: Case Report and Clinical Overview. W Elliott, J Izzo. Medscape General Medicine, 2006; 8(3).

2. Graded Blood Pressure Reduction in Hypertensive Outpatients Associated with Use of a Device to Assist with Slow Breathing. W Elliott, J Izzo, Jr., WB White, D Rosing, CS Snyder, A Alter, B Gavish, HR Black, J Clin Hypertens, 2004 6(10): 553-559.

3. Nonpharmacologic Treatment of Hypertension by Respiratory Exercise in the Home Setting. E Meles, C Giannattasio, M Failla, G Gentile, A Capra, G Mancia, American Journal of Hypertension 2004, 17:370–374.

4. Respiration and Blood Pressure. G Parati, JL Izzo Jr, B Gavish, in Hypertension Primer, Third Edition. JL Izzo and HR Black, Eds. Baltimore, Lippincott, Williams, and Wilkins, 2003; Ch. A40, p117-120.

5. Non-Pharmacological Treatment of Resistant Hypertensives by Device-Guided Slow Breathing Exercises. R Viskoper , I Shapira, R Priluck, R Mindlin, L Chornia, A Laszt, D Dicker, B Gavish, A Alter, American Journal of Hypertension 2003; Vol 16:484-487.

6. Device-Guided Breathing Exercises Reduce Blood Pressure – Ambulatory and Home Measurements. T Rosenthal, A Alter, E Peleg, B Gavish, American Journal of Hypertension 2001; 14:74-76.

7. Breathing-control lowers blood pressure.E Grossman, A Grossman , MH Schein, R Zimlichman, B Gavish. Journal of Human Hypertension 2001; 15:263-269.

8. Treating hypertension with a device that slows and regularizes breathing: A randomised, double-blind controlled study. M Schein, B Gavish, M Herz , D Rosner-Kahana, P Naveh, B Knishkowy, E Zlotnikov, N Ben-Zvi, RN Melmed , Journal of Human Hypertension 2001; 15:271-278.

9. The Changes of Noninvasive Hemodynamic Parameters after Device-Guided Slow Breathing Exercise in Hypertensive Patients. J Y Kim, M S Han, H H Yoo, H M Choe, B S Yoo, S H Lee, J Yoon, and K H Choe. Journal of Clinical Hypertension,2006, Vol 8, Issue 5, Suppl A.

10. Does Baseline Systolic Blood Pressure Affect Antihypertensive Efficacy with Device-Guided Breathing Exercise?Kim JY, Han MS, Yoo HH, Choe HM, Yoo BS, Lee SH, Yoon J, and Choe KH. Journal of Clinical Hypertension,2006, Volume 8, Issue 5, Suppl A.

11. Non-pharmacological treatment of hypertension in diabetics by device-guided paced breathing: A randomized controlled study. M H Schein, A Alter and B Gavish. Journal of Clinical Hypertension, 2006, Vol 8, Issue 5, Supl A,. P- 79.

12. Blood pressure change following 8-week, 15-minute daily treatment with paced breathing guided by a device: A korean multi-center study. J H Bae, J H Kim, K H Choe, S P Hong, K S Kim, C H Kim and W H Kim. Journal of Clinical Hypertension,2006, Vol 8, Issue 5, Suppl A,. P-86

13. Treating hypertension in diabetics with device-guided breathing: A randomized controlled study. MH Schein, A Alter and B Gavish. EGPRN 2005.

14. Treating high blood pressure by device-guided paced breathing in the home setting: Evidence-based approach. M Schein, E Grossman, T Rosenthal, C Giannattasio, W Elliott, R Viskoper, A Alter, B Gavish British Hypertension Society Annual Meeting, Cambridge, UK. Sept 2005

15. Reduction of home blood pressures and white coat effect after 8 weeks of device-guided paced breathing. W Elliott, B Gavish, A Alter, J L. Izzo, and H R. Black, American Journal of Hypertension, 2005, 18(5): 211A

16. Blood pressure reduction with device-guided breathing: Pooled data from 7 controlled studies. Elliott, HR Black, A Alter, B Gavish. Journal of Hypertension,

2004; 22(2): S116

17. Acute effects of device guided-breathing on cardiovascular parameters and baroreflex sensitivity in normal subjects. G Parati, F Glavina, G Ongaro, A Maronati, B Gavish, P Castiglioni, M Di Rienzo, G Mancia. American Journal of Hypertension

2002; 15(4,2)182A.

18. The pressure dependence of arterial compliance: A model interpretation. B Gavish, American Journal of Hypertension, 2001; 14:121A. 2004; 17(5):54A

19. Are breathing exercises an active component in reducing high blood pressure? A retrospective view. B Gavish. Journal of Hypertension 2001, Supplement 2, S79-S80.

Repeated blood pressure measurements may probe directly an arterial property. Gavish B., American Journal of Hypertension 2000; 13:190A.

20.. Hemodynamic Observations on a Yogic Breathing Technique Claimed to Help Eliminate and Prevent Heart Attacks: A Pilot Study. David S. Shannahoff, Khalsa, B., Bo Sramek, Matthew B. Kennel, Stuart W. Jamieson, J. of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, Volume 10, Number 5, 2004, pp.757 -766.

Are you worried that you have hypertension signs and symptoms? Have you experienced heart palpitations, lightheadedness, a pounding headache in the front of your head or unexplained rapid heart beat? Well you may have something wrong with you but it is most likely not hypertension.

That’s not to say you don’t have high blood pressure.

Hypertension or high blood pressure is known as the “Silent Killer” because it has no outward signs or symptoms. It’s estimated that 1 in 4 adults, that’s over 60 million Americans have the disease and fully a third of them don’t know it. And they won’t know it unless they get their blood pressure checked.

Unfortunately, persons who don’t know they have the condition first discover it after it has done its damage. That includes congestive heart failure, heart attack, stroke and blindness to name a few. This is a serious and dangerous disease that can not be ignored.

But for whatever reason you don’t want to go to the doctor to have your pressure read do you? It may be the fear of learning that you do have the disease. It might be that you don’t have insurance and you can’t afford the doctor visit much less the medication. Or maybe the apprehension is just overwhelming knowing that you may have a condition that could seriously impair your life if not end it.

Here’s what you need to do.

If you can, see your medical professional. If you can’t, find a pharmacy that will take your blood pressure reading for free. Try finding one where the pharmacist or technician takes it and they don’t rely on those automatic readers. Find out what your blood pressure actually is.

If you are 120/80 or less no sweat. Your blood pressure is normal. If you are over that reading you will fall into pre-hypertension or one of the stages of hypertension. The pharmacist should be able to tell you where you fall. If you are greater than Stage 1 you really need to get medical help.

The good news is if you are below that, you can lower your pressure naturally yourself by making some changes in your lifestyle.

It’s going to require that you focus on daily exercise, a healthier diet, and controlling the stress in your life. It’s not rocket science you simply have to stick with it. Following a natural treatment you can lower your blood pressure by 20 points in less than three weeks.

What sounds better to you? Doing nothing and just wait to see if you have a heart attack; or taking action and finding out if you have high blood pressure and how you are going to lower it. I’ll guarantee that your stress level will go down if you simply take action.

Hypertension kills 50,000 plus Americans each year. It’s reversible. Having it is not a death sentence nor does it mean you will have a heart attack or stroke IF you take steps to control it.