Hello To Healthy Eating

Archive for March 11th, 2010

Clinical studies, laboratory investigations and a number of
surveys show certain personal characteristics and life-styles
pointing to increased danger of heart attack (coronary heart
disease). These danger signs are called “risk factors”. The
well established risk factors are high blood pressure, high
blood cholesterol, cigarette smoking and diabetes mellitus.
Other factors that may increase or affect the risk for heart
attack are obesity, a sedentary life-style, an aggressive
response to stress, and certain drugs.

In the past two decades, millions of Americans have learned
about these risk factors and have tried to modify them favorable
by seeking medical attention and by changing life-style. Many
adults have stopped smoking. The medical control of high blood
pressure has greatly improved. The average cholesterol level
of the population has decreased continually over the last two
decades, probably due to changes in dietary habits and increased
exercise.

This attempt to modify risk factors almost certainly has
contributed to the declining death rate from heart disease in
the United States. During the 1960′s, U.S. death rates from
heart disease were still rising, but today the incidence from
diseases of the cardiovascular system (including coronary heart
disease) has fallen dramatically. Overall, heart-related
problems have declined about 25 percent in the last decade.
Some of this decrease undoubtedly is due to better medical care
of heart attack victims, but it is likely that a sizable
percentage is related to modification of risk factors.

The entire population has become more aware of the seriousness
of heart disease and coronary heart problems. CPR training is
offered in schools, places of business, and church and community
functions, and everyone seems to recognize that prevention of
coronary heart disease is a partnership between the public and
the medical community.

These are a number of factors implicated in coronary heart
disease. Some of these may raise coronary risk by accentuating
the major risk factors already discussed. Others may act in ways
not understood. Still others may be linked mistakenly to coronary
risk.

Obesity predisposes individuals to coronary heart disease. Some
of the reasons for this are known, but others are not. The major
causes of obesity in Americans are excessive intake of calories
and inadequate exercise. When caloric intake is excessive, some
of the excess frequently is saturated fat, which further raises
the blood cholesterol. Thus, obesity contributes to higher
coronary risk in a variety of ways.

Most of the major risk factors are silent. They must be sought
actively, and much of the responsibility for their detection lies
with each of us as individuals. Regular checkups are particularly
necessary if there is a family history of heart disease, high blood
pressure, high cholesterol levels or diabetes.

There may be something of mystery to you. The situation is: you eat like hungry as a bear and think of no weight-loss programs because you do not need one since your body is like skin plus bone… In dieting, the concern of weight control is not the mere issue.

There are individuals who wish to have rounder butt and not to walk like walking skeletal systems around.

Why do body shapes and sizes vary?

They vary because we have different metabolism or metabolic rates to be specific. Our age, sex, amount of muscle compared to fat, and the amount of exercise we do in our daily living are different and they are the determinants of metabolic rate.

These things make our body shape different from each other too. It does not mean that if one looks thin, it means that she is so choosy when it comes to food.

There are instances of genetic or hormonal factors affecting metabolism too. That is why it is a wonder for some when a person eats in tons but he or she stays slim.

If compared to females, males have higher metabolic rate to females because of testosterone or male hormones. As we know testosterone is responsible for all the so-called “manly matters” among the men’s physiological aspect.

It includes the growth of muscles. And by nature, males are born with more muscles than females. This makes them have higher metabolic rates than the females who have estrogen and progesterone as sex hormones.

As to age, adults have lower metabolic rates than infants, children and teenagers. This is because of the fact that the latter age groups have more active growth hormones in their stage of life.

Actually, research show that human growth hormone is not prescribed for matured adults because they will just suffer from negative consequences. This is only prescribed for children that are not of normal growing rate.

Is there also an increase of metabolic rates for females?

Women have higher metabolic rates when they are pregnant and more when they are breastfeeding.

However, this plunges down when they menopause. For them to maintain higher-than-normal metabolic rates, daily exercise would be a huge help. Doing so would increase the amount of muscles so, metabolic rate is increased too.

Is exercising in the evening better than other times of the day?

It does not matter at all. No research nor studies show that the time of the day affects the effect of the exercise to the body. Doing it whenever you are free and comfortable is always the best idea.

Doing it three to five times a week would indeed give you better results.

Still bothered why your little-eater friend looks as if he ate all the food you swallowed all these times? We hope that upon reading on you have realized the key points and hopefully do what is best for you to meet your metabolic rate needs in having the weight you have been waiting for.