Enzymes are vital for processes to take place in our body without them they couldn’t take place.  What are enzymes exactly?   We have an many enzymes  in our body from our saliva to our pancrease.  Enzymes are specialized proteins that are produced by living cells to catalyze reactions in the body=breakdown.   Protein in the form of an enzyme acts as a catalyst.  A catalyst in action brakes down something, any chemical substance affected with the speed of reaction without being permanently altered by the reaction.  For a chemical or biochemical reaction to occur, a certain amount of energy is required=the activation energy.  Energy can be transformed from one state to another.  The role of an enzyme is to decrease the amount of energy needed to start the reaction.  Exactly how enzymes lower activation energies is not completely and fully understood but it is known that an enzyme attaches itself to one of the reacting molecules, this is called a substrate complex.  Thousands of enzymes exist but each kind can attach ONLY to one kind of substrate.  The enzyme molecule must fit exactly with the substrate molecule (just like how pieces in a jigsaw puzzle have to fit in their specific space of the picture).  Well, if the substrate and enzyme don’t perfectly match or fit properly no reaction takes place.  When they do fit perfectly the substrate molecule can react with other molecules in a synthesis reaction and when completed the enzyme is free to move on elsewhere to connect with another substrate molecule.  This whole process takes place quickly.  Clearly, enzymes are essential to the body’s overall homeostasis. (In order to lead a healthy life, we need to bring a balance in the way we lead our lifestyle.  Homeostasis is nothing but a mechanism which helps the human body maintain a balance between the internal and external environment).  Enzymes quickly perform catalyze chemical reactions and they also govern the reactions that occur.   Enzymes are named by adding the suffix “ase” to the name of their substrates.  For example there is:   The breaking down of starches = the enzyme that does this function is amylase.  (Know this about amylase, it is present in human saliva where it begins the chemical process of digestion; that starts in our mouth. Foods that contain much starch but little sugar, such as rice and potato, taste slightly sweet as they are chewed because amylase turns some of their starch into sugar in the mouth. The pancreas also makes amylase (alpha amylase) to hydrolyse dietary starch into disaccharides and trisaccharides which are converted by other enzymes to glucose to supply the body with energy.  There is even b and y amylases. Ending product on enzymes breaking down starches or carbohydrates gives us one thing only sugar.)

The breaking down of sugars, like sucrose = the enzyme is sucrase.  The ending product of the enzyme is it breaks down complex sugars to more simple sugars in the body.

The breaking down of fats (lipids) = the enzyme is lipase.  Lipase perform essential roles in the digestion, transport and processing of dietary lipids in most if not all living organisms (example (triglycerides, fats, oils).Most lipases act at a specific position on glycerol backbone of lipid substrate (A1,A2 or A3 in the small intestines).  For example, human pancreatic lipase (HPL) is the main enzyme that breaks down dietary fats in the digestive system, converts triglyceride substrates found in ingested oils to monoglycerides and two fatty acids.  Know that glycerol is a simple sugar compound. Enzymes deal with breaking down our foods because they take a major role in what we call the process digestion in the human body but notice what the ending result is of mostly every ingredient out of 3 of our food groups, which is SUGAR.  It’s because of the food already having some sugar in it but more importantly also the chemical reaction with the enzyme to allow the food to break down into smaller compounds to be utilized in the body=simpler sugar compounds which also plays a part in the entire digestion process.

 So know sugar in the body is our fuel for energy but with our digestion process, in how it works is like this:  when the body gets a meal within 1 hour digestion starts in the stomach and complete in 6 to 8 hours depending on how large the meal is, especially if 3 large meals a day.  The foods if contain starches, fat, lipids they all break down to simple sugars that transfer to the bloodstream and whatever energy the body needs at that point the tissues with cells utilize it but when enough sugar is used and we have excess in the blood we than have the body store the extra sugar that first converts the glucose (active sugar) to glycogen (inactive sugar) in our liver.  The liver is only so big and when it reaches its optimal level of storage than the sugar gets stored in our fat tissue = WEIGHT GAIN.  This is the problem with people in America not understanding this process.  Plus as most people get older from 30 than to 40 years old and every 10 years after that till heaven we put cellulite on the body for 2 major reasons not eating as healthy due to the bikini and speedo fit not being the priority in life but getting the feet up after a hard day’s work is.  The other reason is we aren’t as active as when we were 20 or 30 years old and the metabolism naturally slows down unless you’re a Jack la Lanne.

How do we deal with this to prevent obesity?  Do what I did go on a 6 small meal diet.  Eat a meal every 3 hours with keeping fat, calories/sugar, carbohydrates in proper proportions to prevent excess sugar in the meals to not allow fat storage=weight gain.  Of course some exercise or activity daily or every other day helps tone the muscle and not let it flab due to cellulite.  Live healthier habits of living not a month, 3 months or 6 months but make it your daily routine with treating yourself to foods you don’t eat daily to maintain a good weight and increase your health status to allow you to live a happier, longer and more exciting life.  Dr. Anderson with his book “Dr. A’s Habits of Health” with me as your medifast coach show you how easy it is.   You learn all 4 food groups and how to divide them up in your meals with first starting with medifast foods 3 to 6 months and when you feel you have reached the weight you want to be at with knowing the routine you can stop or continue with regular foods and medifast for snacks only, maybe.  You make all the choices.

Let’s not forget with enzymes they also break proteins down in our body. The breaking down of proteins=Trypsin Proteins that are large biological molecules consisting of one or more chains of amino acids.  Proteins perform a vast array of functions within living organisms, including catalyzing metabolic reactions, replicating DNA, responding to stimuli, and transporting molecules from one location to another.  Trypsin is a enzyme catalyst, which allows the catalysis of chemical reactions.   The ending product of the break down is amino acids not sugar.  Know high on a protein diet continuously for years can hurt the body also.

Enzymes deal with breaking down our foods because they take a major role in what we call the process digestion in the human body.  but notice what the ending result is of mostly every ingredient in our 4 food groups is; SUGAR.  It because of the food has some sugar in it but also the chemical reaction with the enzyme to allow the food to break down into smaller compounds to be utilized in the body with send through the entire digestion process.

There are risks with eating just high protein diets for long periods of time.  You put yourself at risk for:  Osteoporosis:  Research shows that women who eat high protein diets based on meat have a higher rate of bone density loss than those who don’t. Women who eat meat lose an average of 35% of their bone density by age 65, while women who don’t eat meat lose an average of 18%. In the long run, bone density loss leads to osteoporosis.

• Kidneys:  A high protein diet puts strain on the kidneys.  It is well known that patients with kidney problems suffer from eating a high protein diet which is due to the high amino acids levels.                         A high-protein diet may worsen kidney function in people with kidney disease because your body may have trouble eliminating all the waste products of protein metabolism.

However, the risks of using a high-protein diet with carbohydrate restriction for the long term are still being studied. Several health problems may result if a high-protein diet is followed for an extended time:

• Some high-protein diets restrict carbohydrate intake so much that they can result in nutritional deficiencies or insufficient fiber, which can cause health problems such as constipation and diverticulitis.
• Some high-protein diets promote foods such as red meat and full-fat dairy products, which may increase your risk of heart disease.

If you want to follow a high-protein diet, do so only as a short-term weight-loss aid.  Also, choose your protein wisely. Good choices include fish, skinless chicken, lean beef, pork and low-fat dairy products. Choose carbs that are high in fiber, such as whole grains and nutrient-dense vegetables and fruit.

It’s always a good idea to talk with your doctor before starting a weight-loss diet. And that’s especially important in this case if you have kidney disease, diabetes or other chronic health condition.

So if you want to continue on high protein diets longer than 6 months know how to alkalize the body chemicals to decrease the proteins and there are supplements that can do that via the pharmacy or look up even online.

If you’re interested with wanting Dr. Anderson and myself in getting you started go to heathyusa.tsfl.com and just take a peek at no charge, no hacking, no donations, no subscription just letting you know what we offer; you may just like what you see.  I did it and lost 22lbs.  I feel better and healthier.  You may just pass it over to family and friends spreading the good news that could just make our country a healthier one.

“People  with high blood pressure, diabetes – those are conditions brought about by life  style. If you change the life style, those conditions will  leave.”

Dick  Gregory (born October 12, 1932, is an American comedian, social activist, social critic, writer)

Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a complex chronic disease involving disorders in carbohydrate, protein, and fat metabolism and the development of macro-vascular, micro-vascular, neurological complications that don’t occur over a few nights or weeks or months.  It is a metabolic disorder in where the pancreas organ ends up causing many disruptions in proper working of our body.  The pancreas is both an endocrine and exocrine gland.  The problem with diabetes is due to the endocrine part of the pancreas not working properly.  More than 1 million islet cells are located throughout the organ.  The three types of endocrine cells that the pancreas excretes into our blood stream are alpha, beta, and delta cells.

The alpha cells secrete glucagon (stored glucose), beta secrete insulin, and delta secrete gastrin and pancreatic somatostatin.   A person with DM has minimal or no beta cells secreted from the pancreas, which shows minimal or no insulin excreted in the person’s bloodstream.  Insulin is necessary for the transport of glucose, amino acids, potassium, and phosphate across the cell membrane getting these chemical elements into the cell.  When getting these elements into the cells it is like the cell eating a meal and the glucose, being one of the ingredients in the meal, is used for energy=fuel to our body; the glucose inside the cells gets carried to all our tissues in the body to allow the glucose to be utilized into all our tissues so they can do their functions (Ex. Getting glucose into the muscle tissue allows the muscles to have the energy to do the range of motion in letting us do our daily activities of living, like as simple as type or walk).  The problem with diabetes is the glucose doesn’t have the insulin being sent into the bloodstream by the pancreas to transfer the glucose across the cell membrane to be distributed as just discussed.  Instead what results is a high glucose levels in the blood stream causing hyperglycemia.

It should be apparent that when there is a deficit of insulin, as in DM, hyperglycemia with increased fat metabolism and decreased protein synthesis occur ( Our body being exposed to this type of environment over  years causes the development of many chronic conditions that would not have occurred if DM never took place in the body, all due to high glucose levels starting with not being properly displaced in the body as it should be normally.).

People with normal metabolism upon awaking and before breakfast are able to maintain blood glucose levels in the AM ranging from 60 to 110mg/dl.  After eating food the non-diabetic’s blood glucose may rise to 120-140 mg/dl after eating (postprandial), but these then rapidly return back to normal.  The reason for this happening is you eat food, it reaches the stomach, digestion takes place during digestion the stomach brakes down fats, carbohydrates, and sugars from compound sugars to simple sugars (fructose and glucose).  Than the sugars transfer from the stomach into the bloodstream causing an increase in sugar levels.  Now, your body uses the sugar it needs at that time throughout the entire body for energy and if still extra sugar left in the bloodstream that isn’t needed at that time to be utilized it now needs to go somewhere out of the bloodstream to allow the glucose blood level to get back between 60-110mg/dl.  That extra glucose first gets stored up in the liver 60-80% and then gets stored in our fat tissue=fat storage=weight increase.  Unfortunately this doesn’t take place with a diabetic since there is very little or no insulin being released by the pancreas and over time due to the high blood glucose blood levels (called hyperglycemia) problems arise in the body over years.   When diabetes occurs there is a resolution and you have the disease the rest of your life.  You need to control your glucose level.    2 TYPES OF DM: a.)Diabetes I  & b.) Diabetes ll.

We have risk factors that can cause disease/illness; there are unmodified and modified risk factors. With unmodified risk factors we have no control in them, which are 4 and these are: Heredity, Sex, Age, Race.  Now modified risk factors are factors we can control, 3 of them that you can control is your weight, diet and health habits (which play a big role in why many people get diabetes II).  Look at what the Mayo Clinic (www.mayoclinic.com /health/diabetes)says about risk factors:

RISK FACTOR FOR TYPE  DIABETES ONE:

Although the exact cause of type 1 diabetes is unknown, genetic factors can play a role. Your risk of developing type 1 diabetes increases if you have a parent or sibling who has type 1 diabetes. Based on research, we also know that genes account for less than half the risk of developing type1 disease. These findings suggest that there are other factors besides genes that influence the development of diabetes. We don’t know what these factors are, but a number of different theories exist.  Environmental factors, such as exposure to a viral illness, also likely play some role in type 1 diabetes. Other factors that may increase your risk include:

The presence of damaging immune system cells that make autoantibodies. Sometimes family members of people with type 1 diabetes are tested for the presence of diabetes autoantibodies. If you have these autoantibodies, you have an increased risk of developing type 1 diabetes. But, not everyone who has these autoantibodies develops type 1.

Dietary factors. A number of dietary factors have been linked to an increased risk of type 1 diabetes, such as low vitamin D consumption; early exposure to cow’s milk or cow’s milk formula; or exposure to cereals before 4 months of age. However, none of these factors has been shown to cause 1 diabetes is more common in whites than in other races.

Race can take a role in being a factor for diabetes 1. 

Geography. Certain countries, such as Finland and Sweden, have higher rates of type 1 diabetes.

RISK FACTORS FOR DIABETES TYPE 2 AND PREDIABETES
Researchers don’t fully understand why some people develop prediabetes and type 2 diabetes and others don’t. It’s clear that certain factors increase the risk, however, including:

Weight. The more fatty tissue you have, the more resistant your cells become to insulin.

Inactivity. The less active you are, the greater your risk. Physical activity helps you control your weight, uses up glucose as energy and makes your cells more sensitive to insulin. Exercising less than three times a week may increase your risk of type 2 diabetes.

Family history. Your risk increases if a parent or sibling has type 2 diabetes.

Race. Although it’s unclear why, people of certain races — including blacks, Hispanics, American Indians and Asians — are at higher risk.

Age. Your risk increases as you get older. This may be because you tend to exercise less, lose muscle mass and gain weight as you age. But type 2 diabetes is also increasing dramatically among children, adolescents and younger adults.

Gestational diabetes. If you developed gestational diabetes when you were pregnant, your risk of developing prediabetes and type 2 diabetes later increases. If you gave birth to a baby weighing more than 9 pounds (4 kilograms), you’re also at risk of type 2 diabetes.

Polycystic ovary syndrome. For women, having polycystic ovary syndrome — a common condition characterized by irregular menstrual periods, excess hair growth and obesity — increases the risk of diabetes.

High blood pressure. Having blood pressure over 140/90mm Hg is linked to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes.

Abnormal cholesterol levels. If you have low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or “good,” cholesterol, your risk of type 2 diabetes is higher. Low levels of HDL are defined as below 35 mg/dL.

High levels of triglycerides. Triglycerides are a fat carried in the blood. If your triglyceride levels are above 250 mg/dL, your risk of diabetes increases.

RISK FACTORS FOR GESTATIONAL DIABETES
Any pregnant woman can develop gestational diabetes, but some women are at greater risk than are others. Risk factors for gestational diabetes include:

Age. Women older than age 25 are at increased risk.

Family or personal history. Your risk increases if you have prediabetes — a precursor to type 2 diabetes — or if a close family member, such as a parent or sibling, has type 2 diabetes. You’re also at greater risk if you had gestational diabetes during a previous pregnancy, if you delivered a very large baby or if you had an unexplained stillbirth.

Weight. Being overweight before pregnancy increases your risk.

Race. For reasons that aren’t clear, women who are black, Hispanic, American Indian or Asian are more likely to develop gestational diabetes.

The key in not getting diabetes is taking Prevention Measures (especially regarding type II) but even diagnosed with diabetes there are measures you can take in helping to control the glucose and decreasing the chances of increasing the side effects of what it can cause to the human body organs overtime especially cardiac disease, kidney disease, neuropathy, retinopathy to blind from having hyperglycemia frequently over years; in time it thickens the blood making circulation difficulty effecting tissues furthest from the heart= feet/lower extremities where skin ulcers occur for not getting enough oxygen to the tissues in the feet or lower extremities that can lead to necrosis causing amputation of toes to foot to below knee amputation to even above knee amputation.  It also increases chance of heart attack and stroke.  PREVENTION first and CONTROL second when diagnosed with DM, is so vitally important.

So help control your diabetes through diet (eating a low glucose or sugar diet=1800 to 2000 calories a day as your m.d. prescribes for you), weight (get in therapeutic weight range), and practice healthy habits.   My blog can help those in wanting to prevent diabetes by helping you lose weight by eating 6 low glycemic meals a day which allows low fat, low carbohydrates, low sugar keeping your baseline glucose at a steady level and low sugar level more on a regular basis with still treating yourself to occasional high glycemic meals when you’re in ideal weight.  Follow this plan and in the first week eating like this I lost 5lbs or more and in the second week another 5lbs and since 1 to 2 lbs. per week .   If you don’t, you put your diet 3 days back.   To learn more about healthy habits in your life with diet, some exercise, and how to reach your ideal weight like I am doing come to my website healthyusa.tsfl.com .  This would definitely benefit you in prevention but if diagnosed with diabetes always check with your doctor regarding diet, activity, and new health habits you may start, especially through this program and make the alterations you need to do as your m.d. recommends.  Recommended is have your m.d. give you clearance to start this program if diagnosed with DM.  I lost 22lbs already and I’m not obese by the body mass index.  Join me and go to healthyusa.tsfl.com.  No charge, no fee, no gimmick, no donations and no hacker.  It’s just obtaining information about how to live your life healthier, even your family or friends (if interested) get involved in being healthier with possibly spreading this great news to make a healthier USA for ALL age groups.  Thank you for your time and I hope I have spread some light on someone.  When I made this a routine in my life it got so EASY since I put health before my taste buds desires.  It took time for not cheating with the food but it worked.

“Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe.”

 
Gail Devers (born November 19, 1966) is a retired three-time Olympic champion in track and field for the US Olympic Team.

Let’s just start with looking at our health problems recently & the statistics.  According to the Mayo Clinic, in 2011 the top male and female problems vary a little.  The health problems that are similar to them are the ones we need to be more concerned about since the ones I will be presenting to you are brought on to many Americans cause of poor health habits (which includes diet with activity).

They state that cardiac disease is #1 killer for both men and women.  The American Heart Association in 2011  stated  that cardiac disease, which does cause many heart attacks and strokes, with killing more people than all forms of cancer combined.  Two major factors that would decrease the amount in cardiac disease is people stop smoking and eating HEALTHIER=low fat, low sodium and occasional fast foods, if ever in your diet.   Fast foods frequently eaten just doesn’t cut healthy.  Another helpful key is routine exercise.

Lung cancer was the cancer that caused most deaths in both men and women.  Women are also greatly affected with breast cancer and colorectal cancer, according to the Mayo clinic 2011.  To help in decreasing the chance of cancer eat HEALTHY, wear sunscreen, don’t smoke, and get regular cancer screenings.

COPD=Respiratory Diseases classified as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease  includes  Emphysema and Bronchitis.  The National Heart, Lung, & Blood Institute in 2011 recommended quit smoking to prevent COPD (esp. Emphysema which is the largest RISK factor in getting it).  When you smoke you expand the lung tissue and keep expanding it as you continue smoking.  It doesn’t reverse and after years you have difficulty exchanging oxygen (when inhaled) with carbon dioxide (when exhaled) at the lung base & this is because of stretching the lung tissue (called alveoli) so bad.  The answer is either QUIT or NEVER smoke and band smoking.  The U.S. lung cancer census would go down markedly in a 5-10 years.

Diabetes II is a diabetes that you are not born with but can get later in life.  It is also a leading killer for both men and women in the U.S.  A lot of cases seem to be due to unhealthy eating that goes into obesity that causes the individual to end up with diabetes.  This disease causes damage to many organs of the body in time.  Due to the high glucose levels (hyperglycemia) it damages the kidney causing for many to be put on hemodialysis 3x/week usually, giving heart disease, neuropathy (down the legs usually), and retinopathy=blindness, in time for many.  To prevent this disease losing weight (with staying in a normal body mass index), doing routine exercise, and eating healthy will help a great deal, especially started young.

*In 2011 Alzheimer’s disease was the fifth leading cause of death in women and the tenth in men.  We really don’t know what the etiology is but there may be a link between this disease and heart disease, including head injuries.  What could help prevent this?  One is eating healthy, two is routine exercise-as simple as walking regularly daily or 2 to 3 times a week and eating healthy to prevent cardiac disease. Also, drive safely with the seat belt on, no texting,  no cell phone to prevent a MVA & hitting your head.

Kidney disease in 2011 the ninth leading cause of death for both males and females in the U.S.  It can be caused by high blood pressure or diabetes, according to the Mayo Clinic. The American Diabetes Association stressed the importance of keeping your blood sugar under control if you are a diabetic in order to prevent kidney disease if done soon enough.   To prevent this disease is the same as cardiac and diabetes prevention (listed above) but the sooner started the better.   This ends part 1. On the next post, I will provide information on what Americans can do in decreasing these diseases in time.

After seeing the disease census 2011 in our country; now the next question would be is there anyway we can decrease diseases in our country overtime, like in a decade or less.  Well, all the diseases I covered yesterday are impacted on what healthy habits you practice over a long period of time in your life;  than these diseases can be controlled better.  Wouldn’t you want to see less disease and more people young and old healthier.  I know I sure would after being a RN over a quarter of a century seeing so many diseases and ones that could have been prevented by a society more health oriented than based on their food cravings.  We have all heard we need to make sacrifices for certain things in life.  Would you think sacrificing fast foods being eaten daily or low glycemic meals in large sizes for all your meals over numerous years that prones you to putting weight on putting you at risk for disease is worth sacrificing?   I finally do in my 40’s and it’s not that hard of a sacrifice since it allowed me to remove all toxins from my body from unhealthy fast foods with looking and feeling better.   I ate like that and it took me about 6mths to finally get the routine down of eating 6 small low glycemic meals a day with having occasional high glycemic foods (Ex. fast foods to ice cream and more) with doing routine exercise 2-3x a week and practicing these healthy habits based on Dr. Wayne Scott Anderson’s book “Dr. A.’s Habits of Health” on a regular basis not just 2wks or 2mths or when I exercise but for life which so far has allowed me to lose 20 lbs.  I hope to lose 20 more to make my goal to 138lbs at 5’7”.  If the majority of America lived healthier like this there would be less disease in our country which would put a positive impact on our health care system for all but it would take a decade but we need to start somewhere and today is the best day to start for both us as well as future generations to come.  Eating healthier, losing weight down to the ideal body mass index ratio based on your height, exercise routinely (not necessarily meaning an aerobic work out), and practicing healthy habits  would increase your chance of living longer healthy and put your life on a journey .  Join me and become healthier with spreading the healthyusa.tsfl.com news to make America a healthier country and most importantly yourself.  It’s like how we were taught by mom and dad at a young age the better you take care of your car the longer it will last.  If taught young and even now at an older age the better we treat ourselves regarding health the higher the odds we will live a longer and more prosperous life, not necessarily as long as Mr. Spock.  There is not just one food to eat or one type of exercise to do or one healthy habit to keep you healthy, there’s choices.  Click onto my website which is no fee, no charge, no hacking, just letting you check us out to look further in understanding how Dr. Anderson with myself as your health coach could change your health for the better.  It allows you to make all the decisions in what you want to do regarding exercise, in what to eat, and what healthy habits you want to practice.  We just provide the information and food if you decide you want it.

There is not just one food to eat or one type of exercise to do or one healthy habit to keep you healthy, there’s choices.  Click onto my website which is no fee, no charge, no hacking, just letting you check us out to look further in understanding how Dr. Anderson with myself as your health coach could change your health for the better. It allows you to make all the decisions in what you want to do regarding exercise, in what to eat, and what healthy habits you want to practice.  We just provide the information and food if you decide you want it.  I hope to hear from you soon.  Thank you for reading my article and listening how we can make a better and healthier USA.

Paradoxically  Americans are becoming both more obese and more nutrient deficient at the same  time. Obese children eating processed foods are nutrient depleted and  increasingly get scurvy and rickets, diseases we thought were left behind in the  19th and 20th centuries.
Mark E. Hyman ( (born January 6, 1958) is the Vice President for Corporate Relations for Sinclair Broadcast Group, the largest chain of local television stations in the United States.)

In our body we have cholesterol which is a type of fat.  In certain foods is cholesterol depending on the food you buy. Your total cholesterol includes LDL (low-density lipoprotein) and HDL (high density lipoprotein) cholesterol.  Let’s differentiate the two, LDL is bad cholesterol because it can build up in the arterial walls and form plaque in time.  That build up in the arteries will reduce blood flow and increase your risk to heart disease, especially eating frequently the wrong foods with high and bad cholesterol over years (Example. coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, and eating like this for years can lead to a heart attack or from s/s arising scarring the person to go to the doctor and find out they have blockages & need surgery.  The sign and symptoms arising scarring the person can range from chest pain, and can be radiating down the arms,  sweating profusely, weakness/fatigue increases in your life, dizziness, you feel like you’re going to fall or actually due to the fatigue/weakness=low blood pressure due to the blockage or the heart just working too hard in doing its function since the cardiac output is decreased from the blockage) Take one of my dear friends who I have known almost 35 years who was a workaholic 10to14hr/7 days a week for at least 25 years and this week he had to undergo surgery for a coronary artery blockage bypass for  5 vessels blocked 80% to 100%.  He had a successful bypass done but now has a long rehab haul to get better due to high cholesterol eating, smoking (that both play an impact in plaque & tar build up in the vessels) but he also was obese by about 50lbs.  This could have been prevented if he changed his diet, watched his weight, and quit smoking years ago but that takes discipline, making sacrifices=all within your hands to allow for healthy habits now (prevention) or later when problems occur (treatment), if caught in time. There is a way out of this happening to you.                                                                                                                                           HDL (high density lipoprotein) cholesterol is also known as good cholesterol because it is thought to help remove bad cholesterol from the body; if you decide the right foods in the right portions that will have more HDL than LDL in them.  Differentiating the 2, now another component to keep in mind is risk factors that can put you at risk for heart disease and your doctor will determine what additional risk factors you have putting you at risk for heart disease.  These risk factors can be modifiable (controllable by individuals) or non-modifiable (non-controllable by individuals).

Modifiable Risk Factors=High B/P, Diabetes, Low HDL=good cholesterol, High LDL=bad cholesterol, smoking, eating foods high in SATURATED FAT & CHOLESTEROL, lack of any activity in your life (your regular routine doesn’t count), & harmful use of alcohol.

Non-modifiable Risk Factors=4 types only which are:  1-Heredity (The higher the risk is when the heredity is closer to you in your family tree=Nuclear family–mom, dad, and siblings). 2-Age (Men aged 45y/o or older & Women aged 55 y/o or older) 3-Gender (It may affect your risk, for years heart disease was considered a man’s disease but we now know that heart disease is the leading cause of death for women as well as men.  Although men tend to develop coronary artery disease earlier in life, after age 65 the risk of heart disease for both genders is equal.) 4-Race (Heart disease is higher among African Americans, Mexican Americans, American Indians, native Hawaiians, and some Asian Americans compared to Caucasians).

The answer to prevention or treatment of cardiac disease is changing or modifying your diet, if it’s unhealthy 100% or just partially.  The answer includes exercise (from just walking or if you like working out, even better) and if needed medication but your doctor will decide.  All these changes can modify your blood lipid profile=cholesterol control, which helps increasing your heart to a better tolerance with activity, stress and simply functioning.  Recommended is going to a cardiologist for people diagnosed with heart conditions or your general practitioner with any illness/disease before making changes to help guide you towards the right choices.  Your doctor can help you in determining which prevention or treatment plan is best for you.

Foods high in cholesterol=Fast foods, whole fat dairy products-milk/cheese/butter/mayonnaise/ bacon/processed deli meats/salad dressings and shortenings.

The key is to be living a healthy life.  This consists of diet, exercise or activity and healthy habits learned and practiced routinely in your life that will help prevent or assist in treating cardiac disease.  The better we treat ourselves regarding health the higher the odds we will live a longer   life.  There is not just one food to eat or one type of exercise to do or one healthy habit to keep you healthy, there are choices.  Come onto my website which is no fee, no charge, no hacking, just letting you check us out to look further in understanding how to take a shape for your life with Dr. Anderson and even myself as your health coach in helping you learn what healthier habits or changes you want for a healthier way of living.  It allows you to make all the decisions in what you want to do regarding what to eat (diet), exercise/activity, and what healthy habits you want to add in your life.  We just provide the information and healthy foods in your diet, if you decide you want it.  You make all the choices.  Wouldn’t you want less disease/illness for yourself and for others throughout the nation including the future generations?  Thank you for taking the time to read my article to how we can help you get healthier and make a healthier USA.  Click onto heathyusa.tsfl.com and I hope to hear from you soon.

Treatments for CHF:

Heart failure caused by an excessive workload is curable by treating the primary disease, such as anemia or thyrotoxicosis or hypertension or diabetes.  Also, curable are forms caused by anatomical problems such as a heart valve defect.  These defects can be surgically corrected.

However, for the common forms of heart failure due to damaged heart muscle no known cure (like a heart attack that damages the heart muscle where the attack took place on the organ) but prevention of it happening again can take place in many cases through treatment of the disease or illness with being compliant in following up with your doctor for the disease or illness and being compliant in following doctor’s orders.   The worst thing you can do is ignore them.  The treatment seeks to improve patients quality of life and length of survival through lifestyle change and drug therapy.

Patients can minimize the effect of heart failure by controlling the risk factors for heart disease they may have.  Obvious steps include:  Don’t smoke or quit smoking, lose weight if necessary, abstaining from alcohol, making those dietary changes to reduce the amount of salt and fat consumed.  Also, regular with modest exercise is also helpful for many patients; though the amount and intensity should be carefully monitored by a physician.

Even with lifestyle changes, most heart failure patients must take medication.  Many patients receive 2 or more meds.  Types of common medications given are:  ACE inhibitors, Digitalis, Diuretics, Hydralazine, and Nitrates.

These are some of the meds given for heart failure.   Not all medications are suitable for patients, and more than one drug may be needed.  Always review the list your pharmacist provides in the action, side effects, with instructions of how to take the drug to make it most effective in your body with what to look for while on this medication to keep you the patient most informed on what you should be aware of since your on the medication.  You should know what your taking.

Results of studies over the years have placed more emphasis on the use of drugs known as angiotensin converting enzymes (ACE) inhibitors.  Several studies have indicated that ACE inhibitors improve survival among heart failure patients and may slow perhaps even prevent the loss of the heart pumping activity.  This drug  prevents the transfer of your enzyme Angiotensin 1 to convert into Angiotensin 2 which prevents the vessels in your body to do vasoconstriction which prevents the pressure in the bloodstream to raise = high B/P (hypertension) but this medication prevents this from happening.  By the medication doing this it prevents stress to the heart; with vasoconstriction in causing the B/P to go high this now causes the  blood to get to the heart slowly and more difficult causing the heart to pump harder but the ACE inhibitor with allowing vasodilation (opening of vessels) keeps the pressure down to make the job easier= less stress on the heart.  Originally these medications where for patients in the treatment of hypertension but they help patients with heart failure, among other things, decreasing the pressure inside the blood vessels causing the heart to do its job easier.

Digitalis increases the force of the heart’s contractions, helping to improve circulation in the body.

Diuretics are for reducing the amount of fluid in the bloodstream and body by releasing them via the kidneys and having us void the excess of water out in our urine, these are useful for patients with fluid retention.

Those who aren’t prescribed or cannot take these meds already mentioned may be given a hydralazine medication and/or a drug in the Nitrate classification, each of which help relax tension in the blood vessels to improve blood flow.  Also, both Hydralazine and Nitrates function is they cause vasodilation in the vessels improving blood flow to the heart.

Sometimes heart failure is life threatening.  Usually, this happens when drug therapy and lifestyle changes fail to control its symptoms.  In such cases, a heart transplant may be the only  treatment  option.  However, candidates for transplantation often have to wait months or even years before a suitable donor heart is found.

Studies over the years indicate that some transplant candidates improve during this waiting period through drug treatment and other therapy, and can be removed from the transplant list.

Transplant candidates who do not improve sometimes need mechanical pumps, which are attached to the heart.  Called left ventricular assist device (LVADs), the machine takes over part or virtually all of the heart’s blood-pumping activity.  However, current LVADs are not permanent solutions for heart failure but are considered bridges to transplantation. Worldwide, about 3,500 heart transplants were performed annually. The vast majority of these are performed in the United States (2,000-2,300 annually). Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California has performed the most heart transplants in the last three consecutive years performing 95 transplants in 2012 alone. About 800,000 people have a Class IV heart defect indicating a new organ.  The degrees of CHF are I, II, III and IV.  In learning more about CHF with heart transplants (including becoming a candidate for one) go to wwwtransplantexperience.com or even hearttransplant.com.

Another surgical procedure for heart failure that is available in America is cardiomyoplasty.  This is a surgical procedure in which healthy muscle from another part of the body is wrapped around the heart to provide support for the failing heart. Most often the latissimus dorsi muscle is used for this purpose. A special pacemaker is implanted to make the skeletal muscle contract.  The electrical stimulator icauses the back muscle to contract, pumping the blood from the heart (this allows the heart to do its job more effectively).

Complications of CHF:

Through the Mayo clinic as a reference regarding complications their website stated: “If you have heart failure, your outlook depends on the cause and the severity, your overall health, and other factors such as your age. Complications can include:

• Kidney damage or failure. Heart failure can reduce the blood flow to your kidneys, which can eventually cause kidney failure if left untreated. Kidney damage from heart failure can require dialysis for treatment.
• Heart valve problems. The valves of your heart, which keep blood flowing in the proper direction through your heart, may not function properly if your heart is enlarged, or if the pressure in your heart is very high due to heart failure.
• Liver damage. Heart failure can lead to a buildup of fluid that puts too much pressure on the liver. This fluid backup can lead to scarring, which makes it more difficult for your liver to function properly.
• Stroke. Because blood flow through the heart is slower in heart failure than in a normal heart, it’s more likely you’ll develop blood clots, which can increase your risk of having a stroke.

Some people’s symptoms and heart function will improve with proper treatment. However, heart failure can be life-threatening. People with heart failure may have severe symptoms, and some may require heart transplantation or support with an artificial heart device.”

Tips on CHF:

See your doctor regularly in evaluating your CHF.

Closely follow your doctor’s instructions, being compliant with the instructions and taking your meds.

Immediately call your doctor of any significant change in your condition, such as an intensified shortness of breath or swollen feet or weight gain of 3lbs or more within one week.

Control your weight in making it easier for your heart, that’s in failure, to function better (less stress).

Watch what you eat and how much.  Watch the diet intake of cholesterol and sodium that can cause a negative impact on the heart by causing stress to the organ through either high B/P=high sodium intake that causes vasoconstriction or high cholesterol intake frequently that commonly causes blockage in an artery.  Both high sodium or high cholesterol cause diminishing of oxygenated blood getting to the heart.  Without oxygen to our tissues or cells this causes tissue & cellular starvation (ischemia).  What is starvation to the heart=ischemia to the heart=chest pain (what we call angina).  Take a brittle diabetic, the furthest area from the heart is the feet the first area to experience starvation is the toes, foot or lower extremity which is why this is usually the first to be amputated if necessary (you usually see an upper extremity amputated due to trauma not disease).

Limit or stop alcohol consumption as your doctor informs you.

Of course, stop smoking permanently if actively smoking.

The best defense against heart failure is PREVENTION!  Almost all the cardiac risk factors can be controlled by eliminating the bad unhealthy habits (smoking, obese, high cholesterol, high B/P, diabetes).

Going to the doctor can be stressful but know he is there for you.  It is hard to remember everything you want to ask the doctor with everything you hear at your visit.  It helps to prepare a list of questions you may have and bring it with you at your appointment to address to the concerns you listed to the doctor.  In doing this it helps you with your appointment so you can record the answers by listing them on the paper you have.  Before you leave the doctor’s office, be sure you understand your condition, its treatment, including any medications your taking this doctor that he or sheprescribed for you with that doctor knowing any other medications you may be on through a different doctor to prevent side effects or adverse reactions occurring but if you forget this about the medications there is always your pharmacist you can ask, than your personal M.D. later.  With you knowing all this information you will see why it is so vital for you doing all these actions or interventions for your disease that your doctor prescribed or ordered and you’re more out to follow them as well with understanding the whole picture about the treatment for CHF.

If you are needing any guidance in how to lose weight through using all 4 food groups, with assistance in what to eat now to lose weight till you are in therapeutic range for your height rather than eating food from the market or if you need to understand how the body works with food and metabolism with where activity comes into play go to healthyusa.tsfl.com.  See what we can provide you in answering all these questions for you through Dr. Anderson and myself as your coach free.  SO LIVE AS HEALTHY AS POSSIBLE IN YOUR ROUTINE HABITS,  YOUR DIETING OF THE 4 FOOD GROUPS, MAINTAINING YOUR WEIGHT IN A THEREPEUTIC RANGE (look as calculating BMI online for free to find out what your weight range for your height is), and BALANCING REST WITH EXERCISE TO HELP DECREASE THE CHANCE OF GETTING HEART FAILURE.  Go to healthyusa.tsfl.com to learn what Dr. Anderson through his book of “Dr. A.’s Healthy Habits” and me (for free) as your health coach could provide you with.  Just take a view of what can be offered to you for no price with no hacking go to healthyusa.tsfl.com and take a peek;)  Join me like many who are trying to live life healthier with making America a healthier home and we all should take part to help the health care system to be more effective for our society.  Recommended to anyone with disease before changing your diet, activity/exercise program review your changes with your doctor to get clearance first to maintain your safety.

“Heart disease continues to be the number one killer; cancer, the number 2 killer, not far behind. The tragic aspect of these deadly diseases is that they could all be cured, I do believe, if we had sufficient funding.”

Arlen Specter ((February 12, 1930 – October 14, 2012) was a United States Senator from Pennsylvania

 A number of symptoms are associated with heart failure, but none is specific for the condition.  Perhaps the best known symptom is short of breath (called dyspnea).  In heart failure, this may result from excess fluid in the lungs.  The breathing difficulties may occur at rest or during exercise.  In some cases, congestion may be severe enough to interrupt or prevent you from sleeping.

-Fatigue or easy tiring is another common symptom.  As the heart’s pumping capacity decreases, muscles and other tissues receive less oxygen and nutrition, which are carried in the blood.  Without proper fuel (oxygen from the blood) provided by our engine (the heart), the body cannot perform as much work as it use to do (just like going from in shape to out of shape in time).  The ending line is this will result into fatigue.

-Fluid accumulation will cause swelling in the feet, ankles, legs, and occasionally the abdomen (if the fluid building up in the body gets severe), what we medically call edema.   Through gravity the blood goes backwards and our body allows water to transfer in the skin to allow the fluid to go somewhere other than the bloodstream to decrease fluid overload to the heart by compensating.  It body compensates since the blood is going backwards from the heart causing fluid back up.  Excess fluid retained by the body will result into weight gain, which sometimes occurs fairly quickly (if you have CHF already you should always call your M.D. if you weight gain is 3lbs or more in a week, odds are high this is due to fluid building up).

-Persistent coughing is another common sign, especially coughing that regularly produces mucus or pink, blood-tinged sputum.  Some people develop raspy breathing or wheezing.

-Heart failure usually goes through a slow development process, the symptoms may not appear until the condition has progressed over the years.  This happens because the heart first compensates by making adjustments with the heart that delay or slow down but do not prevent, the eventual loss in pumping capacity.  In time failure happens, just like a car in when it gets older over several years is starts showing one problem after another and is exchanged for a newer car; same principle with the heart in that you show signs and symptoms as your heart starts to slow down to failure and its either treat the problem or get a transplant of the organ (which is unlikely to happen).   The heart first hides the underlying process but compensates by doing this to your heart:

1- Enlargement to the muscle of the heart (causing “dilatation”) which allows more blood into the heart.

2- Thickening of muscle fibers (causing “hypertrophy”) to strengthen the heart muscle, which allows the heart to contract more forcefully and pump more blood.

3- More frequent contraction, which increases circulation.

By making these adjustments, or compensating, the heart can temporarily make up for losses in pumping ability, sometimes for years.  However, compensation of the organ can only last so long, not forever (like anything in life the living thing or an object will go through a ending life process to termination).  Eventually the heart cannot offset the lost ability to pump blood, and the signs of heart failure appear.

DIAGNOSIS

In many cases, physicians diagnose heart failure during a simple physical examination.  Readily identifiable signs are shortness of breath, fatigue, and swollen ankles and feet.  The physician also will check for the presence of risk factors, such as hypertension, obesity and a  history of heart problems.

Using a stethoscope, the physician can listen to a patient breathe and identify the sounds of lung congestion.  The stethoscope also picks up the abnormal heart sounds indicative of heart failure.

If one or not both symptoms or the patient’s history point to a clear cut diagnosis, the physician may recommend any of a variety of laboratory tests, including, initially, an electrocardiogram (EKG), which uses recording devices placed on the chest to evaluate the electrical activity of a patient’s heartbeat which will be affected by CHF.

Echocardiography is another means of evaluating heart function from outside the body.  This works through sound waves that bounce off the heart are recorded and translated into images.  The pictures can reveal abnormal heart sizes, shape, and movement.  Echocardiography also can be used to calculate a patient’s ejection fraction which is a measurement of the amount of blood pumped when the heart contracts.

Another possible test is the chest x-ray, which also determines the heart’s size and shape, as well as the presence of congestion in the lungs.

Tests help rule out other possible causes of symptoms.  The symptoms of heart failure can result when the heart is made to work too hard, instead of from damaged muscle (like in a heart attack).  Conditions that overload the heart occur rarely and include severe anemia and thyrotoxicosis (a disease resulting from an overactive thyroid gland).

Prevention of CHF:

-If not diagnosed yet, your already possibly ahead.  Without this diagnosis you can get started on making yourself moving further away from being diagnosed with this disease.  How to reach this goal is through living a routine life through healthy habits practiced, healthy dieting over all, and balancing rest with exercise during the week 30-40 minutes a day or 1 hour to 1.5 hours 3 times a week and not being obese.  They all would benefit the heart in not stressing it out making the heart’s function easier in doing its function.  When the heart stresses out it is at risk for lacking oxygen putting it at potential for angina (heart pain) to a heart attack with over time leading toward failure of the heart.  Need to learn more about what is and how to get your weight in therapeutic body mass index range through dieting of all 4 food groups, balancing exercise/rest, and knowing how the body works with all ingredients in foods including portion sizes (of fats, calories, starches, carbohydrates, proteins with vitamins and minerals) to understanding how all this information takes effect in how your metabolism operates in being beneficial or against you?   Well than go to healthyusa.tsfl.com and take a peek at what we offer at such a reasonable price and more of a reachable goal with having Dr. Anderson through access of his book “Dr. A’s healthy habits” with me (for free) as your personal coach (an RN 26 years so far-cardiac being my specialty) and if you want foods to eat in helping you lose weight if needed I’m there to help you with any questions you may have and even for support.  To take a peek go to healthyusa.tsfl.com and see what we offer for no price and with no hacking.  Join me and so many others in attempting to reach this goal. So far I have lost 22lbs. and hope to lose more.  Hope you want to make yourself and even others around you healthier with knowing how to decrease the chance of disease or illness which would benefit America overall in the healthcare industry for us citizens.

Tomorrow’s topic will be Part 3 of CHF regarding treatment, complications and tips for dealing with the disease.