We’ve written before about the benefits of Tai Chi for your brain fitness and your immune system. Now a new study shows some striking effects of a year-long Tai Chi program at dramatically reducing cardiovascular disease risk factors.The new paper published by Chin Lang et al. in the Journal of Complementary and Alternative Medicine details the evaluation of 53 patients with clinically problematic high cholesterol or triglycerides. About half of the patients in this study participated in a 12-month Tai Chi program while the other half continued their typical sedentary lifestyle. Since all of the patients were classified as high risk for cardiovascular illness, they remained on cholesterol reducing medication in both groups.The group that received Tai Chi saw a significant improvement on many fronts. Their blood pressure dropped, their total cholesterol and ‘bad’ cholesterol (LDL) went down, their insulin levels decreased and markers of excess inflammation fell as well. The sedentary control group saw a slight reduction in blood pressure but their cholesterol and triglyceride levels actually got worse - even though they remained on cholesterol reducing medication (chalk up another point for exercise).Beyond these blood markers, the Tai Chi group also experienced improvements on measure of physical fitness. […]
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We live in a chaos filled world with commitments, family and professional pressures, personal challenges and seemingly overwhelming obstacles. Most days we manage. We think, if I can just get through next Thursday, next month or make it through the winter gray days I can get my life together. But time passes, the days race by and suddenly your life is rushing up at you.When the burden feels too heavy, we feel depleted and unable to meet the many demands placed upon us and we experience stress. In moderation, stress is actually a good thing. Stress motivates us to stay focused and alert and increases our productivity. One type of stress, eustress, is actually a necessary part of a balanced, meaningful life. Eustress is the type of stress we experience when falling in love, riding a roller coaster or participating in a risky activity or extreme sport. Eustress adds spice and flavor to our experiences, making us feel vital and alive. Problems arise when life’s demands exceed our limitations and negates our ability to cope. This type of stress is called distress and can become an ominous threat to both our emotional and physical well-being. Stress impacts not […]
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Heart Disease
A simple definition of obesity is having too much body fat.
The human body consists of carbohydrate, fat, protein, water and many vitamins and minerals. When we have too much fat, especially around our middle area, we0re at a much higher risk for health challenges. These include heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol. Obesity is now recognized as a major risk factor for coronary heart disease. It can lead to heart attack.
Some examples of how obesity can increase the risk of a heart attack include:
Raises blood pressure
Raises blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels
Lowers HDL (good cholesterol)
Obesity increases the chances of heart disease even if there are not any known risk factors. It also hurts more than the heart and blood vessel system. Obesity is the major reason of gallstones and can worsen degenerative joint disease.
Diabetes and Insulin Resistance
Not only is diabetes four times more common in overweight people, but the death rate for overweight diabetics is triple that of those with normal (or less) weight. Although being overweight is not the sole cause of diabetes, it hastens the onset of people prone to it. In such cases, weight loss can help control the diabetes.
The risk of type […]
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