Health and Fitness Guide

The risk factors of hypertension have a lot to do with race, sex age and family history. The black race has the highest incidence of hypertension than any other race. As of the age factor, the risk of hypertension increases with the advancement in age. Also, there are more recorded cases of hypertension in men than women  under the ages of 60 years, but after this age, the reverse is usually the case.  Family history shows that hypertension runs in some families. There are other risk factors, though, these are controllable, and they include obesity and inactivity. When there is an increase in weight, an increase in blood supply will be needed to supply oxygen and other nutrients to tissues, and this in turn, increases pressure on the walls of the arteries. Also, the fat deposits produce chemicals that are not healthy to the heart and blood vessels. Smoking is another risk factor of hypertension. It leads to the damage of the walls of the arteries, and this causes cholesterol plague formation, and also, the nicotine found in cigarettes may constrict blood vessels, thereby creating a greater resistance against the heart pumping action.

Hypertension is most often called or referred to as the silent killer. This is because, somebody may have this disease and will not know that he is having such disease. The blood level of any man depends on the amount of blood that the heart can pump, and the level of resistance the heart has to pump against that present in the arteries. Blood pressure varies and may increase with activity or decrease at rest. It may also vary slightly with each heart beat. If hypertension is left uncontrolled, it could lead to other life threatening health problems. Most people suffering hypertension cannot actually point out to a particular symptom. At the early stage, the patient may just notice slight headaches, but in advanced stages, dizziness and nose bleeds may occur.

Diabetes is one of the commonest diseases in our society today. Before, it used to be associated with the rich and affluent alone, but today, even those that are poor suffer diabetes. This however is not unconnected with the dietary culture of today. The danger with this disease is that it comes with so many symptoms of other diseases or sicknesses and the patient could be treating other things not knowing that the problem at hand is diabetes. It is mostly discovered accidentally when the patient goes for medical check up. That is why it is important that we go for routine medical check up at intervals, whether we are sick or not. However, there are some symptoms that are more associated with diabetes that we should always watch out for, and some of them include the following:

The main purpose of treating diabetes with herbs is to repair the pancreas, strengthen the kidneys, wipe out the symptoms, stop sugar and glucose from entering or mixing with the urine and maintain a natural body balance. However, there are some facts to note when treating diabetes and they include the following.

1) Insulin dependent diabetes is more difficult to treat than non-insulin dependent diabetes.

2) Those that developed diabetes at the age of fifty and above responds to herbal treatment of diabetes more quickly than those in their forty or thirty years.

When it comes to staying or getting into good shape, motivation may be hard to come by. As the seasons change so do our motivation to stay in shape. Holiday schedules, cold winter days, and all those convient gadgets that keep us from drudging up the motivation to get in shape or maintain a daily routine of exercise are definite culprits. But we should be totally aware of the effects that inactivity has on the body.

Among all staple foods that are eaten today, bread ranks high amongst all. It is a food item that transcends all barriers or limitations of class or social statue. It is very rare to come across a family that can do without bread. It knows no bounds and it satisfies all classes of people. An average person can live on bread for days and still remain healthy. The popularity of bread among the local community is really understandable because, it is cheap, nutritious and readily available. Bread is really the food for everybody no matter your class or statue.