Carbs that are labeled as bad, but are actually good for you

Source: http://time.com/98298/6-bad-carbs-that-are-actually-good-for-you/

Health is the Soul of LIfe

Blood pressure: What is High, Low, and Normal?

You hear people ruefully mentioning about how high or low their blood pressure is or being quite smug about its normality. Blood pressure is a barometer of health. Measuring it is one of those expected to-dos at a clinic or a norm in many a hypertensive’s day. High blood pressure and sometimes, low blood pressures both signify a health problem. It is a medical goal to control and direct your blood pressure toward normal levels.

What Is Blood Pressure?

Before we go into the highs and lows of it, let us find out what exactly blood pressure is. Simply put, blood pressure is the force of the blood against the walls of the arteries. As the heart squeezes to pump out blood, it creates a peak in pressure called the systole. When the heart relaxes after the squeeze, pressure ebbs into a moment called the diastole. The systolic and diastolic pressures create a constant wave pattern from which blood pressure is measured.

What Readings Are Considered High, Low, or Normal?

When your blood pressure is taken, you are given two numbers. If the nurse says, “Good news-it’s 110 over 80 (110/80),” this means you are ship-shape and your pressure is within normal range. If she shakes her head and says, “You’re reading 140 over 95,” you’re in potentially dangerous high territory.

The first number is your systolic reading and the second is your diastolic pressure. To know where you stand concerning your blood pressure status, refer to this chart:

Image reference: http://visual.ly/blood-pressure-chart

If either one of your systolic or diastolic numbers are above or below the normal levels, then you either have high or low blood pressure. For instance, if your reading is 145 over 70, you have high blood pressure despite your diastolic number being within normal range. This is because your systolic number is way above the healthy level. Conversely getting a 110 over 60, may put you in the low blood pressure category unless you’re eight years old or a football player.

These systolic and diastolic numbers are measured in units known as “millimetres of mercury” (mmHg) and are commonly written as 120/80 and read out as 120 over 80.

As you age or abuse your body with bad diets, vices, or a sedentary lifestyle, your normally resilient blood vessels become stiff over time with plaque buildup. Plaque stiffens the aorta and dampens the baroreceptors along the wall that help maintain blood pressure. When the sensitivity of these special aortic receptors diminishes, the body’s capacity to regulate blood pressure level also decreases.

What Does It Mean to Have High Blood Pressure?

If you have been diagnosed as hypertensive, your blood pressure is chronically in the high range. A single high reading doesn’t automatically place you in the hypertensive category; but, constant high readings over time do.

High blood pressure can cause heart attack, stroke, or even kidney disease. It can also damage other organs like the eyes and arteries. Hypertension is known as a “silent killer.” Many people have been known to go about for years with high blood pressure and not know about their condition; so that one may perceive himself to be stricken with a major disease out of the blue.

Because you may or may not feel the symptoms of high blood pressure, you should make it a habit to check on your pressure from time to time, especially if you are in your forties and older or have not been exactly living the clean life. It is of utmost importance to recognize and treat hypertension as early as possible.

Categories of Hypertension

Hypertension falls into two categories:

Blood Pressure	Systolic	Diastolic
Stage 1	140-159	90-99
Stage 2	160 and above	100 and above

Stage 1 has a systolic reading range of 140-159 mmHg and a diastolic range of 90-99 mmHg. At the first stage, you will be advised to make some necessary lifestyle changes. You may need to alter your diet to help you shed a few pounds or to drop your sodium or fat intake. If you smoke or drink above the moderate line, your doctor may ask you to limit or eliminate these substances from your lifestyle. Daily exercise will be recommended as well to help strengthen the cardiovascular system. Medication may also be prescribed, and this usually comes in the form of a thiazide-type of diuretic. A diuretic drug will help your body flush out excess sodium and fluids.

Stage 2 involves systolic measurements at 160 and up and diastolic ones at 100 and over. At Stage 2, hypertension takes an even more dangerous turn as a person is much more vulnerable to stroke or heart attack. Lifestyle changes as mentioned above are a must. More medications will be tacked on to a prescription. It is typical for a stage 2 hypertensive patient to take two or more medications in a day to control his blood pressure levels.

Symptoms of Hypertension

When hypertension deigns to show itself through symptoms, your blood pressure may well be very elevated. You may feel:

• Fatigue
• Dizziness
• Headaches/Migraines
• Ringing in the ears

What Does It Mean to Have Low Blood Pressure?

Ironically, chronic low blood pressure does not pose much of a threat unless it is accompanied by symptoms. If you are experiencing any or some of these symptoms and have low blood pressure readings, consult a doctor immediately:

• Nausea or vomiting
• Cold, clammy, pale skin
• Fast but shallow breathing
• Fatigue/ exhaustion
• Dizziness/ light-headedness
• Fainting spells
• Dehydration or exacerbated thirst
• Lack of focus or concentration
• Blurred vision

These symptoms along with low blood pressure can signal other health issues such as endocrine problems, septic shock, or a potential fatal allergic reaction (anaphylaxis). So be very aware of symptomatic low blood pressure. Severe low blood pressure can also indicate serious neurological, cardiovascular, or endocrine problems. It can also lead to shock which is life threatening as low blood pressure can reduce the flow of oxygen and vital nutrients to the brain and other important organs.

The Goal: Normal Blood Pressure

Optimal blood pressure for most people is 120/80; although, some health professionals believe the new ideal is 115/75. If you have this kind of reading or a measurement within the normal range, do what you can to maintain it by following the tenets of a healthy lifestyle.

It is difficult to keep your blood pressure level tacked on a normal level once you have been diagnosed as hypertensive. Know that every 20 point increase in systolic pressure or every 10 point increase in diastolic pressure doubles the chances of cardiovascular problems and stroke for people over the age of 40. If you belong to the 40’s and above age range, make it a habit to monitor your blood pressure even if you feel fit and healthy. It will only take a few minutes of your time but at least you will not have the unpleasant surprise of discovering health issues from an asymptomatic rising blood pressure. It is always best to have a modicum of control where your blood pressure is concerned.

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The Link Between Job Stress and Stroke

Never underestimate the power of stress to damage your body.  Stress is a dangerous adversary to health.  Oftentimes, it comes as a shock about just how much damage it has already inflicted.  Unfortunately, the world does not work without stress to move things along.  There are no Get Out Of Jail Free cards from negative changes and twisted situations life indifferently dishes out.  Contemporary life is rife with pressure, a huge portion coming from the job environment and its expectations.  Competition is sky high; and the casualties (literal or figurative) from stress seem to be rising.  This is why we may point an accusing finger to job stress as a high risk factor for stroke. Yet many may not agree to stress as a culprit of stroke.  A published research in 2010 by Dr. Craig Anderson of the University of Sydney and of the George Institute of International Health could not prove any correlation between stressful life events and subarachnoid haemorrhage, a type of hemorrhagic stroke or bleeding that occurs within that space between the brain and the tissues that protect it.  Fact of the matter is, other prior related studies proved inconclusive as well in establishing the link between stress and stroke. Thankfully, new studies have emerged to poke holes in the old ones.  These have shed blinding light on the truth that stress can indeed induce stroke.  Job stress in particular is taking the flack for raising the risk factor of ischemic strokes. TYPES OF STROKE Not all strokes are made equal.  Brain attacks come in three main forms:

• Hemorrhagic stroke – a weak blood vessel in the brain ruptures and bleeds out. Aneurysm is a type of hemorrhagic stroke.
• Ischemic stroke – occurs when there is a blockage in one of the brain’s blood vessels. The restricted blood flow deprives the brain of sufficient oxygen.  This is the most common type.
• Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) – also known as mini strokes, caused by temporary clots. TIAs should serve as red flag warnings of an impending “mother-of-attacks” to come if care is not taken.

JOB STRAIN AND ISCHEMIC STROKE What the latest findings have revealed is that job stress can now be said to be directly related to ischemic brain attacks. Pooled results from 14 different European studies over a 23-year period point to job strain as a high risk factor for ischemic stroke. Job strain is defined as pressure from jobs that have high demands but offer very little control over the work environments. A Danish study, published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, likewise corroborates these findings. The study spanned 31 years (1970-2001) in which 5,000 men, aged 40 to 59 years, were categorized in five groups according to socio-economic class, educational level and job position.  Surprisingly, the two lowest socio-economic groups fared better in terms of coping with job pressure. The higher three groups reported being more mentally stressed, earning these a 38 percent high risk disadvantage of getting a stroke. Of the 5,000 subjects in the study, 779 suffered from some form of stroke and 167 died because of it. It is unclear why men enjoying higher incomes suffered more psychological stress. Perhaps it follows that the bigger the pay, the bigger the worries.  Both ischemic and transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) seem to be the most prevalent types of stroke linked to chronic stress, hostility and depression, especially in middle-aged to elderly age group. This is according to research published in Stroke, a journal of the American Heart Association. The direct relation between stroke and job stress is distressing because many factors are beyond an individual’s control. Companies must recognize the high cost of stress on employees and therefore also on productivity in order that work environments and demands may be tailored to improve employee health and morale. The incalculable benefits from such a thrust may significantly boost productivity and therefore profits. HOW STRESS CAUSES STROKE Stress brings on the “fight or flight” mode which raises the levels of cortisol and adrenalin.  These coping hormones cause blood pressure to rise, the heart to beat rapidly, and a lot of other physiological responses.  While this is a terrific response to short-term threats and danger, this heightened state is damaging if fuelled by chronic stress in the long run.

Professor Graeme Hankey, head of the Stroke Unit at the Royal Perth Hospital, surmises that chronic stress-induced high blood pressure can place its own stress on the brain’s blood vessel walls. Constant abnormally high levels of adrenalin can also cause blood platelets to clot and obstruct blood vessels in or near the brain. HOW TO REDUCE YOUR RISK Stress is a nemesis that is best dealt with good psychological, emotional and physical balancing.  On the physical side, huge improvements on stress management can be rewarded by taking on the reins of your health. You will be surprised how much exercise, a balanced diet and weight maintenance can change your negative perspectives. Ridding or significantly reducing your intake of unhealthy substances like alcohol, added sugar and smoke are other pluses in your battle with stress.

On the emotional and psychological side, try…really try…not to sweat the small stuff.  Take a deep breath if someone accidentally forgot to put your pen where it should be or your girl Friday handed you an Americano instead of a Macchiato.  Make an effort to see more humour in human nature and in life.
Also, seek a balance. Work is not everything.  Balance work and family by establishing a planned routine and the appropriate mindset. It’s important to have the discipline to stick to it. Family, friends, and your needs all need to be addressed; so work on this plan and be creative. Your life plan must go with life’s flow so it shouldn’t be too rigid.
Above all, you need to change your outlook into a positive one.  This is the best way to cope with job stress and reduce your health risks. Most of the time, there are different ways of looking at doom in the face;  just choose to zero in on the positives, no matter how small. That's being on your merry way to being brain healthy.

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