the cause, treatment and prevention of CVD

[Guest guest]

here, in a nutshell, are the major causes of CVD, at least from my

perspective:

 

1. micronutrient deficiencies: deficiencies of a number of different

minerals, vitamins and accessory nutrients like flavonoids are much

more prevalent in our diet nowadays because of industrial farming

practices, the loss of traditional foods, and a reliance on

nutrient-deficient prepared foods - these nutrient deficiencies promote

the metabolic and inflammatory changes seen in CVD

 

SOLUTION: eat a nutrient-rich diet, and if you haven't been doing this

since you were a little kid, then start taking a multivitamin-mineral

complex with beneficial herbs like amla and sea vegetables - there are

many products on the market which can be taken, but the doses are

higher than your typical "one-a-day," which is probably insufficient

unless you take real pains to get a nutrient-rich diet, and have good

digestion to boot

 

2. excess starchy foods: foods that promote hyperglycemia and the

resultant increase in insulin secretion promote insulin resistance in a

vicious cycle relationship

 

SOLUTION: avoid all sugared and sweet foods, as well as refined flour

products like bread and pasta

 

3. not enough exercise: everybody except the very rich (who almost

exclusively suffered from the chronic degenerative diseases now so

prevalent in our culture) used to get lots of exercise, either through

manual labor or walking

 

SOLUTION: at least 2 hours of exercise daily, such as walking,

swimming, paddling, biking, etc.

 

4. improper eating habits: some researchers have suggested that the

"french paradox," which refers to the fact that the french have

statistically lower rates of CVD compared to places like the UK,

despite the fact that their diet isn't all that different - its has

been suggested that because the French take time to eat (i.e. 2 hr

lunches), instead of gobbling down a fast-food meal in your car between

appointments, confers a benefit to reducing the risk of CVD

 

SOLUTION: take time to eat and don't eat when you are stressed or

moving about - eat slowly and mindfully, chew your food well and take

time after eating to digest - orthodox hindus believe eating is a yajna

to the god agni, and thus out of respect food is eaten with the same

care and attention one brings to prayer or worship

 

5. pollutants and toxins: our water, food, air and living environment

are rife with poisons and toxins that promote disease - a recent study

showed that over 280 chemicals can be found in the umbilical cord of

pre-term human babies, many of which are known carcinogens - this also

includes toxins in our foods like food additives, transfatty acids,

etc.

 

SOLUTION: inasmuch as possible, avoid exposure to all toxins and

pollutants in your food, water and living environment, and increase the

consumption of those antioxidant herbs mentioned in - periodic

cleansing (2x year) is recommended - organic food only, natural

clothing fibers, natural cosmetics, natural building materials, etc.

etc.

 

6. stress, anxiety and worry: the acharyas clearly state that stress

and worry are bad for the heart, and impair ojas, leaving one

devitalized and more susceptible to disease

 

SOLUTION: reduce your consumption and simplify your life, give

blessings and thanks for everything in your life, even the difficulties

and sorrow, because without these things we would never learn - spend

time with family and friends - sing, dance, draw/paint and laugh often

- get at least 8 hours sleep at night - and if you need to, have a

good cry (men included...)

 

beyond this, there are specific treatments for heart disease, which we

can discuss further - but the changes i mention above will bring about

the long term benefits that will truly reverse CVD

 

Caldecott

todd

www.toddcaldecott.com

[Guest guest]

ayurveda, Todd Caldecott <todd@t...> wrote:

> here, in a nutshell, are the major causes of CVD, at least from my

> perspective:

> SOLUTION: avoid all sugared and sweet foods, as well as refined flour

> products like bread and pasta

 

 

Dear

 

Thank you for the excellent post. Here is a good link reported in the

press only yesterday to buttress your above statement;

 

http://www.telegraphindia.com/archives/archive.html

The link is At leisure->fitness.

 

Hoping you will continue the thread.

 

Regards,

Jagannath.

[Guest guest]

Dear Friends,

 

As has been pointed out, the link does not work properly.

 

> http://www.telegraphindia.com/archives/archive.html

> The link is At leisure->fitness.

 

Therefore I am reproducing the article from "The Telegraph" of 18th

July'2005, here.

 

Regards,

Jagannath.

 

Flour power

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Watch the next slice of bread you eat. It could turn you into a

diabetic, says Dola Mitra

 

When a French chef opened up a bakery in the centre of London's high-

end Marylebone High Street recently, a London Times article quipped

that it was another victory for the French in establishing themselves

in the heart of Britain's medical world. Medical?

 

Yes, well — the writer did proceed to explain and very convincingly

indeed. Pointing out that providing whole-wheat, organic bread to the

British people was the new bakery's chief focus, he went on to show

how organic bread served — hot or cold — to provide an answer to a

host of ailments including various types of diabetes, blood pressure,

etc.

 

Dieticians, the world over, agree. Says Calcutta-based consultant

dietician, Nina Singh, "The right diet goes a long way in preventing

major lifestyle-related illnesses later in life. And bread being an

integral part of most staple diets in India, it's important that you

choose the right bread — which is wholemeal or organic bread."

 

It's all in the blood

 

The argument is simple. Carbohydrates — along with fats, proteins,

vitamins, minerals and other trace elements — are an absolute

essential component of a healthy daily diet. Bread is one of the most

important sources of carbohydrates. But the refined bread that we

commonly consume has a high glycaemic index. In plain English, that

means it metabolises fast and reaches our bloodstream very quickly.

This is bad. Because when carbohydrates reach our bloodstream, our

blood sugar levels rise and when that happens too fast, our blood

sugar levels, too, go up too fast. To control that, the pancreas

releases high doses of the blood sugar-controlling hormone, insulin.

That immediately brings the blood sugar levels down — sometimes so

sharply, it falls lower than before the carbohydrate was consumed. As

a result, we feel hungry and we eat. Our blood sugar level rises

again. And again, too much insulin pours out into the bloodstream in

order to remove the sugar and there is a rebound fall.

 

A graph of the blood sugar levels of a person eating carbohydrates

with a high glycaemic index may show a series of sharp inclines and

declines. During this process, the surplus insulin floods the body's

cells and involves every cell in the body. Gradually, the cells

become resistant to insulin. The body, of course, still tries to

fight back. To compensate for the growing insulin resistance to the

cells, it starts to produce more and more insulin.

 

Overworked, slowly, the pancreas wears out and the person develops

diabetes type two, along with the associated complications of heart

attacks, strokes, kidney failures and blindness. Insulin resistance

is also known to cause high blood pressure and polycystic ovarian

syndrome. Interestingly, insulin resistance is also often one of the

culprits, when a pot belly simply refuses to go away. This central

fat around the abdomen is more than just a food store, it is an

indication of the release of damaging hormones.

 

Whole in one

 

That was the bad news. The good news is that organic, or whole-wheat

bread, has a low glycaemic index. It is rich in fibre and the

carbohydrate metabolises slowly, taking time for it to be absorbed in

the bloodstream. And just the right amount of insulin is released by

the pancreas. Says Singh, "I prescribe whole-wheat breads and other

unrefined forms of carbohydrates to my patients".

 

Pointing out that whole-wheat is easily available in markets and

grocery stores across the city (you just have to ask for the less

refined flour (atta), as opposed to refined flour (moida), Singh

says, "Eating healthy and being physically fit is not so difficult in

our country if we put our mind to it". Whole-wheat bread and brown

bread are also available in many health food stores as well as a

number of confectioneries in Calcutta.

 

Eat your heart out

 

 

There are many types of breads around the world. How do you decide

what's healthy and what's not?

 

Whole-wheat bread is made from wholemeal flour, which contains most

of the components of the grain — that is close to 100 per cent

extraction rate. With increasing knowledge of the health benefits of

whole-wheat, this bread has become popular.

 

 

The most common variety of bread is white bread. It is also made

from wheat flour, but the extraction rate is only approximately 77

per cent. However, you can add to it such ingredients such as

vegetable flour, seeds, cereals, herbs or a mixture of all these in

order to lessen the glycaemic index.

 

You can also increase the fibre contents of white breads. Made with

the addition of bran or other fibre-containing material, these are

healthier than the average white bread.

 

Then there is rye bread, which is made from a combination of rye

flour and wheat flour. Dark rye bread contains a higher proportion of

rye flour and rye meal than light rye and is consequently denser,

heavier and has a stronger flavour.

 

 

Gluten-free bread is based on cornflour to which flour from gluten-

free grains (such as rice and maize), potato or pulses is added.

Gluten-free bread has a denser, more crumbly texture than traditional

bread.

 

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