Health Node - Your Health, Nutrition, and Weight Loss Portal

This is a difficult topic. Not much is known about the various causes of CHD (congenital heart disease) on a pregnant woman, in the first three months of pregnancy. This is when development of the heart in the uterus is expected to be complete.

Because of this the best thing would be that all pregnant mothers must undergo a routine ultrasound, and if some abnormality is suspected, fetal echocardiography must be undertaken for the precise detection of CHD.

Heredity may play some role in CHD in the fetus. If the mother has any congenital defect in her heart, the chances, though minimal, of a defect in the heart of the expected baby may increase. Genetic counseling may help in such cases before you get pregnant.
Some conditions worth mentioning, which must be avoided by a pregnant mother, are as follows, as there are some likely factors which may disturb the development of the heart in the fetus.

If the mother is diabetic, it must be controlled. Diabetes, and even pre-diabetes, is known to cause CHD. Also if the mother is suffering from epilepsy, the effects of antiepileptic drugs must be kept in mind. Fetal echocardiography is a must in these cases to assess the condition of the heart.

Pregnant mothers, especially in the first three months of pregnancy, must avoid contracting any viral infection, particularly infection caused by the virus of German measles. A good diet is also essential during pregnancy, and don’t drink.
Drugs like thalidomide, which is a known teratogenic, and one used in psychiatry, should also be stopped.

However, in spite of taking best possible precautions, the child may still be born with some CHD. However, remember that even though there may be a little congenital lesion in the heart, it may

Make sure to get early prenatal care, follow your doctor’s instructions and lead a healthy lifestyle to ensure the health of your unborn child.

Tagged with: cardiovascular disease • CHD • Heart Disease • heart failure • heartattack

So you’ve had a heart attack…now what? No longer are patients given prolonged rest for six weeks afer a heart attack. Whenever someone has a heart attack, they should know what to do next. Home treatment, in uncomplicated cases of heart attack, is now the mainstay.

Treatment can be simple and easy, as long as no complications occur. In these cases, about two weeks of rest is essentially required. In some cases on the second day after the heart attack, the patient can walk around the bed, and may gradually increase his walk, and in about two weeks time, he can walk 400-500 yards (only on physician’s recommendation).

Unnecessary prolonged rest is not always in the interest of the patient. He becomes markedly weak. However, prolonged rest has to be given if the patient has developed complications, or if the patient’s condition becomes more serious as a result of the heart attack. Climbing stairs may need special precautions in the case of recovery from a fresh heart attack.

In a nutshell, all aspects of the patient must be looked into carefully by a physician. This includes all aspects of the patient’s life. And it is only with the co-operation of all involved that the patient will receive the best possible care and instruction.

Make sure to inform your physician of all areas of your life that you have concern with to get the best possible solutions after heart attack.

Tagged with: cardiovascular disease • coranry artery disease • heart attack • Heart Disease • heart failure

Eating only fruit for a short period of time (this is not recommended for more than a few days) will allow your body time to rid itself of toxins, purify and lose approximately 5 pounds.

However the diet is rigid and must be followed without eating any foods that are not on the diet. If one does stray off the recommended foods, it will not produce the same results.

What You’ll Need:
* Fruit: bananas, apples, pears, oranges, kiwis, mangos
* Nuts: pistachios, peanuts, walnuts, cashews
* Water

Step 1:
Buy an assortment of fruits nuts. Buy enough fruit to eat for several days so you don’t need to do emergency food trips to the store. Syke yourself up to eat ONLY fruit for a period of 14 days.
Step 2:
In the morning choose a piece of fruit and eat as many pieces of that fruit you would like to eat to make yourself feel full. You’d be surprised, but you can get eating fruit.
Step 3:
It is best to wait 90 minutes before eating a different kind of fruit. When you decide to eat the other fruit, you may eat as many pieces of it as you like to make yourself full and satisfied.
Step 4:
Drink water throughout the day (as often as you can) and in the evening you may also eat some nuts. Do not go overboard with the nuts or you will not achieve the desired cleansing affect and weight loss.

Of course this diet is extreme and before beginning any diet make sure to check with your doctor.

Tagged with: cleansing diet • diet • diet tips • diets • fruit diet

Is it really true that you can eat all you want and still lose weight, or maintain your trim figure? Seems impossible…right?

When people are young thier metabolic rate is high and you can eat all you want and still lose weight. As you age, your metabolism naturally slows down. When you are no longer; 20 and let a more sedentary lifestyle move in, you may gain weight. Staying home, sitting in front of the TV instead of getting out and getting some exercise can cause serious weight gain, even if you’re eating far less than before.

It boils down to this; your weight depends on the amount of calories you burn as well as the calories you consume. If one wants to eat all you want and still lose weight, if you eat more calories than you burn you will end up gaining weight.

So if you seriously want to eat all you want and still lose weight, you have to make a serious effort to burn those calories you consume.

Try to stay away from junk food…..for example a big mac has 485 calories. Playing tennis for an hour burns about 450 calories. Scrubbing the floor for an hour burns about 440 calories. That’s a lot of work for food that really isn’t good for you anyway.
So if you want to lose weight and eat high calorie foods, you have to be prepared for some serious exercise.

Of course, before implementing a strenuous exercise routine be sure to consult your physician.

Tagged with: eat all the foods you love and still lose the weight • eat all you want and still lose weight • eat enough to lose weight • eating to lose weight • effective weight loss

You may be suffering from health conditions that make even the simple task of using a tissue uncomfortable and difficult.  Say goodbye to that predicament, thanks to Ableware’s self wipe toilet aid.

This home medical equipment is so practical you would never have thought of it in your wildest dreams.  Except of course, if you have difficulty bending or you have limited arm and hands function which can prove really hard when you have to use the toilet and clean yourself.  Wheelchair users will no longer have to dread using the bathroom from now on.

This gadget works simply too.  Just place the tissue around the angled clamp of the aid (that’s the lower portion).  After using the tissue you can just press a button and discard the tissue in any waste basin.

Tagged with: angled clamp • Home Medical Equipment • Make Restroom Trips Easier Through Ableware's Self Wipe • tissue • wheelchair users

Are you suffering from back pains due to a poor posture?  There is a way to correct your posture so that you are able to maintain the correct curve of your spine.

The Fitballs exercise ball  is a very handy home medical equipment you can use on a daily basis in your homes or even in the office for that quick exercise time.  Using the ball may seem like child’s play but unknowingly you are already improving your health. 

Among the benefits of the ball include an improvement in your balance reactions which lessens your risk of falling down due to poor balance, improve continence, improve your cardiovascular fitness and respiratory system and strengthen your muscles.

This exercise ball is burst-resistance and has a 600 lbs weight capacity so no need to worry about having it burst flat on your face while doing your daily exercises.  You can also choose from a variety of colors making your exercise program more exciting, colorful and never boring.  

Tagged with: back pains • Home Medical Equipment • Improve Your Health With Fitballs Exercise Balls • poor posture • spine curve

Guava typically grows in tropical countries, where it is tagged as the ‘poor man’s apple’. When it comes to nutrition, however, the poor part is ill-deserved because guava is very rich in nutrition.

The fruit is made up of three layers: the skin which ranges in color depending on the variety of guava that you will buy; the softer, inner flesh of the fruit, and the core which is composed of soft flesh and tiny seeds. The entire fruit is edible, and can it can be consumed raw or ripe.

Healthwise, the rind of a guava fruit has more vitamin C than a typical orange fruit. It also has lycopene, potassium, dietary fibers, vitamin A, iron and pectin. The last item is an enzyme which helps aid digestion. Due to its high nutritional content, guava is beneficial for those who are experiencing heart problems, high blood pressure, lung congestion, and asthma.

You can look for this exotic health food in Latin grocery stores, or in the produce section of local supermarkets. 

Tagged with: guava • guava fruit • guava nutrition • Health Articles • Health Food

Heart attack is a killer disease and according to the American Heart Association approximately 58.8 million people in the US suffer from heart diseases. As well, about 950,000 Americans die of heart ailments each year.

Heart diseases and death from heart attack can be prevented by maintaining your health. It’s important to find a balance in life between work and non-work activities. Get some exercise outdoors and don’t watch sports on television play sports instead and you can hope to live a long and fulfilled life.

The risk factors for a heart attack include: smoking, diabetes, high levels of cholesterol, hypertension, family history of heart diseases, atherosclerosis, lack of exercise, obesity, and fast or fatty foods.

Reduce the risks of a heart attack by:

1. Quitting smoking.
2. Eating healthy. Avoid fatty foods, excess salt, and red meats.
3. Controlling high blood pressure and diabetes.
4. Ensuring regular exercise at least 30 minutes a day. Walking is most beneficial.
5. Preventing obesity. Doing all you can to maintain weight.
6. Choosing to live a healthy lifestyle.
7. Practicing meditation.
8. Doing regular relaxation and breathing exercises.
9. Undergoing periodic cardiac evaluations with a physician.
10. Including foods that are rich in anti-oxidants in your diet.

As well talk to your doctor about other helpful suggestions for your particular situation.

Tagged with: cardiovascular disease • coranry artery disease • heart attack • Heart Disease • heart failure

Following a diet plan means going by a particular pattern of food intake in order to attain certain specific short-term goals. Diet plans should not be confused with lifestyle changes where one tries to shape one’s general habit of eating so as to derive long term health benefits.

For example, a vegan prefers a diet without any animal products. However, this is not diet plan despite being a form of controlled and regulated eating.

The most common objective of a diet plan is weight loss, and it is for this reason that so many people practice diet plans.

Diet plans or weight loss programs most often restrict the intake of certain specific foods in order to achieve reduction in body weight. Of course diet plans will vary because no two human bodies are exactly alike.

Therefore, if a diet plan works for one, it may not work for another at all. The difference basically lies in individual metabolisms and lifestyles. Also many experts say that a short-term diet plan may not lead to long term weight loss.

The most sensible way to decide on the correct diet plan for you is to discuss your options with your physician. He will be able to guide you in the direction that is the safest and will give you the best results.

Tagged with: diet eating • diet plan • diet plans • diet programs • diet tips