Women, Make Health Your Top Priority
November 28, 2008 by admin
Filed under Women Health
Summary
Taking care of yourself is essential to living a longer, healthier life
By Dr. Tammy Pon, M.D.
Only a few short years ago the life expectancy for women reached a peak in modern history, with most women living to an average 79 years of age! In honor of this very special issue that addresses women’s health, I’d like to discuss a few of these issues and the strategies needed to meet this new future of longevity and vitality.
Heart disease
Heart attacks and heart disease kill more women than any other cause. Women have a death rate from heart attacks that is 70% higher than men. There are two reasons for this: One is that a heart attack in a man does not look like a heart attack in a woman. The second is that women’s heart attack symptoms are often misdiagnosed in the emergency room (ER).
A heart attack in a woman is not always the “elephant sitting on my chest” feeling that accompanies a heart attack in men. Instead, there may be an “impending sense of doom” accompanied by shortness of breath, fatigue and low back pain, jaw pain and shoulder pain. Also, if a man comes into the emergency room sweating, with shortness of breath and chest pain the ER staff will automatically assume “heart attack.” When a woman enters the ER with similar symptoms, many in the ER staff will assume “panic attack!” The delay in treatment to differentiate these two conditions may cost a woman her life.
A woman is not a man. Yet, medicine assumes that the heart attack symptoms commonly presented by men are the standard for measuring ER reactions. With aging women outnumbering aging men by more than 2:1, it’s time for emergency room staff to be more aware of women’s unique health needs.
How women keep healthy hearts
The key to heart health is to recognize our need for nutrients and nurturing. Women of average size should eat seven servings of fruit and vegetables every day and sleep from 7 ½ to 9 hours every night. And women need exercise, too. Weight-bearing exercises are important, too because they strengthen your bones and prevent osteoporosis.
Talk about your anxieties with another woman. Why? In one study, talking with a woman reduced the blood pressure of both men and women, while talking with men did not. Stress management along with consistent exercise, proper rest and plenty of fruits and vegetables holds the promise of a healthy heart. Be diligent about testing risk factors as well: blood pressure, triglycerides, blood sugar, body composition, homocysteine, C-Reactive protein and lipids.
Bone health
Another risk that comes with the blessing of a longer life is osteoporosis: thinning bones. Take Vitamin D supplements as well. Eat calcium-rich foods – especially fruits and vegetables. Remember, cows get the calcium for their own bones from vegetation. I’ve already mentioned exercise for heart health. Weight-bearing exercise becomes critical now for bone health. The extra weight increases bone metabolism and draws nutrients to the weakest areas of bone to strengthen them. Don’t rely on medications alone to promote healthy bones. Take charge of your bone health now to protect against osteoporosis.
Dealing with menopausal symptoms
At a certain age, a woman ceases to be fertile and her periods stop. Menopause is a new experience this century for women in our culture. A hundred years ago most women simply did not live long enough to experience menopause. Find expert healthcare providers who can guide you through these changes with a maximum focus on nutrients and nurturing and a minimum focus on medications. With proper care, heart health and bone health can be improved and menopausal symptoms may be reduced or even eliminated. Taking the appropriate supplements can help us face our increased longevity with enthusiasm and vitality.
Source: VitaJournal October 2008 pg 6.
For more information on menopause, visit trivita.com, click on health articles and then the VitaJournal archive.
Critical Information About Your Bone Health
November 25, 2008 by admin
Filed under Bone Builder
| Summary
Learn about the processes that break down and rebuild bone to help prevent bone loss and maintain bone health Your body is constantly changing. Bone remodeling is a natural process that breaks down and rebuilds bone While you’re growing, the nutrients you take in from food contribute to your body’s growth – including your bone growth. This process is called modeling. During childhood and adolescence, if you don’t give your bones the nutrients they need to grow (primarily calcium and phosphorus), the structure of your bones won’t be as strong when you reach adulthood. Instead of a healthy, dense structure your bones may be porous, which can contribute to breakdown and fragility of your bones (osteoporosis) later in life. |
Normal Bone Bone with Osteoporosis |
| By the time you reach your adult size, around age 20, the growth (modeling) process ends and a new process called “bone remodeling” begins. This is a normal process that breaks down and rebuilds bone. In the best circumstances, you’ve contributed enough calcium and phosphorous to your bones while you were growing, and the food you eat and the supplements you take now will contain enough calcium and phosphorous to rebuild the bone and store away these minerals for future use.If you don’t eat foods that contain calcium and phosphorous or take supplements, your bones will experience a deficiency. Every time these essential minerals are withdrawn and there isn’t a mineral deposit made to help your body rebuild bones, your bones weaken. Natural processes within your body guarantee that your bones will weaken over time
After 30, if the normal remodeling process is allowed to continue, your bones will naturally break down at a faster rate than they’re rebuilt. If you don’t add additional nutrients that are proven to rebuild bone, your bones will grow increasingly weak, will eventually become brittle (osteoporosis), and you’ll be at greater risk for fractures. Most supplements on the market only maintain current bone structure. There are three primary reasons why you need a supplement that will rebuild bone: In childhood, when bones build and grow, did your diet include enough bone-building calcium (dairy, kale, broccoli)? Were you active enough to provide a strong foundation for healthy bones? If not, then you probably reached your full growth at age 20 with some bone weakness. Did you do enough weight bearing exercise to keep bones strong? If not, then your bones weakened even more. After age 31, did you supplement daily with a bone-building formula to help support bone rebuilding? The TriVita Bone Builder helps rebuild bone. Bone Builder contains Bone Growth Factor, an exclusive blend of ingredients proven to improve bone density. Third-party, scientific tests prove that TriVita Bone Builder, with Bone Growth Factor, builds bone. Bone Growth Factor is a proprietary blend of nutrients selected using the latest science. The nutrients were researched, tested, and blended in the exact proportions to help grow bone. In addition to Bone Growth Factor, TriVitaTM Bone Builder combines highly absorbable minerals and nutrients known to promote bone strength. A clinical trial conducted by Larry A. Tucker Ph.D. shows that TriVitaTM Bone Builder helps rebuild bones. The 114 women subjects were required to be healthy non-smokers between the ages of 25 – 65 years of age; the average age was 48.5 years. The subjects were not allowed to participate in the study if they were taking any prescription drug to manage low bone density or osteoporosis. At the beginning of the study, each subject was given a bone density exam to measure bone mass. After 9 months of taking Bone Builder, subjects showed significantly greater bone mass density (gain) in their hips and necks when compared with subjects who did not take Bone Builder (placebo). The results of the study show that Bone Builder improved bone mass, helping subjects who consistently took Bone Builder to rebuild bone mass. Along with a good diet, weight-bearing exercise, and not smoking, take TriVitaTM Bone Builder, with Bone Growth Factor, to help rebuild bones and protect against osteoporosis. Regular use of Bone Builder will help protect your bones in three ways: 1. Helps maintain current bone mass with highly absorbable minerals known to promote bone health 2. Our patented formula encourages the body’s natural internal mechanisms to rebuild bone in women over 40 3.Speeds the bone building process while helping to reduce the break down process Osteoporosis is a silent disease – the first noticeable sign that you have osteoporosis could be a fracture. We recommend asking your health care practitioner to schedule regular bone scans to track your bone health after age 50. Source: VitaJournal, November 2006 pg 6. |
