January 31, 2011

Salt-Laden Foods can Harm Your Heart in 30 Minutes

Interesting info on the effect of too much salt on circulation.

Salt-Laden Foods can  Harm Your Heart in 30 Minutes


Those French fries may look relatively harmless but a new study shows this salty snack can harm your arteries in just 30 minutes, even those who have healthy blood pressure.  The study is published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and is led by Researcher and Author, Kacie M. Dickinson, from The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization in Adelaide, Australia.  

Dickinson noted the same response after a meal high in saturated fats which we already know can damage blood vessels in the long-term.  The study showed the impact of high salt food by giving one group a low-salt version of tomato soup and another group with 10 times more salt.  Each serving size was one cup.   

After the soup was consumed, the volunteers were asked to have their blood pressure taken using an ultra sound machine which measure how much the arteries widened as the blood rushed back through during deflation of the cuff.  The same experience was repeated between the two groups so those who at the high-salt soup received the low-salt version the second time.   

Consistently, the arteries of people who got the high-salt soup widened about half as much as those who consumed the low salt version. The effect passed in about two hours.   By using an ultrasound machine, scientists were able to detect changes in blood vessel function which shows one of the earliest stages of atherosclerosis where fat accumulates in the blood vessels.  Over time, this can lead to blockages in the blood vessels causing strokes and heart attacks.  

When the heart pumps blood through the arteries, nitric oxide is released making the arterial walls relax, allowing the vessels to expand more easily to carry the blood flow.  Salt and fat block the release of nitric oxide which helps support the cardiovascular system laying the stage for atherosclerosis.  When the arterial lining is challenged and doesn’t work as well because of a lack of nitric oxide release, then it makes it easier for cholesterol to stick to the arteries.    

Dr. Peter Counihan, an Associate Professor at the University of Pittsburgh Cardiovascular Institute points out that salt can have permanent side effects, high blood pressure being one of them.  All good things in moderation and be wary of the salt content of foods.   

During the past two decades, countless new foods have been introduced in restaurants and most of them are loaded with salt, fat and sugar using core ingredients such as meat, vegetables, potatoes and bread.  Potato skins are a good example of this where the potato is hollowed out, deep fried for a strong, fat base.  Then a combination of bacon bits, sour cream and cheese is added with the result being fat on top of fat on top of fat, much of it loaded with salt.   

Salt begins to work on your kidneys making your body hold on to more water.  This extra water raises your blood pressure and puts strain on your kidneys, arteries, heart and brain.  Eating salt raises the amount of sodium in your bloodstream resulting in high blood pressure, putting strain on the delicate blood vessels that lead to the kidneys.   

Over time, this strain can damage the kidneys making it difficult for them to filter out unwanted toxic waste products which can build up in the body.  This can lead to kidney disease or failure because they can no longer filter the blood and the body slowly becomes poisoned by its own toxic waste.     

If you have high blood pressure and are being treated with a diuretic medication, this makes the kidneys remove more fluid from the bloodstream. Because the sodium in salt counteracts this effect, reducing your salt intake will make your blood pressure medicine more effective.

Salt Damages the Arteries

Eating too much salt puts extra strain on the inside of your arteries.  As a result, the artery walls become stronger and thicker which makes the space inside the arteries smaller raising blood pressure even more.  Over the years, this cycle of increasing blood pressure ultimately leads to the arteries bursting or becoming so narrow that they clog up entirely.   

The organs throughout the body become starved of oxygen of blood from the arteries and end up lacking nutrients they so desperately need.  This can result in the organs being damaged and can be fatal.   

 

Matters of the Heart


One organ that suffers from too much salt is the heart if the arteries are damaged leading to the heart.  At first, it may cause a slight reduction in the amount of blood reaching the heart. This may lead to angina (sharp pains in the chest when being active).

With this condition the cells in the heart don't work as well as they should because they are not receiving enough oxygen and nutrients. However, lowering blood pressure may help to alleviate some of the problems and reduce the risk of greater damage.

If you continue to eat too much salt, over time, the damage caused by the extra blood pressure may become so severe that the arteries burst or become completely clogged.  If this happens, then the part of the heart that was receiving the blood no longer gets the oxygen and nutrients it needs and dies. The result is a heart attack.

The best way to prevent a heart attack is to stop the arteries becoming damaged. And one of the best ways of doing this is keep your blood pressure down by eating less salt.

The Risk of Stroke


Eating too much salt raises your risk of a stroke because it damages the arteries leading to the brain.  At first, it may cause a slight reduction in the amount of blood reaching the brain. This may lead to dementia (known as vascular dementia).  The brain doesn’t work as well because it is not receiving enough oxygen and nutrients.  Lowering blood pressure naturally can reduce the risk of damage. 

If you continue to eat too much salt then, over time, the damage caused by high blood pressure may become so severe that the arteries burst or become completely clogged.  The part of the brain that was receiving the blood no longer gets the oxygen and nutrients it needs and dies. The result is a stroke, where you lose the ability to do the things that part of the brain used to control.  The best way to prevent a stroke is to stop the arteries becoming damaged. And one of the best ways of doing this is keep your blood pressure down by eating less salt.

How to eat less salt


One of the quickest ways to lower your blood pressure (especially if you have high blood pressure) is to eat less salt.  An adult should eat no more than 1 teaspoon of salt a day, but most of us eat much more than this because most of the salt is ‘hidden.’  A majority of the salt eaten is in processed foods like breads, breakfast cereals, pre-packaged and fast food.  Only 20% comes from the salt we add while cooking or eating at the table at home.   

Practical Tips


Don’t be overly concerned about the exact amount of salt you eat. The aim is to reduce the amount of salt you eat as much as possible, not to keep an exact tally of the amount you eat. (One Teaspoon of salt a day is the maximum you should eat, and the less you eat the better.)

 
When you do season with salt at home, use sea salt which is full of minerals and does not elevate blood pressure as much as regular table salt.

 
The best approach is to try to always eat foods with the lowest salt level.

 
At first, food without salt can taste bland, but don’t give up. It's just the same as giving up sugar in tea. After a few weeks your taste buds will adjust and you will start to enjoy food with less salt. In fact, you'll wonder how you ever ate food that was so salty!

Posted via email from rawfoodtutor

January 22, 2011

Take a stand for organics! Reject Monsanto's GMOs

I just took action calling on Secretary Vilsack and President Obama to reject the approval of Monsanto's GMO alfalfa and protect the integrity of organics. Approving GMO alfalfa will destroy the integrity of and access to many organic foods, as well as the livelihoods of thousands of organic farmers.
The approval of GMO alfalfa is only days away and the Obama administration needs to hear from you and all of your friends who care about organics. It is outrageous to risk the contamination of the organic dairy industry simply for Monsanto's corporate profits.

Please take a moment to let Vilsack and President Obama know that you care about organic integrity by following this link from Food Democracy Now! Then please pass this on.

Add a comment. Mine...

Hey Guys,
Remember the Seventh Generation? It's a good place to stand to context decisions. It's outside making people happy. It's outside politics. It's outside what's profitable.

I see your job as holding and protecting the Secret Trust of our planets Seventh Generation.

Stop. Look. Listen. What is life on planet earth asking for? Is it more poison profit? Or is it more tender, thoughtful, mindful care?

We must slow down and truly listed to the voice in the wind. The whispers in the heart.

http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/sign/kiss_your_organics_goodbye/?referring...

Every voice counts!

Be Well.

Posted via email from rawfoodtutor

January 21, 2011

Raw Vegan Diet makes a splash in China

Frederic Patenaude (www.fredericpatenaude.com), one of my favorite Raw Vegan folks, had a women in Hong Kong, spontaneously translate his book Raw Food Secrets into Mandarin. Nice!


Posted via email from rawfoodtutor

December 16, 2010

Free Workshop Offers Life Changing Insight

Learn to how to create abundance and manifest your resolutions at
Jonathan Parker’s “Discover Greater Possibilities” Workshop
Sunday, January 9, 2011

(OJAI, CA) Each year, millions of Americans set New Year’s resolutions in the hopes that they will achieve greater health, love, happiness, and abundance, yet so often the wished-for changes rarely come to pass. Why?

On Sunday, January 9, 2011, innovative motivational speaker Jonathan Parker Ph.D. will offer a free workshop and guided meditation that addresses how to align our conscious and subconscious with the powers of the universe in order to influence our destiny—and manifest those New Year’s resolutions.

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October 20, 2010

West African shaman in Ojai for two healing rituals in November

Malidoma Somé will lead The Gender of Magic: Men and the Other World, and a Fire Ritual to Heal Our Relationship with the Ancestors

Ojai, CA—Malidoma Somé, Ph.D., and an initiated elder of the Dagara people of Burkina Faso, will be in Ojai to lead a public talk and two three-day rituals in November. The public lecture will be on Thursday, Nov. 11, from 7:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. in the Council House at the Ojai Foundation. This event will be followed by a men-only retreat on November 12-14 entitled, “The Gender of Magic: Men and the Other World.” Later in the month, November 19-21, Malidoma will lead a ritual for both genders on “Healing Our Relationships with the Ancestors.” Both will take place at Temenos Center for Wholeness, a retreat center in Ojai.

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September 29, 2010

Animal Reiki Level I

This is a workshop specifically designed for pet owners or people who love to help our animal friends that are in need. This style of hands-on healing is very simple and easy to learn, you can open the door to a new dimensions that can be used to help you and your animal live a healthier and more joyful life.

This workshop is presented as a way of self-healing, offering Reiki to humans and animals, and as a way of life. This is an experiential class filled with empowering tools to enhance and strengthen your bond between you and your animal companion. Be prepared for a special and fun workshop!

When: October 9&10, Sat 10-6, Sun 10-4
Where: Ojai School of Massage
Registration: www.ojaireiki.com/workshops.php
Tuition: 225 (includes 1 book, hand-outs and Reiki Level I certificate)

Instructor: Sharmila Mali, is a Reiki Master Teacher. She has been practicing Reiki and Energy Medicine for 7 years and has been teaching Reiki for 5 years. For more info please visit, www.OjaiReiki.com, info@ojaireiki.com, 805.669.7299

July 23, 2010

ENERGY MEDICINE, A HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE with Donna Eden

Join us for a one-of-a kind introduction to Energy Medicine with one of its leading pioneers, Donna Eden as she finishes her West Coast tour in Santa Barbara . August 4 will be an exciting introduction to Energy Medicine, one of the most important developments in learning to keep your body healthy and vital. Energy Medicine is reshaping health care and you will learn techniques you can start to apply during the class and use for the rest of your life. Donna Eden was able to naturally heal herself from illness wants all people to be able to know that they can heal themselves. And, according to Mehmet Oz, Energy Medicine is the "Next great frontier of medicine."

In this class you will learn how to:
· Restore your energy
· Optimize your health
· Strengthen your immune system
· Enhance your joy in life

Date and Time: August 4, 2010 from 7:00 - 10:00 pm
Location: Santa Barbara Unity Sanctuary
Santa Barbara Unity Sanctuary
227 E Arrellaga Street
Santa Barbara , CA 93101
Cost: $20 ($21.99 w/service fee)
For tickets, visit www.BrownPaperTickets.com

For more information about Donna Eden: www.LearnEnergyMedicine.com

June 21, 2010

What is Swedish Massage?

What comes to mind when you hear the word relaxation? A sunny afternoon by the pool with a glass of iced tea? A cozy fireside chat with good friends? Deep stretching and breathing in a yoga class?

For many people, massage is synonymous with relaxation. Experienced hands soothe aching muscles and the stress of everyday life melts away. A study conducted jointly by a massage therapy organization and a university medical school found that regular massage lowers levels of anxiety, depression, stress hormones and even blood pressure!

Swedish massage is a combination of different techniques that soften tight muscles, increase blood flow to sore areas and calm the nervous system. Swedish massage can be done with gentle or firm pressure depending on your needs and preferences. Gentler pressure may be used around superficial veins or if you are looking for pure relaxation. Firmer pressure may be used to work out the kinks after a day full of hiking and exercise classes. You and your massage technician talk about what would be best before the massage begins, and adjust as you go if necessary. Try one today!

Neural Resonance class

Workshop One and Two:

Over four evenings, this twelve-hour workshop will reveal a singularity of purpose between muscles, nerves and meridians, kundalini, chakras and more.

Viewing the nervous system as a kaleidoscope of frequencies and perfect geometry, we can access deeper levels of healing - and understanding - by going to the source of power inherent in our bodies.

For bodywork therapists and Philosophers of the Body of all kinds ;)

Where: The Ojai School of Massage
When: Monday June 28th - Thursday July 1st; 6-9 p.m
Contact: Meredith Sands Keator
Phone: 323.229.9573
email: meredith@templebody.com

June 08, 2010

AMMA in LA June 14 and 15

AMMA, known to many as the hugging saint and spiritual ambassador from India, will be in town on June 14th and 15th. One heartfelt embrace at a time, AMMA (http://amma.org) promotes compassion in its most basic form. Born Sudhamani in a Southern district of Kerala, the spiritual leader has been globally recognized for humanitarian contributions by the United Nations and awarded such prestigious awards as the Gandhi-King Award for Non-Violence.

WHAT: Amma Spiritual Tour
WHEN: June 14-June 15
WHERE: Hilton (at Los Angeles International Airport
5711 West Century Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90045
(310) 410- 6055
For further information please contact Robyn Berkley at robyn.berkley@peoples revolution.com or 323-651-3500.

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