Gentle exercise can cut the danger of early heart disease, Britain’s biggest killer, according to reports of a scientific study.

As little as half an hour of aerobic exercise such as walking, rowing or jogging three times a week can make patients 60 per cent less likely to die, the research found.

The results of the study, carried out by the Department of Cardiology in New Orleans, Louisiana and reported in the American Journal of Medicine, have be welcomed by the British Heart Foundation.

More than 200,000 die each year from conditions related to circulation, including strokes and heart attacks.

One in five men and one in seven women die from heart disease in the UK.

The American study offered patients 12 weeks of exercise classes of 30 or 40 minutes of walking, rowing or jogging and were given advice on diet and lifestyle improvements.

A follow-up with the patients over six years found those who got fitter through the exercise regime were 60 per cent less likely to have died.

Exercise also helped to reduce levels of stress, according to a report of the study in the Daily Express.

The British Heart Foundation told the newspaper: “This study proves once again that exercise has both psychological and physical benefits for patients with heart disease.”
Many British patients with heart problems are put on drugs to lower cholesterol and reduce blood pressure.

If you have a high cholesterol, you can simply help to lower its level by eating and drinking some specific food :

A good start for breakfast :
1. Eat whole grains and oats – people whose diets contain the most whole grains “had the thinnest carotid artery walls and showed the slowest progression in artery wall thickness.”
2. Eat Blueberries – a compound in blueberries (pterostilbene) may help lower cholesterol as effectively as commercial drugs.

What you should eat at lunch/dinner:
3. Whatever you eat. Add extra virgin oil. Do a lot of salads !
Studies have shown that this type of olive oil increases the body’s levels of HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol), which helps to reduce plaque buildup in the arteries
4. You can choose to alternate with Flaxseed oil – flaxseed oil can lower blood pressure in men with high cholesterol. In a three-month study of 59 middle-aged men, those who took daily flaxseed oil supplements (with eight grams of the omega-3 fats, alpha-linoleic acid) experienced significantly lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
5. Eat avocados :26 of the 30 grams of fat in an avocado are heart-healthy, unsaturated fats that can increase your levels of HDL cholesterol
6. Eat olives : olives, and olive oil protect against heart disease and diabetes.
7.  Black soybeans – a study from the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture shows that black soybeans may help prevent obesity, lower LDL cholesterol, and reduce the risk for type 2 diabetes.
8.  Fish and Fish oil – a study from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology found that people with type 2 diabetes who consumed high doses of fish oil over nine weeks lowered the size and concentration of several lipoprotein subclasses (cholesterol) in their bodies.
9.  Salmon and omega-3 fats: Omega-3s, found in fatty fish, like salmon, sardines, and anchovies, and in fortified eggs and soybeans, reduce nearly every risk factor for heart disease. They reduce inflammation, reduce high blood pressure, decrease triglycerides, help to make blood thinner and less likely to clot, and raise HDL cholesterol. And recent research suggests that omega-3s may also keep your brain sharp and possibly ward off dementia.
10. Plant sterols and stenols:
These are natural substances found in small amounts in the cell membrane of plants, including fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and seeds. You can get the recommended two grams per day by eating fortified foods such as margarine spread, orange juice, and salad dressings, but these should only be eaten by people with high levels of LDL cholesterol.

What you can munch on
11.Eat (almost any) nuts !
Almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, and walnuts. They are all known to lower cholesterol.
However, do limit your daily intake to one and a half ounces (which is about one and a half handfuls), since nuts are high in calories.

Dessert
12. Yogurt with live active cultures (probiotics) – Vicki Koenig, MS, RD, CDN said “several studies have shown that the probiotics Lactobacillus Acidophilus and Lactobacillus Reuteri actually help lower cholesterol. They work by preventing the reabsorption of cholesterol back in to the blood stream.”

What you should drink
13. Pomegranate juice – a National Academy of Sciences study showed that pomegranate juice reduces cholesterol plaque buildup and increases nitric oxide production (nitric oxide helps reduce arterial plaque).
14. 100% cranberry-grape juice – antioxidants in grape juice slow down LDL cholesterol oxidation, and cranberry juice raises HDL or “good” cholesterol.

Other considerations
You might be a person who is predisposed to high cholesterol, or maybe your diet could use a shape-up. Here are a few key points on cholesterol that I try to focus on:
LDL or “bad” cholesterol deposits itself on the walls of your arteries, forming plaques that make them hard and narrow. HDL or “good” cholesterol removes excess LDL in your blood and brings it to your liver for disposal. The more HDL you consume, the less LDL you’ll have in your blood.

You may need medication to help reduce your cholesterol, but eating a heart-healthy diet and getting exercise are very important.
Everyone should have their cholesterol checked-it doesn’t matter if you are young/old, female/male, or thin/overweight.

Best Health published a simple article about the benefits of eating apples. Thought that was a good read for a Saturday!

Things to note about apples
1. Over the list of the top 100 food containing anti-oxydants, two types of apples-Red Delicious and Granny Smith—ranked 12th and 13th respectively. One of the best aspect of detoxification is that it keeps your liver healthy.
2. Apple and other fruits do fight against aging in the brain hence fighting against Alzheimer’s disease
3. Some research also shows that people who eat fruits and other high-fibre foods gain a certain amount of protection against Parkinson’s disease
4. Several compounds inside apples help fight against cancer : the American Association for Cancer Research states that the consumption of flavonol-rich apples could help reduce your risk of developing pancreatic cancer by up to 23 per cent. But to benefit from this you have to eat the skin of the apples which contains the cancer reducing components
5. Apples fight against diabetes, a study shows that Women who eat at least one apple a day are 28 percent less likely to develop type 2 diabetes
6. Apples are rich in soluble fibre which acts against blood sugar swings
7. Also the fibers inside the apple binds with fats in the intestine and this translates into lower cholesterol levels. Lower cholesterol level means a reduced risk of forming gallstones.
8. Also, fibers do fight against constipation and irritable bowel syndrome
9. Fibers make you feel full and help you control your food intake
10. Only red apples contain quercetin, a particular type of anti-oxydant which fortifies your immune system.
11. Some studies have shown that eating antioxidants often can help reduce the risk of developing cataracts