Cardiac Clinic Botswana

Lifestyle Measures May Curb Diabetes — Even For Those At Genetic Risk

Researchers have now identified over 500 genetic variants that increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, but lifestyle influences, including being overweight, low dietary fibtr, high saturated fat intake, and lack of exercise also play significant roles.

Participants were divided into two groups: a lifestyle intervention group and a control group. The intervention group received guidance on health-promoting habits through group meetings and a web portal. The study found that lifestyle changes, such as improved diet quality and increased physical activity, significantly reduced the risk of developing type 2 diabetes —regardless of genetic risk. These results highlight the effectiveness of lifestyle modifications in preventing the disease.

5 Reasons To Add Stair Climbing To Your Workouts

If you’re looking for a convenient and effective way to exercise, consider stair climbing. It can be an excellent workout, as stair climbing:

1. It Is convenient: you don’t need to join a gym, buy expensive equipment, or endure summer’s heat or winter’s cold as joggers do. All you need is properly fitted footwear to get started.
2. Can burn more calories than you would jogging or cycling at a moderate pace in the same amount of time.
3. It Is heart healthy: climbing stairs for seven minutes daily could reduce your risk of heart disease by about 60 percent!
4. Can be done almost anywhere, at work and at home (especially if you have access to a high-rise building).
5. It Is low-impact: the pressure from stair climbing is said to be the equivalent of twice your body weight compared to three to four times the impact with running.

If you’re not already fit, I advise checking with your physician before you start climbing stairs. And if you’re going to be climbing in a high-rise building, I suggest doing it with a workout partner for both encouragement and safety. Start slow and work your way up, letting your endurance be your guide. Also know that going down the stairs may be as challenging as going up, take them both ways!

Vitamin E For Your Best Health

Vitamin E is found in nature as a complex of eight separate compounds (four tocopherols and four tocotrienols), each with important functions in the body – it:

1. Helps support cell membranes and protect against damage caused by free radicals, a process known as oxidation.
2. Is necessary for structural and functional maintenance of skeletal, cardiac, and smooth muscle cells.
3. Assists in the formation of new red blood cells and helps to maintain stores of vitamins A and K, iron, and selenium.

People taking blood thinners or aspirin should consult with their doctor about vitamin E to avoid potential drug interactions. If you do supplement with vitamin E, realize that it is fat-soluble so be sure to take it around meal time to aid in its absorption.

You can obtain natural vitamin E in foods such as nuts, spinach, sunflower seeds and true whole grains.

To Lower Blood Pressure, Avoid Eating Before Bed

Aligning overnight fasting with your body’s natural sleep-wake cycle appears to improve heart and metabolic health in middle-aged and older adults at elevated cardiometabolic risk —without reducing calories.

Findings suggest that when people eat — particularly in relation to sleep — matters for cardiovascular and metabolic health.

A Healthy Diet To Lower Your Blood Pressure

The DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension), developed by the American National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, is very well accepted by physicians and nutritionists as a proven method of lowering high blood pressure and as one of the best diets available for overall health. I

In addition to its effects on blood pressure, the DASH diet has many other health benefits. It has been credited with helping to lower cholesterol levels and is associated with lower risk of several cancers; including colorectal, prostate and breast cancer. It has also been shown to improve bone health and may lower the risk of hearing loss in women. And, several studies have made a connection between excess sodium intake and auto-immune conditions – another potential benefit of this low-sodium eating plan

Feeling Gassy Or Bloated? 3 Foods To Try

1. Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare). The seeds, leaves, and roots of the fennel plant are readily available in many forms including plain seeds, sugar-coated seeds, extract, oil, and capsules. All offer a natural way to help relieve gas. Simply chew and swallow one-half to one teaspoon of fennel seeds after eating, whenever distended from gas, or as recommended by product label. Children can take half the adult dose.
2. Baked potatoes. They are easy to digest, making them a good choice for an upset stomach when you are still hungry. Plus these universally loved vegetables are loaded with vitamins C and B-6, potassium and fibre.
3. Eggs. The protein in eggs can help to soothe a gassy stomach, as well as support muscle health by being a great source of protein.

7 Natural Ways To Address Frequent Heartburn

1. Keep a food and beverage journal along with your reflux symptoms that includes identifying certain times of the day you notice symptoms. It can help you identify, track and later avoid triggers.
2. Eat small, regular meals and avoid eating late into the evening. Be sure to take your time and fully chew each bite before swallowing.
3. Wear loose clothing and maintain a healthy weight. Both can prevent stomach constriction from pressure and help reduce reflux.
4, Avoid lying down after eating and space dinner and bedtime apart by several hours.
5. Practice relaxation techniques such as breathing exercises.
6. Sip chamomile tea. It can help soothe inflamed tissue in the esophagus.
7. Night support. Try sleeping on your left side. This may help move acid away from the entrance of the oesophagus. Raising the head of the bed by a few inches can also help,

Where You Store Fat May Influence Brain Health

Where fat is stored in the body may matter more for brain health than overall weight or body-mass index (BMI).

Researchers uncovered two previously unrecognized fat distribution patterns with the strongest links to negative brain outcomes. The first, “pancreatic-predominant” fat, involves unusually high fat accumulation in the pancreas and was associated with gray matter loss, accelerated brain aging, cognitive decline, and higher neurological disease risk. Pancreatic fat levels in this group were two to three times higher than in other profiles and far higher than in lean individuals, even though liver fat wasn’t elevated.

The second pattern, called “skinny fat,” describes people who don’t appear severely obese by BMI standards but carry a high overall fat burden, particularly in the abdomen, along with a high fat-to-muscle ratio. Despite their relatively moderate BMI, individuals in this group showed similarly increased risks of brain aging and cognitive impairment. The findings suggest that fat distribution—especially pancreatic fat and hidden high body fat in “normal-weight” individuals—may be a critical but under-recognized factor in brain health.

What might be the story here?

6 Powerful Ways Drinking Water Can Boost Health

Want to promote healthy skin and proper digestion? Interested in a natural detoxifier? Water is a basic necessity. The body is more than two-thirds water, and keeping it hydrated is vital. Other reasons to have water as a regular part of your day include:

1. Healthy blood and bones. Your blood is over 80 percent water and your bones are over 50 percent water. Proper hydration is required to optimize creation and maintenance of new blood and bone cells.
2. Toxin elimination. Skip the fancy (and costly) detox plans. The regular drinking of plain water as part of your daily habits naturally helps remove toxins through the lymphatic system, intestines and kidneys.
3. Lubricated joints. Water helps protect against wear and tear and can even help reduce joint pain.
4. Proper digestion. Water helps prevent constipation by adding softness to stools and fluid to the colon.
5. Alertness. Even minor dehydration can lead to headaches, irritability, impaired concentration and fatigue. The human brain is 85 percent water; keeping it hydrated is essential for proper functioning.
6. Healthy skin. Water hydrates from the inside out, helping to maintain elasticity of the skin and support this essential body barrier.