The Benefits of Aloe Vera

Everybody knows aloe vera is great for cuts and sunburns, even bug bites. It's been called the "First Aid" plant. Aloe vera's soothing gel inside the thick, succulent leaves is an incredible natural skin care "product." But what about the rest of the body: are there benefits for your insides too? Actually there are some very powerful benefits from the aloe vera plant. No one plant offers all the health benefits of the aloe vera plant.

Aloe vera is a semi-tropical succulent plant originally from North Africa, and now grown worldwide. It looks like a desert plant. Aloe vera is one of the oldest and most popular medicinal plants known to man.


The Benefits of Aloe Vera

Aloe vera's incredible effects upon the skin were "re-discovered" in the 70's and it became wildly popular. It's now used worldwide in just about every skin and hair care product imaginable. You see, aloe vera gel is an excellent skin moisturizer. It supplies oxygen to the skin cells which in turn increases the strength and synthesis of skin tissue. It rejuvenates the skin, hydrates it, and makes it flexible.

Aloe vera is a potent natural medicine - and there is more and more evidence to show its effectiveness in the treatment of some of the most serious diseases.

Aloe vera is one of the most powerful antioxidants to occur naturally. Many of today's most common diseases have been associated with a deficiency of antioxidants. Your antioxidant level is capable of determining your biological age, and even your expected lifespan! So, is it any wonder why people are seeking aloe vera and products made with the aloe vera gel?

Aloe vera is an antioxidant and cancer fighter, especially colon cancer

Reduces and stops inflammation, both internally and externally

Oxygenates blood and energizes cells, hydrates skin and repairs skin tissue

Aloe vera heals internal digestive problems such as irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, acid reflux - cleanses the intestinal tract

Reduces risk factor for strokes and heart attacks by making "sticky" blood "unsticky," and boosts the oxidation of your blood, plus circulation


Alkalizes the body, helping to balance overly acidic dietary habits

Boosts cardiovascular performance and physical endurance

Stabilizes blood pressure and reduces triglycerides

There is undeniable evidence now from scientists and herbalists about the benefits of aloe vera³. They tell us only what our ancestors have known for centuries and passed on to succeeding generations. With today's technological advances, we know more about the dangers as well, and how to use aloe vera safely and effectively

Routine Detoxification

Detoxification is an important procedure in keeping the body healthy and fit. This process helps in making the bloodstream purer, free from the toxicity that is imbibed at every step, opening up the skin pores and allowing the skin to breathe. Find out how you can carry out this process right at home.

As is extremely well-known today, among fitness freaks and not alike, one of the best ways to keep the body slim and fit, the skin glowing and the innards running smooth as clockwork is detoxification. As we go about our daily tasks, consuming unhealthy and irresistible foods, exposing ourselves to a whole lot of pollution and much else, we accumulate and imbibe a lot of harmful substances. These elements are extensively damaging to our system, and need to be flushed out. This is called the detoxification process, and is one of the most ancient of health rituals to have been in existence. This purging is done automatically by the body in various ways: as passing of body wastes through urination, bowel movements and in the form of sweat. Basically, the skin is the principal mode of exit for these toxic substances. Besides this, there are various other methods of detoxification of the body, like the detox foot spa. Through this, one can open up the pores on the soles of the feet and coax the impurities out through them. The one common aspect amongst all of these is that they are all completely natural, and can be undertaken without much trouble right in our own homes. 

It is well known that possibly the best method of detoxification is using water as the agent. From ancient times, water therapy has been in rampant use. The historic medicine men were quick to find out that the most abundantly available natural resource had practically magical properties, holding the power to solve almost any physical problem. Water can be applied to the purpose of purging the impurities from the body in myriad methods. Drinking plenty of this fluid works wonders since it purifies the bloodstream of its toxicity. Moreover, it also helps in clearing the system of deposited fats by increasing the rate of metabolism. The Detox Bath, designed by Louis Kuhne, targets the groinal and genital areas since these have the maximum concentration of nerves here. This method has myriad purposes: from stimulating the nerves, thus increasing sexual stamina and improving energy and blood circulation to increasing the rate of metabolism. Steam baths are yet another great way of purification since they open up the sweat pores.

Yet another detoxification procedure is the cleaning of the colon. This process is very easy, although can be pretty painful at times if it is done through an enema. Otherwise, this can be done with the help of colon cleansers and laxatives. However, it must be remembered that this can be done best with the help of the correct food. Various fruits and vegetables act as strong colon cleansers, such as the banana. Foods with high fibre content are also highly beneficial. Besides, drinking a lot of water will keep you hydrated and make bowel movements smoother. You must keep in mind that passing stool and urine regularly is necessary since these acts help in removing the waste materials from the body.

Benefits of Green Teas

Now you do not have to try too hard to take a good care of your health. Just a few cups of green tea throughout the day can keep you energetic, rejuvenated, and will also keep you safe from various illnesses like diabetes, cholesterol, and allergies.

If you have been thinking that it was exotic and hard to obtain, it's time to get out of such misconceptions. These days you can get varieties of green teas in the market. You can also buy the product conveniently from online stores. If you are unsure about the taste, brew up a cup of tea for yourself; it will taste great! Furthermore, it is easy to brew and is rich in various minerals and compounds beneficial for health and beauty.

Did you know that green teas are actually dried leaves and are not fermented like the conventional black beverage? There are many such secrets about green teas that might have escaped your knowledge. Here is a short list of those interesting but, less known facts about the tea:

1. It prevents cancer! If you include green tea in your diet and consume it regularly, it will help to reduce the chances of esophageal, bladder, colon, pancreas, rectum, and stomach cancers by 60%. Did you know that it contains anti-oxidant "epigallocatechin gallate"(EGCG), which is about 100 times more effective than vitamin C in protecting the cells of the body from foreign infections? It is also found to be about 25 times more effective than vitamin E at safeguarding cells from harmful influence. An amazing thing about EGCG is that it not only inhibits the attack of carcinogenic cells, but, also effectively kills existing cancer cells without harming the healthy ones around.

2. Sipping tea on regular basis will also lower the bad cholesterol count (LDL). On the more, it improves the amount of good cholesterol (HDL) in the body. Good news is that you can indulge in eating delicacies as much as you want without thinking of the cholesterol content of the food. Cholesterol count will be neutralized by the components in the tea.

3. Did you know that it can prevent thrombosis, which is one of the main causes of heart attacks and strokes? There are certain components in the product, which can stop the unnatural formation of blood clot.

There are still many secret benefits hidden in all varieties of green teas. Start drinking it from today and you will gradually discover a positive change in your health yourself. No need to travel far for buying green tea. These days you can buy good quality tea from reputed online tea retailers.

Mushrooms for Cancer

These days, the buzz in alternative and complimentary cancer treatments is all about mushrooms. It seems unlikely. Mushrooms can be slimy, poisonous, and down right fungal. But science is taking a serious look at medicinal mushrooms and how they fight cancer, tumors, chronic fatigue syndrome, and autoimmune diseases. More studies are coming out everyday showing that medicinal mushrooms strengthen immunity, fight cancer, and shrink tumors. If you are searching for mushrooms for cancer treatment, this article gives you a brief overview of mushrooms from around the world that have proven efficacy in the fight against cancer.

In the research on medicinal mushrooms, science is proving what Eastern Medicine has known for centuries. Mushrooms have been used extensively in China and Japan for thousands of years. Doctors of Traditional Chinese Medicine use mushrooms like Reishi, Shiitake, Maitake, and Lion’s Mane to promote longevity and keep the body systems healthy and strong. Mushrooms promote the flow of "chi" throughout the body, increasing energy, removing toxins, and creating an overall feeling of well being. Science is taking a serious look at mushrooms in the fight against cancer. More studies are being performed on the anti-cancer effects of wild mushrooms. In many parts of the world, derivatives of wild mushrooms are being used to treat cancer.

One of the most famous medicinal mushrooms is the Reishi, also known as Ganoderma lucidum. This mushroom is known as "The Mushroom of Immortality" and has been prescribed for at least 3000 years in Eastern Medicine. In 1990 the Japanese government officially listed Reishi mushroom as an adjunct herb for cancer treatment. Reishi is being used with favorable results in cancer research centers around the world. Reishi is perhaps one of the world’s most well-known, widely used medicinal mushrooms. It is available in the whole form, which is a thick, shelf mushroom, and also in tincture, powdered and pill form.

Chaga, also known as Inonotus obliquus, is being used around the world for treating cancer. Historically, the mushroom has been used in Poland and Western Siberia for centuries Russian folklore tells of a fungus that grows on birch trees that is effective in treating a variety of cancers. Chaga "tea" is an infusion of the mushroom given to cancer patients. The U.S. National Cancer Institute has reports that Chaga has been used to successfully treat cancer. Chaga is proving to be one of the most important medicinal mushrooms for cancer treatment.

One of the most widely available mushrooms for cancer treatment is Tramates versicolor, also known as the Turkey Tail mushroom. It grows prolifically throughout North America and is used commercially around the world to fight cancer. PSK, known as "polysaccharide Kureha" is a derivative of the Turkey Tail mushroom. In scientific studies, PSK’s anti-tumor activity is enhanced in combination with radiation and chemotherapy. Improved survival rates in patients who take PSK are widespread. In one study the rate of cancer deaths within 5 years was 21% with PSK and 52% without.

Three important mushrooms for cancer from around the world include the Reishi, Chaga, and the Turkey Tail. These are all available online and at local health food stores. If you are looking to improve your overall health and wellness, be sure to include medicinal mushrooms in your diet or supplement with teas, tinctures, and pills.

The Most and Least Pesticides Contamination Foods

The United States Department of Agriculture has an ongoing Pesticide Data Program that tests for pesticide residues on a variety of basic foods, especially those likely to be eaten by infants and children.  The Environmental Working Group translates the USDA data into a list of the best and worst foods as far as pesticide residue levels are concerned.


Pesticides are neuro-toxins, designed to destroy the nervous system of insects.  In my opinion they are far more of a human health problem than our government acknowledges, primarily because if the government confessed to the seriousness of the problem then people would wonder why they have allowed the American public to be poisoned for more than half a century.

These toxins are especially problematic to pregnant and nursing mothers, as well as to fetuses and infants.  They can disturb normal nerve function, interfere with normal sexual development, cause thyroid malfunction, as well as other endocrine disruption.  They contribute to the obesity epidemic, increase the risk for cancer, and contribute to human stupidity.  The FDA and EPA are negligent to the extent that in any normal world a criminal investigation would be conducted – of them.

The current list shows that the heaviest pesticide-contaminated foods are
1. celery
2. peaches
3. strawberries
4. apples
5. blueberries
6. nectarines
7. sweet bell peppers
8. spinach, kale/collard greens, cherries, potatoes, grapes, and lettuce.

Any of these foods you should only eat organic.

The foods testing with the lest amount of pesticide residue are onions, avocado, sweet corn (frozen), pineapples, mango, sweet peas, asparagus, kiwi, cabbage, and eggplant.  With the exception of corn, these foods would not be as important to eat organic.  Until the advent of mutated corn Frankenfood, corn was one of the heaviest sprayed foods.

Now the toxic pesticides don’t show up as residues on the surface of the food because they are built into the cells of the food!  Only eat organic corn.

Things Women Don’t Tell You about Making Love

It is quite common knowledge and even considered part of our culture that women lie to men. They lie for various reasons, but the most important one is that women are practically trained to flatter the male ego, since a man lacking confidence can bring up a lot of suffering and misery in a relationship. However, there are some other reasons why women don’t tell men about plenty of things. When it comes to sex, the matter becomes even more complicated, because this is a sensitive issue for women and they feel too embarrassed to talk about it. Here are some things women don’t tell their men even during the most intimate moments.


1. Sex does not have to last for hours
You have seen it in movies, you have read it in articles printed on glossy paper. Men must have staying power, or, otherwise, it does not count. However, what most women don’t tell you is that this statement is actually overrated. While sexual intercourse must last for at least a couple of minutes to have the woman start feeling it, encounters that last more than 15 minutes can turn into a marathon that women are not very comfortable with. You must keep in mind that the vagina can only deliver that much lubrication and extending intercourse can really turn off a woman instead of pleasing her. Of course, women don’t tell they do not like it when you go at it for half an hour or so, because they think they will hurt your feelings. Next time, though, do not believe just everything you see in adult movies. They just make it look that way.

2. Rough sex is not a turn on for women
Wild sex can be a great turn on for your partner, but what women don’t tell men is that they do not like when they are roughly handled, no matter how incredible their arousal is. Pinching her nipples, too much friction, squeezing her buttocks too hard, can take a lot off her arousal. The thing women don’t tell is that their bodies are really sensitive and they cannot be thrown in the back of the truck and taken roughly. Be a considerate lover and do not apply more force than needed; maybe women don’t tell you they do not like it, but they will be unhappy about it.

3. Orgasms are not everything
Having your woman reach her climax seems to be your primary goal whenever you take your lover to bed. However, stressing too much on the important of orgasms can be a huge mistake. Women don’t tell you, but they are more into making love than having orgasm after orgasm after orgasm. Just to make things clear for you, they like to masturbate, even if they do not orgasm, and the same truth is valid when they have sex with you, as well.

Women don’t tell you everything. Learn to live with it, but pay attention to the signs, and do not hesitate to ask them once in a while what they really like.

Fruits And Vegetable Juicing

Some people will go to a local juice bar, but others will just make their favorite juice in their own kitchen. But no matter where they go, people are finding out about the fun and healthy way of getting their fruits and vegetables, by juicing.

Nutrition guidelines urge people to consume between five to nine servings of fruit and vegetables each day, but finding ways to consume them can be difficult. But preparing and consuming juicing makes it possible to make fruits and vegetables a regular part of a daily diet.

Consuming fruit and vegetable juices give your body good sources of essential nutrients. Grapefruit and oranges are examples of foods rich in Vitamin C. Beta carotene, a form of vitamin A, can be found in carrot juice and vitamin E can be found in green fruits. Also, because juicing removes the indigestible fiber, the nutrients can be absorbed into the body in much larger quantities than if consuming raw fruits or vegetables. Absorption of nutrients into the blood stream happens within a half hour of drinking the juice from fresh vegetables.

Juicing also supplies the body with high levels of phytochemicals. These nutrients are the ones that many scientists credit with helping to fight cancer. Wheatgrass and green juice contain chlorophyll, a chemical similar to hemoglobin. They both are part of the process of transporting oxygen around the bloodstream.

In addition, the juices of fruits and veggies are rich in enzymes that cooking destroys. These enzymes may boost the immune system and stimulate healing qualities in the body. In addition, some people practice detoxification with a juice concoction.

In addition, the juices derived from fruits and veggies furnish the water your body needs. Most people do not consume enough water each day and instead drink coffee, soft drinks and alcohol contain substances that take water away from the body. Fruit and vegetables juices contain water, not any unneeded ingredients.

Though people drink more fruit juices than vegetable juices, more are realizing the added benefit of vegetable juices over fruit juices, since they do not heighten insulin levels. If you want a low sugar drink that has many nutrients and tastes great, you need to get into juicing with fresh fruits and vegetables. You can add some grapes to your vegetable juice to help you acquire a taste for it.

An increasing number of people are embracing juicing as a way of assisting them to lose weight.  It is a great means of ensuring that you're still getting all of the necessary vitamins and nutrients from fresh produce if you're managing your food intake.

Together with a fitness regime, it's really a great way to reduce weight. Why not try it?

How to Cure a Yeast Infection

Yeast infections, what can you say? We all get them. Men, women, everyone. It's not fun and it doesn't feel good by any means. Want it gone? Then read these tips on how to cure a yeast infection for men AND women and cure yours today!


There is quite an assortment of cures you can use for both men and women. How to cure a yeast infection top tip is using yogurt. You can insert it (for the women), apply it to the affected area (for men and women) and eat it (for men and women again). Nothing works better than yogurt.

Another how to cure a yeast infection tip is vinegar. Women can make a mild douche (one tablespoon of vinegar in a quart of water) and men and women can add a cup of vinegar to a warm bath.

Additionally, men and women can use honey to apply to the affected area, then wait fifteen to twenty minutes and rinse off. This is an effective cure for yeast infections.

How to cure a yeast infection leading tip is to using a garlic paste on the affected area. And lastly, drink buttermilk once or twice a day especially at night. This will kill your yeast infection.

How to cure a yeast infection doesn't have to be complicated and drawn out. It's needs to be quick and effective. These tips for men and women on how to cure their yeast infections will provide just that.

Maintain Healthy Eye Sight with These Special Tips

Our eyes are one of our biggest assets although many of us may take our vision for granted. We may be concerned about our weight and overall good health – yet we don’t give much thought to the health of our eyes. There are several steps we can take to improve and maintain healthy vision.

Health always starts from the inside out with proper diet and nutrition. Special nutrients such as Omega-3, zinc, selenium, lutein, anti-oxidants and vitamins C and E have been proven to help ward off or at least slow down age-related vision problems such as macular degeneration and cataracts. Some of the foods providing these all-important nutrients include green and leafy vegetables like lettuce, kale, broccoli, spinach and collard greens, fish with Omega-3 oils such as tuna and salmon, citrus fruits and juices as well as protein sources of nuts, eggs and beans. Other foods to include in a healthy diet are red, orange and yellow fruits and vegetables such as cantaloupe, bok choy, sweet potatoes, papaya and mangoes. Let’s also remember the importance of carrots, loaded with beta-carotene. Eating these healthy foods is not only a prescription for healthy vision but also promotes healthy weight, which lowers your risk of Diabetes. Diabetes is a leading cause of blindness.

It cannot be stressed enough the damage that smoking does for the lungs and heart. Truth of the matter is that it is also linked to macular degeneration, cataracts and optic nerve deterioration. People who have tried to quit smoking countless times can be successful.

Protect the eyes from the rays of the sun since too much ultra-violet rays can contribute to cataracts and other eye degenerative diseases. If you wear contacts, there are options to get contact lenses with the UV protection in them. As far as protection for the eyes, always use protective glasses when working with anything hazardous – anything that can fly into the eyes and cause injury.

Continual working on a computer can cause a lot of eye strain, blurry vision, headaches, strain on the shoulders and back and possible double vision. You need to rest your eyes every once in a while, looking away from the computer. Be sure you are wearing the right glasses or contact lenses for good eye health as well. The wrong prescription can indeed contribute to ill eye health. Be sure you have good lighting as well.

Regular visits with the eye doctor are important for the entire family. How often you go depends greatly on family history. If most of the family does or has worn glasses or contact lenses their entire lives, chances are strong that you will need to have your eyes examined on a regular basis in order to know how healthy your vision is. As adults age and mature, they are more at risk for certain eye diseases such as glaucoma, diabetic eye disease and age-related macular degeneration. There are no symptoms or warning signs for these diseases, so it is difficult to know if a person has it without a medical examination.

The doctor will question all aspects of family health and history as well as check you for near or far-sightedness. There are many various tests such as a comprehensive dilated eye exam that the doctor will put you through to check for illnesses as well as the progression of the eyesight. With this exam, the doctor will place drops into your eyes to dilate them, allowing the doctor to exam the back of the eyes for any diseases or damage. Everyone wishes to have 20/20 vision and many people are lucky their entire lives – others may need help through corrective lenses or contacts as they age. Depending on heredity, a vast majority of people need glasses as a youngster.

Visit the eye doctor regularly, yearly if you are under a doctor’s care or have a family history of eye care, or at least every two to three years to check for any changes in your vision. Caring for and maintaining healthy vision is worth seeing the world around us in a clear view and it is just a matter of good nutrition, diet, healthy habits and regular doctor visits.

Positive Thinking And Its Effect On Your Health

The first situation to consider is the relationship between thoughts and conditions like depression and stress. A crucial question is whether the person's thoughts are creating the physical depression or the physical depression is creating the negative thinking.

When it comes to how you can use your mind to help, this can be accomplished consciously and subconsciously. When someone has a habit of imagining things turning out very badly, rational thinking can show show them that they often exaggerate.

However, the unconscious mind is much more powerful in shaping our habitual behavior, oftentimes beyond our conscious control. Visualization and hypnosis can be very effective in modifying beliefs and, if you do this, the long-lasting effects can be more powerful than using logic only. It is likewise true that positive thinking can have an impact on our physical health, and you may be aware of the placebo effect on people who feel ill.

This is when individuals are given a pill which in reality does not have any healing value, and yet they claim to notice an improvement in how they feel. This is evidence of the connection between mind and body, and there are many examples of men and women with a positive outlook being able to recover faster from malady and injury.

You can also use the power of your mind to help you in achieving your fitness goals. A historic example of this is when the four minute barrier for running the mile was broken, which had been considered as unachievable up to that point. Once the "barrier" had been broken, other runners also began to break through what had really been a barrier of belief.

The effects of aging are likewise influenced by how we think about the process. As you get older, do you talk to your friends about your "aches and pains" and your weakened capabilities? It seems there's a great deal of truth to the saying, "You're only as old as you think you are," and our thoughts can be used to undo a lot of the so-called effects of aging. Unfortunately, numerous individuals will continue to hold on to old beliefs about the unavoidable "decline" of health in old age, and not pay attention to the benefits of a positive outlook.

Now that you are aware that your attitude can bring you a much better state of health, it's up to you to take advantage of this information and set your intention to think positive thoughts whenever you remember.

Relationship Between Coffee and Weight Loss

"Will consuming caffeine risk your weight loss plan? Unfortunately, unlike coffee, there's no black and white answer," admits Ellen Wright, website manager of Weight-Loss Center.

Technically, caffeine can help reduce weight by triggering the ephedrine, particularly its fat-burning properties. It also increases your basal metabolic rate, which simply means the amount of calories that you burn when your body is at rest. Black coffee, without the sugar and other additives, contains very low calorie to even impact on your weight. Ms. Wright says a cup will net a maximum of eight calories but when designer coffees were introduced by coffee chains, the calories add up. Sugar and cream alone can add another 100 calories to a cup of coffee. "You can get 260 calories from a cup of Caffè Mocha from one of the largest US coffee chains, for example. That is already equivalent to eight grams of fat.

The Grande White Chocolate Mocha has about 550 calories," she says. In order not to gain excess pounds, women need to avoid exceeding 2,000 calories per day and 260 calories is already about 12 percent of the total. Caffeine also boosts production of cortisol, a stress hormone. High levels of cortisol are linked with increased appetite, cravings for sugar and insulin resistance, which in turn is linked to the development of type 2 diabetes.

To avoid derailing your path toward weight loss, Ms. Wright offers the following suggestions:
 - Avoid going designer brands from coffee shops and drink your coffee as plain as possible.
Don't put too much sugar in it and stay away from sweeteners like aspertame which can affect your hormones;
- Regulate your coffee consumption. If you are drinking five to six cups a day, you may develop caffeine addiction.
- Coffee encourages snacking. So avoid a slice of cake or pie when you do drink coffee. Ms. Wright says that the Weight-Loss Center is home to hundreds of articles, weight loss tools, healthy recipes, and "the busy Weight Loss Forum devoted to helping you maintain a healthy body and lifestyle." "The Weight-Loss Center is run by dieters just like you. With today's fast paced lifestyles it is harder and harder to get into shape and stay that way.

Yet there are thousands of products and services (diet programs, supplements, pills) available for just that purpose," she says, which explains the difficulty in sorting out the false information from the truthful ones. She says the weight watcher needs educate himself or herself particularly on the many factors that go into determining which diet programs will work best for you.

These factors include age, sex, genes, and attitude. "For any weight loss program to be successful, experts all agree that it must include the three basics. They are: an eating plan that reduces the amount of daily caloric intake, a strong physical activity component and some behavior modification to change old habits," she says.

Are You a Heart Attack Waiting to Happen?

Everyone should know the warning signs for a heart attack-but according to Dr. Isaac Eliaz, effective prevention requires much more than a list of potential symptoms.

"Heart attacks strike quickly and without warning," said Dr. Eliaz - an author, lecturer, researcher, clinical practitioner, and product formulator. "So as the national discussion turns to preventing heart attacks, the real question isn't whether people can recognize the warning signs, but rather, whether they can recognize if they are at risk in the first place."

According to the American Heart Association, an estimated 81 million American adults - more than one in three - have one or more types of cardiovascular disease(CVD). Of these, 38 million are estimated to be less than 60 years of age.

"And those are just the reported cases," Dr. Eliaz said. "What about the people who have CVD and don't know it or haven't been diagnosed by a doctor because they haven't seen a doctor? Our mission should be to help these people recognize they are in high risk categories and get checked out."

According to Dr. Eliaz, high risk factors include:

• Smoking
• Excessive alcohol consumption
• A diet high in saturated fat and cholesterol
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Obesity
• Glucose intolerance
• Diabetes
• High salt intake

"There are a number of lifestyle options that may avert the condition," he added, referencing a free report he wrote about it at http://cardiobalance.org/. "The obvious advice, of course, is to maintain a healthy body weight, moderate consumption of alcohol, exercise, reduce sodium intake, monitor intake of calcium, magnesium and potassium, and reduce stress. But there's more than that."

Dr. Eliaz recommends the following tips for heart healthiness:

•1. Heart Healthy Diet - The first and most obvious step is to shed excess weight through exercise and adopting a heart-healthy diet with heavy consumption of antioxidant-rich fresh fruits and vegetables as the best way to reach both of these goals - but be sure to eat organic as often as possible, as pesticides will only introduce aggravating toxins into your body.

2. Supplements - There are a number of minerals, nutrients and compounds that support cardiovascular health. Some of them include: magnesium, CoQ-10, carnitine, botanicals such as hawthorn and salvia miltiorrhizae, nattokinase, lumbrokinase, botanical formulas, among others.

3. Watch Your Fiber - Moderate intake of high-fiber whole grains that are low on the glycemic index scale is also important, along with lean protein like chicken, turkey, and fish (as long as you beware of excess mercury content in the fish).

4. Antioxidant Snacks - Other heart-healthy snacks include seeds and nuts, and even small amounts of antioxidant-rich dark chocolate. Drinking green tea and red wine (in moderation) are also excellent ways to protect your heart.

5. Good Fats and Bad Fats - It is more important that you choose "good" fats as opposed to"bad" fats. The saturated and trans fats that you'll find in red meat, butter, and most fast foods are more likely to clog arteries than unsaturated choices like olive oil and fish oil - the latter of which can actually boost your heart health.

"At the end of the day, we need to understand the things about our lifestyle that contribute to our risk for heart disease," says Dr. Eliaz. "That way, it really won't matter whether we memorized the warning signs of a heart attack, because we may never experience them."

For more practical health information