Losing weight is one.  Two thirds of Americans are overweight or obese.  Could losing weight really help the heart?  The answer is YES!

According to a recent study published in the American Journal of Physiology you can improve the way your heart functions by just losing 12% of your weight, either by diet and exercise or both.

You can have a more youthful heart by dropping some of those excess pounds if you are overweight.

As we age the arteries and heart muscles stiffen and the heart doesn’t relax like it did when we were younger.

The study showed that by losing weight, the participants gained the ability of the heart to relax more quickly, recovering some of the elasticity characteristics of a younger heart.

The heart actually became younger!

Besides exercising and losing weight, here are some other things you can do to have a healthier heart.

Eat more fiber.  A study done by Harvard University, showed that men who ate at least 25 grams of fiber a day had one-third less heart attacks then men eating 12 grams or less a day.

Eat beans.  They contain a lot of good fiber that helps prevent heart disease by lowering cholesterol.  Eating a cup of beans a day can lower cholesterol by 10- 20 percent.

Eating garlic can lower cholesterol and help decrease the risk of heart disease.

A Harvard report found that women eating 1 ounce of almonds daily had a 40 percent lower risk of fatal heart disease. 

Almonds contain vitamin E and research at England’s Cambridge University found that by taking 400 IU of vitamin E for 18 months slashed nonfatal heart attacks in cardiovascular patients by 77 percent.

Vitamin C keeps blood vessels dilated. Without vitamin C, blood vessels constrict, shutting down blood flow. 

Two thousand mg’s a day dramatically restored dilation of blood vessels in heart attack patients, a Boston University study found.

Low levels of B vitamins, especially folic acid, are a heart disease precursor. 

Make sure to get plenty in your diet.  B’s are fragile and are easily destroyed by heat. 

When supplementing, use a high quality B-Vitamin supplement containing at least 100% DV of all 8 B’s.

Eat fish, lots of fish. If eating fish is not your thing, supplement with a high quality Omega-3 supplement. 

Omega-3’s thin the blood, decrease clot formation, raise HDL cholesterol and control irregular heart beats.

Every cell in the body needs Coenzyme Q10 for energy.  A healthy heart needs lots of it.  If a person is on a cholesterol lowering drug, it could deplete this important enzyme. 

Of adults age 40 and older, as many as 42% could be classified as being at an increased risk for heart disease. 

One in every four men die of heart disease and stroke, and one of every 2.5 women die of heart disease and stroke.

Maintaining a healthy heart is critically important.

 Shaklee Independent Distributor

I met Donna 37 years ago when we were both introduced to Shaklee through a mutual friend.  We became very good friends through the years.  She became a Shaklee Business Leader and enjoyed what Shaklee offered.  When her then son-in-law started a business, she began helping him and her Shaklee business suffered, until she finally gave it up.

When Shaklee introduced Vivix just over a year ago, I encouraged Donna to give it a try. I told her all the things it would do. She would laugh and tell me, “Yeah, that’s what everyone says.”  This is her story:

I was living a stress filled life 12 years ago and didn’t realize I was falling apart.  I wasn’t using my Shaklee Supplements and taking care of myself.

Five years ago this October 2009, I had a heart attack after learning of the death of my granddaughter.  I was told by my doctor if I hadn’t been fairly healthy, I would not have survived. 

Not long after the heart attack, I had a hysterectomy.  When my friend Grace called to tell me about Vivix, I was very skeptical.  Finally after several months of her telling me how good it was and it was anti-aging, that got my attention.  I finally agreed to try it in Feb. of 2009. I decided I would give it 3 months.  I also decided to do the whole Rx for a Healthier Life program, which is Vivix, Vitalizer, NutriFeron and Cinch shakes.

I started noticing a difference within a couple of weeks. Before Rx for a Healthier Life, these are the problems I was experiencing:  I had bursitis in my hip, restless leg syndrome, dry eyes, dry skin, blood in my urine, constipation, nose bleeds and no energy.  I was depressed, sad, non-thinking and weak.  I wouldn’t hear what was being said around me. I had brown spots on my face.

Since starting on the Rx for a Healthier Life, these symptoms are gone. The spots on my face are fading and are really light.   I have more strength and the weakness is gone.  I have more confidence and more energy. I don’t hurt getting up and down, even after working an 8 hour shift at Walmart.  My psychologist noticed drastic improvement in my mental health.  I was on drugs for depression, heart health and pain.  I don’t use them or need them anymore. 

Instead of trying it for 3 months, I have become a lifer.  I will not give up my Shaklee Supplements again.  Just as we feed our body everyday, we need supplements everyday.  One meal a week will not suffice. Neither will eating the supplements once in a while suffice.  Nutrients are used up continually.  I am so thankful I made the decision to use Shaklee again.

Donna G.….Tucson, AZ.

I too, am thankful Donna started using the products again.  I think she would pay any price to be healthy. She is a dear friend.  Helping her is a joy.

Shaklee Distributor

An Aspirin a day has been a recommendation to reduce the risk of a heart attack for so many years that it is often repeated in the media and self-help books and web sites.  There are many people who have taken it upon themselves to take a baby aspirin everyday even though their doctor has not recommended it.

I have a niece who does it.  Maybe you know someone who also does it.  Maybe you even do it.

Is this a good thing to do?  Maybe not.

According to a new study done by Dr. Gerry Fowlkes of the Wolfson Unit for Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease in Edinburgh Scotland, this may not be good advice.

Dr. Fowlkes recently presented a study to the European Society for Cardiology in Barcelona Spain in which he described how he and his colleagues followed 3,000 men at a very high risk for developing heart disease for an average of eight years.

The group was divided in half and randomly assigned to take either an aspirin every day or a placebo.

There was no difference between the two groups in the rate of heart attacks or stroke, or risk of death from any cause after eight years.

There were no discernable health benefits for taking an aspirin a day.

 There were 34 major bleeds in people taking the aspirin and only 20 in the placebo group.  Looking at the internal bleeding so serious it required hospitalization, the risk was almost double for the aspirin users compared to the placebo users.

For otherwise healthy individuals the risk of taking aspirin outweighs the benefits.

If you have already had a heart attack, scientists cautioned that the benefits of taking aspirin might outweigh the risks.

Investigate natural alternatives rather than rely on a drug to reduce your risk of heart disease.  Clinical studies have shown that as little as 500 mg/day of omega-3 fatty acids, from fish or supplements, can reduce the risk of a second heart attack in someone who has already had one heart attack by 30-40%.

The Landmark Study  showed that people who have used Shaklee supplements for 20 years or more have 1/3 the incidence of angina, heart attack, stroke or congestive heart failure as do people using other company’s multivitamins or no supplements at all.

Shaklee Distributor