Atherosclerosis, is it in you? Part 2

Foods avoiding/preventing atherosclerosis and plaque build up:

As discussed in the first part High blood cholesterol is one reason for plaque build up to form. Blood cholesterol is made up of saturated fat, trans fat and dietary cholesterol all in large numbers. Lets break this down category by category.

Saturated fats: primary source is found in animal products. Keep saturated fats to below 7 % total calorie intake per day.

Foods to avoid:

• Whole milk and cream
• High Fat cheese
• Processed meats (sausage and hot dogs)
• Ice Cream
• Coconut and Palm oils, which are usually added to packaged prepared foods like doughnuts.
• High Fat cuts of meat
• Eggs

As well as many other foods.

How to cut down on Saturated Fats:

• Avoid meats with high amounts of fat. Try lean cuts ex. chuck, sirloin, loin, tenderloins or loin chops.
• Trim fat before cooking or remove skin from turkey and chicken before cooking
• Choose a fat free or 1% milk
• Eat pleny of vegetables and fruits

Trans Fats: found in partially hydrogenated oils, which turns into solid fat. These hydrogenated oils are found in processed food along with many restaurants. These oils help increase shelf life and improve texture and taste. Little to no trans fat is recommended.

Foods to avoid:

• Look for 0 grams of trans fat on labels
• Read ingredient list to make sure hydrogenated oils are not listed, even if label states 0 trans fat
• Order food from restaurants steamed, baked or grilled instead of fried. Restaurants use the hydrogenated oil in deep fryer
• Avoid frozen pizzas, pie crusts, cakes, sticks of margarine, and even microwave popcorn

 

What to look for instead when it comes to fats:

• Monosaturated fat is a healthier option
• Nuts, fish
• Unsaturated omega 3 fatty acids
• Sesame oil, safflower oil, peanut, canola and olive oils
• Polyunsaturated fats are also healthier then trans and saturated fats, but only in moderation

          Dietary Cholesterol: animal products such as meat cheese and eggs. Aim for less than 200mg of cholesterol each day in your food.

• Avoid:
• Shrimp
• Granola
• Flour Tortilla

Being smart about cholesterol:

• When reading labels, chose those foods with low cholesterol
• Liver meat and other organ meat are very high in cholesterol
• The yolk is where cholesterol is at its strongest, so try egg whites instead

Atherosclerosis, is it in you?

    Today my mother had to go in for a third heart surgery. She was having chest pains again, and shortness of breathe when walking. She already had 2 stents put in, about 6 months ago, and now the MD states that she will need coronary artery bypass surgery. Coronary artery bypass surgery is a procedure that rearranges the blood flow to avoid a section of a blocked artery in the heart.

 

This is performed by taking a healthy blood vessel from arm, abdomen, chest or leg, and connecting it to other healthy arteries in the heart, which will in turn bypass the damaged, blocked artery. After the surgery is done, blood flow to the heart muscle is improved. If there is only a narrowing of an artery, a stent might be put in to help open the blood flow in that artery. Stents are small expandable tubes that support the inner wall of the artery and helps restore blood flow. Most stents are made of metal mesh, with some stents being made of fabric, which are used for the larger arteries. Some stents are even coated with medicine that is released into the artery slowly and continuously. Stenting is minimally invasive compared to bypass surgery. Having a stent in, does not guarantee that this blockage or narrowing won’t happen again. Blood thinners will need to be taken after the procedure as well as a diet plan to keep the plaque from building up again. Same goes for a bypass surgery. Having these surgeries does not fix the underlying problem of atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is a condition where the arteries become narrow and harden. This is caused by plaque growing. Plaque is found on the inner walls of the arteries and accumulates calcium, cellular waster, fibrin, fat and calcium. Atherosclerosis can be a result of low “good” cholesterol and high “bad” cholesterol, as well as smoking, stress, high blood pressure and diet.

   Is Atherosclerosis Hereditary? That was my first question after realizing my mother has heart problems and my grandmother passed away from a heart attack. Yes, some aspects of atherosclerosis are hereditary. Having high cholesterol is one of them. However, genes are only one factor of this disease. A healthy diet and exercise routine is a huge factor. If people watch what type of food is digested into their body, they can slow the process of atherosclerosis down, or even avoid the disease all together.

Here is a great video about the procedure for a Coronary artery bypass surgery. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwJCHYeGcU4

Having Lower Back Pain? Could it be a herniated disc?

 At one point in our lives we have heard they saying of someone having a “slipped disc” whether it be yourself, your friend, or just an acquaintance. Herniated discs unfortunately do happen. But when you understand how a herniated disc happens and what is happening you can see that the saying “slipped disc” is false.                  

So what is a herniated disc? Your back is made up of 31 vertebral bones. In between there are 23 vertebral discs. These discs are extremely important. They assist with movement of your spine and act as shock absorbers. So as you bend backwards or forwards from the waist you can thank your vertebral discs for allowing you to do so. The make up of the vertebral discs are comparable to a jelly donut. There is a fibrous layer on the outside (the dough) and a nucleus on the inside (the jelly).  When a herniated disc occurs the nucleus or jelly squeezes towards the back of the spine. Herniated discs can occur due to age or injury to your spine.             

What happens when you have a herniated disc? A variety of different symptoms can arise when you have a herniated disc. These symptoms can be pain, numbness or weakness in the area where the spinal nerves are being pushed on by the herniated disc. If you feel you have/had a herniated disc you should consult your doctor first.

Now you have consulted your doctor, now what? How do you fix this problem? Can you live a life that is pain free? Of course you can. Physical therapy can utilize a various different techniques to help relieve your pain. At physical therapy they can help work on core stability, flexibility and muscle stress. To read up on more on how physical therapy can help a herniated disc you can visit the below links. 

 

(WebMD) (Spine Universe)

Balance and Fall Protection for Seniors

One of the many concerns for persons over 60 years old is the ability to keep from falling. Balance issues become more prevalent as we do get older. Each year between 20 and 40 percent of adults over 65 who live at home fall. Unfortunately there can be some consequences due to falls, such as fracture hips. So how do you help maintain good balance and help to build to prevent you from falls?

Balance is dependent on many factors. They include having reliable input from individual’s vision, vestibular system (the fluid inside your ear), and proprioceptors (input of the positioning of your feet and legs). It also depends on having good muscular strength and joint mobility. According to the American Geriatrics Society, muscle weakness is the biggest risk factor contributing to a person’s risk of falling. As we get older many people start to develop arthritis, due to the joint pain it keeps us sedentary. It is important to keep an active lifestyle even as we get older. This will help decrease the joint pain and help maintain joint mobility.

Vestibular.org recommends for adult seniors to participate in daily walking and tai chi to help regain some balance. In physical therapy settings a physical therapist can also help improve your balance. Studies have shown under the right exercise program prescribed by a physical therapist there has been significant improves in balance measure, mobility measure, and decreased risk of falling. A physical therapist will also help with building muscular strength which is important for maintaining balance.

If you do feel you have concerns about your balance contact your primary physician to have a checkup.

(Vestibular.org)

PT’S Work Hard For Your Patients

Quality of care is a function of two factors. The first is the relationship factor and the second the outcome factor. Physical therapists are positioned to score well in both of these departments. Physical therapists spend up to an hour with the patient during their first visit. We may rehabilitate the patient over the course of weeks or months. If the PT demonstrates respect for the patient and the patient enjoys the physical therapy, a positive relationship is established. If the physical therapy results in a positive treatment outcome, the patient will also give the physical therapist high marks for quality of care. Interestingly, with most patients, the relationship is more important than the outcome. When a doctor refers a patient to an independent, private practice physical therapist, he/she should be confident that the PT is going to work hard to provide quality of care to the referred patient making sure that they are treated with respect, enjoy the experience, and hopefully have a positive treatment outcome. The costs of medical care are increasing, reimbursement is decreasing, and it is becoming more difficult for both doctors and physical therapists to provide patients with the care they demand. Private practice physical therapists are an important part of a patient’s health care team. Working closely with our referring physicians is of the utmost importance to us at our practice. As an interdependent team, we can provide your patients with the care, outcomes, and the satisfaction that you both deserve.

*source: e-rehab*