On an average a person consumes nearly 800 calories daily from added sugar. This does not just include natural sugar found in fruits or milk but the processed sweet sugar as well, that is added to cakes, tea, coffee, confectionery and even pasta sauce and salad dressing. However, it is possible that you can limit your sugar intake or even quit it to get some truly amazing benefits.

When you take this hard decision, you may experience withdrawal symptoms such as mild depression, anxiety or restlessness. But if you remain adamant and continue with your decision, your body will soon show some incredible results that you couldn't have imagined.

Here are a few of them:

1.&nbsp;Your heart will beat happily

Sugar raises insulin levels that activate the responses of sympathetic nervous system thereby elevating your bp and heart rate. When you cut down on sugar, your ldl cholesterol will decrease by 10% and triglycerides will reduce by 20-30%. And your risk of heart attack will reduce manifold.

2.&nbsp;Your weight fluctuations will be gone

With the exception of fruits, sugar is mostly present in processed or high-carb foods that contain loads of other unwanted constituents like fat etc.

So when you quit sugar, your body has to no longer worry about those unwelcome calories and your weight will stop moving right and left across the scale.

3.&nbsp;Digestion will become efficient

When you quit sugar, the digestive system becomes more efficient. Since your stomach and intestines have to no longer worry about those difficult to digest processed foods, their abilities and functioning improves. Even your colon begins to work better, may be you take more trips to the restroom, so things get even more on track.

4.&nbsp;No more acne troubles

Sugar triggers acne troubles. When you cut it down, you will no longer be troubled by those zits that dampen your looks. Your skin will actually clear up, cracks will disappear and you will get a healthier skin.

5.&nbsp;You will no longer have sweet craving

With sugar, there is a huge negative, as you enjoy sweets, you crave for more sweets. But if you quit sugar, slowly you will begin to avoid foods that contain sugar and as a result, whenever you will eat anything that has sugar, it will taste over sweet and you will not be able to have large portions. This means no more cravings for sugar!

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5 Wonderful Things That Happen to Your Body When You Quit Sugar!

With recent lifestyle changes, more and more people, younger in age, are falling prey to heart attacks. While some silently suffer the attack during their sleep and never wake up, others have symptoms which they dismiss as acidity or muscular pain and ignore them. There are multiple media programs that are trying to create awareness about how to identify a heart attack. If done at the right time, there is a good chance that the person can be saved.

What is a Heart Attack?

The blood vessels gradually narrow, reducing the blood flow to the target organs. This reduces the efficiency of the target organ, and if this happens to be the heart, it is known as a heart attack. The area that should ideally receive blood does not, leading to its  death.  If the damage is not severe, it can be reversed. However, if this attack happens in one of the critical areas of the heart, it can even be fatal.

Symptoms To Watch For: Very few attacks happen suddenly. Most start slowly and progress, and if identified on time, a life can be saved. The episode takes about an hour, and if you are well-versed with the symptoms, it could help identify the condition correctly and save a life. Most people use antacids and muscle relaxants to ease the situation, which does provide immediate relief, but not a proper cure.

There is a central pain which is constant, nagging, and has a squeezing like sensation. This causes discomfort and most often, this pain is in the center of the chest area, which lasts for just a few minutes. Sometimes the pain can go and come back. This pain radiates down into the arm, up into the neck area, and also into the jaw and is almost always indicative of a heart attack.

With chest pain, there is always shortness of breath which the person will experience. This is due to reduced oxygen levels in the body.

Associated symptoms include fatigue, exhaustion, nausea, dizziness, light-headedness.

There is almost always profused sweating where the person breaks into a cold sweat.

If the attack happens during sleep, the person may be snoring and may feel, as if something is choking his airway.

Due to reduced return of blood from the peripheral organs, there could be swelling of the feet and ankles.

If there is irregular heart beat (palpitations) very often, talk to your doctor about it.

When you suspect a person of having a heart attack, check for these signs. Very often, a heart attack is detectable and can be managed with timely intervention.

Signs Of A Heart Attack

The news of Sridevi's sudden and unexpected demise was a shock for the entire nation and left a number of questions in the minds of the people. However, there are multiple reasons which are under speculation and can be attributed to her death - cardiac arrest, heart attack and death due to accidental drowning. Usually, cardiac arrest and heart attack are two things which most people use interchangeably, however, there is a big difference between the two. 

Difference between cardiac arrest and heart attack: 
A cardiac arrest is far deadlier considering that it comes without a warning or any prior indication of a problem. Here, the heart just stops beating and immediate first-aid can make a lot of difference between life and death. Electrical shock is the best way to revive a patient and should be given within a few minutes of such an arrest. 

On the other hand, a person suffers a heart attack when there is a blockage in the artery which prevents the smooth flow of oxygen-rich blood from reaching the heart. It is important to note that unlike a cardiac arrest the signs of heart attack start slow and persists for long. 

A heart attack is one of the common causes of cardiac arrest, but not always it is the case. A cardiac arrest happens most commonly when the heart is receiving more than 300 impulses per minute or due to absent electrical impulses. In the first instance an electrical shock is a lifesaving technique and in the second, the patient can be treated with certain medications and a temporary pacemaker. 

Symptoms of cardiac arrest:
The symptoms of cardiac arrest are immediate and extreme.

A fainting spell or a sudden collapse
Loss of consciousness
No pulse or breathing 
Symptoms of a heart attack 

Discomfort along with chest pain 
Shortness of breath
Nausea with vomiting
Sweating
Headache and jawpain
Prevention of a cardiac arrest:
What makes this a deadly condition is that you cannot tell your risks of having one and therefore the next best thing to do is to lower your risks. 
The best way to do that is to:

Follow a diet that is balanced and nutritious
Alcohol should be consumed in moderation 
Quit smoking
Stay physically active
How can you prevent a heart attack?

Keep yourself fit and exercise regularly
Keep your cholesterol level under check 
Limit your alcohol intake 
If you are obese, control your weight
Intake a heart-friendly diet.
Now that the distinction is clear between the two, it is recommended that everyone should get themselves screened for potential heart problems on a regular basis. In case of a query or concern consult an expert and get your answers. 

Cardiac Arrest And Heart Attack - Understanding The Difference Between The Two!

Symptoms of heart attack

A heart attack (myocardial infarction) should not be confused with stroke or heart failure. It is the condition which causes major damage to heart muscles because of sudden blockage by a blood clot. The most common symptom of heart attack happens to be chest pain. Heart failure and ventricular fibrillation are probably the most common complications in this condition. 

Clear symptoms of heart attack are:

1. Feeling vaguely ill - very vague feeling of illness is one symptom. You cannot really put your finger on what is wrong with you, but you do feel unwell.

2. Pain in left arm - pain in the arm, mainly the left arm is also one of the symptoms of an impending heart attack.

3. Sweating and heartburn - a lot of people have reported experiencing sweating, indigestion and heartburn before a heart attack. If you are sweating profusely and without any particular reasons, or having an unbearable heartburn, consult a medical specialist immediately.

4. Chest pain - feeling of fullness or tightness in the chest followed by pain is also a symptom of a heart attack. A lot of people have reported to ignore it; kindly don't.

5. Breathlessness - sudden shortness of breath and inability to do a lot of work at one point of time is not a good thing. This could be an indication of a heart attack.

6. Silent attack - the scariest of all is silent heart attack. At times, it comes with no symptoms at all. A person could be visibly physically fit, and suddenly have an attack. This usually happens with those who are suffering from diabetes mellitus.

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All You Need To Know About Heart Attack Symptoms

Congestive heart failure is a chronic progressive condition that affects the pumping power of your heart muscles. Simply referred to as heart failure, congestive heart failure can be life-threatening. It does not mean that the heart has stopped working. Rather, it means that the heart pumping power is weaker than normal. As a result, the heart cannot pump enough oxygen and nutrients to meet the body s needs. Over a period of time, the reduced ability of the heart causes the organs to receive less amount of oxygenated blood.

Signs and symptoms of congestive heart failure: In the early stages of congestive heart failure, you most likely won t notice any changes in your health. If your condition progresses, you will experience gradual changes in your body. The hallmark and the most common symptom of congestive heart failure is shortness of breath and it may occur while you are at rest, doing any activity that exerts your body, when you are lying flat or while getting up from sleep. Some of the other most common symptoms of congestive heart failure include a persistent and unexplained cough, swelling in the legs, ankles, abdomen, or hands, tiredness, changes in thinking and memory, nausea, rapid heart rate, and dizziness or light-headedness.

Causes of congestive heart failure: Congestive heart failure is most likely to occur in people who have other conditions that weaken the heart. The risk also increases by several lifestyle factors that are bad for the heart. Risk factors for congestive heart failure include congenital heart defects, high blood pressure or cholesterol, obesity, asthma, chronic pulmonary disease, coronary heart disease, heart infection, reduced kidney function, a history of heart attack, irregular heart rhythms, abuse of alcohol and drugs, smoking, and old age. Though there are over a hundred other less common causes of heart failure, the exact cause of congestive heart failure is often idiopathic or unknown. Congestive heart failure might also exacerbate by unhealthy lifestyle habits. Specific habits such as smoking, excessive use of alcohol, obesity, lack of exercise, high salt intake, noncompliance with medications, and other therapies may increase the risk of congestive heart failure.

Diagnosis of congestive heart failure: A doctor or cardiologist will perform a physical exam. This may involve listening to the heart for abnormal heart rhythm. Some common tests that are done to help with the diagnosis of congestive heart failure include an electrocardiogram, chest X-ray, series of blood tests, echocardiography, stress test, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and cardiac catheterization.

Treatment of congestive heart failure: The goal of treatment for congestive heart failure is to have the heart beat more efficiently so that it can meet the energy needs of the body. Specific treatment depends upon the underlying cause of heart failure. You and your doctor may consider different treatment, depending on your overall health and how far your condition has progressed. There are several medications that can be used to treat congestive heart failure. ACE inhibitors open up narrowed blood vessels to improve blood flow. Vasodilators are another option if you cannot tolerate ACE inhibitors. Beta blockers can reduce blood pressure and slow a rapid heart rhythm. Diuretics reduce your body s fluid content. A surgery such as angioplasty is recommended if medications are not effective on their own.

Congestive Heart Failure - Signs & Symptoms You Must Not Ignore!

Your diet plays a major role in the health of your heart, so eating healthy should be somewhere on the top of the list for keeping your heart healthy as well. There are numerous heart disorders that occur due to unhealthy food patterns and consumption. Lifestyle factors are the major causes of heart disease, and diet occupies an almost compelling spot when lifestyle factors are taken into consideration. Here is a list of foods that keeps your heart healthy:

Salmon: Omega-3 fatty acids are very important for your heart to function optimally. Fishes such as salmon and sardines are rich in omega-3 fatty acids which lower the risk of heart diseases such as arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat) and atherosclerosis (accumulation of plaque in the arterial walls).

Oats: Like oats and milk for breakfast!? Congratulations! You are in luck; oatmeal has soluble fibers which help in lowering bad cholesterol levels. Just make sure that there is no added sugar in your oatmeal, as it will defeat the entire purpose.

Blueberries: Blueberries are rich in antioxidants that reduce the risks of heart attack and also decrease your blood pressure. So go ahead! Toss some blueberries in your oatmeal to get your daily dose of antioxidants which are such pre-requisites for supreme health.

Dark Chocolate: This will probably bring a smile to your lips. Dark chocolates contain polyphenols, a type of flavonoid, which is very good for your heart. Dark chocolate is known to reduce the risks of strokes and heart attacks. Watch the portion size as no matter what its benefits are, dark chocolates are still rich in calories.

Citrus Fruits: Citrus fruits such as lemons and Indian gooseberry are rich in compounds that lower cholesterol levels in the body. Tip   Start your day with a lemon juice and warm water. This betters your metabolism and also keeps your heart in fine shape.

Soy: Lo Behold Vegetarians! (and non-vegetarians as well). Soy is a protein rich food that is so good for your heart. It also contains heart-healthy fats and fibers that help bring down and normalize cholesterol levels.

Tomatoes: Tomatoes are rich in an antioxidant called  lycopene , which is very effective in getting rid of bad cholesterol. It thus helps in keeping your arteries healthy and reduces the risks of heart attacks.

Nuts: Nuts such as almonds and walnuts are rich in Vitamin E which helps in lowering bad cholesterol in the body. Avoid nuts that come with added salt.

Foods That Help You Maintain A Healthy Heart

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