9 health benefits of walnuts:

1. Lowers risk of diabetes
2. Promotes a healthy heart and circulatory system
3. Lowers cholesterol levels
4. Boosts brain power and improves memory
5. Slows the progression of rheumatoid and osteoarthritis
6. Acts as an anti-inflammatory food
7. Rich in antioxidant properties
8. Fights breast and prostate cancer
9. Improves reproductive health in men.

9 Ultimate Reasons to Eat Walnuts Everyday

Heart attack, also known as myocardial infarction, is a severe condition where death of the heart muscle occurs because of the loss of blood supply. The blood loss usually happens because of the blockage of a coronary artery. Due to electrical instability, ventricular fibrillation is caused. Heart attacks may result in permanent brain damage or even death.

Symptoms of heart attack
There are many early symptoms and signs of heart attack, which should be recognized. Symptoms of heart attack vary from person to person. Here is a list of the primary heart attack symptoms:

Chest pain and discomfort:
Chest pain is the basic symptom of a heart attack and occurs in different forms. The chest pain has a pressure, fullness and squeezing sensation and starts from the center of the chest. The pain may go away and re-occur and may spread down to other limbs of the body.
Headache, toothache:
The chest pain occurring due to a heart attack spreads all over the body and the jaw. Even the back and head are affected. Sometimes pain in these regions is present while chest pain is absent.
Shortness of breath:
A gasping sensation or feeling shortness of breath is another common sign of a heart attack. Such breathing difficulty is called dyspnea. The shortness of breath occurs before or during the chest pain.
Nausea and vomiting:
The feeling of nausea or sickness in the stomach is another possible symptom. It is accompanied by belching or burping and sometimes, the heart attack is associated with a feeling of indigestion. Nausea is more common in women. Vomiting also occurs alongside nausea.
General epigastric discomfort:
In several cases, patients describe the pain of a heart attack as stomach pain. The pain is heavy and uncomfortable and persists for several minutes.
Sweating:
Perspiration or sweating occurs during a heart attack and the patient experiences cold sweat in avid amounts.

Emergency treatment for heart attack-
A person who has a heart attack should be rushed to a hospital.
Several tests are carried out to detect the cause of the attack. A 12 lead ekg is carried out to supervise electrical activity within the heart and detect the damaged areas.
Blood tests are undertaken to check enzymes and in certain cases, cardiac catheterization is required where pictures of the blood vessels are examined.
Emergency medicines are given to the patient to stop the formation of blood clots and include aspirin, heparin and other drugs. Other medicines are given for thrombolytic therapy, which dissolve already formed blood clots. They work to reduce the heart damage. Nitrates are also used.

A heart attack is a severe condition and must be attended to immediately. Emergency treatment procedures are essential to save the life of an affected person.

Heart Attack - Signs, Symptoms and Emergency Treatment

A heart attack can wreak havoc, throwing a person's life completely off balance. The condition, also known as Myocardial Infarction, often catches a person unawares. As per a survey, close to 7.35 lakhs people (both men and women) suffer from a cardiac arrest and associated disorders in the US every year. Early diagnosis and preventive measures can make a world of difference. Unfortunately, many people ignore or tend to miss out on the early symptoms characteristic of a heart attack.

A heart attack can be very much averted. All you need to do is, listen to your body and pay attention to the following warning signs. Act before it is too late.

Indigestion, nausea: Nausea, vomiting or indigestion is important, yet most commonly ignored early symptoms of a heart attack. More common in women than their male counterparts, the symptoms are often mistaken for over exhaustion or stomach upset. Nausea, in particular, can be triggered by many conditions and hence the negligence. A person may also complain of stomach ache or heart burns.Though the symptoms may appear to be nothing serious, seeking an immediate medical assistance will not hurt either. A little alertness will only help you in the long run.
Pain and discomfort in the chest: This is a warning that should be taken seriously by all means. The symptom can be an indication of a condition as serious as a blocked artery, an important trigger for a heart attack.
Dizziness: Seldom will you find people losing their sleep over something as common as dizziness. While the lack of a sound sleep can make a person feel dizzy and light headed, the symptom (often accompanied by chest pain) could also be an outcome of a low BP (triggered by improper functioning of the heart). Look for the symptoms carefully and act accordingly.
Sharp pain episodes: Many people experience a sharp pain that originates in the chest and gradually spreads outward towards the arms. The symptom is a clear indication of a heart problem, ignoring which will only spell doom. Sometimes the pain can also spread to the jaw or the throat.The symptom is a strong warning that your heart needs immediate care and attention.
Sudden and unexplained sweating: Sweating due to hot and scorching summer is understood but unexplained sweating can be dangerous.
Over exhaustion: If small or regular chores that you could do in the wink of an eye are suddenly leaving you tired and exhausted (climbing the stairs for instance), it is time for you to consult a doctor.
Irregular heartbeat: The irregular beating of the heart can also be an indication of a heart problem.
Swollen feet: A heart problem can interfere with the ability of the heart to pump blood. As a result, the affected person may have swollen feet, ankles, and legs.
Cough: A cough that lingers for long (often accompanied with a pink mucus) is an important indication of a damaged or diseased heart.

Heart Attack - Did You Know Your Body Starts Giving You Signs A Month Before?

Coronary artery disease is one of the major killer diseases of the modern society. It is not a solitary problem but brings with it a multitude of issues including obesity, diabetes, stroke, and other metabolic disorders. A thorough understanding of what causes it and how to manage it can help save thousands of lives.

Causes: The circulatory system is mainly made up of the heart and a complex network of arteries and veins. The inner walls of these are lined with smooth muscles, allowing for free flow of blood. Gradually, over a period of time, given the density, the fat from the blood flowing through these vessels settles along the walls of these vessels. This attracts more fat, lipoproteins, and other inflammatory cells and so the process continues. This reduces the diameter of the blood vessels, therefore reducing the amount of blood supply to the target organs. If the target organ is a vital one like the brain or the heart, then it could lead to stroke or heart attacks.

Main causes for coronary artery disease include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, sedentary lifestyle, obesity, smoking, diabetes, and stress. Men are more prone than women, and family history and age puts them at higher risk.

Symptoms: Reduced blood supply to the target organ causes the following symptoms:

Shortness of Breath: A person with coronary artery disease will feel short of breath and tired with most activities, even like walking a few meters.

Chest Pain: A strong pressure sensation on the left side of the chest is an indication of coronary artery disease. Known as angina, it comes with stress and goes away once the stress is removed. It could sometimes radiate to the shoulder, down the arm, or up into the jaw also. These are classical symptoms of angina or heart attack and is considered an emergency. Of note, this is often mistaken for indigestion.

Palpitations: A sensation where you are able to hear your heartbeat.

Nausea and Excessive Sweating: Nausea and excessive sweating are also seen during angina.

Treatment: There are 3 modes to manage this.

Medications:

Aspirin to reduce the viscosity of the blood.

Statin to control the cholesterol levels.

Beta blockers to control hypertension.

Nitroglycerin for temporary relief of angina pain.

Surgical Procedures:  Surgical procedures including balloon angioplasty followed by placement of drug-eluting stents and coronary artery bypass surgery are done to manage more severe cases.

Lifestyle Change: Lifestyle changes including reduced fat consumption, decrease body weight, stop smoking, increased physical exercise, and reducing stress are highly important in preventing further damage.

Once suspected, coronary artery disease can be effectively managed and the extent of damage controlled using the above techniques.

Coronary Artery Disease   Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

There has been an intense debate, which is in the loop for years and has been raging back and forth regarding the deficiencies of a vegetarian diet versus the perils of a non-vegetarian one. This heated debate is both accurate as well as unfounded. Probably, that s the entire reason it is still a debate. In fact, if you look into the diet of both groups, you will be able to identify the fact that, there is a space for healthy living in both.

Vegetarian Diet

In a vegetarian diet, the food intake of a person is confined to a large variety of foods derived from plants along with milk and dairy. And, any form of meat and products derived from animals are completely avoided.

Pros

Vegetarians have been noted to consume lesser amount of proteins, but they do not suffer from problems related to a high protein diet, such as osteoporosis (characterized by brittle and weak bones) and kidney failure.
The diet includes high level of antioxidants such as vitamin E & C as well as carotene, which is available in vegetables and fruits.
Additionally, they consume less amount of saturated fats.
Cons

Deficiency of vitamin B12 is common amongst vegetarians, as it is mainly available in meat, eggs and fish. Deficiency of vitamin B12 can yield rare symptoms such as increased fatigue, shortness of breath and a temporary loss of body balance.
Lack of protein, as stated above, along with iron and zinc deficiency is also common. 
Symptoms of protein deficiency can be troublesome and include signs like

Sluggish metabolism
Loss of body muscles (as the body tries to derive the regular protein intake from your muscles, thus making them weak),
Trouble gaining or losing weight
Persistent fatigue
Longer healing time in case of wounds and injuries
Pain in joints
Drastic changes in blood sugar level that might result in diabetes
A weak immune system makes you vulnerable to all kinds of diseases.
Non-vegetarian Diet

A non-vegetarian diet includes all forms of plant foods as well as foods and by-products that are derived from animals, such as poultry, fish, meat, etc.

Pros 

Vitamin B12 is present in adequate level since they are derived from sources such as meat, eggs and fish. Adequate intake of proteins is never an issue for  non-vegetarians
Cons

Meat products are loaded with saturated fats, which increase the risk of heart diseases. Studies have shown that people consuming non-vegetarian diets:
Have shorter lifespan and are more vulnerable to chronic diseases.
Tend to develop diabetes, heart diseases and hypertension.
Usually non vegetarians eat less amount of vegetables and fruits than what is recommended.  
If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a Dietitian/Nutritionist.

Vegetarian vs Non Vegetarian Diet - Which is Better?

Be it burgers, bagels, muffins, sandwiches or simple toasts, bread has made headway into the diets of a huge portion of the populace. Although a staple diet for many since time immemorial, the consumption of bread has increased extensively in the recent past. But, which type of bread should we intake to incur the best health impacts is a question that bothers many. The general assumption is that the wholegrain variety is the best alternative. However, the barrage of marketing tactics makes it impossible to distinguish the best variety from the others. 

There are a whole lot of myths surrounding the best variety of bread and you must choose wisely before settling for one particular type. It is expedient to look beyond the overt appearance or the name of the bread, one needs to be wary of the ingredient before taking a call.

Mostly, white bread is made out of refined flour which is often striped off essential nutrients and fibers. To worsen the situation, white bread is often bleached with certain chemicals to enhance its appearance.
Certain assumptions deem brown bread as the healthier option. Unfortunately, it isn't true always. More often than not, brown bread is simply white bread with artificial coloring added to it or is caramelized. They essentially add no surplus nutritional value.

Similarly, multigrain bread can often mislead the consumers about its health impacts. Unlike whole wheat bread, multigrain breads are usually chemically treated with softened grains. This does not effectively recover the lost nutrients of the bread.

Whole wheat bread has more pronounced health benefits. It contains more wheat germ and fibers in comparison to the more processed varieties of bread. Having evaded the toxic additives, it has relatively healthier effects on our blood sugar levels.

As you realize that the bread that you eat does not necessarily affect your health favorably, wisdom lies in seeking out the least harmful variety. In that context, rye bread or spelt bread contains greater amount of minerals. Besides, bread made from barley, oats and millets have greater mineral content than the commercially hybridized varieties and promote better health.

Brown Bread Vs White Bread Vs Whole Grain?

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