Month: March 2018

Atherosclerosis is a type of vascular disease that affects the arteries of the body. Arteries are blood vessels that carry oxygen away from a heart. These arteries work with veins, which send blood back to heart, to keep the heart pumping. This function allows for the removal of chemical waste from your body, as well as moving oxygen and other nutrients.

With atherosclerosis, these arteries become the perfect places for fatty substances like cholesterol and cellular waste products to build up over time. The substance that clogs the arteries is called plaque. This makes the arteries narrower, which causes problems in blood flow. It is a disease that is hard to detect early on because for it to be detrimental, there has to be a significant amount of plaque build up.

Unfortunately, atherosclerosis is the number one cause of death in the developed world. Almost all people are affected by the age of 65. Developed countries are more exposed to a variety of “junk” food and fast food, which is why it is common for people in said countries to develop this disease. People get affected by atherosclerosis in different ways, and there are different types of atherosclerosis, with some examples being angina and carotid artery disease. Angina is where the heart has reduced blood flow, causing chest pains. Carotid artery disease refers to neck plaque that prevents blood from supplying blood to the brain. Some people may have partial plaque build up in the legs, while others could have a complete blockage of arteries in their arms.

The best and most effective way to prevent this disease is to stay healthy by eating healthy foods, exercising, and not smoking. Eating healthy provides the right nutrients, and exercising keeps your body and organs strong and working properly. Smoking also increases the chances of plaque build up. Following these three steps will help prevent plaque build-up.

Yoga is a discipline and a lifestyle to many around the globe. For us, doing yoga can provide physical and mental benefits. Yoga is a more involved form of stretching and deep breathing to help circulation and promote vascular health.

It is easy to overlook how the mind can affect the physical body. When under stress, common physical symptoms may include, but are not limited to: muscle tension, rapid or irregular heartbeat, and even low energy. Yoga is special because it brings together physical activity, breathing, and meditation.

Because yoga is less strenuous than other kinds of exercise, it is easier to adapt to, and serves a greater audience. Doing a variety of yoga positions stretches and works our muscles. The deep breathing involved with yoga can help lower blood pressure and circulate more oxygen to the body. These activities may help prevent heart disease, and can help people with cardiovascular problems.

If stress and anxiety is impacting your mental health, mind-soothing meditation, a key part of yoga, quiets the nervous system and eases stress. Yoga appears to influence stress response systems. Because of this, yoga decreases physiological arousal, which ties into vascular health. This includes benefits such as reducing the heart rate, lowering blood pressure, and easing respiration. There is also evidence that yoga can help increase heart rate variability, the ability to adapt to stress-induced situations.

Yoga is a great method of staying mentally and physically positive. While it may sound intimidating, many classes are designed for beginners. Like any other form of exercise Yoga helps regardless of your skill level! Anyone can pick it up and begin to see the benefits of yoga.