You are in the garden, pruning the roses. Life is great although you cannot get the thoughts of Monday's meeting out of your mind. You stand up and rub your back where it is sore from bending. You also are aware of a nagging ache in your left arm ... now you are in the vegetable patch. You start to lift the potatoes; the pain in your arm is getting worse. You push the fork into the soil. At the same moment, you start to feel light headed, you see the world as though you are looking through a pair of binoculars held the wrong way round, sounds become distant, it feels like someone heavy is sitting on your chest ... when you wake up, you are aware of a tube up your nose, something attached to each arm and your chest. You roll your eyes and see the family around your hospital bed ... This is an all too common occurrence; one of the biggest killers in our western society is heart disease. Rather than treat the results, living from day to day, wondering when the next one will strike, would it not be better if we took steps to prevent it happening in the first place? OK, it can be a matter of genetics but by making a few lifestyle changes you could give your body a better chance. The following changes are in no particular order of importance, but they will at least give you something to think about. Exercise - Taking regular moderate intensity exercise can help to strengthen your heart. During moderate intensity exercise, your heart will beat faster, your breathing rate will increase and you will feel warm. The recommendation by health professionals is 30 minutes of this type of exercise at least 5 times a week. The 30 minutes can be spread out over time and can be achieved fairly easily, for example, walking up stairs instead of taking the lift, doing chores at twice your normal speed, taking a brisk evening walk. The usual excuse is "I don't have the time' but with a little creative thinking, even the most time pressured can make time for exercise. Reduce stress - Easier said than done! These days, in the west, everything seems to need doing immediately. Relax, if the chores don't all get done on a particular day, so what, the world is not coming to an end. Business is driven by targets and a desire to constantly improve. If you are a manager, pushing yourself and your staff to the limits, you will be creating huge amounts of stress. Arrange corporate days out throughout the year for you and your staff to recharge your batteries, things like treasure hunts or medieval fun days are perfect for that. Learn to relax and switch off, take an example from the people of the Far East - take up yoga or tai chi which can help you to let go of your tension. Diet - You are what you eat - eat high cholesterol fatty foods and you are probably driving yourself into an early grave. So eat a balanced diet with as little convenience food as possible. Again the cultures of the Far East seem to have sussed this centuries ago. One modern revelation is the role that teas may play in keeping your cardio-vascular system in good shape. Pure, organic teas are the best as they have been processed the least. The commonest tea drunk in the west is black tea in tea bags. This is made from the fannings and because it is ground into small particles, it oxidises rapidly. This destroys a lot of the goodness. Buying leaf tea is the best way forward. The important anti-oxidant chemicals that are found in teas are preserved as the air cannot reach the interior of the leaf easily, slowing down the process of deterioration. So how does tea benefit the health? Studies in several countries have found many kinds of tea have some effect in reducing cholesterol in blood fats, though oolong seems to get the best results. It is thought that the polyphenols in tea inhibit the absorption of cholesterol in the digestive tract, thus decreasing the cholesterol levels in the bloodstream. There is also evidence that they may decrease the blood's tendency to form thrombi, or unwanted blood clots. But there are other benefits from teas too. Research has found that certain kinds of tea (notably green, white and oolong varieties) have some effect against cancer because they inhibit the formation or action of cancer-causing substances. It seems to be the epigallo catechin gallate (EGCC) that reduces the occurrence of uncontrolled DNA replication. Vitamin E is regarded as an excellent antioxidant; EGCC is supposedly 200 times more effective for neutralizing free radicals in the body. Another way tea may help fight cancer is through preventing cell mutation. The antioxidant properties of the polyphenols in green, white and oolong tea may inhibit mutation of the DNA in healthy cells, which can cause them to become cancer cells. So help your body to stay healthier - exercise regularly, reduce stress, eat fewer convenience foods, ditch the coffee and drink healthy green, white and oolong tea! Disclaimer: When pregnant or nursing only small amounts of teas should be taken, teas can also interfere with MAO inhibitors and blood thinning medication. Also the consumption of quantities of tea may interfere with the absorption of medicines. This article is intended to be for information about the possible benefits of exercise and green, white and oolong tea only and should not be regarded as medical advice in its own right. You should seek the assistance of a qualified physician if you require medical advice on any condition mentioned in this article. Should you decide to increase your exercise levels, build up gradually and if you are overweight or have not been accustomed to exercise, seek advice from a professional. Do you want to improve your chances of a long life? Then visit In Nature to buy your healthy Chinese green, white or oolong tea now. Or do you want to reduce stress in the workplace? Try a treasure hunt for your corporate entertainment event.
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