Your Heart Attack Risk 03/19/2011
 Test your heart attack risk. Our guest blogger Jon Benson shares his insights on our level of risk for a heart attack and more, what to do about it . . . Cheers padre art ~~~~~~~~~ Want to know what your real odds are of having a heart attack? How about a stroke? Diabetes? Okay, this isn't sounding like a positive letter . . . but hang in there. It gets a lot better and more positive. I was having lunch today with my CPA and my good friend Sherry Strong. Sherry's upcoming book is a must-read. I will let you know when she's ready to release it. Since Sherry has been here visiting me in Dallas I have learned SO much about natural food preparation and what really causes heart disease. Our conversation took a turn to "doctor's tests." I think most of them are worthless. Some are vital. It's important to know the difference. I'm going to give you the three tests you absolutely must take if you want to help ensure your future health in a moment. But first, let me give you Sherry's argument to my third test. Yes, we nutritionists argue sometimes. I'll let you decide. But statically it's far more accurate than any blood test . . . and get this: You can do it at home for FREE. So far, are you with me? Good. I'm going to go in reverse order, third test to last . . . The third test is simply this: Measure your waistline Use a tape measure and do not pull it tight. Measure right below the navel. Write down that number in inches. Measure your height (out of shoes) Write that down too. Multiply your waist inches by 2. If that number is greater than your height inches you are FOUR TIMES more likely to have heart disease. For example; If you have a 36-inch waist and you are 70 inches tall, you are at a much greater risk for heart disease (36 x 2 = 72 which is greater than 70.) However if you have a 34-inch waist and you are 70 inches tall, you risk is far less (34 x 2 = 68 which is less than 70.) Four times. That's more predictive than cholesterol tests by far. And a lot less expensive to boot. Don't just read about this test ~~ DO IT. I'll give you something you can do ABOUT it if you fail this test in a second. The great news is that this is one factor that is totally within your control. Test number two: Know your SED rate. This is an inflammatory marker in the blood. Test number one: Know your hsCRP and LP(a) levels. Both of these can be done as one test usually. Both are inflammatory markers as well as key indicators of heart disease. Go to your doctor and ask for these three blood tests. Usually they can be done all at once. Sometimes they are separate, but they are all crucial. If you are thin and look healthy, listen to this: You too can be Lance Armstrong or Jim Fixx . . . and not know it. Lance and Jim looked like two of the healthiest men on the planet. Lance beat testicular cancer but came within an inch of his life. Jim died after a short jog of a heart attack very young in life. Looks can be deceiving. This is Sherry's argument ~~ and she's totally correct. That's why I give you THREE (well, actually four) TESTS. You see, it's virtually impossible to have a normal SED rate, a normal hsCRP level and a normal LP(a) level and be at imminent risk for any of these killer diseases. Possible, perhaps ~~ but almost not. So, if you look healthy and feel like a bazillion bucks, you still need to know your levels of these inflammatory markers. If you are overweight or obese, you totally absolutely MUST do the waist/height test as well as the others. You see, it goes both ways. Some obese folks test out okay at the doc's office. Their cholesterol, blood pressure, and all typical readings are okay. Rarely does a doc run an hsCRP or LP(a). And rarely do they run a SED rate. See the importance here? Both the fit and the unfit can be at dire risk and not even know it. Now, here's the solution: A low-inflammatory nutrition and training plan, along with plenty of stress-free time. I can help you with the first two things. The third thing ~~ de-stressing ~~ is up to you. You may want to spend 30 minutes a day doing yoga, walking, meditating, praying, or whatever calms your MIND and BODY down. Check it out: Lance and Jim were both doing insane amounts of exercise . . . so much that they demanded insane amounts of high-inflammatory foods. Foods like processed carbohydrates for example. And they both got sick. One of them died. My good friend Dr. Steven Chase believes that 85% of cancer is preventable. That's right! 85%. And he's an oncologist -- a cancer doctor. And you know heart disease is 95% preventable . . . or did you? But all of these killers, especially diabetes, demand a low-insulin, low-inflammatory nutrition and exercise plan. Lance and Jim had sky-high inflammatory levels from all that exercise. It was literally TOO much exercise. That's why so many marathoners die of heart attacks. They eat inflammatory foods and engage in high-stress exercise for too long of a time. So, what's the answer?
Most workout plans are either too easy or too intense for too long a period of time. My System is super-short (7-14 minutes a day, plus walks when you can.) This is enough to build all the muscle you need plus burn body fat when combined with the nutrition plan. My System's nutrition plan is ideal if you are willing to "diet" for a day or two, then enjoy a day of eating "normal" foods. Hey, no one is perfect. Anyone who has half a brain should know that not very many people (myself included) are willing to do without their favorite foods forever. That's silly -- and it's not necessary to burn body fat. In fact, my System 'demands' that you eat these foods . . . at certain times . . . TO BURN MORE BODY FAT! Wild, isn't it? It's the System I've used for years. It's the combination of two books: 7 Minute Muscle + Every Other Day Diet Get them both for one low price . . . Any of my three Upgrade Kits come with both books, a full year of support from me on the Every Other Day Diet group Forum, and so many bonuses I can't list them all. This combo is something I am so very proud to share with you. It's the ultimate System for lowering body fat, increasing lean muscle, lowering insulin, lowering inflammation, and reducing your risk of heart attack. Whether you are in shape or obese, this System is one that will work for you . . .  Add Comment   Is it possible to lose weight and still eat your favorite foods? I think the before and after pictures of Jon Benson, author of Every Other Day Diet, pretty well answers that question. ++++++++++++++++++++ How to Still Eat Your Favorite Foods While Losing Weight What makes a diet stop working? What causes a man or a woman to go on a diet, full of good intentions, only to discard that diet in a few weeks or months?
"Love is the key to staying on a diet, a workout plan . . . anything that requires a change of lifestyle. It may seem obvious, but unless you actually 'love' the diet you are on, there is little chance of you staying on it for very long," Jon continues, "All diets require a change in how you look at food, how you consume food, and even how you think about food. The problem is most diets make too many demands of the dieter right off the bat. They tell you not to eat certain foods, sometimes making that a permanent restriction, while allowing perhaps a day per week to 'overeat' your favorite foods." "This is a disaster waiting to happen . . . and there is a much more balanced, healthy and effective way to diet than this." Ten years ago Jon Benson was a somewhat typical American male:
When Jon decided enough was enough, he, like so many others who are truly ready to change their body and their life, went a bit overboard. "Oh sure, I ate the typical dry chicken, oatmeal with nothing on it, bland rice, and tried to never eat anything I actually enjoyed. Lucky for me I actually love chicken, but most of my diet was composed of what I call my "hate foods", not my love foods -- foods I truly enjoyed eating. But my thinking was just like that of the typical dieter: 'If I eat (fill-in-the-blank favorite food) I'll get fatter and never lose weight!' How wrong I was . . . and after I started and stopped my diet at least ten times during a course of three years I finally got the message." Benson decided to use his nutritional knowledge and his background in body shaping to his advantage. "I started thinking, 'Why not focus on progress rather than perfection?' Again, this seems like common sense, but most dieters are focused on being perfect all the time. So I began applying some old body shaping tricks to my dietary plan. For example, I started cycling my calories. I would eat more on one day, less on another. This kept my metabolism guessing and never allowed my body to hit that dreaded 'no more weight loss' plateau." "Then I decided to push the envelope. I started experimenting with including my favorite foods -- pizza, pasta, and even desserts, all in reasonable quantities -- on my higher-calorie food days. At first it didn't work out too well. But then I used what I now call my "Caveman Principle" which involves strategically eating protein at specific times with a bit less food volume (and this allowed me to stop counting calories too!) and then including my favorite foods on specific days and, most important, specific times. Timing in this case is everything." Jon explains how this timing includes both time of day as well as eating higher-calorie, higher-fat, higher-carbohydrate foods only after exercise. "Specific exercise, done for short periods of time, can set the body up to receive additional calories and carbohydrates more effectively without storing them as body fat. You just have to have to know when to do it. Do it right and it works like a charm." "The end result was a loss of over 70 pounds of fat, and I never gave up eating my favorite foods... not once, but at least three times a week." A study conducted at the University of Phoenix could shed some light on why this approach to dieting may work better than traditional 'calorie-counting' and overly-restrictive foods plans. People given the option of eating more frequently versus three meals a day ended up eating smaller servings of both healthy foods and, on some days, 'junk foods' yet still lost more weight than the three-meals-per-day group. The evidence pointed toward the elevation of the metabolic rate through frequent eating and the psychological ease of being less restrictive regarding foods consumed. "I believe food should be enjoyed, and in my opinion life is way too short to worry about eating perfect all the time. When I crafted this approach into what is now known as "The Every Other Day Diet", it became an overnight smash, and for good reason . . . it gave people a chance to have a life while they are losing weight. Let's face it: Anyone can diet for a day or two, and that's basically what The Every Other Day Diet asks of its users. Of course you cannot go hog wild on your Feed Days (the higher-calories favorite food meals) but just knowing your favorite foods are always just around the corner keeps you on the weight loss track." "The end result is a diet that just about everyone can fall in love with. Loving your diet is the key to dietary success, as I said. And I do happen to love me some pizza! I just use that pizza now to actually help me lose weight rather than gain it, all while staying in good health." Click here to watch a quick video presentation on Jon's "Caveman Principle" of eating and why it works so well for hundreds of thousands of people for fast, sustainable, and enjoyable way to lose weight. |   Enhance the effectiveness of your diet with a Fat Loss Support Community over 16,000 member strong.
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Authorpadre art is author, fitness enthusiast and lives the Mediterranean lifestyle (diet).  ArchivesMarch 2011  CategoriesAll   Get Off the Couch with Joan
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