Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is the most common of all cardiomyopathies. It is a condition wherein the heart muscular walls of the left or both ventricles become enlarged, weakened and floppy which impairs the systolic pump function of the heart.

In hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, the heart is unable to efficiently deliver blood to other parts of the body due to the shrinking of the size of its pumping chambers caused by the thickening and stiffening of the walls of the myocardium or heart muscle. Whereas, in restrictive cardiomyopathy, the heart cannot properly expand and is greatly hindered to fill with blood between heartbeats because of rigid and less elastic heart muscles.

The causes of cardiomyopathy are idiopathic or unknown, but there are various contributing factors that lead to cardiomyopathy. Some of these are:

• long-term high blood pressure
• excessive use of alcohol for many years
• nutritional deficiencies of essential vitamins and minerals
• use of cocaine and other antidepressant medications
• viral infection
• metabolic disorders such as diabetes or thyroid disease
• iron buildup in the heart
• pregnancy, and others.

Most of these factors are preventable. The phytonutrients from fruits, grains, nuts and vegetables can effectively prevent nutritional deficiencies. Natural vitamin and mineral supplements supply the body with essential nutrients for optimum health. Vitamins and minerals are important in the maintenance of ideal body weight to prevent obesity.

Obesity can be measured through BMI or Body Mass Index. It is a measure of body fat in terms of body weight and height. It is calculated by dividing the weight in kilograms by the height in meters squared: (kg/m²). A person with a BMI lesser than 18.5 is considered underweight, 18.5 to 24.9 is normal weight, 25 to 29.9 is overweight, and 30 or greater is obese.

A BMI of less than 21 has the greatest protection against coronary heart disease and mortality. A BMI greater than 23 but lesser than 25 in women increases the risk of fatal coronary heart disease by 50%, and a BMI greater than 25 but lesser than 29 in men by 72%.

Obesity And Heart Attack is a post from: Wise Mom Says

Eye twitch can be deceptive. People in the island,where my cousin grew considered eye twitching not unusual, and nobody, including my cousin’s parents and relatives, were bothered by it. This could be the reason why they did not consult an eye specialist to treat my cousin’s eye twitch.

Eye twitching is a neurological movement disorder called myokymia. It is a type of fasciculation or an involuntary eyelid muscle contraction caused by the spontaneous discharge of  a collection of skeletal muscle fibers. Eye twitch can either be localized in the left or right eye, in which case it is called as hemifacial spasm. An eye twitch that affects both eyes is called blepharospasm.

The following factors can cause eye twitching:

• Vitamin A deficiency
• Neurological disorder
• Compressed nerve
• Medication
• Benzodiazepine withdrawal
• Allergies
• Eye strain
• Fatigue
• Lack of sleep
• Caffeine

Eye twitching can easily be corrected when the above causative factors are corrected or eliminated. Except for compressed nerve, which would need an expert to correct, most of the above causes can be eliminated through the use of some vitamins and minerals. Vitamin A, lutein  and zeaxanthin are powerful antioxidants proven to cure eye twitch. Vitamin supplements such as ICaps Lutein & Zeaxanthin, and PreserVision Vitamins & Minerals are best for the prevention and treatment of eye twitch.

Eye Twitching: Its Causes and Treatment is a post from: Wise Mom Says

Incoming search terms:

• nerve wise
• can lutein cause eye twitching

The months of January and February  are extremely cold. It’s winter in most continents and this cold winds from the north were blown very coldly. The cold weather could get really unbearable. It would also make you feel more comfortable if you use heater and heated mattress pad to keep you warm inside your home. It’s nice to snuggle to a warm bed during winter or rainy  season.

You should also wear proper clothes for the weather to keep you warm and comfortable. It would o prevent you from getting wet and feeling cold, most especially while staying outside for a long time, otherwise you will end up freezing.

Do not compromise your health and safety, most especially if the rain or snow is falling heavily. A lot of bad incidents could happen. It is better to stay indoors, and enjoy a good soup, and make sure that the rest of your family is home safe.

Rainy and Winter Seasons is a post from: Wise Mom Says

The formation of atherosclerosis starts at childhood. It is a misconception that only the middle aged and the adults are susceptible to atherosclerosis. Autopsies of young children and even of  infants had shown clogged arteries.

Atherosclerosis is asymptotic most of the time. Ninety percent of the time, its symptoms are not visible, until the very onslaught of strokes or heart attacks.

How does atherosclerosis develop in the arteries?

Atherosclerosis develops from the oxidation of low-density lipoprotein molecules (LDL)  by free radicals, particularly oxygen free radicals.This oxidized LDL  damages the arterial inner wall, and a series of reactions are activated by the body’s defense mechanism to repair this damage.   Initially, this damage or lesion is visible as the thickening of the inner wall (intima) of the artery with the presence of fatty streaks or plaques.

The body’s immune system sends specialized white blood cells, macrophages and T-lympocytes to absorb the oxidized-LDL and to repair the damage to the artery wall caused by oxidized LDL. But these white blood cells are not able to process these oxidized-LDL, and this  gradually  grow and then ruptures, depositing a greater amount of oxidized cholesterol in the artery wall. This triggers the immune system to send more white blood cells, and the cycle continues.The artery becomes inflamed, and the cholesterol plaques cause the muscle cells to enlarge and form a hard cover over the damaged area. This hard cover  causes a narrowing of the artery which reduces the blood flow and increases blood pressure. Clogged arteries can lead to angina pectoris, mycardial infarction, strokes, heart attacks, and other cardiovascular diseases.

What must be done to prevent or minimize atherosclerosis?

The best way to prevent or minimize atherosclerosis is to avoid all fatty foods. All junk foods are cooked or processed with fats, and most of these fats come from hydrogenated cooking oils that are converted into trans fatty acid when heated. Trans fatty acids are very harmful to the body,  and it causes cancer.

A vegetarian diet can help a lot. Fruits, grains, nuts, and vegetables have vitamins and minerals that reduces low-density lipoprotein (LDL), a bad cholesterol, and increases the high-density lipoprotein (HDL), a good cholesterol. Good examples of these are garlic, onions, avocados, cayenne, gingko biloba, gotu kola, and soy beans. They not only provide the essential nutrients for a healthy body, but they are also known to dissolve excess cholesterols in the body.

A regular physical exercise is also very important in preventing atherosclerosis. Brisk walking can lower bad cholesterol level in the body, and raises the good cholesterol too. Sports, such as tennis, basketball, and swimming are also good forms of exercises.

And the best prevention of all is to have a positive mental attitude  in life.  Studies showed that trauma and stress are the primary precursors of atherosclerosis. So live life happily and trust in God.

How To Prevent Atherosclerosis is a post from: Wise Mom Says

Man’s original diet includes fruits, grains, nuts, and vegetables. Man was originally designed as a herbivore. As such, the structure of his mouth, teeth, jaw, and intestines, are distinctly very different from carnivores. He has small mouth opening, and he has sharp cutting incisors with flat or nodular surfaced molars for crushing and grinding food. His jaw has  three distinct motions – up and down; sideways; forward or backward, but in a limited degree. Also man’s large intrestines runs through the abdominal cavity like an inverted U, and consists of ascending, transverse,  and descending colons.

During those ancient days, the animals were clean, and grazed on clean grasses, as vegetation started to grow back. Nowaday, animals are injected with growth hormones that are harmful to the body. And their feeds are mixed with dried pulverized carcases, additives, and other toxic chemicals. These animals are butchered in dirty slaughter houses – where animal fecal wastes mingle with their flesh meats. Also some of these animals are sick with communicable diseases that are transferred to the consumers, such as flu, pneumonia, tuberculosis, mad cow disease, foot and mouth disease, bird’s flu, Ebola Reston virus, and others.  Even the flesh meats of healthy animals, besides the chemicals from feed, and other additives, are flooded with insulin which they secrete in reaction to fear when butchered.

Flesh meats contain a stress hormone called 17-hydroxycorticosteroid which stimulates the pituitary gland, and cause man to be more animalistic, and less rational. During cooking, some chemical substances are produced in meats, such as benzopyrene, and methylcholanthrene. Benzopyrene can cause stomach tumors, and leukemia. It is so toxic that in a one kilo of charcoal-broiled steak, there is as much benzopyrene as in 600 cigarettes. Methylcholanthrene is a carcinogenic  sustance formed when the fat of meats are superheated.

Besides, the toxic chemical substances in meats, there is also greater risk of having heart diseases, heart attacks,  strokes, and cardiovascular diseases that are closely related with flesh meat eating. Animal flesh meats are high in cholesterol that clogs the vein and arteries resulting to heart attacks and strokes.

Why Flesh Meat Eating Is Harmful To Health is a post from: Wise Mom Says

Today, our mode of transport has totally changed. Our transportation system has grown fast paced and complicated so that it becomes less available for our usual personal use. Buses and the trains especially have become solely for the mass transport of workers to and fro their work places. It is no longer effective nor readily available for running personal errands nor to transport goods to the market.

So we need a car for our personal use. This is especially important when we have a small business and have to shop for goods on a regular basis. Our family can use it also during excursions or camping in the beach or in the mountain. There’s no more need to spend a big amount to hire a car during family activities.

We can have our own car now through easy auto loans. We don’t have to wait until we have completely save the total amount for the car we desire. We can have it now, and use it in our small business. We can pay a small amount for it monthly, and we can use the rest of our savings and profit to improve and expand our business.

Since car is a necessity and an investment, we have to take care of it, not only its external looks, or its engine, but even the interior. Keep it clean with car leather cleaner to keep the interior looking new. Just in case you need to dispose it someday to buy another car, you can still sell it for a good value.

Having a personal car will make life, most especially going from one place to another, much easier. So consider investing on one, on a long term basis. Choose your vehicle wisely, so that it will not only fit your lifestyle, but also suit your personal and family’s needs.

A Car is a Necessity in Life is a post from: Wise Mom Says

I know all about these from reading encyclopedia, through science and astronomy lectures, watching videos, and participating in star gazing events. That’s why I’m also sharing my knowledge to my kids through getting discount dvd and other films, which seems to catch their interests, more than books. although i still encourage them to read books, as often as they can.

Rigel,  the left foot of Orion, is the brightest star in this constellation. It is 773 light years away, and has a mass of 17 solar masses. Betelgeuse, the right shoulder of Orion, is the second brightest in the constellation, and is 600 light years away from our solar system. Bellatrix is the left shoulder of Orion, and  is 240 light years away. Saiph, the right foot of Orion is720 light years away.

Its three bright stars, commonly known as the “Belt of Orion”, are visible to the naked eyes. These are the Alnitak, Alnilam, and Mintaka.These stars are also known as “the Three Kings”, or “The Three Sisters”. Alnitak is the easternmost star in the belt. It is 800 light years away. Alnilam is the center of the belt. It is 1300 light years away. Mintaka is the westernmost star in the belt, and  is 900 light years away.

Below the belt is the “Sword of Orion”. Visible to the naked eyes are the stars  Theta 1 and Theta 2 Orionis, the Trapezium cluster, the Orion nebula, and Hatsya. The brightest star in the sword visible to the nake eye, though 1300 light years away  is Hatsya, which is located at the tip of the sword.

The Trapezium cluster is a group of very bright stars 1600 light years away. It was originally composed of stars A, B, C, and D. But later discoveries increased the number to eight. Stars A, C, and D were discovered by Galileo in February 4, 1617, and the fourth component, the star B was discovered later. The rest were discovered in 1888. Star C is the brightest in the Trapezium.

The Orion Nebula is the hazy area visible to the naked eye. It is 1270 light years away, 20 light years in diameter, and 24 light years across. It is composed of more than 2,ooo stars.

At the tip of the sword, below the Orion Nebula is Hatsya. It is the brightest among the sword stars  though 1300 light years away.

Just below Alnitak is the Horsehead Nebula, and the Flame Nebula adjacent to it. The Horsehead Nebula  and the Burning Bush or Flaming Tree Nebula are both  1500 light years away.

Constellation Orion is very significant to most people not only because of its being the most beautiful constellation in the night sky that is visible to the naked eye, but because of the many myths and legends about it. It is believed not only by Christians, but by atheist as well that Orion is the “Gateway to Heaven”. It is mentioned three times in the Bible, and most Seventh-day Adventists believe that the mighty voice of God the Father will come from Orion to proclaim the day and hour of the much-awaited second coming of his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. From an “open space” in Orion, the holy city New Jerusalem will pass through and descend to this planet Earth, after the millennial reign of the saints in heaven.

The Orion Constellation is a post from: Wise Mom Says

Commercial lecithin contains 10 to 20 percent phosphatidylcholine. The newer preparations contain up to 98 percent, and are the best ones to use when large doses are required to treat some diseases.

Lecithin is very good for the prevention of cardiovascular disease and arteriosclerosis. It improves the brain functions, and is one of the substances that enhance intelligence.

Lecithin helps in the absorption of thiamine by the liver and vitamin A by the intestines. It is good for the repair of damaged liver caused alcoholism. Lecithin’s most important function is its ability to enable fats to dissolve and disperse in water, so that they can be removed from the body.

Lecithin, like gingko biloba and gotu kola, is a super brain food. It dissolves cholesterosl that clog the arteries, veins and capillaries, thus promoting good blood circulation to the brain to supply it with needful glucose and oxygen. Taken together with vitamin E, lecithin is good for the heart. Lecithin, like vitamin E and ginseng has a rejuvenating and anti-aging properties.

Health Benefits Of Lecithin is a post from: Wise Mom Says

Dreams of our Lives is a post from: Wise Mom Says

The body needs vitamins to function properly. Deficiency of certain vitamins can result to disease and even death. Vitamins are sometimes called as “co-enzymes” because they work together with enzymes or chemical catalyst in the body.

One of these vitamins needed by the body is the vitamin B complex. These are vitamins that are very important for the proper functioning of the body, specially for the brain and the nervous system.

One of these B complex is vitamin B12 or cobalamin. This vitamin is present in animal products, and rarely in vegetables, if ever, and only in very minimal amount. It is needed in the production of red blood cells. It prevents anemia, and promotes growth in children. Vitamin B12 is used in the treatment of impaired mental ability in the elderly. It is also used in the treatment of depression, diabetic neuropathy, low sperm count, tinnitus, multiple sclerosis, and asthma.

Vitamin B12 deficiency symptoms are chronic fatigue, difficulty in concentrating, sore mouth, numbness or stiffness, pernicious anemia, depression, pins-and-needles sensation, and a mimic Alzheimer’s effect in the elderly. Lack of vitamin B12 affects the brain and the nervous system first, and is also the major cause of depression in older people. Vitamin B12 deficiency causes an undersupply of melatonin, resulting in inadequate sleep at night.

Vitamin B12 and folic acid work closely together; they should be taken together to be more effective. In order for the body to be able to absorb vitamin B12, the stomach secretes an “intrinsic factor”, a special digestive secretion that increases the absorption of vitamin B12 in the small intestine. When there is enough cobalt in the body, the bowel can make its own vitamin B12.

There are two forms of vitamin B12 – methylcobalamin (the active form), and cyanocobalamin. The active form is preferred than the other.

Rich source of vitamin B12 are fortified brewer’s yeast, milk, and egg. It can be found also in some vegetables but rarely, and in very small amount.

Dosage: RDA 3mcg; ODA 200 mcg; TDA 1,000 mcg. Recommended dosage is 2 mcg daily. For pernicious anemia, dosage is 300-1,000 mcg. Therapeutic doses is difficult to assimilate, so doctors give it by injection. The above dosages are for adults. Dosage for children 12-17 years old should be reduced to 3/4 of the recommended dose, and for children 6-11 years old, dosage is 1/2 of the recommended.

Caution: Be cautious in taking B12 if you have folate deficiency, iron deficiency, any kind of infections, Leber’s disease, polycythemia or uremia.

Vitamin B12: Health Benefits, Source, And Dosage is a post from: Wise Mom Says

Incoming search terms:

• vitamin b complex DOSA