Hypertension (High Blood Pressure) - The Silent Killer

(A little side note - because this is such a serious topic, I wanted to lighten things up a bit with a little cartoon.  I searched Google Images trying to find one featuring women and high blood pressure....interestingly, they all featured men.  This reinforces my perception that hypertension, and heart disease in general, is still perceived as a "male only" issue - which it is not! ) 

High blood pressure is often referred to as the "silent killer" because there are usually no symptoms.

You can have high blood pressure, or hypertension, and still feel just fine.  Hypertension is a major health problem and if not controlled can lead to stroke, heart disease, eye problems, or kidney failure and can, in fact, affect all organs of the body.

Without regular blood pressure check-ups you put yourself at risk of serious health problems.  However, by being informed and taking action, you can get your high blood pressure under control before it becomes a problem.

Take control of your body, be proactive and have regular blood pressure monitoring!


I referenced the following sites for the information contained in this post  -

Heart and Stroke Foundation (Canada)

National Institute of Aging (US)

Heart and Stroke Foundation of New Brunswick

Next week...Five common myths about high blood pressure!

Monica

Disclaimer - 
The material provided on this site is designed for information and educational purposes only. The materials are not intended to be a self diagnostic and/or self treatment tool. I encourage you to use this information as a tool for discussing your condition with your health practitioner.

Living Green, One Tip at a Time - (a weekly feature)

Living Green, One tip at a Time - 
Tip # 13

(Honestly, this picture was not taken at my house!!) 

Whenever possible run a full dishwasher load - it uses half (or less) of the water and energy of washing the same dishes by hand.  And don't waste water by rinsing before loading the dishwasher...today's machines are designed to power off the mess.

Read more: Green Your Home - Ways to Go Green - Good Housekeeping 

Monica

A big east coast hello to my fellow Canadians!!

I'm very excited to meet many new Canadian bloggers and to revisit my present Canadian blogger friends. 

A big thank-you to our hosts, Whispered Inspirations, Mom vs. The Boys, Pampered Patty, Good Girl Gone Green and Kat’s Confessions,  without their hard work and support we wouldn't have this great coast to coast opportunity.


I thought I would give you a few "snapshots" of life on the east coast of Canada and of New Brunswick specifically.


I look forward to meeting you...in the blogosphere, and on Twitter and Facebook! 


Enjoy our beautiful east coast!!

 Whale watching in the Bay of Fundy

 Ocean front beach in Saint John, NB

 Hopewell Rocks

 Fundy National Park

 Longest covered bridge in the world.  Hartland, NB

Confederation Bridge linking NB and PEI

Bay of Fundy coastline

 One of the many, many hiking trails in NB

New River Beach at low tide
(At high tide the water will be up to where those people, to the left in blue are sitting.)

St. Martins Beach and Caves  (all caves, there's even one out on the point, can be accessed at low tide)

Hope you enjoyed your mini trip to New Brunswick!!

Monica

How much do you know about menopause...take the quiz!!

Answers to last Wednesdays quiz.

1. At what age does menopause typically begin?

     a. 40

     b. 45

     c. 50

     d. 55
( Menopause usually occurs sometime between age 45 and 55, but the typical age is 50, according to the National Institute on Aging (NIA). Menopause means the permanent end of menstruation.)

2. A women is considered to be in menopause after she has missed how many menstrual cycles?

     a. 3

     b. 6

     c. 9

     d. 12

(Menopause begins at that point when you have had your last menstrual cycle, the NIA says. You won't know whether you have had your last period until you have been period-free for one year.)

3. What factors can cause premature menopause?

     a. Smoking

     b. Autoimmune disorders

     c. A woman's mother had early menopause

     d. All of the above
(The NIA says, if you smoke, you may go through menopause 1 11/2 years earlier than women who don't smoke.)

4. Hot flashes are symptoms of the premenopausal stage.  How many premenopausal women experience them?

     a. 100%

     b. 75%

     c. 50%

     d. 30%

(Hot flashes can occur several times an hour, a few times a day, or once or twice a week, the NIA says. Most women have hot flashes for about a year. Some may experience them for two to five years).

5. A blood test can help confirm if a women is beginning menopause.  The test measures the level of which of these?

     a. Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)

     b. Estrogen

     c. Progesterone

     d. Cholesterol

(The pituitary gland releases this hormone to stimulate the ovaries to release follicles, or eggs. A blood test that measures the hormone, along with symptoms such as hot flashes and period cessation, confirms perimenopause—the stage just before menopause.)

6. Although menopause usually does not require extra medical care, you should see your doctor if:

     a. Your periods become closer together than every 21 days

     b. Your periods last longer than seven days or are very heavy

     c. You experience bleeding between periods

     d. You experience vaginal bleeding after more than one year without a period.

     e. All of the above
 (All of these abnormal changes in menstruation could indicate a problem, so you should check with your health care provider.)

7. What is the most serious adverse effect of menopause?

     a. Hot flashes

     b. Osteoporosis

     c. Heart disease

     d. b and c

(Bones thin when ovaries stop producing estrogen. Cholesterol levels can rise, which threatens heart health).

8. How much bone loss does a women experience in the first five years of menopause?

     a. 10% over the five year period

     b. 5% over the five year period

     c. 3% - 5% annually

     d. 1% - 2% annually

(Talk to your health care provider about what you can do to help prevent bone loss.)

9. Hormone therapy minimizes some of the negative effects of menopause.  Which  of these hormones is used?

     a. Estrogen

     b. Estrogen and progesterone

     c. Testosterone

     d. Prostaglandin
(Used for a short time, hormone therapy can help relieve symptoms of menopause.)

10. If a women experiences menopause after age 50, how long should she continue using some form of birth control? 

     a. She doesn't need to use birth control

     b. 3 months

     c. 6 months

     d. 12 months

Disclaimer - The material provided on this site is designed for information and educational purposes only. The materials are not intended to be a self diagnostic and/or self treatment tool. I encourage you to use this information as a tool for discussing your condition with your health practitioner.

I referenced the following sites for the information contained in this post -

1. http://pinnaclehealthresources.staywellsolutionsonline.com/YourFamily/Women/Tools/40,Menopause Quiz

2. http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/quizzesquestions.asp?quizid=53

Monica

Living Green, One Tip at a Time - (a weekly feature)

Living Green, One Tip at a Time -


Tip # 12

Don’t run the water when brushing your teeth.

• This is an easy thing to do...with a big impact!

Learn about water scarcity at - http://www.unwater.org/index.html



Via http://www.divinecaroline.com/22355/28177-fifty-green-tips-earth-day/2#ixzz1PdDcpt2a

Monica

How much do you know about menopause...take the quiz!!

Test your menopause knowledge, take the quiz!!


Leave me your answers and I'll privately send you your score...don't worry, no matter what your score,  you'll still have a great learning experience. Have fun and don't stress!


1. At what age does menopause typically begin?
     a. 40
     b. 45
     c. 50
     d. 55
2. A women is considered to be in menopause after she has missed how many menstrual cycles?
     a. 3
     b. 6
     c. 9
     d. 12
3. What factors can cause premature menopause?
     a. Smoking
     b. Autoimmune disorders
     c. A woman's mother had early menopause
     d. All of the above
4. Hot flashes are symptoms of the premenopausal stage.  How many premenopausal women experience them?
     a. 100%
     b. 75%
     c. 50%
     d. 30%
5. A blood test can help confirm if a women is beginning menopause.  The test measures the level of which of these?
     a. Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)
     b. Estrogen
     c. Progesterone
     d. Cholesterol
6. Although menopause usually does not require extra medical care, you should see your doctor if:
     a. Your periods become closer together than every 21 days
     b. Your periods last longer than seven days or are very heavy
     c. You experience bleeding between periods
     d. You experience vaginal bleeding after more than one year without a period.
     e. All of the above
7. What is the most serious adverse effect of menopause?
     a. Hot flashes
     b. Osteoporosis
     c. Heart disease
     d. b and c
8. How much bone loss does a women experience in the first five years of menopause?
     a. 10% over the five year period
     b. 5% over the five year period
     c. 3% - 5% annually
     d. 1% - 2% annually
9. Hormone therapy minimizes some of the negative effects of menopause.  Which  of these hormones is used?
     a. Estrogen
     b. Estrogen and progesterone
     c. Testosterone
     d. Prostaglandin
10. If a women experiences menopause after age 50, how long should she continue using some form of birth control? 
     a. She doesn't need to use birth control
     b. 3 months
     c. 6 months
     d. 12 months


( I will post the correct answers/explanation next Wednesday)

Disclaimer - The material provided on this site is designed for information and educational purposes only. The materials are not intended to be a self diagnostic and/or self treatment tool. I encourage you to use this information as a tool for discussing your condition with your health practitioner.

I referenced the following sites for the information contained in this post -

1. http://pinnaclehealthresources.staywellsolutionsonline.com/YourFamily/Women/Tools/40,Menopause Quiz

2. http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/quizzesquestions.asp?quizid=53

Monica

Living Green, One Tip at a Time - (a weekly feature)

Living Green, One Tip at a Time -

Tip # 11

Donate your old towels to a local animal shelter & give a furry friend a soft place to rest.

Can you think of any other uses for your old towels?  Let me know and I'll add them to the post.

• ~Rasz~ said... usually use mine for rags, but to help the animals is so much better than an old bag of rags.
• Penned Pebbles said... I use them for rags, but what a great idea!
• shelly said...Towels make great rags!
• Kathy said...I use them for rags.
• Grace said...I use my old towels for my dog

Monica

Should I make the switch??

VS 

                                                       

I am becoming increasingly frustrated with Blogger.  When I first started using Blogger it seemed to work great, but lately I've been having many issues.  The most recent are being unable to comment on blogs using gmail and now I can no longer add a gadget using HTML/Java script.
I've noticed lately that a lot of blogs are switching to WordPress and I'm considering trying to switch too.  If I decide to make the switch, does anyone have any comments, suggestions or sites that may help with that transition??

Monica

Taking "Ten Amazing Foods" one step further!!

I'm on a bit of a recipe kick right now, and the last 9 Wednesdays I gave you a healthy recipe, one for each of the "10 Amazing Foods" from the March 30th post -

http://oldermommystillyummy.blogspot.com/2011/03/ten-amazing-foods.html

The tenth and final on my list of amazing foods is citrus fruits and the recipe to go with it is actually combining two of the amazing foods from my list -

Grilled Balsamic and Grapefruit Glazed Salmon

1 cup freshly squeezed grapefruit juice

2 tablespoons good quality balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons brown sugar

4 salmon fillets, 6 oz. each

Salt

Pepper

8 grapefruit slices, ½ " thick (peel grapefruit prior to slicing)

Combine grapefruit juice, balsamic vinegar and brown sugar in medium saucepan. Boil until reduced by half, approximately 15 minutes. Keep warm.

Season each side of the salmon with salt and pepper. Grill salmon until just done in center, about 5 minutes per side, depending on thickness of fillet.  Brush salmon with 1 tablespoon grapefruit glaze during grilling and just before removing from grill.  Place 2 grapefruit slices on serving plate and top with cooked salmon fillet. Drizzle 1 tablespoon glaze on top of salmon. 

Living Green, One Tip at a Time - (a weekly feature)

Living Green, One Tip at a Time -

Tip # 10

Share a magazine subscription with a friend, not only will you save money by sharing the cost ... you will cut down on the amount of trees used!

Monica

Taking "Ten Amazing Foods" one step further!!

I'm on a bit of a recipe kick right now, so for ten Wednesdays I'll give you a healthy recipe, one for each of the "10 Amazing Foods" from the March 30th post -

http://oldermommystillyummy.blogspot.com/2011/03/ten-amazing-foods.html

The nineth on my list of amazing foods is yogurt and the recipe to go with it is -

Homemade Yogurt

2 Litres Milk (whole milk makes a creamier yogurt but low fat works well too)

1 Tbsp. Plain unsweetened yogurt (be sure it has “active bacterial culture”)

Pour milk into a large pot, clip on a candy thermometer and warm the milk over medium heat, stirring occasionally until temperature reaches 180F (60C). Don’t let it burn or scorch on the bottom of the pot. 
Remove from heat and allow cooling to 115F (54C). Preheat oven to 110F (43C). 
 Skim the milk skin off the top, add the Tbsp. yogurt and stir to combine.  Pour milk through a fine sieve into sterilized glass jars. Place the containers in the warmed oven. 
Turn the oven off and wait 6-8 hours.  When the milk stays firm when the container is tilted remove the jars from the oven and refrigerate.    (Save one Tbsp of this yogurt for your next batch)

Will keep, unopened and refrigerated, approximately 3 weeks.

(Note – I sterilize my jars by placing them on a small sheet pan and putting them in a 350F (180C) oven for 20 minutes.)

Monica