By Emily Murray

Whenever a headline has the scary words “heart attack” in them, people take notice. One that particularly caught my eye this morning was featured in TIME Healthland – “Infrequent Sex or Exercise Can Trigger Heart Attacks.” But don’t panic just yet, you don’t need to give up either of these things…in fact, doing both more regularly helps minimize the risk!

A recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association added another dimension to the understanding we have about increased activity and heart attack risk.  For some time now doctors (and out of shape exercisers alike) have realized that any activity which increases heart rate ups the likelihood of a heart attack. Now, in light of the new study, we know that this risk remains elevated during the hour after exertion. In fact, the study proved that in some people this risk can actually be 3.5 times higher during this time period after activity than when they are not active. To break this down further, during sex specifically, the risk is on average 2.7 times higher than any normal period of inactivity. General physical activity increases the rate of death resulting from heart attack by nearly 5 times.

Sounds terrible right? Well here is a comment from the study’s author Dr. Issa Dahabreh as reported in the TIME article to help put your mind at ease. ”We don’t want anyone to misinterpret our findings to mean there is an overall harm from exercise.” To further explain what this means, it’s important to note that exercise isn’t necessarily the cause, it’s when there is a sudden increase in activity. The more you work out and are active, the less of a shock it becomes on the body. He also suggests that people identify what their “triggers” are, or the activities that immediately get the heart racing.

The short-term risks of the immediate exercise (when done as part of a normal routine) actually are believed to be overridden by the overall long-term positive impact of maintaining a consistent workout schedule so for those who thought this might give them a free pass to skip working out, no such luck. If you consider yourself to live a fairly inactive lifestyle however, don’t jump right into a rigorous routine. It’s best to return back to activities at a moderate pace rather than jumping back into the gym…or the bedroom!

If you have limited mobility, returning to a moderate leveling of activity for your lifestyle may be as simple as taking a daily walk or climbing the stairs. However, as mentioned in the article, for some individuals even these seemingly low impact activities can be enough to elevate the heart attack risk and for this reason, a doctor should be part of developing a workout plan that is safe for your particular situation.

Now on to the part that probably initially caught your attention. Whether you think of it as such, sex is a strenuous activity for your heart and if you have heart problems this is likely a subject your should broach with your doctor. If your heart is healthy enough for sex and other exercise, you will be happy to know that studies prove a healthy sex life is good for not only your relationship, but for your mental well being too!

Guest Post by Thomas Egbert

Cleansing herbal teas are becoming increasingly popular for their aromatic flavors and healthful benefits. These teas are designed to cleanse the body of harmful toxins produced by free radicals and pollutants. Sipping a relaxing, soothing cup of tea can be even more enjoyable when the tea becomes part of a healthy diet. Among the cleansing herbal teas known for their medicinal properties are Rooibos Herbal Tea, Honeybush Tea, Tulsi Tea and other specific herbs added as cleansing ingredients.

Rooibos Herbal Tea is a member of the legume family and is often referred to as Red Bush or Red Tea. It grows northwest of Cape Town in South Africa. Rooibos Tea, a naturally decaffeinated tea, has become popular for its detoxifying properties. It is enjoyed for its sweet, nutty flavor and pleasant aroma. Rooibos (or Red Bush) is the tea made popular among reading groups because of its prominent place in The Number 1 Ladies Detective Agency book series by Alexander McCall Smith.

Honeybush Tea, also in the legume family and a relative of rooibos, grows in South Africa as well. It is named for its sweet honey-like scent that makes it so appealing. It is considered valuable for slowing the aging process and preventing disease when consumed regularly. It has a mellow taste with sweet, spicy floral notes balanced with apricot and peach flavors. This tea may also be enjoyed by adding it to baked goods for a distinctive flavor.

Other herbs that are rich in antioxidants promote a healthy immune system. Adding them to rooibos and honeybush can be even more beneficial. These include juniper berries, marigold, chamomile, dandelion and rose hips. The juniper acts as a diuretic, and the marigold cleanses and detoxifies the body. Chamomile, dandelion and rose hip revitalize the liver and cleanse the bloodstream.

Tulsi Herbal Tea has been a part of Indian culture for thousands of years because of its many benefits. This pure herbal tea is naturally decaffeinated and has a mild sweet mint flavor. Current research shows that Tulsi Tea has numerous preventative and curative properties with its rich supply of antioxidants and other nutrients.

With the availability of cleansing herbal teas, tea drinkers can enjoy sampling all the different varieties. The soothing and restorative powers of tea have been known for many generations, and it is a welcome boon to be able to enjoy a cup of tea that cleanses the body while soothing the soul.

Thomas Egbert is a herbal tea expert that has studied the health benefits of herbal teas from all over the world.  Thomas just recently launched his own loose herbal tea website: www.fusiontearoom.com where he  creates and sells many different herbal tea blends based upon his own experience and research.  His unique blends are not only very good your overall health, but very delicious.  These are exclusive blends, and cannot be found anywhere else.  Everything he sells is 100% pure, natural, and organic.

By Emily Murray

As the  first few days of the work week pass with the new daylight saving time in place, many people are still stuck somewhere between the old time and the new. Perhaps one hour doesn’t feel like a lot, but for many it might be enough to throw their internal clock out of whack resulting in sleep deprivation among other health problems.

This concept was recently explored in a TIME Healthland article by Meredith Melnick. While the author sites sources explaining that most people cope with the time change fairly well, they also warn that for those with depression or a heart problem, the change can be slightly more significant. In fact, statistically, daylight saving time  results in an elevated number of heart attacks and suicides. So what can you do to help ease the anxiety and  get back to a normal sleeping pattern? Here are a five tricks for getting back on track.

1. Exercise
This concept is a pretty simple one, but as anyone who has started a new workout program knows, you are bound to be pretty excited about crawling into bed at night after a hard work out. The “feel good” chemicals that are released when exercising (endorphins) also contribute to a more positive mental state and is often effective (in addition to therapy) for those who suffer from depression.

Read: Study Reveal the Benefits of Exercise for Those Suffering from Insomnia

2. Read Before Bed
Reading in bed is an instant snooze trigger for many people and if you are not accustomed to it and are having difficulty sleeping, it may be worth a try. The material you choose to read however should also be thought out ahead of time. Perhaps, save those “can’t-put-the-book-down-until-I-have-read-every-page,” type novels for the daytime, but if you have something that is not as interesting to read, give it a try! Just avoid any stressful thrillers or horror novels before bed!

3. Stop Napping
If you aren’t sleeping well at night, chances are you are  probably pretty groggy during the day. While it may be tempting to curl up in bed mid-afternoon, it’s best to wait and go to bed at your normal target time. When you snooze throughout the day, you are throwing off your body’s natural sleeping schedule and you need to train yourself to get back on course.

4. Avoid Caffeine
If you are currently in the habit of  having a cup of coffee after dinner or soda with your meal, start cutting back your caffeine intake, especially towards the afternoon and evening hours.

5. Avoid sleeping with the Television on
This may seem like a trivial point, but many studies have now shown that those who sleep with the TV on can be negatively impacted by the light while they sleep and in some cases it can even contribute to obesity.

Read: Heart Health is Affected by Too Much TV

If you are still having sleeping difficulties and it is affecting your day-to-day performance, speak with a doctor to make sure you are following a healthy plan for your body.

Does anyone have any tricks of their own to help fall asleep?