Take care of your heart

**FrancoColumbo** · 02-05-2014, 10:06 AM

I know being so close to Valentine's Day you might think I am getting soft, but I'm not!
Actually it's the opposite.
I am getting harder "I mean muscular"
If there are any older Body Builders out there who read this be sure to take care of your heart. Younger guys lean to be wise and learn while you are young.
A good foundation is maintained by good habits.

Depending on your blood fat levels a 35year old can be in danger of restricted blood flow because of restricted passages causing pressure on the heart.
The heart pumps blood, that's all it knows how to do.
The heart is an amazing organ. It continuously pumps oxygen and nutrient-rich blood throughout the body to sustain life. This fist-sized powerhouse beats (expands and contracts) 100,000 times per day, pumping five or six quarts of blood each minute, or about 2,000 gallons per day.
From the heart our blood is pumped into our :

Arteries- This begins with the aorta the large artery leaving the heart. Arteries carry oxygen-rich blood away from the heart to all of the body's tissues. They branch several times, becoming smaller and smaller as they carry blood further from the heart and into organs.

Our Capillaries are the small, thin blood vessels that connect the arteries and the veins. Their thin walls allow oxygen, nutrients, carbon dioxide, and other waste products to pass to and from our organ's cells.

Our Veins- are blood vessels that take blood back to the heart; this blood has lower oxygen content and is rich in waste products that are to be excreted or removed from the body. Veins become larger and larger as they get closer to the heart. The superior vena cava is the large vein that brings blood from the head and arms to the heart, and the inferior vena cava brings blood from the abdomen and legs into the heart.

When we have too much fat in our blood on a regular basis it accumulates and closes down our Capillaries and it is primarily caused by foods high in saturated fats like beef, bacon and dark-meat poultry.
A diet high in saturated fat can dramatically raise your cholesterol, increasing your risk of heart disease.
High cholesterol results in the hardening of arteries, causing the arteries to become narrow. Narrow arteries decrease the blood supply to the heart and increase the risk for a heart attack.

"It's like a kink in your garden hose"
Training hard increases your need for blood, oxygen, and nutrients, the heart only knows to "pump" and the increased pressure is like when you have the water pressure filling up your garden hose but the cholesterol is causing a kink.
Learn to eat less saturated fats and keep the gain weight phases shorter concentrate on lean body mass.
Depending on your age and goals you should keep your fat intake at about 15% total calorie intake from fats.
Stay -"Forever Pumped" – Franco

**hellomycognomen** · 02-05-2014, 06:29 PM

The only thing I can agree with is that a healthy lifestyle is good to live longer. However I disagree with the premise that saturated fats and cholesterol lead to clogged arteries. "Clogged" arteries, better term would be restricted arteries are the result of damage to the artery wall which can occur from anything such as smoking, processed food, pollution, stress, etc. Fat soluble vitamins like vit E, fats and cholesterol migrate to injury site and help with repair process. Finding these substances there is not indication that they caused the injury. Example: Police are found at every crime scene yet no one accuses them of committing the crime. Same thing with sat fats and cholesterol always getting a bad rap. And why are arteries the only ones getting clogged? Why not equally would veins? Lastly in has been shown that an increase in dietary cholesterol does not correlate with an increase in blood cholesterol. Its all about proportion, ie no one in their right mind would only eat bacon and nothing else, it seems like common sense. Anyways the only reason I'm responding is to stick up for our saturated fats and cholesterol friends which are absolutely vital to the human body.

**Schwarzenegger** · 02-06-2014, 08:46 AM

Originally Posted by hellomycognomen

The only thing I can agree with is that a healthy lifestyle is good to live longer. However I disagree with the premise that saturated fats and cholesterol lead to clogged arteries. "Clogged" arteries, better term would be restricted arteries are the result of damage to the artery wall which can occur from anything such as smoking, processed food, pollution, stress, etc. Fat soluble vitamins like vit E, fats and cholesterol migrate to injury site and help with repair process. Finding these substances there is not indication that they caused the injury. Example: Police are found at every crime scene yet no one accuses them of committing the crime. Same thing with sat fats and cholesterol always getting a bad rap. And why are arteries the only ones getting clogged? Why not equally would veins? Lastly in has been shown that an increase in dietary cholesterol does not correlate with an increase in blood cholesterol. Its all about proportion, ie no one in their right mind would only eat bacon and nothing else, it seems like common sense. Anyways the only reason I'm responding is to stick up for our saturated fats and cholesterol friends which are absolutely vital to the human body.

Op wasnt talking about dietary cholesterol, only dietary saturated fats leading to increased blood cholesterol. Yes, dietary cholesterol has little to no impact on blood cholesterol levels as studies have shown, but saturated fats impact blood cholesterol levels.

That doesn't mean cholesterol is bad per se, the sex hormones are all derived from cholesterol and cholesterol is an important component of cell membranes. Its when in excess in the blood that it causes problems. In the end its about eating healthy and getting ur antioxidants and vitamins/minerals as well as ur fats in healthy portions.