The heartMonitron Journals Blog

In Defense of the Google Dance !

2010-10-15T14:57:00.000-07:00

In Defense of Google. Despite it's recent behavior!

Some web-masterss get hit really hard when Google does it's cursed dancing number, Recently, the hM website (heartMonitron.com) has been hit pretty bad too ...only to come back stronger after the dust settles. If you publish pages, with quality content ...Big G will figure it out. If you are up to using dirty monkey tricks ...the same applies: Google will figure it out, most of the time.

For almost three years now, hM has relied on “on-page” content, and nothing else. No effort was ever made in the way of a linking campaign. That is the long-haul way, you have to give it five years. From minus 90% to plus 300 %, that is the way it goes with big G (Google). This is a slower, but solid approach. A growth rate of 540%/year is fine with me. Publish quality content and give it time !

In a way, I am happy that Google acts this way, they are efficient at taking the cheaters and the, way too numerous, peddlers of bullstuff out of the rankings.

It should remain that way! Cheaters out!

Cooking for Weight Loss, The Low-Calorie Way.

2010-10-12T17:20:00.000-07:00

There are three major approaches when it comes to cooking for weight loss. The

popular low-carbohydrate diets represent one of them. But they do not work for everyone.
The other popular method is the low-fat way. That does not work for every one either. Then there
is the portion size reduction. Still some people will not respond well to this.

Concentrating on calorie intake, which generally uses the three methods at the same time seems to be the most efficient method of all. Most health institutions favor low-calorie recipes over unbalanced recipes.

International Shipment of Books, Medical Devices and Supplies

2010-10-03T10:07:00.000-07:00

Many of the items featured on the hM pages will now be available for purchase online in US Dollars, Canadian Dollars, Euros and British Pounds. Many will be available from local depots in the USA, Canada, the United Kingdom, France and Germany. Buyers from Australia, New-Zealand, India, Singapore and most other international destinations will be able to order and view the shipping details for their particular destination.

Examples would be:

Monitors meters and devices

Medical Textbooks and

the new Low-Calorie Recipes Cookbooks

Note that the available selection may vary a little between countries.

Cholesterol Information Books, Recipes and Cookbooks to Help Lower Cholesterol

2010-09-14T16:15:00.000-07:00

Cholesterol Information Books, Recipes an Cookbooks to Help Lower Cholesterol.

The page presenting the hM selection of cholesterol information books and cookbooks has been revamped. It now contains more information and reviews than ever.

The page aims to offer resources to those who ask:

- What is Cholesterol?
- What foods to eat to lower cholesterol?
- Where to find cholesterol-lowering recipes?
- Where to find tips and advice regarding my cholesterol-reducing diet?

Every selected title is now presented beside an active window
which displays all the details regarding the book.

See: Cholesterol Information Books, Cookbooks and Recipes to Lower Cholesterol

Medical Textbooks Selection

2010-09-06T08:39:00.000-07:00

The hM Bookstore has added a selection of textooks to its selection. These textbooks are widely used in medical schools and colleges. They are primaryly meant for medical students and health care professionals. The textbooks can be ordered online.

They cover the subjects of:

- Medical Physiology ( Guyton & Hall, Ganong, Costanzo, Boron, BRS )
- Human Anatomy ( Gray's , Netter, Atlas - Gray, Lippincott etc )
- Histology ( books and color atlas, Weather, Netter ...etc.)
- Pathology ( Robbins & Cotran, Rubin's ...etc.)
- Biochemistry ( Lippincott, Lehninger, BRS, Rapid review Series)

See Medical and College Textbooks

The items can also be ordered as gifts to a student by a third party.

Monitoring Blood Pressure at Home

2010-07-31T07:59:00.000-07:00

A Summary of Guidelines and Recommendations for Long-term Blood Pressure Monitoring at Home.

1- The type of monitor:

While the auscultatory method has been used in hospital settings for decades, it is now increasingly replaced by the use of automated oscillatory machines. The latter automatic devices are probably more suited for home use. Patients should make sure the machine they purchased has been validated and has FDA clearance. hM believes that monitors such as Omron's HEM-790IT and Lifesource's UA-767PC are examples of suitable machines for long-term use.

2- Measuring method:

The patient should be sitting comfortably and have rested for five minutes before the measurement. The patient should abstain from having smoked or having had coffee or eaten just prior to the measurement. The arm should be resting comfortably on a desk or table. The cuff should then be wrapped around the arm, at about an inch above the crease of the elbow so that the cuff is at the same level as the patient's heart. Patient should refrain from talking and stand still while blood pressure is being taken.

3- Number of measurements.

Two measurements can be taken, at a ten minute interval. This will provide more accurate and reliable records.

4- Recording the numbers.

Some machines now come with integrated software programs that record the numbers automatically and allow you to transfer the results to your PC. The data can then be emailed and shared with your doctor. Some monitors can also send the data directly to your physician, using Bluetooth technology.

For the detailed guidelines:
Reference: The US Department of Health and Human Resources - "Recommendations for blood pressure measurement in humans..."

Harvard Study - Combination Therapy for CHD Reversal

2010-05-16T11:00:00.000-07:00

Harvard Study - Combination Therapy (Medication + Diet) for CHD Reversal

A study by a group of experts fron a hospital associated with the Harvard Medical School brings serious support to or even validates the views that heart disease reversal diets, when combined with medication, yield better results.

The team at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital, who conducted the study, concluded that diet helps statin drugs lower cholesterol to even lower levels and that the benefits are additive in nature. The two therapies work independently of each other, this explains why the benefits squarely add-up. These are very good news for patients who mean to reverse the ailment.

Ordering the Right Amount of Test Strips

2010-05-09T05:43:00.000-07:00

Ordering glucose or cholesterol test strips on line for your home use monitor or meter is a handy convenience. However, there are many models to choose from and many strips have expiration dates. Ordering more than you need will cancel the savings since you may have to discard them on account of the expiration date. For safety and accuracy, it is important to stick to those strips that are recommended by the manufacturer of your monitor, meter or device. Order or purchase strips online if those strips or panels are made by reputable manufacturers, avoid suspisciously low-cost ones that may turn out to be worthless counterfeit strips.

Health Monitors for Home Use by Patient Acquiring Bluetooth Technology

2010-04-11T07:04:00.000-07:00

This is probably more than a budding trend. Health professionals, doctors and hospital authorities seem to be adopting the Bluetooth technology en masse for the purpse of remote monitoring of patients. To keep up with this new trend, manufacturers of meters and monitors for home use by patients have started to enable their monitoring devices and machines with wireless Bluetooth technology. A N D Medical / LifeSource are now offering a blood pressure monitor with such wireless Bluetooth technology. Omron is also coming uo with an Omron Bluetooth blood pressure monitor. The Omron model is already on the market in Japan and will be available soon in the United States, if it is not already by the time these lines are written. Some makers of glucose meters and makers of blood coagulatition monitors are also working towards integrating the Bluetooth technology into their machines.

We have added a Bluetooth enabled BP monitor to our selection. For now, it is mentioned in the band at the bottom of the page for Monitors and Devices for Use by A Patient at Home. Because this technology promises to render remote monitoring of a patient's vital signs possible at a very low cost, we believe that in the near future most machines will have the wireless communications Bluetooth technology integretaed into them. We will follow this trend and will most likely add more and more of these Bluetooth enabled machines to our recommendations.

Selected Natural and Medical Dietary Supplements

2010-03-22T12:10:00.000-07:00

When it comes to natural products and supplements, one has to realize that a lot of them (if not most) cannot be successful demonstrated to have any efficacy. We have made a selection of supplements that are either natural or of medical/pharmaceutical origin. We limited ourselves, in the natural products category, only to those that are proven to work.

The selection features:

- Niacin, to improve a person's cholesterol ratio.
- Plant sterols or phytosterols that are proven to help decrease the absorption of LDL cholesterol
- Psyllium husks, to help managing glucose peaks and cholesterol levels
- Fish oil, although the first epidemiological studies pointed to an ability to stabilize coronary plaque, there is a bit of a controversy on the subject of fish oil.
- Omega-3 supplements.

The above are the only natural products that are featured.

The selection was completed with non-natural but beneficial products:

- Ecotrin (low-dose coated ASA)
- Bayer's Health Advantage
- and Centrum

You can review the selection online

The present is for educational purposes. Natural products do not constitute or replace medication or treatment. Always consult with your physician before taking any natural products.

Monitors, Meters and Testers for a patient's use at home

2010-03-21T09:03:00.000-07:00

A selection of personal health monitors, meters and testers has been added to the hM Bookstore. This section has been renamed the hM HealthStore Online.

The selection includes some of the best monitors, suh as:

- for monitoring blood pressure: 3 of the best Omron models.
- for diabetics to monitor blood glucose, models from the Bayer Contour and OneTouch series.
- for measuring cholesterol, hdl and triglycerides at home: three models from Cardiocheck.

Browse through selection of personal monitors for a patient's home use

Note: we did not necessarily review the cheapest ones. We rather tried to select the best and most efficient ones. Some come with health management software.

2010-02-21T10:19:00.000-08:00

Forget Fast Weight Loss, Slow and Steady is More Realistic

2010-02-16T06:02:00.000-08:00

In this day and age, we all seem to want things to happen at once. You double-click and Bang! Done!
This may explain why so many people are tempted by ads that promise incredibly fast weight lost. In fact many of those heavily advertised diets are not even healthy or safe on the long term.

Realistic weight loss plans should always be based on balanced nutrition. The USDA's food pyramid is an excellent guide that can be used to prepare long term, safe and realistic weight loss plans.

Please read full article before commenting.

The emphasis was put on slow and steady (or gradual) weight loss.

Modified Macaroni and Cheese Recipe

2010-02-09T03:31:00.000-08:00

The old classic has turned into a healthy casserole. The recipe was modified and is featured under the "Macaroni and Cheese with Tuna and Vegetables"

It is definitely NOT about your traditional Mac & Cheese, like the one we would expect to find in a cafeteria or coffee shop or the one that comes from a box bought at the grocery store.

It has been made to be heart and diabetic friendly as well weight-control-friendly.

Please view recipe before commenting.

A Summary of Institutional Recommendations for Weight Loss

2010-01-23T12:12:00.000-08:00

The weight loss guidelines and recommendations of major institutions were reviewed. There seems to be an overwhelming consensus among them regarding calorie intake.

View complete article before commenting. The institutions were the AHA. the NIH, the ADA, the Mayo Clinic and Johns Hopkins.

Whole wheat, Oats and Bran Bread

2010-01-10T09:16:00.000-08:00

The homemade whole grain recipe being discussed was published for educational purposes.

It relies on the known benefits of whole grains.
As a rule, whole grains contain more fiber, minerals and beneficial phytonutrients.
They are deemed (ADA) to be better than refined grains for diabetic. The AHA also considers them to be better for people with a heart condition.

View complete article and recipe before commenting.