Could you have a heart attack -- and not know it?

The lights dim in your favorite movie theater. You have your popcorn, Goobers and the largest soda you've ever seen. You're ready to watch the hero battle corruption for the good of all mankind -- to risk it all and lose his one true love in the process. He overcomes the odds and defeats the unscrupulous enemy. Alone and exhausted, his true love returns to reclaim the man that she cannot live without. Suddenly, our hero clutches his chest, doubles over and has trouble breathing. He drops to his knees and lays in his lover's arms. Before he goes, he manages a final farewell -- "I did it all for you." Then his tired, broken heart gives out once and for all. The curtain falls -- not a dry eye in the house.
If only all heart attacks were like they are in the movies. Unfortunately, that's not how they typically go down. A heart attack isn't very complicated. Your heart, like all muscles, needs blood to function properly. Blood is carried throughout the body through blood vessels and larger arteries. When the coronary arteries that supply blood to your heart get blocked, you're likely to have a heart attack. These arteries become blocked because of a buildup of something called plaque. Plaque may build if:

• you're overweight
• you don't exercise
• your diet has too much fat and cholesterol
• you're stressed
• you smoke
• you drink alcohol in excess
• you have a history of heart disease in your family

These factors put you at risk for plaque buildup, called atherosclerosis, and eventually a heart attack. Once that plaque builds up, it can rupture and completely block the artery, cutting off the blood supply to your heart.
Some of the common symptoms of a heart attack are:

• sweating
• shortness of breath
• chest pressure
• chest pain
• prolonged squeezing in your chest area
• pain shooting through arms, shoulders, back or jaw
• nausea and vomiting

Women may also experience additional symptoms when they have heart attacks, and no one is quite sure why. The symptoms include clammy skin, dizziness, a burning sensation in the chest and unexplained fatigued. About 1.2 million Americans have heart attacks each year, and it's the leading killer of both men and women. About a third of these victims die before they ever get to the hospital. This is because you can actually have a heart attack and never realize it. It's called a "silent" heart attack, and it happens more often than you might think.

Tips on How to Have a Healthy Heart, How to Prevent Heart Disease.

If an apple a day keeps the doctor away, what would it take to avoid a heart surgeon?  How about a multivitamin / mineral pill and some omega-3 oil (canola-rapeseed, flax, fish)?  Add a diet low in processed food and a good 'lifestyle' (don't smoke, control waist size, manage stress well, some exercise) and you will improve general health and help prevent heart disease.  I know, it is normal to believe you're eating a good diet but there is mathematical certainty that even the best diet does not get you the vitamin levels that our bodies and genome developed on.  Supplementation fixes this and is safe, cheap and, best of all: easy. This site looks at the food, supplement and prevention side of disease.  I study nutrition in medicine as an independent researcher but it is not my job.  This site doesn't generate money or sell anything.  Below are highlights about the nutrients that prevent damage to your artery and bone structure and sometimes even cure it, and about those that can help you survive already existing artery damage.

In food processing, as when making flour or noodles, we lose 60-90% of most heart healthy vitamins.  We degrade proteins by frying and high heat and our factories hydrogenate oil which first zaps all omega-3 (really vitamin F-3) by trans-forming it into toxic trans fat.    Science shows that a heart healthy diet is one with relatively unprocessed foods with veggies and some fruits, and rice or grains that retain some of their original kernel-structure to slow digestion.  Such 'whole' foods became scarce in Western diets.  If you can't recognize part of the original food, the item is processed or refined.  Some eggs, liver or fish are probably also vital for most of us.

Why a add multi-vitamin pill to your diet?  Well, most fast single nutrient diseases like scurvy, beriberi and goiter were wiped out by food fortification, our 'weapon of mass nutrition'.  However, processed foods low in many nutrients such as vitamins B6, B12, folic acid and others, cause 'Long-Latency Deficiency Diseases', such as heart disease, cancer, bone loss and Alzheimer's.  Think of these as nutrient deficiency diseases with long incubation periods and the science suddenly makes sense!  Start with cholesterol and the science will never makes sense (can your doctor explain the 6th figure from the bottom?).

Long Distance Relationship Arrangements

OK, so you know that many long distance couples find this arrangement to be the best of both worlds. You can live life without constant attention to a partner's needs, but have a person with whom you connect for romance and fun.
But what happens if something comes up in your normal life that is a real crisis? How does your long distance boyfriend or girlfriend fit into this situation? Do you not tell them about it? This may be the choice for some who don't want to bring “real life” into the bubble of that long distance love.
Or do you call them for support? Do you reach out as most folks would, for the comforting voice of your intimate partner?
There is no correct answer here. But it can be a turning point in telling you both about where your relationship is and where it is going.
How each of you handle this situation will tell you a lot. How do they handle your crisis. Or, conversely, how do you feel about them bringing their crisis to you? If you share a crisis with them, are they supportive or avoidant? If they call you, are you empathic or resentful that they're dumping this on you? A positive response can range from their staying more in touch than normal by calling or emailing regularly to get you through the crisis. Or it could involve their hopping on a plane to be with you. Or it could be anything in between. There's no correct response in this situation. It's all about what each of you needs, how well that need is conveyed, and how the response comes back. How it's handled will tell you a lot about what's possible for a real relationship down the road.

Solve Conflicts in Relationships

Solve Conflicts by taking the LEAD
Conflict is not in and of itself a bad thing. In fact, conflicts in relationships can be constructive when used as a vehicle for improving communication. The following four steps can help you use conflict as a tool for gaining clarity, creating deeper understanding and strengthening relationships.
When you are in the midst of conflict, take the LEAD to manage it respectfully and calmly.
Listen to what is being said. Many times, conflict arises from a simple lack of understanding or miscommunication. Avoid making assumptions about what you hear. Instead, ask for clarification. For example, “I heard you say X, is that what you meant?”

E xplorethe feelings that come up – Sometimes conflict escalates because something about the situation is an emotional trigger for us. If you’re feeling upset by the conversation, try to determine where the feeling is coming from. Take several deep breaths and try to remember that what is happening now is completely separate from the past. You can manage conflict more effectively if you deal only with the matter at hand. When you start introducing memories and past sleights it will be tough to get past the history of bad feelings to work toward a positive outcome.

A ffirm theother person’s point of view. You don’t have to agree to understand the other point of view. Simply acknowledging and validating someone’s feelings can be a powerful tool for resolving conflict positively. At the end of the day, most people just want to be heard.
Decide on a fair course of action. Now that you have a clear idea of what the problem is and where the person is coming from, it is time to explore some solutions. Throw out some ideas that you can vet together. Choose the soundest option that you can agree on. Plan to revisit your decision within a specified period of time to see how you are doing and what changes, if any, need to be made.

Multi-Vitamin Supplementation

Like Hannah Green said,Health is not simply the absence of sickness!

Many people don't really know their body's requirements and

 why there is a need for supplementation every single day.

 They completely rely on their meals alone, thinking these will suffice?

Multivitamins intake has been a debatable topic over the years,

 to date, there is not enough of awareness.Complacency still

 exists in the community. Many are complacent that by having

 the standard recommended servings of vegetables and fruits,

 taking multivitamins or supplements is not necessary.

But the truth is multivitamins are essential. You do not have to

 wait till you are unwell to consider taking them.

Vitamins are for supplementing a normal meal with nutritional

 values that food cannot give. We need to replenish ourselves

with vitamins constantly because they are not stored for long in the body.

 Instead, they travel through your bloodstream. This cluster of

 vitamins includes vitamin C, and the large group of B vitamins - B1 (thiamine),

 B2 (riboflavin), niacin, B6 (pyridoxine), folic acid, B12 (cobalamine),

 biotin, and pantothenic acid.

Herbal supplements are another nutritional enhancement.

 They are processed plants in capsule form. Herbal supplements

 have phytonutrients that exert different activities in the body to

 enhance biological processes. The big difference between vitamins

 and herbal supplements is that the latter may be used to alleviate

 symptoms of specific ailments or diseases. For example,

 Ashwagandha is widely used to help relieve stress while restoring

 balance in your nervous system. It improves the fighting capacity

 or adaptability of the body against all types of stress. Ashwagandha

 also deeply rejuvenates on a cellular level. It elevates stamina and

 endurance, maintaining enough energy throughout the day as

 it relieves exhaustion. Vitamins and mineral supplements are

 taken generally to make up for nutrients lacking in their diet.

 Women, who are not getting sufficient calcium diet, take calcium

 supplements daily to help prevent osteoporosis.

We may not realize this, but by consuming herbal supplements,

 we are absorbing nutrients from plants.

Herbal medicine has come a long way and holds a respected history.

 Numerous studies have proven for a fact that the therapeutic

 benefits and the healing ability of several medicinal herbs are

 significant if they are properly administered with a healthy lifestyle.

Relationship Help

Advice for Building Healthy and Exciting Love Relationships

A strong, healthy relationship can be one of the best supports in your life. Good relationships improve your life in all aspects, strengthening your health, your mind and your connections with others as well. However, it can also be one of the greatest drains if the relationship is not working. Relationships are an investment. The more you put in, the more you get back. Love and relationships take work, commitment, and a willingness to adapt and change through life as a team. Learn about ways to keep a healthy relationship strong, or work on repairing trust and love for a relationship on the rocks

How to strengthen your relationship and make love last

Everyone’s relationship is unique, and people come together for many different reasons. But there are some things that good relationships have in common. Knowing the basic principles of healthy relationships helps keep them meaningful, fulfilling and exciting in both happy times and sad:
What makes a healthy love relationship?

• Staying involved with each other. Some relationships get stuck in peaceful coexistence, but without truly relating to each other and working together. While it may seem stable on the surface, lack of involvement and communication increases distance. When you need to talk about something important, the connection and understanding may no longer be there.
• Getting through conflict. Some couples talk things out quietly, while others may raise their voices and passionately disagree. The key in a strong relationship, through, is not to be fearful of conflict. You need to be safe to express things that bother you without fear of retaliation, and be able to resolve conflict without humiliation, degradation or insisting on being right. 
• Keeping outside relationships and interests alive. No one person can meet all of our needs, and expecting too much from someone can put a lot of unhealthy pressure on a relationship. Having friends and outside interests not only strengthens your social network, but brings new insights and stimulation to the relationship, too.
• Communicating. Honest, direct communication is a key part of any relationship. When both people feel comfortable expressing their needs, fears and desires, trust and bonds are strengthened. Critical to communication are nonverbal cues—body language like eye contact, leaning forward or away, or touching someone’s arm.

Love relationship help tip 1: Keep physical intimacy alive

Touch is a fundamental part of human existence. Studies on infants have shown the importance of regular, loving touch and holding on brain development. These benefits do not end in childhood. Life without physical contact with others is a lonely life indeed.
Studies have shown that affectionate touch actually boosts the body’s levels of oxytocin, a hormone that influences bonding and attachment. In a committed relationship between two adult partners, physical intercourse is often a cornerstone of the relationship. However, intercourse should not be the only method of physical intimacy in a relationship. Regular, affectionate touch­—holding hands, hugging, or kissing—is equally important.
Be sensitive to what your partner likes. While touch is a key part of a healthy relationship, it’s important to take some time to find out what your partner really likes. Unwanted touching or inappropriate overtures can make the other person tense up and retreat—exactly what you don’t want.

Love relationship help tip 2: Spend quality time together

You probably have fond memories of when you were first dating your loved one. Everything may have seemed new and exciting, and you may have spent hours just chatting together or coming up with a new, exciting thing to try. However, as time goes by, children, demanding jobs, long commutes, different hobbies and other obligations can make it hard to find time together. It’s critical for your relationship, though, to make time for yourselves. If you don’t have quality time, communication and understanding start to erode.

Simple ways to connect as a couple and rekindle love

• Commit to spending quality time together on a regular basis. Even during very busy and stressful times, a few minutes of really sharing and connecting can help keep bonds strong.
• Find something that you enjoy doing together, whether it is a shared hobby, dance class, daily walk, or sitting over a cup of coffee in the morning.
• Try something new together. Doing new things together can be a fun way to connect and keep things interesting. It can be as simple as trying a new restaurant or going on a day trip to a place you’ve never been before.

Couples are often more fun and playful in the early stages of a relationship. However, this playful attitude can sometimes be forgotten as life challenges or old resentments start getting in the way. Keeping a sense of humor can actually help you get through tough times, reduce stress and work through issues more easily.

Focus on having fun together

• Think about playful ways to surprise your partner, like bringing flowers or a favorite movie home unexpectedly.
• Learn from the “play experts” together. Playing with a pet or small children can really help you reconnect with your playful side. If it’s something you do together, you also learn more about your partner and how he or she likes to have fun.
• Make a habit of laughing together whenever you can. Most situations are not as bleak as they appear to be when you approach them with humor.

Learning how to play again

A little humor and playful interaction can go a long way in diffusing tense situations and helping you see the brighter side. If you’re feeling a little rusty, learn more about how playful communication can improve your relationship, and fun ways to practice this skill.
Read: Playful Communication in Relationships: The Power of Laughter and Play

Love relationship help tip 3: Never stop communicating

Good communication is a fundamental part of a healthy relationship. When people stop communicating well, they stop relating well, and times of change or stress can really bring out disconnect. As long as you are communicating, you can work through whatever problem you’re facing.

Learn your partner’s emotional cues

Each of us is a little different in how we best receive information. Some people might respond better to sight, sound or touch. Your partner’s responses may be different from yours. Take some time to learn your partner’s cues, and be sure to communicate your own as well. For example, one person might find a brief massage after a stressful day a loving mode of communication—while another might just want to talk over a hot cup of tea.
So much of our communication is transmitted by what we don’t say. Nonverbal cues such as eye contact, leaning forward or away, or touching someone’s arm communicate much more than words. For a relationship to work well, each person has to be receptive to sending and receiving nonverbal cues. Learning to understand this “body language” can help you understand better what your partner is trying to say. Think about what you are transmitting as well, and if what you say matches what you feel. If you insist “I’m fine”, while clenching your teeth and looking away, your body is clearly signaling you are not.

Question your assumptions

If you’ve known each other for a while, you may assume that your partner has a pretty good idea of what you are thinking and what you need. However, your partner is not a mind-reader. While your partner may have some idea, it is much healthier to express your needs directly to avoid any confusion. Your partner may sense something, but it might not be what you need. What’s more, people change, and what you needed and wanted five years ago, for example, may be very different now. Getting in the habit of expressing your needs helps you weather difficult times, which otherwise may lead to increasing resentment, misunderstanding and anger.

Use your senses to keep stress in check

If you’re not calm and focused, you won’t be able to communicate effectively. The best way to reduce stress quickly and reliably is through the senses. But each person responds differently to sensory input, so you need to find things that are soothing to you.
Read: Quick Stress Relief: How to Manage and Relieve Stress in the Moment

Love relationship help tip 4: Healthy relationships are built on give and take

If you expect to get what you want 100% of a time in a relationship, you are setting yourself up for disappointment. Healthy relationships are built on compromise. However, it takes work on each person’s part to make sure that there is a reasonable exchange.

Recognize what’s important to your partner

Knowing what is truly important to your partner can go a long way towards building goodwill and an atmosphere of compromise. On the flip side, it’s also important for your partner to recognize your wants and for you to state them clearly. Constantly giving to others at the expense of your own needs builds resentment and anger.

Don’t make “winning” your goal

If you approach your partner with the attitude that things have to be your way or else, it will be difficult to reach a compromise. Sometimes this attitude comes from not having your needs met while younger, or it could be years of accumulated resentment in the relationship reaching a boiling point. It’s alright to have strong convictions about something, but your partner deserves to be heard as well. You are more likely to get your needs met if you respect what your partner needs, and compromise when you can.

Learn how to respectfully resolve conflict

Conflict is inevitable in any relationship, but to keep a relationship strong, both people need to feel they’ve been heard. The goal is not to win but to resolve the conflict with respect and love.

• Make sure you are fighting fair.
• Don’t attack someone directly but use “I” statements to communicate how you feel.
• Don’t drag old arguments into the mix.
• Keep the focus on the issue at hand, and respect the other person.

See Conflict Resolution Skills: Managing and Resolving Conflict.

Love relationship help tip 5: Expect ups and downs

It’s also important to recognize that there are ups and downs in every relationship. You won’t always be on the same page. Sometimes one partner may be struggling with an issue that stresses them, such as the death of a close family member. Other events, like job loss or severe health problems, can affect both partners and make it difficult to relate to each other. You might have different ideas of managing finances or raising children. Different people cope with stress differently, and misunderstanding can rapidly turn to frustration and anger.

Relationship advice for getting through life’s ups and downs

• Don’t take out your problems on your partner. Life stresses can make us short tempered. If you are coping with a lot of stress, it might seem easier to vent with your partner, and even feel safer to snap at him or her. Fighting like this might initially feel like a release, but it slowly poisons your relationship. Find other ways to vent your anger and frustration.
• Some problems are bigger than both of you. Trying to force a solution can cause even more problems. Every person works through problems and issues in his or her own way. Remember that you’re a team. Continuing to move forward together can get you through the rough spots.
• Be open to change. Change is inevitable in life, and it will happen whether you go with it or fight it. Flexibility is essential to adapt to the change that is always taking place in any relationship, and it allows you to grow together through both the good times and the bad.

If you need more relationship help and advice

Sometimes problems in a relationship may seem bigger than what the couple can handle. In that case, it’s important to reach out together for help.

• Couples counseling. You might be considering couples counseling or marriage counseling. It’s a big investment, and time, energy, focus and commitment are needed from both people to make a difference. Both parties need to be willing and able to honestly communicate what you need, face issues arising in counseling and make changes. It’s important also that both people feel comfortable with the counselor.
• Spiritual advice. Some couples benefit from spiritual advice from a religious figure such as a pastor or rabbi. This tends to work best if both persons have similar convictions of faith and have a good relationship with the spiritual advisor.
• Emotional Intelligence training course. A starting point for couples is to take a free Emotional Intelligence training course, found at the end of this article.  This in-depth course provides both articles and video explaining how to put the skills of emotional intelligence and communication into practice.
• Individual therapy. Sometimes one person may need specialized help. For example, someone who is grieving the loss of a loved one may need counseling to help them process the grief. If your loved one needs help, don’t feel like you are a failure for not providing them everything they need. No one can fulfill everyone’s needs, and getting the right help can make a tremendous difference in your relationship.

Testimonies from does who bought the book:The 500 inmate Questions

SUCCESS STORIES:
Thanks for sending me a preview copy of your 500 Intimate Questions.  I have purchased all your other books and this one has been the most powerful in my relationship.  For the past month we've made the ritual of putting the kids to bed and then sitting in front of the fireplace to read through 10 of the questions.  We usually take about 30 minutes to discuss and more times than not, it has resulted in passionate lovemaking right in the living room.  - Brian W.

My husband and I had been making love about every three months.  To be honest, I don't think we were that much in love anymore after 37 years of marriage, raising 4 kids, etc.  I know I'm not as attractive as I was when we were first married but some resentment on my part also crept in.  The questions were a god-send.  We've been going through them for 3 weeks now and we've made love 8 times -- without the blue pill even!  The best part for me is the emotional intimacy that has returned (although I'm not complaining about the very, very good sex).  - Eleanor G.

I got the questions because I wasn't ready to have sex with my boyfriend.  We went through the first  100 questions and I realized it would have been a huge mistake.  We see sex/making love so differently!  Your book saved me a lot of heartache I'm sure. - Sari V.

Although we have been married for 17 years somehow we never asked most of those questions.  And the answers I got were often quite different than what I was anticipating.  Very good stuff.  - Jon B.

All these years I thought my wife was very reserved sexually.  Now I found out she has desires for our lovemaking to be a little "wilder".  I would have never known if it weren't for these questions. - Peter C.

OMG!  That's all I can say.  I just bought your book and after 7 questions she pounced on me on the couch, undid my pants and....  well, I'm still in awe.  It was AWESOME!!!  - Chad M.

I love how all the questions weren't just about "sex" but also about dreams, desires, romance and love.  That is what really turns me on.   I was a bit more nervous about asking/answering some of the hard-core sex questions but in the end it was very worthwhile. - Brigit D.