one another in the body, they are intrinsically connected and have a significant impact on how each other functions.

The two organs communicate via the muscular walls around the heart, which are connected to the brain in the circulatory system. As the brain releases hormones telling the body what to do, receptor cells in your blood vessels pick up these messages. In addition, there are nerve endings that travel from the brain to the muscular walls of the heart. These nerves send messages to the muscle tissue to either relax or contract.

Since these two organs communicate, mental health can have a dramatic effect on heart health and vice versa. Read More

Due to the rising costs of health coverage, employers have shown interest in helping employees pay for individual health insurance policies instead of offering employer-sponsored plans.

In response, on Nov. 6, 2014, the Departments of Labor (DOL), Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Treasury (Departments) issued FAQ guidance stating that these arrangements do not comply with the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) market reforms and may subject employers to penalties. Read More

Thanksgiving meals usually include an abundance of unhealthy food options, making it easy to stray from proper nutrition until the start of the new year. But if you opt for a healthy Thanksgiving meal instead, it doesn’t mean it can’t also be enjoyable. With a few changes, you can make your “Turkey Day” an extension of your year-round commitment to good health.

Begin with the elephant in the room: food. You can probably stand to forgo a luxury or two come turkey time. But don’t worry; you can still enjoy a delicious meal with the added bonus of feeling much better afterward. Plus, Thanksgiving is just the start of the holiday season, so there will be a lot of large meals to come.  Read More

Knowing your blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and body mass index (BMI) are extremely vital in determining whether you are at risk for developing major illnesses, such as heart disease and diabetes. If you know your numbers are out of the healthy range, you can take measures to get yourself back into good health.

Cholesterol

An unexpected heart attack may be caused by years of living with high cholesterol and extra fat stored in the body. Total cholesterol should be 200 or less. You should also ask your doctor what your HDL cholesterol (good) and LDL cholesterol (bad) levels are.

Having high total cholesterol, high LDL or low HDL can put you at risk for a heart attack or stroke. Since there are no symptoms of high cholesterol, it is imperative that you know your numbers. Read More