His & Hers: Matters of the Heart

Posted on June 19, 2021 by Cat

by Catherine Haug, February 14, 2011 (originally written for The EssentiaList)

Clip art, right, from Webweaver’s Clip art (11)

On this Valentine’s Day, I’d like to draw your attention to the differences between men and women when it comes to matters of the heart.

I had a “false” heart attack (see Neuromuscular Spasms section below) on December 23, 2010 and spent the holiday weekend in the hospital. Until the results of the enzyme test came back, the doc didn’t think I’d had a heart attack, believing instead it was heartburn. Especially since my EKG was normal. My enzymes, however, told a different story. They were slightly elevated indicating I’d truly had a lapse of oxygen to my heart. I was checked into the hospital for the holiday weekend, for tests.

The results of those tests were good news: Echogram indicated normal size heart with no loss of muscle; Angiogram indicated no plaque in my arteries with no blockages and no need for stents. But what, then, caused the heart attack? And why did I recover so quickly?

It turns out that the hearts of men and women are different, and the cause for attacks in women can be entirely different from that in men. Because of this difference, women’s attacks are routinely dismissed as heartburn, pulled muscle, overwork, etc.. In short, women are not being diagnosed and treated for a problem that could kill them.

So, then, what are the differences?

Includes: 1. Symptoms: Men vs Women; 2. Why These Differences? 3. How to Lower Heart Attack Risk (section added April ’22)

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The Importance of Dietary Magnesium

Posted on June 19, 2021 by Cat

by Catherine Haug, December 26, 2012 (originally written for The EssentiaList)

Last year (2011) I wrote His & Hers: Matters of the Heart (5) about my Christmas 2010 heart attack (6/19/21 I copied that article to CatsKitchen, per link above). I had all the classic heart attack symptoms (chest pain, neck pain and numbness of my left arm), and the emergency room said I had elevated heart enzymes that indicated a heart attack.

But I later learned that mine was a ‘false’ attack because it was not caused by any obstruction or clot in my arteries, as my arteries were clear and there was no muscle damage. Mine was caused by cardiac spasms – spasms of the muscles in my arteries due to lack of magnesium that normally keeps them relaxed and humming.

While this explains why I was not laid up by my attack, nor suffered debilitating damage, it was still serious and could lead to more damaging problems if I didn’t take action to restore my magnesium levels.

It’s also important to note that false heart attacks are not the only consequence of low magnesium levels. See also my article: Magnesium (About), especially the section: “Magnesium Deficiency,” which includes signs of magnesium deficiency.

See also: 1. Diet and Health Menu: Minerals section; 2. His & Hers: Matters of the Heart (copy, originally on the EssentiaList) Continue reading →

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Depression and Anxiety (Notes)

Posted on June 7, 2021 by Cat

By Catherine Haug, June 2021

In March 2021, I was exposed to COVID, and my immune system did its best to combat it. My symptoms were minimal: mild sinus headaches, tiredness/sleepiness. After 5-6 days, all but the sleepiness were gone. As time has gone by, my sleepiness has increased day by day so that I’m in bed 20 hours (off and on through the day/night). I finally conclude that the sleepiness is due to a type of depression, and I’m looking into natural/herbal ways to resolve this.

See also: 1. Diet & Health Menu; 2. Notes on Natural Health & Healing Topics
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Afghani Roht (a sweet bread)

Posted on May 21, 2021 by Cat

By Catherine, May, 2021. Photo, right, from Vedic Healing (6)

Cardamom: seed pods, and ground seeds

When I lived in Portland OR, there were several restaurants I loved that served SW Asian foods (India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, etc.), but I’d never had Afghani roht, which is a type of sweet bread.

I first learned of this interesting food on a new TV series, “The United States of Al.” I decided I had to give it a try. I found two recipes that seemed authentic: Afghan Culture Unveiled (2) and Kitchen Recipes (3), which I’ve used to create my own adaptation here. I have not yet tested this recipe.

Roht is related to India’s Naan bread, but sweeter.

See also: 1. Breads, Muffins, etc Menu; 2. Foods About / Baker’s Yeast Continue reading →

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IR-Hormone Imbalance – I: Hormones and Body-Weight Issues

Posted on April 28, 2021 by Cat

By Catherine Haug, April 28, 2021

I’ve had insulin resistance since my early 20s (50+ years ago), causing carvings for sugar, and a build-up of excess fat in my belly area. And now I’m beginning to learn that other hormones and/or leaky gut may also play a role in body-weight and food sensitivity issues.  This post includes two important ways to help you lose weight naturally:

  • Balancing 5 Hormone Blocks, and
  • How to Heal a “leaky gut”

This article has been divided into two parts:

    1. IR: Hormone Imbalance-I: Hormones and Body Weight Issues, about 5 hormone blocks and healing a leaky gut (this page); and
    2. IR: Hormone Imbalance -II: Links to Videos (from Rosemarie Lascalzo)

See also:

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Insulin: Master Regulator

Posted on April 20, 2021 by Cat

By Catherine M. Haug,  Moved from Syndrome-X article February 2007; moved and updated April 2021.

Insulin is well known as the pancreatic hormone that regulates blood sugar, as well as other less-known responsibilities that are discussed in this article. Perhaps one of the most troubling issues concerning insulin, is when brain cells can no longer take-up needed insulin, which is believed to be the cause of Alzheimer’s disease. Another is its role in determining lifespan. 

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Hormone Imbalance – II: Links to Videos

Posted on April 19, 2021 by Cat

By Catherine M. Haug, November 2015; updated and moved April 2021

*See Diet and Health Menu under “Insulin, Insulin Resistance, and Metabolic Syndrome” for list of other articles about Insulin Resistance (some still need to be moved to Cat’s Kitchen). Continue reading →

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Insulin Resistance: Controlling & Reversing

Posted on April 19, 2021 by Cat

by Catherine M. Haug,  January 2007; reorganized and updated February 2007; updated and moved to Cat’s Kitchen April 19, 2021

Insulin resistance is a growing problem among humans; for many years, it was largely misunderstood by medical practitioners. But now, that’s beginning to change. For example, it has been long believed that Type-2 Diabetes is a blood sugar problem, but now that the problem of insulin not being able to bind to cell receptors leads to the rise of blood glucose levels, insulin resistance is becoming more known and understood as the precursor to Type-2 Diabetes.

Includes:

Refer to Insulin: Master Regulator to learn more about insulin’s amazing functions, and how it regulates blood sugar. 

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Insulin Resistance: A Look at Causes

Posted on April 17, 2021 by Cat

by Catherine M. Haug,  January 2007; updated February 2007 and April 2021 [note: red text indicates updates/changes yet to be made]

  1. Review “articles to study;”
  2. Diabetes Challenge – Dr MMurray;
  3. Review “Growth Hormone Replacement Therapy Induces Insulin Resistance by Activating the Glucose-Fatty Acid Cycle.” (ref 22) and add notes to this posting, or create a new post

This article is quite long; consider dividing the following topics into two parts, as indicated: 

  1. Part 1: Intro to IR Causes
    1. What Causes Insulin Resistance
    2. Cortisol, Adrenal Fatigue and Insulin Resistance
    3. Growth Hormone and Insulin Resistance
    4. The Glycosylation Connection
  2. Part 2: Fat-Induced Insulin Resistance 
    1. Seed Oils (corn, soy, canola, etc) Play a Role in Insulin Resistance
    2. Trans Fats (Hydrogenated and Partially-Hydrogenated Fats and Oils)
      • Insulin Receptor Site Integrity
      • GLUT Transporter Integrity
      • Mitochondria Control of Receptors
      • LDL Receptor Site Integrity
      • Hope
    3. Brown Fat and Post-Insulin Receptor Activity; see also pdf: Adipose Tissue: White and Brown Fat

‘*See Diet and Health Menu under “Insulin, Insulin Resistance, and Metabolic Syndrome” for list of other articles about Insulin Resistance (some still need to be moved to Cat’s Kitchen)

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Insulin Resistance: Leptin and Lectins

Posted on April 13, 2021 by Cat

by Catherine M. Haug,  August 2007; updated April 2021 [note: red text indicates updates/changes yet to be made]

Leptin is a hormone that signals:

  • satiety–sense of fullness–as a signal to stop taking in food; and 
  • hunger when fuel storage drops below a ‘set point.

To a certain extent, release of insulin into the bloodstream is controlled by leptin. It is possible for cells to become resistant to leptin as well as to insulin (in fact, cells can also become resistant to other hormones, but that is not the topic here). Refer to Insulin Resistance: the Leptin Connection for more.

Lectins are needed by plants to preserve the species; lectin toxicity keeps spiders, insects, birds, rodents and other animals – including humans – from eating un-sprouted seeds by making them sick. The process of germination begins to break down the lectins, removing the toxicity. By the time the young sprout produces its first leaves, the lectins are all gone until the plant’s blossom produces new seeds.

For those plant seeds whose lectins are toxic to humans, they should be removed or sprouted (to break down the lectins) before eating the plant. Tomatoes are a perfect example, as their seeds contain lectins toxic to humans. Refer to Lectins: what they are, and how to deal with them for more.

‘*See Diet and Health Menu under “Insulin, Insulin Resistance, and Metabolic Syndrome” for list of other articles about Insulin Resistance (some still need to be moved to Cat’s Kitchen)

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