1. - Excess Body Fat

One of the biggest threats in the 21st century is the "sitting disease". Technology such as computers, game consoles, wide screen televisions and so many different labour saving devices have meant that people are less involved in activity. Excess body fat is now considered the norm, and about 60 percent of Australians are now overweight and 22 percent (one in four) of those are obese. In New Zealand, over half the population is overweight, and one in five Kiwis are obese. A staggering 80 percent of NZ's Pacific Island community is overweight, and over half of Pacific Island women are considered obese.

Australia and NZ are amongst the nations with the highest rates of overweight and obese citizens in the world. An unfortunate statistic is that the number of obese adults has in fact doubled in the past ten years. The obesity epidemic is a serious business, and obesity-related illness causes many thousands on unnecessary deaths each year. Unfortunately, deaths being directly related to being overweight and obese will soon overtake cancer related deaths.

An interesting point with body fat is that you may not "look" fat but still may have a high level of fat around your organs which can significantly increase your risk of heart disease. Some experts believe that this form of hidden fat in fact is more deadly than visible fat on your thighs, hips, bottom and tummy. 

Why love handles can be a killer

It is the tummy fat that increases your odds for high blood pressure, blood clots and spiralling cholesterol rates, more so than hip, thigh and bottom fat. Abdominal fat is more linked with insulin resistance, which is a precursor to Type 2 diabetes, and insulin resistance is strongly linked with heart disease, stroke, breast and prostate cancer and even has been linked with kidney failure and Alzheimer's disease. Do you have love handles or feel a bit plump around the midline? Perhaps it's time to start to reduce the calorie intake of your diet and increase the amount of activity you do. These are the two main contributory factors in love handles.

Healthy artery - Healthy fat levels around your tummy, hips, thighs and bottom will ensure that your blood stream stays clear of fatty deposits. Your insulin levels are more balanced, your body's ability to induce an inflammatory response is reduced and the threat of atherosclerosis is reduced as well.

                                               Atherosclerosis- Tummy fat in particular ensures that you will have a continual release of artery-clogging fats being released into your blood stream, conveniently drip-fed over a period of time increasing endothelial (the lining of your arteries) damage. Your insulin levels are elevated creating many different health problems, including fatigue and underlying organ . Plaque build up and inflammation occurs as your arteries become damaged and clogged up. Your liver converts these artery clogging fats into harmful types of cholesterol which increase your risk of a heart attack and developing a stroke.

The other concern is that abdominal fat stimulates the release of other compounds such as appetite-regulating hormones and certain immune system chemicals that eventually pave the way and open the door to three hugs heart risks: atherosclerosis, metabolic syndrome and chronic and silent inflammation.

Key things you need to    know about fat

How fat accumulates- It's really quite a simple equation. When you eat too much or more than your body needs to function, fat cells expand until they reach their capacity. The more energy (food) that needs to be stored, the more fat cells that are produced by your body. Experts once used to believe that you stopped producing fat cells after puberty, but research has shown this not to be the case. It is now known that eating to much foods triggers the body's production of a continual amount of new fat cells. And the more you eat, the more fat cells you produce and the fatter you get, and this is particularly so withfoods with a high glycaemia index.

Central fat- Not all fat is necessarily bad fat, the most dangerous fat is the fat your body packs around your waistline - the tummy fat. This fat is in addition packed around your internal organs like your liver, and releases hormones that disturb your body's chemistry, this process leads to atherosclerosis, chronic inflammation andmetabolic syndrome. As this process continues, you are (unknowingly) significantly increasing your chances of developing heart disease and other health problems like Type 2 diabetes.

Good carbohydrates and bad carbohydrates - There is now ample scientific evidence linking the simple, refined carbohydrates such as white sugar, white flour, rice, noodles, fizzy (carbonated) drinks to weight gain and obesity. It is therefore very important that you consume ample lean proteins such as chicken, fish and eggs along with plenty of the complex carbohydrates such as whole grain foods, vegetables and fruits for their fibre, "slow burn" and anti-oxidant properties. Be sure to read Low GI Eating page to understand how carbohydrates affect your insulin and blood sugar response.

Eat less saturated fat - It is best to reduce the amount of saturated fats such as butter, fatty meats (like chicken skin and fatty mince, sausages, salami, bacon, etc) ice cream and whole milk. These bad fats make it easy for you to pile on the fat around your waistline, your tummy, hips and bottom. Even if you believe in eating like a "caveman" and follow a diet high in protein and low in carbs, there is ample evidence that piling your plate high in bacon, fatty meats and sausages will increase your chances of atherosclerosis and even various cancers, particularly bowel cancer.

The trans fats make you pile on that weight too, and these fats are found in packaged biscuit and snack foods as they give these foods their crunch that you like so much.

Eat more fibre - Fibre will help keep you feeling full for longer and help speed the removal of "bad" cholesterol from your digestive system. Increasing your fibre intake has been proven to decrease abdominal fat too, and some of the best high fibre dietary choices are fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains. Some of your best sources of grain fibre are barley, buckwheat, whole rolled oats, brown rice, bulgur and cracked wheat, and rye flour. The very best sources of soluble fibre to lower the LDL ("bad") cholesterol are oat bran and navy beans.

Legumes and beans are also very high in fibre, especially if bought dry and cooked yourself (instead of the over-processed canned types). Good beans in particular are pinto, black, chickpeas, lentils, lima, navy, and red kidney beans. Nuts and seeds are another good fibre source, especially pumpkin and sunflower seeds, almonds and Brazil nuts.
Fruits and vegetables highest in fibre include: green beans, cabbage, broccoli, carrots, celery, corn, and squash. Fruits with high fibre include: apples, apricots, berries, dates and figs, oranges, and raisins. But be careful with fruits - they can be high in sugars as well!

Cortisol is linked to abdominal obesity - The stress hormone cortisol is closely linked with central obesity. In a recent study in 2000 at Yale University¹, it was discovered that w   omen who are vulnerable to the effects of stress are more likely to have excess abdominal fat, and have higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

While past studies have examined cortisol in overweight women, the Yale study has shown that lean women with abdominal fat have exaggerated responses to cortisol. A leading investigator also discovered that lean women with greater abdominal fat had more negative moods and higher levels of life stress. Greater exposure to life stress or psychological vulnerability to stress may explain their enhanced cortisol reactivity². In turn, their cortisol exposure may have led them to accumulate greater abdominal fat. People with diseases associated with extreme exposure to cortisol, such as severe recurrent depression and Cushing’s disease also have large amounts of visceral fat³.

References

1. Epel, E.S., McEwen, B., Seeman, T., Matthews, K., Castellazzo, G., Brownell, K.D., Bell, J., & Ickovics, J.R. (2000). Stress and body shape: stress-induced cortisol secretion is consistently greater among women with central fat. Psychosomatic Medicine, 623-632
2. Chrousos, G.P. (2000). The role of stress and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in the pathogenesis of the metabolic syndrome: neuro-endocrine and target tissue-related causes. International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders, 50-55
3. Peeke PM, Chrousos GP. (1995). Hypercortisolism and obesity. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 665-676 

Weight loss futility - Australians and New Zealanders spend many millions of dollars every year on prescription diet drugs, weight-loss surgery, diet programs, health clubs, diet drinks, snacks and shakes and even foods laden with artificial sweets. Our view is that weight maintenance should be a lifelong process controlled through a healthy diet and lifestyle. Forget the "quick fixes. It has been estimated that Aussies spent on average one million dollars a day on weight loss in 2007, with little to no results!

Our advice is for you to beware when it comes to a "quick fix" with any weight loss procedures. Most products all weight-loss exaggerate their claims. Prescription drugs suppress the appetite or block fat absorption and tend to produce only limited results at best. Drugs like Reductil have even been banned due to their dangerous side-effects. And w eight-loss surgery can be risky with general anaesthesia. Stomach-stapling or "band" procedures are also risky and not without their side-effects, often for the rest of the person's life.

Body Mass Index (BMI) - One of the most popular measurements used today to determine if your weight is normal or in the danger zone, is to determine your BMI. The BMI takes into account your height and weight. The easiest way to determine your BMI is to use a calculator, it will determine your BMI precisely.

This is the way many doctors, insurance companies, weight-loss clinics and health care professionals gauge the "healthiness" of your weight.

Here's how you measure your BMI:

• Find out your weight in kilograms. 
• Find out your height in metres and square this measurement. 
• Divide your weight by your height in m². 

Let's give you an example: Say you weigh 70kgs and you are 171 cm in height (one metre and 71 centimetres). If you square 1.71 x 1.71 you get 2.92. If you divide 70 by 2.92 you get 24 (23.97)

Here's a quick BMI guide:

Check your waistline

Wrap a tape around the narrowest part of you waist, unclothed, and don't "suck in" you tummy either! Generally, men with waists greater than 100 centimetres (40 inches) and women with waist lines greater than 90 centimetres (35 inches) are at a higher risk. But how do you get rid of waistline fat? Will surgery  solve all your weight loss problems? It may temporarily, but you will have not addressed the lifestyle or dietary habits which underpin your weight issues and expect the surgeon to solve all your problems. One of the best ways to lose your waistline fat is to trim the bad foods from your diet for starters, the saturated & hydrogenated fats as well as the refined carbohydrates like breads, sweets, ice cream, alcohol, take away and the foods you know are not the best like deep fried fish and chips. And did we mention alcohol? This is perhaps one of the most overlooked forms of high calories, alcohol - every gram is equal to 4 calories.

The possibility of self-treatment - Very high for most overweight people. Healthy eating, plenty of physical activity and an improvement in stress management will reduce body fat over a period of time in most cases.  If you are overweight and have high blood pressure, heart or circulatory concerns, high cholesterol, chronic inflammation, oxidative stress or metabolic syndrome, then why not try heart Drops?

Heart Drops is a 100% natural herbal formula which can assist and support your heart and circulation, Heart Drops is New Zealand's leading proprietary herbal medicine formula created since 2004 to assist in supporting those with high blood pressure and high cholesterol concerns in a safe, drug free way. Many Australians and New Zealanders have benefited from this formula, and so can you.

If you are overweight and have high blood pressure, heart or circulatory concerns, high cholesterol, chronic inflammation, oxidative stress or metabolic syndrome, then why not try heart Drops?

Heart Drops are not pharmaceutical drugs

Heart Drops were designed to help support your healthy lifestyle and diet thereby optimising your success with your quest for a healthy circulation and heart.Heart Drops were never meant to substitute for your doctor's professional advice or treatment, they play a supportive role and work on an entirely different and more of a nutritional level than drugs do. Whilst drugs do a good job of controlling symptoms, the unique combination of the herbal medicines helps to encourage the development of healthy tissue and assists in healthy blood vessel growth.

The primary action of herbs used in circulatory disorders is to increase the flow of blood to the body’s extremities (arms, legs, fingers and toes) and to improve the health of heart and blood vessel walls in general.

In conjunction with a healthy heart diet and stress management, the traditional herbs used in Heart Drops are the perfect preventive measure for people who have a family history of heart disease. They can be used in combination with drugs as a safe and effective program for combating the gradual loss of heart and circulatory function that comes with age.

A Superior Formula Gives Superior Results

We ensure that only the very best quality herbal medicines are used in our Heart Drops.The herbs used in our liquid Heart Dropsformulation have a patented methodof extraction, which retains each herb’s active ingredient and essential minerals and enzymes to its fullest. This type of processing offers superior bio availability and enhances overall effectiveness making Heart Drops superior over any cardiovascular herbal formula of its kind currently on the market.

Testimonial : " I used to suffer from angina and chest pain in the past and was told by my doctor that an operation was my only option, but I wasn't keen on an operation. I used to rely on a nitro spray even to go shopping. I have used your Heart Drops over a period of about a year and a half and now can say that my walking distance has increased a lot, I can now walk without any pain and my overall health has improved considerably too. I have now no need for drugs. Thanks so much". --- Warren, Wellington ---

NO RISK - Full 30 Day Money Back Guarantee*

NO RISK!Heart Drops contains a 30 day money back guarantee. If for any reason you are not completely satisfied, just return the bottle with the remaining Heart Drops and we will refund you in full. (Refund policy does not include any freight charges).

WHAT have you got to lose?

TOP QUALITY product - a proven performer since 2004

SAFE andEFFECTIVE

NO RISK- 100% MONEY BACK guarantee for 30 days

Fine to take with MOST ALL drugs

NON- ADDICTIVE - you take when and how much you want

NO SIDE EFFECTS - even with long term use

NATURAL heart and circulation support - all at once

Fantastic value - MORE COST EFFECTIVE than imports

1 Bottle (50ml) for only $49.00

Testimonial:
"I used your website for the first time yesterday and I will definitely use you again. My Heart Drops has been delivered this morning, so not only did I get an excellent product, I also

got excellent service too!. I have recommend you to my friends"  --- Julie Reid, Auckland, NZ ---

Please Note: Our herbal medicine formulations are not cures nor a remedy for any medical disorder, nor are they a substitute for professional health-care attention, diagnosis and/or treatment.  We never advocate that you stop drugs for blood pressure, high cholesterol or heart disease, but that you get professional advice regarding your treatment and your options. Do not exceed stated dosages without professional advice. Our herbal preparations are not pharmaceutical drugs and are prescribed for nutritional purposes only to support and assist the body to heal itself. Refrigeration not required. Keep out of reach of children. If symptoms persist, see your health-care professional. People sensitive or allergic to any of the ingredients of Heart Drops should avoid this product. 

Disclaimer - While we cannot make any medical claims, the testimonials on this website speak for themselves. The information contained herein is general commentary and not medical advice. If you have concerns or questions about a medical condition, you are advised to consult your health care professional.