United States of America
Health & Life News Articles
Living a Healthy Life One Day at a Time
|
|
United States of America Health & Life News Articles Living a Healthy Life One Day at a Time |
|
|
Don't Delay! Order Now!
Consumer Rating:
Ads by Google
Health Ads The Great Cholesterol Lie
Crunch Cholesterol: Safe, Natural Secrets For High Cholesterol
Lower Cholesterol Naturally
The Prescription Free Cholesterol Cure
Cholesterol And The French Paradox Lady Doctor Blows the Lid Off of the World's Most TOP SECRET Fat Loss Secret!
Lose 9 lbs. Every 11 Days!
How to Lose Stubborn Belly Fat!
Fat Burning Secrets of the World's Best Body Builders
Nothing Can Seduce a Woman Faster Than a BIG Penis!
You Can Be Acne FREE in 3 Days!
Stop the Burning! Cure Your Hemorrhoids in 48 hours!
Finally!! A Natural Technique To Stop Panic Attacks
12-Hour Cure for Yeast Infection
Financial Ads MaxPro System - Guide To Creating Tremendous Wealth
Maverick Money Makers - Get Paid For Life!
The Credit Secret Bible Raise Your Credit Score Easily
Credit Repair Secrets Revealed Repair Your Credit History
Learn How To Easily Borrow Up To $1 Million Cash In Less Than 7 Days
Bad Credit Personal Loan Source
Related
News Articles
Are You at Risk for High Blood Pressure?
What Are the Causes and Effects of High
Blood Pressure?
How to Control Your High Blood Pressure
Other News Articles
Understanding the Pros and Cons of a Hysterectomy
What Causes Infertility and What
Are Some Solutions?
What
Are the Early Signs of Menopause?
What Are Menstrual Cramps and How
to Get Relief?
How
to Naturally Increase Your Metabolism to Lose Weight
What
Is Osteoporosis and How to Properly Treat It?
Ovarian Cancer: The Causes, Risks, and Treatments
Living with and Overcoming Panic
Attacks
Understanding and Preparing for a Pap Smear
What Are the Risks of Getting Pregnant
Over 30?
Does Your Age Affect Your Ability to Get
Pregnant?
Is It Harder to Get Pregnant If You're
Overweight?
10 Reasons Why You're Having Trouble Getting
Pregnant
How to
Avoid Excess Weight Gain During Pregnancy
Protein: The Secret Weapon to Fast Weight Loss!
How to
Save Your Marriage and Make It Better Than Before
What Are the Signs, Symptoms, and
Cure for Sinus Infections?
How to
Care for Your Skin So You Age Gracefully
Avoid Lung Cancer and Quit
Smoking Today
How to Naturally Cure an Urinary
Tract Infection
|
How to Lower and Eliminate Your High Cholesterol
What Is Cholesterol? Cholesterol and triglycerides are forms of lipid, or fat, carried in the bloodstream, and are essential for our bodies. Cholesterol is necessary for building cell membranes and for making certain hormones. Triglycerides provide energy for cells to function. Too much cholesterol in the blood, however, is a major risk for coronary heart disease. The medical term for this condition is ‘hypercholesterolemia’.
Cholesterol (and triglycerides) can be present in the body either from diet or can be endogenous (i.e. manufactured within the body). The dietary lipids are available in the body from food containing animal products or saturated fat. The liver combines the lipids with special proteins to make lipoproteins which are delivered to cells through the bloodstream. At times when dietary lipids are not available, the liver itself produces the same.
The cholesterol in the blood is of two kinds, LDL and HDL. LDL which is low density lipoprotein is considered to be bad whereas HDL or High density lipoprotein is good. However the total amount of cholesterol is the sum of HDL and LDL in certain proportions in the blood. The exact proportion of HDL and LDL differs from person to person.
When the ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol levels are too high, they tend to stick, as plaque, to the artery walls leading to hardening and narrowing of the arteries - a condition known as “atherosclerosis” which can lead to high blood pressure, heart attacks and strokes. Thus, high cholesterol (high LDL levels, in effect) is a major risk factor for heart disease.
High cholesterol levels can be due to a number of causes including heredity, poor diet, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, age etc. Of these risk factors, only heredity and age cannot be controlled. High cholesterol levels can also arise in some people due to certain medical conditions such as diabetes (characterized by high blood sugar), obstructive liver disease, chronic renal (kidney) failure etc. In such people, the treatment of the underlying disease can reduce the high cholesterol levels.
Several drugs are now available to reduce high cholesterol. However, the preferred route (unless underlying disorders mandate the use of drugs) should be non-prescription (natural) methods such as a low fat (or fat free) diet, exercise and weight loss. Such a lifestyle change, admittedly, is not easy. However, the benefits of change include control of diabetes, heart disease and stroke and go far beyond merely reducing cholesterol levels.
Where Does High Cholesterol Come From? One of the most disturbing and one of the most silent killers within modern society is high cholesterol which often leads to heart attack. From French fries dripping with grease and unhealthy foods that are available upon a moment's request, it is becoming more difficult to fight high cholesterol. However, there are many more causes that may come hand in hand with elevated cholesterol levels and knowing the causes for this terrible condition. When you find out what causes high cholesterol, you will be in a better position to take action in order to reduce the effects high cholesterol levels can have on your life.
Obesity or Being Overweight - High blood pressure is like a magnet for overweight or obese people, and can really do damage if it's not properly controlled. In fact, with the high amount of foods that we consume from fast food chains and other places can cause a very large risk for high cholesterol. Saturated fat is one of the worst culprits and it can be found in fast food, pre packaged food and prepared food. Many people don't know that food which is high in carbs can also be a perfect precursor to elevated cholesterol. While we get tons of energy from carbs, when the energy is not needed right away, these things get stored and converted into fat! If possible, stay away from foods like this; especially if you have a genetic predisposition to high cholesterol!
Genetics - Of course, your risk of elevated cholesterol levels is worse if you have had someone in your immediate family or even your distanced family with cholesterol issues. Many times, this means that it is nearly impossible to control the cholesterol levels with natural methods. In fact, with genetic cases of cholesterol it can be difficult even to control them with medications. There is a chance, however that with natural methods such as diet, exercise and low stress, that the cholesterol will be lowered or will not have such damaging effects on the body.
Age and Gender - With age, cholesterol levels do rise. Although there are cases in which even children have had high cholesterol which led to heart disease, the truth is that cholesterol becomes more of a problem the older we get. Men are also more likely to have elevated cholesterol because their bodies product more than women do, up until menopause. After that, women are at a greater risk of heart disease due to high cholesterol. One thing is for sure; cholesterol does not discriminate.
Being Stressed Out - Although it doesn't seem like much, stress is a really powerful thing. Large amounts of stress will cause people to behave differently as well as live differently. Through indirect reasons, stress can cause cholesterol levels to rise, and learning how to properly manage stress and of course getting time to relax will help you prevent high cholesterol due to stress.
Obesity, foods high in trans fat and saturated fat, and even stress can cause high cholesterol. Even the healthiest of people can have damaging cholesterol problems which may lead to heart attack or stroke. However, learning to care for our bodies in the most natural ways can really prevent this problem and help us have a great, healthy and carefree life! The key is to do what it takes to keep cholesterol levels in check.
How to Lower Your High Cholesterol A low-carb, high protein diet such as ShapeWorks ™ Weight Loss Diet by HerbaLife International is an excellent and easy diet because there is no calories or points counting involved, and many foods that many people love to eat are allowed on the diet. Because the ShapeWorks™ Weight Loss Diet is a high-protein diet, weight lost during this diet will not result in the lost of muscle mass, since protein is the main nutrient needed for maintaining healthy muscle tone. This diet basically eliminates carbohydrates, which are simple sugars or foods that break down into simple sugars. These serve as empty calories in your diet, providing no nutrients yet many calories. We won't cover the ShapeWorks™ Weight Loss Diet here. So for more information on this effective, high-protein, low-carb diet...Click Here.
First let us identify carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are sugar, including powdered sugar, granulated white sugar, brown sugar, or any type of sugar you can think of, is the main carbohydrate that you would need to eliminate. All types of pastas count as carbohydrates, meaning all noodle and spaghetti products must be eliminated. Starches of any type, such as white rice, potatoes and potato chips, need to be eliminated.
Cereals are mostly carbohydrates and should be avoided entirely during the diet phase. Because of the low-carb craze, there are many low-carb options of sodas, milk, ice cream, bread, beer, and wine available in the average supermarket. If you do consume these, be sure to do so only occasionally and in moderation, even if it is a low-carb type. Otherwise, the aforementioned foods should be eliminated entirely when not of the low-carb type. Beware of foods that contain hidden sugars, like bacon, barbeque sauce, ketchup, salad dressing, cough syrup, and fruit juice. As strange as it may seem, fruits and fruit juices should be eliminated while in the weight loss phase of this diet, as they are nearly pure carbohydrates. Anything made with flour needs to be eliminated during the weight loss phase, since as mentioned earlier they are high in carbohydrates.
Now what can you eat? Well, the good news is that you can eat all meats, fish, poultry and seafood, except prepared meats like bacon and honey baked ham, which are high in sugar. Skip the bread and have meat and salad, or meat in your salad. Eggs are very low-carb friendly, but be sure to skip the mayonnaise or salad dressing unless it is low-carb type mayonnaise or dressing. Any type of vegetable is fine, but be sure to realize that when making that salad that tomatoes are actually a fruit, and you want to limit your consumption of them at least during the weight loss phase. Choose brown rice as your starch replacement, as it is low in carbohydrates comparatively to potatoes, bread or white rice. Cheese is good in limited amounts, as this is a high-protein, low-carb food. Butter and cream can be used, but should be consumed in limited amounts. One complex carbohydrate that is good is fiber, as it does not break down into simple sugar, and helps the body with elimination. Further, fiber fills you up quickly without adding significant calories, so hunger pangs are fought off successfully.
Finally, make sure you are drinking at least eight to twelve 8-ounce glasses of water a day minimum in addition to any other liquid you may consume. Dehydration often masquerades as hunger and causes overeating. Of course, again exercise is a necessary and vital part of your diet plan, which we will cover in the next section on exercise.
Once you lose the weight that you set out to lose, the weight loss phase of your diet is over. Of course keep in mind that you are making lifestyle changes, not going on fad or binge diets. This means that you will not go back to your old eating habits. Instead you will introduce certain foods back into your diet in moderation. For example, you may add a couple of strips of bacon once a week to your meal plan. You can enjoy small portions of deserts of any kind, simply in moderation. It is best to avoid soft drinks all together, or opt for the low-carb type permanently. If you do introduce any other carbohydrate-laden foods, be sure to do so only at one meal, and in small portions. Reducing carbohydrates will become a lifestyle to you when following this plan, one is very likely to boost your overall energy level and help you keep the weight off.
High Fiber Diets Work These days, the ease of prepackaged snacks and accessibility of fast food restaurants has made our diets as well as our arteries thick with fats and processed sugars. We’ve decreased our consumption of fresh foods such as fruits and vegetables, and as a result, our fiber intake has severely dropped. (Click Here for more information about fiber.)
The Surgeon General, American Dietetic Association and the National Cancer Institute recommend that adults consume 20-35 grams of fiber every day for optimal health. They encourage us to increase our fiber intake to promote healthy digestion, heart health & weight maintenance. Sadly, most Americans are lucky if they consume 12-15 grams of fiber in their average diet. This is often blamed on the Standard American Diet, (or S.A.D.) which typically consists of high fat entrees, refined forms of carbohydrates, and is generally low in roughage.
Fiber contributes to a healthy cardiovascular system by helping us maintain healthy cholesterol levels. How does fiber work? Simply put, it works like a sponge! In the digestive system, soluble fiber absorbs water soluble fats like excess cholesterol, trapping it, and escorting it from the body in a healthy bowel movement. Fiber also supports healthy blood sugar maintenance. This is accomplished as fiber slows down carbohydrate conversion to sugar, promoting a stable blood sugar in the body. This addresses our appetite, so we refrain from impulsively reaching for sugary snacks and high carbohydrate foods.
Fiber has also been shown to support digestive wellness through studies which connect high fiber diets to decreased incidence of colon disease, including Crohn’s, Colitis and even cancer. This is generally associated with the consumption of insoluble forms of fiber, known as roughage. Insoluble fiber works like a scrub brush or broom, sweeping waste from the walls of the intestine, promoting a healthy digestive environment.
If you are like many Americans following the S.A.D. diet, it is likely that your doctor has already encouraged you to eat more fiber. The ‘Five a Day’ recommendation of five servings of fruit and vegetables per day is a good starting point, and optimally, more is better. Simple dietary changes including adding a fiber supplement can provide substantial health benefits.
HerbaLife International has some great all-natural fiber supplements.
Active Fiber Complex
Powder...Click
Here!
Check Out These Sure-Fire Ways of Lowering Your High Cholesterol
The Great Cholesterol Lie...Click Here!
Crunch Cholesterol: Safe, Natural Secrets For High Cholesterol...Click Here!
Lower Cholesterol Naturally...Click Here!
The Prescription Free Cholesterol Cure...Click Here!
Cholesterol And The French Paradox...Click Here!
Amazon Video on Demand
|
Don't Delay! Order Now!
Consumer Rating:
Click Here To Learn More! WEIGHT LOSS BREAKTHROUGH Jim Poore Lost 402 lbs! Watch His Amazing Testimony.
|
|
|
20
High Cholesterol Products and Resources
