Natural Ways to Lower Your Cholesterol

You are seeking natural ways to lower cholesterol?
calm, I would like to encourage you to stay with it. Don't allow yourself to be sidetracked by those in the medical community who believe that medication is the best answer. The truth is that while a statin medication is effective at reducing cholesterol, in the long run there are many severe side effects associated with it.

The best ways to lower cholesterol safely involve lifestyle and dietary changes. For instance, science has shown that there are two very effective natural substances found in plants such as whole grains, vegetables, fruits and nuts, that have a powerful effect on lowering cholesterol levels.

In the same way, the saturated fats found in meat and many processed foods have a powerful effect for raising cholesterol. Because of this, it is recommended to eliminate beef and pork from your diet until your cholesterol readings have come down to where they belong.

The two powerful substances found in plants that I mentioned earlier are soluble fiber (which is only found in plants, not meats) and plant sterols. Many of us are familiar with fiber, but plant sterols may be new to you. Sterols are natural substances found in all plants that have a very similar molecular makeup to that of cholesterol.

It is believed that, sterols compete with cholesterol for absorption into the bloodstream. This fact is so well proven that members of the mainstream medical community, the FDA, and alternative medicine all agree on their effectiveness.

Soluble fiber → on the other hand, is essential because cholesterol attaches itself to the fiber in the intestines so that it is eliminated from the body.

Cholesterol lowering supplements that contain high amounts of plant sterols, when combined with a high fiber diet, provide one of the most effective natural ways to lower cholesterol that you can find.

Tips To Help Prevent Heart Disease

You should always keep in mind that whatever actions you do today can either help to prevent, delay or minimize the effect of heart disease or worsen it. The key is to control risk factors. Granted that you cannot control every risk factor for heart disease such as family history but you can definitely do something about your behavior. Age and gender also influence your risk of heart disease. Oral chelation can have a very beneficial effect on reducing your risk of heart disease.



Major Risk Factors of Heart Disease


→ Cholesterol Levels

Cholesterol is a type of a lipid, a soft, fat-like substance that serves as a source of fuel. Excessive cholesterol can cause build-up of atherosclerotic plaque. Accumulation of plaque in arteries can block blood flow and lead to a heart attack. LDL cholesterol, the so-called "bad" cholesterol, is transported to sites throughout the body, where it's used to repair cell membranes or to make hormones. LDL cholesterol can accumulate in the walls of your arteries. HDL cholesterol, the so-called "good" cholesterol, transports cholesterol to the liver, where it's altered and removed from the body.


→ Blood Pressure

Normal blood pressure level is defined as less than 130 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) for systolic blood pressure and less than 85 mm Hg for diastolic blood pressure. The higher the blood pressure, the more likely it is to take a toll on the heart and on the brain. Blood pressure should be checked whether or not your levels are high. For normal, check once every two years. For high-normal, check once a year. If extremely high, you should get immediate care. Then get multiple measurements to know if a high level is sustained over time.


→ Diabetes

Another risk factor for heart disease is diabetes, a chronic disease of insulin deficiency or resistance. Type 2 diabetes, the most common type, is associated with obesity and may be prevented by maintaining ideal body weight through exercise and balanced nutrition.



Tips For Controlling Risk of Heart Disease


→ Stop Smoking

The effect of smoking on your lungs can cause almost every other medical condition.


→ Get Active

Routine physical activity is highly recommended and helpful in controlling obesity. Try to perform 30 minutes of moderate physical activity every day. Fast walking is one of the best way to prevent heart disease. If you can lose even a small amount of weight, five pounds for example, it may have a positive effect on lipid levels and blood pressure preventing heart disease.


→ Limit Alcohol Consumption

Limit daily alcohol intake to three ounces or fewer to prevent heart disease. People who drink large amounts of alcohol (six to eight ounces a day) tend to have higher blood pressure.


→ Watch What You Eat

- Eat five helpings of fruits and vegetables daily to prevent heart disease.
- Maintain adequate dietary potassium, calcium and magnesium intake.
- Reduce saturated fats and cholesterol to stay away from heart disease.

Consider using a quality edta or oral chelation product in your diet.




Source ↓

http://www.edta-oral-chelation-product-reviews.com
http://www.oral-chelation-products-reviewed.com

By: Josh Spencer

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Mike has been helping people protect their health for several years. All good health programs start with a healthy heart. Let Mike guide you in getting started. www.edta-oral-chelation-reviews.com Mike Spencer www.oral-chelation-reviews.com www.oral-chelation-blog.com

Adopt a healthy lifestyle for a healthier heart

High cholesterol is one of the worst causes of heart diseases. Excess cholesterol leads to a build up of fatty acids in the body and as a result the blood flow to the arteries is reduced, thereby causing heart problems. Some of the major causes of high cholesterol are unhealthy eating habits, lack of physical activity, stress, and obesity. While a healthy and balanced diet is quite essential for a healthy heart, there are some other factors to keep in mind to live a happy and healthy lifestyle.





→ Exercise:
Our hectic lifestyle leaves us little to no time for any physical fitness. Doing regular exercise can however be beneficial for a healthy heart, for a number of reasons. For instance, exercise will help lower cholesterol, keeps blood pressure under control, help with weight loss and makes you feel energetic. While most people find it difficult to go to the gym, there are various ways of doing exercise and keeping yourself fit and healthy. Try taking a walk on a daily basis or take up a sporting activity with some mates. You can also start doing more physical chores at home to keep your body moving and get a bit of a workout. For a little more motivation and a proper strength training sessions, it’s a good idea to hit the gym once in a while.

→ Reduce Body weight:
As obesity affects a large number of people across Australia, it's important to keep a eye on your weight and ensure it does not affect your heart's health. Obesity can lead to high blood pressure, high cholesterol and can cause heart disease. Reduce your body weight by eating healthy food and by doing regular exercise.

→ Reduce Stress:
Stress can be quite harmful to your heart's health. It can be caused by personal as well as professional reasons. Professionally, long hours of work, work-pressure, attending meetings, travelling, are some of the causes of stress. The expectations and demands in personal relationships are also stressful at times. Stress leads to high blood pressure and affects the heart and physical well being of the person.

→ Quit smoking and alcohol:
It a well known fact that smoking and too much alcohol consumption can affect your lungs and heart. Ideally, it's best to quit smoking and the intake of too much alcohol for a healthier lifestyle.

To maintain a healthy heart lifestyle, just follow some of the simple steps mentioned above such as reducing eating fatty foods which cause cholesterol and exercise regularly.



Source ↓

About the author:
If you are concerned that your diet is not considered healthy eating or you have any concerns about your cholesterol level or any aspect of your health, your general practitioner, practice nurse, dietitian or pharmacist should always be your first point of contact.

http://www.free-articles-zone.com/article/207478/%20Adopt%20a%20healthy%20lifestyle%20for%20a%20healthier%20heart

photo source: http://www.highcholesterol.me.uk/images/how-high-cholesterol-causes-atherosclerosis.gif

Tips for Realistically Losing Weight

Obesity is a life threatening condition and is spreading at an alarming rate throughout Western society. It is particularly prevalent in the USA. However there are some steps you can take to reduce your weight and improve your health and lifestyle.

Reducing calorie intake:

What are calories? A calorie is a unit used to measure energy. It is required by most governments to print the calorie value of foods on the nutrition label of all foods that are sold to consumers. Because if this it is easier to calculate your calorie intake. Reducing calories means not just cutting food intake but being careful of the actual caloric value of the foods you are eating.

Reduction but not eliminating fats and oils:
→ Fat and oil is necessary for the body but we often eat foods which are too high in fats thus taking in more fat and oil than we need to. When you cut down fat and oil you will reduce calories and definitely manage to lose those pounds.

Decrease but do not eliminate carbohydrates:
→ Carbohydrates are necessary to the body but we often eat too much of this class of food resulting in the body storing these foods as fat. When you cut down carbohydrates you will reduce your weight.

Increase your protein levels:
→ It is often good to eat foods that are high in proteins as they are not as fattening as other foods. High protein foods are good to eat when you are reducing weight to prevent any muscle loss occurring as you shed those pounds.

Eat more fruits and vegetables:
→ These are good for providing nutrients to the body and are low in calories. They are a good alternative to "junk food" snacks. They will also increase fiber in your diet.

Reduction in sugar and sodium. Sugar is readily broken dawn by the body into energy and excess stored as fat making it a fattening food. Sodium eaten in excess can contribute to water retention by the body and prevent weight loss.

Increasing fiber in your diet:
→ This will help you to curb hunger pangs as fiber rich foods will help you feel full as they take longer to digest. Your digestive system will work better with an increase in fiber.Whole grain foods, unrefined foods, fruits and vegetables will give you more fiber.

Increase your fluid intake:
→ Drink more pure water especially. This will help to improve your health and fill you up.

Increase exercise:
→ Regular exercise will help you reduce weight and build muscle instead of storing fat. You can either work out for about 20 minutes 3 times a week or take a brisk daily walk.

When you use these steps you will reduce your weight. You will not achieve a super figure in one day but when you keep up a healthy diet you will lose weight steadily. Maintaining a healthy diet with regular exercise will ensure that you not only reduce but will keep the weight off. You will feel healthier and have more energy to do the things you really want to do in life.



Source ↓

http://www.articlesbase.com/weight-loss-articles/tips-for-realistically-losing-weight-319277.html