Sphygmomanometers

Blood pressure is a tricky thing. Although it can be easily read by just about anyone, the process of finding ones blood pressure can be a little tricky. For those people looking to get the most precise reading possible, an invasive procedure must be put into play. This means a device must be inserted into a person and the blood pressure must be read in that way. However, the most common way to measure blood pressure is to use something called a sphygmomanometer. This is normally referred to as a blood pressure cuff, since that is exactly what it is: a pressurized cuff that is attached around a person’s forearm.

The cuff is usually placed around the upper left arm of a patient, at roughly the same vertical height as the person’s heart. The patient must be in an upright position for the cuff to read the blood pressure correctly, because only in this position does the blood flow through the body as it should. The cuff is then inflated until enough pressure is placed on the brachial artery there for a reading to occur. The systolic pressure is taken when the cuff begin to decrease. The doctor places a stethoscope against the elbow and listens to hear when the Korotkoff sounds begin. When they do, the systolic pressure is taken. The cuff continues to deflate until the sounds are heard no more. When this occurs, the doctor takes down the diatolic pressure.

Two types of blood pressure cuffs are in existence: digital and manual. Both of these types have their ups and downs, though most people tend to use the digital blood pressure cuffs when they are taking their blood pressure at home or in a drug store. Digital cuffs are not only easier to use, they are also more practical in a noisy environment, since you don’t have to listen for the Korotkoff sounds in order to get a blood pressure reading. These cuff types actually measure the mean arterial pulse, and then derive both the systolic and diatolic pressures from that. The only downside is that they cannot be used in certain conditions pertaining to health problems some people encounter. Manual sphygmomanometers are much more precise than digital ones, though they take more skill to operate and therefore are normally used only by doctors. They involve having to manually pump the cuff as well as listening for the Korotkoff sounds, which some people find difficult to gauge.

Your Nationality and Blood Pressure - How Does That Have An Effect?

There are many different things that can put you at a greater risk for high blood pressure. If there is something in your life that makes it hard for your heart to work the right way that it should, you are going to experience high blood pressure, even if you are doing some things in the healthy way. However, one of the things that has long been felt by many in the medical community to be a factor in high blood pressure is your race. It has long been thought that there are some genetic factors that make one race more apt to have high blood pressure than another. While this might be true, there are certain things that you should try and do for yourself no matter what race you are.

First of all, a big part of high blood pressure is the foods that we eat. If you come from a racial background that richly celebrates every occasion with meals that are high in fat and cholesterol, your entire family is going to see that they might have problems with high blood pressure. This might be something that is linked to race, because different races celebrate things in different ways, and the traditional cooking is much different from place to place, as well as from race to race. If you belong to a culture that has a tendency to eat foods often that are high in fat, you might want to consider changing the way that you cook on a day to day basis. If you still want to participate in your family functions and eat the foods that everyone else is eating, it is okay as long as this is only practiced in moderation. If you can cook for yourself every single day and eat foods that are low in fat and cholesterol, you are going to have a better chance of lowering your own high blood pressure. You can also encourage your family to use low fat substitutes when they are celebrating. Exercise plays a role as well.

Certain blood pressure conditions are prevalent with certain races. If you are black or Hispanic, make sure you keep your blood pressure in check A number of more serious health conditions can occur if high blood pressure is not addressed, so if you are at risk, monitor it carefully, eat well, and exercise often. By doing these things, you can prevent high blood pressure, no matter what race you may be.

What is Pulse Blood Pressure?

There are many different forms of pressure that you should get checked as well as your blood pressure to keep yourself in good health. If this is not taken care of, some of the problems that could be happening may not be found in time for them to be treated correctly. One type of pressure that could be checked is your pulse pressure. This is going to be the change in blood pressure during a single contraction of the heart. There is a way to find the pulse pressure of a person easily. Pulse pressure can be taken into account when there is a problem with your blood pressure. It is a good indicator to some different types of heart problems.

Because you know how important a pulse pressure is, it is time to talk about how to find out a person’s pulse pressure measurements. Normally, the pulse pressure is the systolic pressure minus the diastolic pressure. The following items can calculate it: stroke volume divided by compliance. Stroke volume is the volume of blood pumped out of a ventricle with each beat of the heart, as compliance is the standard regulation of beats. The resting pulse pressure in the average person is 40 mmHg and this could increase up to 100mmHg when a healthy adult is exercising. The numbers out of this range will show a possible health problem and you should talk to your doctor about it as soon as you can to avoid any kind of complications.

It is very rare to get a pulse pressure reading of less than 40mmHg. The chances are if you receive one that is really lower than the others, you have just done the calculations wrong. If the pulse pressure is low usually, it reflects a low stroke volume and this means that your heart is not pumping out the right amount of blood that it is supposed to. This could be due to a very serious problem like congestive heart disorder or shock.

If your pulse pressure is more than 40 mmHg, usually a reading between 60 and 80mmHg, there are few reasons that this may happen. This is an indicator of stiffness of the arteries, a leak in the aortic valve, and an extra path for the blood to go on from the arteries to the veins, hypothyroidism, or some kind of combination of these. It is something that should be discussed with your doctor if it is higher than average and of course, when you have lower pulse pressure than usual too.

What Influences Your Blood Pressure?

Fluid systems in the body are notorious for the high level of complexity in their physics. The circulatory system is no different, and it is because of this that there are so many different factors that could affect a person’s blood pressure. The rate the heart pumps to the viscosity of the blood itself, blood pressure has influences from multiple factors in the body. These factors may, in turn, be influenced by outside factors such as diet, exercise, disease, or drugs. This is because of this that blood pressure has an even greater number of indirect influencers.

Let’s start by discussing probably the most influential factor associated with blood pressure: the rate of pumping, more commonly referred to as the heart rate. The average heart rate for a healthy human being runs between 70 and 75 beats per minute. The higher the heart rate is, the higher the blood pressure. Another physical factor related to blood pressure is the blood volume of the body. The more blood there is in the body, the higher the rate of blood return to the heart and the higher the blood pressure. There is a correlation between salt intake and blood volume in many people, though the amount to which it raises blood pressure varies.

Resistance and viscosity are two other major influencing factors in blood pressure. Resistance here relates to the size of blood vessels as well as the smoothness of these vessels. There are things in the body that affect the size of blood vessels. Some make them thinner, which increases blood pressure, while others do the opposite. Fatty acids are responsible for the smoothness of blood vessels, because the more that is deposited on the walls, the less resistance there is. Viscosity, on the other hand, is the thickness of the blood flowing through the body. The thicker the blood is that’s pumping through a body’s veins, the higher the blood pressure will be. Certain illnesses affect the viscosity of blood, as well as the level of sugars in the blood.

While thus far high blood pressure has been the effect of these factors, there are certainly ones that influence low blood pressure as well. Some causes of low blood pressure include sepsis, hemorrhaging, certain toxins, and hormonal abnormalities. On a lighter note, simply sitting and standing could lower blood pressure as well, though the factors that influence low blood pressure are usually more severe.

Blood Pressure and Druge Use

There is a lot of different talk about how thing that we do in life will affect our body. Using drugs is one of these things. Using drugs is going to be important depending on the amount and how often the drug use is going to occur. One of the things that are going to be a good target by your drug abuse is your blood pressure. You have to figure out that your blood pressure is something that can be dangerously damaged by your drug use. It is going to be very important that you know what this could mean in order to keep your body healthy.

If you have high blood pressure, you are going to be more at risk for many different types health problems. Your body is not going to be healing well after an injury and it will not repair itself after being sick. Actually high blood pressure is something that can lead to a lot of trouble during your life and to help this from happening there are some things that you should think about doing.

The first thing is that you should get a lot of exercise for your body. You need to be getting your heart pumping for a long period of time several times a week. This is a good way to keep your heart in shape and make sure that you are not going to develop high blood pressure. You will need to eat a good diet and stay away from high fat and cholesterols and that you should be doing whatever is healthier for your body when it comes to the food that you put in your mouth.

Any kind of drug will have a huge impact on your blood pressure. If you are getting the right amount of exercise and eating well, you are still hurting your body if you are using drugs. You should know that when you put anything into your blood system it not only makes you feel good by getting you high, it will also do damage to all of your inside organs and all of the other parts of your body. Doing drugs will raise your blood pressure as well as do many other terrible things to you and your body. You need to think about this and remember that doing drugs is going to make your body sick and it will not get better. You do not want to have a drug problem and increase your chances of dying too early in life. This will happen if you continue to do drugs and not take care of your body and keep your blood pressure under control.

Treatments for High Blood Pressure

There are many things that you can do to naturally lower your blood pressure, and there are also many medications that you can take to make sure that your blood pressure stays as low as possible for your body.

First of all, you need to be sure that you are always eating a diet that is low in fat and cholesterol. This is your best defense against high blood pressure. If you can incorporate healthy food into your life as something that you are always doing, you are going to find that you are able to lower your blood pressure at least a little bit simply by eating the right foods. This is important to do, and it is important to start right now. Eating healthy food is something that can help your body, but it is something that you have to keep up, and something that you have to do for a long time. If you have been in the habit of eating foods that are bad for you, you are going to find that it takes a long time for a healthy diet to make a real difference. However, you shouldn’t give up, because it is something that will do wonders for you.

You should also be sure that you are getting plenty of exercise. This is something that is important, but you have to make sure that it is the right kind. Remember that the best kind of exercise for lowering your blood pressure is something that gets your heart moving. You want to make sure that your heart is very healthy, and that you are getting enough exercise.

However, it might be that even though you are eating right and getting enough exercise, you still have to deal with high blood pressure. This might be because you have abused your body for awhile and you need to have some time for your body to heal. It might be that you have been eating a high fat diet for many years, and you need to take the time to get your body back to where it should be. Or it might be that you have a condition that makes you have high blood pressure, even if you don’t do anything wrong. In these cases, it might become important to use blood pressure medication. This will help you to regulate your blood pressure. Talk to your doctor about the different medications, and what they can do for you when it comes to lowering your blood pressure. There are also a variety of natural techniques, like acupuncture and massage that can be used to lower your blood pressure. Look into all of these options before finding one that is right for you.

Mean Arterial Pressure

The blood pressure is in our body is always changing and it is part of the human physiology and biology. It is very rare for a person to have blood pressure that is always the same no matter what. This is true. It is just not going to happen for anyone. The reason behind this is that we do different things like eat, sit and stand, breath differently, move around and do many other things throughout a day.

Every time that we do something different, our blood pressure will change. It is going to react to the different position that we are in. it is very important that doctors and other professionals have the set rate for each person that relates to blood pressure and what it should be. It is just impossible for anyone to take his or her blood pressure all the time throughout the day. This is where arterial pressure starts. What this is will be the average value for a person’s blood pressure and it will stand for the person’s health and blood pressure on a regular and normal day.

There are different reasons that mean that an arterial pressure is taken and recorded for that person. Not all are related to health. The mean arterial pressure is known as part of a couple biological processes that do not show any type of health problem. When an arterial blood flow goes through the body it is going somewhere that it has in mind. Usually the blood is pumped through the arteries and left in the beds of capillaries that will run across the surface of different organs and give them the nutritional substances that are needed to operate right. This is perfusion pressure is thought to actually be the mean arterial pressure.

For the mean arterial pressure to allow an organ to operate the way that it should, it will have to be at around 60 mmHg. This is going to be enough to take on an organ for the average size person as long as it is remains at this spot. If the value would fall below the average, this will mean that there is not enough blood pumping into the organ and this will cause the organ to become alchemic. This will be result of tissue damage to the organ and it is a very good idea that the mean arterial pressure be checked and calculated on a regular basis. Different health officials will make it a good idea to check the value of a person’s arterial pressure when they take a person’s blood pressure. It is just one of the many calculations that have to be made in conjunction with blood pressure and what is going to make the body run better and more efficiently.

Low Fat Diary and Your Blood Pressure

There are so many healthy heart decisions that you can make to lower your blood pressure. You may be wandering what does your blood pressure do for you? The answer is simple. Anyone that has higher blood pressures is going to be more likely to have a lot of problems with their health. If you find a way to decrease your blood pressure, you are going to be giving yourself the opportunity to become healthier and a lot happier in your own life too.

What you eat is going to end up to be very important to your health and lowering your blood pressure. If you can create a way to eat foods that are low in fat like low fat dairy, you will be able to lower your blood pressure dramatically.

This will be a result when you are eating foods that are high in fat just as most dairy products are. The fat is going to build up in your arteries and if this occurs, your arteries are going to be harder for the blood to get through. For your blood to get through your arteries like it should be happening, your heart is going to have to work harder. This will mean that your blood pressure will rise. If this happens, you are going to have a better chance of having a heart attack and stroke. You will also be more acceptable to getting more disease that you might not have to worry about if you had lower blood pressure.

What you eat is very important to your health and getting your blood pressure to be lower. Taking the time to eat low fat dairy is a good way that you can really help yourself to be healthier. The lower fat dairy is easy to get accustom to once you have tried it and see what it is like. You are going to be doing something that is good for your body and for your whole like too. If you are switching to a low fat dairy diet it and it is something that you can do all the time, you are going to be giving yourself more life to live ahead of you.

You should try and do the change for your body. It is going to make a huge impact on your life and it will lower your blood pressure which will help lead you down a better road to health.

Low Blood Pressure

There are a lot of different effects that blood pressure can have on a body. Most think about hypertension otherwise known as high blood pressure. However having low blood pressure can cause problems as well. Hypotension can be serious and it should be taken care of immediately. Having low blood pressure can affect the bran and could as a result cause more problems that can not be fixed or even fatal.

The most known reason for having hypotension is having decreased blood volume that is known as hypovolemia. There are many reasons why this is a problem that can occur in this way. Most of them have to do with problem with the nervous system in the brain. There are other causes that will include some medicines that can have hypovolemia as a side effect. Because low blood pressure has these affects and is a result of problems with such an important part of the body, it makes hypotension even more serious than having high blood pressure.

One type of problem related to hypotension that should be considered is orthostatic hypotension. This is also known as postural hypotension and is one of the more common forms of low blood pressure. It can occur because of a change in the body’s position. An example would be standing up from a sitting or lying down position can briefly lower the blood flow in the body. Because of this, you can become dizzy, and can be noticed on a regular basis by many. Another more serious type of the syndrome can be brought on by medications of the physical and the psychiatric topic.

There is another form of hypotension that is less common than orthostatic hypotension. It is known as postprandial hypotension and will occur 30-75 minutes after you have eaten. Digestion of food can send a large dose of the blood to the digestive system and due to this the autonomic nervous system must compensate to increase the body’s heart rate and find make more blood pump. Orthostatic hypotension can affect the autonomic nervous system, making it even weaker than it already is. It is also a sign of a failing autonomic nervous system maybe because of age or something else completely.

Hypotension is just as severe as hypertension. Even though the two may sound the same, their affects on the body are very different. However they are both cause for concern and should be checked out immediately especially since having low blood pressure could affect the brain and this is the most important part of the body.

Alchol and Blood Pressure.

As much as blood pressure is affected by various states of the body throughout the day, as well as various diseases that are seen in many people, it can also be affected by outside influences such as food and drinks. Specifically, alcoholic drinks are a major factor that influences blood pressure in a person. It is important that more people pay attention to the relationship between alcohol and blood pressure because it is such an important relationship that could very well determine whether or not you are a healthy or unhealthy individual. Drinking alcohol could also increase the chance of other medical issues which may then indirectly lead to an increase in blood pressure.

Regular drinkers are exceptionally prone to having high blood pressure, because they harm their kidneys in such a way that more pressure is exerted on arteries and such, since the kidneys are closely connected with blood pressure. Drinkers should limit the amount they drink to one or two drinks every day or so. Women should be expecially careful as to how much they drink because their tolerance is normally lower than a man’s. If blood pressure becomes a strong problem due to drinking, doctors are very likely to administer some strong medicine to a person.

Alcohol also causes some people to become overweight. At the very least, it is a contributing factor to being overweight, due the number of calories alcohol contains. That beer gut people get after downing a six pack a day is not only making you look bad, chances are it’s also raising your blood pressure to dangerously high levels. After all, the more fat a person has on them, the more pressure that fat is going to put on arteries, which will, in turn, raise the pressure of the blood pressing against those arteries.

Because of the strong correlation between alcohol and high blood pressure, it is plain to see that drinking less is going to drastically help keep a person’s blood pressure down. Besides the other obvious health risks that could be avoided by drinking less, not having to worry about a high blood pressure could be one of the best to consider. Physicians with patients who have a high blood pressure should give out regulations and limits in regards to drinking in order to better prepare people for the consequences they could encounter.

High Cholesterol in Diabetics

For those who have diabetes, you have a condition where the body and pancreas is not producing enough insulin for your body to properly function. You will find that it puts you at risk for vision trouble and your doctor will give you plenty of warnings once you are diagnosed or if you are on your way to developing diabetes. You will notice that there are many discoveries about the link between cholesterol and diabetes.

You will also notice that this link is called Macular edema and it be very harmful to your health. You will notice that diabetes and high cholesterol will be very harmful to your health. If you have both of then, you will want to make sure that you pay close attention to your diet and that you increase your levels of excise so that you don’t lose your sense of sight or become affected by diabetes and high cholesterol horrors.

The illness, macular edema is where you lose vision or become blind in one or both of the eyes since there is water in the macular of the eye. High glucose levels in the bloodstream, which happens when your body does not produce insulin, puts you at a greater risk for developing macular edema, and the surgery to relieve this condition, if it is even possible, is dangerous and difficult. The recent studies show that there are diabetics to suffer from high cholesterol are more likely to develop macular edema.

You will want to note that there are both good and bad kinds of cholesterol. Good cholesterol is needed in the body, and is called HDL. Bad cholesterol, called LDL, produces excess lipoproteins in the blood stream, which build up on blood vessel walls. You will find that scientist claim that it is this that will cause heart attacks and may be responsible for strokes, and you will want to take a healthy approach to life so that you can afford the risk of suffering from such disorders. Because diabetic patients are two to four times more likely to develop macular edema if they also have high levels of LDL cholesterol in the blood stream, they need to be extra careful about their diets.

You may not know this, but there are foods like eggs, fish, and milk that happen to contain a lot of bad cholesterol, however, these foods are foods that are praised to be healthy for you. . Foods high in trans fats are also culprits for LDL cholesterol. Although we do need some LDL cholesterol in our body for things such as cell membrane production, our livers produce most, if not all, of what we need to function Meaning that you will have to limit your intake of such foods.

You will find that by avoiding such foods that are high in cholesterol you will be able to keep your vision by preventing all of the macular edema risks and diabetic patients will be able to find some control. Low cholesterol diets are needed for anyone and everyone. You will need to think about your diet and how healthy you are. You will want to make sure that you do all that you can to become healthy with diet and exercise. You can check your cholesterol levels by using a home test kit and you will be able to check the levels more accurately when you go to your doctor. If you stay healthy you will be able to prevent macular edema and you will be able to avoid some serious health problems.

High Cholesterol and Self Testing

Did you know that high cholesterol is a serious problem that is common in America? You will find that it is because Americans do not know how to properly eat. You will find that high cholesterol is part of a serious epidemic, but it is also killing people because it will cause you to have a heart attack or stroke. Once you turn 18 years of age, you should o to the doctor on a regular basis to get your cholesterol checked out.

You will want to make sure that it is checked every five years or so, however, if you are at serious risk for a heart attack or stroke (because they are genetically linked), you will want to go every year. You may want to stay concerned about your cholesterol levels throughout your entire adult lie, because you can be at risk at anytime for a heart attack, however, if you deal with it quickly, you’ll be able to reduce your risks. You may want to get a home kit to test your levels in the privacy of your own home. You will then want to go to some of the local pharmacies to try to locate one. If you do have high levels, you will want to consult your doctor to help you moderate your healthy cholesterol levels.

You will want to research all the options that you have and you’ll want to do the research before you test your own cholesterol levels. First, you need to learn a little about cholesterol levels and what they tell you about your health. There are three or more different cholesterol readings that your doctor takes to review your health. When it comes to the good cholesterol or HDL you will want this level to be above 40 or higher. On the other hand, LDL cholesterol, commonly called “bad cholesterol” should be kept lower, at 130 for those in good health with no family history of heart attacks or stroke and at 100 or lower if your family does have a history of heart attacks or stroke. When it comes to your cholesterol report, you may want to ask about all the other numbers that may be included, but your cholesterol numbers are the most important ones to monitor.

You should also know that most home testing kits will only give you a total cholesterol reading. This number should be under 200 and includes not only HDL and LDL numbers, but other considerations as well. You may end up suffering from high LDL and low HDL, but you may have a completely comfortable cholesterol level. This can be very misleading. Some self-testing kits are now adding other reading options to make this process easier, but if you aren’t knowledgeable about the many different kinds of cholesterol, this can be confusing.

You will want to make sure that you follow all of the directions to the self-testing kit very carefully. If you will do it correctly, you will find that testing your cholesterol accurately like the doctor had itself. You will want to remember that there are some companies that have better products, such as the kits that are available on the Market.

You will have to prick your finger to test the cholesterol, but then again, if blood makes your squeamish, you can always find an option that will help you. These kits are not something that you should replace a regular doctor’s visit. You will want to make an appointment with your doctor if you are uncertain about your cholesterol levels or if you think that it might be at an unhealthy level.

Find out more about Statin Drugs

There are drugs called statin drugs that happen to be the answer to high cholesterol. There are many popular statin drugs that will provide you safety and validity of these drugs. It will lower your bad cholesterol levels, but you will also be able to raise the good cholesterol. These drugs have little or not side effects when it comes to long term use, but you will also find that you can risk your risk of an stroke or heart attack by facing your cholesterol issues. You may want to consider talking to your doctor about you using statin drugs to help your poor cholesterol levels get better in the numbers.

When it comes to statin drugs on the market, you will find about six. Each of the major drug companies in the United States produces forms of these drugs, making them easy to get and use. Rosuvastatin, Fluvastatin sodium, Atorvastatin calcium, Lovastatin, Pravastatin sodium, and Simvastatin are the statin drugs that your doctor may prescribe to you for your cholestorial levels. Common names for these types of drugs that you might recognize include Zocor, Lipitor, and Lescol. Ask your doctor about what they recommend for you to take.. In general, rosuvastatin and atorvastatin calcium are used for intensely lowering cholesterol, and may be taking in conjunction with other medications. There are many people who suffer from liver disease and if you are one of them, then you will want to take Pravastatin sodium in small doses. It is also important to abstain from drinking alcohol as well. Atorvastatin calcium and fluvastatin sodium are especially useful if you have kidney problems. All of the other statin drugs you will find that they are proven to help you with your risks of heart attacks and strokes.

When it comes to the statins you will find that they will work by blocking the enzymes in your liver that will make you produce cholesterol. With the excess of cholesterol in your body you will find that this will prevent you from making your cholesterol levels even higher. You will find that there are statin drugs that will help you to maintain your healthy cholesterols and lower your bad cholesterols. However, you should be aware that they will cause you to have a rare disease known as Rhabdomyolysis. This is where the muscles become damaged. You will want to make sure that you follow all of the doctor’s instructions very carefully.

You won’t want to take them if you have muscle weakness and also the Rhabdomyolysis may end up progressing into kidney failure and then death. This is a very serious condition. Mainly, you will want to keep a close eye on your heath in general and you will want to consult your doctor about any changes in your health and how you can treat you high cholesterol safely. Remember, statin drugs are great for some to help them with their cholesterol levels, but it is a prescription and your doctor will recommend that you start a diet, quit smoking, and begin an regular exercise routine.

Cholesterol’s and learning about Trigylcerides

When it comes to learning how you can become healthier, you will be able to lower you cholesterol and you will want to check your body’s levels of a fat called triglyceride. You will find that cholesterol and triglyceride are both lipids in your body that will help your body to survive. If you don’t try to maintain healthy levels of fats in your body, you will be at risk for a heart attack and stroke. There are many people who will check with their doctor about their cholesterol levels so that they are able to stay healthy and so the heart can tick stronger than ever. You will want to inquire about your triglyceride levels because you doctor may not inform you of your personal level.

 

Triglycerides are tested as part of your cholesterol test and it will be the fourth number , that happens to follow the good and bad cholesterol levels and your total cholesterol levels. Unfortunately, medical research has only recently been started on the effects of triglycerides in the blood stream. Usually, there are levels of triglycerides and the levels of bad cholesterol, as well as the good cholesterols. So it is apparent that lower levels of triglycerides are better for your body.

 

However, it is not yet apparent if triglycerides are contributing to the problems of high LDL cholesterol or if high levels are a symptom of high LDL cholesterol. They are still trying to study this type of problem, but there are doctors who aren’t quite sue on how to recommend treatment for the triglyceride levels. Most of the time, lowering high LDL cholesterol and raising low HDL cholesterol brings triglyceride levels back into a normal range with no additional work.

 

You will find that there are some special cases where the higher levels of triglycerides are being treated in patients. You will find that a normal reading of triglyceride is lower than 150. You will find that anything about the 150 is considered to be high and if you are over 500, then the levels are extremely high and it could dangerous to your health. Most patients that are being treated for high triglyceride also suffer from syndrome X. The syndrome X is a genetic default that will cause you to have high LDL cholesterol, low HDL cholesterol, also hypertension. You may also have abnormal blood clotting and issues with insulin.

 

This is the reason why patients with the syndrome X are at high risk for heart attack. Your high triglyceride levels can be easily treated if you lose some weight and exercise. You may also need to get on some medication, although, a diet could be just as helpful. If you may think that you suffer from the syndrome X, then you will want to learn more about your levels of cholesterol and triglyceride. You can do that by talking to your doctor. You will go to your doctor for a simple blood tests and it will measure the lipids in your blood so that you can stay heart-healthy. You will want to also talk to your doctor about changing habits in your diet and exercise routines so that you can life healthy and you may also want to check out your medications so that you can make sure that you are being medicated to your advantage.

The effects of Cholestrol on Men and Women

There are some people who may deny that there are differences between the sexes when it comes to cholesterol, but you should know that rather or not you are being affected from high cholesterol. You will find that many scientists will help you to determine the differences between men and women so that you can determine how cholesterol affects you. You should know that men and women have different hormones and you will find that cholesterol also works in a different way. With you do the proper research, you can learn about the differences in steroids in your body.

You will notice that men are less likely to care about what they eat, but they are less likely to exercise for the benefit of being healthier, but it’s more to look better for the other sex. They are also a lot less likely to go to the doctor for a problem that could be something serious. For these reasons men run a higher risk of having high cholesterol at an earlier age.

It may be obvious those women are more likely to be healthier with their lifestyles. However, this doesn’t mean that they are not at risk for having high cholesterol or avoiding heart disease. Did you know that women are less likely to respond quickly to a heart attack then men? Even though many women think that breast cancer is the top health risk for their gender, this is actually not true—its actually heart disease. There are so many women who believe that they need to worry about breast cancer, but they really should think about their chances of having a heart attack. This is why drastically higher numbers of women die of their first heart attack when compared to the number of male fatalities for the same reason.

Even though men and women are very different, you will find that there is one thing that both of the sexes have in common and that is being able to change the future. Yes, it’s true you can change your future by starting to become healthy and maintaining a healthy cholesterol level. You will find that if you start yourself on a diet that will limit you fat intake, you may be able to save yourself from a heart attack.

You will find that there are saturated fats, sugars, and alcohol that you are going to have to avoid in order to decrease your cholesterol, however, remember that the body does need some fats and sugars for it to perform. You will want to do everything that you can to stay active and also maintain a healthy life.

You will find that you can control your weight and with that you will be able to increase your good cholesterol, but you will also be able to decrease the cholesterol. You may also want to take some fiber supplements so that you can keep your cholesterol levels just right and you’ll be able to dispose the bad cholesterol before it enters your blood stream. There are some many things that you can do to keep your cholesterol under control, but you will want to consult your doctor about what is best for you.

What is a Stroke?

When an artery becomes blocked or broken you will find that you are at risk for neuro damage and a stroke. It is a very common condition that will leave a person extremely disabled. This can cause your brain cells to die and it is not something that you can fix or repair. One of the most common types of strokes is known as the Ischemic stroke. You will find that it is caused by an artery. Depending on the person, you may have different side effects from the stroke that may not be too disabling, but it could also leave you completely crippled. It is important that you do everything that you can to not end up taking a stroke and that you will not have to deal with these types of disadvantages in life.

Did you know that the right and left side of the brain will control different sides of your body?. The two sides control the opposite side of the body so if paralysis occurs it will likely only be to one half of your body. If you happen to have a stroke and it affects the right part of your brain you will lose your vision. One the other hand, strokes affecting the left side may cause speech problems as a result. Any brain cells that die will cause memory loss and paralysis that may take over parts or the entire side of your body.

Your high cholesterol is the leading cause of having clogged arteries and that will cause you to have a stroke or heart attack. It is also related directly to developing heart disease, which makes you susceptible to heart related problems, which include stroke and heart attack. The doctor that you go to will be able to test your cholesterol levels at any time in your life, but you should get it checked once you become 18 or older. Don’t wait to get checked out.

Being overweight, smoking, poor diet, lack of physical activity, and genetics can all be causes of elevated levels that may cause you harm. Also, to fight your chances of a stroke, you will want to use exercise and a diet to help you battle your high cholesterol. It may also be necessary to restrict your diet to get rid of sugars and saturated fats because they can cause elevated levels of bad cholesterol. You may also want to ask your doctor about certain medications that you can take to control your cholesterol.

Your friends and family will suggest that you go see a doctor so that you can avoid the horrors of a stroke. You will want to get annual physicals and regular check ups to see if you are at risk for a stroke or heart disease. With the high cholesterol, you will be at risk for a stroke and you will need to be kept under strict control to help prevent this disease from taking effects on you.

Low Cholesterol is can be dangerous

You will find that when your doctor talks to you about your cholesterol levels they will begin to put a lot of fear in your head. High cholesterol is a long term problem that will lead to serious things like heart disease and strokes (which can be deadly), however, you will find that you can lower your risks and take steps to make sure that you lead a healthy and full feeling life. You will find that you may suffer from lower levels, but you may also be high, however, you will need to talk to your doctor about how you can bring your cholesterol back to normal through various methods.

There are many factors that will contribute to you have low cholesterol in your body. Anything lower than 160 mg/dL is considered abnormally low and should be carefully monitored by doctors. You will find that hypocholesterolemia, liver disease, malabsorption, celiac disease, malnutrition, and a manganese deficiency could one of the money factors that will cause you to have too low cholesterol. A small percentage of people also have very low levels of cholesterol in the blood steam due to abetalipoproteinemia, a rare genetic disease.

Abetalipoproteinemia is a condition that mainly affects the Jewish population and not only causes low cholesterol levels, but also causes vitamin deficiencies and an inability to grow and gain weight at a normal rate. Hypobetalipoproteinemia is a rare genetic disease that is caused by a gene defect, but it will also make the cholesterol levels lower in the blood system. Low cholesterol, lastly, can be caused if medications used to treat high cholesterol are used improperly.

There is a common concern throughout the medical community about the lower cholesterol levels. In general, low cholesterol goes hand-in-hand with poor health. Thus, mortality rates rise with low cholesterol. There are some common problems when it comes to the low cholesterol that includes thinks like issues with the respiratory system, depression, hemorrhagic stroke and more. However, studies are still being done to test theories about these problems and their link to low cholesterol levels in the body. When it comes to the links for depression, you will want to be sure that you ask your doctor to check out your cholesterol levels because you may be suffering from depression because of your low cholesterol. Elderly patients should also be especially mindful of low cholesterol.

When it comes to cholesterol levels, you will want to control your levels, but you will not limit it. You will find that if you watch what you eat, then you will be able to help your cholesterol levels to be normal, unless you have some rare disease that may prohibit you from doing so.

Lipid Altering Medication should you be taking it?

You are aware that high cholesterol can be very dangerous to your heart disease and you will find that other serious health problems like a stroke. You will find that the doctor will suggest that you change your diet and lifestyle, but then there are some people are just need a little more. Lipid is a drug that is prescribed to those who have high cholesterol and keep it under control and keeping it under control. When it comes to the LDL cholesterol and triglycerides you will find just what undesirable lipids are for.

If you have lipids that are undesirable can cause you to have a serious medical issue. If you are at risk, you may want to talk to your doctor, because there is no way for you to judge your cholesterol without getting tested. If you are at risk, you may be able to get what’s best for you and a situation like this; a situation that you correct.

Some of the prescriptions that you can get for high lipids include meds like statins and fibrates, not to mention cholesterol adsorption inhibitors. Statins lower cholesterol and assist in the prevention of cholesterol being produced within the body. Fibrates are commonly prescribed with them and you’ll be able to use the lipid-lowering meds to help you eliminate triglycerides from your body. There are a few different types of fibrates, but gemfibrozil is most commonly prescribed because it is the most effective one that has the fewest possible side effects. If you use cholesterol absorption inhibitors, you will find that you can have a good start to a long fight against high cholesterol. They are safer for people who have had trouble with side effects of statins and are looking for an alternative. It lowers triglycerides and significantly reduces levels of bad cholesterol.

There are some people who simply prefer to have a more natural way of treating their high lipids. You will want to take some vitamins so that you can reduce your bad lipids, but also increase your good cholesterol. Niacin is a B vitamin that is taken in large doses in order to lower the total cholesterol amount, triglycerides, and bad cholesterol, as well as increasing the amount of good cholesterol. This is something that you can take without prescription, but you will want to just with your doctor about using these vitamins and you will not want to take large amounts of them either.

Your doctor should monitor you so that they can see if your body is responding favorably and no additional problems arise. You may also want to think about things like fiber and soy so that you are able to find something natural for you to consume and help you with the bad lipids that are in your body and blood.

Natural lipid medications and also prescriptions will help reduce a lot of your bad cholesterol or lipids and it may save you from developing other diseases or issues. You will want to check everything out with your doctor before you begin taking them. Vitamins should not be mixed with certain meds and that is why you will even want to ask your doctor if you are able to take such vitamins.

Drink to Your Health!

In a very fast-paced and high-pressure world we seem to forget to eat healthy. And to make things quicker, it seems to be easier to put everything, vitamins and minerals in one gulp. Health drinks are proliferating in the market. But what is more economically efficient than making your own health drink?

If you are a person who finds it difficult to insert vegetables and fruits into your diet, then think of drinking fresh juices and vegetable juices. Freshly made juices are a great source vitamins, minerals, enzymes and co-enzymes. Enzymes serve as catalyst for the processes and chemical reactions that happen throughout your body. Enzymes are much needed when you digest, convert and absorb food into body tissue.

There are fruits and vegetables whose nutrients and vitamins are trapped in the fibers. These nutrients and vitamins get released after blending them. This make blended fruit and vegetable juices more nutritious compared to eating them whole. Also, drinking fruits and vegetables make it easier for the fibers and nutrients to get quickly into the bloodstream and system.

There are studies showing that drinking fruit and vegetable juices are best done every morning and evening. The juices drank in the morning and evening will get into the bloodstream within ten minutes after drinking it.

If you are interested in creating your own vegetable and fruit juice, here are some steps that can get you started in your healthy habit:

• Purchase a juice machine.

• Remember to juice vegetables and fruits when they are raw.

• Fruits that have small seeds like watermelon and pears can be juiced with their seeds. But papaya and apple seed need to be taken out before being juiced. Orange and grapefruit seeds can leave a bitter taste to the mouth, so you can take it out also.

• Fruits and vegetables which are not organically grown should be peeled. There may be chemical residues left on the skins of the fruits. While pineapple, kiwis, oranges, grapefruit and papaya skins should be removed even if they are organically grown.

• When choosing fruits and vegetables, make sure to pick out the fresh and ripe ones. Wilted, under-ripe, bruised fruits and vegetables are not good for you and does not taste good too.

• Follow the instructions in your juice machine. Make sure to cut the fruits and vegetables in pieces suitable for the juice machine. After juicing, remove the pulp right away. If you leave it, it would have sour smell and would have fruit flies within 8 to 10 hours after juicing.

• Drink your juices immediately. It is better to drink freshly made juice.

Do not be afraid to try out combinations. You can use different fruits in season to create a great tasting health drink, you can use bananas, mangoes and pineapple. Their tart and sweet flavor can be balanced with fruits like strawberries, kiwi fruit and oranges.

When using vegetables, it is best to use dark leafy vegetables like spinach or beet tops. For added flavor, you can even add yoghurt and ice cubes for the chill. You can even add ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg or vanilla extract to complete your healthy concoction.

Health juices as health drinks are not new. As early as 16th century, limejuice was used to save sailors against scurvy. But it seems like for a while, health benefits of fruits and vegetables have been forgotten and currently we are on the way to rediscover it.

Take Good Care of Your Eyes

Your eyes are very important - as you use them for reading, writing, driving, and staring for hours on the computer screen, both large and small.

No wonder why your eyes feel strained and tired at times.

It is important to give your precious little gems the relaxation they deserve, with this quick and easy technique - called Palming!

Step 1:
Rub your hands together until they feel warm;

Step 2:
Without touching your eyes, place your cupped hands over your eyes. Your fingers of each hand should overlap and gently rest on the centre of your forehead. Rest your elbows on a table if your arms get to tired.

Step 3:
Sit quietly for 2 minutes in this position. The more relaxed you become the more "blacker" the darkness you'll see.

I do this atlease once a day as I work very long hours in front of my computer and it helps.

Children and Vitamins

When it comes to your kids and vitamin supplements, you should know that most children do not need extra or supplemental vitamins or minerals. If you base your children’s diet on the food guide pyramid, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, you shouldn’t need to give your child vitamin supplements. However, it is important to know that of all the age groups, children can be the one that is the hardest to control when it comes to diet.

Children don’t understand what it means when something is essential for their bodies, and they are much more prone to being picky eaters or having poor diets. If you child is eating a special diet, they might need more vitamins or minerals. These can include vegetarians, children with allergies, or children that have religions which state certain foods shouldn’t be eaten.

The most important thing for you to keep in mind when it comes to making sure that your child has a healthy diet is to ensure that they are getting the proper amounts of the right kinds of vitamins and minerals. If this isn’t happening because of what they are eating, you either need to change what they are eating, or make sure that they are getting the vitamins in another way. Vitamin supplements can be purchased in kid-friendly shapes and flavors, so it shouldn’t be a problem to have your child take them.

There are several vitamins and minerals that are going to be important for your child to have enough of. These include, especially, iron, which is needed in children to prevent anemia. This usually happens if children aren’t given enough extra iron after they are six months old, which happens often if a baby drinks cow or goat milk instead of formula. Young and adolescent girls are also at a risk of having an iron deficiency.

Another important thing that children need is calcium. This is something that is completely necessary for healthy bones and teeth. If children are drinking milk and eating dairy products, they are probably getting enough calcium, but if they aren’t, you might need to supplement this in their diets.

It is also important that children are getting fluoride. This helps to build healthy teeth. However, it is important that they only get enough fluoride, and not too much, so don’t add to their intake unless your dentist or doctor thinks that you should.

If you don’t think that your child is getting enough vitamins or minerals, you should consult with your doctor to make sure that you can find a good balance and a good children’s multivitamin for them to be taking.

The Healthy and Unhealthy Drinks

Wondering why you don’t eat too much but still keep on gaining weight? Then maybe you drink is not healthy at all. There are hundreds of beverages out there that can boost your waistline.

You have to be cautious of what you drink. Coffee, although it has significant health effects, can be making you fat. If you drink coffee with full fat dairy and artificial flavorings, and do not forget about chocolate sprinkles, then it is highly likely that this is more detrimental than beneficial.

To maximize the health benefits of coffee, it is better to drink it plain or with soymilk. Or you can just switch to green tea which is much better for you since it is a rich source of anti-oxidants.

Sugary summer drinks like margarita or a pina colada doubles your sugar and calorie intake. A can or a glass of this can give you 800 calories. If you’re looking for cool, alcoholic beverage to share in a hot night, then switch to red wine or light beer.

Red wine can reduce coronary heart disease and can lower cholesterol count, thus, reducing risk of high blood pressure or hypertension. Red wine can also maintain the immune system. It also have polyphenols which is an excellent anti-oxidant.

Polyphenols lower cholesterol levels, blood pressure, risks of cancer. It also has anti-bacterial properties. Aside form polyphenols, red wine also has flavonoids which is also an anti-oxidant. Wine can also be associated in reducing stress. It has a calming influence that helps the body to relax and unwind.

Before buying your juice drink, be careful on reading the label. There is difference between “100 % juice” and “made with real juice”. There can be a big amount of artificial sweeteners and big amount of calories included in your juice drink. Drinking real juice drink can give you the necessary nutrients and vitamins, while there re juice drink which is not different from drinking a glass of sugared water.

Whether it is diet or regular soda, soda still has no nutritional value. Unfortunately, this unhealthy drink is the leading and most favorite beverage. There are studies showing soda related to obesity. Soda is known to be high in calories and sugar. Even diet soda shows no significant difference in sugar and calories. Both regular and diet sodas are associated to weight gain.

Drinking soda has also been related to tooth decay. It is still attributed to high consumption of sugars which is present in all soda drinks. Caffeine is also present in sodas. So children who drink too much sodas can develop caffeine dependence. This may interfere with the development of the brain of children. Although, this is not yet proven, several medical researchers and health care professionals are expressing concern.

Unfortunately, there are more of unhealthy drinks than healthy drinks out there in the market. More and more people are forgetting to focus on healthy drinking. Yes, we try to be cautious with what we eat but we still neglect what we drink. Then definitely, we will be missing our healthy mark.

So if you would like to create your own drinks minus the sugar and calories, then definitely go ahead. There are health guides and magazines, even the internet, can help you concoct a savory but healthy drink without the risk factors.

Red Wine as a Health Drink

Many people don’t realize it but wine—specifically red wine—is a health drink if consumed in moderation. This is because studies show that red wine is rich in antioxidants.

More and more scientific findings show that red wine owes its health benefits from the high level of antioxidants called "resveratrol," a kind of polyphenol known as "phytoalexin." This is a group of compounds plants use to defend themselves against attacks such as untimely stress, possible injuries, or UV irradiation and certain diseases such as fungus and infection.

Resveratrol is known to be present in the seeds and skins of processed and fermented grapes during the rigorous process of making red wine. And, because of the long process and prolonged fermentation of grapes in red-wine making, high levels of resveratrol are found to be present in each bottle of red wine.

Red Wine Wonders:

Nowadays, many people are using red wine as a health drink during their meals because they believe that since it is rich in antioxidants, red wine can help veer them away from certain terminal illness as well as to all forms of diseases that come with aging. The following are just some of the believed benefits of red wine as a heath drink:

- Helps in the prevention of developing various neuro-degenerative illnesses and diseases. Many studies show that because of the high resveratrol content of red wine, it can help people—especially those who are getting older—to develop diseases and illnesses that are common to them like Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. Red wine is also believed to suspend the possible progression of dementia especially to older ones.

- Good for the heart. Experts agree that the specific substances in red wines like tannins and flavoniods can raise the levels of good cholesterol or high-density lipoproteins (HDL) in the person's blood. The red wine's antioxidant properties can also help in the reduction of bad cholesterol or low-density lipoproteins (LDL). Once LDL levels are decreased, there is lesser chances of developing cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and stroke.

- Prevents certain cancers. Many people who are prone to the "Big C" are using red wine as a health drink because of the wonders brought by resveratrol in it. Experts believe that regular but moderate consumption of red wine can help fight possible cancer cells from proliferating and thus, preventing the development of the disease eventually.

- Reduces the harmful effects of food poisoning. Another noted benefit of red wine is that it can lessen the toxicity brought by spoiled food. The properties in red wine can help cleanse the body from toxins and also help in avoiding dysentery as well as diarrhea.

- Prevents and possibly cures certain gum diseases. Smokers are the ones who are prone to gum diseases. But there are also those who also experience gum diseases that are usually caused by inflamed muscles in the gums and weakened tooth. By using red wine as a health drink, experts believe that the polyphenols present in this can help reduce the presence of free radicals that cause the infection the and bacteria proliferation inside the person's mouth.

- Serves as blood thinner. For people with high blood pressure, red wine is an ideal health drink because it contains blood pressure lowering-substances and compounds that are effective in lowering high blood pressure.

- Provides healthy skin. For people who are after maintaining youthful skin, red wine can be a good health drink option because the number of polyphenols present in average consumption can prevent the damages brought by cell oxidation processes.

The Importance of Healthy Eating

Have you ever heard the saying you are what you eat? In some sense, this is true, because if you eat unhealthy foods you are prone to be an unhealthy person. The foods we ingest are extremely important to our ability to grow, maintain function, and prevent illness. Therefore, if you value your health, you should learn as much about healthy eating as possible.

 Healthy eating is important from the day we are born. As a child, we grow quite rapidly and this is due in part to the foods we eat. Foods all contain nutrients that provide us not only with fuel to live our daily lives, but also with the very substances that build our bones, muscles, and organ tissues. Not getting enough of one nutrient or another can cause a variety of problems, including stunting our growth. For mothers who are nursing, nutrition is important because breast milk contains the nutrients a child needs to grow and develop properly. Upon growing older, these nutrients are then found in food, but don’t think that healthy eating isn’t important for growth after you’ve gone through puberty. Cells continuous break down and rebuild, so healthy eating for growth continues to be important until the day we die.


Maintaining function is also not important without healthy eating. In out daily lives, we use energy to think, walk, talk, breathe, and perform any other action. The energy it takes our body to do these things comes from two places: fat reserves in the body or our daily food intake. If you don’t eat healthy foods, you will find that you are storing more fat that necessary or that you aren’t getting enough and you feel sluggish or weak. Along with energy-providing nutrients, like fats and carbohydrates, we also need the right nutrients to allow our organs to do their jobs. Hormones and other substances in the body make sure that everything is working properly. If you don’t eat the right nutrients, your body cannot produce these hormones and, as a result, cannot function properly.


Lastly, healthy eating is important in order to prevent illness. When we do not get the right nutrients, or body’s natural defense system against diseases weakens, allowing viruses and bacteria to attack the body. It’s like a well-trained army—if the army doesn’t have enough to eat, it will not do well in battle. Without healthy foods and plenty of water, our bodies simply could not operate on a day-to-day basis. Learning how to eat healthy foods is therefore and important lesson, and one which we should begin learning as children.

Say NO to STRESS!!

What is STRESS?:Stress is part of everyday life - and never more so than in todays' society. Stress is not just about anxiety and panic. It is the everyday experience of strain, time, and pressure and attempts to cope with the demands placed upon us t work and at home.

Some stress is good, a natural part of life. Without it, life would be extremely boring. It gets us out of bed in the mornings and keeps us going at work during leisure time or even sporting activities.

The Effects of Stress:
Stress has tangible effects on your body. The way you cope with stress, by smoking, eating unhealthily, or not finding the time to exercise, for example can have a huge negative effect on your health and your heart.

Learning to relax and control your stress will not only help you enjoy life more, but it will be better for your health in the long term.

Managing Stress:

There are many ways to reduce your stress levels. As with most things in life - practice makes perfect!

Stress Busting Tips:

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  List all the things that "trigger" your stress. Is it work colleagues or traffic jams? Recognising the triggers of stress is a huge step forward. Try to relax when you encounter these situations.
  
  
  
  
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  Are you physically active? Do gentle cycling, brisk walks or swimming is an ideal way to reduce the tension caused by stress, in addition you'll sleep much better.
  
  
  
  
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  Make time to socialise and relax! Chat to your friends. Take the time to unwind even if it is ten minutes. Read, take a lovely bath or do something that you are passionate about. (If you work just make sure it is in your lunch break or after hours.)
  
  
  
  
• 
  
  Try simple breathing and stretching exercises. You can do them anywhere even at your desk or in your car.
  
  
  
  
• 
  
  Stop multi-tasking. Put your jobs in order of priority. Plan ahead instead of doing everything at the last minute.
  
  
  
  
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  Learn to say NO to more work or demands that placed you on.
  
  
  
  
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  Take the time to eat and drink healthily.
  
  
  

How can I tell if I am stress?

If you "yes" or "no" to the following questions:
Do you feel guilty when relaxing? Uneasy if not on the go?
Do you lie awake worring about tomorrow?
Are you tense.. does your neck feel "knotted"?
Are you impatient or irritable?
Do you feel you have a lot on your mind and have difficulty concentrating?
Do you frequently feel like you just don't know where to start?
Are you smoking and drinking more?
Do you eat in a hurry?
Does life seem full of crises?
Do you find it difficult to make decisions?
Do you frequently experience a butterfly stomach, a dry mouth, sweaty palms or heart pulpatations?
Do any of the above experience sound familiar? If you answered yes to some of these questions, it is quite possible that your stress levels is a little to high.

Why Do You Need Proteins?

When learning about healthy eating, one of the most important nutrients is protein. Of course, all nutrients are crucial for our bodies to be as healthy as possible, but without protein in our diets every single day, our bodies will not be as strong as they should be. Protein can be found in a number of food sources, so if you’re interested in eating a healthier diet, you should consider learning more about protein.

We need to eat foods rich in protein every day because, unlike some other nutrients, it cannot be stored in the body. That means that if you eat more protein than necessary, your body will simply cause it to pass through your system. Therefore, you really can’t eat too much protein! However, because protein cannot be stored in the body problems may arise surrounding this nutrient as well. If you don’t get enough protein on any given day, your body has no back-up plan for producing protein on its own or using reserved protein from previous days. Therefore, protein is very important to consider when you are planning your meals.

Essentially, protein builds muscles, which is why you will see bodybuilders especially concerned with protein. When you lift weights to work out, your body makes tiny tears in the muscles. Proteins are then used to repair these healthy tears in the body, building the muscle slightly bigger with every workout. Even if you do not work out, your body’s muscle deteriorates, as you body needs the energy. Muscle provides energy, just like fat. Having protein in the body helps you to rebuild any muscle lost.

Protein also helps a person’s body in other ways, mainly with the maintenance of hormones. Hormones in the body do a number of things, such as regulate organ function, account for stimulation, create metabolism, and affect mood. Proteins are used in the making of some of these different hormones, so if you go more than a day or two without eating foods rich in proteins, your entire body will suffer.

How can you make sure that you re getting enough proteins? Simply, look for foods with protein as a key component on the label. Some great foods to consider include chicken, beef, pork, eggs, and fish, although vegetarians can also get proteins into their diets by eating nuts, beans, soy products, and a variety of other foods. You should have some of these foods in your diet every single day to ensure that you are providing your body with the proteins it needs to stay healthy.

Eating Right for a Healthier Heart!

It is time for a serious heart to heart. Eating the right amount of the right types of fat is

positively good for your health. Fat also has a host of valuable functions in the body.

Why you need fats:

Are an important source of energy;

Protect your vital organs;

Provide essential fatty acids that cannot be made by your body;

Help you absorb the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K.

Fats and Heart Health:

Fats have a different effect on cholesterol. Saturated and trans fats are "bad" fats because they increase cholestrol levels. Unsaturated fats are "good" in the sense that they are lower in cholestrol levels. By replacing "bad" fats with the "good" fats your are lowering your cholestrol levels and looking after your heart.

Losing weight is a good step towards a healthier heart. All fats are high in calories. If you are trying to lose weight, take particular care to moderate your overall fat intake. However, it is the quality or type of fat that is most important.

Omega 3 and Omega 6 polyunsaturated fats, or "good" oils, are particulary very good for your heart health.

Essential Fats:

Your body cannot make essential fats, therefore you must get them from the Omega Oils in your food. These fas are important for normal growth and development, formation of hormones and general health and well being.

Type of Fat: Saturated Fats
Effect on your heart: Bad
Food Source: Meat, Butter, Full Fat Dairy Products, and Tropical Oils.

Type of Fat: Trans Fats
Effect on your heart: Bad
Food Source: Cakes, Pasteries, Fast Foods.

Type of Fat: Polyunsturated Fats (Omega 6):
(Omega 6 oils reduce cholesterol levels and are found mainly in plant foods)
Effect on your heart: Good
Food Source: Sunflower seeds, Sesame Seeds, Canola oil, soybean oil, walnut oil, corn oil, and spreads that are made from them.

Type of Fat: Polyunsturated Fats (Omega 3)
(The plant form of Omega 3 is found in walnuts and flaxseed, canola and vegetable oils. A more complex form of Omega 3 is found in fish, particularly oily fish like kippers, mackerel, herring and salmon.)
Effect on your heart: Good
Source: Oily Fish, Vegetable Oils (flaxseed/linseed oil; soya bean oil; canola oil) Nuts and Spreads that are made from them.

Type of Fat: Monounsaturated Fats
(They help to control cholesterol levels simply by taking the place of some "bad" fat in the diet.)
Effect on your heart: Good
Source: Olive oil; Canola oil; Peanut oil and Avocado oil.

Fats you need less of...

Saturated Fats:
Butter, lard, fatty meats, meat products like sausages and burgers, full fat milk, cheese and diary products, as well as pastries are the main sources of saturated fat. It is not necessary to cut these foods out completely, but it is a good idea to choose a lower fat option where possible and to cut down your portion sizes.

Trans Fats:
Trans fats are formed during the partial hydrogenation of unsaturated fats to make them more solid. Trans fats are often used in commercially produced cakes, pastries and biscuits. It is also found in butter, whole milk, beef and mutton.

Use Food Labels:
We can see the fats and oils we use for cooking and spreading, but almost three quarters of the fat we consume comes from foods like cakes, biscuits, savoury snacks and meat products where the ft is not visible. Read food labels like those on spreads and oils will also tell you the types of fas they contain.

Remember to choose those high in good polynsaturated and monounsaturated fats, and low in bad saturated and trans fats.