The Benefits of Lemon Water

Lemon water is a simple and surprisingly healthy internal cleanser to start your day with. I certainly noticed a difference myself when I first started having the juice of a whole lemon in water first thing in the morning. I really like the way the sharp taste wakes you up and gets you going.

Some resources say that it’s good to have it in warm or even hot water. I suppose in this way you could use it as a healthier replacement for your morning coffee, but I personally prefer it in room temperature filtered water. It’s best to not have it in chilled water though as this can be a bit of a shock to your digestive system when you’ve only just woken up.

t’s also far better to use real lemon juice rather than lemon juice concentrate as these products usually contain sulfites, a preservative some people have a negative reaction to. Natural enzymes, antioxidants and vitamins are also likely to be lost in the manufacturing process so go for real lemons for the most benefits.

    Easy way to make Lemon Juice in Water

• Grab a fresh lemon.
• Squeeze as much juice as you can from the lemon.
• Remove the seeds and pour water over the juicer to get as much of the lemon as possible.

Then pour it into a glass and drink it straight down.

What you need to know about Cholesterol

          Everything you need to know about Cholesterol!

First of all what is the definition of  Cholesterol?

 Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that's found in all the cells in your body. Your body needs some cholesterol to make hormones, vitamin D, and substances that help you digest foods. Your body makes all the cholesterol it needs.

Another article describes it this way:

Cholesterol is a chemical compound that the body requires as a building block for cell membranes and for hormones like estrogen and testosterone. The liver produces about 80% of the body's cholesterol and the rest comes from dietary sources like meat, poultry, eggs, fish, and dairy products. Foods derived from plants contain no cholesterol.

Cholesterol content in the bloodstream is regulated by the liver. After a meal, cholesterol in the diet is absorbed from the small intestine and metabolized and stored in the liver. As the body requires cholesterol, it may be secreted by the liver.

When too much cholesterol is present in the body, it can build up in deposits called plaque along the inside walls of arteries, causing them to narrow.

Cholesterol Levels

What are LDL and HDL Cholesterol?

LDL cholesterol is called "bad" cholesterol, because elevated levels of LDL cholesterol are associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, and peripheral artery disease. LDL lipoprotein deposits cholesterol along the inside of artery walls, causing the formation of a hard, thick substance called cholesterol plaque.

HDL cholesterol is called the "good cholesterol" because HDL cholesterol particles prevent atherosclerosis by extracting cholesterol from the artery walls and disposing of them through the liver. Thus, high levels of LDL cholesterol and low levels of HDL cholesterol (high LDL/HDL ratios) are risk factors for atherosclerosis, while low levels of LDL cholesterol and high levels of HDL cholesterol (low LDL/HDL ratios) are desirable and protect against heart disease and stroke.

Cholesterol Levels

What are LDL and HDL Cholesterol?

LDL cholesterol is called "bad" cholesterol, because elevated levels of LDL cholesterol are associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, and peripheral artery disease. LDL lipoprotein deposits cholesterol along the inside of artery walls, causing the formation of a hard, thick substance called cholesterol plaque.

HDL cholesterol is called the "good cholesterol" because HDL cholesterol particles prevent atherosclerosis by extracting cholesterol from the artery walls and disposing of them through the liver. Thus, high levels of LDL cholesterol and low levels of HDL cholesterol (high LDL/HDL ratios) are risk factors for atherosclerosis, while low levels of LDL cholesterol and high levels of HDL cholesterol (low LDL/HDL ratios) are desirable and protect against heart disease and stroke.

Why is high cholesterol dangerous?

Elevated cholesterol levels are one of the risk factors for heart disease, stroke, and peripheral artery disease. The mechanism involving cholesterol in all three diseases is the same; plaque buildup within arteries decreases blood flow affecting the function of the cells and organs that these blood vessels supply.

Where does cholesterol come from?

The liver is responsible for managing the levels of LDL in the body. It manufactures and secretes LDL into the bloodstream. There are receptors on liver cells that can "monitor" and try to adjust the LDL levels. However, if there are fewer liver cells or if they do not function effectively, the LDL level may rise.

Diet and genetics both play a factor in a person's cholesterol levels. There may be a genetic predisposition for familial hypercholesterolemia (hyper=more = cholesterol + emia=blood) where the number of liver receptor cells is low and LDL levels rise causing the potential for atherosclerotic heart disease at a younger age.

In the diet, cholesterol comes from saturated fats that are found in meats, eggs, and dairy products. Excess intake can cause LDL levels in the blood to rise. Some vegetable oils made from coconut, palm, and cocoa are also high in saturated fats.

What are normal cholesterol levels?

Blood tests are required to measure total cholesterol and lipoproteins. For a complete lipoprotein analysis, the patient should be fasting for at least 12 hours.

The National Cholesterol Education Program endorsed by the American Heart Association suggests the following risk guidelines for levels of total cholesterol, HDL, and LDL:

Cholesterol Risk Guidelines

Total Cholesterol (mg/dL)
< 200	Desirable
200 to 239	Borderline high
> 240	High
HDL (mg/dL)
< 40	Low
> 60	High
LDL (mg/dL)
< 100	Optimal
100 to 129	Near Optimal
130 to 159	Borderline high
160 to 189	Near high
> 190	High

The goal is to have patients modify lifestyle and diet to maintain cholesterol levels within the normal range. It is important to remember that HDL may protect a patient from heart disease and it may be a treatment goal to raise a too low level of HDL. .

Learn how to optimize Cholesterol by watching this video from Mark Hymen MD.How to Optimize Cholesterol

In my next article we will discuss the various foods to raise HDL, (good) and how to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol.

 ..

7 Ways to optimize Cholesterol

What Exactly Is Good Nutrition? Secretly we all want just a few things in life, none the least of which is to live a life that is healthy and energetic. One way to accomplish this is to eat a well balanced diet that fuels the body to take on life's challenges. Did you know that one of the best things you can do to improve your overall health and well being is to eat a diet that is well rounded and nutritious? Diet can make the difference between feeling great and feeling just o.k. But how do you know which foods will propel you to health and well being?

Proper nutrition is easy. In fact, all you need to do to ensure your health and well being is follow five simple steps, outlined below.

Top Five Tips for Maintaining Optimal Nutrition - Eat a well balanced diet. This means you have to incorporate foods from each of the four food groups. - Adopt the phrase moderation. At no time should you consider some foods 'bad' and other foods 'good'. Rather, all foods can be nourishing if they are eaten in moderation. Chocolate cake will not make you fat if you don't eat it every day for dinner! - Take a multi-vitamin. Even the healthiest dieter may not get all of the vitamins and nutrients they need from diet alone. Why? Our bodies aren't always able to absorb nutrients efficiently from the foods we eat. Thus it is important to take a multi-vitamin and mineral supplement daily. - Get enough sleep. Sleep deprivation can wreak havoc on your diet, and even contribute to weight gain. - Exercise daily. Even 10 minutes of routine exercise can help your body maintain its peak fitness level. Excessive consumption of alcohol can also wreak havoc on your diet. Alcohol inhibits the body's ability to absorb vital nutrients, such as calcium. In addition, alcohol in the evening can interfere with your sleep cycle. Other things you can do to improve you nutrition include incorporating lean proteins and fish into your diet. Fatty fishes including salmon provide key nutrients called "essential fatty acids" which help your brains ability to function properly. Nutrition is a choice. For you to be the healthiest person you can be, it is vital that you make choices that are good for you and your well being. Adopting just a couple of the strategies above will help you tremendously on your journey toward optimal health.

Foods that we all should avoid,top nutritionists do!

    Basically it comes down to:

1. Hot dogs, bacon, and sausages
2.   Processed pastries
3. .Stick margarines
4. Sugar-packed
   
   cereals

Health Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar


In this 5 minute video you will learn about some ,but not all, benefits of apple cider vinegar. I will say, be careful if you have acid reflux, such as myself! Some interesting facts are it can reduce leg cramps,create weight loss,detoxify, and give you and energy boost.

Be sure to click on the link at the top of this page to watch the video!

Turmeric....all natural and no prescription needed!

Alzheimer’s disease is the number one cause of dementia in the elderly…and your risk for it doubles every 5 years past age 65. Parkinson’s disease affects at least 1 million Americans…and approximately 60,000 new cases are diagnosed every year. An inexpensive spice called turmeric contains a highly protective compound that has been shown to help protect against these neurodegenerative conditions.

IMPORTANT NEWS ON THE  mosquito-borne Zika virus

The mosquito-borne Zika virus may infect up to four million people, the World Health Organization said, as the agency convened to decide if the outbreak should be declared an international health emergency.
Margaret Chan, WHO director-general, said in a statement on Thursday that the level of alarm was "extremely high".
"Last year, the virus was detected in the Americas, where it is now spreading explosively. As of today, cases have been reported in 23 countries and territories in the region," Chan said.
"Arrival of the virus in some places has been associated with a steep increase in the birth of babies with abnormally small heads and [with] cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome." The syndrome can cause temporary paralysis.

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WHO: Zika virus to spread to much of Americas

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Meanwhile, Marcos Espinal, an infectious disease expert at WHO's Americas' regional office, said: "We can expect three to four million cases of Zika virus disease." He gave no time frame, the Reuters news agency reported.
Chan said a causal relationship between Zika virus infection and birth malformations and neurological syndromes was not yet established, but was "strongly suspected".
She said the emergency committee would advise her on Monday in Geneva on the appropriate level of international concern and on recommended measures that should be undertaken in affected countries and elsewhere. Chan will also ask the committee to prioritise areas where research is most urgently needed.
To step up its fight against the mosquito, Brazil has deployed thousands of municipal, state and federal workers, including soldiers, to scour cities for mosquito breeding grounds, fumigate and educate residents on the dangers of still and stagnant water, where the female insects lay their eggs.
On February 13, the government will deploy 220,000 troops in a one-day mobilisation to hand out leaflets and help identify potential trouble spots.
"All of the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean are trying to coordinate so that they take exactly the same measures to diminish not only the breeding grounds of this mosquito, which also carries dengue and chikungunya, but also to prevent it from spreading from one country to another," Al Jazeera's Lucia Newman reported from Santiago, the capital of Chile.
The Zika virus was first detected in 1947 in Uganda, and for decades, caused only mild diseases across Africa and equatorial Asia. But Chan noted that "the situation today is dramatically different".
There is no specific treatment or vaccine for Zika, which is related to Dengue. Scientists have struggled for years to develop a Dengue vaccine but have failed to create a viable shot so far.