Checklist to Lower Cholesterol

Know your numbers:- Have you had a lipid profile? Do you understand the numbers? If you are going to successfully lower cholesterol you need to know your numbers and what they mean. The most effective way to raise HDL is not necessarily the best way to lower LDL.

Evaluate your lifestyle:- There are risk factors for high cholesterol that you can not control, such as age, gender, and family history, but there are factors you can control. For example, you can reduce risk by not smoking, increasing your activity, and losing extra weight.

Balance your fats:- Reduce unhealthy saturated fats in your diet and replace them with heart healthy unsaturated fats. Total fat intake should be 30% or less of your total daily calories. Out of this 30%, saturated fat should be limited to 7%.

Be active:- Physical activity lowers triglycerides and raises HDL (good) cholesterol. Shoot for 30 minutes 5 or more days a week. If you are not currently active, check with your MD before beginning an activity program.

Eliminate trans fats:- You need to be food label savvy and watch out for trans fats. Trans fats raise LDL (bad) cholesterol, lower HDL (good) cholesterol, and raise triglycerides. Limit trans fats to 1% or less of your daily caloric intake.

Understand triglycerides:- Triglycerides are impacted the most by your simple sugar and alcohol intake. If you are struggling with high triglycerides, you need to use a different strategy to get your cholesterol under control.

Increase dietary fiber:-A high fiber diet is necessary for heart health. You need 25-35 grams of dietary fiber daily, especially soluble fiber. For every 1-2 grams of daily soluble fiber intake, LDL (bad) cholesterol is lowered 1%.

Designer Eyeglass Frames For The True Trendsetter

Whoever said designer eyeglasses and frames were for the well heeled was obviously taking too broad a view. With the constantly shifting arena of designer sunglasses, the regular prescription-based eyeglasses have not been left far behind. Fashionable labels and exclusive eyeglass wear have hit the markets, and what do you know, they won’t burn a hole in your pocket either!

So what would your standard be for a good pair of designer frames – resilience and flexibility, brand name, or the use of hypoallergenic materials? Perhaps your focus would be hard-to-beat prices? Regardless, supplementing your existing pair with a brand new custom-fit frame couldn’t be easier.

If you are looking to buy designer frames but find the marketplace overloaded with a baffling assortment of frames, fret not. Help is just a click away. From metal to plastic framed pieces, rimless and semi-rimless fits, there is no lack of options. There are even customized frames designed for specific activities. For instance, glasses for cyclists must be able to shield your eyes from the wind and debris, offer good peripheral and day-night vision, be sturdy and shatterproof, and have scratch-resistant lenses.

In addition, a close-cut design fits comfortably under helmets, and for those looking for a sleek and streamlined look there are several ultra-light models of rimless and semi-rimless frames out there.

Ladder of Fitness

Of course, your ideal weight depends on your individual build. If you refer to it ,you have an approximate idea of what you should aim for.

The four rungs to fitness

The + 5 kg rung: If you are overweight by 5 kg or more, you are within finger-touching distance of the fitness rung. Obviously, your food intake is not excessive. All you need to do is exercise. Use those legs to burn away the excess fat and grasp the top rung.

The +6-12 kg rung: If you are overweight by 6 to 12 kg, work out more, eat less fat. Modify your 'mighty' meals. You could cut off red meat and chomp on lean, mean cuts. Simultaneously, get your legs going. It figures that with less fat entering your body, your muscles will work at fueling the remaining fat for energy. So, switch on the fat-burners and watch them cleave into the fat zones!

The +13-23 kg rung: If you are 13 to 23 kg overweight cut out all red meats, fries and sweets. Do not splurge on weekends. And whip up your leg muscles into fat-burning activity, These vital immediate steps will help you climb up to the higher + 6-12 kg rung... +5 kg rung and finally... victory!

The + 24 kg or more rung: If you are overweight by 24 kg or more, it would be wise to consult your doctor. No, do not panic. The good doctor is sure to prescribe a daily brisk walk and a fatless, sugar-free diet. Follow his prescribed path - you can't go wrong. Start walking. Or swimming. Or stationary cycling. Score your required run-rate per week.

Do not got caught in that vicious spiral- where you want to exercise but do not feel energetic enough to start. Where you find it easier to overeat and add on more kg. that saps you even more. This way you will feel utterly hopeless both physically and mentally. And hate yourself. Harsh self­condemnation is itself like an overdose of fatty food - pretty near impossible to digest which is why it takes up all your mental energy and leaves none for positive physical action.

Take a vital decision right away - decide to be your own best friend, give yourself a daily dose of unconditional love. Gift yourself with a swim or a walk -every day. Don't stop after the first or second day. Don't deprive yourself of that gift - it is yours for a lifetime.

You see, your body houses the brain and its five senses - its raw data that can be easily triggered into positive channels. You channelise it by moving your legs. Don't expect immediate results but be content to know that those miraculous changes are materialising in your body. Initially, your muscles will strengthen themselves, then they will start their work- burning the fat.

It is important you don't give up at this point. Forget your weighing scales. Give your muscles time. And, one day, that great feeling will strike you. You may not have reached anywhere close to your 'ideal' weight, but your kick-hormone and happy- feetings hormone would have begun rising inside you. You won't feel their positive effects if you are mentally tuned into your old negative feelings. Negative thoughts block positive ones. Stop thinking about yourself. Then, it can happen any time while "bathing, walking, watching TV, listening to music. reading, anything... Suddenly, you will feel tranquil. A sense of peace win descend upon you. You will be literally able to feel your inner self, your inner mind smiling. It is those hormones at work. Hold on to that tranquility - its your body telling you that the fitness path has opened and you are walking on it.

These are not exaggerations to coax you into exercising. We have been on that path ourselves. And those calm feelings have suddenly swept through us at the most unexpected of times. Share them with your spouse, sibling or friend. They are an important part of you. They are you. For Nature meant you to be fit and tranquil. And to think, that all these great, indescribably delightful feelings begin with your legs! In fact, you will reach a point where you won't feel your day is complete without your walk. Your brain is now used to living on that, 'high', it will silently propel you to seek out that level. Yes, fitness is addictive, but the best addiction to be afflicted by! You can be sure of one thing.

Necessary of Baby Health

Your baby will need a checkup right after birth, and then on the second or third day of life. After this time, you will need to bring your baby to the health care provider for routine vaccines. It's always a good idea to keep a record of the date and age your baby received care, of any illnesses or allergies she has, and what medications she received. And remember, you know your baby better than anyone else. If you feel that something is wrong, never hesitate to call your baby's health care provider.

If your baby shows any of the following signs or symptoms, be sure to call her health care provider right away.

• Your baby has not passed any urine or meconium in the first 24 hours after birth.
• There have been fewer than six wet diapers in any 24-hour period after the second day.
• Your baby seems to be vomiting an entire feeding and it appears that this vomiting is forceful.
• Your baby appears yellowish or tanned.
  
• Your baby's rectal temperature is higher than 100.6ºF.
• You notice any swelling, oozing, redness, rash, a bad smell, or warmth around her umbilical cord.
• Your baby's cry is different than normal, she seems restless, there are changes in her bowel movements, or a rash other than a diaper rash appears on her body. In other words, report any activity that could be a sign that your baby isn't well.

Visits our Health Blogs:--Health Plus Pharmacy -Health Vital - Health Related Terms

Holistic Pregnancy and Birth

Giving birth changes a woman's life forever. Holistic birth care prepares a woman for birth in mind, body and spirit. Every woman's experience of birth is unique, and no amount of preparation in body, mind and spirit will ever dictate what a birth will be like. Holistic birth care accepts that necessary obstetric intervention can become part of the perfect birth experience in a loving way if it is welcomed and accepted by the woman and her partner as part of their decision making process. Women need to feel safe, secure, happy and private in their chosen birthing environment.
Good holistic birth care begins long before pregnancy manifests! Pre-conceptual care is essential to prepare body, mind and spirit for pregnancy. This can include:

Proper Nutrition through organic food and herbs; Natural Healing for menstrual problems; Avoidance of environmental toxins, geopathic and electromagnetic stress; Creating a harmonious home and office environment; Balancing body energy, e.g. through Shiatsu; and Clearing emotional and unresolved birth issues, e.g. through Rebirthing and Metamorphic technique. Flower essences can help to clear the auric field of mother and baby.

Birth - The baby feels the physically uncomfortable process of being weighed and washed immediately after birth, as well as the psychological effect of being removed from its mother's arms unnecessarily. Pioneering obstetrician Michel Odent states that the first hour after birth should be undisturbed to allow maximum potential for bonding and initial breastfeeding.

Prenatal counselling to help resolve anxieties associated with giving birth is necessary for many women who have had a traumatic birth and who are frightened about giving birth again. The healing process can be enhanced by touch therapies like Shiatsu and Aromatherapy. Flower essences are very supportive at this time, particularly where grief connected with the previous birth is evident.

Post Partum Care - The desire to "get back to normal" can cause serious health problems in many women, e.g. uterine misalignment leading to menstrual problems and relationship difficulties. Holistic Partum Care includes Ayurvedic diet for rapid energy return and plentiful breast milk, natural womb care and preparation for return to menses, healing remedies for perineal stitches, Caesarian scars, sore nipples, etc.

Debra Norton trained as a nurse and midwife over twenty years ago, She now teaches a holistic approach to birth care to expectant parents and midwives. The article provides a list of books for further reading.