I liked the article because it once again emphasized how hard it is to lose weight at any age. It also is a reminder that early intervention is very important with teenagers. Their weight problems not only will linger into adulthood, but also are likely to continue and even worsen as the years go by. This fact is probably no surprise to anyone.

The surprise was how many continue or become severely obese by the end of the study if they started out in the obese category. 703 or just under 8% of the teens slipped into the severely overweight category as adults. This meant gaining 80 - 100 pounds over their ideal weight. No wonder the chilhood obesity statistics are such a serious matter!

These teenagers who continue to have such obesity problems as adults will develop heart diease, high cholesterol, hypertension and a whole host of other problems at a much younger age then we have seen before.

This generation of young adults are likely not to live as long as their parents if nothing is done to stop the trend. Intervention really starts at the level of the family. The parents have to be taught healthy cooking, and how to shop for their overweight teens. You can read the article to get the details of the study.

CertifiedNursingAssistant.org

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There are lots of fruits, such as mangos, all sorts of berries, oranges, apples, and bananas can also be helpful. They also add antioxidants to the system, great for boosting the immune system as well.

Leafy green vegetables like spinach, Swiss chard, beet greens are very good. So is cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, onions, garlic, and tomatoes. They don’t have a high calorie content, and have little or no cholesterol. Making these items a regular part of the diet also means less calories overall. this in turn keeps weight under better contol.

When it comes to meat, stick to the leanest cuts. Chicken, for example, must have all skin and fat removed. Grilling or roasting allows the fat to fall away from the meat in the cooking process. Most fish are a safe choice, but remember shellfish, such as shrimp have a higher cholesterol count, so consumption of shrimp should be limited.

There are plenty of choices for you that are healthy yet delicious. Learning to look at food labels at the grocery store is a good habit to get into.  Know the fat, cholesterol, and salt content of what you are buying for the family.

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But what to do about it?  We all are aware of the serious and growing obesity problem in our kids. More exercise and a better diet consisting of less fast foods and more balance with those green things called vegetables.

Getting our kids to follow these suggestions is the hard part, even when the parents have done the right shopping and have the right choices available. “There’s nothing to eat in this house” translated from kid talk probably means nothing I care to eat.

Starting with the kids early is key, teaching them to eat (and like) a variety of foods sometimes takes persistence. It’s important to insist on daily exercise and if at all possible getting them involved in team activities on a regular basis.

Interestingly, Unicity’s Bios Life Slim* has been shown to be effective as a natural alternative to statin drugs, and is both safe and effective in older children and teenagers. It is always best to use all natural means–diet, exercise, natural supplements before turning to prescription medications, such as statin drugs. Of course, there will be cases where the cholesterol or lipid level is very high and must be brought down quickly.

* We do have a relationship with Womens Health Shoppe. We make money if you decided to purchase the product.

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LDL or bad cholesterol in excess amount can lead to worst consequences. With excess of LDL in blood you are very much susceptible to coronary artery diseases. This low density lipoproteion when gets deposited in blood in surplus amount starts forming plaque that can either block the arteries or can result in narrowed arteries. And best way to keep level of LDL in control is to opt for LDL free diet or food that lowers LDL content.

LDL cholesterol could be kept well under control if you happen to consume LDL free foods. For a normal people desired level of LDL cholesterol should be not more than one thirty or one forty mg per dL. For that you should chalk out a dietary strategy in consultation with your health care provider that would usually be based on consumption of foods that are either free of LDL or bring reduction in LDL content.

Unsaturated fat products if consumed in plenty won’t add too much to cholesterol and LDL content would automatically get reduced. Instead of whole milk you can go for skimmed milk. Similarly you can go for fat free cheese and other fat free milk products. These products would bring considerable reduction in bad cholesterol.

You should substitute foods with high fat content by foods with low food content, it is a very natural way of curbing high level of LDL. For example butter has a perfect substitute in Margarine that is derived from whales.

If you happen to be afflicted with great surge in LDL, you can devour foods rich in Niacin. Niacin is an active LDL reducing agent. You must increase consumption fiber products and green vegetables. With an increased intake of fiber, you are likely to reduce bad cholesterol. You should particularly focus on soluble fibers.

Products that help bring a surge in HDL cholesterol could be consumed as it would have an adverse effect on LDL. Intake of fruits and whole grains could be increased for the same reason. Products rich in vitamin A and E could also contribute to LDL reduction. Fish must be incorporated in your diet as it contains Omega 3 fatty acid that considerably reduces Low density Lipoprotein.

Barley, cereals, oats and lot of complex carbohydrates could be added to your diet. You should also consume lipid free oils such as Canola and Olive oil.

If you could stick to these food items, you are sure to lower LDL.

Ashish Jain
http://www.articlesbase.com/advice-articles/food-tips-to-lower-bad-cholesterol-85960.html

High Blood Pressure and Cholesterol

Heart attack is the leading cause of death not only in the United States but in the entire world. It kills twice as many people than the 2nd leading cause of death, which is cancer. Heart disease is also known as the silent killer because it happens suddenly with no fair warning. More than 50% of people who die of cardiac causes have no history of heart disease because sudden cardiac death is the most common cardiac sign. According to the National Institute of health high blood pressure should be a priority concern of over 65 million Americans. That is over 1 in 3 Americans. This statistic is even higher if you’re African American. This statistic is also directly linked to the fact that 62% of Americans are overweight or obese. If you are overweight or obese you probably have high blood pressure or cholesterol and don’t even know it. High cholesterol oxidizes in your arteries and forms plaque, which blocks blood flow, which leads to a heart attack.

In addition to exercising on a regular basis and eating foods low in trans fats and cholesterol, there are many all natural ingredients you can take to lower cholesterol and high blood pressure. First you should know there is a three step process to lowering cholesterol and high blood pressure and there are all natural ingredients out there that are clinically proven to assist in all 3 of these steps, which can reduce the use of statins and drugs. Below is the 3 step process and its assisting all natural ingredients.

1) Prevent Cholesterol Absorption - It is common sense to eat less high fatty foods and eating fresh fruits and vegetables to reduce cholesterol absorption. Of course no matter what you do you will still eat food that has cholesterol therefore you should take Phytosterol to help your body to absorb much less cholesterol. Phytosterols are also called plant sterols, which are a group of steroid alcohol, photochemical naturally occurring in plants. They are white powders with mild, characteristic odor insoluble in water and soluble in alcohols. They have many applications as food additives and in medicine and cosmetics. Phytosterol have a very similar molecular structure as cholesterol therefore it mimics cholesterol in the digestive tract and blocks cholesterol from being absorbed. In this way your body absorbs less cholesterol therefore less cholesterol enters the bloodstream and the unabsorbed cholesterol passes through your body as waste. By lowering cholesterol absorption you help prevent the risk of heart attack.

2) Preventing Plaque Build Up - The second step to lowering cholesterol is to prevent it from oxidizing in the arteries and forming plaque since Plaque is what makes high cholesterol deadly. There are several all antioxidants, which are great for preventing LDL cholesterol from forming plaque. Grape Seed, Grape Skin, Bilberry Extract, Quercetin, and Gingko Baloba are all flavenoids found in certain grapes and berries which naturally prevent plaque formation, which lowers cholesterol levels. Gingko Baloba comes from a 4000 year old ancient plant which also helps to prevent blood platelet activity.

3) Break up Plaque Build Up - Of course after you reduce cholesterol absorption and reduce cholesterol oxidation which forms plaque, you’ll still have some plaque build up that needs to be broken up. Not only does plaque build up cause heart disease but it also causes damage to arteries. Omega 3 fish oil has many properties, but two of the most important properties in relation to heart health is that it breaks up plaque build up, helps your body absorb more phytosterols, helps increase HDL cholesterol levels, reduces tryglyceride levels, increases blood flow to the heart as well as the brain for better memory function and many other benefits not related to heart health.

In addition to lowering cholesterol there are 4 all natural ingredients that help lower high blood pressure

Tripeptides - Tripeptides are derived from cutured milk and were discovered in the early 1900s by Japanese scientist. Nearly a century of research led to the patented process of isolating the tripeptides that help maintain healthy blood pressure. A potent therapeutic dose of these tripeptides has been shown to protect the artery wall.

Passionflower - A creeping perennial vine, recognized for its natural stress relieving and relaxing abilities.

Potassium - Potassium is an element critical to helping your body maintain the proper balance of potassium and sodium necessary for optimum heart and blood vessel health

Pomegranate - Pomegranate is a powerful antioxidant, and has been shown to possess stress-relieving properties, A three year study found that pomegranate helps promote healthy blood flow.

Your heart is the most important muscle in your body and your body can’t live without it. Start taking the right nutrients today and make heart disease beg for mercy. All of these ingredients are clinically proven and not based on folklore and home remedies. All of these ingredients are on the FDA approved ingredients list as well as being approved by the United States Pharmacopoeia (USP). For more information about these all natural ingredients as well as quality supplements and other ways to lower your High blood pressure and Cholesterol, call Toll Free 1-877-210-3216

Jawaune H. Saad
http://www.articlesbase.com/alternative-medicine-articles/how-to-naturally-lower-high-blood-pressure-and-cholesterol-116535.html

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Statin drugs can have serious side effects and you need to be an informed consumer. They are often given by physicians as a prescription answer to your high cholesterol. Drug companies would like you to believe it’s quick, convenient and safe.

Yes, they do the job well, and do lower cholesterol, but it has been estimated that one in five patients may suffer some sort of side effects from these medications. Although the serious side effects are not that frequent, they must be recognized early and the medication stopped. Here is a list of some of the common and serious problem symptoms:

Common side effects include either constipation or diarrhea, dizziness, nausea, stomach pains, or headache. These may or may not be bothersome enough to stop the medication.

1. Severe side effects include muscle aches, muscle weakness, even a change in the color of the urine to a dark or dark red color. This indicates a serious problem of the muscle tissue breaking down. Contact your doctor immediately if you have these symptoms.

2. Numbness, weakness, burning pain, or prickly sensations on the skin. This can mean a problem with the nerves themselves–called peripheral neuropathy. Again, call you doctor if you experience these symptoms after starting a statin drug.

3. Rarely, some can develop problems with memory and have a feeling they are developing Alzheimer’s. This usually clears in a few days after the medication is stopped.

4. Development of liver disease.  Doctors will monitor your liver function tests when they start statin drugs. This can be done easily with blood tests. If the blood tests show liver function abnormalities, the statin drugs will be stopped by your physician

If your cholesterol is so high that it needs to be brought down immediately, then there is no doubt the prescription medications should be tried.  This is usually not the case, and there is time for a stepped approach. Here are some suggestions for lowering cholesterol.

1. Change your diet to cut out all those high-fat fast foods. Stick to a low fat diet and eat more vegetables and fruits, less red meats. Keep your weight down and exercise.

2. Add a natural supplement such as Bios Life Complete that has been clinically proven by placebo-controlled studies to lower cholesterol. There are no serious side effects to this supplement, and it works. Try it for two months before having your cholesterol re-tested. This supplement is not a substitute for sensible eating habits. Keep to the lower fat diet!

3. Use prescription drugs as the last step if the above two steps are unsuccessful. Bios Life Complete studies have shown that it can work with people already on statins to lower the cholesterol even further. this is called a synergystic effect. It can also take a lower dose of the drug to be effective. It’s OK to take both together, but check with your doctor.

4. It’s a good idea to take Co-enzyme Q10 if you are on statins.  There is some evidence of less side effects. Statins work to interfere at the cellular level with the synthesis of Co-Q10. Less Co-Q10 means less production of energy at the level of the cells.  Taking Co-Q10 has not been shown to interfere the cholesterol-lowering effect of the statins.

Your health depends on you being an informed consumer. Taking the time to read information like this blog is a good first step.

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We know how importance lower cholesterol levels are. It can decrease our risk for heart disease, stroke and heart attack. But can our cholesterol levels be too low? Since our bodies make cholesterol it makes sense our body needs this chemical, but what happens if the body doesn’t have the cholesterol it needs?

First, abnormally low cholesterol levels have been linked with anxiety, depression, suicide, and violent behavior. An article published in the periodical Psychosomatic Medicine in May of 1999 makes a startling revelation.

Total Cholesterol Levels
It refers to a study of healthy young women with total cholesterol levels below 160 mg/dl. It reports these women were more likely to make high scores on tests used to measure levels of depression and anxiety than those with normal cholesterol levels.

Medical data has also shown men with low cholesterol levels are 50-80 percent more likely to be the victim of a homicide, suicide or fatal accident than those with normal cholesterol levels.

Link
Researchers suspect there may be a link between low cholesterol levels and low serotonin level. Serotonin is a “feel good” chemical found in the brain. People with low levels of serotonin are those who have problems with depression and anxiety. So, these lower cholesterol levels can cause depression.

Other studies into the effects of abnormally low cholesterol also show there may be some link between low blood cholesterol and cancer. Researchers are finding the lower the blood cholesterol level the higher the risk for cancer. Seemingly, the lower cholesterol levels may also increase your risk for cancer.

Increase Risk
Perhaps the most surprising result of all is that having abnormally low cholesterol can increase your risk for a stroke. While it is generally reported to be the other way around, there are studies that show abnormally low levels of cholesterol can cause more strokes than high cholesterol.

According to information in an article entitled The Cholesterol Myth posted on the website Second Opinions states studies of the Japanese people have backed up the fact lower cholesterol
than normal may cause more strokes.

The Japanese were an ideal people for the stroke study because they have had a rapid change over the past couple of decades in their eating habits. They have evolved from eating a low cholesterol diet high in rice and vegetables to eating more high fat foods. While it seems the Japanese who ate a higher fat diet would be more likely to have strokes, the number of strokes has decreased among the Japanese as their dietary fat increased.

Further Research
Further studies have shown there are two different types of strokes, those caused from clots and those caused from hemorrhaging. While high cholesterol does increase your risk of clot type strokes, research shows chances for a hemorrhagic stroke is increased by an abnormally low cholesterol level.

As you can see, while it is dangerous for your cholesterol to be too high, it is also dangerous for your levels to be too low. Research has shown that abnormally low cholesterol may be linked to depression and anxiety as well as an increase in strokes. Lower cholesterol may not necessarily be better.

Julia Carmichael
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/lower-cholesterol-can-your-low-cholesterol-level-be-bad-123296.html