Studies have shown that the number of people who are obese or overweight has gone up through the years. This is attributed to the type of food being served in schools and fast food joints as well the lack of physical activity as the person grows older.

The problem goes farther because this means that many more Americans will suffer from high blood pressure, heart disease and strokes in the future. The good news is that this can be prevented before it is too late.

The natural way to lower the cholesterol will be by making some lifestyle changes and exercising regularly. This will help the individual lose weight, which is directly related to the cholesterol levels in the human body.

When people think of dieting, many think this means saying goodbye to some of lifes more juicer foods but it is not. The person will just have to limit the consumption and add new things that are healthier.

More often, this will require eating foods that are high in fiber and low in saturated fats. A few examples of these are artichokes, corn, fish, garlic, legumes, mushrooms, nut, olive oil, soy milk and whole grains.

The individual should not forget to have some fruits and vegetables as well since these are rich in sterols that are known to keep the cholesterol levels down. All of these products are affordable and can easily be purchased in the supermarket.

Aside from eating properly, the person must also take the necessary precautions when consuming liquids. This means drinking a glass of red wine moderately, reducing the consumption of beer, drinking fresh juices, non-fat milk and water.

Apple juice for example has been known to reduce cholesterol levels by up to 50% when taken regularly. Other fruits can also do the same so cutting this and putting it into a blender can do the trick or getting this in bottled form.

The next step to lowering the cholestesterol levels naturally is through exercise. This can be achieved in many ways such as brisk walking, jogging or running around the neighborhood. Learning a new sport and doing it regularly is another option.

Those who want to be looked after by a personal trainer can check out the gym since there are professionals that can create a program to achieve the persons desired results. This will be a combination of cardio-vascular exercises as well as weight lifting to burn the calories and lower the cholesterol levels.

There is another way to reduce the cholesterol levels but is only used as a last resort if these two do not work. The individual will be required to use medicine to make it happen. There are a lot of products out there and studies have shown this can drop the cholesterol levels by as much as 15% to 30%.

The person should be aware though that these drugs have certain side effects so it is best to consult a doctor first to make sure it is safe to use.

Cholesterol is something that is produced in the body and is also taken when food is eaten. The only way to make sure the levels in the blood doesnt exceed the limit is to have a checkup regularly and watch the food that is being cooked or served in the restaurant.

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There are all kinds of diets out there; some are made solely for the purpose of losing weight, while others combine weight loss with other health benefits. The 3 Day Heart Diet is an example of the latter, at least on the surface. The truth is that there is quite a bit of confusion on this matter and we will try to clear it up.

An e-mail has been circulating for years which claims that the 3 Day Heart Diet was created by doctors at one prestigious medical facility or another. However, whenever these places are contacted for verification, they always say they were not the ones behind the diet. What that means is that whoever created the diet most likely had a reason for claiming it came from a reputable source.

It’s impossible to know the true motive behind this version of the 3 Day Heart Diet, but it’s quite possible to see that whoever created it did not understand heart health (or used that name for different reasons). For example, the original diet has you eating a full quarter-pound of meat at one meal, and no indication of the type of meat is given. Another meal suggests you eat two hot dogs! Let’s face it, even if you could lose weight on such a plan (as adherents to the Atkins Diet will avow); it is not ideal for keeping your heart healthy.

Now, if you want to lose weight, then just about any 3 day diet will do the trick. But if you want to lose weight and do your heart some good at the same time, then you need to eat foods that have been shown to help your heart.

Here is one day of a better 3 Day Heart Diet

Breakfast:
1/2 cup oatmeal topped with 1 tablespoon ground flax seed and 1/4 cup mixed berries
1/2 cup cantaloupe
6 ounces orange juice
1 cup of tea

Midmorning snack:
1 ounce mixed nuts

Lunch:
1 can tuna packed in spring water
Spinach and tomato salad drizzled with olive oil
1/2 cup papaya

Afternoon snack:
1/2 ounce dark chocolate (the darker the better)

Dinner:
3 to 4 ounces grilled salmon
1/4 cup beans over 1 cup brown rice
1 glass red wine
Substitute 1 cup of tea if you do not drink alcohol

Not only are these foods much healthier for you, but you can actually stick to an eating plan like this for life. You shouldn’t limit your diet to only these foods, but these are a good start. Enjoy a wide variety of foods for optimum health and sustainable weight loss.

If you happen upon the less healthy version of the 3 Day Heart Diet, then you can follow it, but be careful. It is very low in calories, and should not be done unless you talk to your doctor about it first. It should not be followed for any longer than three days. That being said, the modified heart diet mentioned above is a safer, more satisfying, and will help you lose weight and keep it off for good.

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The human body produces oils and other substances that circulate in the bloodstream. An example is insulin, which is secreted from the pancreas in response to the increase in the amount of sugar coming from the food that the person eats. The cells then absorb this, which gives the individual calories that are used as energy.

Another substance that the body produces naturally is cholesterol. This is also ingested in the food people eat. There are two types of cholesterol namely LDL and HDL.

LDL is better known as bad cholesterol. The reason why it is bad is because too much of this in the system may put the person at risk of suffering from either a heart attack or a stroke.

HDL in simple terms is good cholesterol because its job is to regulate the flow the bad one so this can be filtered out of the persons system. There must be a balanced between the two so the individual is healthy.

Whenever people get a blood test, the patient will see a breakdown of the LDL and HDL in the system. Though not that significant as the first two, doctors pay attention to two other figures namely the total cholesterol and the triglyceride level.

In order to be given a clean bill of health, the patient must stay within a certain range. Those who have less than 200mg/dl in total cholesterol are safe. The same goes for someone who has less than 150mg/dl in the triglycerides.

So what happens if the person goes beyond the limit? In simple terms, the individual is at risk of developing high blood pressure or a heart disease. The good news is that the person can still prevent such a thing from happening.

There are four simple ways to do it and this must be done gradually before something bad really happens to the individual.

The first is to change the diet. This means eating less of those that are high in saturated fats such as red meat and dairy products. This should be changed for fish, fruits, nuts, oatmeal and vegetables.

Studies have shown that those who eat oatmeal regularly are able to reduce the LDL and trigylecerides level in just 2 weeks. Imagine what could happen if this is done even after just a month?

The second is exercise. The body has stored fat after how many years of not engaging in any physical activity. Changing the eating habits can only go so far and sweating it out will increase the metabolic rate thus helping reduce the patients cholesterol levels.

The third, which doesnt happen often, is for the individual to take supplements to aid in the reduction of cholesterol. Examples of these are bible acid resins, ezetimibe, fibric acid, niacin and statins.

These are available in different brands and studies have proven this can lower the cholesterol from 15% to 30% when this is taken in regularly.

Should exercise and dieting not work, the patient must remember that the intake of these drugs has certain side effects. The doctor should explain this before even prescribing this so the individual can choose from the wide range of drugs that can be used to lower ones cholesterol.

Prevention is the best way to combat any disease. A regular checkup at the doctors office will surely save money instead of being confined in the hospital.

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If you could lose weight fast or lose it slowly, which one would you prefer? Most people would choose to lose it quickly, but there are those who believe slow weight loss is more sustainable. There may be some truth in that idea, but there’s no reason why you can’t do both using three day diets.

What that means is that you can get a good jump start on losing weight. That way you will see some results right away and that, in turn, can work as strong motivation to keep going. To put it another way, you can get off to a fast start and then use a more long-term approach. Of course you can always use three day diets to just lose as much weight as possible in a short amount of time; without any thought of a long-term plan. For example, if you need to fit into a dress in a few days, and can’t quite do it, then you need this kind of diet.

The experts say you shouldn’t lose more than one to two pounds per week, so three day diets should only be used once in a while, and not be used for more than three days. You should also consult your personal doctor before making any major changes to your diet.

There are several three day diets out there, and some work better than others. The real “secret” isn’t finding the “best” diet, but to rather find a three day diet that has food on it that you enjoy; or at the very least that you’re sure you can stick to. After all, you wouldn’t want to be two days into it and then decide to quit. You know yourself better than anybody else, so use your best judgment when selecting a diet (again, being sure to check with your doctor first).

How much weight can you lose in three days? Claims of losing one to two pounds per day are not uncommon for three day diets, but that’s much more than the recommended safe amount. However, if you are only going to do it once, and really have a good reason to lose weight, then you should be okay. Just don’t make these restrictive diets a regular part of your routine.

Some three day diets work by helping you get rid of water weight. The idea is that the body is made up mostly of water, so you can lose weight quickly by eliminating water from your system. Reducing calories is one part of it, and cutting out sodium is the other part; as sodium increases how much water your body retains. You can lose weight this way, but you obviously can’t make a habit of dehydrating yourself.

That is only one example out of many three day diets. Think of what your goals are, and also what types of foods you will eat. If you are allergic to shellfish, then the “3 Day Shrimp Diet” won’t do you any good. Which raises another point: If you do a three day diet, be sure to follow it very closely. Most of these diets were developed with a very specific combination of foods, and veering from the plan won’t guarantee that you will lose weight.

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