Having a high cholesterol level has become a very serious problem for many people today. This has been credited to a majority of the population getting accustomed to a diet rich in fats, bad habits such as smoking and leading a sedentary lifestyle. And because of high cholesterol levels, more and more people are finding themselves at an increased risk of developing coronary heart disease as well as stroke and heart attack.

Heart disease is the number one cause of death for most people in the developed countries around the world. Having a high level of blood cholesterol has been linked to the increase of the incidence of heart disease and has become a grave cause of concern.

The only good news to this fact is that developing heart disease is highly preventable. All it takes is for one to be able to follow a healthier lifestyle. The path to such a lifestyle is trying to lower one’s cholesterol level. Although there are already several drugs available that will help an individual reduce body cholesterol levels, this is usually reserved for more high risk patients in need of drastic decreases in their cholesterol levels. There are also natural ways readily available for anyone looking forward to lowering their own cholesterol to normal and healthy levels.

One of the natural ways of lowering cholesterol levels is through diet. Following a low cholesterol diet day in and day out can be very effective in trying to control and maintain a normal cholesterol level. This would mean eating low cholesterol foods such as soy products, vegetables and fruits.

High fiber foods are also known to help in the fight to lower cholesterol. Regular exercise is also a good habit to develop if you are really intent in trying to lower your cholesterol levels. Exercise helps in increasing HDL or “good” cholesterol in the body as well as strengthens your heart muscle, helps keep your blood pressure at normal and even helps you in shedding of those excess pounds.

There are also several natural supplements that will be able to help you lower your cholesterol levels. Taking B-complex vitamins, specifically Niacin, has been known to help lower blood cholesterol in the body. supplements fortified with Lecithin can also help in lowering your cholesterol as it enables excess fat and cholesterol to be dispersed in the water instead of building up in the arteries.

There are other natural ways of lowering cholesterol levels available today. All it will take is some research and talking to your doctor about how to effectively follow a lifestyle that will enable you to lower cholesterol the natural way.

Tags: Bad Habits, Blood Cholesterol, Coronary Heart Disease, Eating Habits, Excess Pounds, Fruits And Vegetables, Good Cholesterol, Good Habit, Healthy Diet, heart disease;, Heart Muscle, High Cholesterol Levels, High Fiber Foods, High Risk, Low Cholesterol Diet, Low Cholesterol Foods, Lowering Cholesterol, Normal Cholesterol Level, Number One Cause Of Death, Reducing Cholesterol, Risk Patients, Sedentary Lifestyle, Vegetables And Fruits, Vitamins And Minerals —

As amazing as it may seem, there are still new diets coming out all the time. You would that by now the real “secret” would have been found and that there would be no need for new diet plans; however, that’s just not the case. Believe it or not the “secret” has already been revealed, and a weight loss calorie counter can really help.

So what is this secret that has already been exposed? It is that the only way to lose weight is to burn more calories than your body stores. That’s it. Every diet is nothing more than a variation on this idea. In reality, there are no new diets being released. Instead, there are new gimmicks being released, and these gimmicks are designed to disguise the real secret of losing weight.

Now that we know the only way to lose weight, we have to figure out how to make that happen. The trick is figuring out a way that works best for us, and using any tools we can that will help us get rid of some extra weight. A weight loss calorie counter is one of those tools.

You really can’t reduce the number of calories you’re taking in until you know how many you’re taking in now. In other words, you need a benchmark of some kind; a starting point. A lot of people think they have a pretty good idea of how many calories they eat during the day, or during any given meal, but study after study has shown this idea to be false. Most people do not do a very good job of estimating their caloric intake.

If you are serious about wanting to lose weight then you have to take responsibility for what you’re eating. However, if you don’t know how many calories are in your food, then how can you keep track of what you’re eating? The answer is that you can’t. But you can’t use that as an excuse to eat whatever you want. You need to find a way to keep track, and a weight loss calorie counter is the way to do it.

You can get a calorie counter book, get an app, or go online to find the information you need. It’s easier than ever to find the calorie content of just about every food, but that also means there are no more excuses. None of these options will work unless you make use of them.

Another benefit of calorie counters is that you can easily compare foods before you eat them. As we pointed out earlier, people are not very good at estimating calories, so you are sure to find a few surprises when looking up various foods. However, it’s much better to be surprised at the facts than it is to assume you’re eating right when you’re really not. So, grab a weight loss calorie counter now and you will be pleasantly surprised at the results you see.

Tags: Benchmark, Body Stores, Caloric Intake, Calorie Content, Calorie Counter, Calories, Diet, Diets, Eating Habits, Excuse, Extra, Gimmicks, Good Job, Healthy Diet, How Many Calories, Lose Weight, Losing Weight, Variation, Weight Loss —

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.

Tags: Apple Juice, Calories, Cholesterol Levels, Eating Habits, Food Joints, Foods That Are High In Fiber, Fresh Juices, Fruits And Vegetables, heart disease;, high blood pressure;, Lifestyle Changes, Losing Weight, Lowering Cholesterol, Milk And Water, Necessary Precautions, Physical Activity, Red Wine, Saturated Fats, Sterols, Type Of Food, Water Apple, Whole Grains, Wine Consumption —

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.

Tags: Afternoon Snack, Atkins, Atkins Diet, Calories, Cup Brown Rice, Cup Oatmeal, Dark Chocolate, E Mail, Eating Habits, Grilled Salmon, Ground Flax Seed, Healthy Diet, Heart Diet, Hot Dogs, Keeping Your Heart, Losing Weight, Mixed Nuts, Quarter Pound, Red Wine, Reputable Source, Snack 1, Tomato Salad, True Motive, Water Spinach, Wine Substitute —