Monthly Archives: May 2013

Parts Of Your Body That Cholesterol Affects

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High cholesterol is a health condition that occurs when there is too much cholesterol in your blood. This condition can have an adverse effect on several parts of your body. Below are the parts of your body that can be adversely affected in people with high cholesterol:

The Arteries

High cholesterol can damage your arteries and cause a condition called atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis causes your arteries to harden. If atherosclerosis is left untreated, then an atheroma, or atherosclerotic plaque, will form. Atheroromas can rupture and lead to blood clots.

Your Heart

Studies have shown that people who have high cholesterol are twice as likely to develop heart disease as people with normal cholesterol levels. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in Australia. If you have high blood pressure or diabetes, then your chances of developing heart disease will be even greater. Furthermore, high cholesterol can lead to a heart attack.

Your Brain

Untreated high cholesterol can lead to a stroke. A stroke is a condition that occurs when blood flow to the brain is impaired. A stroke is also known as a cerebrovascular accident. Inability to see, communicate normally and move one or more of the limbs are some of the many negative effects that can result from a stroke. It is also important to note that strokes can lead to deaths.

Lowering Your Cholesterol

If you have high cholesterol, then you can reduce your chances of developing serious health problems by getting it under control. There are a number of things that you can do to lower cholesterol. Exercise is one way that you can lower your cholesterol naturally. You should try to exercise at least 30 minutes per day. Exercise not only lowers your total cholesterol, but it also raises your HDL cholesterol. HDL cholesterol is also known as the good cholesterol because it helps clean out your arteries.

You also want to make sure that you eat a healthy diet. Oatmeal, fruit, vegetables and whole grains should be the foods that you consume the most. Those types of foods are rich in fiber, which is a nutrient that helps reduce your cholesterol. You should try to eat salmon at least twice a week because it contains omega 3 fatty acids. Omega 3 fatty acids are another group of nutrients will help lower your cholesterol. If you do not like fish, then you can get your omega 3 fatty acids from other sources, such as flaxseed and walnuts.

If you cannot lower your cholesterol with diet, then you may be required to take medication. There are several types of cholesterol medications available, and your doctor will prescribe the one that is right for you.

Michael use to have high cholesterol and currently has it under control due to change of diet and life style. He likes writing blogs that may bring awareness to the situation as well as other interests such as travelling

11 Health Benefits Of Garlic

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Garlic

Garlic has been known for its health benefits since ancient times. It can treat so many infections in the body right from the common cold to cough and bronchitis. It was also helpful in curing plague actually.

1. Raw garlic can also be used to treat common problems like cane and pimples. Eating two to three pods of raw garlic every single day will help to keep the cholesterol levels in control in our body. It can also fight high blood pressure and lower it considerably. All this can be done just by having a few garlic pods is a part of your everyday diet.

Some of the other health benefits of garlic pods are that we can use them to cure small infections like pin worms and other kinds of worm. You can have a few garlic pods along with warm water in the morning and it acts as a deforming medication for you.

2. Garlic boosts your immune system.

3. Garlic is anti-aging, its antioxidant power neutralizing free radicals that procure aging and disease.

4. Garlic helps reduce plaque build up (atherosclerotic heart disease).

5. Garlic thins the blood and helps to prevent blood clots (fibrinolyisis) hence reducing the risk of strokes.

6. Garlic helps to prevent cancer, particularly of the digestive system, and reduces the size and arrests the growth of certain tumors.

7. Garlic lowers and regulates blood sugar levels.

8. Garlic helps to remove heavy metals such as lead and mercury from the body – natural body detoxification.

9. Garlic is anti-inflammatory.

10. Garlic (raw, containing allicin) is a natural antibiotic and can kill even drug resistant strains of bacteria such as MRSA as well as Helicobacter pylori, the bacterium known to cause stomach ulcers and implicated in stomach cancer.

11. Garlic is anti-fungal and reduces yeast infections in body parts.

Healthy Oils: Saturated vs. Unsaturated

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I have high cholesterol and trigylcerides so I should really be watching my diet. Add to the fact that I am obese makes health threats and diseases more imminent. I am slowly making changes to my diet that hopefully will bear fruit by the end of the year.

I am on the fence between doing cardio vs strengthening exercises. Maybe I should just do both.

Recipe: BLT Salad with Bacon Vinaigrette

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Serves 8 as a side, or 4 as a main

French baguette
6 oz. bacon (about 9 slices)
About 6 cups washed lettuce (a delicate, leafy green is best)
2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh basil, sliced into ribbons

For the vinaigrette:
2 tablespoons bacon drippings
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Salt to taste

Cube the baguette into 1/2 inch pieces (should provide around 4 cups of croutons).

In a large nonstick pan, fry the bacon over medium-high heat until crispy. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Carefully remove 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings and set aside, returning the pan to the heat. Add the bread cubes and toss until golden and crispy, stirring regularly, about four minutes.

Mix all vinaigrette ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until emulsified. Crumble the bacon. Toss salad ingredients, bacon and croutons, drizzle with dressing and serve.

Reboot

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Run
I haven’t been able to run on the treadmill for almost three weeks now. The pain on my heel hasn’t gone away and I am afraid that I might have plantar fasciitis. I need to have it checked first.

My friend has advised me to take it slow and I am doing it for now. I am just more mindful of what I eat and make sure I don’t go too much over my calorie limit.

The best thing I can do for now is collect songs for my running playlist. I have heard great songs from soundtracks of my favorite TV shows.

I look forward to really focusing on everything AGAIN, next week.

Outstanding Pinot Noir: The Jensen Wine

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Pinot Noir is a variety of red grape used to make wines. Although Pinot Noir has great popularity it is very hard to cultivate and process in wineries. Pinot Noir is harvested around the world with several alias names, such as Blauburgunder in Austria, Burgundac in Yugoslavia, Clevner in Switzerland, Spätburgunder in Germany etc.

Pinot Noir achieves reputation so much that it is harvested in France over two-mile-wide, thirty-mile-long stretch of hills, called the Slope of Gold.

Pinot Noir makes an ever-lasting effect on the wine lovers’ memory. Its flavor is very complex and it is very rich in texture. Sometimes cinnamon, sassafras, or mint is added to make it spicier than any other red wines. It is rich but not heavy or acidic in texture. The alcohol level is high in this wine. It is not tannic. The most attractive quality is the soft, silky taste of pinot Noir. It can be preserved in bottles for five to eight years after vintage.

This is why the Calera Pinot Noir is in demand and popular, especially the Jensen Wine.

Jensen Pinot Noir

2009 Jensen possesses a deep, rich garnet hue. Luscious aromas of cranberry, violets, granite, turmeric and raspberry torte mix with an alluring bouquet of peppery nutmeg and black cherry. This fascinating wine offers flavors of baking spice, ripe strawberries, rhubarb pie, chalky minerality and sweet berry wrapped around a juicy, elegant core of fine grained tannins, then trails off to a long, pleasurable finish.

Since the grapes are very hard to cultivate, it has been a mission for Josh Jensen to find land that will be able to produce such fine grapes. This is how the Calera winery came to be. He was able to find a land in old limekiln in the Gavilan Mountains of California. From there the grapes of Pinoit Noir came to be.

Plantar Fasciitis

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Plantar Fasciitis

I might have this injury. I need to take it slow on using the treadmill.

Plantar fasciitis means inflammation of your plantar fascia. Your plantar fascia is a strong band of tissue (like a ligament) that stretches from your heel to your middle foot bones. It supports the arch of your foot and also acts as a shock-absorber in your foot.

I have experienced some intense pain around the area surrounding my heel for quite some time. It is worse during mornings. I also notice that it acts up when I walk too long, for example, walking around restaurants easton pa, in my regular shoes *flats*.

You are more likely to injure your plantar fascia in certain situations. For example:

  • If you are on your feet for a lot of the time, or if you do lots of walking, running, standing, etc, when you are not used to it. (The condition is sometimes called ‘policeman’s heel’, as policemen ‘walking the beat’ were said to be commonly affected.) Also, people with a sedentary lifestyle are more prone to plantar fasciitis.
  • If you have recently started exercising on a different surface – for example, running on the road instead of a track.
  • If you have been wearing shoes with poor cushioning or poor arch support.
  • If you are overweight – this will put extra strain on your heel.
  • If there is overuse or sudden stretching of your sole. For example: athletes who increase running intensity or distance; poor technique starting ‘off the blocks’, etc.
  • If you have a tight Achilles tendon (the big tendon at the bottom of your calf muscles above your heel). This can affect your ability to flex your ankle and make you more likely to damage your plantar fascia.

    • How is it treated?
    No single treatment works best for everyone with plantar fasciitis. But there are many things you can try to help your foot get better:

    Give your feet a rest. Cut back on activities that make your foot hurt. Try not to walk or run on hard surfaces.
    To reduce pain and swelling, try putting ice on your heel. Or take an over-the-counter pain reliever like ibuprofen (such as Advil or Motrin), naproxen (such as Aleve), or aspirin.
    Do toe stretches , calf stretches and towel stretches several times a day, especially when you first get up in the morning.
    Get a new pair of shoes. Pick shoes with good arch support and a cushioned sole. Or try heel cups or shoe inserts (orthotics ). Use them in both shoes, even if only one foot hurts.

    April Running Challenge

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    I did a running challenge last month. I wanted to log in 100kms of walk time but I failed. I was pretty consistent during the first two weeks but had to stop because of some personal matters that I need to attend to.

    Suffice to say, I think that I still was able to walk as many miles as I can, since I have been commuting to and from the city, taking the train and walking the stairs to the 3rd floor of a hospital numerous times. Thankfully, I don’t smoke or have tried smoking a cigar from Famous Smoke Shop.