Basic information about Cholesterol
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Cholesterol is a waxy, fatty substance that is found in every cell of the body. It is involved in the production of cell membranes, some hormones, vitamin D, bile acids, and other tissues in the body. It also insulates nerves. Cholesterol is produced in the liver, but we also get cholesterol from our diet.
The amount of cholesterol in the body depends on factors such as the rate of cholesterol production in the liver, the rate of cholesterol clearance from the body, the amount of dietary fat (particularly saturated fat) and to a lesser extent, cholesterol consumed.
The excess cholesterol in our body circulates in the bloodstream. High levels of cholesterol in the blood can clog blood vessels and increase the risk fro heart disease and stroke.
Different types of Cholesterol
Low-Density Lipoprotein (or LDL) cholesterol is a bad type of cholesterol that is most likely to clog blood vessels, increasing you risk for heart disease. High-Density Lipoprotein (or HDL) cholesterol is a good type of cholesterol. HDL cholesterol helps clear the LDL cholesterol out of the blood and reduces your risk for heart disease.
Cholesterol & Heart Disease
High cholesterol is one of the major contributors to heart disease. Research strongly indicates that lowering of cholesterol leads to a drop in the occurrence of heart disease. The main reason for this is because with less blood cholesterol, there is less plaque formation within the arterial walls. This will reduce the chances or an artery becoming blocked and causing a heart attack or stroke. Also, blood will flow through arteries with greater ease and this can lower blood pressure.
Reasons which lead to a Rise in Cholesterol:
Poor eating habits
Smoking
Excess weight or Obesity
Heredity factor
Daily Stress
Over Alcohol consumption
Ways to control or lessen Cholesterol:
Good eating habits
It is very important to follow good eating habits in order to lower your cholesterol.
Regular exercising
Experts recommend at least 30 minutes or more of moderate-intensity physical activity five days a week for at least 12 weeks for significant cholesterol reduction.
Weight loss and maintaining it
You can lower your LDL (“bad cholesterol”) and elevate your HDL (“good cholesterol”) just by dropping some pounds.
posted by Healthy Life @ 11:16 PM,
Fun ways to Lose Weight
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Many believe that success comes through deprivation and that the more you do something you inherently dislike, the more the chances of being successful. Nothing is further from truth, because real success comes from enjoying what you do. Only then will you stick around long enough to see the results!
Most people who are trying to lose weight feel they love food so much, that they can’t go on a diet or follow an exercise routine. They lament that even if they try to diet and exercise, it’s emotionally so depriving that they can’t sustain it.
So, the trick lies in finding out the things that appeal to you (and be honest or your list will be impractical) and start working around the list. For example, if Cindy likes sweets, biscuits, snacks, Thai food, ice-cream and loves dancing, then this is how she can proceed:
o First, set priorities and see where health figures in your chart. Is staying healthy and looking good as important to you as buying a car to having a beautiful house? Look around in the family. Are the elders of the family healthy or do they have a long list of prescription? Genetics matter.
o Secondly, understand your tastes. Do you like the rich taste of creamy dairy products? Or, perhaps butter chicken?
o Analyze your behavior. When you are under pressure, do you look for food as an option being a sensitive person; do you indulge in comfort eating whenever things or people upset you?
o Buy books on healthy cooking. There are thousands of recipes that can help you cook a delicious and healthy meal. Many people in low calorie food workshops are amazed at how delicious health foods like brown rice, oat and soy breads, cold coffee with skimmed milk, whole wheat pasta, chicken made in hung curd, bran biscuits, cheese salad with balsamic dressing, or a roast potato and walnut salad with hung curd and mustard dressing, are out standing.
o Join an exercise routine that you will enjoy, be it dace, aerobics, salsa or swimming.
o Once a week, let go, as we all need some indiscipline in our lives.
o Open your mind to fun avenues like good music, movies, aroma candles, smart clothes (according to studies, people who are depressed about their body shape stop shopping).
o Being in the company of positive people helps you fulfill your goals!
Myth:
To lose weight faster, one can skip one large meal per day.
Fact: Very common perception but entirely wrong. This will deprive your body of essential nutrients and will be detrimental to overall health by exposing your body to various diet deficiency diseases.
posted by Healthy Life @ 11:16 PM,
An Air Purifier May Keep the Allergies Away
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Air purifiers convert dirty air into fresh and clean air, and also free the air from pollutants and contaminants. They are very beneficial for people suffering from allergies and can help alleviate asthma. Allergy inducing particles within the air may come as dust, pollen, pet dander or mold spores.
There are numerous air purifier brands and manufacturers worldwide. It becomes too tough for a customer to pick the air purifier of one’s choice from the huge range available.
The best idea is to do some research online. Thanks to the online reviewers, there are some good air purifier comparisons and reviews on the Internet.
A decent air purifier review will honestly depict the pros and cons of a specific air purifier. Therefore, going through numerous air purifier reviews will help you make a good decision before buying an air purifier.
There are a large number of air purifiers including Oreck Super Air 8, Sharper Image Ionic Breeze GP, Friedrich C-90A, Sharper Image Ionic Breeze Quadra, Blueair 601, Bionaire BAP1300 Quietech HEPA, Honeywell HEPA 50250, Hunter Quietflo 30400, Vornado AQ535, Hunter HEPAtech 30375 etc.
Oreck Super Air 8 is a good quiet machine, quite effective at clearing the air of a number of pollutants, allergens, and irritants. It’s efficient, covers a large area and quite inexpensive having a strong warranty.
Sharper Image Ionic Breeze GP is a good home air purifier having a germicidal UV lamp. Ultraviolet radiation is capable of combating many pathogens such as viruses and bacteria. It’s quiet and quite effective in air purification, with a 5-year warranty. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America awarded it with a Consumer Product seal as its "proven to reduce airborne allergens and irritants including dust mite allergen, pet dander and cigarette smoke".
Friedrich C-90A is good, efficient but a little noisy and bit costly also. Sharper Image Ionic Breeze Quadra is also good at removing pollutants and the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America also awarded it with a Consumer Product seal.
Blueair 601 using activated carbon technology is particularly effective in removing odors and gases. It’s considerably cheap with 10 Year Overall Warranty.
Bionaire BAP1300 Quietech HEPA is a powerful air purifier, a bit noisy and requires a regular filter change. It has a 5-year warranty.
Honeywell HEPA 50250 is good and effective in small rooms. Its price line is good with a 5-year warranty. Hunter HEPAtech 30375 is a good device having an ionizer that can be controlled independently.
Recently, there has been a controversy that ionizing air purifiers produce ozone (O3 poisonous allotrope of oxygen) that can worsen asthma and decrease lung function. Some critics feel that air purifiers are over hyped devices that can’t completely clean the air and protect against secondhand smoke.
posted by Healthy Life @ 11:15 PM,
Best Face Forward
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Young people don’t require much of a reason to be mean to each other and acne has been a longstanding source of peer-based cruelty.
If you suffer from acne, it’s a safe bet you’ve tried creams. Face it, most of the time they don’t work. You may try makeup, but someone always seems to notice.
There will always be those who have theories as to why you have acne. While opinions vary, there are some things that can help you feel better about yourself and maintain a healthy lifestyle in the midst of acne frustration.
Spending time participating in physical activities and being responsive to a healthy diet may go a long way in giving your body the boost it needs to help provide the overall wellbeing you need during adolescence and beyond.
Participating in physical activities may also prove beneficial in other areas. You may have heard that stress is a condition that intensifies acne production. There are three responses to stress that you should consider.
1. You can do nothing.
2. Your physician may prescribe a drug to reduce your stress.
3. You can participate in meaningful activities to reduce your stress.
Doing nothing relegates you to victim status while the downside of a prescription drug is that, not only is it costly, but many of these stress-reducing drugs actually contribute to acne production. This leaves ‘meaningful activities’ as the best source of stress relief.
Sugar may not be the source for acute acne problems; however, excessive sugar is associated with the rise in blood sugars which may cause inflammation in the skin and a correlating rise in acne production.
While washing your face is an important part of personal hygiene, it may do little to actually eliminate acne production. Facial cleansing is a topical approach, while acne is produced in a different way. “Acne is a disorder resulting from the action of hormones and other substances on the skin’s oil glands and hair follicles. These factors lead to plugged pores and outbreaks of lesions commonly called pimples or zits.” (Department of Health and Human Services)
The Department of H.H.S. also admits, “Although acne is usually not a serious health threat, it can be a source of significant emotional distress.” Source: Questions and Answers About…Acne)
When you struggle with acne you are very aware of the emotional distress it can cause in both personal opinions and social situations.
The truth is acne is a normal part of adolescence and can follow many into adulthood. The food you eat, the amount of stress you have, the cleanliness of your face may have some bearing on your facial blemishes, but you do have options.
The real question you may be asking yourself is, “If acne will still form despite my best efforts, what is my next line of defense?” Knowledge is always a powerful tool in when you are seeking solutions.
The Zeno Acne Clearing Device works in ways traditional creams and oral treatments do not. When you apply cream or take a pill the results may ultimately be positive, but it can take several days for results to be noticed. Zeno can be used at the first sign of acne. The attractive hand held Zeno Device has a battery powered heating unit that warms the tip of the device to a temperature that kills acne bacteria when applied directly at the source of the outbreak. The Zeno Device can be used 2-3 times daily at about 2 ½ minute per treatment.
Serious acne may require a doctor’s visit, but for mild to moderate acne, the Zeno Acne Clearing Device may be the right tool to help you feel better about yourself, put your best face forward, and get back into the game of life – stress free.
posted by Healthy Life @ 11:16 PM,
Abdominal Surgery
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Abdominal Surgery
Abdominal surgery broadly involves the opening up of the abdomen. There are several abdominal organs (such as the stomach, liver, intestines etc) and the surgery of each is dealt with differently. The three most common abdominal surgeries are described below:
Laparotomy
In this surgical procedure, the abdominal cavity is accessed by making an incision through the abdominal wall. Another name for this is coeliotomy.
There are two types of laparotomy; diagnostic laparotomy and therapeutic laparotomy. In diagnostic laparotomy, the nature of the disease is not known, and a laparotomy is required to be done in order to find out. A repair or resolution of the problem may or may not follow a diagnostic laparotomy. In a therapeutic laparotomy, the cause is known (eg. Peptic ulcer) and the procedure is done as a therapy. In this case, a laparotomy is considered a first step in the whole procedure of curing the condition.
Appendectomy
Appendectomy is the name given to the surgical procedure that involves the surgical removal of the vermiform appendix. Usually, this is an emergency procedure performed on patients suffering from acute appendicitis. If surgical facilities are not available, then antibiotics are used to prevent the onset of sepsis.
An appendectomy can be performed either by laparoscopic procedure or by opening up the abdomen. If the diagnosis is doubtful or there is a need to hide the scars in the umbilicus or in the pubic hair line, then laparoscopy is generally the option taken. However, laparoscopic procedure is more expensive than open surgery and a little more time consuming. There is also an additional risk (although very low) of pneumoperitoneum, where the abdomen inflates with gas.
Laparoscopic surgery
Laparoscopic surgery only refers to operations involving the abdomen or pelvic cavity. It is also known as keyhole surgery, band aid surgery or minimally invasive surgery. It is a surgical technique that belongs to the larger field of endoscopy.
During a laparoscopy, rigid tubes are inserted into the abdominal cavity through tiny holes or incisions. These tubes then allow for a small camera and surgical instruments to be inserted. The cavity is filled with carbon dioxide gas in order to allow for more working and viewing space. The surgeon then manipulates the instruments to perform procedures such as gall bladder removal. Laparoscopy lends itself to speedier recovery and reduced blood loss and infection in comparison with open surgery.
posted by Healthy Life @ 11:00 PM,
