For quite a long time, cholesterol has been associated with the development of heart diseases and is therefore cast in a very bad light.  Since its connection with heart diseases has been established, some people start avoiding it like the plague!  As a result, lowering a person’s cholesterol levels became a favorite topic among just about every newspaper and magazine in the country.  The topic has been wildly popular as the American public devours the bits and pieces of these stories hungrily.  But is cholesterol really that bad?  Let us take a closer look to learn more about this allegedly deadly substance.

What is cholesterol?  Cholesterol is a waxy substance that is produced primarily in the liver.  Despite all the bad reputation surrounding cholesterol, this substance has a definite use in your body.  Cholesterol facilitates the building and maintenance of cell membranes, aids in the digestive process and in the proper functioning of the sex hormones, among others.  High concentrations of this substance can be found in different major organs of the body such as the brains, nerves, liver, blood and bile.

There are two types of cholesterol that can be found in the body– the low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) and the high-density lipoproteins (HDLs).

LDLs gained the reputation of being the “bad cholesterol”.  This type of cholesterol comes mostly from the foods we eat – specifically from foods of animal origin.  The body has no use for LDLs so they just end up clogging our arteries, thereby leading to the development of various heart diseases.

HDLs, on the other hand, are the nemesis of LDLS and are aptly called the “good cholesterol”.  HDLs facilitate the removal of the harmful LDLs by “shuttling” it out of the body.  So, the higher the HDL levels and the lower the LDL levels in a person’s body, the lesser the risk of developing these deadly heart diseases!  However, after traveling through the bloodstream, HDLs return to the liver and are converted into the harmful LDLs.  Why and how often HDLs undergo this transition is still unknown even up to this time.

Now that you know how LDLs lead to the development of heart diseases, you must also recognize the importance of keeping a healthy balance between these two types of cholesterol.  Since the majority of harmful LDLs come from our diet, it is important that you start to realize the role of your diet in controlling the disease.

Factors That Raise Your Body’s Cholesterol Levels - There are 4 factors that can play a significant role in raising your body’s cholesterol levels – eating animal-based food products, sugar, alcohol and stress.  By now, you must already be aware how eating animal-based food products can raise your body’s cholesterol levels.  Researchers have also established the connection between an excessive intake of sugar and alcohol as well as undue stress with your body’s cholesterol levels.  It was observed that each of these three factors could prompt the body to produce more natural cholesterol thereby increasing your body’s overall cholesterol levels.

We all need cholesterol to keep our body functioning optimally on a daily basis.  But we should keep in mind that we must always try to maintain it at a safe level to minimize the risks of developing these deadly heart diseases.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Cholesterol

1. SPINACH - For skin that looks 38 per cent younger in just a few weeks, add dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach, cabbage and kale to your diet every day. These are packed with an antioxidant called lutein that new French research reveals boosts skin hydration and elasticity, fighting wrinkles. You need 10mg of lutein to get results.

2. BEANS BAKED - kidney or butter, all of these help your body produce a vital anti-ageing substance called hyaluronic acid. When we’re born our skin is pumped full of this and it makes it look plump and smooth. As you age, levels fall, but eating plenty of beans can help replace it. Aim for at least two tablespoons of beans each day - broad or butter beans make a great substitute for mashed potatoes if you mix them with a little Greek yoghurt.

3. GOJI BERRIES - SKIN-guru Dr Howard Murad swears by the anti-ageing power of these red berries, claiming they are the most “nutritionally dense food on the planet”. Fact is, they have nearly 500 times more vitamin C per ounce than oranges - and vitamin C helps you make the collagen that keeps skin firm. They also contain linoleic acid, an essential fat that plumps skin up, making it look and feel younger. They’re most commonly used in smoothies or sprinkled over cereal - but celebs including Naomi Watts like them in salads.

4. TURKEY - This white meat contains a vital skin-friendly protein called carnosine that slows down a process in the skin called cross-linking. When this happens, fibres grow into the collagen of the skin making it stiff and inelastic. This then stops it snapping back when you do things like smile, laugh or frown - and this is what causes smile lines or crows feet. If you want to reduce your risk of these, don’t save turkey for Christmas, eat it two to three times a week.

5. FLAXSEED OIL - OIL YOU can gulp down by the spoonful, mix it into smoothies or add it to balsamic vinegar and use it as a salad dressing, but whatever you choose, have a tablespoon each day. “Flaxseed is a major source of the healthy fat omega-3,” says Suzi Grant, author of Alternative Aging “Skin cells are surrounded by a fatty layer made from this and other fats so, the higher your omega-3 intake the stronger that layer is, and the plumper your skin cells are - which helps disguise lines and wrinkles.”

6. PRUNES - ONE of the biggest causes of skin ageing is attack by substances called free radicals, that break down healthy skin tissues. Nutrients called antioxidants help neutralize these free radicals before they can do any damage - and prunes are the fruit containing the absolute highest level of antioxidants. Blueberries are a close second. Eat five to six prunes, or a small punnet of blueberries, daily to get a great health boost.

7. BEETROOT - THIS is the top choice of independent nutritionist Carrie Ruxton: “It’s not only a great source of antioxidants, all purple foods contain pigments called anthocyanins that help support collagen production in the skin,” she says. The obvious way to use beetroot is to slice it up in salads, but you can now also buy beetroot juice in supermarkets.

8. OLIVES - AUSTRALIAN researchers recently discovered the more olive oil people had, the less wrinkled their skin looked. “The oleic acid found in olives and virgin olive oil can make the difference between a complexion that looks and feels like old shoe leather - and one that looks like a rose petal,” says dermatologist to the stars Nicholas Perricone. A healthy fat, oleic acid actually soaks through the membranes of skin cells plumping them up, which then makes fine lines and wrinkles less noticeable. To build more olive products into your day use olive oil for cooking, add olives to pasta sauce and salads - or nibble on them whole as a healthy snack.

9. CHOCOLATE - In studies in Germany, it was found that after drinking a cocoa-packed drink, blood flow to the skin was boosted (meaning it gets higher levels of nutrients and moisture). It also seemed to be more protected against UV damage - the number-one skin ager. Only dark chocolate contains enough antioxidants to have effects, though.

10. RED PEPPERS - SWEET potatoes, carrots and more - it’s not just chocolate that protects skin against sun damage. Research from Dr Ronald Watson at the University of Arizona has found that the antioxidants in red, yellow and orange foods build up under the skin creating extra UV protection. “The effect is so strong that eating six portions a day for about two months will build a natural barrier equivalent to a factor four sunscreen,” says Dr Watson.

We need all vitamins and minerals for good health, well being and energy. However, particular nutrient deficiencies are associated with reduced energy and chronic tiredness. These include iron, B12, folic acid and magnesium. We will explore each of these nutrients; how they contribute to tiredness; how to test their levels in the body; and symptoms of a deficiency.

Iron

Iron is an essential mineral needed for the manufacture of hemoglobin, the part of red blood cells that carries oxygen and is needed for energy production. When iron levels are low, red blood cells can’t carry enough oxygen to the body’s tissues, causing fatigue. When hemoglobin levels are low, anemia occurs.

There are two types of iron: heme iron (from animal sources) and non-heme iron (from plant sources). The body absorbs heme iron much more easily than non-heme iron, which is why vegetarians are at greater risk of iron-deficiency anemia.

Symptoms of deficiency: fatigue (especially on exertion); pale lower eyelids, palms, nails, tongue; brittle nails; headaches; constipation; inflamed tongue.

Testing for deficiency: iron levels are tested easily with blood samples. Serum iron – tests iron levels in the blood. Ferritin levels – test how well iron is stored in the body, the best indicator of the body’s iron levels.

Caution: Excess iron absorption (called hemochromatosis) also causes chronic tiredness so it’s important to check your iron levels before using an iron supplement.

Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 is needed for manufacture of red blood cells (along with folic acid). B12 helps the body’s use of iron and is also required for proper digestion, the absorption of foods, the synthesis of protein and the metabolism of carbohydrates and fats. No wonder it’s important for good energy levels! It is often observed that taking B12 (especially via injections) reduces fatigue, even when a deficiency isn’t found.

B12 deficiencies are common due to declining B12 levels in food, increased use of antibiotics and digestive problems. This is because B12 is produced in the digestive tract as well as being absorbed from food. Those most at risk of a B12 deficiency are vegetarians and people with digestive disturbances.

Symptoms of deficiency: fatigue, weakness, dizziness, sore tongue, memory problems, confusion, irritability, depression, moodiness, paleness.

Testing for deficiency: B12 levels can be measured with a blood test

Folic Acid

Folic acid is a B vitamin (also called B9 or folate) needed for the manufacture of red blood cells. Deficiency can lead to a condition called megaloblastic anemia. Fatigue is associated with both a simple folic acid deficiency as well as megaloblastic anemia. Because folic acid is easily destroyed during cooking, it is one of the most common vitamin deficiencies.

Symptoms of deficiency: similar to those of B12, including fatigue, digestive disturbances, insomnia, memory problems, weakness, shortness of breath, recurrent miscarriages, mental confusion, paranoid delusions, sore tongue, anemia.

Testing for deficiency: folic acid levels can be measured with a blood test.

Caution: if folic acid is given to someone who is B12 deficient and B12 isn’t given at the same time, the symptoms of a B12 deficiency (especially neurological symptoms) can be masked. Only take folic acid if a B12 deficiency has been ruled out.

Magnesium

Magnesium is needed for the production of ATP, which is the main energy-producing molecule in the body. Therefore, when magnesium is deficient our cells are less able to produce energy and we can experience chronic tiredness. It has been found that nearly all people with chronic fatigue syndrome are magnesium deficient and for about 80 per cent of people given magnesium their energy improves. In fact, magnesium is the most common nutrient deficiency in all people. Most of us would benefit from supplementation even if magnesium levels are unable to be checked.

Symptoms of deficiency: fatigue, irritability, muscle spasms or cramps, rapid or irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, insomnia.

Testing for deficiency: magnesium is not generally tested by blood test. Hair analysis is the most readily available test. Hair mineral levels are a measure of the minerals bound into the hair shaft over a period of time and correlate most closely with tissue levels. The hair analysis test can be performed through specialist laboratories.

Caution: if magnesium supplements worsen your symptoms (especially cramping, twitching and muscle spasms), calcium is probably the deficiency, not magnesium.

Please note: The information in this article is not intended to take the place of a personal relationship with a qualified health practitioner nor is it intended as medical advice.

Alison Cassar is a naturopathic practitioner and nutritionist and runs a busy clinic in Sydney, Australia. Her particular interest is chronic tiredness as it’s a very common presenting symptom in clinic. Her website and e-book http://whydoifeeltired.com/ explores the many causes of tiredness as well as solutions and prevention.

Iron supplement - why iron?

Why people need to use iron supplement? Well, there are many reasons. Iron is very important for our bodies and our health and when you do not get enough iron with your foods, the iron supplement comes to help. Iron is a very important mineral. It is an important component of proteins involved in oxygen transport and metabolism. Many trusted health organizations state that about 15 percent of your body’s iron is stored for your body’s future needs. That stored iron will be used when dietary intake is inadequate.

Iron supplement - when to use.

There are multiple reasons that may require you to use iron supplement. You will have enough iron in you body if you are controlling the amount of iron that you get from food. Meat, fish, and poultry contain iron in them. That iron is easily absorbed by your body. The iron that is stored in plants (for example lentils and beans) is not as easily absorbed by your body as iron from meat and fish. If you don’t intake enough iron with you foods, the iron supplement will definitely help.

Iron supplement - recommended dietary allowance for iron.

The recommended dietary allowance is the amount of iron (in foods, iron supplement, or both) that nearly everyone’s body needs to receive daily. That amount varies with age and gender. For example, males in the age group of 19 - 50 years need to intake 8 milligrams of iron and females in the same age group need to intake 18 milligrams. For women who are pregnant the recommended dietary allowance will be different.

Iron supplement – facts.

Before you start taking some type of iron supplement, make sure that an appropriate diet is not enough to increase the intake of iron. Also consult with a doctor to see that using iron supplements is right for you. Iron supplements may cause nausea, vomiting, constipation, diarrhea, abdominal distress, or other effects. If you use some type of iron supplement, make sure that you use the correct dose.

For http://www.liquid-vitamins-4u.com

The best cardio exercises are something you enjoy so you’ll stick to it to get the maximum benefits. You may be surprised at how quickly this form of physical activity becomes a habit you enjoy.

Exercise and cardiovascular fitness exercises are great for your health but the best cardio exercises get you to your ideal target heart rate as you exercise.

To test your heart rate while exercising place your thumb on the underside of your wrist to locate your pulse. Count the heart beats for fifteen seconds and multiply that number times four.

That number is your heart rate. To calculate your ideal target heart rate, subtract your age from two hundred and twenty.

Everyone has their own preference of exercise, but these exercises below will get you to your ideal target heart rate and are some of the best cardio exercises.

Walking As Exercise

Walking as exercise fits well into most lifestyles and is something anyone can do at any age. Start out walking at a medium pace and end up walking briskly so you can get to your ideal target heart rate.

Walk where you climb slight grades to increase resistance which will increase your heart rate. Not only will walking as exercise make you feel good it’s one of the best cardio exercises to do with a friend.

Bicycling Exercise

Bicycling exercise also offers no age barriers and people at almost any fitness level can enjoy it. The benefit of bicycling exercise is it builds your strength and agility.

Like walking, to get to your ideal target heart rate, find slight grades to ride on to increase resistance. Bicycling exercise is not only one of the best cardio exercises it’s not likely that you’ll ever get bored.

Swimming Pool Workout

A swimming pool workout is ideal for a full body exercise and cardiovascular fitness. Exercise in water is easy on the joints because the water supports you and water also provides a natural resistance.

To keep your workout balanced, swim laps using different strokes to vary the muscles you work. A swimming pool workout is one of the best cardio exercises because it gets you to your ideal target heart rate quickly.

Elliptical Exercise

Working out on an elliptical exerciser is one of the best cardio exercises available. Like a swimming pool workout, elliptical exercise is ideal for a full body exercise and cardiovascular fitness.

The motion of elliptical exercise feels very natural and compliments normal body movements making it feel like the workout is easier. Elliptical exercise creates a safe workout because it reduces the harmful stress and impact on your muscles and joints.

The duration of any cardiovascular fitness exercise should be a minimum of twenty minutes and up to sixty minutes. Test your heart rate while exercising and calculate your ideal target heart rate.

To get to your ideal target heart rate just adjust your speed or resistance. That way you get the highest possible benefit and the best cardio exercise possible.

This article is supplied by http://www.treadmill-info.com.

Do you want a huge upper body? Maybe you have trained for months and years and just have not gotten the results that you have been wanting. But never fear because I am here to tell you just how to build the upper body muscle mass that you have always dreamed of. In this article I will tell you what muscle groups that you will need to work out so that you can achieve your dream body.

Although you may want to get huge arms, you will look more then stupid if you have chicken legs and you will get laughed at. So before you go and work out only your arms six days a week let me let you in on a little secret. If you want a super hot upper body then you have to train your lower body. The perfect body is called the X frame. If you think about what an X looks like then you can imagine what you want your body to look like. When training your legs and lower body you are also building muscle mass in your back and your abs very important if you want to build upper body muscle mass.

You also need to train your back many people just focus on there arms to get a great upper body but you back is very important to get that winged look and develop your rear deltoid and trapezius muscles. This is very important when building muscle mass so that your overall image of your upper body will appear huge.

You need to also work out your deltoids many people just work out there front deltoids when actually your deltoid muscle has three heads so when you work out all three your shoulders will become huge and well defined and appear almost boulder like. This is great for your upper body image.

Do not forget your chest. If you have a little chest and big arms then you will look funny as well. Use incline benches to really work out your chest instead of flat ones, using and incline will really work out your chest, also use dumbbells barbells and cable machines to achieve a great chest.

So now you know how to build upper body muscle mass, and it may be easier then you had once thought. You see the secret is in the rest of the body. To get a great upper body you need to workout the lower body. Many people may not know this but all of your muscle groups work together to give you a huge powerful body.

Mike Parker reveals what women really want at his how to build up upper body muscle mass website for ways to build muscle and attract women.

The No Cardio Question Answered

Certainly there are many people who only do weights and no cardio and probably just as many, maybe more that do cardio and no weight training.

It’s true that lots of people hate cardio exercise but not everyone does.  Lots of people absolutely love it – even really high intensity cardio.  To say everyone loves weight training is just as incorrect.

Not everyone enjoys weight training; otherwise nearly everyone would be doing it.  They might enjoy going through the motions of weight training and using light weights but that’s not real muscle building weight training.  Don’t get me wrong, it’s better that people at least did light resistance training than none at all, but weight training that builds strength and muscle requires that the muscles be progressively overloaded.  That means heavier weight or more reps or slower reps to increase the intensity of the weight training exercise.

Likewise, when it comes to cardio exercise, the cardio exercise that produces the results is the type that gets you breathing hard, your heart pumping and your endurance muscles tiring.  This is the level of cardio referred to when people say they hate cardio.

Anything less is generally what you see all those fat people in the gym doing while they’re pedalling away on the exercise bikes.

As for cardio making you hungry, well so does weight training.

Now it is true that you can lose weight without cardio.  You can also lose weight without resistance exercise.  You can also lose weight without fancy fad diets.   All you really need is a calorie deficit.  In other words, expend more calories than you eat.  Everyone knows the easiest way to achieve that is by cutting the food intake.  This of course has the danger of the body slipping into starvation mode and the lowering of the metabolism, thus making weight loss even harder and future weight gain more likely.

To counter this of course, weight training can be used to stimulate the metabolism and preserve, maybe even build the lean muscle tissue.

It should be abundantly clear by now that starvation diets are definitely NOT the best way to lose weight healthily and permanently.

The best approach to achieving the required calorie deficit is to increase activity to burn more energy.  Any increase in activity whether by cardio exercise of weight training exercise will result in you wanting to eat more.

This is not necessarily a bad thing.  Eating more requires that more energy be expended to digest the food.  If you follow the rule of eating your food over 4-6 smaller but more frequent meals, you will be increasing your metabolic rate, which of course increases the fat burning even when not exercising.

Eating proteins and complex carbohydrates which take more energy to digest helps as well.  Plenty of water is important for fat metabolism as well so there are many factors which come into play.

Basically though if you exercise more you eat more, you gain more muscle, burn more fat and get healthier more efficiently.

There will always be a procession of so called ‘experts’ who make some sensational claim like build great abs in 5 minutes a day or lose weight without cardio or by drinking some special formula.  Their sensational claims are designed to suck in the confused, misinformed and desperate dieters who want everything the easiest way possible.

In answer to the question, ’should we forget about cardio?’ the answer is a resounding NO.

Any cardio helps create the caloric deficit by burning off energy.  High intensity cardio burns even more and also helps raise the metabolism.  Also, how can we ignore the other health benefits derived from cardio exercise?

The human body is designed for work.  That means strength workouts with weights and cardio-vascular workouts that strengthen the heart and lungs.  Such work means greater health and longevity.

Weights rule – but cardio exercise is a winning partner.  Hand in hand they take the podium together.

Alwyn Beikoff (http://www.BodyMindUnlimited.com) is an educator and personal performance coach who helps people the world over to change the way they think and create the body and life they desire.

Essential fatty acids supplements are arguably the most needed dietary supplementation for people in the Western world. The evidence shows that the vast majority of people who live in the West are deficient in these crucial nutrients.

Essential fatty acids are known as polyunsaturated fats — these are considered “good” fats. They are called essential because they cannot be produced by our bodies and, therefore, we must obtain them from external sources — the foods we eat, or a quality essential fatty acid supplement. To finish reading this article about Omega 3 Fatty acids ***Click Here***.

When designing an aerobic or strength training exercise program, fitness professionals, such as personal trainers and gym instructors, invariably use the F.I.T.T. principle as their starting point. The good news is that with a little bit of knowledge anyone can use this principle in designing an exercise program that will help them to become progressively fitter and stronger, and help them lose or control their weight.

If you want to start an exercise program or take your current routine to the next level, you’ll find the information and tips in this article just what you need.

What is the F.I.T.T. Principle?

The F.I.T.T. principle is a basic philosophy of what is necessary to gain a training affect from an exercise program.

Specifically, the letters F.I.T.T. stand for:

Click here to read more.

If you’re trying to choose between an elliptical trainer and another piece of exercise equipment like a treadmill or an exercise bike, one of the most popular questions is

‘How many calories can I burn with an elliptical trainer?’

You want to get the most bang for your exercise buck - that’s understandable. Here are some calories burned estimates for elliptical workouts - and several tips to burn more calories with your elliptical trainer!

General Estimates of Calories Burned with An Elliptical Trainer:

- 150 pound woman, 30 minutes of elliptical exercise: 387 calories

- 180 pound man, 30 minutes of elliptical exercise: 464 - 500 calories

- 120 pound woman, 30 minutes of elliptical exercise: 310 calories

General Estimates of Calories Burned (According To Elliptical Manufacturers)

- Elliptical manufacturers claim you can burn up to 720 calories an hour with an elliptical workout.

Factors that dictate how many calories you burn include:

>> Workout Duration

>> Interval Training

>> Elliptical Tension Settings

>> Body Composition (Muscle to Fat Ratio)

>> State of Cardiovascular system (regular exerciser or new to exercise)

>> Weight

>> Sex

>> Upper Body Arm Usage

Here are several tips to increase your calorie burn with your elliptical trainer:

- Build in Intervals

Most elliptical trainers offer incline and or tension that you can increase or decrease while workout out. Try building in 30 second incline intervals every couple of minutes to your workout.

This will not only push your body further and burn more calories during your workout - but it can also elevate your calorie burn for up to 24 hours after your workout.

- Use Upper Body Arms

Many ellipticals offer you upper body arm bars that you can use to build your arms muscles into your workout. More muscles worked = more calories burned. If there are no upper body arms, grab a couple of 2 - 5 pounds handweights and swing your arms while striding.

- Take Advantage of the Forward and Backward Directions

Using more muscles (and one you may not have used before) also ups your calorie burn, even after your workout. So take advantage of the fact that most ellipticals allow you to go forward and backward. Switch up your routine every few minutes to up your calorie burn.

- Break up your Workout

Experts are now telling us that 2 mini-workouts may even be better than 1 long workout as far as calories burned. Why?

Any exercise will temporarily rev up your metabolism - so if you can do 15 - 20 minutes in the morning, and 15 - 20 minutes in the afternoon, your metabolism will stay charged up for a longer time. (If you can’t do this, don’t worry - remember that a 30 minute workout will still burn more calories than a 15 minute workout!)

So there are some tips to skyrocket your calorie burn on your elliptical. Good luck and have fun blasting those calories!

Kathryn O’Neill is the chief editor for Elliptical Trainer Review