Cholesterol is one of the major substances that cause heart attacks, high blood cholesterol levels, and weight problems. Despite its bad guy image, this waxy, fat-like substances made in the body by the persons own liver serves a number of vital functions unknown to many.

Basically, there are two types of cholesterol: the Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL) and the High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL). The former refers to the bad type of cholesterol that is known to clog the persons blood vessels, thus, increasing the risk for a heart attack or a heart disease. Studies show that a diet that is high in saturated fat is a main dietary cause of a raised LDL cholesterol level. The latter, on the other hand, is the good type of cholesterol that helps clear LDL cholesterol out of the blood stream, thus, reducing the risk for any heart illness. Researches have shown that a diet rich in fruit and vegetables along with average levels of omega-3 from fish oil greatly helps raise HDL cholesterol levels.

Although diet is the major reason for having high cholesterol levels, experts agree that factors such as genetics, lack of exercise or regular physical activity, obesity, unhealthy lifestyle such as excessive drinking and smoking, hormones, and varying high and low cholesterol levels can trigger the sudden increase of cholesterol levels in the body.

GETTING STARTED

Indeed, cholesterol is a growing problem in the health of many people in the world. Experts say that people over 20 years of age should be more concerned about their cholesterol levels; thus, they should start doing everything they can to lower LDL cholesterol. Although it is quite hard to stick to the needed requirements and regiments to combat the growing problem, experts say that it can be controlled with the proper diet to lower cholesterol.

Studies show that a good diet to lower cholesterol can reduce a persons risk for heart diseases while getting rid of bad fats because this diet to emphasizes on eating heart-healthy foods. But, aside from using the proper and proven low cholesterol diets available today, the most important thing is that knowing and taking in the right foods and effective cholesterol formulas to assist in lowering cholesterol levels.

Experts say that a diet to lower cholesterol includes good foods like grainsespecially whole grain products and cerealsfish rich in omega3 such as salmon and tune, a variety of fruits and leafy vegetables, nuts, juices, and the like. Here are other effective means of lowering cholesterol level through diet:

1. Make sure that you visit your attending physician first before trying out any low cholesterol diets so he/she could administer the proper examinations and access your general health status.

2. You can lower your cholesterol levels by replacing saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat in meat, chicken, and whole milk products.

3. Refrain from eating refined carbohydrates contained by bakery products, pastas, and sugary or sugar-added foods.

4. When eating out, makes sure that you ask the waiter to make serving substitutions like steamed or boiled food preparations. If possible, also pick lean meat, fish, or skinless chicken that is broiled, baked, grilled, steamed, or poached instead of being fried and ask for lots of vegetable side dishes and fresh fruit desserts.

5. Cutting down on eggs, margarine, or butter out of your daily diet.

6. Use natural-based oils such as vegetable, corn, and olive oils when cooking instead of the usual cooking oil.

7. Load up on a lot of garlic when youre preparing dishes because it contains substances that help lower HDL cholesterol.

8. Take in high quality daily vitamin mineral supplements like Vitamin E to improve blood circulation, and Vitamin C and vitamin B3 to lower your high cholesterol levels.

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If you have some excess fat around your tummy then you may be looking at natural ways to lose belly fat. Do you wish you had six pack abs or that pre-pregnancy flat stomach but you really don’t want to use those unnatural shakes or pills? Do you wish there was an exercise program that gave fast results without requiring you to be an athlete?

Well there is a natural way to lose belly fat and basically it involved a good, healthy diet and exercise.

The first thing you want to change is your diet to one that is low calorie. Try to eat as much natural food as possible and less processed foods. A good, healthy diet should include lots of fruit and vegetables and moderate amounts of low fat dairy products and lean meats. Whole grains and legumes are also great to include into your diet.

There are a lot of choices that you can make with your diet that can reduce the calories you eat. For example, eating 1/2 cup of fruit with 1/2 cup of fat free vanilla yogurt will be 105 calories less than eating a strawberry yogurt with pre-packaged fruit. Another example is eating 2 cups of air popped popcorn instead of 1 cup of potato chips will save you 95 calories.

Next you will want to start doing some exercise each day. If you can’t fit in some exercise every day then at least try to exercise five times a week. Cardio exercise is the best for burning off fat but you can burn off even more by combining it with some strength exercises. Studies have shown that people who walked for 50 minutes, 3 times a week lost almost twice as much belly fat as people who only reduced their calories but didn’t exercise.

Cardio exercises include brisk walking, jogging, running, cycling or there are many cardio machines that you can also use. You should try to get 45 minutes of cardio exercise with each workout which is a great natural way to lose belly fat.

Here is a great exercise routine that can have you burn up to 500 calories in one session. First do 3 minutes of warm up exercise. Next push up the intensity for 3 minutes, then push yourself as hard as you absolutely can for 2 minutes. Slow down a little for 3 minutes and then push yourself as hard as you can for 2 minutes. Repeat this 3 minutes regular intensity then 2 minutes high intensity combination for a total of 45 minutes ending with 2 minutes of cooling down exercises.

Working and building your muscles is also very beneficial when you are trying a natural way to lose belly fat. Muscle burns more energy than fat so the more muscle you build the more fat you will burn off when exercising. Try to combine your cardio exercises with some strength training to build up and tone your muscles.

A stability ball is also great for toning your tummy muscles and getting a flat stomach. You can get a stability ball for about $30 from most sporting goods stores. Lie on your back and hold the ball between your legs and lift into the air, hold this position for one minute. This is just one of the many exercises that you can do with the stability ball to help tone your stomach muscles. The ball should come with a manual that will include exercises.

A good diet and exercise that includes both cardio and strength training is the key to a natural way to lose belly fat.

Tags: Calories, Cardio Exercises, Cardio Machines, Diet And Exercise, Diet Exercise, Eating Habits, Exercise Program, Exercise Routine, Flat Stomach, Fruit And Vegetables, Fruits And Vegetables, Healthy Diet, Lean Meats, Moderate Amounts, Natural Food, Potato Chips, Pre Pregnancy, Processed Foods, Strawberry Yogurt, Strength Exercises, Warm Up Exercise, Ways To Lose Belly Fat, Whole Grains —

Have you heard about losing weight with the cabbage soup diet? This is a diet that is designed to enable you to lose 10 pounds in just seven days and during that time you don’t feel hungry. During the seven days you can eat as much of the low calorie soup as you like along with some other foods that are set out in the diet.

If you have been wondering what the recipe is for this cabbage soup diet then wonder no more. Here is the diet:

Ingredients:

* 2 green peppers
* 6 large green onions
* 1 to 2 cans of diced or whole tomatoes
* 3 carrots
* 1 bunch of celery
* 1 container (around 10 oz.) mushrooms
* Half a cabbage
* 1 pack Lipton soup mix
* 1 or 2 cubes bouillon (optional)
* 1 48 oz can V8 juice (optional)
* 12 cups water if not using V8 juice

Method:

Put all the ingredients into a big pot and boil for a couple of hours. You can saut the onions prior to adding the other ingredients if you prefer but it isn’t necessary. There is no need to add salt as the Lipton soup mix and bouillon will give it enough salt and flavor.

Keep the soup in the fridge and this quantity should last you for the first few days of the diet.

If you find that the soup is too bland for your liking then you can add a little salt, pepper, curry, parsley, garlic or other calorie free spices.

In addition to the soup you can also eat specific foods on certain days as follows:

Day 1: Eat all the fruit you want except for bananas

Day 2: Eat all the vegetables that you like plus you can eat a baked potato with butter

Day 3: Eat all the fruit and vegetables you want except for potatoes and bananas

Day 4: Today you can eat bananas and have skim milk

Day 5: Eat up to 6 tomatoes and 16 oz of beef

Day 6: Eat all the vegetables that you want except baked potato and you can eat 2 to 3 steaks

Day 7: Eat brown rice, vegetables and unsweetened fruit juice

Even though you can eat these other foods you should have at least one serve of soup each day. You can eat as much of the foods allowed on a particular day except those with limited amounts.

This diet is so effective because sticking with these foods means that you are not consuming enough calories to put on weight. The soup has hardly any calories and even combined with the other foods you will still come in at under 1000 calories each day.

The cabbage soup is very easy to make and you can make up a big batch of it that will last a few days and just reheat single servings when required. The other foods allowed are also very easy to prepare.

You shouldn’t continue with this diet for more than seven days. If you have a lot of weight to lose then complete the seven days and then wait at least a week before doing the cycle again. During the week that you aren’t doing the diet you can eat normally but try not to overeat.

The recipe for the cabbage soup diet is simple and effective so why not give it a go.

Tags: Baked Potato, Bananas, Brown Rice, Cabbage Diet, Cabbage Soup Diet, Cabbage Soup Diet Recipe, Calories, Celery, First Few Days, Fruit And Vegetables, Fruit Juice, Fruits And Vegetables, Green Onions, Green Peppers, Healthy Diet, Lipton Soup Mix, Little Salt, Losing Weight, Low Calorie Soup, Rice Vegetables, Salt Pepper, Soup Diet Recipe, Specific Foods —

Most of us know that sex can be a lot of work, that doesn’t deter anyone of course, but it can be work! Any type of physical activity is harder when you are out of shape, that’s just a fact. Sex is one of those physical activities. Weight loss and sexuality do play off each other, the more in shape you are, the more physically able you will be to have sex.

Another aspect of being overweight and sexuality is that you may not be as desirable to your partner if you are overweight. Not only does being overweight affect how your partner views you, it also affects how you fee about yourself.

If you don’t like the way your body looks, you will be less likely to want to engage in sexual activity. That can put a huge strain on a relationship. The good news is that when you lose some weight, even a little bit, you can feel better about yourself. You will have more physical stamina as well as a better psychological attitude. All of that will make it easier and more likely for you to want to have sex.

Don’t take this the wrong way, but sex often starts outside of the bedroom. What I mean by that is that your partner will look at you and find you attractive throughout the day. When you are able to wear sexier more stylish clothes all day everyday, your partner will find you attractive and that will lead to a more active sex life too.

It’s not just all about your partner either. When you can wear sexier more stylish clothes you feel better about yourself and you feel sexier and more desirable. That will make you want to have sex with your partner more often.

Sex isn’t just a physical activity, it’s very emotional too. Anything that effects your self esteem in a good way, or in a bad way, will help determine whether or not you feel like engaging in intimate relations.

If you want to lose weight, for whatever reason, than there are some easy and simple steps you can take starting right now. Simple things like trying to eat more fresh fruit and vegetables.

Walk a little more everyday. Even if it’s just parking further away from your office building or taking your dog for a walk, or a longer walk. Just stat somewhere and give it time.

If you do, you will start to lose weight and once you get started it will be easier to continue. The biggest challenge is often just sticking with it for the first few weeks, until you start to see some small changes,once that happens it’s usually easier to stay with it.

Weight loss and sexuality are very closely related. Having a healthy body can make sexual activity easier and more comfortable but being in good shape can also make you more interested from a psychological point of view. The more attractive and sexier you feel, the more you will want to be intimate with your partner.

Tags: Attitude, Being Overweight, Fresh Fruit And Vegetables, Fresh Vegetables, Fruit And Vegetables, Fruit Vegetables, Fruits And Vegetables, Intimate Relations, Little Bit, Losing Weight, Physical Activity, Physical Stamina, Self Esteem, Sex Don, Sex Life, Sexual Activity, Sexuality, Shape, Simple Steps, Stylish Clothes, Weight Loss, Wrong Way —