HIGH BLOOD CHOLESTEROL ...

What is High Cholesterol?

In some people, cholesterol levels in blood become too high. This is called high cholesterol or hyperlipidemia.

High levels of LDL cholesterol (so-called "bad" cholesterol) are considered a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. LDL cholesterol is thought to irritate the lining of blood vessels, stimulating atherosclerosis, commonly known as hardening of the arteries.

Although lowering LDL cholesterol and raising levels of HDL cholesterol ("good" cholesterol) has traditionally been the focus, factors related to free radical damage are drawing increased attention:

• Lipoprotein A is a relative of LDL cholesterol. It's thought to be formed when there is free radical damage. Lipoprotein A may adhere to damaged blood vessels, eventually forming atherosclerotic plaques.
• Oxidized cholesterol is found in large amounts in fried and processed foods. Studies have found that oxidized cholesterol may increase the amount of atherosclerotic deposits on blood vessel walls.




Herbs and Supplements for High Cholesterol

A few tips on using natural products to lower cholesterol. Talk with your doctor before starting any natural method to lower cholesterol. Don't discontinue any medication to lower cholesterol. Speak with your doctor if you have questions about your medication.

• Vitamin B3 (Niacin)

Vitamin B3, also called niacin, is used to lower cholesterol. Specifically, it appears to lower LDL cholesterol and increase HDL cholesterol.

Well-designed studies have found that niacin lowers LDL cholesterol by approximately 10%, lowers triglycerides by 25%, and raises "good" HDL cholesterol by 15% to 30%. Niacin also appears to significantly lower levels for another risk factor for atherosclerosis, lipoprotein A.

Niacin is available in prescription form and as a dietary supplement. The American Heart Association cautions patients to only use the prescription form of niacin.
Because of side effects, niacin should not be used to lower cholesterol unless under the supervision of a qualified health practitioner. Niacin can increase the effect of high blood pressure medication or cause nausea, indigestion, gas, diarrhea, gout, and worsen peptic ulcers, or trigger gout, liver inflammation, and high blood sugar.

The most common side effect of high-dose niacin is skin flushing or hot flashes, which is caused by widening of blood vessels. Most people only notice this when they initially start taking niacin. The flushing may be lessened by taking niacin with meals.

Although high doses of niacin showed promise in combination with drugs to lower cholesterol (called "statins"), there are concerns that combining them could result in a potentially fatal condition called rhabdomyolysis. They shouldn't be combined unless under the close supervision of a physician.

• Artichoke Leaf

There is some research suggesting that artichoke leaf extract (Cynara scolymnus) may help to lower cholesterol. Artichoke leaf extract may work by limiting the synthesis of cholesterol in the body.

Artichokes also contain a compound called cynarin, believed to increase bile production in the liver and speed the flow of bile from the gallbladder, both of which may increase cholesterol excretion.

A double-blind, placebo-controlled German study found that 1,800 mg of artichoke extract per day for six weeks significantly lowered total cholesterol by 18.5% compared to 8.6% in the placebo group and lowered LDL cholesterol by 22.9% compared with 6% in the placebo group. The ratio of LDL to HDL decreased by 20% in the artichoke group compared with 7% in the placebo group. There were no adverse effects associated with artichoke use.

A meta-analysis looked at randomized controlled trials for artichoke extract for high cholesterol. Two trials involving a total of 167 people met the quality criteria. One trial found artichoke significantly reduced total cholesterol after 42 days of treatment. The other study found artichoke significantly reduced total cholesterol in a subgroup of patients with total cholesterol levels of more than 230 mg/dl.

• Soluble Fiber

Soluble fiber appears to reduce LDL cholesterol by reducing cholesterol absorption in the intestines. Soluble fiber binds with cholesterol so that it is excreted.

Soluble fiber can be found as a dietary supplement, such as psyllium powder, or in foods such as:
• Oats, barley, rye
• Legumes (peas, beans)
• Some fruits such as apples, prunes, and berries
• Some vegetables, such as carrots, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, yams

Five to 10 grams a day of soluble fiber has been found to decrease LDL cholesterol by approximately 5%. The FDA allows soluble fiber products to indicate on the label that they are "heart-healthy".

• Plant Sterols and Stanols

Plant stanols and sterols (such as beta-sitosterol and sitostanol) are naturally-occuring substances found in certain plants. Stanols are also found as dietary supplements or are added to margarine, orange juice, and dressings.

Research suggests that plant stanols and sterols may help to lower cholesterol. They are similar in structure to cholesterol and may help block the absorption of cholesterol from the intestines.

Studies have found that stanols significantly reduced total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol, but had no significant effect on HDL cholesterol or triglycerides.
Stanols and sterols appear to enhance the effects of other methods to lower cholesterol.

In studies, people taking the statin drugs to lower cholesterol had an additional improvement in their cholesterol levels with stanols/sterols.





Home remedy for High Cholesterol

Home remedies have become increasingly popular as the expense and hassle of conventional medicine continues to rise. Beyond the convenience, home remedies have found favor with a public that wants to take a more holistic approach to its ailments.

The home remedies that we have collected aren't risky alternative therapies practiced against your doctor's objections. Rather they are safe, practical actions that you can utilize to help treat more than 100 common health problems, ranging from the minor ailments like ingrown hairs and athlete's foot to serious diseases like asthma and diabetes.

Just remember that these home remedies don't provide miracle cures and aren't meant to take the place of the advice and treatments prescribed by your health-care professional. You should continue to work and consult with your doctor about your health problems.

• The best home remedy to cure a person with high cholesterol is to have at least 8-10 glasses of water per day.
• Immerse 2 tablespoons of coriander seeds in a glass of water. Boil the concoction and allow it to cool. Strain the water and have it three times a day.
• Take 10 pieces of cinnamon sticks and put them in a pot containing 5 teacups of water. Boil the water and then add a tablespoon of honey to it. Drink this concoction when it’s warm.
• In a glassful of milk, add a piece of garlic and boil it. Allow it to cool before drinking. Consume this for a few days. Not only would it reduce cholesterol, but also take care of the cardiac pains.
• Alternatively, a person who has problems of high cholesterol can also have 2-3 cloves of garlic per day.
• Mix 10-12 tablespoons of apple juice and 5-6 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. Intake this mixture once a day.
• Consuming raw onions or onion juice is also beneficial in reducing the high cholesterol.
• Regular exercising is very necessary to keep the cholesterol levels under control.
• In green leafy salads, mix a small amount of olive oil. It proves beneficial lessening the high cholesterol levels as well as for the proper functioning of the heart and the body.
• Persons suffering from high cholesterol should have foods rich in fiber such as raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, broccoli, green beans, etc.
• Consume lots of almonds and walnuts. These are helpful in reducing the cholesterol levels.
• Chewing sweet neem is also beneficial in lowering the high cholesterol levels.
• Having fenugreek seeds and sprouts helps to reduce the high cholesterol levels.
• Persons suffering from high cholesterol levels should have a small bowl of curd everyday. Curd acts favorably in reducing the cholesterol levels.
• Another effective natural remedy to treat high cholesterol levels would be to have foods rich in lecithin such as egg yolk, vegetable oils, whole grain cereals, soybeans and un-pasteurized milk.
• It is advisable to have food prepared from sunflower seeds instead of butter and saturated oil. This is highly beneficial in regulating the cholesterol levels.

While some people may dismiss herbal remedies as quackery, the use of botanical is well rooted in medical practice. Ancient doctors methodically collected information about herbs and developed well-defined pharmacopoeias to treat a variety of ailments. More than a quarter of all drugs used today contain active ingredients derived from those same ancient plants.

It's estimated that nearly 80 percent of the world's population use herbs for some aspect of primary health care. In the United States, more than 1,500 botanicals are sold as dietary supplements; top-selling herbs include Echinacea, garlic, goldenseal, ginseng, ginkgo, saw palmetto, aloe, ephedra, Siberian ginseng, and cranberry.

It's time to take your health care into your own hands.

TUMMY!! TUMMY!! TUMMY!!!!

Tummy fat will be a problem for most women at some stage of their life. What you need to concentrate on is cardiovascular fitness. If you can consistently exercise for 30 minutes per day you will notice a difference in no time. Of course, you will see much faster results if you modify your eating habits as well!

Causes of Fat Belly

You may get concentration of fat around your abs due to stress, food allergies, bacteria, bloating and inflammation. As we get older, a type of fat, visceral fat collects around our organs. This fat can cause high cholesterol and high blood pressure. You cannot convert fat into muscle and muscle into fat. But, you can gain fat to make you fat! So to transform your stomach into a flat one or in other words to lose belly fat, you need to eliminate the layers of fat that are on top of your abs.

Best Flat Tummy Exercises for Great Female Abs
by Olinda Rola

Are there flat tummy exercises that are the best for great female abs? Absolutely! To make this list, the female abs exercises must be safe, effective and can be done nearly anywhere. Your abs can be worked out every day.

Here are great flat tummy exercises:

1. Tummy Isometric Crunch — exhale, then suck in your stomach as far as you can, hold for about 15 seconds. Relax and breathe. Visualize moving your bellybutton straight toward your back. Holding in your tummy muscles and tensing your abs is a good way of firming and strengthening them. You will also become more aware of how to control your tummy muscles. Repeat several times. This exercise can be done anywhere, anytime.
Note: if you have high blood pressure, do not hold your breath for extended periods of time.

2. Rectus Abdominis Tummy Exercises :
1. Lie on your back on the floor with bent knees and your feet flat on the floor, knees and feet spread apart the width of your hips.
2. Place your hands gently on the sides of your head for support, spreading your elbows so you cannot see them.
3. With your chin tucked toward your chest, gently curl upward and forward so that your head, neck and shoulder blades lift off the floor and your lower back presses against the floor (if you want, start with your head resting on a pillow which has your head and neck in the correct position to begin).
4. Pause just a moment, and then gently return to the starting position.
5. Repeat several times.
6. Note: do not use your arms to complete the curl. If you can see your elbows, you're cheating. Do not put your feet under anything since this lessens the effectiveness of these types of flat tummy exercises. If this female abs exercise is too difficult for you, do the next one below.

3. Sit-Back Flat Tummy Exercises — if your female abs muscles are weak and you have trouble lifting yourself off the floor in #2 above, here is an alternate flat tummy exercise for you:
1. Start in a sitting position on the floor with your knees bent; feet flat on the floor (secure your feet under a piece of furniture).
2. Cross your arms over your chest and roll your head and shoulders forward toward your chest.
3. Gently and slowly lean back, keeping your head and shoulders tucked. Continue until you begin to feel your stomach muscles contracting.
4. Then try to lean back just a bit more if you can and hold that position until your muscles start shaking. Try to hold this position with your muscles shaking for five seconds, then ease back to the upright sitting position.
5. Repeat in a few seconds.

4. Reduce Chewing Exercises — yes, as in jaw muscles used for excessive chewing as in overeating. Reducing overeating or exercising those jaw muscles less may be necessary to have great female abs. No one can see great female abs if they are covered with body fat! Having great female abs may require losing some body fat. Losing body fat means:
1. Cardio exercise on a regular basis — getting the heartbeat up with fun whole-body workouts several times a week.
2. Healthy eating habits — eating healthy foods, eliminating sodas/junk food and taking in fewer calories than you burn each day.
3. Besides flat tummy exercises, strength training for the whole body — any muscle tissue you add will burn extra calories 24/7.


ON THE OTHER HAND…..

• Eat more 'fat burning' foods and eat less refined (processed) carbohydrate.
• Start eating more meals a day 4-6 but with smaller portions, drink more water, substitute products with their healthier alternative.
• Try to reduce stress and get plenty of sleep. Both of these factors are related to emotional eating and weight gain.
• You need to do cardio such as brisk walking or running.
• Work your legs. Doing exercises that require your legs to come level or above your lower waistline causes your lower abdominal muscles to work to help keep your balance as your doing your leg exercises.
• Dancing is a great way to lose weight! It also tones your legs and helps you lose belly fat. Try belly dancing, it works!
• Mixed Martial Arts are an alternative for who do not wish to get into such things as dancing. Although dancing is safer, women also may wish to venture into MMA for the health benefits if done with care and protective benefits.
• It is also important to drink enough water to get rid of the toxins and harmful materials in your body and to be hydrated. You need to drink 8-10 glasses (8 oz) a day for average people.
• Cardio and a diet low in refined carbohydrates. Low/no sugar, stick to complex carbs. No artificial sweeteners. Drink your coffee black. Weight training to increase muscle mass.
• Get adequate protein to repair your muscles. Protein also makes you feel full, as does plenty of fiber. Cardio can range from something like walking, which is sustainable long term and you can do for the rest of your life to reap the benefits, or jogging, biking or running, depending on your level of physical fitness.
• On days with a lot of exercise, eat more. On average, keep calorie deficits going. There are SO many healthy choices and you'll feel so much better. It’s worth spending a little extra on better food, real foods/organic, and any vitamins/supplements you need to round out the diet.
• As a very active female who enjoys inline skating, swimming, rock climbing, weight lifting, kickboxing, and kayaking, I recommend kickboxing and kayaking for fast, noticeable waist fat reduction.


LET'S DO IT TOGETHER... :) ALL THE BEST... TAKE CARE...

Counter strike

Counter-Strike (CS) is a first-person shooter in which players join either the terrorist or counter-terrorist team (or become a spectator). Each team attempts to complete their mission objective and/or eliminate the opposing team. Each round starts with the two teams spawning simultaneously, usually at opposite ends of the map from each other. Players are generally given a few seconds before the round begins (known as "freeze time") to prepare and buy equipment, during which they cannot attack or walk/move (a player can still take damage, having the player drop from a certain height during freeze time was the only way somebody could control the players starting "HP"). Once the round has ended, surviving players retain their equipment for use in the next round; players who were killed begin the next round with the basic default starting equipment. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Counter_strike) I started to play CS two weeks ago and for me it is an interesting game.. At first i didn't like it much but when i started kill the opposite team, I'm soo into it. I would like to thank my colleagues for making me addicted to CS.. hihihi... My colleagues are very very good in this CS game. For the first two days, i asked them to have mercy on me since I'm not good at it.. so, they gave me some chances and massive trainings. The guys taught me how to aim, shoot, run, defense, change weapons, plant and defuse C4(bomb). I installed CS game in my laptop and played with the computer (that was my tutorial). After a few days I improved my shooting skills and started to enjoy the game.. I learned how to give head shots and my colleagues noticed my performance. From that moment the guys played with no mercy.. My character was brutally killed and I learned and improved a lot on CS game.. that was really nice.. I like one part when i was in counter-terrorist team and my mission was to defuse the bomb. On the way to defuse the bomb all my other team-mates were killed and i was so scared.. I was thinking how a girl is gonna kill 3 guys now?? but with my team-mates guidance i manage to killed 3 terrorists and defused the bomb.. huh.. that was a superb game and my record basically... once i gave a head shot to Kamal where he flew like no body's business.. hehehe... Now I'm gonna write all my colleagues favorite dialogue while playing CS.. *Wayne @ T|A|Z - "what are you doing?? sit there forever and Don't cover me!!" *Keegan @ Intruder - "Macha, go to A.. no no.. B.. no no.. wait there..haiyoo" *Ivan @ Lycan - "Report in team, go go go... " *Haresh @ Resh - "Hey.. why am i alone here?? where are you all??" *Pavit @ Otai Rock - "Change the map to assault. Okay.. Come and shoot me now!!" *Vishva @ beginner - "Oh shit!! where is he shooting from?? I'm dead!!" *Kamal @ Constantine - "hahaha... i killed you AJ" *Syazwan @ WTF - "Where.. where?? OMG...." *ME @ AJ - "I'm hiding here.. where are they?" This is a wonderful experience for me and I'm enjoying CS to the max.. nice game.. It helps me to release stress and tension.. And its also has strengthen our friendship at work place.. Now we have a better understanding between us.. Thanks CS.. :)

Friends??

I was 15 at that time and he was my friend's friend.. i never spoke to or smiled at him before.. but i knew that he is a good and smart boy... Didn't know why both of us didn't take any initiative to speak to each other... hahaha... crazy and childish...

Now after 12 years, we met in Facebook(FB).. i was surprised when he sent me a message.. he thought i don't know him or don't remember him.. and i replied his message saying that i know him.. at first i felt shy to talk because never spoken to him before.. Thank God he is very friendly and and i feel comfortable with him.. we added each other on yahoo messenger and exchanged contact numbers..

Our first meet up was in Secret Recipe, Cyberjaya. i went there with my best friend..three of us had a great time there.. and I noticed that GL is a nice, friendly, smart and cute guy... he looks different now.. hehe.. Second meet up was in SK. It was a rainy day and we went to one vegetarian shop. we had some nice chats ;p... i couldn't finished my food because it tasted bad.. i didn't comment anything but he got to know that with my face and body language.. then he admitted that he disliked the food as well.. hahaha... on d way to send me home, he started to speed his car.. Gosh!! i was terrified because that was super speed until i started to scream; but he was laughing at me and slowed down the car.. :))

we are very close now... good friends?? best friends?? we care for each other..

I'm sorry i couldn't write anymore..

Hypocrisy

Hypocrisy is the act of pretending to have beliefs, opinions, virtues, feelings, qualities, or standards that one does not actually have. Hypocrisy typically comes from a desire to mask actual motives or feelings, or from a person's inability to conform to standards they espouse. (www.wikipedia.org)

I don't know why people are so hypocrite... Grow up la.. if u wanna tell something, say it face-to-face... be brave... if not just shut up!!! what do you get from being hypocrite?? Nothing good but you are gaining every one's hatred and curse.. Do you know that you are spoiling your name by spreading non-sense info?? I don't know whether you are aware of that or not but I assume that you have a brain and the ability to think... So THINK!!!

Think before you create the story.. how you can pretend as though nothing happened?? For God sake please stop it... you are being so childish babe!! i couldn't take it.. you are not a kid but an adult.. So please act as an adult!!!

God bless....

Rubik's cube

I bought a Rubik's cube one year ago but couldn't solve it..managed to do one color per time...i was pretty upset for ma failure, so i started to search for d solution online... at first i tried to search in Youtube; d results was pretty awesome. but i couldn't learn via Youtube... dunno y... :(

Lucky me coz one of ma colleague is very very good in Rubik's cube. He is Mr.Sanjeev and he is a genius coz he can solve d Rubik's cube in less than 1 minute.. wow he is awesome...N i asked for his help in solving the Rubik's cube puzzle. He taught me and now i can solve d Rubik's cube....

At last...... I'm happy..... Thanks Sifu...

Henna art.....

Now I'm going to share one of my interest with you all..
It is the Henna Art or Mehndi.
Henna is normally applied during special occasions/celebrations like weddings, New Year and other festivals.
My henna art is mostly inspired by flora and fauna designs...
These are some of my henna pic...