Monday, January 31, 2011

What Makes Our Blood Cholesterol High?

By Aikednea Johansen


Your blood cholesterol level is affected not just by what you eat but also by how fast your body makes LDL-cholesterol and gets rid of it. In fact, your body makes all the cholesterol it needs, and it is not needed to ingest any additional cholesterol from the food you take in.

People with heart disease or those people who are at high risk for acquiring it, usually have an excessive amount of LDL-cholesterol in their blood. Many factors assist determine whether your LDL-cholesterol level is high or low. The following factors are the most significant.

Heredity. Your genes influence how high your LDL-cholesterol is by influencing how quick LDL is made and removed from the blood. One particular form of inherited high cholesterol which impacts 1 in 500 people is familial hypercholesterolemia, which often results in early heart disease. But even if you don't have a certain genetic form of high cholesterol, genes are likely involved in influencing your LDL-cholesterol level.

What you eat. 2 main nutrients in the food you eat make your LDL-cholesterol level increase: saturated fat, a type of fat found mainly in food that come from animals; and cholesterol, which comes solely from animal products. Saturated fat increases your LDL-cholesterol level more than anything else in the diet. Eating an excessive amount of saturated fat and cholesterol is the main reason for high levels of cholesterol and a high rate of heart attacks in the United States. Reducing the amount of saturated fat and cholesterol you take in is an extremely essential step in decreasing your blood cholesterol levels.

Weight. Excess weight tends to increase your LDL-cholesterol level. If you are overweight and have a high LDL-cholesterol level, losing weight might assist you to lower it. Weight loss likewise assists to reduce triglycerides and raise HDL.

Physical activity/exercise. Regular physical activity might lower LDL-cholesterol and raise HDL-cholesterol levels.

Age and gender. Prior to menopause, women generally have total cholesterol levels that are reduced than those of men the same age. As men and women get older, their blood cholesterol levels rise until around 60 to 65 years of age. In women, menopause often causes a rise in their LDL-cholesterol and a decrease in their HDL- cholesterol level, and after the age of 50, women frequently have higher total cholesterol levels than men of the same age.

Alcohol. Alcohol intake raises HDL-cholesterol but doesn't reduce LDL-cholesterol. Doctors don't know for certain whether alcohol also decreases the risk of heart disease. Drinking too much alcohol can damage the liver and heart muscle, result in high blood pressure, and increase triglycerides. Due to the risks, alcoholic drinks shouldn't be used as a way to prevent heart disease.

Stress. Stress over the long term has been shown in several studies to increase blood cholesterol levels. One way that stress may do this is by affecting your habits. For example, when several people are under stress, they console themselves by eating fatty foods. The saturated fat and cholesterol in these food bring about higher levels of blood cholesterol.






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Sunday, January 30, 2011

Protect Your Family With A Burglar Alarm System

By Ursula T Alexander


An investment in home security is an investment in the welfare of your home assets and your family. Too often people do not get security systems until after something tragic has happened. Alarm systems are a worthwhile investment because they are a great way to prevent a burglary from happening in the first place.

Statistics clearly show that having an alarm system decreases the likelihood that a home with be robbed. Homes with security systems are 3 to 4 times less likely to be burglarized. In addition to this cars that are parked in the driveway of homes with alarm systems are half as likely to be broken into.

The mere presence of a security sticker or sign is a crime deterrent. Utah security professionals state that career criminals are often just looking for the easiest crimes to commit. This means that they will pinpoint homes that are not well secured because they are much more likely to get away with the crime. Many career criminals actually case communities before choosing which homes to break into. And, as you can probably guess, they typically choose homes that do not have security systems.

Along with all of this, Utah security specialist state that communities with lots of alarm signs and stickers are also burglarized less. Today, there are many different types of security systems to choose from. Monitoring is a popular and affordable new feature that many homeowners are taking advantage of. It allows them to be directly connected to emergency authorities 24 hours a day.

There are also many surveillance options which can also be connected to monitoring services. In addition to this, things like remote access are beginning to revolutionize home security. There is much more to come in this area but it is already making headlines and rapidly changing and enhancing the home security industry.




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Other Things that can drain your Energy

By Edward Black


One of the common complaints you'll hear all the time is the lack of energy to move. You may have experienced this kind of gloom at least once in your lifetime, and truly it doesn't feel good. Usually you experience this kind of down-time during the beginning of the year because of the post-holiday celebration. As such, you tend to stay cooped up indoors and eat hearty meals all day long. You may even have puffed a green smoke e-cigarette just to mix things up a bit. However, if your dragging more than you used to be and the usual kick-starters don't work - exercise, a good night's sleep, and coffee - then there must be something wrong that needs your abrupt attention. So here's what experts recommend for you to move out of your slow-mo lifestyle.

Breakfast Menu

We all know that skipping morning meals can slow down your metabolism and depletes you of your body's daily fuel. However, what you eat matters more than just randomly eating something at breakfast. Experts recommend eating at least 5 grams of protein during breakfast. This is because protein activates norepinephrine production that consequently increases your heart rate and alertness. It also digests more slowly; as such, your blood sugar and energy levels will constantly be stable.

Outfit Check

Those killer stiletto heels and tight neckties may look polished and professional, but if you're more into the fashion rather than the comfort, then it can accordingly make you an office sloth. Think about it. Sitting at your desk all day is not good for your body's circulatory system. As such, it is adviseable to wear clothes that allow free movements like a comfortable top and cushy footwear. However, if you can't tone down your outfit when you're on the go, then slip into some comfortable flats during your lunch-break or loosen down your tie after a hard day's work.

Constant Worrying

Undergoing chronic stress is a really dragging emotion. Even if you use green smoke electronic cigarette to uplift your mood, it basically doesn't help much. When you're under stress your heart rate and blood pressure tends to increase. Your muscles also tightens, which will result to fatigue and aches. So as to defeat such down-time it is advisable that you take three slow and deep breaths. This way, you'll be giving your body a big dose of energizing oxygen while it slows down your heart rate. After which do something distracting so as to feel good.




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