Archive for May, 2010

5 Simple Steps to Lower Your Cholesterol Level

May 28th, 2010 admin

You can lower cholesterol without drugs by following some basic steps that will not only change your cholesterol readings, but also improve your health today and in the future.  So often we use a prescription drug and hope it will magically cure whatever ails us.  The truth is prescription drugs for lowering cholesterol do work.  The problem is both the short term and long-term side effects.

Even more dangerous than the side effects of prescription drugs to lower cholesterol is not getting cholesterol under control.  Over time, high cholesterol can lead to numerous conditions of the heart and arteries, not the least of which are atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), stroke or heart attack.

Here are 5 steps you can take today to lower your cholesterol without prescription drugs.

Eat right.  May sound simple, but diet has such a significant impact on lowering cholesterol that it should be the number one factor you look at in determining if your high cholesterol is hereditary or a matter of dietary choices.  A low fat and low cholesterol diet is the first step toward lowering cholesterol.

Exercise.  Improving cardiovascular health is a step toward reversing the effects of high cholesterol.  Exercise itself doesn’t directly lower cholesterol, but will strengthen the heart and entire circulatory system.

Quit smoking.  If you smoke, the plaque build up in the arteries due to high cholesterol is accelerated.  When plaque blocks the flow of blood to the heart, the muscle has to work harder to get oxygen.  This can lead to a heart attack.  If the arteries get completely blocked with plaque from high cholesterol then a stroke can occur.

Relax.  Chronic stress can affect cholesterol levels. If you are constantly stressed and eating a low cholesterol diet, you may not see any improvement in cholesterol readings until you learn to relieve stress.

Talk to your doctor.  Not all doctors are quick to prescribe medications.  In fact, the more enlightened doctors will help you form a diet and exercise plan that is suitable for your current overall health and abilities as a first step toward lowering cholesterol.  It is always important to ask your doctor if your decision to follow a specific diet or exercise plan is right for you.  In addition, do not stop taking medications before consulting with your doctor.  You can lower your cholesterol with diet and exercise, and under the care of your doctor, see about removing drugs from the process.

It does not take long to see significant improvements in your cholesterol. Lower cholesterol can be yours in just a matter of weeks.

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"Drinking Water Scams Revealed"

May 23rd, 2010 admin

(free to publish)

Read this article before you consider paying for your drinking
water.

Wouldn’t it be nice to stop poisoning ourselves with polluted or unhealthy drinking water?  I, for one, felt that I would love to find a source of safe inexpensive drinking water. (Ideally, I’d love to turn on the tap, and out it would flow!)

Whether it’s curing cancer with magnets or herbal wonder-remedies or Vioxx, we’ve all seen the fantastic claims people make about their health products AND about how your whole life will be changed! I can tell you right now that 90% are frauds.  You may even have fallen prey to some of these scams, selling you the latest fad. Me too. I’ve bought so many kinds of drinking
water, I can’t recall. (If a lie is repeated often enough, it becomes “the truth”).

Finally, after many disappointments I got FED UP. I decided to get to the bottom of this desire we all have to make sure that our most basic nutrient — water — will keep us healthy, not make us sick.

I checked out endless commercial websites and a number of university and government sites; and I was dismayed at what I repeatedly found:

–Outdated information or info repeated from other websites
–Wild and sensational claims
–No research
–No refunds, etc.

I already knew that we can’t trust our tap water because of the presence of up to 2000 contaminants.

Specifically, I found:

a) Bottled Water: a real mish-mash of quality, often no more than filtered tap water sold at outrageous mark-ups and at quite an environmental cost.

b) Reverse-osmosis and distilled water: completely ignored the medical evidence of the dangers in the ongoing drinking of water that is void of minerals, acid in nature and oxidizing.

I quickly realized that these products were either useless, overpriced or potentially harmful long-term.  And the companies were smiling all the way to the bank.

Nevertheless I was able to find products that were well-researched and legitimate: water ionizers and certain filters.  I found two websites providing comparisons of reliable water purifiers: www.waterfiltercomparisons.net and
www.waterpurifier101.com.  (While the first of these sites does not address the problem of acidity in drinking water, it is straightforward in its assessment of what various water filters do.)

I hope that you’re not misled by false claims, and take a look at these resources, for the sake of your health.

Posted in Nutrition Tags: , , , , , , No Comments »

5 Killer Ways To Treat Athlete’s Foot

May 19th, 2010 admin

If you’ve got an itch on your foot that you can’t help scratching, then you might have a dreaded case of athlete’s foot. But there’s no need to worry because here are five ways that you can treat yourself—no doctor and no prescriptions needed.

Head over to the store

Your best cure for athlete’s foot might be available at your local grocery mart or drug store. Look for creams and ointments that contain clotrimazole or miconazole as their active ingredient. These are topical creams that can be directly applied to the feet.

All you need to do is reapply the cream after you shower to clean, dry feet and then cover with a pair of cotton socks. The cream should be reapplied two to three times a day after that for about two to three weeks.

Going the natural route

Another great way to treat athlete’s foot is similar to the store method, but with a more natural oil. Tea tree oil is known for its antifungal properties and works to destroy the fungus on the feet.

You’ll need to start with clean and dry feet and then apply the oil to the affected areas. You can do this several times a day for as long as it takes to cure the symptoms.

And it makes your feet smell great.

Cures from the kitchen

When you want to get rid of your athlete’s foot, you may just have to open up a few cupboards. Both baking soda and vinegar have been shown to help with treating this fungal condition—though not at the same time.

For the baking soda, you can soak the feet in a mixture of the powder and warm water. And if you have apple cider vinegar around, use that instead of the baking soda.

Getting your feet clean of fungus

Some will tell you that soaking your feet in bleach is also a good alternative for treating athlete’s foot. However, this has to be done carefully or you might injure your feet. You should only use two tablespoons of regular laundry bleach in a gallon of warm water.

Soak your feet for ten minutes and you can see results within a week’s time.

Scaring away the itchiness and redness

And while garlic is great for vampires, it’s even better for athlete’s foot. This is because the antibiotic ingredients in the garlic help to cure the infection. Just rub a clove of garlic (one that’s been cut in half) over the affected area a few times per day.

But with all of these ways of treating athlete’s foot, the best advice is to avoid getting it in the first place. Make sure that your feet are kept dry and avoid walking on your bare feet in conditions that are likely to harbor the fungus—public showers and shoe stores where you try on the shoes without a barrier.

And of course, good hygiene will always keep your feet clean and happy, and hopefully free from itching.

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A Guide to Hair Extension Salons

May 15th, 2010 admin

It can be difficult to find a hair extension stylist near you, and you don’t always have the time to drive hours to get your hair done. Luckily, several online resources are available to help.

Here is a helpful, condensed list:

The Hair Extension Salon Locator

This site lists hair extension salons by state. It also features articles on the care of hair extensions and hair loss information. Additionally, they have supplies and training resources.

HairBonz

This is the website for the HairBonz hair extension system. You can call 1-888-693-HAIR to find a listing of hair extension salons using the HairBonz system.

Hair Boutique

This informative site has links to hair extension salons. Unfortunately, the information is listed alphabetically and cannot be searched by city or state. However, if you have the patience to scan the listings you just might find a local salon.

Black Beauty Care Directory

This site is specifically for African-American beauty concerns, and lists salons that cater to African hair. Information is categorized by state for easy access.

Another way to find a local hair extension salon is to type “Houston hair extension salons” or “hair extensive salons near Houston” in a search engine. Of course, use your own city name in place of Houston!

You can also use your Yellow Pages to find hair extension salons.

One of the best ways to find a top-quality salon is by word of mouth. If a friend or family member has beautiful extensions, ask for a reference.

No matter where you located your hair extension salon, make sure that your stylist is qualified to apply the extensions. He or she should be a licensed cosmetologist with ample experience in applying the type of extensions you are considering. Many experts recommend that you meet some of the stylist’s other clients and find out if they are happy with their extensions. At the very least, ask to see a portfolio with before and after pictures.

Posted in Hair Loss Tags: , , , No Comments »

A Short Tutorial About Various Diabetic Supplies

May 10th, 2010 admin

Diabetes is a chronic disease with no cure but the good news is that proper care and treatment a person can live a log and healthy life. Nearly 2,000 people are diagnosed with diabetes everyday.

It is estimated that there are 17 million people with diabetes in the U.S and another 16 million have pre-diabetes or higher blood-sugar levels that are higher than normal but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes.

Buying diabetes supplies online can save time and money. In this article you will find the most used supplies and tools to achieve a good diabetes control and aid in everyday self-care.

For those who have been diagnosed with a diabetic condition, diabetes supplies are a fact of life. In order to maintain good health, diabetics must rely on various tools to help them monitor their conditions. Still, diabetes patients need to exercise caution when buying diabetes supplies.

The company that you buy your diabetes supplies from should have a phone number in case you need to contact the business because of a problem with the order. In fact, it’s best if the company has a toll-free hotline number that you can reach 24 hours a day. It is much better to register a complaint by phone than by e-mail.

Also, the company should have a pharmacist available to answer your questions. Having a pharmacist on staff indicates that the company is legitimate and is determined to provide excellent service to its customers. When ordering diabetes supplies, you’ll want to pay close attention to shipping charges so that you don’t experience sticker shock when you receive your final bill.

Typically, a diabetic pays a substantial sum each month for diabetes supplies, including pills, insulin, syringes, alcohol pads, lancets, ointments, salves, and special foods. Because competition for business is so great, the prices of items such as testing strips and glucose monitors are often competitive.

This competition can help to keep the diabetes patient’s expenses in check. However, there is no question that a diabetic must devote a portion of his or her income or insurance costs to diabetes supplies. In order to control glucose, blood sugar levels must be monitored closely—at least once a day.

Insulin Cases: Environmental factors such as excessive heat and freezing will have major affect on type of insulin. So, there is a need to keep insulin safe by using special cases while traveling and going out.

Blood Glucose Monitors: It is used to examine blood glucose level. Blood glucose levels below 120 mg/dL before meals, and below 180 mg/dL after meals, is the goal to stay healthy and prevent or delay the development of diabetes complications.

Blood Pressure Monitors: It helps to check blood pressure level of a person. High blood pressure affects 20-60% of people with diabetes and results in causing eye disease, kidney disease and heart disease.

Diabetes Software: This software can be used in your computer to help you to share the information with your Health Care Team to make the best choices in your treatment. Diabetes software includes OneTouch diabetes management software, OneTouch diabetes management software kit.

Glucose Tablets: Hypoglycemia or low blood sugar levels can occur very quickly and is a sharp complication of diabetes, especially if you use insulin. People with diabetes must always carry glucose tablets.

Glucose Gels: Glucose gel is absorbed more rapidly than tablets. In case of severe hypoglycemia 15 g of glucose in the form of glucose gel must be administered immediately orally.

Experts recommend that you deal only with those Internet companies that offer a return address rather than a post office box. If you want to make sure that you are buying diabetes supplies from reputable businesses that have their own offices, rather than an individual who is simply buying diabetes supplies from an Internet auction site and re-selling them to new customers.

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