Monthly Archives: June 2024

Diseases Caused By High Cholesterol Levels

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High levels of the bad cholesterol lead to a lot of potential threats to the human system. The reason behind lowering the levels of cholesterol is to drive away the diseases that crop up as a result.

When there’s so much of cholesterol then it means there are more diseases and these diseases when studied in detail will have cholesterol as the origin.

Coronary heart disease the coronary heart disease is the number one killer in the US. The disease is mainly caused due to the high levels of bad cholesterol.

The walls of the arteries are affected by the bad cholesterol. When the bad cholesterol plates on the surface of the walls then pumping process becomes really difficult leading to an increased pressure to do this task.

Blood sends oxygen to the heart. When it is not properly sent then heart aches occur. Heart attacks are caused from the blocking of oxygen by the narrowed arterial walls.

Harmful diseases can result if the high levels of cholesterol are not brought down. Hypertension and angina are some of those.

When blood constitutes more lipids, cholesterol, triglycerides then it leads to hyperlipidemia. The cholesterol deposits go under the skin for sedimentation.

Pimples and spots can result due to the oozing of the excess bad cholesterol. More triglycerides can result in the pancreatitis.

High ranges of bad cholesterol and blood sugar when combined cause so many harms. The prominent side effect is the loss of eyesight.

Higher levels of LDL can lead to vision damage. When water gets stored in the eyes then this can cause lead to poor eyesight which is called macular edema.

When there is excess cholesterol in the body it can cause type 2 diabetes.

Cholesterol is a silent killer and it does not show any warning signs. Age and gender do not matter as cholesterol can boost up at any stage. Careful monitoring of the cholesterol levels is always very important.

If you need to lower the LDL then it’s time to choose natural alternatives instead of medicines that lead to secondary effects. Preventing the cause of the disease is so much better than the treatment offered.

The Source of Teas that Fight Strokes Heart Disease and Cancer – the Amazing Tea Tree

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Camellia sinensis.

This is the scientific name for the tea plant. It is native to south east Asia which explains why China was the birthplace of the tea industry. Did you know that all types of tea come from this plant? The differences come from the fact that there are two varieties, the time of picking and the method of processing. Green tea is the least processed, in fact it is not really processed, thus preserving the natural compounds that are reputed to do you good.

But what good can drinking tea do for you? Depending on the type, research indicates that in certain cases it can assist your body to heal itself or stay healthy:

– Digestion
– Anti-bacterial action
– Slimming
– Cancer prevention
– Heart (blood vessel suppleness and cholesterol levels)
– help keep strokes at bay
– Tooth care
– Longevity/anti-aging
– Menopause symptoms
– Menstrual cramps

But the research on humans is not widespread and utterly conclusive. However, pure, organic loose teas taste good whether they do you good or not.

OK, back to Camellia.

It is a small shrub which has small white fragrant blossom during late winter and the spring. In warmer climes is grown outdoors as an ornamental garden plant – the leaves are a bright green and often have a hairy underside making the plant tactile as well as a visual ornamental. The fruits are a dull brown-green. Left wild, it grows to a tree standing just less than 20m in height so to grow it as an ornamental will normally require pruning. Propagation is normally by cutting as it is notoriously hard to raise from seed. The reason for that is that if the seeds are dried, viability is reduced – they need to be planted fresh whilst they are still moist. However, if the seeds are stored in moist conditions at a temperature a little above freezing, they can remain viable for a year or more. It prefers a slightly acidic well drained sandy soil. Chinese tea is produced from the hardier variety Camellia sinensis var. sinensis which is hardy to about -5 degrees C. The leaves are more delicate than its Indian counterpart Camellia sinensis var. assamica.

In cooler climates such as Northern Europe, the plant can be grown in a greenhouse. The ideal climate will have warm wet summers and moderately cold but dry winters. If you have an alkaline soil, it Camellia sinensis grows well in a container so no problem there. When planting an established bush, for example one bought from a garden centre, add plenty of organic material to the hole, well rotted compost or leaf mould is perfect. Do not plant it too deeply; the base of the stem should be a little higher (around a couple of centimetres) than the surrounding soil. Mulching with bark or whatever will help the plant to establish by retaining moisture and minimising freeze-thaw during the winter. A newly planted camellia sinensis should be watered weekly, unless there has been a lot of rain. During the first winter, water during dry spells if the weather is mild and the ground is un-frozen. There is little need to feed the plant, if you do, a light application of an acidic fertiliser can be made in early spring. Pruning is done to shape, control the height and to remove dead or leggy branches. If you need to prune heavily, do it in early spring before the new growth appears.

For growing at home, it is best to spend money on an established plant; it can take many years for a new plant to reach maturity and begin to flower. If you are not growing it for purely ornamental purposes, you can pick the young leaves and shoots and dry them in different ways to make your very own green or oolong tea. To make oolong, the initial drying needs to be in the sun, for green tea the initial drying needs to be in the shade. Oolongs are usually rolled into small balls. That breaks the cells and allows some fermentation to occur, which gives the characteristic oolong flavour. Harvesting your Camellia can take place throughout the growing season. In the tea industry, the harvests are referred to as ‘flushes’, early spring is the time of the first flush harvest, late spring and early summer the second flush and late summer into the autumn is the final flush.

Disclaimer: This article is intended for entertainment only; it is not a medical guide. If you suffer from any of the medical conditions mentioned you should consult your GP for advice specific to your own personal situation. Likewise, the care of your tea plant is your responsibility. Please ensure that you double check our information and consult the grower from whom you purchase your tea tree. We cannot accept any liability for the health of your plant; there are too many variables that are beyond our control. Should you decide to make your own tea from your plant, we strongly recommend that you consult a professional with detailed knowledge in order to avoid problems.

Seven Safe Steps To Avoid Heart Disease

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You have already heard the term you are what you eat. It’s been around forever. It’s also common knowledge that eating certain foods increases your risk for heart disease. But despite that fact we continue to consume more and more foods that we know is bad for us. This is often because changing your eating habits is one of the hardest lifestyle changes you can make. Or so it seems. But take it from me, someone who has 31 years of unhealthy eating attached to my name and frame, there are things you can do to make a change and turn back the hands of time. In this article you’ll find eight different ways you can make a change and lower your risks for heart disease.

Meal Planning

When you are planning a meal, or a snack, remember the heart healthy meal plate released by Harvard’s School of Public Health. When you’re choosing the foods make sure to portion your plate with mostly vegetables, then fruit, then whole grains, and finally a source of low fat low sodium protein. An important thing to do when planning is add some variety to your food choices. Don’t get hung up on a certain food for too long or you’ll risk burning yourself out. Plus changing up the menu often makes sure your body gets the necessary nutrients on top of spicing up your meals!

Portion Sizes

You always need to watch what you eat. But you also need to watch how much you eat. Filling that plate up, or going for seconds, and especially eating until you feel so stuffed your about to bust is awful for you. It HAS to be stopped! When you eat like that you are taking in way to many calories, carbs, fat, and cholesterol than you should. This WILL lead to you becoming overweight and worse it can lead to numerous diseases such as heart attacks and possibly strokes. So make sure to keep an eye on the number of servings you eat as well as the sizes of those servings.

Scale Back On Sodium

Sodium can cause high blood pressure which causes you to face the risk of heart disease. So scaling back on the amount of sodium you intake is part of a heart conscious diet. In fact a healthy adult shouldn’t take in more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day. So walk into your kitchen and look down at the teaspoon. 2,300 milligrams is about as big as a teaspoon. But we’re not talking just table salt. Remember that every food you eat already has a certain amount of natural sodium in it. So check the nutritional labels before you go adding salt to a dish. Another important fact is if you are over 51, an African-American, or have been diagnosed with high blood pressure, diabetes, or chronic kidney disease your sodium intake should me 1,500 milligrams of sodium or less per day! A great way to reduce the amount of sodium you intake though is just to stop adding salt to meals. Once you do that you should also consider eating only fresh foods. These usually have way less sodium than canned or processed foods. But if you’re like me and just need the easy route sometimes because of a hectic schedule make sure to get them with reduced sodium.

Eat Only Whole Grains.

Whole grains are the greatest source of fiber and other required nutrients. These nutrients help regulate blood pressure, lower cholesterol, and promote good heart health. So forget the refined grains such as white bread and go for whole grains only. Eating these whole grains instead of refined grains substantially lowers total cholesterol, LDL, triglycerides, insulin levels, offers modest protection against colorectal cancer, prevents diverticular disease, and it also helps lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. So make sure to include whole grains as a part of every meal!

Eat Your Fruits and Vegetables.

Fruits and veggies are a major staple of every balanced diet. This is because they are great sources of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and they also make a great low calorie low carbohydrate snack. As such they are one of the best ways to eat healthy and lower your risk for heart disease. A holdup for some people is figuring out how they can add these fruits and veggies into their diets. Well for snacks that’s easy. Find some things you like and eat it. I tend to snack on broccoli, carrots, or celery with a small dribble of hidden valley ranch dressing or even some fresh cut cucumbers. These snacks are much better for you then meat, or cheese, or chips and a soda. For a meal I would typically eat some fruit for breakfast, a salad for lunch, and green beans, or broccoli and cheese, or a side salad, or even grilled red peppers, green peppers, and onions. It all depends on the rest of the meal. For fruits I’m not very picky. There are plenty of fresh fruits I enjoy such as apples, oranges, bananas, grapes, strawberries, peaches, grapefruit, lemons, limes, and much more. Just take a stop in your local produce section or your local farmers market and you’ll be able to easily spice up your meals while lowering your risk of heart problems!

Choose Protein That’s Good For You.

The best sources of protein are the leaner meats. Fish, Shellfish, Chicken, Pork Tenderloin, and similar meats are going to be your best sources of protein. When choosing protein it’s all about going as low fat as possible. Such as eating a grilled skinless chicken breast over the country fried steak. For me I tend to gravitate towards seafood as my main source of protein. The oceans and rivers are endless in providing us with great tasting sources of healthy protein. The best thing about fish is that they are super heart healthy. Fish and seafood from colder deep sea’s water are the highest in omega-3 fatty acids. These acids help protect against many diseases such as; Alzheimer’s, cancers, arthritis, high blood pressure, inflammations, depression, strokes, and heart disease. So make sure to include some seafood in your diet plan at least twice per week. Some seafood I tend to eat is shrimp, crab, crawfish, scallops, mussels, tilapia, salmon, and even canned light tuna.

Watch the Fat and Cholesterol

This is the last section but definitely not the least! Out of all the changes you can make this is probably the most important section when it comes to lowering your risk for heart attacks and heart disease. High cholesterol will lead to plaque building up in your arteries which is what causes you to have a heart attack or stroke. To reduce this risk it’s important to limit the amount of fats and cholesterol included in your diet. The best way to do that is cut out the lard. Cut the butter, the margarine, and the shortening out of the food you cook. Start to trim the fat off of all the meat you get. Watch your sugar intake by using natural low sugar jellies and jams instead of the others. That also means trying to cut the cookies and cakes, the snack foods, and mostly everything that’s high in saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol. If you have to use some sort of fat for cooking make sure to use canola oil, extra virgin olive oil, or even a nut or seed oil. If you start to adjust your diet around these principals you’ll be on your way to a heart healthy diet!