The level of cholesterol in our blood has a deep impact on our health. LDL (low density lipoprotein) cholesterol affects our health adversely, whereas HDL (high density lipoprotein) cholesterol is beneficial for us. Maintaining the balance of good and bad cholesterol levels is essential for a good, healthy life, one that is free from heart disease.

Simply put, we should do our best to enhance the level of HDL (good) cholesterol and reduce the level of LDL (bad) cholesterol.

Pharmacological researchers are busy formulating medications to raise the level of HDL to combat heart disease. These medications apart, there are a number of alternative techniques which do pretty much the same thing in a more natural manner. Cardiovascular exercise is a form of exercise which concentrates on improving the blood circulation, which is vital to maintaining a healthy cholesterol balance. So if you already have heart disease or simply want to avoid getting it, cardiovascular exercise is a powerful way to attain the desired cholesterol balance.

The generally held medical opinion is that thirty minutes of cardiovascular exercise every day is sufficient to control bad cholesterol levels. Dr. Mercola thinks otherwise. He stresses the importance of exercise being exercise, not a form of relaxation. Exercise is beneficial to health only when we feel exerted. This can be done in two ways: either increase the stress level of the exercise, or increase its duration. He feels that the second option is the safer of the two. Simply jogging in the park for the stipulated thirty minutes is not going to do an iota of good for our cholesterol level, says Dr. Mercola. Extend the jog to an hour, and then you’ll experience an appreciable reduction of bad cholesterol. Whatever form of exercise you choose, just make sure you exercise regularly.

Cardiovascular exercise is your most formidable weapon against cardiovascular disease. Diet control is extremely important to reap the full benefits of cardiovascular exercise. Recognize that some types of fat are good for HDL cholesterol: these are mono-unsaturated fats, and omega-3 fats. Virgin olive oil is recommended for your health. Avoid canola oil, because though it is a mono-unsaturated fat it is generally obtained from genetically modified sources. Saturated fats are bad for the HDL cholesterol level.

Some fats like omega-3 fats actually enhance the level of HDL cholesterol. Include fish in your diet because they are rich sources of these beneficial fats. Margarine and creamy and sugary processed food items are bad for HDL cholesterol, and should be restricted. Dietary control coupled with regular cardiovascular exercise will improve your HDL cholesterol level.

Next put your lifestyle under a scanner. Do you smoke? Cigarette smoking is turning out to be a bigger killer than originally thought. Stop it, immediately! Smoking smothers the HDL cholesterol in the blood. Are you obese? Obesity aids and abets the malefic HDL cholesterol. Follow regular workouts specially designed to reduce obesity.

Last but not least, there is one more lifestyle factor that affects your cholesterol balance. This factor is stress, aka tension. So learn to manage stress in your life. If the stress is bound to the work environment consider changing your occupation. If it’s the neighborhood that stresses you out, consider moving. Changing your occupation or your residence is a very big ask, no doubt, but you should consider it seriously for the sake of your health.

Your primer for healthy HDL cholesterol levels reads like this: A is for cardiovascular exercise, B is for dietary control, and C is for modifying your lifestyle. With healthy HDL cholesterol coursing through your body you can count on a healthy life free of heart disease.

With good reason there are many warnings about high cholesterol foods and how we shouldnt eat too much of them because they contribute to heart disease and increase our risk of heart attacks and strokes. What is not as well understood is that rogue calcium mixes with the cholesterol to form a hard plaque on the artery walls.

Calcium which is a heavy metal can be released by our bones as we age, so essentially soft goo of cholesterol in the arteries is hardened when it traps calcium that is floating in the blood stream. The more the cholesterol calcium bind together and harden and trap more cholesterol and calcium the risk of blockage, heart attacks and strokes rise dramatically. The concept is that since calcium is a heavy metal, chelation can help cleanse and flush the plaque from the body

Do you have these danger signs of artery plaque build up? Chest Pains Erectile Dysfunction Poor circulation including cold hands, feet or arms? Do you get out of breath easily? Do you have memory loss frequently? Are you frequently tired and lacking energy? Slurred speech Headaches After walking do you experience aches and pains? Are there any indications of cardiovascular problems? High Blood Pressure

Consider these statistics from the American Heart Association: – Cardiovascular disease is the cause of more deaths than the next six causes of death combined. -approximately one-third (34%) of cardiovascular disease deaths occur prematurely! (before age 75). Since 1900, cardiovascular disease has been the leading cause of death in every year but one – 1918.

In 1948, U.S. Navy advocated chelation for sailors who had been poisoned by lead while painting government facilities and ships. The FDA approved IV EDTA chelation as a treatment for lead poisoning. Physicians administering the chelation for lead toxicity observed that patients- who also had arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) or atherosclerosis (fatty-plaque buildup on arterial walls)experienced reductions- in both conditions after chelation. Since 1952, IV EDTA chelation has been used to treat cardiovascular disease.

For people with sleep disorders, a healthy diet and regular exercise is not enough to combat weight gain. If you suffer from sleep apnea then beware if you’re only losing sleep and not the unwanted fat.

Yes, sleep is necessary for not only mental focus and physical stamina but is essential to regulate your weight!

You might have a hidden sleep disorder that is wreaking havoc on your hormones ” and leading to more weight gain!

Sleep apnea related weight gain is all too common. It is estimated that 80 million Americans live with undiagnosed sleep apnea today.

If you have been diagnosed with sleep apnea then you’ll find weight loss will come naturally once you begin treating your apnea. The good night’s sleep brings balance to your body’s functions helping you to lose weight and regain your health.

Sadly some apnea patients feel overwhelmed when using their CPAP therapy and suffer the consequences of not regularly using it. They notice unexplained weight loss and think it is just due to aging when it could have been prevented.

What’s the relationship between sleep apnea and weight gain:

1. Most of you don’t have time to feel run down from lack of sleep. Your body’s solution is to crave immediate energy by carbo-loading in the form of sugar, carbohydrates and other calorie rich foods. In a study by the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, patients with the most extreme cases of sleep problems were also consuming the most calories, protein, cholesterol and saturated fat.

2. The Quebec Family Study reported that short sleepers (five to six hours a night) were 35% more likely than average sleepers (approximately seven hours) to have up to an 11-pound weight gain over six years.

3. It turns out that the best appetite suppressant is a good night’s sleep. Poor quality sleep causes levels of the hormone ghrelin to severely increase in your gastrointestinal tract. This hormone is in charge of making you feel hungry. You increase your levels of ghrelin every time you get a bad night’s sleep.

For people with sleep disorders, a healthy diet and regular exercise is not enough to combat weight gain. If you suffer from sleep apnea then beware if you’re only losing sleep and not the unwanted fat.

Yes, sleep is necessary for not only mental focus and physical stamina but is essential to regulate your weight!

Chances are if you can not lose weight then an undiagnosed sleep disorder is disrupting your hormonal balance – leading to more weight gain.

Sleep apnea related weight gain is all too common. It is estimated that 80 million Americans live with undiagnosed sleep apnea today.

If you have been diagnosed with sleep apnea then you’ll find weight loss will come naturally once you begin treating your apnea. The good night’s sleep brings balance to your body’s functions helping you to lose weight and regain your health.

If you have apnea and are not regularly using CPAP, then you are almost certainly going to gain weight.

Here’s some things to understand about the connection between apnea and weight gain:

1. Most of you don’t have time to feel run down from lack of sleep. Your body’s solution is to crave immediate energy by carbo-loading in the form of sugar, carbohydrates and other calorie rich foods. In a study by the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, patients with the most extreme cases of sleep problems were also consuming the most calories, protein, cholesterol and saturated fat.

2. The Quebec Family Study found that short sleepers (five to six hours a night) were 35% more likely than average sleepers to have an 11-pound weight gain over six years.

3. It turns out that the best appetite suppressant is a good night’s sleep. Poor quality sleep causes levels of the hormone ghrelin to severely increase in your gastrointestinal tract. This hormone is in charge of making you feel hungry. You increase your levels of ghrelin every time you get a bad night’s sleep.

A critical first step in dealing with heart disease is to learn to talk to your doctor about your questions and worries. You’re not alone when it comes to difficulties in talking to a medical practitioner about your health concerns. But when it comes to heart wellness no question should be left unanswered.

There are those who hope that their questions will be answered through the course of an examination, rather than having to actually voice them. Physicians don’t always have as much time as they would like with each patient due to their demanding schedules and long waiting lists. Women particularly need to speak up, because even though they suffer half the deaths from heart disease, doctors hesitate to discuss this subject with them.

Questions that you should ask your doctor include what your blood pressure is recorded as and what is normal for you. Glucose and cholesterol levels need to be checked to see if they’re in an acceptable range. Ask your doctor which tests are suggested for people of your age, both currently and in the future.

If you have been prescribed medication, make sure you find out the purpose of the drug, if there are any side effects, and possible interactions with other meds, either over the counter or prescription. Ascertain whether you’ll be on the medication for an indefinite period of time or if it’s a temporary treatment. If recommended by your physician, you’ll need to take further tests to monitor the effects of your medication. If you’re on specific medications, many doctors will want to test your liver.

If you always get home and remember something that you forgot to ask the doctor, make a “need to know” list and take it with you on your next visit. Do not forget to bring with you the medications that you are presently on as well. This is essential if you are under the care of more than one health care practitioner.

Add to your list any surgeries or relevant illness that you have had and been treated for in the past few years. This should be in your medical chart so that the doctor can be aware of anything that might cause a problem.

In conclusion, if you think that you may forget what you physician has told you, you can always write it down or record the appointment for later referral. Do not be afraid to check around for a second opinion if you are not comfortable with the treatment that your doctor recommends or if you do not feel that he or she listened to your worries or questions.