How To Control Your Cholesterol And Live A Happy Life

You may have heard that your parents or any of your relative have high cholesterol problem. When you try to figure out what is cholesterol, then there are two words related with cholesterol you should know. First one is Hyperlipidemia and second one is hypercholesterolemia.

Hyperlipidemia means that there are lipids or fats in your blood which are increasing in numbers. These lipids or fats also called triglycerides. On the other hand, Hypercholesterolemia means that your blood have too much bad cholesterol. This increases the risk of your arteries blockage due to fatty deposits in your artery.

Cholesterol generally is of two types Good and bad cholesterol. Good cholesterol is HDL and bad cholesterol is LDL. If the level of good cholesterol is less than bad cholesterol then you have the risks of artery blockage or atherosclerotic plaque.

Your overall health and risks like smoking and high blood pressure is helpful if you are being diagnosed with Hyperlipidemia. Your doctor can combine these factors with your LDL and HDL cholesterol levels which ultimately affects your cardiovascular health.

So, can you control your cholesterol levels to enjoy your life happily? The good news is yes you can. Your high cholesterol levels can be lowered which can reduce your risk of any heart disease like stroke. But you need to check your cholesterol level first through your doctor. Earlier you know is way better then late.

There are some methods or we can say behavioural changes in your life to improve your cholesterol levels. Your lifestyle greatly affects your health. 

Have Good Eating Habits

How to lower your cholesterol levels? It is greatly depends on what you eat and how much you know about your food. Your food must contains low saturated and trans fat. The American Heart Association prescribes constraining saturated fat to 5 to 6 percent of day by day calories and limiting the measure of trans fat you eat.

Saturated fats and trans fats are high in red meat and whole milk dairy products. Replace these foods with skim milk, low fat or fat free dairy products. Eat less fried food items.

Dietary fiber rich food are also help to reduce your cholesterol level in a great extent. Intake of foods like fruits, vegetables, poultry, fish and nuts which are high in dietary fiber helps to maintain in your overall good health. A healthy diet makes you stay away from sugary foods and sugary beverages.

DASH diet plan is a good example of a good eating habits. DASH means Dietary approaches to stop hypertension. It is widely accepted and promoted by American heart Association, US department of agriculture and other institutions. Dash diets promotes your good heart health while providing you full nutrition. It combines all the essential nutrition from different foods based on your culture and preferences.

To understand your food, you should learn to read food labels. When you shop, read food labels which contain information about the food you are buying. Pay attention to the cholesterol levels mention on the labels. By doing this you can significantly control your cholesterol level.

Physical Activity Is Good For Your Health

An inactive lifestyle is harmful for your cholesterol levels. By staying physical inactive, you are decreasing your good cholesterol levels which is not good for your arteries. Studies shows that the person with sitting job or inactive lifestyle are more prone to get high cholesterol disease then others.

Experts suggests that exercising 150 minutes a week is very important for your health. Your exercises may include aerobics or yoga. You can do walking, bicycling, swimming and even dancing to get physical active. 

Smoking Is Dangerous

It is evident that smoking lowers your good cholesterol, HDL. Smoking is not good for your overall health and it makes worse if you already have high cholesterol problem. This increases the risk of coronary heart diseases as well as other cardiovascular problems. Smoking can multiply the risk of getting other diseases like high blood pressure, hypertension and diabetes.

Quitting smoking helps lower your cholesterol levels. Also non-smokers should stay away from exposure to second hand smoke.

Alcohol Is Not Good

If you are taking too much alcohol then you are inviting high cholesterol problem. Drinking alcohol can increase triglycerides in your blood and blocks your artery. So avoiding alcohol is good but in case you are not able to avoid it completely, limit it to less than two drinks per day. 

Losing Some Weight Helps

Obesity is also responsible to increase your cholesterol levels. Obesity and overweight means you have more fat in your body and tends to gain high cholesterol levels. Losing some weight can work for you and improves your cholesterol levels.

Bottom Line

Type of food you eat have great effect on your health. Your food is a part of your lifestyle. High cholesterol may be genetics but good eating habits can control it. Change in your lifestyle is important to tackle high cholesterol disease. Actually your bad lifestyle habits gets you the disease. So by improving your lifestyle with eating habits can get you a happy life with lower cholesterol.

READ MORE: Best Tips To Get Relief From Hypertension

How To Quit Smoking With Water You Never Heard

Drinking water can help you to quit smoking.

Water is everything for us. We can not live without water. But, did you know that water can also help you to quit your smoking? Sound interesting? Yes, water can help you to quit smoking and change your life. 

Why Is Water Good For You?

Your tap water at home is the best drink you can find. It has no added sugar, is inexpensive, tastes good and is safe to drink. It is healthy among all other drinks.

Other drinks like soft drinks, cordials, fruit juices, vitamin waters, energy and sports drinks contain added sugar and can lead to weight gain and can damage your teeth. Water is the best option for you.

Water helps in digestion. This helps to prevent constipation, something smokers often complain of when quitting.

Exercise is good for your health and it is recommended that people exercise when quitting smoking. It is important to drink water to keep hydrated when exercising.

Water carries minerals, nutrients and oxygen around the body to distribute them.

Drinking Water helps keep your skin, mouth, nose and lungs from drying out.

Water Can Help You To Quit Smoking

Keep your mouth and hands busy when you crave for a cigarette. Sipping on water throughout the day can help you to do this.

Thirst and hunger are two different things but sometimes thirst can often be confused with hunger. So before snacking, try drinking a glass of water first.

You can replace water with your snacks. People often eat snacks to fulfill their cravings. If the snacks are high in fat and sugar they can lead to weight gain. Try drinking water first.

Drinking water improves alertness and the ability to concentrate. This can help your willpower to remain strong and fight the urge to smoke.

Regular water intake keeps you hydrated. As dehydration makes you tired, you are less likely to have the motivation to prepare and eat healthy meals, which increases the chances of weight gain.

How To Drink More Water?

You tend to drink water when you feel thirsty. Thirst is a good indicator of when a person needs to drink water. However, thirst can often be confused with hunger. So before snacking, try drinking a glass of water first. If a person does not drink enough water, a person can become dehydrated and may experience,

• feeling of thirst and hunger
• headaches, tiredness and confusion
• dark-colored urine.

You can increase your daily water intake and it is not a difficult task. Here are some simple ways to drink more water throughout the day-

• Choose water in place of drinks with added sugars or alcohol. Tea and coffee provide water . too, but can make you dehydrated.

• Have a glass of water before or with every meal.

• Have a glass of water with you next to your home computer or TV.

• Flavor your water with lemon or orange slices or tea.

• Carry a refillable water bottle with you for easy access.

Drink water regularly as it is required by our body. Drink clean and pure water available to you. Water flush out harmful elements from your body and helps in weight loss. As you have read, it is useful and helpful to quit your smoking habit.

Easy Tips To Manage Your Diabetes For Whole Life

Tips to manage your diabetes can help you to control it for your whole life. Diabetes can make you sick with other diseases. Many people don’t know that having diabetes means that you have a greater chance of having heart problems such as heart attack or stroke. Therefore people with diabetes need to take care of their diseases to live a healthy life. 

What is diabetes?

"Diabetes is a disease that occurs when your blood glucose, also called blood sugar, is too high. Blood glucose is your main source of energy and comes from the food you eat. Insulin, a hormone made by the pancreas, helps glucose from food get into your cells to be used for energy. Sometimes your body doesn’t make enough or any insulin or doesn’t use insulin well. Glucose then stays in your blood and doesn’t reach your cells." There are three main types of diabetes:

• Type 1 diabetes:

It is also called an insulin dependent diabetes. This usually develops in the juvenile or teenagers. With type 1 diabetes, the body’s immune system attacks part of its own pancreas which creates insulin. After that your body does not make insulin. This is a problem because you need insulin to take the sugar (glucose) from the foods you eat and turn it into energy for your body. You need to take insulin every day to live.

• Type 2 diabetes:

It is most common type of diabetes and also called non-insulin dependent diabetes. It is usually develops after age of 35. But it is growing among young adults. 
In this diabetes type, your body does not make or use insulin well. You may need to take pills or insulin to help control your diabetes. Type 2 diabetes generally develops among overweight people.

• Gestational diabetes:

In this type of diabetes, your body can not use glucose or blood sugar the way it should. Too much sugar stays in your blood. Some women get this kind of diabetes when they are pregnant. Most of the time, it goes away after the baby is born. But even if it goes away, these women and their children have a greater chance of getting diabetes later in life.

How To Take Care of Your Diabetes?

Every case or stage of diabetes is important. Sometimes people ignore the facts and don't take seriously when symptoms shows. It is worth noting that diabetes has no cure but you can take steps to manage your diabetes for whole life.

• Diabetes can cause heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, eye problems, dental disease, nerve damage, foot problems etc.

• A healthy diet, physical activity, and blood glucose testing are the basic tools for managing type 2 diabetes.

• Manage your weight is crucial to control your diabetes. Overweight can cause problems. Control your diet and avoid food which causes fat build up.

• Exercise regularly is good for your health. it helps to control your weight, helps to improve your cardiovascular health. Do moderate exercises regularly.

• Eat a balanced healthy diet is important. Include fruits, fresh vegetables and avoid oily junk foods.

• Limit processed food which includes higher salt, fat and kilojoules. 

• Quit smoking and limit your alcohol intake. Too much alcohol can result weight gain. Smoking is injurious to health and 

• Control your blood pressure. Do exercises regularly. Yoga is also a best way to get good fitness. Stress is a common reason for blood pressure problem. Stress can raise your blood sugar. Learn ways to lower your stress. Try deep breathing, gardening, taking a walk, meditating, working on your hobby, or listening to your favorite music.

• See your doctor for regular check up. Diabetes has no cure and you should see your doctor for regular checkup. It will ensure that your health is on a good track.

• Ask for help if you feel down. A mental health counselor, support group, member of the friend, or family member who will listen to your concerns may help you feel better.

These easy tips helps you to manage your diabetes properly and throughout your life. As diabetes has no cure it becomes important to see your doctor regularly and make a plan to fight it. Do exercises regularly and make a healthy diet plan, remove fatty food, include fresh vegetables and fruit. Weight control is another key to manage diabetes. 

Resources:

1. https://www.diabetesresearch.org/what-is-diabetes?
2. http://www.aafp.org/afp/2003/1101/p1775.html
3 https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/what-is-diabetes