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Do you need to lower your cholesterol? Is it possible to lower cholesterol naturally? Hmmm, a perplexing question. And one which a huge number of people need an answer to as so many people have high cholesterol and need to lower their levels.

The question “can you lower cholesterol naturally” is one which needs to be preceded by another question. When you ask can you lower cholesterol naturally what do you mean by “naturally”?

Lowering cholesterol isn’t easy, and there are a number of options to lower cholesterol and achieve better overall heart health. Some involve risks.

You can try drugs, statin drugs are the common cholesterol lowering drugs that are regularly prescribed by doctors. Or you can try a diet to lower cholesterol. Or you can try other methods like natural nutritional supplements and natural products which utilize active ingredients that are not “drugs”, that are naturally occuring and are known to be safe.

There is no clear answer to what is a “natural’ way to lower cholesterol. So for the purposes of this article I shall assume that “naturally” lowering cholesterol is lowering cholesterol levels without the use of drugs.

Because it’s the use of drugs that scares so many people. Maybe they’ve had a heart attack or their doctor says they need to pay more attention to their heart health, and next thing they’re on statin drugs which they will, it is assumed, take for the rest of their lives.

Statin drugs have their problems and have been linked to various health problems. Many people are very wary of going onto a drug long term that is linked to health problems.

The first thing to do then, when you seem to have high blood cholesterol levels or your doctor has suggested that you need to be more heart smart and pay more attention to your heart health, is to try a natural approach.

Just about everyone can benefit from a better diet, and a diet to lower cholesterol is one of the most important steps you can take in a “natural” (ie non drug) approach. We all eat too many processed foods and foods high in bad fats and so we should pay more attention to our diet.

Plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables is the key when looking for a diet that helps lower our cholesterol. Avoid too much meat and diary high in saturated fats, and substitute this with grains, vegetables and fruits.

And get plenty of exercise, exercise helps a lot in lowering cholesterol as well as with our overall health, and heart health is also a factor of overall health as well as total cholesterol levels.

But often a change in diet, and incorporating exercise into your daily routine isn’t sufficient to reduce cholesterol levels significantly. This is often because your body manufactures it’s own cholesterol, and changing your diet doesn’t stop this.

So if you’re looking for a natural approach you need to consider natural cholesterol lowering supplements as well.

The best natural supplements are those which tackle the problem from a range of angles. The very best natural cholesterol lowering supplement helps lower your LDL cholesterol, the bad one, and raise your HDL cholesterol, the good one.

It also helps lower your body’s production of cholesterol, and also helps reduce your body’s absorption of it in your gut from your food. On top of this it increases the excretion of bile acid, and bile acid carries cholesterol, so this too helps reduce your overall levels.

And it has other natural ingredients that offer more wide ranging benefits to your cardiovascular system generally, so giving you a boost to overall heart health.

And as this product is made from totally natural ingredients you don’t risk nasty side effects to your health that you risk if you elect to take statin drugs.

So yes, there is a way to lower cholesterol naturally. It involves a total natural approach including diet and exercise, and the use of natural cholesterol lowering supplements. It works and you don’t take any risk to your health from unwanted side effects that may result from prescription drugs.

Resources: Want to know more about Naturally Lowering Cholesterol? Visit Peter’s Website Natural Health-Natural Skin Care and find out more about Cholesterol Lowering Supplements at http://naturalskinhealth.com/cholesterol

Preventing wrinkles. It’s quite a conundrum. So many people ask the question “what’s the best way to prevent wrinkles” and spend their life searching for the top wrinkle cream.

The first thing to say is that there is no one way to prevent wrinkles. Wrinkles are a natural part of aging and if you’re aging, as all of us do, you’ll get wrinkles. There’s no getting around that, it’s just a question of the age you get them, and how many wrinkles you’ll get.

Wrinkles form because of a number of factors, all associated with the aging process. Wrinkles and lines form on our faces, particularly certain parts of our faces like around the mouth and eyes, but also on other parts of our bodies. Wrinkling is just visible aging, and you won’t find anyone over, say, 80, that doesn’t have wrinkles somewhere.

So the first thing that you need to do if you’re looking for an answer to the question “what’s the best way to prevent wrinkles” is to accept that you will always suffer from wrinkles if you get old enough. To an extent you’ll need to learn to live with wrinkles.

Wrinkles form as a result of many interlinked factors. As we age our skin loses some of it’s collagen and elastin, and this causes our skin to lose the firmness and elasticity that it exhibited when we were younger. Aging skin is lower in collagen and elastin than young skin.

And as we age our skin is more and more under attack from free radicals that damage the cells that make up our skin structure, and cause poor skin health.

As well as this our skin suffers from damage from other factors, such as sunburn or even just normal exposure to UV from the sun, and from the effects of toxins and chemicals in our general environment. And if you smoke you’re just about guaranteed to have poor skin health as you age.

And believe it or not our skin can also be damaged from the use of mainstream skincare products. Yes many big brand skincare products actually contain ingredients that can damage our skin.

However that’s the bad news. Now for the good news. There are things you can do to lessen the onset of skin wrinkles and lines, and reduce their visible effects.

I’m not talking about Botox injections or plastic surgery here. These are only temporary solutions to wrinkles that work for a limited time then actually look worse than before the operation. Botox or cosmetic surgery is never a long term solution to wrinkles, and is also expensive, painful and often the result is worse than the problem.

So the solution to limiting the look of skin wrinkles is far simpler than that. Note I said simple, not easy.

The way to slow, or lessen, the onset of wrinkles is twofold. Firstly it’s about staying healthy. And I’m not just talking about skin health here, but staying healthy overall. Because skin health is a function of overall health, one cannot be divorced from the other.

Good diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables in your diet will help massively. Pizza and burgers won’t keep you, or your skin, healthy. Fruit and vegetables are rich in vitamins and minerals and anti oxidants, and help with skin health.

And regular exercise is very important as well, helping with skin health and wrinkle prevention in so many ways.

And don’t smoke. Smoking is the worst thing you can do for your skin.

And the second part of a simple formula that is the best way to prevent wrinkles is the use of a top shelf skin care and anti wrinkle routine, including a top wrinkle cream that contains only natural, safe ingredients. And regular use of other high quality skincare products.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not referring to those big brand name skin care products that you see advertised on TV and on the shelves of the department stores. Unfortunately those aren’t high quality skin care products. Most contain very little active ingredients, and many contain ingredients that can actually damage your skin.

I’m referring to natural skin care products that utilize all natural and safe organic ingredients that work extremely well. There are small niche companies that produce products like these, and they put their budgets into producing top shelf products rather than toward TV advertising. They cannot compete with the big brands and so occupy their niche in the market by product quality rather than Television saturation.

That’s the best way to prevent wrinkles. As I said, it’s simple, but not easy. There is no easy way to prevent wrinkles that works, wrinkles are a part of life, and whilst so many people search for the easy and complete solution to wrinkle prevention it is, sadly, unattainable.

But follow those simple steps and you’ll live a long healthy life, and keep most wrinkles at bay more than all those other women out there looking for an easy answer to preventing wrinkles.

Resources: Want to know more about the best Natural Skincare Products? Visit Peter’s Website Natural Health-Natural Skin Care and find out more about Organic Skin Care Products at http://naturalskinhealth.com/

Do you like to put drops or any medication in you eye? I don’t. But the doctors in Europe have developed a natural ingredient that can safely and painlessly break up cataracts. Yes this is the elimination of cataracts without surgery. Read on.

It combines N-acertyl L-carnosine with vitamins A and E and at this point it seems to have the ability to reverse the aging process of the cells that lead to cataracts.

This process has been in research and development for many years. They finally came up with an eyedrop formula that is claimed to improve vision.

Now you may be wondering, “How does this work:?

I will try to explain it as simply as possible. The lens of the eye is made up of mostly a protein and water that combine as a clear tissue that allows light to pass through and focus on the retina. Over time, the tissue can become damaged by free radicals (yep those little pesky critters) There are many reasons for this but some of the most common reasons are diabetes, long-term use of corticosteriods, heredity, ultra-violet light, poor nutrition, SMOKING, high blood pressure and aging.

Another major cause of damage to they eye, and this is a BIG one, is glycation. Glycation occurs when sugars combine with proteins to create a whole new type of compound called glycated proteins. These product 50 times - yep 50 - more free radicals than normal proteins. If you don’t know what “free-radicals” are, go to Google and use the keyword
“free-radical theory” - using the quotes together with the keyword phrase. The Wiki site with the explanation should be the first on the list.

The end result of this damage is that the water-soluble structural proteins in the lens of the eye clump together. This causes the characteristic clouding of the eye lens associated with cataracts.

You may be wondering - “What process do the doctors use to correct this condition?”

They need to break down the protein clumps to restore transparency and reduce the internal pressure of the eye. That is exactly what N-acertyl L-carnosine with vitamins A and E does.

The common treatment for cataracts is surgery. Do the doctors guarantee 100% that the surgery will be successful?, of course not! The doctors will explain that is a simple surgery done thousands of times a day with no complications, but there is always that ONE! So why risk it?

The doctor will explain that the surgery is so simple, that the damaged lens is removed and replaced with a synthetic lens implant, that’s it. Sounds so simple, but as it turns out this simple cataract surgery is actually a 2-part ordeal, and they really don’t mention the 2nd part.

This new lens implant is held in place inside the eye by a thin membrane called the posterior capsule, part of the original covering of the lens that is intentionally left behind for this purpose.

The problem is, in up to 50% of patients who have this procedure, the lens capsule begins clouding up again within 2 years. Now this isn’t quite the same thing as the cataract reoccurring since the cloudy posterior capsule is now much thinner than before and it can be opened up with a laser beam. But still this is “another” surgery and is considered a follow-up visit. Do you really want to expose yourself to surgery complications - twice? I don’t!

This formula contains vitamin A which is essential for the health and function of epithelial cells, the cells in the top-most layer of tissues like those in the lens of the eye. Vitamin E can increase the survival time of corneal endothedial cells, decrease inflammation, speed up healing of eye tissues, regenerate glutathione in the eye.

What is amazing is that this compound is able to slowly permeate the lens of the eye.

After the compound enters the lipid components of the eye, the NAC transforms into L-carnoisine and this small molecule performs a remarkable variety of functions, mainly anti-oxidation and anti-glycation.

Finally, a Russian randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in 2001 for a period of 24 months, using a similar formula provided the following results. Of a total of 49 patients, average age 65, with cataracts ranging from severe to minimal, found that the amount of light increased in 42% of the subjects. Glare sensitivity improved 89%, overall vision improved 90%. These improvements held up for the full 24-month period of the study.

Eighty-nine percent (89%) of the patients receiving the placebo had their vision become more limiting.

Some subjects of this study noticed an improvement in eyesight at three months. Most saw an improvement at six months.

Resources: Joni Bell has many years of extensive study in the area of natural cancer prevention and treatment. He has numerous success stories of people being diagnosed living cancer free with use of alternative methods. Ask Joni Bell!

Psoriasis remedies can be a host of many different things, but mostly fall into a vitamin deficiency of some sort. This vitamin deficiency can confuse the immune system causing the condition.

What is Psoriasis?

Psoriasis is a chronic, inflammatory skin disease. It may be triggered by a number of different conditions such as infection or allergy. Underlying the development of psoriasis is a confused immune system. An autoimmune condition such as psoriasis begins when your immune system attacks healthy cells as if they were diseased.

Many things may cause this confusion. Stress is a primary trigger. Other triggers may include injury (with psoriasis beginning at the site of trauma), nutrient deficiency - especially of essential fatty acids - and toxins such as sugar, alcohol and allergens.

The Progress of Inflammation

There are three basic steps in the inflammation process:

1.Antecedent - The first step is called an antecedent. An antecedent is like a predisposition to something; for example when a person is prone to a condition because of heredity or environment.

2.Trigger - The second step in the inflammation process is the trigger. This may be injury, stress, deficiencies or toxins.

3.Release of mediators - The third step in the inflammation process is the release of inflammatory mediators like histamines. Histamines are stored in cells called mast cells. These mast cells are like balloons filled with acid that pop and release their poison.

Deficiency weakens the walls of these balloons, and trauma, toxins and stress pop the balloons. Histamines are released and inflammation results.

Runaway Inflammation and Psoriatic Arthritis

Mast cells populate our skin. They are also abundant in our joints. They line our airways and digestive tracts. Runaway inflammation occurs when so much histamine is released by one cell that it triggers other mast cells and causes them to pop and release their histamine (this is why sunburn may cause sinus inflammation). This histamine then triggers other cells and more histamine is released, perpetuating the cycle.

Inflammation from psoriasis will eventually inflame the joints. Toxic levels of histamine from the skin will trigger mast cells in joints to release their histamines. Again, trauma, toxins, deficiencies and stress can cause this runaway inflammation.

Psoriasis Remedies

Stress - Deep breathing is an excellent remedy for stress. Adaptogens are as well. Adaptogens are a unique category of plants that have the special ability to thrive in the very harshest of environments. They are renowned for their ability to help the body cope with stress.

Nutrient deficiencies - One of the most common deficiencies for people with psoriasis is an essential fatty acids (good fats) deficiency. These fats come from EFA oils — Fish, Flaxseed, Evening Primrose and Perilla Seed oil. Another common deficiency in people with psoriasis is Vitamin D. We normally get enough Vitamin D from sunshine. Be sure to expose at least 40% of your skin to early morning or late evening sunshine. Never let yourself get sunburned.

Histamine - For reducing histamines, very few nutrients compare with Vitamin C and Vitamin B-12. Vitamin B-12 reduces histamines by hindering them from being formed in the first place. Vitamin C acts like a body-wide antihistamine.

Joint inflammation - If inflammation has already reached your joints, you can help reduce inflammation and protect your joints with a good joint complex supplement. One which contains a blend of glucosamine, chondroitin, MSM, collagen, and powerful phytonutrients to nutritionally support joints.

Psoriasis remedies can differ but as mentioned above, identify the cause, to reach a cure. Plus, always keep in mind that when one part of our body is sick, our whole body suffers.

So, it is no surprise that the same imbalanced immune system that attacks our skin may attack our joints, sinuses, lungs and intestines.

Resources: For more information on how to prevent Psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis thru proper diet and nutrition go to: http://www.trivita.com/US-EN/health/default.aspx/13182443 and review the 10 essentials of health and wellness.

A urinary tract condition more commonly seen in adults in their 40’s and 50’s, is now being seen more often in children as well. In fact, the incidence of kidney stones is rising in all ages and genders.

The average age of children being admitted to hospitals with kidney stones is about 10. But, the prevalence of children even as young as 5 or 6 has many child health care experts sounding an alarm to wake up parents.

Doctors are not sure of the reasons behind the increase, but more advanced detection devices may be, in part, bringing about earlier diagnosing of such cases. Twenty or thirty years ago, a kid with a kidney stone was seen maybe once every few months. Now, according to Dr. Caleb P. Nelson, a urology instructor at Harvard Medical School, who is also co-director of the new kidney stone center at Boston Children’s Hospital, says they are seeing at least one case a week or less.

Symptoms vary in small children, from having almost none to severe pain in older children. The four most common symptoms include:
intense pain in the lower back area and/ or sides
frequent and painful urination
bloody or pinkish colored urine
urinary tract infections, secondary to kidney stones, accompanied by fever.

Although most people are rather astonished that a child has developed a kidney stone, it is rarely a serious health threat. It can be a recurring condition, though, if special attention is not adhered to in changing the dietary habits of the patient.

Most of the previous research that has been conducted on kidney stones in adults have most doctors believing this old tried and true advice to be relevant in children too. Far above several other health risk factors such as genetic vulnerability, obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure, poor dietary habits are the single, largest culprit to the onset of kidney stone development.

This really should not come as a huge surprise to anyone, considering how many other health conditions are also rising in children.

Kidney stone development is a result of the crystallization of one of several different types of mineral substances inside the kidney such as oxalate, calcium phosphate, or uric acid as urine becomes highly concentrated over a prolonged period of time. If the stone is large enough, it often causes pain within the urinary tract system by obstructing the elimination process.

In children, most of the time, the stones are found anchored inside the kidney or in the ureter (the narrow tube connecting the kidney to the bladder). Small stones are usually passed without intervention, although it may not be a painless process. Stones that are larger than 5 millimeters (0.20 inches) require a more evasive type of medical procedure. All kidney stone treatments are usually done on a out-patient basis.

Diagnosing the type of substance the stone is comprised of usually consists of a urine test, and a variety of different imaging test techniques may be used to determine how the stone should be handled. If the probability is likely, that the patient can not pass the stone on their own is determined, non-evasive shock wave lithotripsy (SWL) is most often used with children when possible.

The non-surgical shock wave energy therapy is passed through the skin to break the stone down into fragments that can be passed and eliminated through the urinary tract. It may take up to three months before all of the fragments are totally eliminated.

Kidney stones are no longer considered a strictly middle-age condition, and many youngsters are discovering this painful reality. Clearly, a cultural preventive awareness strategy is what is needed now to, gently, steer our youngsters towards healthier dietary habits.

Limiting table salt, high sodium processed foods, fast foods, and beverages at home is the key, along with drinking plenty of water (one liter per 50 lbs. of body weight) is recommended daily. Children that are urinating less than once every three hours are at risk of becoming dehydrated.

Our nation’s schools have a responsibility in limiting or eliminating sodas and sports drinks, and encouraging water drinking and restroom use to its students.

Most kids avoid drinking too much at school, as they often consider it to be a major inconvenience to use the restroom facilities at school. This, combined with school administrative policies that discourage restroom use during class instruction time because it is viewed as a learning disruption, needs to change as our children’s health is at risk.

Resources: Brenda Skidmore has spent the last five years actively researching natural health care alternatives. It is her sincere desire to empower others by sharing this important information. To improve your health today visit mywater4life.com

Acid reflux has numerous symptoms which are in common with heartburn. Persons who suffer from Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, or GERD, generally endure heartburn pain more than two days in a week. Additionally, those who suffer from GERD may suffer serious consequences if it’s left untreated.

Unchecked GERD can cause erosion of the esophageal lining and lead to the formation of scar tissue which causes problems in swallowing. Unmanaged acid reflux also increases the chance of esophageal cancer.

Symptoms of acid reflux include a dry cough, sleeplessness or interrupted sleep, a persistent bad taste in the mouth, bad breath, and tightening of the muscles in the throat. A patient may even find they have acid within in the mouth if they bend down suddenly or overeat.

Doctors state there’s no single cause of acid reflux disease but that it is a result of several contributing factors. A band of muscle tissue called the Lower Esophageal Sphincter can be the source of many of the symptoms and problems of GERD. This band of muscle tissue is an area of smooth muscles that is responsible for controlling the opening and closing of the esophagus when we eat or swallow. It keeps stomach contents from regurgitating, or flowing back into the esophagus. If these muscles loosen or weaken they fail to maintain the pressure barrier between the stomach and esophagus and the acid and pepsin from the stomach can flow back into the esophagus and cause acid reflux symptoms.

Consuming large meals or hitting the sack immediately after eating can also cause acid reflex. Foods which are greasy or spicy, as well as alcohol, may also cause reflux problems. Stress, antidepressants, sedatives, and other medications for stress and anxiety may also contribute to acid reflux troubles. Smoking, as well as drinking large amounts of carbonated beverages, have been shown to increase acid reflux.

One good home remedy for acid reflux includes using an old favorite - apple cider vinegar. Mix one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to one half glass of water. Sip this blend while eating your meal. You can also take a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar without adding any water.

Ginger Root capsules, available at most nutrition stores and many pharmacies, can help calm the nerves as well as help with acid reflux. Take one capsule after you’re finished with dinner. Dinner (or Supper for those of you in the South!) normally is your largest meal and the one which causes the most acid reflux attacks.

Many people report that drinking cold, low fat milk helps their GERD attacks. Cold apple juice, eating raw carrots or apples is also effective for acid reflux.

A natural cure using fennel seeds has helped many sufferers. Chew one half-teaspoon fennel seeds, available from any grocery store, after meals. Chew the seeds slowly and allow the juice to flow down your throat. Anise and lavender tea is another great way to reduce acid reflux occurrences. Mix equal amounts lavender and anise and pour two and one half cups of boiling water over one teaspoon of the mix. Strain, cool, and add a little honey to sweeten the tea to taste. Drink one glass every morning and one in the evening before going to bed.

As always, if symptoms persist or worsen, consult your doctor.

Resources: Dee Braun, a single mom of 6, is a Certified Aromatherapist and natural health practitioner. Click now to visit Remedies4.com at http://www.remedies4.com/ - a large directory full of free natural health ebooks covering common ailments, illnesses, health conditions and natural healing techniques.