The Friendly Bug You’ll Want To Get To Know
by Constance Weygandt

There has been a lot of press on the dangers of twenty-first century diseases. Killer diseases which have been, in the past, effectively treated with antibiotics are showing resistance to these drugs. Probiotics or friendly bacteria are nature’s answer to the fight against an influx of harmful bacteria which lodges in our intestines. Here are some reasons to become familiar with probiotics.

Probiotics function as a second immune system. These are the friendly bacteria that turn milk into yogurt. Over three quarters of our immune cells reside in our intestines. Probiotics prevent pathogens from adhering to our intestinal walls. The first course of defense is to prevent harmful bacteria from taking hold in our bodies.

Probiotics are believed to produce natural antibodies. Beneficial bacteria, which naturally occurs in our bodies has been reduced , in this modern era, due to a host of factors. Antibiotics, while ridding the body of harmful bacteria, also reduces the beneficial bacteria in our bodies. Lately, there has been an overuse of antibiotics. Yeast infections, as Candida, also reduce the beneficial bacteria in our bodies. Excessive use of sugar, in our diets, is also a factor. Probiotics help to replace the natural occurring, beneficial bacteria in which we are deficient.

Probiotics aid in our digestion of food. Because of the chemical nature of our society, toxins found in our food and air need to removed from our bodies on a regular basis to insure good health. Studies have shown a link between toxicity and weight gain. Chemicals found in animals are absorbed into their body fat. Eating organic foods, as much as possible, helps to prevent toxins from entering our systems. It is not always practical to buy everything organic or to raise our own livestock and grow our own vegetables. Probiotics aid in removing toxins from our bodies.

In this twenty first century, where chemical additives have become the norm, it is a good idea to be educated on what this means for us. Eating yogurt or taking a supplement which contains probiotics is one way of removing toxins, which are a part of our environment. Probiotics help us to rebalance our bodies with naturally occurring friendly bacteria.

About the Author:
Constance Weygandt is an author, speaker and balance mentor. For more information on health and fitness, visit her at http://www.balancedwellnessonline.com

What Is Cholesterol

In order to understand why it is important to lower cholesterol, it is necessary to first understand what cholesterol is. Cholesterol is a fatlike waxy substance and is produced by the liver. Although cholesterol has purposes and is important to overall health and body function, too much cholesterol in the body has damaging effects.

Cholesterol forms every cell within the body. When the cholesterol level is appropriate, it plays a life-giving role in many functions of the body. When cholesterol is at a good level it works to build and repair cells, produces hormones such as estrogen and testosterone, and produces bile acids which are proven to aid in the digestion of fat.

With too much cholesterol in the body, though, the levels build up and cause damage by clogging your arteries. This puts you at serious risk for disease such as heart and stroke. In fact, the major cause behind heart attacks and strokes is clogged arteries resulting from high levels of cholesterol.

When you eat saturated foods such as dairy, meat and eggs your cholesterol elevates. On the other hand when you eat foods such as fruits, vegetables, and grains you can maintain optimal health as they do not contain cholesterol.

High cholesterol can be avoided! With a nutritious diet, the 50% of all adult Americans with high cholesterol can regain their health and lower their risk of disease by 2%. This is done simply from reducing cholesterol by 1%.

Cholesterol can be managed for life with success! It is recommended that you visit your physician on a regular basis to keep a keen eye on your levels.

Read about the 4 Contributing Factors to High Cholesterol.
Learn what the Numbers Mean-What is Normal Cholesterol?

article by Jan Nicholas- If you need to lower your cholesterol fast, go to http://www.YourCholesterolSite.com today.

Blood Pressure and its Importance
For every heart beat blood is pumping around your body and into your arteries. Systolic pressure is when your heart is at its highest pressure during beats, and when the heart is resting and the pressure falls, this is called diastolic pressure.

Maintaining a healthy blood pressure is extremely important in living a successful healthy and long life. The danger with high blood pressure is that it often goes unnoticed for years, and can lead to serious heart trouble, heart attack or stroke. Not the type of event any of us wishes to experience, especially if high blood pressure can be picked up early and treated accordingly.

Just recently famous UK politician Robin Cook collapsed and was pronounced dead on arrival to hospital from suffering a heart attack directly linked to the high blood pressure disease hypotension. He was only 59; the age were people of all society groups should be checking their blood pressure regularly (at least once per year) and seeking treatment if the doctor suggests it’s high for your age.

High blood pressure took the lives of over 40 thousands Americans in 2002 alone and nearly 1 in 3 adults suffers from high blood pressure. Alarmingly, since 1992 up to 2002 the deaths from high blood pressure rose 27% - this is too much. If you are concerned about your own blood pressure I highly recommend you seek your doctor’s advice and perhaps take a test or even purchase your own blood pressure monitor.

Four Main Factors Causing High Cholesterol

Besides diet, other causes of high cholesterol are lifestyle, gender and the heritage of the individual.

For some, even maintaining cholesterol at the right levels and being fit and thin will still not prevent the development of high levels of bad cholesterol. Due to heart risk factors besides diet, some people require a very aggressive approach which includes cholesterol lowing medication.

Lifestyle issues and high cholesterol:

When we opt for convenience in eating over nutrition, we are setting ourselves up for problems. Eating fast foods and convenience foods results in eating too many fats and salts, which can raise our bad cholesterol levels. In addition, a more sedentary lifestyle also contributes to unhealthy levels of cholesterol. If you want to see a graphic representation of this, consider renting the documentary movie “Supersize Me.” This documentary details the attempts of one man to live on fast foods and little exercise alone. The results on his cholesterol and body health in just 30 days are truly frightening. (more…)