Lower Your Cholesterol

Written by Dan Ho


Continued from page 1

Diet does not impact on your cholesterol levels as much as you think it does. It is not that extra egg you have for breakfast that raises your cholesterol appreciably.

This is because around 80% of your blood cholesterol is manufactured by your liver.

To improve your cholesterol levels, you must both slow downrepparttar manufacture of cholesterol, and reducerepparttar 114982 oxidation of LDL while raising your HDL.

Apart from normal, sensible lifestyle improvements such as better nutrition and more exercise, there are a couple of proven strategies to return your cholesterol to its optimal level.

Option 1: Prescription Drugs

A range of drugs known as "statins" are widely used inrepparttar 114983 US and other Western countries. In fact, they are currentlyrepparttar 114984 most prescribed medicine inrepparttar 114985 world.

These drugs work by blocking an enzyme thatrepparttar 114986 liver needs forrepparttar 114987 manufacture of cholesterol. They have been proven effective in reducing levels of LDL, but unfortunately they will not raise levels of HDL (the good cholesterol). The downside is that there are a large number of negative side effects such as liver damage, fatigue, upset stomach, abdominal pains and cramps, gas and constipation, and inrepparttar 114988 case of one statin drug -- "Baycol" -- large numbers of deaths.

An investigation intorepparttar 114989 side effect of statin drugs is being conducted byrepparttar 114990 National Institute of Health. Discussrepparttar 114991 pros and cons of this medication very carefully with your physician inrepparttar 114992 event of a statin drug being prescribed for you.

There is another treatment that has nothing but beneficial side effects...

Option 2: Natural Treatments

Even thoughrepparttar 114993 general public hears very little about them, there are effective natural alternatives to lowering one's cholesterol, and such therapies exhibit no side effects.

One such brand is Xtend-Life Natural Cholesterol Formula , available at http://www.InstantEnergyBoost.com The fascinating aspect of some of these natural options is that some ofrepparttar 114994 natural ingredients being used have been proven to consistently and significantly outperformrepparttar 114995 statin drugs in dozens of double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trials and studies. And with no negative side effects. (The only side effects reported were weight loss.)

What to look for

Two key ingredients to look for in any natural cholesterol product are Policosanol and Guggulipid Extract. Policosanol is an extract from sugar cane wax and has beenrepparttar 114996 subject of multiple clinical trials, all of which have outperformedrepparttar 114997 statins.

Guggulipid, onrepparttar 114998 other hand, is an ancient herb from India extracted fromrepparttar 114999 guggul tree. "The gum resin ofrepparttar 115000 guggul tree has been used in Indian Ayurvedic medicine since approximately 600 BC to treat a wide variety of ailments, including obesity and [cholesterol] disorders," writes author David D. Moore, Ph.D., and professor of molecular and cell biology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

Moore goes on to state, "It really does lower cholesterol in a number of clinical studies..." What Moore didn't mention was that studies show an interesting added benefit from Guggulipid: it has been more effective than prescription tetracycline when used orally for treating nodulocystic acne.

It also assists inrepparttar 115001 lowering of Triglycerides and weight loss.

Know what you're buying

With all of these benefits, it would seem that finding any natural formula containing these two ingredients is a sure bet. But take caution; there are many products currently onrepparttar 115002 market claiming to use policosanol to lower cholesterol, but are in fact using octacosanol, which is an incomplete form of policosanol. Octacosanol does not exhibitrepparttar 115003 same results as true policosanol in clinical trials.

The Xtend-Life Natural Cholesterol Formula uses onlyrepparttar 115004 genuine policosanol extracted from sugar cane wax. When it comes to your heart's health and longevity, don't settle for sub-par supplements.

he Xtend-Life Natural Cholesterol Formula uses only the genuine policosanol extracted from sugar cane wax. When it comes to your heart's health and longevity, don't settle for sub-par supplements.

Xtend Life Natural Cholesterol Formula is available at ... http://www.InstantEnergyBoost.com


Post-Hiking Pain

Written by Louise Roach


Continued from page 1

Post-hiking suggestions for dealing with pain: - Ice painful or swollen joints and muscles immediately after a hike. If pain persists, continue at intervals for up to 48 hours. Icing will decrease inflammation, reduce swelling and numb pain. - Rest afterrepparttar hike, but don't become immobile. Walking or light exercise will keep blood flowing and increase recovery. - Gentle stretches will help stiff, tight muscles. - Massage painful muscles with long, smooth movements. - If needed, use a nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug (NSAID), such as ibuprofen, to reduce pain and inflammation. - Some hikers benefit from alternating ice packs and heat therapy. This should only be done after 48 hours and inflammation has subsided. Applying heat immediately after a hike will increase swelling and prolong recovery time.

Disclaimer: This information is not intended as a substitute for professional medical treatment or consultation. Always consult with your physician inrepparttar 114981 event of a serious injury.

Louise Roach is the editor of on-line health and fitness newsletter, NewsFlash*SnowPack found at http://home.netcom.com/~newsflash. She has been instrumental in the development of SnowPack, a patented cold therapy that exhibits the same qualities as ice. Her injury prevention and treatment articles have been published on numerous health and fitness websites. Louise is also an avid hiker. For more information visit: http://www.snowpackusa.com


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