Increase HDL Cholesterol and Live Longer

Written by Nicholas Webb


There are several effective ways to increase HDL cholesterol (that’srepparttar “good” one byrepparttar 146245 way), that can literally add years to your life, reducerepparttar 146246 risk of heart disease, atherosclerosis and stroke.

So, how do we go about getting high HDL cholesterol levels

There are two key ways for increasing your HDL, naturally when combinedrepparttar 146247 results are both faster and satisfying. One method is totally zero cost,repparttar 146248 second method can be expensive and also detrimental to your health in some isolated cases.

Lifestyle modifications This seems so hard for many people, yetrepparttar 146249 results are zero cost, relatively easy and last as long as you continue a healthy life. In many people,repparttar 146250 following lifestyle recommendations will be sufficient to increase HDL cholesterol, and atrepparttar 146251 same time help to reduce your “bad” LDL. You’ll also probably reduce your blood pressure and lose those unwanted, potentially dangerous pounds.

The lifestyle modifications that will providerepparttar 146252 best results follow below:

Exercise This is where many people stop reading and find excuses such as not having enough time. The solution cannot always be found in a bottle of pills and it may take a little effort on your side, but believe me it is well worth it!

If you are overweight, losing weight can raise HDL levels quite substantially. In fact, simply beginning an exercise program can help increaserepparttar 146253 “good” HDL and this has been known for some time. Inrepparttar 146254 late 1990’s a Stanford University study found that when sedentary men start an exercise routine they improved their HDL by approximately 4.4 mg/dl whenrepparttar 146255 exercise burned off 800-1000 calories a week (if you cycle just 2 hours a week at 11 mph you will burn almost 1000 calories). It seems that duration of exercise, not intensity, providesrepparttar 146256 greatest benefit. So,repparttar 146257 more exercise you do,repparttar 146258 higher goes your HDL. Is that so difficult?

Smoking Aside from HDL, giving up smoking is one ofrepparttar 146259 best things you can do. It has been shown that on average, men who smoke have HDL levels 5.3 mg/dl lower than non-smokers. The difference is even more in women: around 9 mg/dl lower than non-smokers. Remember a 4.4 mg/dl can mean a 3-5% reduction inrepparttar 146260 risk of developing heart disease. Recent articles suggest that quitting all forms of tobacco can increase HDL cholesterol by 15 to 20 percent.

Diet A Mediterranean-style diet, rich in fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, olive oil and legumes, is strongly linked to high blood levels of HDL. So is eating more fish (and taking fish oil supplements) and consuming fewer refined carbohydrates.

Several types of fats can also make a big difference. Most helpful arerepparttar 146261 monounsaturated fats found in canola, olive, avocado, nut and seed oils; nuts and avocados. Increasing your daily intake soluble fiber is also beneficial. Soluble fiber is found in fruits, vegetables, legumes and oats and whole grain foods.

Ways to manage hypertension

Written by Anonymous


Question : I AM a working mother aged 44. My blood pressure reading is 150/90. What does my reading indicate? What should I do to manage my high blood pressure? I am really worried.

Answer : Do see a doctor about your hypertension and follow with regular checkups. Hypertension or high blood pressure occurs when excessive force is exerted againstrepparttar artery walls asrepparttar 146228 heart pumps blood. It is a silent killer because people suffering from hypertension can be asymptomatic (without symptoms) for years.

A hypertensive person may develop a headache, lightheadedness, ringing inrepparttar 146229 ear and a rapid heartbeat. If untreated, hypertension can lead to many degenerative diseases including congestive heart failure, end-stage renal disease, heart attack and stroke.

A normal resting blood pressure reading for an adult is 120 mm Hg (systolic)/ 80 mm Hg (diastolic). An individual is considered hypertensive if his systolic blood pressure remains at 140 mm Hg or higher or a diastolic blood pressure of 90 mm Hg or higher or both. Studies have suggested a link between high blood pressure and a low intake of calcium. Magnesium has been shown to help in lowering blood pressure. You may try taking calcium and magnesium supplement which also contains zinc and vitamin D3 for synergistic action and enhanced absorption.

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