Two sources of Cholestrol!!

The first is food, the second is your body.

With 2 sources of cholesterol to deal with, it’s no wonder that so many adults have high cholesterol. Most folks aren’t even sure where cholesterol comes from.

Cholesterol from the foods you eat.
Cholesterol from food is hard to get away from, even though you may be watching your diet. All foods of animal origin contain cholesterol, including eggs, red meat, and shrimp. Generally, foods that are high in saturated fats or trans fats should also be limited. These include foods you may not even think of, such as:

* Grilled-cheese sandwich
* Margarine
* Potato with butter
* Chicken pot pie

As you eat, cholesterol from food is absorbed by your digestive tract. It then makes its way into your liver and can circulate through your body in your bloodstream. That’s one source. There’s also a little-known second source of cholesterol—your body.

Cholesterol produced by your body, based on family history.
Like many people, you may not know that your body produces cholesterol naturally, based on family history—despite the fact that it’s where more of your total cholesterol comes from. Your liver makes cholesterol, as do other individual cells throughout your body. Once cholesterol is produced, it can make its way into your bloodstream.

What does this process mean to you? Take the cholesterol your body makes and add it to the cholesterol you get from food. Now you can see how easily cholesterol can build up in your bloodstream and how your overall cholesterol level can increase.

The good news is, treating both sources can significantly lower your cholesterol.

Important information:
Unexplained muscle pain or weakness could be a sign of a rare but serious side effect and should be reported to your doctor right away.

Tips for a Healthy Body!!

Want to put more energy into your life? What with all the rush and stress of daily life nowadays, maybe the idea of having more "energy" sounds even more stressful. But look at it this way, Stress is really a negative type of energy, so the goal is to provide a more positive energy that keeps you alert and feeling vital. And I'd like to share with you some tips to help you feeling energized throughout your day.

The most basic way to provide energy is to feed your body with the proper "fuel." First, don't be tempted to skip a meal like breakfast or lunch because of lack of time. Be sure to include fruit with breakfast and for snacks or dessert, and vegetables with your lunch and dinner. And instead of multiple cups of coffee, go for water and herbal teas, or try green tea for a change. Of course, we all know that sugary, fatty foods are energy drainers. You may be "buzzing" for a while, but then comes the "crash."

If you are sitting for most of the day, at work, for example, take short breaks throughout the day by getting up and walking a bit to keep your circulation going. Getting outdoors for a short walk is ideal. For those times when you can't get away, I have two favorite simple exercises that are great pick-me-ups in terms of energy.

The first is based on traditional Chinese medicine and activates pressure points to increase your circulation. In this case, your ears! Using your fingers, rub your ears vigorously all over, for about a minute. Don't be so rough that it hurts, Sofia , but your ears will feel hot, which shows that your blood is circulating.

The second exercise comes from a yoga breathing technique called the Breath of Fire. Breathing shallowly can cause carbon dioxide to build up in your blood and make you drowsy. So this exercise will help flush out the carbon dioxide and replace it with oxygen. Breathe through your nose and inhale deeply. Then exhale through your nose in 20 to 30 short, rapid bursts, drawing in your stomach muscles for each burst. You can repeat this three times. Just be sure to take several regular breaths between each cycle so you don't get dizzy.

Anti-Aging For Men!!

The world of skin care has targeted, for most of it`s years, the female population only. Perhaps because women are more aware of their outward appearance, and more sensitive to the effects of premature aging. However, in recent years, the focus of skin care has gradually shifted to include the male population, and men are soaking it up. In fact, so many men are beginning to pay more attention to skin care, that recently, these men have been coined `metrosexuals`. This new awareness for men also applies to the arena of anti-aging.

Men are increasingly becoming aware of aging and what causes the skin to manifest outward signs of premature aging such as wrinkling, liver spots, and fine lines. They are beginning to educate themselves as to the contributing factors to aging and making better choices for their health and skin. And women are saying, "Been there, done that". It`s about time that men catch up, right? Men have just as much right and reason to pursue youth and health as women do. And perhaps for many women, we are secretly relieved to see that men are finally feeling some of the pressure to look younger that women have been experiencing for years.

Anti-Aging For Men - An Exploding Industry

Since more men are feeling the pressure to look better and younger the anti-aging industry for men has taken off. It began with many major skin care producers adding a few products for men here and there and some even creating a separate men's skin care and anti-aging line. These labels include major anti-aging skin care manufacturers such as Clarins, Polo, Bulgari, Logistics, Aveda, and drugstore names such as Nivea and Neutrogena. Men responded well to this anti-aging skin care introduction, evidenced by a consistently huge demand for the products, continual double-digit growth in male anti-aging sales, and the emergence of countless new anti-aging lines for men.

Anti-aging and skin care companies have responded to the demand for men`s products by creating new products as men become more willing to consider purchasing additional skin care such as toners and moisturizers. These companies have further encouraged men to join the fight against aging by setting up counters in department stores that are exclusively for men`s skin care and anti-aging. This has made purchasing anti-aging products much more comfortable and accessible for men since having to buy anti-aging products in a women`s department has been reported by men to be one of the biggest inconveniences involving their skin care.

Men Going the Extra Mile for Anti-Aging

Included in this new trend, is the fact that more and more men are pursuing methods outside of applied products for anti-aging, and this includes plastic surgery. According to the statistics at the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, the number of men pursuing plastic surgery to look younger has increased nearly forty-percent in recent years, and continues to grow. More and more plastic surgeons are seeing huge increases in the numbers of male clientele.

Furthermore, more men are engaging in anti-aging treatments offered at spas and salons such as scrubs, facials, and alternative treatments. Salons and spas have responded to this increased demand by adding spa packages specifically for men and anti-aging.

Basics of Beautiful Skin!!

Your skin`s appearance is reflects your health and your lifestyle. Radiant, dewy and smooth skin indicates good habits. Congested, dull and roughly textured skin suggests the opposite. To keep your skin looking its best, it`s important to not only know the basics of skin care, but to understand the physiology of the skin.

Good Skin Begins with Good Health
Healthy skin glows. If you don`t get adequate nutrition or hydration, you skin will be dull and lifeless. Follow these suggestions for overall health:

· Drink at least 8 glasses of water each day to keep your skin and body hydrated.
· Make sure your diet is colorful--eat lots of fruits and vegetables
· Exercise consistently
· Get at least eight hours of sleep a night.
· Don`t smoke cigarettes

Cleanse, Treat, Moisturize and Protect

In addition to preserving your skin through healthy living, a basic skincare regimen is necessary. Take the time to develop a daily and nightly ritual that includes cleansing, treating, moisturizing and protecting. The products you use will depend on your individual skin type and/or condition.

Cleanse
Cleanse skin once or twice a day with the type of cleanser appropriate for your skin type. Cleansers should leave your skin clean and refreshed and prepared for treatment--they shouldn`t strip or dry the skin. Finish the cleansing process with a gentle toner to remove any lingering traces of makeup.

Treat

To target specific skin concerns, it`s necessary to treat your skin with active ingredients that penetrate the skin`s upper layers enough to make changes at the cellular level. Active ingredients that can change the skin`s structure include antioxidants like Vitamin C, AHAs and Retinoids.

Exfoliate

Exfoliation is another way to treat and refine the skin. Depending on your skin type and sensitivity level, you can exfoliate using scrubs, textured cloths, AHAs or BHAs. Exfoliating removes the upper layer of the skin (the stratum corneum layer of the epidermis) to reveal fresher skin. In the beginning, it`s best to be conservative to avoid over exfoliation.

Moisturize

Unless you have abnormally oily skin, it`s a good idea to moisturize daily. The role of moisturizer is to mimic healthy skin by introducing ingredients like antioxidants and water-binding agents. For dry skin, emollients like oils and fatty acids are necessary. It`s helpful to apply moisturizer directly after washing the skin to help seal in moisture.

Protect

No skincare regimen is complete without daily use of a broad-spectrum sunscreen. If you`re pressed for time, use a high-quality moisturizer with added SPF. Otherwise, wait 15 minutes after moisturizing to apply sunscreen.

Skin Physiology

The skin is comprised of three levels: the epidermis (surface), the dermis (cellular level), and the hypodermis (inner-most fatty layer). For basic skin care, we`re most concerned with the epidermis, because it`s most responsive to certain skin care treatments.

The dermis contains fibroblasts, which produce collagen and elastin. Collagen gives the skin its strength and smooth, plump appearance. Elastin keeps the skin resilient and elastic. Over time, the dermis stops producing both, leading to sagging and hollowed skin. It`s much more difficult to affect skin at the dermal level and only products with high concentrations of active ingredients stand a chance.

To keep skin looking youthful for as long as possible, try to preserve the healthy collagen you still have and prevent future damage. To do this, avoid UVA and UVB rays and prevent free radical damage. By adhering to a healthy lifestyle and a good skin care regimen, your skin can stay beautiful for a lifetime!

Dangerous Drugs discarded globally!!

Make a Check list, check weather this medicine is in our home or weather it has recommended by our doctor... pls do not use it!!!

India has become a dumping ground for banned drugs; also the business for production of banned drugs is booming. Plz make sure that u buy drugs only if prescribed by a doctor (Also, ask which company manufactures it, this would help to ensure that u get what is prescribed at the Drug Store) and that also from a reputed drug store. Not many people know about these banned drugs and consume them causing a lot of damage to themselves. We forward Jokes and other junk all the time. This is far more important.

DANGEROUS DRUGS HAVE BEEN GLOBALLY DISCARDED BUT ARE AVAILABLE IN INDIA. The most common ones are action 500 & Nimulid.

PHENYLPROPANOLAMINE: Cold and cough.
Reason for ban: Stroke.
Brand name: Vicks Action-500

ANALGIN: This is a pain-killer.
Reason for ban: Bone marrow depression.
Brand name: Novalgin

CISAPRIDE: Acidity, constipation.
Reason for ban : Irregular Heartbeat
Brand name : Ciza, Syspride

DROPERIDOL: Anti-depressant.
Reason for ban : Irregular heartbeat.
Brand name : Droperol

FURAZOLIDONE: Antidiarrhoeal.
Reason for ban : Cancer.
Brand name : Furoxone, Lomofen

NIMESULIDE: Painkiller, fever.
Reason for ban : Liver failure.
Brand name : Nise, Nimulid

NITROFURAZONE: Antibacterial cream.
Reason for ban : Cancer.
Brand name : Furacin

PHENOLPHTHALEIN: Laxative.
Reason for ban : Cancer.
Brand name : Agarol

OXYPHENBUTAZONE: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug.
Reason for ban : Bone marrow depression.
Brand name : Sioril

PIPERAZINE: Anti-worms.
Reason for ban : Nerve damage.
Brand name : Piperazine

QUINIODOCHLOR: Anti-diarrhoeal.
Reason for ban : Damage to sight.
Brand name: Enteroquinol

Dandruff:Causes, Prevention and Cure

Introduction
If dandruff is the only thing standing between you and a closet full of basic black, you're not alone. Many people have this chronic scalp disorder, which is marked by itching and excessive flaking of the scalp. Although dandruff isn't contagious and is rarely serious, it can be embarrassing and surprisingly persistent.

The good news is that dandruff can usually be controlled. Mild cases of dandruff may need nothing more than daily shampooing with a gentle cleanser. And stubborn flakes often respond to medicated shampoos. What's more, researchers have identified a yeast-like fungus that may cause or aggravate dandruff, a discovery that may lead to better treatments.

Signs and symptoms
For most people, the signs and symptoms of dandruff are unmistakable: white, oily looking flakes of dead skin that dot your hair and shoulders and an itchy, scaling scalp. But it's not quite that simple — many conditions cause excessive skin scaling, including:

Dry skin. Simple dry skin — the kind you get in winter when the air is cold and rooms are overheated — is by far the most common cause of itchy, flaking skin. But flakes from dry skin are generally smaller and less oily than those caused by dandruff.

Seborrheic dermatitis. This condition, a frequent cause of dandruff, is marked by red, greasy skin covered with flaky white or yellow scales. Seborrheic dermatitis affects not only your scalp but also other areas rich in oil glands, such as your eyebrows, the sides of your nose and the backs of your ears, your breastbone, your groin area, and sometimes your armpits.

Psoriasis. This skin disorder causes an accumulation of dead skin cells that form thick silvery scales. Psoriasis commonly occurs on your knees, elbows and trunk, but it can also affect your scalp.

Cradle cap (seborrheic dermatitis of the scalp). This disorder, which causes a scaling, crusty scalp, is most common in newborns, but it can occur anytime during infancy. Although it can be alarming for parents, cradle cap isn't dangerous and usually clears up on its own by the time a baby is a year old.

Contact dermatitis. Sometimes sensitivities to certain hair-care products or hair dyes can cause a red, itchy, scaling scalp.

Causes At one time or another, dandruff causes have been attributed to dry skin, oily skin, shampooing too often or not often enough, a poor diet, stress, and the use of too many fancy styling products. Although some of these factors may exacerbate or contribute to scalp flaking, the real culprit may be a fat-eating, yeast-like fungus called malassezia, formerly known as pityrosporum.

Malassezia lives on the scalps of most healthy adults without causing problems. But sometimes it grows out of control, feeding on the oils secreted by your hair follicles and causing irritation that leads to increased cell turnover. The result is a large number of dead skin cells. As the cells fall off, they tend to clump together with oil from your hair and scalp, making them appear white, flaky and all too visible.

Exactly what causes an overgrowth of these organisms isn't known, although increased oil production; hormonal fluctuations; stress; illness; neurological disorders, such as Parkinson's disease; a suppressed immune system; infrequent shampooing and extra sensitivity to the malassezia fungus may contribute to the development of dandruff.

Risk factors Almost any adult is a candidate for dandruff, but certain factors can make you more susceptible:

Age. Dandruff usually begins in young adulthood and continues through middle age. That doesn't mean older adults don't get dandruff, however. For some people, the problem can be lifelong.

Sex. Because more men than women have dandruff, some researchers think male hormones may play a role in dandruff. Men also have larger sebaceous glands that produce an oil called sebum.

Oily hair and scalp. Malassezia feeds on oils in your scalp. For that reason, having excessively oily skin and hair makes you more prone to dandruff.

Certain illnesses. For reasons that aren't clear, adults with neurological diseases, such as Parkinson's disease, are more likely to develop seborrheic dermatitis and dandruff. So are people recovering from stressful conditions, particularly heart attack and stroke, and those with compromised immune systems.

Treatment Dandruff is a chronic condition that can almost always be controlled, but dandruff treatment may take a little patience and persistence. In general, mild scaling can often be helped by daily cleansing with a gentle shampoo to reduce oiliness and cell buildup.

When regular shampoos fail, OTC dandruff shampoos may succeed. But dandruff shampoos aren't all alike, and you may need to experiment until you find one that works best for you. Dandruff shampoos are classified according to their active ingredient:

Zinc pyrithione shampoos (Selsun Salon, Head & Shoulders). These contain the antibacterial and antifungal agent zinc pyrithione, which has been shown to reduce the fungus that causes dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis.

Tar-based shampoos (Neutrogena T/Gel). Coal tar, a byproduct of the coal manufacturing process, helps conditions such as dandruff, seborrheic dermatitis and psoriasis by slowing cell turnover.

Shampoos containing salicylic acid (Ionil T). These "scalp scrubs" help eliminate scale, but they may leave your scalp dry, leading to more flaking. Using a conditioner after shampooing can help counter dryness.

Selenium sulfide shampoos (Selsun Blue). These shampoos help prevent cell turnover and may also reduce the number of malassezia. Because they can discolor blonde, gray or chemically colored hair, be sure to use them only as directed and to rinse well after shampooing.

Ketoconazole shampoos (Nizoral). The newest addition to the dandruff armamentarium, ketoconazole is a broad-spectrum antifungal agent that may work when other shampoos fail. It's available over-the-counter as well as by prescription.

Try using one of these shampoos daily until your dandruff is controlled, then cut back to two or three times a week. If one type of shampoo works for a time and then seems to lose its effectiveness, try alternating between two types of dandruff shampoos. Be sure to leave the shampoo on for at least five minutes — this allows the ingredients time to work.

If you've shampooed faithfully for several weeks and there's still a dusting of dandruff on your shoulders, talk to your doctor or dermatologist. You may need a prescription- strength shampoo or more aggressive treatment with a steroid lotion.

Self-care You can't prevent dandruff, but you can take steps to reduce your risk:

Learn to manage stress. Stress affects your overall health, making you susceptible to a number of conditions and diseases. It can even help trigger dandruff or exacerbate existing symptoms.

Shampoo often. If you tend to have an oily scalp, daily shampooing to remove the excess oil may help prevent dandruff.

Cut back on styling products. Hair sprays, styling gels, mousses and hair waxes can all build up on your hair and scalp, making them oilier.

Eat a healthy diet. A diet that provides enough zinc, B vitamins and essential fatty acid may help prevent dandruff.

Get a little sun. Sunlight may be good for dandruff. But because exposure to ultraviolet light damages your skin and increases your risk of skin cancer, don't sunbathe. Instead, just spend a little time outdoors. And be sure to wear sunscreen on your face and body.

Complementary and alternative medicine While there are many purported home remedies for dandruff, one therapy that seems to be effective is daily shampooing with tea tree oil. Tea tree oil, which is extracted from the leaves of the Australian tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) , has been used for centuries as an antiseptic, antibiotic and antifungal agent. It's now included in a number of shampoos found in natural foods stores. The oil is generally well tolerated but may cause allergic reactions in some people.

25 Reasons Why You Should Start Drinking Green Tea!!

Green tea has increasingly become a very popular drink worldwide because of its immensely powerful health benefits.It is extraordinarily amazing what green tea can do for your health.And if you're not drinking 3 to 4 cups of green tea today, you're definitely NOT doing your health a big favor.

Here Are The 25 Reasons Why You Should Start Drinking Green Tea Right Now:

1. Green Tea and Cancer Green tea helps reduce the risk of cancer. The antioxidant in green tea is 100 times more effective than vitamin C and 25 times better than vitamin E. This helps your body at protecting cells from damage believed to be linked to cancer.

2. Green Tea and Heart Disease Green tea helps prevent heart disease and stroke by lowering the level of cholesterol. Even after the heart attack, it prevents cell deaths and speeds up the recovery of heart cells.

3. Green Tea and Anti-Aging Green tea contains antioxidant known as polyphenols which fight against free radicals. What this means it helps you fight against aging and promotes longevity.

4. Green Tea and Weight Loss Green tea helps with your body weight loss. Green tea burns fat and boosts your metabolism rate naturally. It can help you burn up to 70 calories in just one day. That translates to 7 pounds in one year.

5. Green Tea and Skin Antioxidant in green tea protects the skin from the harmful effects of free radicals, which cause wrinkling and skin aging. Green tea also helps fight against skin cancer.

6. Green Tea and Arthritis Green tea can help prevent and reduce the risk of rheumatoid arthritis. Green tea has benefit for your health as it protects the cartilage by blocking the enzyme that destroys cartilage.

7. Green Tea and Bones The very key to this is high fluoride content found in green tea. It helps keep your bones strong. If you drink green tea every day, this will help you preserve your bone density.

8. Green Tea and Cholesterol Green tea can help lower cholesterol level. It also improves the ratio of good cholesterol to bad cholesterol, by reducing bad cholesterol level.

9. Green Tea and Obesity Green tea prevents obesity by stopping the movement of glucose in fat cells. If you are on a healthy diet, exercise regularly and drink green tea, it is unlikely you'll be obese.

10. Green Tea and Diabetes Green tea improves lipid and glucose metabolisms, prevents sharp increases in blood sugar level, and balances your metabolism rate.

11. Green Tea and Alzheimer's Green tea helps boost your memory. And although there's no cure for Alzheimer's, it helps slow the process of reduced acetylcholine in the brain, which leads to Alzheimer's.

12. Green Tea and Parkinson's Antioxidants in green tea helps prevent against cell damage in the brain, which could cause Parkinson's. People drinking green tea also are less likely to progress with Parkinson's.

13. Green Tea and Liver Disease Green tea helps prevent transplant failure in people with liver failure. Researches showed that green tea destroys harmful free radicals in fatty livers.

14. Green Tea and High Blood Pressure Green tea helps prevent high blood pressure. Drinking green tea helps keep your blood pressure down by repressing angiotensin, which leads to high blood pressure.

15. Green Tea and Food Poisoning Catechin found in green tea can kill bacteria which causes food poisoning and kills the toxins produced by those bacteria.

16. Green Tea and Blood Sugar Blood sugar tends to increase with age, but polyphenols and polysaccharides in green tea help lower your blood sugar level.

17. Green Tea and Immunity Polyphenols and flavenoids found in green tea help boost your immune system, making your health stronger in fighting against infections.

18. Green Tea and Cold and Flu Green tea prevents you from getting a cold or flu. Vitamin C in green tea helps you treat the flu and the common cold.

19. Green Tea and Asthma Theophylline in green tea relaxes the muscles which support the bronchial tubes, reducing the severity of asthma.

20. Green Tea and Ear Infection Green tea helps with ear infection problem. For natural ear cleaning, soak a cotton ball in green tea and clean the infected ear.

21. Green Tea and Herpes Green tea increases the effectiveness of topical interferon treatment of herpes. First green tea compress is applied, and then let the skin dry before the interferon treatment.

22. Green Tea and Tooth Decay Green tea destroys bacteria and viruses that cause many dental diseases.It also slows the growth of bacteria which leads to bad breath.

23. Green Tea and Stress L-theanine, which is a kind of amino acids in green tea, can help relieve stress and anxiety.

24. Green Tea and Allergies EGCG found in green tea relieves allergies. So, if you have allergies, you should really consider drinking green tea.

25. Green Tea and HIV Scientists in Japan have found that EGCG (Epigallocatechin Gallate) in green tea can stop HIV from binding to healthy immune cells.

What this means is that green tea can help stop the HIV virus from spreading.