Start by moving from white grains (such as white flour, rice, etc.) to whole grains, which are known for their ability to help keep your blood pressure in check.Whole grains like rye, barley, and oats are great blood pressure diet choices.These help control your insulin levels and also keep your weight down. Reduced weight also helps in stopping high blood pressure.

Switch to fruits and vegetables from the packages meals from the freezer isle. . You’ve probably heard this advice many times by now, but it’s still true. Vegetables and fruit are high in fiber and are an excellent source of vitamins and minerals.Unlike other junk foods that cause deposition of fat on your blood vessels, fruits and plants are healthy and don’t strain your body.

The salt content in your meals must also fall to just about nil. Consumption of salt keeps blood pressure high and, if you consume too much of it over the long term there can be problems in addition to high blood pressure. Lower the amount of salt you use in cooking. Cut down on the processed or packed foods, because they use plenty of salt (basically sodium.). Too much salt or sodium means tends to mean too high blood pressure!

Things to avoid.

Alcohol tops the list of things that you need to avoid to keep your blood pressure in control. Consumption of too much alcohol damages the walls of blood vessels,which pushes up your blood pressure further. One suggest ion is to limit alcohol consumption to two drinks a day for men and one drink for women. Red wine, in limited quantities, is sometimes recommended for its antioxidant properties, but if you drink too much the hazard from the achohol will outweight the benefits of the antioxidants.

As mentioned above, salt should be avoided by those seriously looking to lower their blood pressure. Ideally you should cut the amount of salt you use while preparing your daily meals. Also, refrain from eating salt rich packed and processed foods such as chips, nachos, and wafers as they contain major amounts of sodium.

Do you smoke? Your high blood pressure suggests that it is time for you to quit smoking. Chain smokers are known to have raised blood pressure and a heavy risk of heart attack and stroke.

Don’t become a statistic. Quit smoking, eat right, exercise regularly, and your heart and arteries will thank you.

Cholesterol is a white, waxy material that has been implicated in a variety of heart conditions, but it is also essential to the proper functioning of your body.

Much of the food that we eat already contains some cholesterol, but it is also manufactured by the liver cells.  It is essential that each of us gets a certain amount of cholesterol in order for us to function at our best.  Not only is cholesterol an important component of cell walls it is an essential ingredient for the manufacture of many vital hormones.

For the bulk of normal individuals, about 20 to 25 percent of their cholesterol comes from the food they eat, and the remaining 70 to 75 percent is made in their liver.  Since you have far more control over what you eat than what your liver is producing choosing a balanced diet that is rich in cholesterol lowering foods is a must for those who have too much of the stuff in their systems. .

Why would we have too much cholesterol? An individual can have higher than normal cholesterol levels for a number of different reasons.

• Because of genetic differences, or abnormalities, it is possible that some individuals could have higher cholesterol production from their livers,   or a decreased capacity to get rid of the cholesterol that they already have.
• Some medications cause cholesterol elevations.
• A leading cause of high cholesterol is also related to people’s dietary choices and opting for an over-abundance of milk, meats, and cheeses which are high in cholesterol.

In the liver cholesterol combines with proteins and fats into particles that move through the blood. These particles are called ‘Lipoproteins’, and it is these which carry the cholesterol from its production site in the liver to the other parts of the body. They then bring it back again for removal from the body. So your goal to reduce high cholesterol is greatly aided by your bodies natural processes.

(There are two different types of lipoproteins that you should be aware of: LDL Cholesterol (LDL – Low Density Liporoteins) LDL can generally be considered the ‘Bad’ Cholesterol. The other is HDL Cholesterol or HDL. HDL is good for you, and is considered to be “Good Cholesterol.”)

The message here, of course, is that reducing high cholesterol is not only simple, but very achievable. Since diet does play a part in reducing one’s cholesterol levels (and in so many other things) you should look into the Urban Kitchen, the ultimate healthy eating guide. By the way, one of the bonuses to that book is an interview with a medical doctor who has an alternative view of cholesterol.

It is amazing how little you need to change your life! If you increase your oxygen uptake with 20% you body becomes 15 years younger.

When I first read that I pictured myself for hour and hours in the running track. But if you give it all you’ve got you increase your oxygen uptake very fast. Just 15 min a week has a significant effect on your lungs, heart and blood circulation.

Here’s the rest: 15 Years Younger in Just 15 min a Week

We have two feet of snow on the ground. Shoveling the stuff is great exercise.