Smart Sugars and Your Cholesterol

What's a person to do? People are confused by what is good and what is bad. We hear about, "Good fats and bad fats; Good cholesterol and bad cholesterol; Good sugars and bad sugars; Good vitamins and bad vitamins; Good Omegas and not so good Omegas." Now, I learn flax seed Omega-3 is good but absorbable less than 1% by the human body and most vitamins are made from coal tar and petroleum. What's a guy to do?

Ignorance, lies and deceptions are not just in politics; these villains are quite alive in healthcare. My objective is to learn what is best for the human body and let the chips fall where they may. If it is good for your body, brain, and mind, we all need to know about it and take action on it.

First, we (that's everybody) are ignorant in most things. It may be that medical science has not yet caught up with understanding cholesterol. Instead of thinking "Good vs. Bad" perhaps we should think both are Good and Best when there is more HDL and less LDL.

Cholesterol is an important fat in your body partially because it is actually the precursor to your leading hormones. Total cholesterol includes LDL (low-density lipoprotein) and HDL (high-density lipoprotein).

Why is HDL "Good cholesterol" and LDL "Bad cholesterol"? LDL is considered "Bad" because it can build up in the arteries where it slows or blocks blood flow. This is where it earned the reputation as a major cause for heart disease. And, one reason HDL is the "Good cholesterol" is that it can remove LDL. You can remember the HDL as Hero and the LDL as Lethal.

How Whey Protein Helps in Your Weight Loss Program

Research into using whey protein for weight loss indicates that protein influences the feeling of fullness. This reduces the temptation to snack in between meals.

Whey is a by-product obtained during the cheese making process. It is a liquid containing protein, lactose, minerals, and a small amount of fat.

Before processing, whey has a relatively low protein content. But by efficient filtering most of the lactose and fat are removed. The next stage is to spray-dry the filtered whey, which yields a powder rich in protein. The powdered protein is a convenient way to use whey protein for weight loss.

There are three main types of whey supplements available:

• Whey Concentrate
• Whey Isolate
• Whey Hydrolyze

Each type undergoes a different processing procedure. And the more complicated the processing, the more expensive the powder.

The concentrate is the cheapest type with the lowest percentage of protein content, but with the highest amounts of fat and lactose.

By using better quality filtration more fat and lactose can be removed from the liquid whey, resulting in a powder with a higher protein content. This better quality protein powder is known as whey isolate. The isolate is more expensive.

But blends of concentrate and isolate powders are available, which have an improved protein content compared with the cheaper whey concentrate. These blends are cheaper than the pure whey isolate powder, but have a lower protein content.

The hydrolyze, which is a pre-digested form of whey protein, is the most expensive because it needs more processing.

Hormones and Hunger Signals

Hunger and the amount you are able to eat before feeling full are controlled by hormones, psychological factors and physiological needs. Secretion of the hormone cholecystokinin in the intestine is stimulated, when partly digested fat or protein enters the part of the small intestine closest to the stomach. This hormone stimulates receptors distributed throughout the central nervous system, resulting in a feeling of fullness. Because of its high protein content, a whey supplement is able to delay the desire for food through the actions of cholecystokinin on the nervous system. This stops the craving for snacks and drinks rich in sugar, but lacking in nutrients, which sabotages any attempts to lose weight.

Whey Protein and Insulin

Experiments show that not only do animals fed on whey protein lose weight because of its appetite satisfying qualities, but their insulin sensitivity increases, producing healthy blood sugar levels.

How to Properly Dispose of Unused Medication

Prescription drugs are meant for a specific purpose, i.e., to aid you in effective treatment for a particular condition. The problem arises when you have regained your health and do not find the need to pop them again. It is a common phenomenon to find surplus medication lying in a corner of the medical kit/cabinet, invariably becoming toxic waste. The major hurdle most face is the question of safely disposing the medicines that are no longer useful or have exceeded their shelf life.

In order to minimize the risk of drug abuse and poisoning, the Secure and Responsible Drug Disposal Act came into being in 2010. This act seeks to reduce the risks of unused medicines and expired medicines by conducting national drug take-back programs. Medicines that aren't used and disposed in an improper method can contribute to the accumulation of toxic waste, and thereby contribute to the degradation of the environment.

Why is this such a major concern? Well, there is proof that water bodies contain some amounts of over-the-counter drugs that are generally flushed or drained down a sink. These drugs remain in the water as water treatment plants aren't designed to remove them, and eventually result in ecological harm.

Safe Disposal of Unused Medicines

Here are a few ways you can get rid of unused prescription or expired medication without letting it affect your environment and loved ones.

Drug Take-Back Programs
Community or national drug take-back programs collect unused and expired medication to safely dispose them off. Those of you who are worried of medicine misuse and abuse can contact your local pharmacy to ask if they take back unused medicines. It is also best to ask for community take-back programs that collect the prescribed medicines at a central location. The expired medicines can then be disposed, while unused medicines can be recycled or else donated to those who are in need of the medication. You will find a number of organizations who collect unused medicines that can be donated to Third World countries. The Drug Enforcement Administration, a component of the U.S. Department of Justice sponsors National Drug Take-back Days in the US. The next drug take-back day will be conducted on September 29, 2012. You can even call your local trash service or the local hospital who can collect the medicines and incinerate it.

Healthy Food Tips: Smart Ways to Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth

Recent studies indicate that humans have an innate preference for the taste of sugar. If you're like most people, then you haven't quite figured out how to satisfy your sweet tooth without ruining your diet. The good news is that there are plenty of snacks and sweet treats that can be part of a balanced diet if enjoyed in moderation. You can have your favorite cake and eat it too, as long as you don't go overboard. The following substitutes have an amazing taste and are much more wholesome for you than their junk food counterparts:

Eat Dark Chocolate

If you are craving for chocolate, go ahead and get some - but make sure it's dark chocolate. Researchers have found that dark chocolate is rich in flavonoids and antioxidants. Some varieties are loaded with calcium and probiotics. Dark chocolate supports cardiovascular health and increases your energy levels.

Get Some Yogurt

Plain yogurt can be sweetened with jam or honey, or combined with granola, cereals, and chopped fruit. Greek yogurt brands are very delicious and filling. If you are looking for a creamy treat, combine some low fat yogurt with a high-fiber fruit, flaxseed, and ground nuts. Add blueberries and raspberries for extra fiber. You may also use crushed graham cracker crumbs and vanilla yogurt.

Pudding Is a Great Choice

Pudding is an excellent source of calcium and protein. You can make pudding at home or buy it from the cafeteria. Individual pudding packs are low in calories and come in all sorts of flavors. If you are trying to lose weight, you can opt for sugar free varieties.

Benefits of Natural Chelation Therapy

Molecules of certain compounds have the ability of forming more than one bond with a metal ion. Such compounds are known as chelating agents which form a stable ion complex. The soluble complex formed is known as a chelate, in which the metal ions forming the complex get inactivated, thereby failing to undergo their normal reaction with other ions. This ability of chelating agents of forming complex molecules with metal ions is used in Chelation therapy. This therapy was first used during World War I, to diffuse the effects of poison gas containing the heavy metal - arsenic. However, the chelating agent used for treatment showed up severe side effects. Medical advancement lead to the development of chelating agents which were safe, effective and beneficial. Various benefits associated with this therapy are discussed below.

Removal of Heavy Metals
Heavy metal poisoning is very dangerous and can prove to be fatal. Chelation therapy is carried out to treat heavy metal intoxication in the body. Chelating compounds are administered into the body orally, intravenously or intramuscularly. These compounds form chelates with toxic metal ions, forming soluble complexes, which are excreted out of the body via urine after going through filtration in the kidneys. Metals like mercury, iron, lead, zinc and copper can lead to organ failure which is why, their removal becomes essential.

Reduction of Free Radicals
The production of free radicals in the human body is not acceptable. Free radicals cause aging, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, oxygen deficiency due to which cells deteriorate. Heavy metals lead to the production of free radicals in the body which are controlled by administering chelating agents which remove these metals from the body. Free radical reduction ultimately leads to cell repair and healthy body.

Reduction in Blood Stickiness
Chelation therapy using ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) is thought to reduce the formation of blood platelets. Reduced platelet content makes the blood more fluid which is capable of easily passing through partially blocked or narrow arteries.

Removal of Unwanted Calcium
Hardening of arteries is caused due to the deposition of plaque in the blood vessels. Plaque formation greatly reduces the efficiency of the heart. Calcium is one of the constituents of plaque, which is required to be removed. Use of chelating agents reduces calcium content of the plaque, making it softer thereby, depleting its layers from the blood vessels. Chelation therapy has proved its utility in some cases of heart diseases. Even then, the American Heart Association does not recommend it for the treatment of heart-related problems.