Natural ways to support healthy cholesterol levels
Are you concerned about cholesterol? About 1 out of every 6 American adults may have elevated blood levels of LDL "bad" cholesterol. When you have too much of this necessary, fat-like substance in your blood, it can build up on your artery walls and put you at greater risk for more serious heart conditions. Sadly, there are no symptoms that suggest your cholesterol levels may not be in a normal range. And many people have never even had their cholesterol checked.
Need a little spring cleaning?
A buildup of toxins may be making you feel bad. Chemicals and other potentially harmful substances are in almost everything we breathe, eat, drink, or touch. We also produce internal toxins during normal processes of digestion, waste elimination, stress, and combating infection. Normally the body is quite efficient at removing these unwanted substances, but not always. Unhealthy lifestyle habits, such as a poor diet and lack of regular exercise, can negatively affect the body's detoxification processes. Excess toxin exposureor a buildup due to impaired detoxification activities in the bodycan lead to seemingly unrelated symptoms: fatigue, malaise, irritability, mood swings, bloating, insomnia, headaches, and muscle/joint aches and pains.
CoQ10, healthy aging, and you
CoQ10 levels decline with age and other factors. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) or ubiquinone is a vitamin-like, antioxidant compound necessary for you bodys cells to produce energy. This makes CoQ10 especially important in areas like the continually pumping heart. Although your body makes most of the CoQ10 it needs, production gradually slows after age 20. By age 40, CoQ10 levels in the heart may decline by 32% Furthermore, certain medicationsincluding diuretics and statins (for cholesterol)also reduce CoQ10.
Build a Better Foundation with a Personal Touch
Everyone's daily nutritional regimen shouldn't be the same. Though adults may share similar intake requirements (RDIs) of essential vitamins/minerals, it's clear that a "one size fits all" approach to daily nutritional supplementation falls short of what many individuals require. For example, it's difficult or impossible to combine significant levels of health-promoting fish oils and beneficial nutrients in the same delivery system, such as a single tablet. But even packet products that combine a daily multi and a concentrated omega-3 supplement may fail to provide forward-thinking foundation nutritionor personalized support.
How do you respond to stress?
Not everyone responds to stress in the same way. Your personal stress triggers (stressors) and how you respond to them are unique. Each stress response type has its own intensity, symptoms, and characteristics. Temporary stress might make you feel wired or anxious. And a prolonged stress response may make you feel weak, tired, or emotionally exhausted. But no matter how you react to stress, it's important to bolster your body's ability to manage both short- and long-term stress.
Rethink Your Daily Multivitamin/Mineral
Get more than just vitamins and minerals. Plant-based foodsincluding fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, herbs, spices, oils, and grainsprovide more than macronutrients (protein, fats, and carbohydrates/fiber) and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals). Plants are also a source of thousands of bioactive secondary metabolites called phytonutrients that are known to support the body in multiple ways. Eating plans that include a number of plant foods rich in phytonutrients, like the traditional Mediterranean diet, are associated with increased health and longevity.
Timely Relief for Heartburn
Year-end celebrations may lead to minor gastric discomforts. In fact, all year long an estimated 25% of people in western countries suffer from a variety of digestive symptoms including occasional indigestion or heartburn, mild nausea, upset stomach, bloating, belching, and burping. But many year-end gatherings and pressures can increase factors that can add to underlying digestive distress: spicy foods, larger portions, increased stress from work or family, reduced exercise, and eating less healthy choices on the go.