The Number Game That May Save Your Life

In 1951 the Pentagon sent a pathologist to Korea to autopsy around 2000 soldiers. It was discovered then that high cholesterol begins to be a health issue much earlier than originally assumed. After all, over 75% of these soldiers were just 21 and up until then it had (wrongly) been assumed that artery clogging deposits were only found in older men, say of at least 35 years of age!

Our bodies manufacture cholesterol, both good and bad, but where does it get the ingredients?

About ¼ of our manufactured cholesterol comes from the food we eat. Our liver makes more cholesterol when it senses that the body is getting low. There is a demand for cholesterol to synthesize sex hormones. Some people will just slow down production when it is not required while others will end up with elevated LDL levels and their cholesterol will be found throughout the blood stream.

The process of heart disease begins with yellow deposits of plaque on the artery walls. Shortly after, a waxy substance builds up in the blood. The major contributor to this process is cholesterol.

Lowering your cholesterol levels by 1% will decrease your risk of heart attack by 2!

Total cholesterol should be less than 200. But just to be clear, there are two main cholesterol numbers to keep in mind:

LDL – low density lipoproteins: These increase the risks of heart attack, and should be less than 100.

HDL – high density lipoproteins: These decreases the risk of heart attack, and should read at above 40 for women and 50 for men

The best ways to increase HDL:

(Increasing your HDL will simultaneously lower your LDL)

• Exercise for at least 20- 30 minutes at least 3 times a week.
• Lose excess belly weight.
• Replace bad fats with good fats. Avoid cakes, cookies, processed foods, white breads, pastas, hydrogenated oils, deep fried fast food and so forth.
• Eat healthy foods containing natural fats such as seeds, nuts, fish oils, safflower oil, whole grain breads, brown rice, fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Increase fiber in the diet such as flax seeds, oatmeal, and whole grains.
• If you don’t smoke, don’t start. If you do, stop! Smoking increases the bad cholesterol while decreasing the good cholesterol simultaneously.
• Take advantage of natural herbs and supplements.

Let’s take a look at some of the natural herbs and supplements that assist in lowering cholesterol:

Artichoke Leaf Extract

Fenugreek

Flax seed

Garlic

Ginger

Lecithin

Phytosterols

Policosanal

Red Yeast Rice

Vitamin B5

Yucca

Change your numbers by changing your lifestyle

Replace your chips with nuts, your current cooking oil with safflower oil, soda pop with water, your white bread with whole grain, white rice with brown, white potatoes with sweet and red meat with white meat. Now exchange one half hour of television time with exercise time and watch not only your cholesterol numbers go down, but also your blood pressure.

Please have regular doctor’s visits and get your labs drawn routinely to monitor your cholesterol levels. Lowering your cholesterol could very well save your life.

Thanks to this informative article written by Ms. Judy  SheldonWalker

Bike Riding as a Family

Hubby and I agreed that for Mother's Day and Father's Day celebrations, we will get each other a bike so we can ride with the kids.  This is a great way  for the  whole family to stay fit.  It has been years since I last rode a bike so it was weird at first but I am gad, I haven't forgotten it yet.  We are so lucky to live in a neighborhood where  there are   big  spaces.  We always go at the  school and by the church's parking lot.  The Burritos are still in training wheels, they are not ready to  give it up yet lol.

Hubby has been doing his brisk walking every morning as part of his work out.  He also take  consideration of my suggestion start drinking water instead of pure iced tea.

Sun and Sand

 Sun and sand  are a great duo specially if you are on the beach.  I miss walking in a sandy shore while waiting for the sun to come down.  Watching the sun set is one of  the many things I miss back home.

But since we are very far from the beach,  a sandbox  is a great option for our son and daughter.

Have a great week ahead!

Help Your Kids Settle In School

School can be difficult for many kids. It’s not just about going into an unfamiliar setting (for first-timers) it’s also about finding who they are against the backdrop of stronger and more pushy personalities. School is not just about the challenges of learning new things and mastering new skills, it’s about getting used to a different routine and abiding by a different set of laws. School can be challenging for kids because they view it as a separation from the people who love them and support them unconditionally.

This is why it behoves the parent to prepare children for school. First time school goers need more preparation, naturally. However, even kids who’ve been to school before need some assurance after being away for so long. Here are some ways we can make sure our new school goers are getting the best from school and developing as they should be.

Allow them to express their fears and concerns

You won’t know what your kids are thinking about school unless you ask them. Children bear all sorts of unfounded fears and anxieties – ones you will never imagine even if you try to. This is why it’s important to ask them about what they’re thinking. If they’re worried or concerned about something and can’t express it, have them draw their feelings on a piece of paper. Use this paper as a spring board for a discussion. Allay their fears and talk about all aspects of what they’re imagining. Ask them what will happen if… Explain what can and can’t happen in a school scenario. Encourage them to ask you questions about your school days and tell them happy stories about your childhood and the days you spent in school.

Act out a school day

If you think your kids are anxious when they arrive home from school, a good way to find out why this is so is to act out the school day. If they’re anxious before even setting foot in school, act out an ‘imaginary’ day at school. Get the members of your family together. Have your child be the teacher. You be him or her and sit at a ‘desk’. Have someone else be a friend, and ask another person to be the big boy/girl in the class. This way you have a teacher, your kid, a child your son/daughter may see as a threat, and a classroom.

Your child (the teacher) has the power to guide the workings of the make-belief class. This will show you all you need to know and will definitely reveal to you, why your child is anxious. He/she has to tell everyone how to behave. Any shouting or telling off that occurs should give you an indication of what may be happening in his/her life at school. This will give you an opportunity to address and nip it in the bud.

Give your kids the best start to each day

Your kids need complete rest each night before a school day. This makes them restful, less anxious, less tired and less inclined to misbehave and get into trouble. A child that gets into trouble loses confidence in himself/herself.

Hug your child and tell him/her you love them in the morning when they leave for school. This boosts their confidence for the entire day and gives them some ammunition to face the day’s joys and hardships.

Give your child a healthy breakfast. Sugary foods and acidic drinks only make them agitated and less able to concentrate.

What other ways do you help your kids settle in school?

Anne Lyken-Garner, the writer of this post is the author of the inspiring book, ‘How to Raise Kids To Be Responsible Adults’ and writes about building confidence at her blog, ‘How To Build Confidence’. 

Nature Trekking

 We pre-celebrated my birthday yesterday.  We decided to go on a picnic   at Raccoon Creek,  PA.

The Burritos swam first and then we went for a short hike  after we ate.

 It was a fun celebration  with just the four of us.  Nature trekking is one of our favorite outdoor activity as a family.  

They made fun of me  when we were hiking because an inch worm crawl into me  and  I freaked out.  Oh gosh, I can hold  certain spider but not any type of worm, ewww.  I certainly don't like  worms!