Good Cholesterol (HDL) v/s Bad Cholesterol (LDL)

Cholesterol is associated with Heart Diseases. Not all cholesterol is bad. 

There are two types of cholesterol - 

LDL and HDL that affects the body negatively and positively  respectively.

1 # LDL: Low Density Lipoprotien is Bad Cholesterol

# LDL: If the amount of LDL is high and cholesterol gets deposited in your arteries, it is bad for you as it could make the arteries narrower.

Levels of LDL: 

The level of cholesterol is determined by a blood test done after 12 hours of fasting.

LDL: 160 - 189 mg/dL

Boderline LDL: 130 - 159 mg/dL

Sources of LDL

Saturated fats like butter, cheese, coconut oil, cream, egg yolks, poultry skin, red meat and whole milk.

Health risk associated with LDL 

LDL is responsible for angina, heart attacks, heart failure, stroke or kidney diseases.

2# HDL: High Density Lipoprotien is Good Cholesterol

# HDL: HDL transports the cholesterol back to the liver from tissues and prevents deposition in the arteries and hence is good.

Levels of HDL 

                                              Men:        above 40 mg/dL

                                              Women: above 50 mg/dL

# Sources of HDL

Almonds, canola oil, cashews, hazelnuts, olive oil , peanut butter, peanut oil, sunflower oil, avocados, soya bean and soya bean oil, walnuts, corn oil, tuna, pumpkin seeds etc. are good sources of MUFA and PUFA. Poultry without skin and fish are low in cholesterol. Cereals, fresh fruit, and vegetables contain no cholesterol.

# Health benefits of HDL Cholesterol

HDL reduces the build up of cholesterol in the blood vessels, hence helps prevent artherosclerosis and its complications. HDL reduces the risk of heart diseases, and those health problems associated with LDL.

Daily Meditation improve your Health

Meditation is simple, important technique and it can improve your health.

Health Benefits of Meditation

# Stress: Meditation can help prevent stress and slowly release pent up stress.

# Sensory Organs: Meditation opens up your senses and makes your five senses receptive.

# Reduce Anger: While reducing stress, meditation also reduces anger.

# Make Better Decision: With daily meditation, you have a calm approach and sharpened alertness and you are now better equipped to make better decisions.

# Sense of Completeness: With reduced anger, low stress levels and increased capacity at work, you will feel you can complete a lot more in your day. With a clear mind, you can think of ways objectively.

# Happiness: All these positive traits will only heighten your sense of happiness. Daily meditation ensures to fight stress and control rage hence releases happiness hormones.

# Sleep: Relaxation from daily meditation helps you fall asleep quickly and naturally. Since your mind is clear of worried thoughts you can easily fall asleep, peacefully.

Meditation

• Letting go of the anger from the past
• Letting go of the events of the past
• Letting go of all the planning for the future
• Accepting this moment
• Living every moment totally - with depth

Meditation Technique

1# Find a quiet and isolated place away from distractions.

2# Sit crossed legged on the floor and relax your hands on your knees.

3# Gently close your eyes and inhale slowly (short breathes). But you need to inhale from your nose and exhale from your mouth.

4# Slowly increase the capacity of oxygen; this will help rejuvenate the lungs.

5# Pay attention to every breathe you take.

6# You can also play slow instrumental music to help you focus and calm our senses.

Health Benefits of Apple Juice

An Apple a day keeps the doctor away

Health Benefits of Apple Juice 

# 1  Reduces Heart Risk

Drinking a glass of apple juice helps prevent cholesterol formation in your blood vessels and arteries. This further helps in reducing the risk of developing two major causes of heart diseases-high cholesterol and plaques in the arteries.

# 2  Improves Digestion

A glass of raw apple juice helps to clean the liver and kidneys by removing harmful toxins. Due to its cleansing properties, it helps you achieve a cleaner digestive system and you are better protected against liver and kidney diseases.

# 3  Helps in Weight Loss

If you are trying to shed some weight, then add apple juice to your diet. Apple juice is completely free of calories and fat and can lower cholesterol.

# 4  Provides Energy

A glass of apple juice is packed with various essential nutrients like vitamin A, vitamin C, Vitamin E, vitamin K and folate. Due to their richness in all these nutrients, it helps to pack your body with lots of energy.

# 5  Lowers the Risk of Dementia

Drinking apple juice regularly helps lower the risk of dementia in older people. Apple juice also slows down brain ageing and helps keep it sharp for a longer time.

# 6  Improves Vision

Apple juice is rich in vitamin A, which helps in improve eye health. Vitamin A helps protect your eyes from eye diseases and keeps your vision sharp.

Health Benefits of Carrot

Eating carrots are good for your eyes, they also promote healthy skin, delay ageing and even prevent cancer. Carrots are commonly found in orange colour. But they are also available in yellow, red, white and purple.

# Carrots help reduce the risk of lung, breast and colon cancer.

# The beta-carotene in carrots is converted to vitamin A in the liver, which is then transformed in your retina, to rhodopsin — a pigment that improves night vision. Beta-carotene is also known to protect against macular degeneration and senile cataracts.

# Carrots help slow down the ageing of cells and also work as an anti-oxidant.

# To improve the quality of your skin, vitamin A present in carrots protects your skin from sun damage and even prevents premature pigmentation, wrinkling, dry skin, acne and uneven skin tone.

# Boiled or mashed carrots can be used on cuts and bruises to prevent infection.

Health Benefits of Cloves

Clove is an easy home remedy for several health ailments. 

Health Benefits of Cloves

Cloves are dried buds of the clove tree which has medicinal properties due to its anti-bacterial properties and antiseptic properties. Health benefits of cloves are derived from these medicinal properties.

# Bad Breath

Cloves are a good solution to bad breathe. It is also an ingredient in herbal toothpaste as it fights toothache and prevents bad breathe. Place a clove where the tooth aches.

#Blood Circulation 

The oil extracted from cloves helps improve blood circulation, which is important for the proper functioning of the organs and the cells. Clove oil nourishes the skin too when applied externally. Clove oil can also improve the immune system by purifying the blood.

# Metabolism 

Cloves help to stimulate metabolism which can be an addition on for your weight loss programme.

# Digestion 

Spices should be avoided to resolve digestive disorders, but clove can help you ease digestion and reduce your chances of a build up of flatulence.

#Relief from Cough 

Since cloves have anti-bacterial properties, it can fight coughs. Add few cloves to your tea to relieve yourself from a cough.

# Muscle Spasm 

Cloves help you reduce muscle spasms and help ease out the muscles during cramps.

# Anti-oxidants 

This herb contains beneficial anti-oxidants can fight free radicals and help prevent skin damage.

# Anti-septic Purpose 

Due to cloves ability to fight bacteria & germs, cloves is a good home remedy for infections, burns and wounds.

Health Benefits of Papaya

Papaya is excellent for the human body. Eating papaya can help you and keep you healthy and strong.

Papayas are a power fruit. Papaya is not only a delicious fruit to eat, it also contains abundant health benefits and medicinal value. Papaya can be eaten as a fruit, a smoothie or even a milkshake. 

Papaya contains natural fiber, carotene, vitamin C and essential minerals. Papaya is rich in Vitamin A, Calcium and is a good source of Potassium. Papayas also contain enzymes like arginine and carpain.  

Arginine is essential for male fertility and carpain is considered to be good for the heart.

# Papaya for the Skin 

A papaya face pack can also be made using the fruit. Papaya is a product from nature which is used in many skin lightening creams. Many of the lotions or creams which are used to make the face lighter or fairer contain papaya as an ingredient. Papaya also helps in getting rid of acne because when papaya is applied as a face pack it helps to open the pores. Papaya makes the skin glow. Papaya contains the enzyme papain which helps to dissolve dead skin , thus imparting a fresh and clean glow to the face. 

# Anti-oxidants in Papaya 

Papaya is a fruit high in fiber which lowers cholesterol levels. Papaya contains antioxidants which prevents the cholesterol from oxidizing. When cholesterol in the body gets oxidized, it can lead to heart-attacks. The anti-oxidants in papaya also help in controlling premature ageing, which helps to give a young look.

Health Benefits of Papaya

• Papaya contains a high amount of potassium and the flesh of papaya is very high in Vitamin A. 

• Papaya seeds and leaves are useful in treating intestinal worms found in the body. 

• Papaya helps prevent constipation and also aid in digestion. Papaya contains the protein called papain which is a digestive enzyme that helps in natural digestion process. 

• Papaya juice helps in alleviating infections of the colon by clearing away the infection, pus and mucus. Regular consumption will help in improving the problem. 

• The skin of papaya is excellent for treating skin wounds and places that do not heal quickly. 

• Papaya is low in calories and high in nutritive value hence it is an excellent food for those on a diet. 

• Regularly consuming papaya helps to relieve morning sickness and nausea. 

• Papaya has anti-inflammatory properties and anti-cancerous properties. The anti-inflammatory properties in papaya will help reduce pain for those suffering from arthritis, edema and osteoporosis. 

• Papaya is very good for those who frequently suffer from cold, cough or flu because intake of papaya boosts the immune system. The high concentration of Vitamin C and Vitamin A contained in papaya is very beneficial to strengthen the immune system. 

• Papaya is also very good for the hair and helps in controlling dandruff. Papaya shampoos are good for the hair and are available in many health stores. 

• Raw papaya also helps in reducing menstrual irregularities for women. Papaya helps to ease the condition by promoting natural flow of menstruation. 

• Papaya cleans the stomach and studies have shown that papaya alone eaten for 3 to 4 days has a highly beneficial tonic effect upon the stomach and intestines.

All the parts of the papaya fruit are useful and beneficial. Right from the seeds to the papaya leaves and the flesh of the fruit, all of it has some value. Both the inside and the outside of the fruit can be utilized .Thus no part of the fruit is useless or goes as a waste 

Papaya is great because along with savouring the taste you are also ingesting all the benefits associated with eating the fruit, which will result in good health.

Health Benefits of Surya Namaskara

Suryanamaskar is the Indian ritual of saluting the sun comprises a rhythmic combination of yogic postures and breathing exercises.

The complete series 12 basic postures performed in cyclical pattern to benefit all three levels of human consciousness: 

• Physical, 
• Mental 
• Spiritual 

The true significance and impact of each position, the entire series should be broken down and practiced one posture at a time. 

The health benefits of this whole body workout aasan are as follows:

1# Pranam Asana

This pose induces a state of concentration and calmness. This is a pose where one meditates to the Sun God.

2 # Hastautthan Asana

It helps in stretching the whole body. It helps correct the spinal arch and also improves the integrity of the spine. Try and reach as high as you can to get a better stretch.

3# Padahasta Asana

This asana helps in reducing excess weight in the abdominal region. Helps in eliminating bloating, improves digestion and helps to remove constipation. Practicing this asana improves blood circulation, makes spine supple and tones spiral nerves. This asana helps inculcate the bhava (attitude) of humility.

4# Ashwa-Sanchalan Asana 

This asana improves the overall health of the body and strengthens the back, abdomen and thigh muscles. Promotes mobility of the knee joints, strengthens the body to maintain good posture and prevent back problems. As there is a stretch on the neck , it is also beneficial to the functioning of the thyroid gland.

5# Adho Mukha Svanasana 

This asana helps in boosting one's self confidence. Because of the increased blood flow to the upper body and the shoulder stand it helps in improving brain function and reduce anxiety and depression. Strengthens and tones the arms and legs. Also helps in lengthening the spine.

6# Ashtang Namaskar 

This pose besides strengthening the leg and arm muscles develops the chest and gives flexibility to the region of spine between the shoulder blades.

7# Urdhva Mukha Svanasana  

This pose keeps the spine supple, improving circulation in the back region and toning the spinal nerves. It tones and stimulates the abdominal muscles and organs. Stretches muscles of the chest and shoulder. Also increases lung capacity and relieves asthma.