Not all cholesterol is bad for your health. HDL (High-density lipoprotein) is also known as “good” cholesterol, and this type of cholesterol is actually better for your health. High HDL cholesterol levels in your body will help to carry cholesterol from the arteries to the liver, which in turn, helps in excreting it from the body. Also, if your HDL cholesterol level is high, you face a lower risk of heart disease. Moreover, high levels of high-density lipoprotein have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, which are great for your health. To check your cholesterol levels, you need to go for a blood test. Most healthcare professionals recommend having a minimum blood cholesterol levels of 50 mg/dl in women, and for men, the minimum level is 40 mg/dl. If the HDL level is lower than this, your LDL level might build up, increasing the risk of heart diseases. If you have high LDL cholesterol levels, then treatment is necessary to lower the risk of a stroke or heart attack. Thus, to lead a fit and healthy life, maintaining the right levels of HDL is vital. If you are wondering how to treat high LDL cholesterol levels or how to raise HDL cholesterol levels, then you can go through these effective and healthy tips. Follow a ketogenic or low-carb diet A ketogenic and low-carb diet provides several health benefits such as reduced sugar levels in the blood and weight loss. If you are looking for ways to raise the levels of good cholesterol, you need to maintain a healthy weight. Losing a few extra pounds can go a long way in increasing your HDL cholesterol levels. You need to control your eating habits too. Along with having low-carb foods, try to include polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats in your diet. These fats are mostly available in tuna or salmon fish, nuts, and plants.

With so many aging products and wrinkle free creams being advertised every second in ads, people have become more conscious about aging than they were a decade back. That is when the Botox surgery comes into the picture. A lot of women these days are getting injected to get rid of the wrinkles on the face, and frown lines between their brows. Are you too considering going under the knife? If yes, then it is crucial first to step back and give serious thought to it. Is Botox your best option? Can you afford the surgery? Do you need it? This guide will give you a complete overview of Botox procedure, inject cost and the risks. How Botox works • Botox is a toxin that blocks sending of signals from the nerves to the muscle. This means that the muscles no longer contract, and the wrinkles can now relax and ease out. • Many people have a misconception that Botox is used only for cosmetic purposes. But the truth is that it has many non-cosmetic uses. • One of the most surprising yet common areas where Botox is injected is the armpit. The sweat glands are introduced to Botox to make the sweat and odor halt entirely for months. This is a blessing for people who suffer from an extreme case of sweating and body odor. • Other than this, Botox is used to seek relief in cases of a chronic migraine, overactive bladder, and muscle spasms. Botox procedure • When you decide to go for Botox, the first thing to do is sit for a consultation, where the surgeon will tell you everything you need to know about the Botox procedure. • Your doctor will advise you to the stay clear of alcohol at least one week before your appointment.

Bipolar disorder is a mental condition wherein a person experiences extreme mood swings. A person’s feelings may go from extremely good to really low in life. Due to the extreme range of symptoms, it often gets tough to diagnose bipolar disorder. There is no cure for it, but the symptoms can be controlled with medications, therapies, and lifestyle changes. Diet is a major contributing factor to this deadly mental disorder. Certain foods can affect your mood majorly while others can have calming effects. Here are some foods to avoid if you have bipolar disorder. One should remember that it is vital to take a holistic approach and focus on diet as well as other forms of medication and treatment. Some foods to avoid if you have bipolar disorder include: Grapefruit – It has been seen in many cases that some bipolar medicines, particularly anticonvulsants, do not interact appropriately with grapefruit and grapefruit juice. Thus, it is one of the foods to avoid if you have bipolar disorder. Caffeine – Caffeine in any form is known to irritate people and make them restless. It could also cause sleeplessness and nervousness. It is also known to suppress hunger. Thus, caffeine intake should be minimized, and the person should be slowly weaned off it. If you suddenly eliminate it from the diet, it could alleviate symptoms, so do it gradually. Any kind of addiction or dependency is damaging in this condition. Thus, it is most certainly one of the foods to avoid if you have bipolar disorder. High-fat foods – Any food with a lot of fat content in it will take time to digest and can add to the lethargy levels already prevalent in bipolar patients. Also, fatty foods make it tough for bipolar medications to get absorbed in the body, thereby inhibiting their benefit.

Blood pressure is becoming a common problem among people of all ages. High blood pressure is the result of changes in the body and unhealthy lifestyle practices. High blood pressure is often associated with fatal and risky heart diseases. If you’re wondering how to lower high blood pressure, people suffering from high blood pressure often rely on medication. How effective are these medicines? More than medicine, it is the lifestyle that plays a vital role to lower your blood pressure. However, if your high blood pressure is out of control, it is better to rely on medications until the new and healthy lifestyle practices that you have adopted start making a positive difference to your blood pressure. Once you adopt a healthy lifestyle, you can consider delaying the intake of medications or reduce intake later. If you’re wondering how to lower high blood pressure, these following 10 lifestyle changes can help reduce the levels and its associated risks. Weight loss An excess of weight and a larger waistline indicate unhealthy lifestyle practices. When body weight increases, blood pressure also increases. Excessive weight can also cause breathing problems or sleep apnea, which is a form of disrupted breathing. This increases blood pressure in people already suffering from high blood pressure. Therefore, it becomes apparent to lose weight to lower your high blood pressure. It is, in fact, one of the most effective ways to lower your blood pressure. Losing at least 4.5 kg can have a significant change in the blood pressure of an individual. Another factor to monitor is your waistline. Larger the waistline, more are you at risk of suffering from high blood pressure. Men with a waistline measurement greater than 40 inches and women with their waist measurement greater than 35 inches are at risk of high blood pressure.

A gout is a form of arthritis that mainly affects the joints in the feet, mostly the big toe. It could also affect other joints in the body. It is an acutely painful condition, and causes sharp stinging and burning sensations, in the affected area. What causes gout? Body metabolism produces many waste products, among them is uric acid. It is usually flushed out of your body through urine. However, when the level of uric acid rises, it becomes difficult for the body to flush it out. Excess uric acid can lead to the formation of urate crystals, which can accumulate in the joints and cause inflammation. Gout and Purines Purines are chemical compounds that are present in the body, as well as in most foods. They are building blocks for DNA, and also perform many vital functions in the body. However, when purines are broken down, they produce uric acid. So, most traditional anti-gout diets focus on low-purine or no purine foods. If you have gout, you should eliminate or limit many foods that contain high levels of purine. Recent research has shown that not all purine-rich foods need to be avoided. Many vegetables high in purine can help reduce gout attacks. This is because these foods contain other beneficial nutrients that offset the effect, reduce the formation of urate crystals, and help reduce inflammation. Anti-Gout diet When you’re creating plans for an anti-gout diet, you have to focus on—foods to avoid and the foods to include. Besides this, you should also focus on other factors like keeping your weight under control and keeping your body hydrated. Watch your weight Being overweight causes many problems. It can increase fluid retention, increased uric acid levels and increased chances of gout attacks. Excess weight also puts stress on your joints, increasing joint pain.

When the body loses bone mass faster than it can restore its bone health, this bone disease is known as osteoporosis. Osteoporosis causes bone loss and affects the mineral density that makes the bones weak and more susceptible to fractures. An estimated 10 million people in the country suffer from osteoporosis and 80% of the cases reported are women. Identifying the symptoms Osteoporosis is a “silent” disease as one may suffer from the symptoms and be completely unaware of the condition. There are a few ways to watch out for these osteoporosis symptoms that cause pain and can affect a person’s mobility. Some can be identified in the early stages while severe symptoms are only evident in the advanced stages. Symptoms in the early stages A developing condition of osteoporosis can be identified when even the slightest of impact from a fall or injury causes the bones to break. One can watch out for these osteoporosis symptoms in the early stages. Weak gums A receding gum line suggests the jaw is losing bone mass. The gums become weak and can no longer anchor the teeth. Low grip strength If one experiences trouble holding onto an object or maintaining a strong grip, it can be a result of a developing osteoporosis condition. Studies have associated low bone mineral density to reduced hand grip. Brittle fingernails Physical changes in one’s fingernails as a result of compromised bone health is another possible indicator in the early stages. Symptoms in later stages One can watch out for these osteoporosis symptoms in the advanced stages as the bone deterioration increases in intensity. Height loss Loss of height is the most noticeable symptom caused due to the compression of the spine as a result of bone loss. Fractures Fragile bones are more susceptible to fractures and some of the most harmless actions including a sneeze or cough can trigger a mild fracture.

The term diabetes reversal refers to an improvement in the condition of your body’s insulin sensitivity that sustains over a long period. Type II Diabetes 90% of adults have type II diabetes that tends to develop later in life. In type II diabetes, the body fails to produce enough insulin to cope up with the glucose levels in the body. As the body cells don’t react to the insulin, glucose remains in the bloodstream, which cannot be used to fuel energy. Type II diabetes mostly ends up becoming a chronic health condition that cannot be cured once it develops. It can only be supervised and managed by combining medication with a healthy lifestyle. Diabetes and fat Eating and drinking more calories than required by the body leads to excess calories that get stored as fat in the liver and under the skin in the abdomen – visceral fat. This visceral fat is a common factor that puts you at a high risk of developing type II diabetes. The fat build-up in the liver extends over into the pancreas eventually. Over time this fat accumulation becomes a hindrance to the organ’s functioning and prevents the pancreas from releasing insulin after meals. This is why, obesity is a more common cause of type II diabetes, which turns into a vicious circle of cause and effect. The pressure on the Pancreas to keep producing extra insulin damages the insulin-producing beta cells. Damage to the beta cells renders the pancreas unfit to keep sugar levels in check, and this turns into a chronic disease. It damages the kidneys, eye retinas and other organs over the passage of time. Diabetes reversal treatment The research for a cure to beat diabetes is still in its infancy, but there seem to be motivating developments in stopping the symptoms of type II diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes is a chronic disorder which was earlier referred to as adult-onset or noninsulin-dependent diabetes. It affects the metabolism of glucose or sugar in the body. Glucose is the major source of energy for our body. Currently, in America 29.1 million people have diabetes. However, as large as 8.1 million of them are yet to be diagnosed and are unaware of their disorder. Every year the strength of this group of patients increases by about 1.4 million, becoming one of the most common health issues faced by the entire nation. Insulin is a hormone produced by our body that maintains blood glucose levels by regulating its movement into cells. When having adult type 2 diabetes, our bodies become inefficient in managing the glucose levels in the body. It either produces an inadequate amount of insulin leading to an excess level of glucose, or the body resists the function of insulin. Symptoms and signals Type 2 diabetes, unfortunately, does not manifest early. The symptoms show up slowly; sometimes it takes a few years to realize a diabetic condition. The following are common signs that you should not ignore since they could indicate failing insulin function. High urination frequency Increased appetite or frequently getting hungry Loss of weight Tiredness and fatigue Vision blurring Incurring frequent infections Sores taking long time to heal Skin darkening Treating Adult Type 2 Diabetes Blood sugar levels can be kept in check with regular monitoring and controlled diet. Although, in case of severely high blood sugar levels, medication and therapy involving insulin injections are required. Consult your doctor for understanding what is the best-suited medication for your condition is. Most common treatment options for adult type 2 diabetes have been listed below. Sulfonylureas Sulfonylureas stimulate the pancreas leading to better insulin secretion. Most common side effects of this drug are weight gain and low blood glucose.

Lung cancer is one of the leading causes of deaths that occur due to cancer. It is estimated that lung cancer causes more deaths than breast, ovarian, and prostate cancers combined. Based on the statistical data by the American Cancer Society, there are about 220,000 new cases of lung cancer every year. Several types of treatments are being developed and researched on to stop or at least slow down the disease progression in lung cancer patients. Apart from this, several oncologists and nutritionists also suggest that maintaining a proper diet can help in fighting the symptoms of lung cancer. There are some foods that can keep lung cancer symptoms at bay and can also be used as home remedies along with mainstream treatments. Some of the foods that can aid a lung cancer patient are mentioned below: Green tea According to several oncologists, green tea not only helps in preventing lung cancer but can also benefit to those who are living with the disease. Green tea contains theaflavin and epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) which can potentiate the effect of chemotherapy medications. It is important to know that bottled green tea may have very little or no EGCG as the compound doesn’t last long when bottled. Nutritionists suggest drinking green tea with a dash of lemon juice as it can enhance the absorption of the compound. Ginger Known for its hot and zesty yet sweet flavor, ginger contains a compound called 6-shogaol that can prevent the development of malignant (cancerous) cells in the lungs through apoptosis (cell suicide) of cancer cells. It can also lower the risk of metastases of the disease thereby stopping or slowing its progression. Its anti-inflammatory compounds can also help in relieving the pain caused due to the side effects of medicines that are used to treat lung cancer.

In the country, more than 18 million suffer from atopic dermatitis. This condition is a type of eczema which affects the skin. This condition commonly begins in childhood and can progress into adulthood. It is important for a person to know the right atopic dermatitis treatment plans for effective management of the condition. What Is atopic dermatitis? This condition is characterized by inflamed skin and itchiness. Although this condition is mostly seen in children, it can happen at any age. It is a chronic condition with periods of extreme redness and itchiness on the skin and asthma or hay fever may occur along with it. Signs and symptoms can differ from person to person but the most common ones include extremely dry or scaly skin, itching, red or brown patches all over the body, and tiny raised bumps or open sores due to scratching. In children, the first symptoms are usually dry and scaly skin patches that are seen on the face, forehead, and scalp. Atopic dermatitis pictures mostly show children with a patch or patches of reddened skin on the cheeks. Atopic dermatitis is a genetic condition that prevents the skin from retaining the moisture it needs. This leads to the skin easily getting affected by several environmental factors and allergies. Some children may develop the condition due to food allergies. Other conditions like hay fever or asthma can increase the risk of developing atopic dermatitis. How is atopic dermatitis treated? There is no cure for atopic dermatitis. However, with the right treatment, symptoms can be reduced and a person can experience a normal life. Atopic dermatitis treatment begins with examining a person’s skin and checking for a family history of the condition. As this is a chronic condition, treatment, and care over a long period of time can be effective in reducing the symptoms.

Apple cider vinegar is prepared by combining apples with yeast which makes it a fermented health tonic with all the goodness of apples. Apple cider vinegar has a composition of 5% acetic acid. This also contains various other vitamins and minerals from which you can benefit in many ways. Drinking apple cider vinegar can benefit us in many ways. Let us look at some of the benefits of drinking apple cider vinegar: – Apple cider vinegar helps in losing weight. This is possible as the vinegar breaks down the fats and helps in losing weight. – Drinking apple cider vinegar helps in fighting bad breath. Its antibacterial properties help in removing plaque from the teeth in a natural way. It also helps in killing the bacteria in the mouth and acts as a natural mouth freshener. – Apple cider vinegar helps in reducing heart diseases. One who drinks apple cider vinegar can lower the risks of heart diseases. – The vinegar helps in keeping the blood sugars under control. Drinking apple cider vinegar helps in fighting diabetes. – The vinegar helps in the process of digestion as apple cider vinegar is a fermented tonic. – Drinking apple cider vinegar helps in reducing the risk of cancer. The polyphenols help in coping with stress which can help in fighting cancer and other stress-related diseases. – The vinegar helps in slowing down the aging process and reducing wrinkles. Besides these benefits, there are also some side effects or disadvantages of apple cider vinegar. Following are some side effects of drinking apple cider vinegar in large quantities: – We have seen that apple cider vinegar is beneficial as it regulates the blood sugar levels. The consumption of vinegar in large quantities can slow down the process of food entering into the digestive tract from the stomach.

Lupus can cause severe swelling and inflammation in various parts of the body. It is one such autoimmune disease that can affect almost everyone in a different way. Some people might experience severe symptoms whereas other might experience milder ones. The symptoms will generally surface in adulthood till the person reaches their 30s. Common causes of lupus skin rash The exact cause of lupus skin rash is yet to be found. Apparently, it has been noted that a combination of environmental triggers and genetics play a pivotal role in causing this disease. Moreover, this disease is not contagious which means it cannot pass from person to another. Some of the potential causes of lupus include the following: Sunlight: Too much exposure to sunlight may trigger lupus skin rash to those who have a genetic factor that could lead to the development of this disease. Infections: If one has some kind of infection, then that could cause skin rashes due to lupus. Medications: Certain blood-pressure medications, antibiotics, and anti-seizure medications can also trigger lupus. Those who develop lupus because of the medication they take will see an improvement in the condition once they stop using the medicine. Common symptoms of lupus skin rash Fatigue Almost 90% of people in the country who suffer from lupus skin rash have experienced fatigue. Taking a nap in the afternoon helps many of them to get rid of that fatigue but sleeping for a more extended period of time during the day will cause insomnia. However, if one lives an active life, then they will be able to keep up their energy levels throughout the day. Unexplained fever One of the earliest symptoms of lupus skin rash is an unexplained fever. The temperature of the body will be around 98.5° F to 101° F. Therefore, one should consider visiting a doctor.