High cholesterol levels can result from obesity, poor diet involving too much saturated fat, excessive smoking and drinking. High cholesterol levels, too, can indicate an underlying cause, such as hypertension and diabetes, and both need medical attention.

There are medications to reduce the levels of bad cholesterol, but there are also natural, cheaper, and safer ways you can do to remedy the problem. Here are some of them:

1. Drink no less than eight glasses of water everyday because water helps improve the excretory function of your kidneys, thus regulating your blood pressure.
2. Drinking onion juice or eating raw onion everyday can also help in lowering blood cholesterol levels. As a natural tonic, onions can regulate the function of the heart. At the same time, it also cleanses the blood, improves digestion, and relieves insomnia.
3. Soy products have been found to be very beneficial in lowering blood cholesterol levels, so including soy in your regular diet may be a healthy thing to do.
4. Do you like eating sunflower seeds? Sunflower seeds are good remedies to keep bad cholesterol away.
5. Cinnamon can also work wonders to your cholesterol levels. Boil 10 sticks of cinnamon in five cups of water. Add a teaspoon of honey, and then drink the concoction while it is still hot.
6. A healthy diet is always essential if you are serious in reducing your bad cholesterol levels. A healthy diet can beat cholesterol. So when preparing your meals, make sure that they are rich in fiber and Vitamin B6. As much as possible, avoid cholesterol-rich foods such as eggs, red meats, cheese, butter, and whole milk. Also, do not use vegetable oil for cooking. A better alternative is extra-virgin oil. It is the recommended oil for cooking because of its health benefits, especially in combating bad cholesterol.

Causes of Stretch marks

• Pregnancy in women
• Increase in weight or weight loss
• Rapid growth in adolescents
• Physical and health conditions

Home Remedies / Treatment for Stretch marks

Apricot scrub:
Use it before showering it helps in fading stretch marks

Vitamin K:
In cream form it helps in eradicating stretch marks. Vitamin K can also be found in green leafy vegetables, tomatoes, liver and dairy products

Lavender Oil:
Applying lavender oil 3 times a day on the area of the body with stretch marks can help to fade marks eventually

Aloe Vera:
In Gel form, apply on the area of the body where stretch marks are visible.

Vitamin E:
In cream form, apply in area of the body with stretch marks.

Cocoa Butter:
Application of cocoa butter during pregnancy can help in preventing stretch marks.

Other Home remedies for Stretch marks

Eat amounts of nuts and seeds that contain zinc help in preventing stretch marks
Regular exercises and keeping the muscles firm also helps in avoiding stretch marks
Aroma oil massage can decrease the probability of having stretch marks

The role of fruits and vegetables in maintaining healthy lifestyles.

There is usually stomach pain in diarrhea, and continuous passage of watery stools which can be very uncomfortable, and embarrassing, more so if you are off to an important meeting or engagement when it happens.

It is essential that you treat diarrhea before it worsens to prevent dehydration and loss of electrolytes which can lead to very serious complications.

Loperamide is always the drug of choice in treating diarrhea. Then again, there are natural and healthier ways of getting rid of it. Here are a dozen of the most common home remedies for diarrhea:

1. Drink a cup of chamomile tea. Chamomile has anti-inflammatory effects and has been found to work wonders in reducing the pain associated with diarrhea.

2. Blueberries and bilberries (minus the seeds) can stop diarrhea naturally.

3. The root bark of blackberry is said to be very powerful in treating diarrhea. Mix one teaspoon of the blackberry tincture with water every two to four hours to relieve yourself of the manifestations of diarrhea.

4. Vinegar is another miracle cure for diarrhea. Take one tablespoon of vinegar every hour until the diarrhea stops.

5. Ginger tea or juice can reduce stomach cramps associated with diarrhea.

6. Mint juice is also effective in treating diarrhea. Mix a teaspoon of mint juice with a teaspoon of lime juice and another teaspoon of honey.

7. Green bananas are also effective in treating diarrhea. Try eating a piece of green banana every two to four hours until you feel an improvement in your condition.

8. Cooked carrots can help a lot in providing the much needed bulk and in replenishing your body of the lost nutrients.

9. Some have sworn to have been relieved of diarrhea by drinking a cup of black coffee.

10. Others recommend drinking cooled water with a teaspoon of cinnamon and sugar to taste.

11. Hydration is very important when you have diarrhea. Drink water mixed with one teaspoon of salt and one teaspoon of sugar to restore the lost electrolytes.

12. Rest your stomach. Avoid taking in milk and milk products (with the exception of yogurt), beans, cabbage, bread and pasta.

Everybody longs to be beautiful. While, a good heart is always better than physical beauty, sometimes having a beautiful face can work much to your advantage.

Beauty, they say, is relative, and as they also say, “beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder”. Undeniably, though, people are unanimous in their belief that having soft, flawless skin is often the first step to being beautiful. So women around the world invest in beauty creams, moisturizers, and so on, all in the hope of acquiring a beautiful skin.

Unfortunately, these commercially prepared beauty products can react negatively with your skin, and they can be very expensive, too. Good thing, there are natural ways of staying beautiful, and you may be surprised to know that keys to a beautiful skin can actually be found right in your own home.

If you have normal skin, massaging your face with the juice of ½ of an orange or tomato mixed with two teaspoons curd then rinsing your face with cold water can give your skin a healthy glow.

Are you scared of wrinkles and would like to be wrinkle-free? Wrinkles are part of the aging process, but you can delay its onset by regularly applying about half a cup of fresh cabbage juice can tighten your skin and prevent the occurrence of fine lines and wrinkles.

Apples make great skin cleansers. So when eating apples, reserve the skin and use it on your face to remove dirt and other skin impurities.

Have you become frustrated with trying every product there is to relieve yourself of dry skin and still not get the desired results? Create your own natural moisturizer with bananas and honey. Make a banana paste using ½ of a ripe banana and honey, then massage the paste on your skin. Allow it to dry, then rinse it off with cold water.

Sleeping can rejuvenate your skin cells, thus making you look more relaxed. Also, have at least eight glasses of water everyday. Hydration is very important in maintaining beautiful skin. Drink no less than eight glasses of water and day.

Finally, use those muscles around your mouth and on your cheeks by smiling. Nothing beats a healthy disposition in making you look beautiful inside and out!

So why go for commercially prepared creams when you can have healthier and cheaper alternatives?

Antioxidants also help in prevention of:

• Heart disease
• Lung Cancer
• Prostrate Cancer
• Cervical Cancer
• Digestive Tract Cancer
• Breast Cancer

Other source of Lycopene includes:

• Pink Grapefruit
• Guava
• Watermelon
• Rosehips
• Papaya
• Red Bell Pepper

Fresh tomatoes is one of the best source of Lycopene, one fresh tomato contains 3.7 milligrams. Tomato products that are processed and concentrated contain more Lycopene amounting to 24.8 milligrams. Some of the noted dieticians and health professionals recommend eating 3 to 4 times a week of tomato based foods.

Lycopene can also obtain in health stores, Drug stores and organic stores in the form of tablet and soft gel.

If you are fond of eating cole slaw, keep it up. Cole slaw is more than just a delicious appetizer. As you must know, the basic ingredient in cole slaw is cabbage, and cabbages are well-known because of the presence of many nutrients.

Cabbages are very rich in Vitamin C. In fact, they are even believed to contain more Vitamin C than oranges. As such, cabbages play a very important role in skin care and anti-ageing.

Iodine and sulfur are abundant in cabbages. Such properties make cabbages an ideal alternative if you are trying to fight an infection, and if you are suffering from disorders involving the nervous system.

Headaches as well as blood impurities may be treated simply by eating cabbage.

There’s plenty of fiber in cabbages, too, thus they are able to prevent and treat constipation effectively. Cole slaw, minus the mayo, can also aid in weight loss, because of the low caloric content found in cabbages.

The juice of the cabbage has medicinal properties as well. Fresh cabbage juice has been said to heal stomach ulcers.

Cabbages can act as anti-inflammatory agents, and also as antiseptics, specifically for the colon. Being so, cabbages promote a healthy digestive system.

Moreover, you can protect yourself from cancer by including cabbage in your daily menu. Cabbages have phytochemicals that are responsible in treating or reducing the symptoms of certain types of cancer.

While there may be plenty of benefits of cabbages, they are often not recommended for those with goiter problems or those under MAOI antidepressants because these could aggravate the existing problems.

When searching for the perfect cabbage head, always look for whole cabbages. In short, do not buy cabbages that have already been halved or quartered because there’s bound to have a considerable loss in Vitamin C already. Ideally, pick something that’s heavy and solid with only about a couple of leaves from the outside.

In the event that you get bored with eating the same cabbage dish over and over again, you can modify your dishes. You can bake cabbages or grill them. The important thing is not to overcook the cabbage so as not to loose the important nutrients in the process.

Skin rashes and rough skin can be effectively treated with the application of avocado paste on the problematic areas. Sunburnt skin can also be relieved by rubbing avocado on the affected areas. Even beauty experts recognize the ability of avocado to smoothen the skin. Some beauty products, particularly moisturizing creams, contain avocado extracts.

Avocados do not just benefit the skin, though. They can also treat a variety of sexual problems, as well as disorders involving the digestive and circulatory systems. Avocados, too, especially the bright, ripe ones, can prevent certain cancers because they contain a lot of beta-carotene. They also have the ability of restoring energy levels and help you recover from sickness faster. Those who have just undergone hospitalization are said to recover faster when they have a daily dose of avocado. All these benefits of avocado make it an almost complete food. Thus, surviving a day with practically nothing else except avocado, is very much possible.

The only drawback of avocado is that it is high in calories. Therefore, if you are trying to lose weight, excessive intake of avocados may not be good for you.

Nonetheless, this is a great fruit to have in your pantry. So, on your next trip to the groceries, stock up on avocados. Choose the heavy, ripe, and unblemished ones. You will know your avocado is ready to be eaten if it is soft enough when you press your hands on it.

With all the health benefits of avocado, it is no wonder why this amazing fruit has earned the respect ad admiration of millions of people around the world. It is, indeed, a wonder fruit for good health.

The foods rich in anti-aging nutrients

Coffee can help reduce, lower, or prevent the following:

• Parkinson’s disease
• Colon Cancer
• Diabetes
• Heart ailments
• Liver diseases
• Alzheimer
• Asthma
• Headache

and any other.

Study also claims that sipping a cup of coffee can boost mood of a person as well as the unpopular claim that coffee can prevent cavities.

Coffee has high amount of antioxidants can also found in colored fruits and vegetables.

A recent study about coffee:

Coffee Health Risks: For the moderate drinker, coffee is safe says Harvard Women’s Health Watch.

Despite 20 years of reassuring research, many people still avoid caffeinated coffee because they worry about its health effects. However, current research reveals that in moderation—a few cups a day—coffee is a safe beverage that may even offer some health benefits. The September issue of Harvard Women’s Health Watch weighs the pros and cons of this popular beverage and eases the concerns of moderate coffee drinkers.

The latest research has not only confirmed that moderate coffee consumption doesn’t cause harm, it’s also uncovered possible benefits. Coffee may reduce the risk of developing gallstones, discourage the development of colon cancer, improve cognitive function, reduce the risk of liver damage in people at high risk for liver disease, and reduce the risk of Parkinson’s disease. Coffee has also been shown to improve endurance performance in long-duration physical activities.

Source: Harvard Health Publications, Harvard Medical School, 2006.

So when you want to sip a cup of coffee just go on, besides it is more fulfilling to drink coffee than consuming alcohol and smoking cigarettes.