Cholesterol is a fatty lipid, steroid and an alcohol found in the body tissues and blood plasma of vertebrates. It is the essential part of the outer membranes of human body cells, and it circulates in the blood. Cholesterol in the human body comes from two major sources. About three-quarters of the body's total cholesterol is produced within the body, while only one-quarter comes from cholesterol in food.Higher concentrations of cholesterol are...more
1) The first thing an absolute beginner should do is visit his/her doctor and get the all clear to begin a workout program that will include cardiovascular and weight training.2) Decide on what are your goals. Do you want to lose body fat and tone up or do you want to gain weight? Doing both at the same time can be achieved too but is very difficult and can lead to zigzag diets.3) A general guideline is that if your body fat is below 14% you...more
The human body needs vitamins to function properly. Each of the 13 essential vitamins (A, C, D, E, K, B12, and the 7 B-complex vitamins) provides the regulation of a crucial function. We acquire a majority of the vitamins our body needs from food. When there is a deficiency, we are in danger of becoming seriously ill or even dying. Vitamin supplementation can reverse illness caused by vitamin deficiency, sometimes miraculously. Nowadays, it is very rare to find someone who isn't taking a daily multivitamin. Since there is a good chance that most of the individuals who take a daily multivitamin are eating a variety of foods, is it really necessary that they take a multivitamin? It may not be necessary, but everyone can benefit from taking a multivitamin. The obvious benefit of taking a multivitamin is to prevent deficiency. In some situations your dietary needs may increase. Pregnant women, for example, are generally advised to start taking multivitamins in their first trimester. This is to ensure that they receive the proper nutrition and pass it on to their unborn child. By taking a multivitamin every day a pregnant woman can decrease her risk of passing malnutrition on to her...more
Learn to Roll with Life's Punches and Bounce BackWhat can the martial arts teach Alzheimer's family caregivers? Plenty. One powerful lesson comes from Aikido, a powerful, ethical,dynamic and beautiful martial art. Aikido means: "The Way of Harmonizing Energy." Aikido practitioners learn to blend and steer an opponent's force to safely control a...more
It may seem that the significance of vitamins to nutrition health has been known for a significant amount of time. However, it wasn't until the 15th century that scientists began to realize that nutrients found in various foods could improve health. The classic realization is the one of sailors who suffered from scurvy and improved their condition...more
I'm easily shocked at times. I open the newspaper, I read articles about child abuse, the mentally ill, the shortcomings in our education system, and I feel things along the lines of torment and anguish. But it doesn't stop there. It actually goes on, manifesting itself in a dozen minor ways. Maybe in a dozen major ways, if you're one who believes in the magnitude of advocacy, of standing up to make sure that your voice can be heard over all the loud chatter and backtalk. For years, I've been investigating the atrocities that are taking place in our schools each and every day. I've been sending letters to our Presidents, our Senators, and our Congressman, pleading for them to be the change they so vehemently declare they are. But words are useless. We need Action. For what can mere words really do, when so many mentally-challenged students are struggling to keep up in an education system that is unapologetically incongruent to their ways of thinking and learning? For the past 50 years, ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) has been increasing among our schoolchildren. In fact, 12 percent of today's school-aged children are affected by it, which is up from 3-5 percent in...more
Rooibos (pronounced "Roy-boss"), botanical name Aspalathus linearis, is clearly gaining popularity in the US due in part to all the hype surrounding the South African herb. I personally get many questions about Rooibos and the various properties and...more
The years of teaching high impact aerobics are catching up with me. Sure it's been great for the ticker, but the knees on the other hand are showing signs of age and making icky noises. What my Physical Therapist friends call "creep" and "crepitus"...more
Doctors perform sleep studies or polysomnography (PSG) to diagnose sleep related illness or symptoms. Traditionally, patients have a diagnostic study performed for an entire night to diagnose obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Once the doctor confirms...more
While medication has long been used to treat Attention Deficit Disorder, Behavioral Therapy has proven to be incredibly effective as well and is now being used in combination with its long utilized counterpart. There are many aspects of Behavior...more
Photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) is a laser eye surgery procedure that is carried out with the key intent to correct a patient's vision. PRK permanently changes the shape of the frontal corneal tissue using an excimer laser, which is a...more
Treadmills are the aerobic exercise machine of choice for good reasons. They are probably the most enjoyable exercise machines, whether you typically like a slow, comfortable walk or a long run. Regardless of your age or fitness level, treadmills are...more