Well Tuned Naturally

Over the past number of years the word ‘cholesterol’ has become a common term. However, what is it really and why all the talk about it?

What Is Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a soft, waxy substance found among the fats (lipids) in the blood. Produced in the liver, this slippery substance is not a fat, but actually a steroid and plays a central role in many biochemical processes. Daily the liver produces about 1,000 milligrams of cholesterol.

What Does It Do?

It is an important structural component of cell membranes. As such it helps to strengthen cell walls and is vital in the exchange of nutrients and waste materials across membranes. It is present in higher concentrations in tissues which either produce more or have more densely packed membranes such as the liver, brain and spinal cord. Related to the brain and spinal cord, it is so important in the functioning of nerve impulses that without it you would not be able to move a muscle. (more…)

In the West, we like to think of our world as modern and of our medical system as sophisticated. Yet, with the wide array of illnesses, diseases and disorders that continue to escalate in scope and number, it might be time to explore another way of evaluating and maintaining health. Many people are doing just that, exploring the realm of natural health.

The basic premise of natural health is that when the body is nourished and maintained optimally, it is able to heal itself naturally. Better yet, it can prevent the occurrence of disease in the first place. In other words, we wouldn’t need the interventions of our medical system in many cases after all. Instead, we could create the environment and conditions that allow the body to heal itself in which optimum health can be assured.

A healthy lifestyle is the cornerstone to natural health. Prevention is the foundation. Natural health is not about being a health fanatic, but more a health conscious person. This means holistic health, encompassing the whole person, body, mind and spirit.

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In the ongoing ‘battle of the bulge’ era, company after company has profited from those who have bought into their sales pitch for one product or another.

A creative marketing strategy of late is the number of food products released, packaged to contain only 100 calories – that’s only ‘100 measly calories’ to allow you to feel self-righteous even while indulging. But have you ever taken time to do the math?

What math you may ask? Well before we talk about that, let’s review a few of the basics of weight gain and weight loss.

The amount of energy contained within food is reported in a unit of measure called the ‘calorie’. Many governments require food manufacturers to include nutritional labels on their products reporting the energy value of the food. This allows you to know how many calories a serving of that food would contribute to your intake for the day.

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As you are well aware, the human body is marvelously made with so many amazing intricacies and abilities. Amid its functioning is the work of the immune system to protect you.

Years ago, infection was the major cause of disease and death. However, with advancement in personal hygiene and ways of preventing infection’s onslaught, deaths from this source declined. Today researchers have turned their attention to inflammation as the major factor in many chronic diseases, disabilities and deaths.

Inflammation is the body’s response to harm, which can result from bacterial, viral or parasitic infection, injury or trauma, stress, genetic abnormalities, metabolic disorders and even poor lifestyle choices, amongst other sources.

When the body is assaulted, the immune system kicks into gear. Immediately white blood cells are sent to the problem area to start destroying the damaged cells by secreting various inflammation-promoting chemicals. As such, these chemicals and the heat associated with them can cause the following symptoms: redness, swelling, warmth and pain. As well, flu-like symptoms such as fever, chills, fatigue and aching may also be the result of inflammation.

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Achieving a cure for panic attacks is challenging but certainly not impossible. Millions of people suffer from some sort of anxiety or panic disorder and many are able to completely overcome it and move on to live a confident, normal life.

But it does take dedication and some positive thinking to get there. If you truly want to eliminate the panic attacks and you take the action to overcome them, then you’ll certainly have no problem achieving your dream of living a life free of these symptoms.

Although there are no known medical cures for panic attacks, people often choose to follow natural treatments over taking prescription medications, which can have drastic side effects. (more…)

Anemia is a condition where the number or quality of red blood cells is compromised. A person with anemia has fewer red blood cells to carry oxygen around his body or the the red blood cells have a lower than normal level of hemoglobin, which is a component of red blood cells that absorbs and distributes oxygen throughout the body. Anemia is not classified as a disease in itself and is usually a symptom of some other disorder or condition.

There are three broad groups of causes for anemia:
1. Loss of blood volume due to bleeding.
2. Failure to produce sufficient red blood cells.
3. Red blood cells that are produced being destroyed.

The treatment of anemia would differ depending on the underlying cause. Therefore it is vital to properly diagnose the trigger for the anemia. Common causes include:

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