By aria{3MG}

Greetings Masters,
Greetings Mistresses,
Greetings slaves,

Last month I wrote on water and as I said, what I write I will be doing. I have been drinking water until my back teeth float. I have noticed a few things, my skin looks healthier, I am not as hungry and I am not feeling as tired and sluggish. This month I want to hit on something people don’t take as serious as they should.

More than one-half of all Americans have blood cholesterol levels that are higher than they should be. When diagnosed, many tend to over look it or just simply ignore it. I guess they think it will just go away or they haven’t had a problem with it yet and will just wait. Waiting can be the most dangerous thing we decide to do.

High blood cholesterol levels can clog blood vessels, increasing risk for heart disease and stroke. What is cholesterol? Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that is made in the body by the liver. Not all cholesterol is bad, in fact our bodies need cholesterol to:

• Maintain healthy cell walls
• Make hormones
• Make vitamin D
• Make bile acids, which aid in fat digestion

Sometimes, our bodies make more cholesterol than we need. This excess cholesterol circulates in the bloodstream.

Our bodies can make too much cholesterol when we eat too much saturated fat. Saturated fat is the kind of fat found in animal-based foods such as meat and dairy products.

Only animal-based foods such as meat, eggs, and dairy products contain cholesterol. Plant foods such as fruits, vegetables, and grains do not contain cholesterol.

Many factors contribute to high blood cholesterol levels such as:

• genetic make-up
• eating a high-fat diet
• inactivity
• being overweight.

There are a few things you can do to lower your cholesterol levels.

• Follow diet that contains less than 30% of calories from fat and less than 300 milligrams of cholesterol
• eating more starches and dietary fiber
• being more active
• Maintaining a healthy body weight.

Its not easy making changes, the best way to do it is gradual, one day at a time. Try starting with whatever is easiest for you to change first.

Sometimes if diet and exercise changes do not bring your blood cholesterol level down to a healthy level, your physician may prescribe a cholesterol-lowering medication.

If your physician wants to put you on a medication, I suggest you read up on the medication. I had read with some of these medications for women, they don’t recommend it if you are pregnant or want to become pregnant.

Soy products are supposed to be really good to help with cholesterol. I started drinking soymilk, I tried all kinds and found one that comes in chocolate, vanilla and regular called Continent Eight. On the back it even says the American Heart Association recommends it.

Reading labels when grocery shopping is a big help, it may take a bit longer but in the long run its well worth it. Try a few of these things:

• Avoid fried foods
• Dairy products (cheese is my down fall)
• Red meats

The biggest thing you can do is get a blood test every year or six months to check your cholesterol, it may just save your life.

Until next Month, wishing you all well.
Thank you for your time. Warmest wishes
aria{3MG}