Problems Brought About By Weight Issues

By Clifford H Woods

The problem of obesity and overweight matters affecting people around the world is becoming an epidemic. More and more people are suffering from obesity in the US specifically, in the West and also around the world. There are many reasons why this problem keeps getting worse. 

The main concern that health professionals have is that obesity and weight issues affect the health of individuals concerned. Such individuals are predisposed to lifestyle diseases and chronic conditions such as high blood pressure, coronary and heart conditions and diabetes.

According to latest statistics available, up to two thirds or 66% of adults in the US are overweight. Also, up to one third are obese. This is a very serious trend and governments as well as individuals need to wake up and take action. In children, statistics indicate that about 20 per cent of teenagers across North America are obese while 20% of kids aged between 6 and 12 years are overweight and obese.

These statistics are almost similar in Europe, with about 50 % of the adult population aged 20 and above being overweight. Such concerns in the West have come to the attention of the national governments. The local health care facilities are being weighed down by the increasing demand to address problems of obesity and overweight patients.

There are various reasons why this problem has been growing across the US and generally in the West. For one, individuals and families are leading very busy lives. They therefore have no time to prepare meals and rely solely on processed and deep fried foods purchased at local stores and restaurants.

Processed foods are not at all healthy to the body as they have all their nutrition taken out. When families purchase these processed foods, they get very little nutrition. On the other hand processed foods are full of unhealthy fats and salts which promote obesity. The busy lives that people lead also take them away from gym and the playing fields. Rather than engage in healthy exercises on a regular basis, most people will ride in their cars, use and elevator and sit on a chair all day. Sedentary lifestyles are just as bad as processed and deep fried foods.

The best way to curb this condition is to create awareness with the general public. Children need to be taught the benefits of a healthy diet and the benefits of playing and exercising on a regular basis. However, adults should ensure they provide their kids with healthy foods and healthy snacks.

A deliberate change in lifestyle is very important. A healthy lifestyle will definitely result in reduced number of obesity and overweight cases. Families, communities and schools should endeavor to provide their members with playing fields and gyms where they can work out and get rid of excess weight.

Another important lifestyle adjustment that can be made is use of a healthy diet. Consumption of healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, greens and others is very important. There are plenty of healthy foods that families can consume. 

These few changes will ensure there are fewer problems and cases brought by weight issues in the society. 

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Author: Clifford H Woods is the Executive Director of Vibrant Life. We Provide Great Products, Excellent and Useful Information with Exceptional Customer Care Service

High Blood Pressure, Causes, and Natural Remedies

High Blood Pressure, Causes, and Natural Remedies

By Clifford H Woods

As your blood circulates through the body, it presses up against the walls of the arteries. This force of pressure is referred to as blood pressure. When the pressure against the arterial walls becomes too high, these walls often become narrow or thicken and this adds an extra burden of stress on the heart.

Blood pressure may in some cases temporarily rise from stress, exercise or other emotions from joy to anger. But the pressure quickly returns to normal once the stressor has passed. But in many individuals, the blood pressure is high all the time.

Approximately 50 million Americans have high blood pressure or hypertension, with almost half of those over the age of 65. This disorder can cause very other serious conditions, such as stroke, heart disease, eye damage, diabetes, and kidney problems; so hypertension is considered one of the nation’s leading health problems.

Causes: it is believed by most doctors that the root causes deride from one of these:

1. Diet high in sugar, fat and/or salt
2. Alcohol or caffeine and any other stimulates
3. Obesity
4. Smoking
5. Inactivity
6. Pregnancy or birth control pills
7. Underlying medical disorders
8. Poisoning with heavy metal

There are natural remedies that may help any high blood pressure.
These include but not limited to:

• Hawthorne (Crataegus oxycanthae): this is an herbal medicine that dilates the artery walls and will decrease blood pressure. The berry is the part of the plant that is used and can be taken as a tincture, capsule, or tea. It is considered an excellent tonic for the heart but should not be mixed with any heart medications prescribed by your physician.
• Calcium and magnesium: these are minerals that have shown with studies to lower blood pressure. It is advised to take a combination of 500 mg of calcium and 250 mg of magnesium twice daily.
• Coenzyme Q10: studies show that this nutrient also reduces blood pressure when one takes 100 mg 2 to 3 times daily.
• Fish Oil: this is great for reducing blood pressure when taken on a long-term basis – this is usually 3000 mg 3 times each day.
• Garlic: several studies confirm garlic’s ability to lower blood pressure on a 600 mg twice-daily regimen of an aged garlic extract.
• Vitamin C: this has a mild effect with lowering of the blood pressure and also helps the body to detoxify any toxic metal, such as lead, which can contribute to high blood pressure. 1000 to 2000 mg or more daily is recommended – Vitamin C is water-soluble and the body does not store it.
• Potassium: this is a mineral that has been shown in many studies and tests to lower blood pressure. Use as part of a product that is a salt-substitute. Or else, use up to 2000 mg only under the management of a physician. Do not use potassium if you are taking any diuretic that is potassium sparing or have heart disease or kidney problems that are serious.

Other natural remedies include:

• Passionflower (Passiflora incarnate) this relaxes the nerves and is helpful for blood pressure that increases due to stress. Take 0.5 ml or 250 mg no more than 3 times daily.
• Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) very strong nerve relaxer nerve much like Valium and can lower blood pressure indirectly. Take 0.5 to 1.0 ml or 300 mg up to 3 times each day.
• Oatstraw (Avena sativa) and Chamomile (Matricaria recutita)are herbs for relaxing the nerves. They can be used as a tea throughout the day.
• Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) is extract and should be taken in 500 mg doses three times each day for a blood pressure-lowering effect.
• Dandelion leaf (Taraxacium officinale) works like a very gentle, natural diuretic that lowers blood pressure. Take 300 mg of capsule form or 2 ml up to three times daily.

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Clifford H Woods is the Executive Director of Vibrant Life.
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Managing Diabetes

By Clifford H Woods

Your body needs glucose in order to get energy for cell and tissue function. Without energy, the cells do not function properly and the immune system is compromised. When your blood glucose levels are high, this could lead to Diabetes. The amount of glucose in blood it regulated by insulin. Insulin imbalances in your body cause this condition.

If the body does not synthesize enough of insulin, your cells do not get glucose that is required for energy. Similarly, if the body does not utilize insulin properly, this may lead to elevated levels of blood sugar. It is estimated that 25.8 million people both children and adults in United States suffer from this condition.

This is about 8.3 percent of the population in the country. There are other conditions, which manifest with increased glucose levels in blood. These include kidney problems, vision impairment, and nervous system complications. People with this condition exhibit symptoms like increased thirst, extreme hunger, frequent urination, and unexpected weight loss.

In addition, patients with the diseases may also show signs like fatigue due to low energy levels and impaired cellular function. Blurred vision and mild high blood pressure are other symptoms witnessed in patients with Diabetes type 1 and 2. Medical treatments, lifestyle changes, and natural remedies are ways in which patients can manage the disease.

Patients are advised to follow their treatment plans keenly and make changes in their lifestyle.

Healthy diet is essential and overweight people should try to lose weight as this can make a significant drop in blood sugar levels. A healthy diet should contain whole grains, vegetable, fruits, and legumes. Patients should limit the amount of saturated fats and use unsaturated fats, which may be obtained from olives, almonds, olive oil, and fatty fish. Exercise is also important when you are managing Diabetes, and the related conditions. Regular exercise prevents the conditions from occurring and for those already suffering the diseases, physical exercises keeps the body strong by enhancing cellular function.

Eating healthy diet not only helps in enhancing body metabolism but also keeps blood pressure and cholesterol under control.

Exercises like aerobics including cycling and dancing and resistant training such as weight lifting could help in regulating blood sugar. When aerobic exercises are combined with resistant training, the effects on reducing blood sugar are high than when only one type of exercise is done.

Obtain an exercise plan:. ask your doctor for advice about what kinds of exercise is for you. Your doctor may want to check the condition of your heart and feet before advising you and then recommend the correct balance of muscle-strengthening and aerobic exercise.

Exercise schedule: again ask your doctor about for advice on the best time of day for you to exercise so that your workout routine is coordinated with your meal and medication schedules.


Blood sugar levels: always ask your doctor what blood level sugars are good for you.

Keep a check your blood sugar levels: checking your blood sugar level before you exercise, as well as during and after is very important, especially if you take insulin or medications that lower blood sugar. The warning signs of low blood sugar can include feeling shaky, weak, confused, light-headed, irritable, anxious, tired or hungry.


Drink plenty of water while exercising: dehydration can affect blood sugar levels.


Always have food or your glucose pill with you during exercise: your blood sugar could drop too low and you may need to take a break, eat or take your pill and remember to wear a medical identification bracelet when you're working out. If you take insulin, you may need to adjust your insulin dose before any full on physical activities or wait a few hours to exercise after injecting insulin.

Always ask your doctor about the appropriate changes in your medication.

If a patient uses tobacco, quitting is the best option. Smoking increases the risk of getting other complications like heart attack, nerve damage, and kidney disease. A patient needs to reduce incidents, which could trigger stress. Stress management helps maintain low blood pressure and keeps the body immune system optimal.

Medications should be taken under strict supervision of a doctor.
A patient suffering from diabetes should have regular checkups of the blood glucose levels. This is important because it helps understand how the body is responding to treatment and when to take appropriate actions because of abnormal changes in blood sugar levels. This reduces the advancement of the condition to serious stages.

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Clifford H Woods is the Executive Director of Vibrant LifeWe Provide Great Products, Excellent and Useful Information with Exceptional Customer Care Service.

Causes of High Cholesterol and Natural Remedies

By Clifford H Woods

The root causes of High Cholesterol is said to consist of:

• Diet that is poor, especially one high in cholesterol, saturated fats and refined carbohydrates
• Family tendency to high cholesterol
• Insulin resistance diabetes
• Hypothyroidism
• Stress
• Inactivity

You are most likely to have cholesterol that is high and that can lead to heart disease if you have any of these risk factors:

1. Smoking: Cigarette smoking causes damage to the walls of the blood vessels, making them much more likely to accumulate deposits of fat on the walls of the vessels.
2. Obesity: Those that have a BMI or body mass index of 30 or more makes the person at more risk of having raised cholesterol.
3. Diet is poor: Foods high in cholesterol, such as like dairy products that are full fat and red meat, increase the overall amount of cholesterol. Eating saturated fat in animal products and trans-fats, found in many commercially baked crackers and cookies also raises the cholesterol level.
4. Little Exercise: Exercise helps to boost the body’s HDL which is the good cholesterol while lowering the LDL or bad cholesterol. Getting very little exercise puts a person at a much higher risk of high cholesterol.
5. Hypertension or High Blood Pressure: When pressure is increased on the artery walls it damages the arteries, which may speed the buildup of deposits that are fatty.
6. Diabetes: Sugar or glucose levels that are high add to the level of higher LDL cholesterol and also lowers HDL cholesterol. High blood sugar or glucose also causes damage to the lining of the walls of the arteries.
7. History of heart disease in family: If a sibling or a parent develops heart disease before the age of 55, levels of high cholesterol can put other members of that family at a larger than average threat of also developing heart disease.

There are many natural remedies for controlling high cholesterol and seven of them are listed here.

Policosanol (is a natural extract from plant waxes): Studies have shown that policosanol decreases total as well as LDL cholesterol, lipoprotein, and raises the good HDL cholesterol. It is normally recommended that one take 10 to 20 mg each evening.

Red Yeast Rice (Monascus Purpureus): When taken at 1,200 mg 2 times daily. This is an extract that has been proven to decrease cholesterol levels and raise HDL. This type of product used in successful studies contained 10 to 13.5 mg of monacolins per day. The recommendation is that one needs take, daily, 100 mg of CoQ10 when using monacolins.
Garlic (Allium sativum): Take up to 500 mg of aged garlic twice daily. It lowers cholesterol levels and increases HDL cholesterol.

Niacin (inositol hexabniacinate, or IP6): Take up to 3000 mg daily of this no-flush form. It lessens cholesterol levels as well asraises HDL cholesterol.

Fish oil: Daily take a dose of a fish oil product that contains 480 mg of EPA and 360 mg of DHA. Fish oil decreases artery inflammation and lowers triglyceride and cholesterol levels.

Guggul (Commiphora mukul): Take daily a total of 1500 mg consistent to 5 percent guggulsterone which is equivalent to 75 mg of guggulsterones. Guggul is an Ayurvedic herb that drops cholesterol levels and raises HDL.

Antioxidant formula: Take a compound of antioxidants or a multivitamin as instructions on the container direct. Several of these antioxidants prevent the oxidation of cholesterol.

Clifford H Woods is the Executive Director of Vibrant Life
We Provide Great Products, Excellent and Useful Information with Exceptional Customer Care Service.

Calcium and Bone Health

Calcium and Bone Health

By Clifford H Woods

Calcium is a mineral needed for strong teeth and bone health. It is also important in the growth of young adults and children.  The absorption of calcium as well as vitamin D, and the creation of bone reach a peak around twenty years of age.  It begins to decrease from the age of thirty when a process of draining begins.

Good intake of calcium and vitamin D increases bone mass in children and young adults, as well as decreases bone loss and improves bone health among people over 30.

Research has shown that calcium benefits by having slimming effect on the metabolism and could be important as an element of weight loss.  This research has also shown that calcium prevents weight gain by promoting the type of fat that is burned instead of the type that is stored.

Experts advise 3 servings a day as well as decreasing calories in other areas of the diet that will accommodate this increase in daily intake. Milk has also shown added calcium benefits by its antioxidant-rich properties that can prevent some cancers, such as ovarian, colorectal and breast cancer.

However, studies have also shown that extreme doses of calcium might increase the risk of some cancers as well.  This suggests that calcium supplementation is not a way to prevent cancer, but adequate intake of calcium through diet is recommended instead.

There is research suggesting that adequate intake of calcium benefits by reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease as well as hypertension.  Although 99 percent of calcium goes to the health of teeth and bones, the remaining 1 percent shows the tendency to play a role in the functioning of muscles and nerve transmission.

Deficiency in calcium can cause problems with the heart as well as high blood pressure, but so can too much calcium; so, expert suggests that the source of calcium for health needs should come from calcium-rich food and not supplementation.

Vitamin D is vital in helping the body use calcium from the diet and research also indicates the benefits of vitamin D in fighting various other health difficulties.  Low levels of vitamin D in blood have been linked with heightened risk of heart diseases and memory issues in older adults, with asthma and cancer in kids.

Research shows that vitamin D plays a part in the prevention and treatment of type 1 and type 2 diabetes as well as high blood pressure.

Natural sources of vitamin D and calcium for bone health also come from the sun, but spending much time in the sun currently is bad for the skin, so vitamin D and calcium benefits are both best received through several natural food sources such as some fish, egg yolks, fish liver oils, grain products and dairy that is fortified.

Experts believe that research is showing that both calcium and vitamin D are important in areas of health.

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Clifford H Woods is the Executive Director of Vibrant Life.
We Provide Great Products, Excellent and Useful Information with Exceptional Customer Care Service.