How to Reduce Your Cholesterol Levels!

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Most of the points listed below are well known to the Cholesterol conscious people and I believe they are already taking the steps recommended in this article.
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How to Reduce Your Cholesterol Levels!

Before blaming family genetics, or panic over the latest blood test, it's important to first remember that cholesterol is, first and foremost, an essential molecule, without it there would be no life, and also - that we have the ability to influence the level of cholesterol in our bodies.

The level of cholesterol in our body is a result of the process of creating cholesterol by the liver. In fact, over 85% of our cholesterol is created by the liver. The rest comes from eating animal products: Beef, chicken, fish, eggs and dairy.

The body is an amazing system, and if a healthy body creates cholesterol, then it is indeed an essential material in our bodies:
-  Cholesterol is used to build needed steroids.
- Cholesterol is used to build hormones like estrogen, progesterone and testosterone.
- Cholesterol is vital for the creation of vitamin D.
- The membrane of every cell in our body contains cholesterol.

When there's too much cholesterol

A situation of higher than normal levels of cholesterol can be worrying, because it may build inside the blood vessels and cause coronary diseases, which may lead to heart attacks or stroke.
As of today, the normal range of cholesterol in the body is up to 200 mg.

The common medicine to take care of additional cholesterol delay the enzyme that takes part in the process of creating cholesterol in the liver so in fact we limit the rate of building our own cholesterol. But is it logical for us to limit the internal creation of cholesterol without addressing the external source? Nutrition will always be at the forefront of dealing with a surplus of cholesterol.

How can we reduce the levels of cholesterol?

- Reducing or eliminating animal foods: Beef, chicken, fish, eggs, dairy products and especially foods rich in fat and cholesterol.
- Consuming Phytosterols that come from vegetation. Phytosterols have a similar chemical structure to cholesterol and because of this similarity they both compete for absorption by the lower intestine, and so consuming them will reduce the amount of cholesterol absorbed.  A good daily amount would be 1.5-2.5 grams a day.
Best sources for Phytosterols: Sesame oil and corn oil but also grains, nuts and seeds: wheat germ, flax seed, wheat bran, peanuts, almonds and cashews, fruits and vegetables: beets, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, onions, oranges and legumes: peas and beans. Legumes and grains are a good source of proteins instead of the fat rich foods.
- Staying away from trans-fats. Trans fat also appears as vegetable oil that has gone through hydrogenation in order to make it harder. This fat is not recommended at all and you'd be best staying clear of it. It is mainly found in processed foods such as margarine, puff pastry, pastries such as croissants, and processed cakes and cookies.

A few more tips...

- Consuming anti-oxidants will help limit the oxidation of cholesterol and consuming them will help getting the cholesterol off  the artery walls.
- Consuming soluble fibers, which are abundant in full wheat products, oatmeal, vegetables and fruit. These absorb conversion salts in the digestion system and the body then uses cholesterol to make new ones, thus reducing the amount of cholesterol in the blood stream.
- Daily exercise.  We know it's tough, but you'll thank us when you get less bad cholesterol, and more good cholesterol.

 

Battle of the Bulge

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'Stomach' means 'pot belly' or 'tummy' in this article .  You need a stomach and cannot live if it goes away. There are some yoga exercises of stretching and relaxing muscles around the stomach in the abdominal area. Baba Ramdeoji shows them in his programme.  One wonders how he can control those muscles. This Chinese method appears simple. However, most of the people having a 'bulge' are likely to have one of the problems listed in the end and are advised to not try this method.  
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Rub Your Stomach Away in 2 Minutes a Day?

Did You Know   that you can rub your stomach away effortlessly using nothing but your hand   for only 2 minutes a day?

After spending a lovely long weekend at Center Parcs, it was fascinating to observe just how many people seemed to be battling the bulge - especially that bulge around the middle!

I love this simple idea of  rubbing your stomach away in 2 minutes a day,   a good habit to add to your daily routine don' t you think?

This may sound hard to believe, but Dr. Stephen Chang, an M.D. and Ph.D. who s trained in both Western and Chinese medicine, states that this simple 2-minute internal exercise, which does not come from Western medicine, but rather from the wisdom of ancient Chinese sages   has been used successfully as a self-healing mechanism for over 6,000 years.

Whatever you do, don t confuse this internal exercise with the external exercises of the Western world, such as sit-ups, crunches and other movements that only firm up the underlying stomach muscles,   but do nothing to melt the fat surrounding those muscles.

According to Dr. Chang, losing weight is a simple matter of increasing the efficiency of the digestive system. If you' ve ever wondered why you fail to shed pounds even when you reduce your food and/or caloric intake,   the reason is because your digestive and eliminatory systems are not functioning efficiently.

The following 2-minute exercise works like a gentle colonic irrigation that helps speed up a sluggish digestive system (which usually carries at least 5 pounds of fecal matter within it), and this elimination of useless sludge has the effect of burning off excess fat. The exercise effectively metabolizes the fatty tissues around the stomach and intestines, and flushes them out of your body through blood, sweat, urine, and feces.

Here s how to do the stomach-rubbing exercise:

1) Lie flat on your back on your bed or on the floor. Take your top off or pull it up so that your abdominal area is bare.

2) Rub your hands together vigorously for about 15 seconds, or until they feel hot. Rub Stomach Away

3) Place one of your hands directly on your belly button and begin to rub in small circles around your belly button, and gradually make the circles larger (as shown in the diagram). Use fairly firm but comfortable pressure and rub at a slow, even pace, approximately 1 circle per second.

4) Concentrate on the heat building up in, around and throughout your stomach.

5) Do about 40 to 50 circles, or for an approximate duration of 2 minutes or more.
Note: It is important to keep the abdominal area warm while doing the exercise, especially during winter months when even heated indoor air tends to be cool.

For best results, do this routine twice a day for 2 minutes,  first thing in the morning (before breakfast) and just before you go to bed. Most people see noticeable results within 1 week of consistent practice.

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the stomach is the center of energy. Massaging the stomach in the manner described above therefore accomplishes more than just melting away adipose tissue (fat). It also
* stimulates the abdominal organs
* helps speed up slow digestion and remedies constipation
* increases blood circulation in the abdominal area
* helps heal indigestion, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting and the adverse effects of overeating

Caution:

The stomach massage should not be practiced immediately after a heavy meal.

Neither is it advisable for women who are pregnant, or have inflammation of the uterus, bladder, ovaries and fallopian tubes; and individuals who have the following conditions: hypertension; stones in the gall bladder, kidneys or bladder; general, femoral, inguinal and umbilical hernia; bleeding of the stomach, lungs or brain; or ulcers of the intestines and stomach.             

COCONUT TREE - कल्पवृक्ष

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A lot is being said about 'The Good / Bad cholesterol' in Coconut oil and the medical advice generally appears to be on the negative side. This article claims that "it lowers cholesterol", whatever that phrase may mean! Coconut oil is widely used in southern part of India for cooking. In Maharashtra, it is mainly used for applying on hair and for massaging the body. It definitely has some good effect on the skin. However, now a days some people do not want oily look of the skins. Tender coconut water is certainly very tasty and healthy drink, It is given to patients suffering from many deceases, especially related to digestive system. It is also given to expectant mothers as a nourishing drink.  However, it must be consumed within minutes of breaking the coconut. After some time it turns into an alcoholic drink called Maadi and consumed in coastal parts of India in that form, which is obviously bad for health. I have not heard of injecting it into the blood in place of saline water or for transfusion. It cannot be an equivalent of blood for obvious reasons. Raw Coconut flesh (ओले खोबरे) is added to many food items in coastal region, where it is easily available.  This is an important ingredient, probably a unique one, as it is widely used in preparation of sweets as well as namakeen or spice food items. For example it is used in the popular item Modak or Barfi (sweets) and also in a very tasty Chutney or certain vegetables, Masale Bhat (Indian fried rice) etc.
So on the whole coconut is good for health (as well as tasty food), perhaps not as good as claimed in this article. However, those who have to watch their cholesterol levels and weight have to restrict consuming any vegetable or animal fats and that would include all oils. So coconut should also be consumed in moderate quantities.
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COCONUTS

Did You Know...

That coconuts are one of the wonder foods on earth that amply provides for all human needs? They can even save your life!

Few people (even fewer doctors) understand how important the coconut is to stabilizing blood sugar; lowering cholesterol; healing; hydration; and even replacing blood plasma in an emergency.

Referred to as kalpa vriksha (Sanskrit for "the tree that supplies all that is needed to live") in ancient India, the coconut palm has been recognized as a top immune booster, antifungal,antibiotic, antiviral and antibacterial remedy for thousands of years all over the world. Yet, it has only been recently that modern researchers have begun to fully discover the massive health benefits this amazing fruit seed offers.

To give just one example of coconuts' live-saving properties, they were used extensively in the Pacific during World War II. Since blood plasma supplies were scarce, it was very common for medics to siphon pure coconut water from young coconuts to be used as emergency plasma transfusions for soldiers who were injured. Since coconut water is nearly identical to human blood, it was suitable for people of all blood types.

Because of its strong antioxidant properties, the coconut can be used to:
==> Lower cholesterol
==> Improve digestion
==> Ward off wrinkles
==> Stabilize glucose levels
==> Fight off viruses
==> Build cells
==> Regulate hormones
==> Increase thyroid production
==> Lose weight
==> Increase metabolism
==> Fight infections
==> Stave off memory loss
==> Kill bacteria
==> And more!

Considered one of the most treasured foods of all time, coconut products -- including coconut flesh, coconut water, coconut oil, and coconut cream -- each deliver superb health benefits.

Coconut oil, for instance, is considered the best and safest oil to use for cooking -- even superior to extra virgin olive oil when it comes to giving the body what it needs for optimum health. Unlike other fats and oils that we typically use for cooking and baking, coconut oil does not form polymerized oils or dangerous Trans fatty acids in our bodies, which can raise our cholesterol levels; clog our arteries and even make our skin sag and wrinkle. Plus, this ultra-safe oil can give your body important antioxidants that can help build stronger cells and improve your overall health and well being.

Here are a few ways that you can use coconut products to stave off disease and to recapture the look and feeling of youth:

Coconut Water - The coconut is a natural water filter. It takes almost 9 months for a coconut to filter every quart of water stored within its shell. This makes the resulting coconut water completely pure and sterile, which is one reason why it can be used for blood transfusions.

Another benefit of coconut water is the fact that it has the highest concentration of electrolytes than anything else found in nature. This makes it an excellent source of hydration.

Coconut Oil - In addition to being superior for cooking and baking, coconut oil also makes a superb topical oil that can help to naturally rid the skin of dangerous toxins. It also gives the skin the perfect mix of hydration and antioxidants that it needs to stay healthy, smooth and younger-looking longer.

Another great benefit of coconut oil is in protecting your teeth from the bacteria that can cause cavities and disease. Simply rubbing a little fresh coconut oil on your gums and teeth can keep them stronger and healthier than virtually any other dental treatment.

Most people don't realize that coconut oil can actually help you lose weight! Yes, simply changing your cooking oil from the unsaturated fat variety to coconut oil can help you lose those extra pounds. Here's why: Unsaturated fats found in canola, corn and other vegetables oils, as well as margarine suppress the metabolism, which makes it harder to lose weight -- and easier to gain it. Over time, this metabolism suppression may result in 20-30 pounds of excess weight that your body cannot get rid of. Coconut oil, on the other hand, helps to increase thyroid function and boost your metabolism -- 2 important components to shedding unwanted pounds.

Coconut Cream - The best skin treatment product one can use to achieve flawless skin may quite possibly be coconut cream. Unlike traditional skin creams which can actually introduce fats and oils to the skin that will break it down over time, making it look older, creams derived from the coconut can actually replenish the skin, giving it a more youthful and healthy glow than most other skin care products on the market.

When it comes to buying coconut products, coconuts are not all created equal. Wild coconuts are always best, but can be hard to obtain if you don't live in a tropical country. Whether you are using this wonder food to boost your immune system; increase your metabolism or fight wrinkles, using products from young coconuts will help you reap the most benefit.

Young coconuts contain the purest unsaturated fat, compared to the fat found in the more mature varieties. This is why they offer the most rejuvenation properties for the body's tissues. But how can you tell how old a coconut is? Young coconuts are usually green in color and oddly shaped. The brown hairy ones are mature coconuts, and while they offer a lot of healthy benefits, they aren't nearly as good for you as younger varieties.

The best place to find young fresh coconuts is, of course, in the markets of the tropics, so be sure to seek them out if you travel to those areas. Coconut-producing regions export coconuts all over the world, however, so it's relatively easy to find coconuts at your local health food store or Asian grocer.

No Benefit in Sharply Restricting Salt

I NEITHER ENDORSE NOR OBJECT TO THE VIEWS EXPRESSED IN THIS BLOG. THEY ARE SIMPLY COLLECTED AT ONE PLACE

Disclaimer : All the postings of mine in this Blog are only my  collection. MY ALL EFFORT IS COPY PASTE ONLY. Most of them are received in my email inbox, Some are downloaded from internet posted by some one else. I am just saving some time of readers to get them readily available. So none of these are my own creation. I believe I am not violating any copy rights law or taking any illegal action am not supposed to do.If anything is  objectionable, please notify so that they can be removed.
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We have been hearing from doctors about harmful effects of salt on our body, We are told that animals and birds do not eat salt. Early man or the tribals living in jungles do not get sodium chloride. They can live with the minerals from their normal veg or non veg fuid. So salt need not be an issential ingradient of the food. But we all know how tasteless it becomes without salt.
Here is a lengthy report, presumably by some competent expert, exploding the myth of bad effects of salt. In short it says that consuming too little salt is also bad. However, there are some conflicting openions in this report. Perhaps one need not be too strict about limiting salt consumption to less than 1500 mg per day and can have some more. If his BP is not increasing with it he can take even more. So ban some people put on pickles and Papad may be relaxed.
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No Benefit in Sharply Restricting Salt, Panel Finds

By GINA KOLATA

In a report that undercuts years of public health warnings, a prestigious group convened by the government says there is no good reason based on health outcomes for many Americans to drive their sodium consumption down to the very low levels recommended in national dietary guidelines.
Those levels, 1,500 milligrams of sodium a day, or a little more than half a teaspoon of salt, were supposed to prevent heart attacks and strokes in people at risk, including anyone older than 50, blacks and people with high blood pressure, diabetes or chronic kidney disease ; a group that makes up more than half of the American population.
Some influential organizations, including the American Heart Association, have said everyone, not just those at risk, should aim for that very low sodium level. The heart association reaffirmed that position in an interview on Monday, even in light of the new report.
But the new expert committee, commissioned by the Institute of Medicine at the behest of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said there was no rationale for anyone to aim for sodium levels below 2,300 milligrams a day. The group examined new evidence that had emerged since the last such report was issued, in 2005.
As you go below the 2,300 mark, there is an absence of data in terms of benefit and there begin to be suggestions in subgroup populations about potential harms, said Dr. Brian L. Strom, chairman of the committee and a professor of public health at the University of Pennsylvania. He explained that the possible harms included increased rates of heart attacks and an increased risk of death.
The committee was not asked to specify an optimal amount of sodium and did not make any recommendations about how much people should consume. Dr. Strom said people should not eat too much salt, but he also said that the data on the health effects of sodium were too inconsistent for the committee to say what the upper limit of sodium consumption should be.
Until about 2006, almost all studies on salt and health outcomes relied on the well-known fact that blood pressure can drop slightly when people eat less salt. From that, and from other studies linking blood pressure to risks of heart attacks and strokes, researchers created models showing how many lives could be saved if people ate less salt.
The United States dietary guidelines, based on the 2005 Institute of Medicine report, recommend that the general population aim for sodium levels of 1,500 to 2,300 milligrams a day because those levels will not raise blood pressure. The average sodium consumption in the United States, and around the world, is about 3,400 milligrams a day, according to the Institute of Medicine  an amount that has not changed in decades.
But more recently, researchers began looking at the actual consequences of various levels of salt consumption, as found in rates of heart attacks, strokes and death, not just blood pressure readings. Some of what they found was troubling.
One 2008 study the committee examined, for example, randomly assigned 232 Italian patients with aggressively treated moderate to severe congestive heart failure to consume either 2,760 or 1,840 milligrams of sodium a day, but otherwise to consume the same diet. Those consuming the lower level of sodium had more than three times the number of hospital readmissions  30 as compared with 9 in the higher-salt group  and a more than twice as many deaths  15 as compared with 6 in the higher-salt group.
Another study, published in 2011, followed 28,800 subjects with high blood pressure aged 55 and older for 4.7 years and analyzed their sodium consumption by urinalysis. The researchers reported that the risks of heart attacks, strokes, congestive heart failure and death from heart disease increased significantly for those consuming more than 7,000 milligrams of sodium a day and for those consuming less than 3,000 milligrams of sodium a day.
There are physiological consequences of consuming little sodium, said Dr. Michael H. Alderman, a dietary sodium expert at Albert Einstein College of Medicine who was not a member of the committee. As sodium levels plunge, triglyceride levels increase, insulin resistance increases, and the activity of the sympathetic nervous system increases. Each of these factors can increase the risk of heart disease.
"Those are all bad things," Dr. Alderman said. "A health effect can’t be predicted by looking at one physiological consequence. There has to be a net effect."
Medical and public health experts responded to the new assessment of the evidence with elation or concern, depending on where they stand in the salt debates.
"What they have done is earth-shattering," Dr. Alderman said. "They have changed the paradigm of this issue. Until now it was all about blood pressure. Now they say it is more complicated."The report, he predicted, "will have a big impact."
But Bonnie Liebman, director of nutrition at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, an advocacy group that has taken a strong position against excessive salt consumption, worried that the public would get the wrong message.
"It would be a shame if this report convinced people that salt doesn’t matter," Ms. Liebman said.
The American Heart Association agrees with her. Dr. Elliott Antman, a spokesman for the American Heart Association and a professor of medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital said the association remained concerned about the large amount of sodium in processed foods, which makes it almost impossible for most Americans to cut back. People should aim for 1,500 milligrams of sodium a day, he said.
"The American Heart Association is not changing its position," Dr. Antman said. The association rejects the Institute of Medicine’s conclusions because the studies on which they were based had methodological flaws, he said. The heart association’s advice to consume 1,500 milligrams of sodium a day, he added, is based on epidemiological data and studies that assessed the effects of sodium consumption on blood pressure.
The Institute of Medicine committee said it was well aware of flaws in many of the studies of sodium, especially ones that the previous Institute of Medicine committee relied on for its 2005 recommendations. Much of that earlier research, committee members said, looked for correlations between what people ate and their health. But people with different diets can differ in many ways that are hard to account for , for example, the amount of exercise they get. And relying on people’s recall of how much salt they consumed can be unreliable.
Even the ways previous studies defined high and low sodium consumption varied widely.
"In one study it was high if it hit 2,700 milligrams a day. In another study it was high if it hit 10,000 milligrams a day," said Cheryl A.M. Anderson, a committee member who is an associate professor of family and preventive medicine at the University of California, San Diego.
The committee said it found more recent studies, published since 2005 that were more careful and rigorous. Much of the new research found adverse effects on the lower end of the sodium scale and none showed a benefit from consuming very little salt.
Although the advice to restrict sodium to 1,500 milligrams a day has been enshrined in dietary guidelines, it never came from research on health outcomes, Dr. Strom said. Instead, it is the lowest sodium consumption can go if a person eats enough food to get sufficient calories and nutrients to live on. As for the 2,300-milligram level, that was the highest sodium levels could go before blood pressure began inching up.
In its 2005 report, the Institute of Medicine’s committee said that sodium consumption between 1,500 and 2,300 milligrams a day would not raise blood pressure.
That range, Dr. Strom said,"was taken by other groups and set in stone." Those other groups included the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services, which formulated dietary guidelines in 2005.
But those dietary guidelines will soon be revised, with new recommendations to be issued in 2015.

Health Benefits of Ginger

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Ginger or Adrak (अदरक) in Hindi and Aale (आले) in Marathi is a common food ingredient  in India and other Asian countries. We often find it in Chinese food also. It is known to help digestion and having wide spectrum anti biotic effects. This root is used in preparation of many dishes to add taste as well as to health. It is commonly mied with tea  (अद्रकवाली चाय) and is supposed to cure common cold and cough. It is preserved as Soonth (सूँठ, सुंठ) in dried form and used in various ways, from making potions (काढा) to applying (लेप) on bruises on the skin. It appears that their are some other benefits also.
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10 Health Benefits of Ginger

1. Ovarian cancer treatment
2. Colon cancer prevention
3. Morning sickness relief
4. Motion sickness remedy
5. Reduces pain and inflammation
6. Heartburn relief
7. Prevention of diabetic nephropathy
8. Migraine relief
9. Menstrual cramp relief
10. Cold and flu prevention

Understand Hypertension / High Blood Pressure

This blog has been now viewed by 900 visitors
I NEITHER ENDORSE NOR OBJECT TO THE VIEWS EXPRESSED IN THIS BLOG. THEY ARE SIMPLY COLLECTED AT ONE PLACE.
Disclaimer : All the postings of mine in this Blog are only my collection. MY ALL EFFORT IS COPY PASTE ONLY. Most of them are received in my email inbox, Some are downloaded from internet posted by some one else. I am just saving some time of readers to get them readily available. So none of these are my own creation. I believe I am not violating any copy rights law or taking any illegal action am not supposed to do.If anything is objectionable, please notify so that they can be removed.
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Hyper tension or high BP is now a fairly common ailment, especially among senior executives and citizen. This article recounts the points which are now well known.
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Understand Hypertension / High Blood Pressure

Celeste Robb-Nicholson, M.D.

A silent condition like high blood pressure is sneaky. It generally doesn't cause any outward signs or symptoms, and yet it relentlessly causes problems in the arteries, heart, kidneys, and elsewhere.
High blood pressure,  also known as hypertension,  isn't a disease. It is a sign that something is wrong in the body.
In some people with hypertension, the culprit is a narrowing of the arteries supplying the kidneys (renal artery stenosis), or an overactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism) or adrenal glands (aldosteronism).
If these are treated, blood pressure drops back to normal - Most of the time, though, no immediate cause can be identified. Doctors call this essential hypertension.

Effects On Health

High blood pressure imposes an up-front burden in people who know they have it and who are working to control it. It adds to worries about health. It alters what you eat and how active you are, since a low-salt diet and exercise are important ways to help keep blood pressure in check.
High blood pressure often requires you to take one or more pills a day, which can be a costly hassle.
There are long-term consequences, too. High blood pressure contributes to the development of stroke, heart attack, heart failure, and kidney disease. In the United States, it directly accounts for about 60,000 deaths a year and contributes to another 300,000.
Then there are hidden burdens. Perhaps because of all the ways hypertension interferes with health, the average life span for people with it is five years shorter than it is for those with normal blood pressure. A team of Spanish researchers has tallied up another hidden drain of high blood pressure,  its effect on survival and rehospitalization after someone is admitted to the hospital for a heart problem.
The researchers looked at 1,007 men and women admitted to the hospital over a 10-month period for any potentially heart-related problem. These ranged from chest pain and fainting to heart attack, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, and pericarditis. In this group, 69% had been diagnosed with high blood pressure before being admitted to the hospital.
Each person was followed for one year. At the end of that time, 17% of those with high blood pressure had died, compared with 9% of those with normal blood pressure. Rehospitalization for a cardiac problem followed the same pattern: 31% of those with high blood pressure were rehospitalized, while only 18% of those without it were.

Keeping The Burden At Bay

It is possible to blunt the effects of hypertension by keeping blood pressure in check with medications and lifestyle choices. Preventing it from getting started is even better.
How? The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and the American Heart Association offer these recommendations:
 Control your weight.
 Exercise regularly.
 Follow a diet that is rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
 Limit sodium intake to under 2,300 milligrams a day (one teaspoon of salt), and get plenty of potassium (at least 4,700 mg per day) from fruits and vegetables.
 Drink alcohol in moderation, if at all.
 Reduce stress.

 Check your blood pressure.

Be Alkaline

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A chemical view of your health. I do not know who is the auther of this article recieved in my mail box. It appears a bit logical, if his statements about chemistry of our body at the birth and after death are correct.
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        Informative and easy to understand article on alkaline PH

        The Most Important Medical Test           

        Recently I (His name is not known!) spoke at a health conference and had several great conversations with many health-conscious people.
        Although the questions I was asked during and after my presentation ran the gamut, there was one general reaction that came through loud and clear.
        Sheer surprise.
        You see, I talked about the number that is THE most telling indicator about your state of health and is arguably the most important number to pay attention to if you want a life free of pain, inflammation and disease.
        It's not your weight.
        Your BMI? Nope.
        No--it's not your cholesterol.
        Or your triglycerides.
        It's not even your blood pressure!
        It's your pH.
        Here is what kept my audience on the edge of their seats...
        Alkaline pH--why in the world?
        In a flashback to high school chemistry, remember that the pH scale goes from 0 to 14. 0 is pure acid, 7 is neutral, and 14 is pure alkaline.
        You came into this world with an alkaline pH. It's how your body was designed and how you're meant to stay.
        Without exception, ALL of your organs, tissues, bones and joints work best when your blood pH is slightly alkaline (around 7.365).
        If your pH is even just a little too acidic, that's when your body can begin to literally break down. Aches and pains begin to creep up. Tumors (including cancer) can flourish. Diseases can rear their ugly heads.
        Although a number of factors can contribute to an acid pH, (including stress, environmental toxins, lack of exercise and smoking), far and away the number one factor is your FOOD.
        Eating acid-creating foods (especially fast food, processed food, meat, dairy, refined carbs and hard to digest meal combinations) pulls your pH down toward the acid range.
        On the other hand, when your diet contains many alkaline foods (like fresh fruits and vegetables) and is easy for your body to break down, you encourage a more alkaline pH.
        

        A snapshot of your innards

        Let take a look at your innards and see some examples of how your body can break down when you're acidic:
        

        Your Heart

        Your heart pumps an unbelievable 13,000 quarts of blood a day--enough to fill a small swimming pool!
        If there are toxins in your blood, that puts a huge strain on your heart to do its job.
        Acid wastes in your system also rob your blood of oxygen, which causes your heart tissue to deteriorate.
        And you don't want your ticker breaking down, do you?
        

        Your Liver

        The liver serves over 300 different functions-with two of the most important being to remove acid wastes from your blood and make alkaline enzymes for your body.
        If you're like most people who live in industrialized countries, your blood resembles a war zone with far too many toxins floating around, and your liver is constantly being stressed cleaning them out.
        If that goes on long enough, it can completely shut down. And so will you.
        

        Your Pancreas

        The pancreas is super important... in fact, it's responsible for completing digestion in your small intestine. And it helps regulate blood sugar by producing insulin. Like I said, super important.
        More so than any other organ, the pancreas is extremely sensitive to your pH and absolutely CANNOT function when you're acidic -- it MUST have an alkaline environment.
        If your pancreas is not working right, you can be looking at type II diabetes, pancreatitis or even pancreatic cancer (which can kill you FAST).
        

        Your Kidneys

        The kidneys create urine and help get rid of excess acid from the body. About one liter of blood passes through them every single minute!
        If your blood has too much acid and toxins, your kidneys are over-stressed and unable to do their job. (Ever hear of dialysis? Kidney stones?)
        

        Your Stomach

        When your stomach properly breaks down your food, the small intestine can finish the job and digestion is completed like it should be.
        But foods that are acid-creating are hard for your stomach to break down, and in its efforts to do its job, it may overproduce acid. The result can be poorly digested food, fewer nutrients being absorbed, and acid rising up into your throat.
        Acid reflux, GERD, IBS, hiatal hernia and gastritis are all on the rise and this is why. The typical American diet is LOADED with hard to digest, acid-creating food.
        

        Your Colon

        Wastes are supposed to easily pass through the colon and "out your back door." But if digestion has not been accomplished properly, they don't move through like they should.
        Instead they can clog your colon walls, become a breeding ground for bacteria and disease and cause you to put on weight. Plus, the toxins can be reabsorbed into your bloodstream, make you ill and encourage the development of food sensitivities.
        It's no surprise that colon cancer is the number one cancer killer, and that so many people suffer with IBS, diverticulosis/itis and chronic constipation, is it?
        
        An acid pH is GOOD -- when you're DEAD
        There is one time when you're SUPPOSED to have an acid pH.
        When you're DEAD.
        Your body automatically becomes acidic upon death so it can decompose like it's supposed to.
        I don't want that happening any time too soon, do you?
        
        So...how do we get this magic 7.365 pH?
        Hopefully you've gotten the idea of how important it is to have a slightly alkaline pH while you're still breathing and vertical.
        Now I'll tell you the 4 steps to attaining and maintaining an optimal alkaline pH:
        

        Step 1- Check your pH at regular intervals

        You can get a saliva test or urine test kit at most drug stores or health food stores. The saliva test is the least accurate and urine is slightly more accurate.
        You can also have your blood tested by a doctor. This is the most accurate measure but also the most expensive. If you want this done and your doctor won't do it, find one who will.
        The normal pH for urine is about 6.5-6.8 (it's acidic because urine is an exit for toxins), for saliva 7.0-7.4 and for blood 7.365 is your target.
        If you're testing your pH with saliva or urine, it's important to perform the test several times at different times of the day, since pH can be affected by what you eat or drink.
        

        Step 2- Drink pure water

        Aim for at least 5-8 glasses per day. Stir in a little fresh-squeezed lemon juice to make it more alkaline if you'd like. Alkalizing drops are also available at health food stores.
        Water means water and does not mean coffee, tea, Gatorade, soda or other sweetened drinks.
        But avoid drinking tap water as it can contain chlorine and/or fluoride. Strive to drink filtered or bottled water.
        

        Step 3- Eat more alkaline foods

        The important thing to note here is you CAN continue to eat some "good" acid foods that have valid nutrients - so if you don't want to give up that juicy steak you love or that roasted chicken, you don't have to.
        Just make sure that those acid foods are counterbalanced by a good portion of alkaline foods. 50/50 is a good place to start, and the more alkaline, the better.
        "Good" acid foods include nourishing things like:
        * Eggs
        * Fish
        * Chicken, turkey
        * Brown rice
        * Yogurt
        These foods have nutrients that do benefit your body. So it's not necessary to eliminate them. You just need to make sure to keep them under control, and make sure they represent no more than 50% of your calories.
        And remember it's NEVER a good idea to eat processed food, fast food or drink soda. Keep those to a bare minimum or preferably none at all.
        

        Step 4- Keep your digestion efficient

        In order to keep your digestion humming, it's vital to eat meal combinations that are easily broken down and don't cause your stomach to overproduce acid, and make sure you have adequate enzymes to do the job.
        Simply put:
        Easy digestion = proper elimination of wastes = a more alkaline pH
        Poor digestion = acid waste build-up = Sickness and a more acid pH
        Without the proper enzymes for digestion, you can suffer from gas, bloating, constipation, waste build-up...
        ...and you'll have a more acidic pH!
        
        So remember--while your weight, blood pressure, cholesterol, etc. are all very important too, it's vital to keep your eye on the MOST important number--your pH. Do that and your body will thank you many times over.