Women & Weight Loss Concern

Here is an article from internationally known fitness guru, Kelli Calabrese. Who better to give advice about womens health other than, well, a woman, lol. Hope this answers alot of women's questions and gives you more insight on weight loss

"Despite your obsession with thinness, somehow your body has not connected to your mind and each Monday as you creep on the scale you become more desperate. Do you look at your body in the mirror and wonder how fat seems to be growing in places its never been? If this sounds familiar, don't despair! I'll share with you some hidden secrets that can help you understand why you may be getting fatter rather than fitter and why fat loss is a greater challenge for women than men!

Father Time - Beginning in our mid-20s, women lose approximately 7 pounds of muscle mass and gain 15 pounds of fat every decade. (Men lose about 5 pounds of muscle a decade) So, by our mid-40s, we will have lost almost 15 pounds of metabolically active muscle and replaced it with 30 pounds of sluggish fat (if you are not exercising). While the scale tells us that we are only 15 pounds heavier, our metabolism has been dramatically reduced and body composition has changed in unfavorable proportions. The good news is that these changes are, in large part, the result of inactivity and can be reversed with exercise.

Unfortunately it gets worse for women. After menopause, the rate of muscle loss doubles going from 7 pounds a decade to 14 pounds. By the time a woman is in her 60's she can have as little as 20 - 30 pounds of muscle left so not only is she displeased with her figure, but she is more prone to falls and breaking bones.

Also with age, the skin begins to lose its elasticity, sag and lose its ability to contain fat giving a rippled appearance often referred to as cellulite. The dimpled effect is caused by the fibers of connective tissue losing elasticity and allowing the fat to seep through like yogurt through cheesecloth. Yuck!

Muscle is what drives your metabolism. For every pound of muscle on your body you need 35 - 50 calories per day to sustain it. For every pound of fat on your body, you need a modest 2 calories per day. Hint: begin strength training today!

Female Fat is Different from Male Fat
Men and women do not live in an equal world when it comes to our bodies and specifically body fat. Men are taller with larger muscles and bones and a faster metabolism. At puberty, girls put on fat and boys put on muscle. From fertilization to breastfeeding, women have different physical experiences than men. Although the odds may appear to be stacked against women they can overcome these obstacles and make improvements to their shape and health.

Fat Storage
Women are both blessed and cursed with the ability to store excess body fat. Fat serves an important biological purpose by helping to insulate the body, pad the internal organs and provide energy. And nature has also cleverly designed women's bodies to carry almost double the amount of body fat as men because we bear and nourish babies. Fat is the primary energy source our bodies use to support fetal development. Therefore, to keep it available for the developing fetus, our bodies tend to store extra fat in the abs, hips, butt and thighs. Grrrreat!

Unfortunately, we don't have control over where our fat cells decide to swell and shrink, but we can make great strides in helping the cells release fat by exercising.

In order for fat to be metabolized, it must be released from the fat cell and be transported by the bloodstream, where it is shunted to the liver and other active tissues to be used as fuel. Unfortunately, blood flow to fatty tissues is poor compared to the circulation in muscles and organs. So, fat regions tend to remain fat partially due to poor blood circulation.

The less circulation-stimulating exercise we perform, the more our bodies are inclined to accumulate fat, although more blame tends to lie with greater food intake.

Hormones
Estrogen is a hormone responsible for secondary female sex characteristics and can influence the body's enzymes to store fat in the lower body, while suppressing the storage of fat in the upper body. Women may have noticed that when they diet, the first place they see lost inches is in your bust area. Drats!

During pregnancy and the menstrual cycle, hormones encourage the fat cells to retain water. The water retention slows down circulation and makes it more difficult to mobilize fat. The good news is that exercise can help to regulate hormone responses and ultimately become fat releasing machines.

The other main hormone women produce is progesterone. Progesterone affects appetite and mood. It makes you hungrier during the second half of your menstrual cycle and is responsible for your ravenous appetite during pregnancy. Progesterone can also make you feel sluggish, sleepy and therefore less inclined to exercise. Women who take birth control pills gain on average 3 to 5 pounds as a side effect.

Pregnancy
Throughout pregnancy, fat cells not only expand, but they can multiply in number. When pregnancy is over, those fat cells remain and are always ready to expand in size whenever your intake of calories surpasses the energy you use. (Take that donut out of your mouth right now!) With each pregnancy, the weight loss dilemma is compounded further. The thyroid gland, which also drives the metabolism, notoriously becomes sluggish during pregnancy in order to help the body hold on to fat.

Menopause
The average age of natural menopause for women in the United States is 51. During peri-menopause (the 10 years prior to menopause), we begin producing less estrogen, which is a protective hormone. We also tend to sleep less and our appetite becomes stimulated. Before we reach that pre-menopausal stage, women typically deposit fat on the hips and thighs. But, as peri-menopause begins, we begin to deposit more fat around the waist and chest.

Genetics
Many generations ago, lean people tended to die younger, so natural selection favored those who were fatter. Over the centuries, a genetic predisposition for fat has been built into our genes. If you take a look at your mother, mother's sisters and female cousins, you may notice a strong resemblance in body types. Some families seem more predisposed to "cellulite" than others.

Unfortunately we cannot change our genetics, but we can choose to express the positive genes. Some women are gifted to naturally look like athletes or models and others can do all of the dieting and training in the world and still have trouble spots.

While genetics does influence where we store body fat, non-genetic influences such as lifestyle, environmental and cultural factors are shown to be more important. You can overcome any weaknesses and trouble spots to a certain degree with balanced strength, cardiovascular and flexibility training - along with making nutritious food choices. You have the ability to transform your body regardless of your inherited traits. Focus on being the best you can be.

Why Men Have It Easier
Compared to women, men are generally quicker to lose weight as a result of regular exercise. They tend to carry their fat in the upper body, and those cells are more prone to release fat than the fat cells in the lower body, where women tend to store extra weight. Women are also more likely to increase their total fat cell count, both at puberty and during pregnancy, which men don't have to deal with.

One of the reasons for this difference between the sexes is that testosterone, the male hormone, stimulates bone and muscle growth. Men don't lose testosterone at the rate that women lose estrogen. As a result, men retain more muscle and more bone minerals as they age, giving them higher metabolisms and making them less likely to develop osteoporosis.

Bulking Up
A woman is not engineered to develop huge bulging muscles like men. Women have low levels of testosterone in their bodies, about one tenth of what men have, and testosterone is the primary stimulus for muscular growth. So, even when women strength train, they will not be able to raise their metabolisms to the rate of a man's.

Happy Marriage
Just two years after marriage, women start gaining 2 - 5 pounds of fat a year. The reason is that they begin to pick up the habits of their husbands who naturally eat 35% more than them to maintain their speedy metabolisms. Women also traditionally do the cooking and tend to eat as they cook, during the meal and during the clean up.

Phew! I am not sharing this information because I want you to get a divorce or not have children. I am committed to helping your understand why fat loss may feel like an uphill battle for you. The great news is that with the right fitness program and healthful eating plan, a lean, feminine, firm and fit body can be yours. Exercise is the very best fountain of youth and even better, the results are guaranteed!"

Upper Body Routine

This article is for the people that want little or no clothing to show off their upper body physique. But how do you get the killer upper body to show off for summer? Here, Dr. Ellis gives you a guideline to follow, for those who need some sort of direction or lost their way. To put my two cents in, the weight that is recommended in this article is very light to me because I am the typical gym rat. So if you are regular at the gym, just replace the amount of weight described in this article with something that challenges you. I am a believer in switching up your routine and even throwing in body weight exercises like pull-ups and push-ups to maximize your upper body strength.

"Most upper body exercises have as their goal to build strength. In order to maximize the beneficial effect of the routine, you'll want to mix in some good cardiovascular workouts - spinning, jogging, etc - and alternate the activities with lower body work.

Before starting any routine, be sure to spend at least 10 minutes warming up, including good stretching exercises. Warm, loose muscles are much less likely to tear themselves or attached tendons. Also, you'll want to get the circulatory system activated and muscle temperature increased for good blood flow and make sure you are getting the proper nutrition for your muscles. MyNutrtionStore.com offers a strong proprietary Whey Science product that is formulated for maximum muscle development, growth and repair.

How much weight to use, how many reps to perform and other variables are determined by your overall goals. Do you want to build muscle mass or just tone? For more mass, use more weight. For better tone, use less weight and do more reps. Do you want to increase flexibility and overall fitness or prepare for specific events?

In any case, these traditional exercises will help you get started down that road. Some can be performed without equipment, others require only a very simple set of free weights or resistance equipment. Resistance equipment includes rubber straps with handles, springs and others that work primarily by offering resistance to tension. Weights work primarily by providing compression and/or tension due to gravity.

Warning: Never exercise 'through the pain'. Mild discomfort - especially after a prolonged period of inactivity - is normal. But intense pain is a sign of trouble. Consult your physician.

Push-Ups

Even with all the contemporary sports science around, traditional push-ups remain an excellent upper body exercise. Start on your stomach, back straight, feet together, hands under the shoulders. Press against the floor, keeping your back and legs straight, then lower yourself back to the floor. For a little extra effort push-up, slow the action down and both raise and lower more slowly.

Try to do 20, then build up to 40, then to 80 push-ups.

More Chest Work

Start with 10 lb (4.5 kg) hand-held dumbbells. Flat on your back on a comfortable surface, such as a carpet or mat, hold the weights in each hand, palms up, arms extended perpendicular from the body. Lift slowly and bring the hands together.

To vary the action, and get the biceps a good workout, too, try bending at the elbow when the arms are raised about 20 degrees, then straighten and continue.

Lats

Stand up straight, arms at your side, grasping the dumbbells. Maintain good balance and breathe normally. At the maximum point of inhalation, thrust the arms away from the body, palms inward. Exhale as you raise your arms to shoulder height, then lower your hands slowly back to the starting position.

To vary the exercise, and get the biceps and triceps involved, rotate the weights and curl your arms up at the top of the swing. Straighten the arm, then lower as described above.

Do 10 reps.

(Note: The 'lats' or latissiumus dorsi' are the large, side muscles that make men triangle-shaped.)

Biceps and Triceps

Move the weights in front of the body, with your arms hanging above the front of your thighs. Without swinging or pushing off the thighs, lift the weights toward your chest. Alternate using one arm, then the other.

Do 10 reps for each arm. If you experience lower back pain during the exercise, stop immediately. Put off the exercise until another day, or see your physician.

Exercises for the lats or biceps can be done with free weights or using a long, elastic resistance strap. Hook one end with the foot and grab the other with your hand. Proceed as described above.

Pull-ups/Chin-ups

If you have access to a sturdy bar, either in the gym or at a playground, or at home in a doorway, you can perform chin-ups and pull-ups. Chins ups are done with the fingers toward you, pull-ups with the fingers facing away, while your hands grasp the bar above your head.

This low-tech exercise remains one of the best ways to build biceps, triceps, lats and pectorals all at once.

No matter what routine you choose, don't overdo it. Build up your strength gradually. One of the most common reasons people don't continue workouts is pain produced from incorrect technique or excessive effort exerted too early in the process."

Keep in mind, that in order to have the best upper body, you will need to incorporate a variety of movements into your upperbody workout as stated above. You will be working every single major and minor muscle group in your upper body...which all work together anyway...this ensures maximum upper body developement. Until next time.

Don't Stress It

What's happenin'? Doesn't matter if you came here from my other blog or wherever, here is some valuable info on stress and how to help lower it. This whole article is written by Sarah DeCamello who is a consultant to health-care focused companies and is involved in helping educate people on health topics on many websites. This article was written exclusively for mynutritionstore.

"In modern society, persistent unremitting stress can lead to a variety of serious health problems. It is important to alleviate chronic stress by learning simple techniques to relax and calm down, and by taking steps to ameliorate the root causes of the stress.

What works for Relaxation and Stress Reduction?

Learning relaxation techniques such as meditation or the Relaxation Response pioneered by Dr. Herbert Benson at Harvard can be important to reduce the harmful effects of stress on the mind and body. There are also natural products that can help the body cope with stress and help elicit relaxation. These include Valerian to promote restful sleep, and the critical B Vitamins: Vitamin B Complex, Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5), Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12. The B Vitamins have been called the stress vitamins, and play an important role in helping the body to stave off, and recover from, the negative effects of stress. Another helpful stress-fighting supplement is GABA, shown to inhibit excitement in the brain, helping to quiet the mind so you can relax and rest.

Relaxation and Stress Reduction Supplements: what supplements should you take?

Valerian: an effective, safe sleep aid shown to induce sleep and support critical deep sleep.

Valerian is an herb native to Europe, Asia and North America.  Valerian is used in Europe to treat anxiety and sleeplessness. Valerian has been used for 2,000 years in many cultures including Greek, Chinese and Indian (Ayurvedic medicine). The drug Valium was derived from Valerian.

Published medical studies support the use of the herb valerian as a safe, effective sleep aid that is not habit forming. Research shows that valerian users have a higher quality of sleep and faster onset of sleep, with few side effects. Patients taking valerian had an 80% greater chance of reporting improved sleep compared with patients taking placebo. Valerian has also been found to increase Slow Wave Sleep, or deep sleep, throughout the night. Emerging research shows that during Slow Wave Sleep, the body produces human growth hormone, which helps processes memory. In contrast, a lack of Slow Wave Sleep hampers the immune system and cognitive function.

Researchers believe some of the Valerian root chemicals, valeric acid and valepotriates, interact with the brain neurotransmitter GABA (gamma aminobutyric acid) which inhibits excitement in the brain. Valerian is believed to increase the production of GABA.

Vitamin B Complex: The stress vitamins.

When we're under physical or emotional stress the B vitamins and other key nutrients are the first to be depleted. Because the body does not make B vitamins, they must be taken in through the diet or supplements. The B vitamin family is notable for its complex interdependence. Certain B vitamins are required to activate others in the body. That is why they are often taken in complex form.

Low levels of B vitamins may contribute to anxiety and depression. Evidence also suggests that B vitamins can have a direct effect on the important neurotransmitters in the brain serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine. To support relaxation and combat stress, don't wait to add B complex vitamins to your regimen.

Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5): essential to replenish to prevent common stress-related complaints.

Vitamin B5, or Pantothenic acid, is an essential, water-soluble vitamin found in foods like legumes, whole grains, potatoes, broccoli, cabbage, fish, eggs, meats and dairy products. Because the body is unable to make Vitamin B5, it must be replenished through the diet or through supplements.

Vitamin B5 supplementation has been shown to ameliorate stress related conditions like fatigue, emotional distress, lack of focus or mental clarity, and gastrointestinal problems. Deficiency of Vitamin B5 can result in fatigue, insomnia, constipation and other intestinal distress.

Vitamin B6: critical to proper nervous system function.

B6, or Pyridoxine HCL, is an essential, water soluble vitamin found in green and leafy vegetables, legumes, nuts, whole grains, eggs, fish and shellfish. Probably due to insufficient dietary intake, mild Vitamin B6 deficiency is very common. Deficiency of Vitamin B6, essential for the synthesis of the neurotransmitters serotonin and norepinephrine, principally affects the nerves, skin, mucous membranes and blood cells. Symptoms can include headache, chronic pain, depressed mood and neurological disturbances. Vitamin B6 is also important in maintaining hormonal balance, kidney and lung function. Vitamin B6 supplementation has been shown to help combat stress and improve nerve system function and immune response.

Vitamin B12: The energy vitamin that helps support the cognitive and nervous systems.

B12, or Cyanocobalamin, is an essential, water-soluble vitamin that is naturally occurring in animal products such as dairy foods, eggs, fish, poultry and other meats. Vitamin B12 helps maintain healthy nerve cells and red blood cells, and is needed to make DNA, the genetic material in all cells. Marginal Vitamin B12 deficiency is believed to be fairly common, especially among the elderly, and can result in tiredness and low energy, fatigue, weakness, loss of appetite, weight loss, irritability, depressed mood and mental confusion. Supplementation of Vitamin B12 has been shown to ameliorate emotional stress and depressed mood and to support cognitive health and nerve system function, all key stress-related areas.

Key Stress-related Health Issues

Stress System Malfunction can lead to serious, life-threatening disease.

According to the NIH, prolonged stress can lead to a malfunction in our stress response that puts us at risk for obesity, heart disease, depression, cancer and other illnesses. Up to 90% of medical visits are believed to be for stress-related illness. While the stress response was designed to help us survive by fleeing from danger, today stress hormones can put the body on alarm continually, when there is nothing to escape from. Anxiety and worries about daily events and relationships can cause stress hormones to flood the system, never leaving the blood and tissues.

The stress circuit affects systems throughout your body including the autonomic nervous system regulating vital functions like the heart rate, blood pressure and digestion. Stress hormones also affect fear, memory, mood, motivation, body temperature, appetite, response to pain, growth, reproduction, metabolism and immunity. In short, stress affects every system in the body.

Stress and Sex.

Stress suppresses the reproductive system, preventing the release of critical hormones that direct reproduction and sexual behavior. In women, elevated levels of cortisol may explain, in part, why women are more vulnerable to stress-related disorders like depression, anorexia nervosa, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and autoimmune diseases like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.

Growth and Stress.

Stress has been associated with the inhibition of normal growth, both in premature infants and children under physical and emotional stress. It is hypothesized that the stress pre-term infants experience in the intensive care unit, before they are ready to leave the womb, may contribute to retarded growth. Research has shown that stress from emotional or psychological harassment may result in short stature and delayed physical maturity.

Stress and Digestion.

Many of us have experience digestive problems brought on by stress. Stress hormones inhibit the release of stomach acid and the emptying of the stomach. They can also directly stimulate the colon, speeding its emptying. In addition, high levels of cortisol can increase the appetite and lead to weight gain. People under stress also commonly overeat at night.

Stress and the immune system.

Stress suppresses the immune system, making you more vulnerable to colds and flu, fatigue, and infections. High cortisol levels from prolonged stress can make the body more susceptible to disease by switching off disease-fighting white blood cells. Researchers believe that this may lead to an increased risk of serious diseases like cancer.

Stress and Mental and Emotional Health.

Depression is one of the major disorders associated with a malfunction in the stress response. Constant anxiety and overreaction to stimulation can lead to a paradoxical response called learned helplessness, which causes victims to lose all motivation. Symptoms of depression include anxiety, loss of appetite, loss of sex drive, rapid heartbeat, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol and triglyceride levels. It is important to see your doctor or mental health professional if you suspect you may have depression. Other mental and emotional imbalances associated with stress include SAD or seasonal affective disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, anorexia nervosa, and substance abuse, including alcoholism and drug addiction.

Stress and Heart Disease

Because stress is associated with weight gain and an increased risk for accumulating abdominal fat and hardening of the arteries, stress can lead to heart disease. Heart disease is the leading killer of both men and women in the United States. Life spans may be shortened by 15 to 20 years as a result of untreated heart disease, and the untreated stress which contributes to it.

Stress, Anxiety and sleep disorders.

Stress and anxiety is often associated with sleeplessness and goes hand in hand with symptoms like persistent worry and obsessive thoughts that are hard to turn off at night. Nightmares and gastrointestinal disorders can also be symptoms of a stress-related anxiety disorder. Research has shown that insomniacs have high ACTH and cortisol levels, and theorize that persistent insomnia may be a disorder of the stress system. Learning to relax in the evening may be useful, as well as other natural steps to reduce stress.

Nutritional Support for Relaxation and Stress Reduction: what should you eat?

A healthy, balanced diet rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean protein and healthy fats improves your overall health and can help you fight the negative effects of stress. However, it is more important to focus on items you should limit to improve your ability to relax and reduce stress. To help you get deep, restorative sleep, it is important not to eat heavy, rich meals several hours before wanting to fall asleep. Avoiding stimulants such as caffeine can also help calm the nervous system and improve sleep quality. Ironically, alcohol, which initially has a sedating effect, becomes a stimulant several hours later. This is why after drinking alcohol in the evening one often awakens in the middle of the night. Therefore, avoiding alcohol is also advisable to improve your ability to get restorative, relaxing sleep.

To reduce stress, other foods to be avoided include caffeine containing colas and energy drinks, junk food and fast food, high cholesterol foods like egg yolks, butter, cheese, shrimp and meat, nuts, sugar and alcohol.

Foods that you may want to increase consumption of to reduce stress appear to act mainly through their vitamin and mineral contents. Research shows that B vitamins and Vitamins C and E along with key minerals like manganese, selenium and zinc are helpful in relieving stress. Foods rich in these vitamins and minerals include fresh green, yellow and orange vegetables, and fresh fruits. Other foods found beneficial to combat stress include yogurt, fish, sprouted grains, low-fat dairy products and herbal products like herb teas. Whole grains provide B vitamins including Pantothenic Acid, often described as the anti-stress vitamin."

Hope you found it useful and apply what you learn hear to everyday situations. This is just one of the battles you will face in becoming more healthy and fit overall.

Overloading and Injury.

Just a little info I found from Dr. John Spencer Ellis that I think is useful, especially for beginners.

 "From some trainers 'No pain, no gain' really means 'you should feel some pain'. While mild discomfort is to be expected, especially for those just beginning a new fitness routine, pain is a natural warning sign. Pay attention to it.

A good workout routine will test you, but shouldn't damage you. As muscles get used, especially somewhat beyond their usual range, lactic acid, micro-tears and other physiological changes occur that result in muscles being built up stronger than before. MyNutritionStore.com offers Whey Science to promote muscle repair, maintenance and growth. 

But if you are experiencing back pain, neck aches, knee joint soreness and other symptoms, you should consult with an expert. Your technique may be wrong, you may be trying to do too much, too soon, or you may have a medical problem that should be addressed.

Work up to any vigorous routine slowly. How slowly will vary from person to person, depending on age, experience, prior exercise routines and overall fitness. Get muscles warm and limber before cranking it up. Most strains and rips result from being too cold and not stretching, or extending more than you're ready for.

Warm-ups should take at least 15 minutes and include very gentle jogging in place or jumping jacks to get the cardio and lung systems working well. They should include some slow, gradual stretching to get joints lubricated and muscles relaxed and gently lengthened. Warm-ups that are too short can easily lead to stretched or torn cartilage that takes a long time to heal.

Don't let inexperienced trainers, or so-called 'friends' embarrass you into believing you have to get out and run five miles two weeks after an injury, surgery or other debilitating condition. Physical therapy and exercise sometimes requires that you work against discomfort, but you don't leap over tall buildings the first day out.

Every person committed to fitness will want to push him or herself to achieve excellence. But an attitude that leads to overdoing it is counter-productive to your goal. You're working to improve or maximize health and overall body tone and strength - not proving you are 'mentally tough'.

Before you begin a new routine that involves activities that are unfamiliar, get guidance from an expert. Next to bad warm-ups or overdoing it, incorrect technique is the leading cause of injury. If you don't know how to use a station at the weight machine correctly, don't be embarrassed to ask. No one is born with this knowledge. Anyone who mocks you for ignorance isn't someone whose opinions you have reason to heed.

Be aware of your environment while you go through your routine. It's easy to get into a rhythm, get concentrated on your workout and end up crashing into a wall or a nearby person. Jogging especially requires that you pay attention to the surface you run on and the people and cars around you. No shoe in existence will keep you from slipping on a muddy patch. Only awareness and good reflexes can help.

Stay within your comfort zone as you gradually expand it. One of the foremost reasons people give up on workouts is injuries produced by working beyond their capacity. That makes working out no longer fun. Building up, while you build out, to increase your ability to do more, faster will keep you going for years to come.

MyNutritionStore.com concurs that performing proper exercise with balanced nutrition which includes an array of supplements will have your health thanking you for exercising common sense, while you exercise your body."

I also added content on the same topic at my other blog.

1st post...Heart Health...just a small piece of valuable info.

I'd like to say what's up to everybody, seeing that this is my first post here in my new online store. I'll be adding content regularly and quality is the key, not quantity. We'll be getting some good info so you and myself can be on our way to better health, regardless of where you are so far as your fitness level. Right now, i'm gonna take a little time to talk about probably the most important organ in your body...the heart.

Here is a little bit of information I've found that I really had no clue about...soy protein?? I've always thought whey protein was the way to go for men, but I guess its good for anybody. And as most know, the heart is your body's engine, take care of it and it will take care of you. 

"Soy foods have been a staple of the Asian Diet for over 5000 years.  Low incidence of heart disease in this population is what tipped scientists to the possibility that there might be something in the soybean that might be responsible for helping to maintain a healthy heart.  These epidemiological investigations led to the understanding that it is the Soy Protein that has been keeping Asian hearts in such great shape.  Over 50 double-blind, placebo controlled clinical studies demonstrate that Soy Protein reduces blood levels of total cholesterol and "bad" LDL cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein). Small reductions in triglycerides have also been shown with Soy Protein."

While alot of people do avoid the bad, they don't spend near as much time taking in the good for heart health. Did you know that many times the very first symptom of heart disease is death! Hence the name "silent killer", you recieve no warning of it at all. While it's good to get out and do some cardio, you also need to take in consideration what you eat. Make a little room on your grocery list, here are just a few of the goods that help you on your way to better heart condition...avocados, calcium, barley, red yeast rice, soy protein, zinc, and garlic. There are more and i'll be damn sure to bring 'em up in another post. Once again, i'd like to give a big welcome and hope you enjoy the information given...knowledge is power, especially when it comes to better health. I also have another blog/site in which i'll be covering the same topics and getting into sports. Take a look around and enjoy it.