Start the Day with a Fiber-Rich Breakfast

If you start the day with a healthy dose of fiber, you’ll get a jump start on your daily fiber quota. Instead of opting for bacon and eggs, begin the day with a bowl of high-fiber cereal along with two tablespoons of ground flaxseed. Beware. Some packaged fiber-rich cereals are high in sugar. To avoid a sugar rush, make oatmeal, barley or quinoa in a slow-cooker overnight. When you wake up, sweeten your piping hot cereal with a natural, non-calorie sweetener like Stevia. Then enjoy it with low-fat milk or a non-dairy milk like almond, coconut or soy milk. For even more fiber power, chop up some raspberries, and add it to the mix. A serving of raspberries has 8 grams of fiber and lots of cell-protective antioxidants.

Discover the Fiber-Rich Power of Beans

Beans are a surprisingly good source of fiber. A cup of black beans has an impressive 15 grams, not to mention they’re one of the best sources of antioxidants. Their black color comes from antioxidant anthocyanins they contain. If black beans aren’t your thing, choose any other bean. Spoon them onto your next salad, and add them to soups. If you don’t have time to make them from scratch, buy them already cooked in cans. Enjoy them as a side dish with a little salsa or chow-chow sauce to add more flavor. Craving a burger? Choose a bean burger instead of a beef burger, and enjoy it on a 100% whole grain bun. Beans are one of the best sources of heart-healthy, tummy-satisfying fiber.

Munch on Nuts

An ounce of almonds has 8 grams of fiber and is an excellent source of vitamin E, an antioxidant vitamin that helps to lower cholesterol and keep the lining of your arteries clean. Skip the chips, and snack on portion-controlled portions of almonds for a snack. Add chopped almonds to salads or mix them into a cup of low-sugar yogurt for a healthy mid-day snack. An added bonus? Research shows that regular nut eaters are less likely to gain weight.

Skip the White Rice and Potatoes and Eat Veggies as Your Side Dish

A serving of broccoli has almost four times the fiber of a serving of white rice and more than twice the fiber of a serving of potatoes – and which do you think has more nutrition? Spinach is another fiber-rich choice. A half-cup of spinach has more fiber than a serving of bran cereal at 8 grams per serving. Think veggies, and you’ll be assured of getting the fiber you need.

Drink a High-Fiber Smoothie

Most people don’t think of smoothies as being high in fiber – but they are when you add fresh berries and other whole fruits and vegetables. For even more fiberific benefits, make a green smoothie by adding kale or spinach to your next berry smoothie. The berries will overpower the taste of the greens, but you’ll still get the fiber-rich benefits, not to mention the antioxidants and anti-cancer compounds in the greens. For even more fiber, add a tablespoon of flaxseed to your next smoothie.

Getting enough fiber in your diet doesn’t have to be a challenge even if you eat on the run. Choose these fast, fiber-rich options, and you’ll be well on your way to better health.

Difficulty Walking
If you are normally stable when you are walking, a telltale sign that you’re having a stroke is a sudden loss of balance and coordination, according to the Mayo Clinic. You may also feel dizzy. Keep in mind that most walking problems caused by a stroke occur suddenly, whereas gradually worsening walking troubles may be caused by another condition.

Numbness or Paralysis
Sudden numbness, paralysis or weakness – particularly on one side of your face or body – is another indicator of a stroke. One of your eyelids may droop, one side of your mouth may droop and one of your arms may droop when you try to raise both of your arms above your head at the same time. These symptoms occur on one side because a stroke typically affects one side of your brain. If stroke injuries occur in the right hemisphere of your brain, the left side of your body will be affected. The right side will be affected if the stroke injuries occur in the left hemisphere. One-sided paralysis is also known as hemiplegia. You could also experience paralysis on both sides of your body – a condition called “locked in syndrome” – if you have a stroke in your brain stem, because your brain stem affects both sides of your brain.

Speech Problems
During a stroke, you may suddenly struggle to answer others’ questions or have trouble repeating phrases back to people, according to the National Stroke Association. Your speech may sound slurred or you may not talk at all because you’re having trouble finding the right words. You may also have trouble understanding what others are saying to you.

Vision Problems
Your eyes may not directly be affected by a stroke, but a stroke can affect the way your brain communicates with your eyes. As a result, a stroke may cause you to suddenly have trouble seeing out of one or both of your eyes. During a stroke, you may have double vision or your vision may be blurrier than it usually is, according to the Mayo Clinic. Your visual field may also suddenly be limited. For example, you may lose the ability to see to the left or to the right of your central visual focus. People approaching you from the side may seem to appear out of nowhere.

Headache
Headaches can certainly be distressing, but in most cases they aren’t related to strokes. However, if you experience a sudden, severe headache that feels like the worst one you’ve ever had, you may be having a stroke. Stroke-related headaches may also be accompanied by dizziness, vomiting and altered consciousness.

Getting Help
Seek emergency medical attention as soon as possible if you experience any of the aforementioned warning signs. If you’re not positive that you’re having a stroke but you suspect that you may be having one, get checked out anyway. Don’t wait for your symptoms to progress. A stroke that goes untreated for too long could lead to serious brain damage or even be fatal. Your evaluation and treatment will be most effective if you get emergency care within 60 minutes of your initial symptoms, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Everyone knows that watching one’s weight and exercising brings about health benefits, but many people are unaware that those benefits also include a reduction in cancer risk. By keeping body mass index below 25 and strengthening the immune system through exercise, one can significantly reduce the bodies vulnerability to breast cancer growth. Avoidance of alcohol is also beneficial in this area.

One of the most prominent risk factors, the consumption of more than one alcoholic beverage a day repeatedly has been shown to increase breast cancer risk by 20 – 25%. For this reason, experts recommend that women with heightened risk severely limit the amount of alcohol they consume daily. Another area that positively affects risk is the increased consumption of fruits and vegetables.

Natural foods that contain phytochemicals are believed to reduce cancer development. Through the consumption of raw or lightly steamed  broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, cabbage, and brussels sprouts as well as fruits like cherries, berries, and citrus, one can take advantage of these benefits. On the other hand, certain carbohydrates and fats play adverse roles. Many experts recommend limiting consumption of omega 6, saturated, and trans fats along with high glycemic index carbohydrates. To escape these detrimental foods, focus on products that include omega 3 fats; monounsaturated oils, such as canola and olive oil; and whole grains that reduce hormonal changes caused by white starches.

A heightened exposure to estrogen is also contributes to breast cancer risk. Discontinuing the use of unnecessary estrogen supplements and reducing the consumption of hormone infused meat is most beneficial. When it comes to dangers, what one eats is just as important as what one wears. A study conducted by Singer and Grismaijer in 1995, found that wearing bras for extended periods of time restricts the breasts natural cleansing processes. For this reason it is recommended that women exercise to remain tone in the breast area, instead of relying on the constant support of a bra.

Although many of the preceding suggestions seem simple, a true reduction in breast cancer risk often requires significant lifestyle changes. By adopting these habits, one can make meaningful alterations that will not only have a positive impact on breast cancer risk but also on overall health. Despite that these items have positive affects, women should not forget that regular breast screening and proper vitamin supplementation should always accompany all other efforts.

There are several ailments that originate in the kidneys, some of which are particularly serious. They include complaints as benign (but painful) as kidney stones, through to polycystic kidney disease, kidney cancer (known as renal carcinoma) and chronic kidney failure, which has several causes. Although most of us are born with two kidneys, and can usually live on only one kidney if the other is removed, the wellbeing of the kidneys is important for a long, healthy life.

To complicate matters, diseases in other parts of the body can have a profound impact on the kidneys. For instance, diabetes mellitus, which is usually associated with the inability of the pancreas to maintain blood glucose levels, also affects the kidneys, and can cause long-term damage.

Kidney disorders can, in turn, have damaging effects on the rest of the body. High blood pressure is key in this respect; the kidneys can’t effectively maintain blood pressure if they’re not healthy. In the same vein, high blood pressure caused by matters beyond the kidneys’ control can have an adverse effect on the organs.

Stones are probably the most common kidney ailment, and affect most people at some point in their lives. Although the majority of stones are excreted with very little discomfort, others grow large within the kidney before they’re squeezed out into the ureter, causing excruciating pain that has even been likened to childbirth. If the stone is too large, a procedure known as lithotripsy may be required.

Some people who suffer from stones have an underlying condition known as medullary sponge kidney, which is usually a birth defect and which materializes from the age of about 35. This condition results in cysts forming in the kidney’s tubules; these cysts block urine flow and lead to stone formation.

Far more debilitating, however, is chronic kidney failure, which has several causes including nephritis, polycystic kidney disease, pyelonephritis, reno-vascular disease and diabetes mellitus, and which almost always progresses to end-stage renal failure. The latter is said to occur when treatment by dialysis or a kidney transplant is crucial in order to save the patient’s life.

Nephritis, which is diagnosed by means of a biopsy, is characterized by long-term inflammation of the kidneys, and is also known as glomerulonephritis as it affects the tiny filtering units or glomeruli. The causes of nephritis are still a mystery to medical research but it can result from a complication of some infectious diseases.

One of the most dangerous genetic kidney disorders is polycystic kidney disease in which both kidneys become filled with cysts. Although large cysts can sometimes be drained through a hollow needle or surgically removed, there are usually too many cysts on which to operate. Controlling blood pressure is one way to slow the progression of polycystic kidney disease but the vast majority of patients develop end-stage renal failure by the age of 65.

Pyelonephritis is more common in women and may be related to sexual activity; it is usually caused by bacterial contamination of the urine because of a physical obstruction in the urinary tract. The obstruction could be an enlarged prostate gland or the uterus of a pregnant woman. Although pyelonephritis is usually treated with antibiotics, too many recurrences can permanently scar and damage the kidney, eventually leading to end-stage renal failure.

Reno-vascular disease (or disease of the kidneys’ blood vessels) results from a condition known as atheroma, the progression of which is accelerated by smoking. Elderly patients usually suffer kidney failure once they get reno-vascular disease. In some countries, diabetes is the most common cause of kidney failure, and it is most likely to affect those who have had diabetes for more than a decade.

The kidneys are also vulnerable to tumors, the most common form of which is renal carcinoma. Unlike many of the disorders that cause kidney failure, cancer is largely caused by lifestyle choices such as smoking, obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure. However, some kidney cancers are genetic.

Early removal of a kidney tumor is essential as renal carcinoma does not usually respond to chemotherapy or radiotherapy. If the cancer is restricted to one kidney, doctors may completely remove the afflicted organ in an operation known as a nephrectomy.

While many kidney disorders are inherited or impossible to prevent, there is no doubt that people can reduce their chances of progressing to end-stage renal failure by asking for regular medical check-ups that include blood and urine tests, as well as ultrasounds.

Hypertension Myth #1: High Blood Pressure Causes Symptoms

Most people with high blood pressure don’t have symptoms even when their blood pressure is quite high. In rare cases people with elevated blood pressure will have blurred vision, a dull headache and frequent nosebleeds, but this is more the exception than the rule. You can walk around for years with high blood pressure and not know it. During this time your heart is working harder to pump against greater resistance, and your blood vessels are exposed to higher pressures. Over time, the damage accumulates, and you run a greater risk for a stroke, heart attack or kidney damage. That’s why it’s important to get regular blood pressure checks.

Hypertension Myth #2: Hypertension is an Old Person’s Disease

High blood pressure can become a problem as early as childhood, and hypertension is on the rise in children, teens and young adults, primarily because more kid and teens are overweight. When high blood pressure starts early and goes untreated, there’s more opportunity for damage to accumulate and cause health problems. High blood pressure can show up at any age. That’s why everyone needs to have their blood pressure checked at least twice a year and more often if readings are abnormal.

Hypertension Myth #3: The Lower Number is More Important than the Upper One

A blood pressure reading consists of two numbers. The upper number is systolic blood pressure, the pressure in your arteries when the heart is contracting. The lower number is your diastolic pressure, the arterial pressure when your heart is resting between beats. Until recently, more emphasis was placed on controlling the diastolic blood pressure, but it may be even more important to control systolic blood pressure. A large study called the Framingham Study showed that systolic blood pressure was a better predictor of heart disease risk than diastolic blood pressure. Both numbers are important, so don’t assume it’s okay if only your systolic reading is elevated.

Hypertension Myth #4: You Can’t Control High Blood Pressure without Medications

Lifestyle changes can have a big impact on blood pressure. People with mild hypertension may be able to control their pressures through lifestyle changes alone. One of the best things you can do to control high blood pressure is to lose weight if you’re overweight and cut back on processed foods.

Contrary to popular belief, most salt doesn’t come from using a salt shaker. It comes from eating packaged foods and food that restaurants that contain too much salt. Not everyone with high blood pressure responds the same to salt restriction, but if you have elevated readings, limit sodium to 1,500 milligrams a day or less.

You can also lower blood pressure by increasing the amount of potassium in your diet. The best sources of potassium are Swiss chard, lentils, beans, nuts, bananas and potatoes. Aerobic exercise also helps to lower blood pressure. It’s also important not to smoke and reduce stress levels as much as possible.

Hypertension Myth #5: If Your Parents Have It, You Will Too

Hypertension has a genetic component, but genetics aren’t destiny when it comes to high blood pressure. Leading a healthy lifestyle, eating a diet low in sodium and high in potassium, exercising and not becoming overweight can help keep hypertension at bay or delay when it makes its appearance. If you have a strong family history, it’s even more important to get regular blood pressure checks.

The Bottom Line?

High blood pressure is a disease that can be easily treated, and treating it lowers the risk of health problems such as high blood pressure and stroke. Getting your blood pressure checked regularly is a simple thing you can do to protect your health. Here are five common myths about blood pressure that too many people still believe.

References:

Journal of Human Hypertension (2003) 17, 93–100.
 Medscape.com. “Assessment and Management of Hypertension in Children and Adolescents: Key Points”

It is equally hard to understand why Western medicine is so intimidated and down right angry about Eastern medicine practices. Eastern medicine is considered a laughing-stock at best or an out right danger at worst. In truth, Eastern medicine does not come in too far behind Western medicine in keeping its patients alive. The life expectancy for a person living in the United States in 2008 was 78 years, according to Infoplease. For Japan, it was 82.02 years, and for China, it was 72.88 years. Only India sees a significant drop at 68.59 years. For a laughing-stock medical practice, these life expectancy numbers are close to Western medicine’s numbers. Even so, some of the lower numbers can be a result of urbanization, infant mortality in underdeveloped parts of the world, and the lack of access to any sort of medicine.

It is only through integrating these two approaches that the greater good for patients will be servered because Eastern medicine draws on thousands of years of tradition and it could combine with the latest technology, if only Western medicine would open its eyes.

Eastern Medicine Explained

Eastern medicine is primarily focused on traditional Chinese medicine that has been used in that country and in numerous other countries for over 3000 years. Traditional Chinese medicine focuses on treating disease holistically and balancing the lifestyle of the patient. A Chinese practitioner will look at diet, stress, and other factors before prescribing medications, surgeries, or other treatments. The primary theories of Chinese medicine are the ying/yang theory and the five elements theory.

Ying/yang theory in Chinese medicine revolves around the idea of balancing light and dark, warm and cold in the body. Diseases create a certain state of coldness, and to counteract that, a practitioner prescribes something that has warm properties to balance it out and restore the body to balance. The properties of ying and yang have been worked out over centuries, so Chinese medicine has determined through trial and error what restores balance in a body. Sometimes that is herbs. Sometimes it is diet changes or acupuncture.

The five elements in traditional Chinese medicine are fire, water, wood, metal, and earth, and these elements roughly correspond to the organs in the body. This theory is similar to the ying/yang theory in that it strives to keep these elements in balance within the body of the diseased person. The elements also react to each other in specific ways that can impact how a disease responds to treatment. Each element not only corresponds to organs, but to directions, senses, materials, and actions in the natural world. It takes a skilled practitioner to sort through these signs and come up with a diagnosis.

How Western Medicine Is Different

Western medicine, by contrast, focuses on the disease and not the patient. For a doctor in Western practice to accept a treatment, it has to be proven to work for many people in many situations. This is not the case in Eastern medicine which strives to find what works for each individual patient. Western medicine seeks to quantify its results in regimented, scientific studies, when Eastern medicine looks at the quality of the treatment that it brings to each person.

One of the big difference in approaches is the focus of each theory. Western medicine tends to be reactionary, focusing on treating a disease to the exclusion of all else. Eastern medicine is concerned with the whole person: diet, lifestyle, stress, and behavior. An Eastern practitioner looks to prevent disease by advising the patient to modify their lifestyle to lead a healthier life. Only now are these ideas filtering their way into Western medical thought. Some other ideas are making it through, but it is taking time for Western doctors to see that Eastern medicine may have some ideas worth listening to.

Why Western Medicine Is Biased Against Eastern

Western medicine is biased against Eastern medicine because the latter does not rely on rigorous studies and proofs before prescribing a technique or herbal preparation. Western medicine prides itself on the scientific method and the studies that populate the medical literature, and Eastern medicine is based on balancing something that cannot be seen or quantified. Yet people have been using these methods for thousands of years and have found them useful. Through trial and error over a long period of time, Eastern medicine has learned how to treat common maladies.

It is rather arrogant of Western medicine to completely dismiss Eastern practices as nothing more than wishful thinking. People would not have submitted to acupuncture, herbal cures, or ying/yang therapy if they did not get some form of benefit from it. The problem with Eastern medicine is that the results cannot always be quantified as clearly as Western practitioners would like. Sometimes acupuncture works for people, sometimes it doesn’t. This ambiguity keeps the two traditions from working together as a cohesive whole.

How the Two Can Work Together

Western and Eastern medicine can work together, but it will take a paradigm shift on the part of Western doctors and researchers. In fact, it is imperative that Western practitioners learn about Chinese and other Eastern practices because more people are turning to alternative medicine to heal their diseases. If a Western doctor truly wants to help a patient and keep them safe, he will have to know what these practices are and how they work so that he can knowledgeably inform his patient.

Research is also showing that some Eastern practices are actually more effective than Western ones. Acupuncture has been accepted as a treatment by many medical bodies in the west now, and herbal medicines are tested in the Western fashion against many diseases. It does not make sense for Western medicine to totally discount a centuries old tradition because it does not conform with culturally held ways of approaching a disease or treatment.

What is important is finding what works best for the patient, and Western and Eastern medicine need to come together to provide the best of both worlds. Eastern medicine can provide the holistic, preventative approach while Western medicine can test theories and deal with diseases when they arise. If doctors would let down their guard and accept something outside their system, it could be a perfect combination.

References

Infoplease; Life Expectancy for Countries, 2008

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0934746.html

Traditional Chinese Medicine Information Page

http://www.tcmpage.com/

Zhang Clinic; Philosophical Differences Between Chinese and Western Medicine; 2005

http://www.sinomedresearch.org/c21_PhiloMCM.htm

UCLA School of Medicine; Harmonizing Traditional Chinese and Modern Western Medicine: A Perspective from the US; Ka Kit Hui, M.D., F.A.C.P.;

http://www.cewm.med.ucla.edu/sources/WHO_paper.pdf

Smoking:
Smoking tops the list of preventable causes of cancer for both adult males and females. The British Journal study ascribes about 16 percent of new cancer cases in females to smoking. Researchers at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston reported in the September 1, 2008 issue of “Pharmaceutical Research,” that in the United States, up to one-third of cancer deaths could be related to cigarette smoking. Lung cancer represents the most common malignancy to result from smoking tobacco and women seem have higher susceptibility to the carcinogens in cigarette smoke. In addition to the lung, there are over one dozen cancers that are at least partly attributable to smoking. The best known among these include cancers of the head and neck, as well as bladder, pancreatic and esophageal tumors. Malignancies of the liver, cervix, kidney and colon also occur to a significantly higher degree in smokers The number of cigarettes per day and the length of smoking history determine the risk in most women. The risk of developing cancer from smoking significantly drops about 10 years after quitting the habit but, because the risk never returns to that of a non-smoker, the best lifestyle choice is not to start smoking in the first place.

Obesity:
Health risks related to obesity such as diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease are well publicized and well known. More surprising, perhaps, is the fact that obesity is the second leading lifestyle-related risk factor for cancer in women after smoking, as reported in the UK study. The British meta-analysis used a ten-year separation between the reported obesity and the diagnosis of cancer as data points. That report indicates that risk increases proportionally with the amount of excess weight. In the US, the findings are similar; about 7 percent of cancers could be prevented with weight reduction. Obesity represents the second most common modifiable factor leading to disease—including cancer–and death. Excess weight trails only tobacco in this regard. Researchers from Thomas Jefferson University Medical Center reported that obesity in women contributes strongly to endometrial, renal, esophageal and gallbladder cancer. They also note the likely association between obesity and breast, colon, thyroid and other cancers. Patients who had weight-loss surgery decreased their cancer risk by up to 60 percent, at least in part due to their change in body mass index. Maintaining a healthy body weight improves overall health and decreases the risks of cancer and other leading deadly diseases.

Excessive Sun Exposure:
Skin cancers include basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma. In the United States, melanoma, the most dreaded of the three, represents the most common cancer in the 25 to 29 year age group. Malignant melanoma tends to be aggressive and will be fatal if untreated. The news is the same for the United States and Britain—melanoma rates continue to increase more rapidly than rates of any other cancer. In the United States, one in five people will get skin cancer at some point. The risk of being diagnosed with malignant melanoma is about one in 33. High sun exposure, especially during childhood and early adulthood, correlates directly with the risk of all types of skin cancer. Exposure to tanning beds also seems to have an association with melanoma risk. Using clothing and lotions to block skin from excess sun reduces the risk of skin cancer.

Risky Sexual Behavior:
Infection, especially with the human papilloma virus, leads to about 3 to 4 percent of new cancer diagnoses, nearly tying with ultraviolet exposure for cancer risk in women. HPV, the sexually transmitted organism that leads to genital warts, causes cervical cancer if undetected and untreated. Despite public education, this continues to be a significant factor in the development of cancer in women. A relatively new vaccine being offered to young females provides an exciting, but controversial, prevention strategy for this sexually transmitted disease that can lead to malignancy. Infection with hepatitis B or C, viruses also transmitted through body fluids, can result in chronic liver disease and liver cancer. Human immunodeficiency virus—HIV—predisposes to several variants of cancer, in addition to causing AIDS. Using a barrier method of contraception greatly reduces transmission of these potentially fatal infectious organisms.

Diet Lacking Fruits and Vegetables:
Intake of fruits and vegetables was another variable influencing cancer risk in women, at least according to the large retrospective analysis in the UK. While this factor weighed more heavily with males, the association is present in females, as well. Caution should be used in interpretation of the results, as findings have not been consistent. Several studies have been done over the years with some finding a protective effect of fruits and vegetables from certain types of cancer and others finding no strong association. Researchers carefully point out that while there is suggestive evidence, there are also confounding factors that make drawing a definitive conclusion quite difficult. For example, smokers may have a less healthy diet, which would also influence the results. Also, studies done to date have varied in the type and amount of vegetables and fruits and in the time period under review. Still, it seems that eating the recommended five servings of fruit and vegetables per day provides some cancer protection in conjunction with other health-conscious decisions. It is unclear whether the potential benefit results from the nutrients or the fiber content of the foods.

Excessive Alcohol Consumption:
Alcohol has been both vilified and praised for its relationship to disease. The mouth, esophagus, throat, stomach, breast and liver are susceptible to alcohol-induced cancer. The risk seems to be dose related as heavier drinkers exhibit a higher incidence of cancer. For some malignancies, including breast cancer, even moderate alcohol intake of three to four drinks per week may increase the risk. On the other hand, alcohol in moderate amounts also seems to provide a protective effect against heart disease and stroke. Because of the complex risk to benefit analysis, the American Cancer Society recommends individual risk assessment and limitation of alcohol intake to one drink per day for women.

The risk of developing cancer in any one lifetime is most certainly multifactorial. Genetic and environmental aspects sometimes cannot be controlled. A significant number of cancers can be prevented, however, by making informed lifestyle choices. These choices tend to be the same ones that lead to a healthier life and reduce the risk of other diseases, as well. Avoidance of cigarette smoking certainly seems to be the easiest choice to make. Cessation of a tobacco habit is not as easy, but is equally important. Maintenance of a healthy body weight and composition through a diet high in fruits and vegetables reduces the risk of morbidity and mortality from several leading causes of death. Careful control of sun exposure, safe sex practices and limited alcohol intake round out the list of modifiable factors that reduce the risk of developing many types of cancer in women.

Resources:

Anand, Preetha, and Ajaikumar B. Kunnumakkara. “Cancer Is a Preventable Disease That Requires Major Lifestyle Changes.” Pharmaceutical Research 25.9 (2008): 2200. Print.

Brawer, Rickie, Nancy Brisbon, and James Plumb. “Obesity and Cancer.” Primary Care: Clinics in Office Practice 36.3 (2009): 509-31. Print.

International Agency for Research on Cancer. “The Association of Use of Sunbeds with Cutaneous Malignant Melanoma and Other Skin Cancers: A Systematic Review.” International Journal of Cancer 120.5 (2007): 1116-122. Print.

Parkin, D. M., and L. Boyd. “The Fraction of Cancer Attributable to Lifestyle and Environmental Factors in the UK in 2010.” British Journal of Cancer 105.Suppl 2 (2011): S1-S81. Print. nature.com/bjc/journal/v105/n2s/index.html. Web.

Rigel, D. “Cutaneous Ultraviolet Exposure and Its Relationship to the Development of Skin Cancer.” Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology 58.5 (2008): S129-132. Print.

“Alcohol Use and Cancer.” American Cancer Society: Information and Resources for Cancer: Breast, Colon, Prostate, Lung and Other Forms. Web. 21 Dec. 2011. cancer.org/Cancer/CancerCauses/DietandPhysicalActivity/alcohol-use-and-cancer.

Significance and Varieties

Cholesterol comes in two main varieties: low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, and high-density lipoprotein, or HDL. Having too much LDL cholesterol in your body can be harmful because it is capable of clogging arteries, thus increasing your chances of having a stroke or heart attack. In contrast, HDL cholesterol is considered healthier because it helps keep LDL cholesterol from sticking to your arteries. Still, both types of cholesterol play an important role in your body. Cholesterol is within all your cells and helps make hormones, bile acids, cell membranes and vitamin D.

Risks of Low HDL Cholesterol

Generally, the more HDL cholesterol you have in your body the better since it helps shuttle out excessive levels of LDL cholesterol. Having an HDL cholesterol level of under 40 milligrams per deciliter increases your risk of heart disease if you’re a man and having a level under 50 milligrams per deciliter is considered heart-risky if you’re a woman. The average HDL level for American adults is about 54.3 milligrams per deciliter but being at 60 or higher is optimal for some protection against heart problems, according to the American Heart Association.

When LDL Cholesterol is Too Low

The standard assumption is that LDL cholesterol level under 100 milligrams per deciliter is considered optimal for most people and a level between 100 and 129 is “near optimal.” However, you should ask your doctor to find an ideal range for you. In rare cases, having a very low LDL number could increase health risks. Low LDL could be linked to anxiety, cancer, preterm birth, low birth weight and depressive symptoms, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Understanding Total Numbers

Your “total cholesterol” reading should generally be under 200 milligrams per deciliter if you want to be at lower risk of heart disease, according to the American Heart Association. However, physician and author Dr. Joseph Mercola contends in a recent article that “total” number readings aren’t always an absolute health indicator because they account for levels of both LDL and HDL cholesterol. Because of this, a person could theoretically have a “total” reading above 200 due to a very high HDL level or have a reading under 200 but still have an unhealthy level of LDL cholesterol. Thus Mercola, as with the majority of his peers, conclude your ratio of HDL to LDL is a more important consideration than the number itself.

Healthy Guidelines

Get your cholesterol level checked as often as your doctor recommends. Most adults over 20 should get it checked at least every five years but you may need more frequent tests if you are at high risk of heart disease. If your doctor recommends that you increase your HDL level, losing weight, cutting trans fats out of your diet, quitting smoking and getting exercise at least 30 minutes most days of the week may help you reach a higher and healthier number.

Electrolytes are minerals like calcium, sodium, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium that can carry electrical signals within your body, according to Medline Plus. Your doctor may run tests to determine your body’s electrolyte balance to help diagnose the specific cause of your pleural effusions or ascites. However, proper treatment is generally much more complicated than simple electrolyte supplementation, since any electrolyte in balance is usually a symptom, rather than a cause. However, electrolytes are important for good health in general.

A pleural effusion is an excessively high buildup of the pleural fluid that is found in the chest cavity, especially around the lungs. Characterized by chest pain, coughing and shortness of breath, pleural effusions can be caused by such conditions as heart failure, cirrhosis, kidney disease, pneumonia or cancer, among others.

Ascites is also a condition that is characterized by excess fluid buildup. Unlike pleural effusions, however, the fluid from ascites builds up in the lower abdomen, also known as the peritoneal cavity. Liver disease is the most common cause of ascites; specific conditions that may cause it include cirrhosis, colon cancer, hepatitis, liver cancer, pancreatitis or ovarian cancer, according to the New York Times Health Guide. Early stages of ascites may not cause noticeable symptoms, but more severe cases are characterized by abdominal swelling, stomach ache and shortness of breath.

Proper treatment of both pleural effusions and ascites can vary widely, since it depends on the underlying condition that causes them. You should depend on your doctor for a proper diagnosis and treatment advice. Since both conditions are often caused by some type of cancer, you may require radiation treatment or chemotherapy to treat the cancer. However, it is also possible that they have a noncancerous cause in your case, and may simply require antibiotics or a similar treatment.

REFERENCES
• Cleveland Clinic: “Pleural Effusion – Heart & Vascular Institute Overview”
• MedlinePlus: “Pleural Effusion”
• New York Times Health Guide: “Ascites”
• The Merck Manual Home Health Handbook: “Ascites”
• MedlinePlus: “Electrolytes”
• Go Ask Alice: “What’s the Main Purpose of Electrolytes?”

Your thyroid gland controls your metabolism through secretion of hormones. If it’s producing too little of those hormones, for whatever reason, your metabolism actually slows, and you may experience feelings of fatigue, tiredness and depression.

Women tend to suffer from hypothyroidism more frequently than men – more than 10 percent of middle-aged women may be fighting the condition at any given time. However, men can have low thyroid function, as well.

The effects of hypothyroidism extend well beyond your metabolism – people with low thyroid function have higher risks for high cholesterol and other potential cardiovascular risk factors, including high blood pressure and clogged arteries. Fortunately, it’s possible to treat hypothyroidism, but first you need to get diagnosed.

Symptoms May Seem Unrelated

When you suffer from hypothyroidism, your body temperature literally drops because your metabolism isn’t “burning” as quickly as it should. Consequently, you’ll often feel chilled – your hands and feet especially – and you’ll have a very low tolerance for colder temperatures.

You’ll also frequently feel tired, even if you’re getting enough sleep, and you may feel depressed as well. People with low thyroid function often report that they feel as if they’re moving in a fog, and they have difficulty concentrating on tricky mental tasks.

You might not associate having brittle fingernails or dull hair with hypothyroidism, but both can be a sign that your thyroid is failing to function properly. Likewise, low thyroid function can slow down your digestion, so you may become constipated.

Hypothyroidism commonly causes decreased senses of taste and smell and a reduced appetite. However, that reduced appetite usually doesn’t prevent you from gaining weight … another undesired effect of a lowered metabolism. Finally, if you notice that the hair on the outside third of your eyebrows has fallen out, that’s usually a sign of low thyroid function.

Treatment Involves Medication

Taken separately, these symptoms all can indicate other medical problems, or simply a need for more nutritious meals and more rest. However, when considered in concert, they often add up to hypothyroidism. It’s not always clear why people develop hypothyroidism; injury to the neck and the thyroid gland accounts for some cases, but the majority of cases result from attacks on the gland by your body’s own immune system.

Nonetheless, treating the condition isn’t difficult. If your doctor suspects low thyroid function, she likely will test your blood to determine your levels of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and thyroxine, also known as T4, a hormone produced by your thyroid. A high TSH level indicates your body is trying to stimulate your thyroid to work harder, while a low T4 level indicates your thyroid isn’t functioning properly.

Once you’re diagnosed with hypothyroidism, your physician likely will prescribe synthetic T4 for you to take daily. You’ll likely need to take this medication for the rest of your life; in most cases, thyroid function only gets worse, not better. Although most people find the initial medication solves their problem, some find they also need to add a daily dose of another thyroid hormone, known as T3, in order to feel well.

Hypothyroidism is very common and fortunately can easily be treated. Therefore, if you notice you’re experiencing several seemingly unrelated symptoms, including fatigue, constipation and the loss of part of your eyebrows, you should see your physician and ask to have your thyroid function tested.