Most of the cholesterol is synthesized by the liver itself. This proportion of the cholesterol in the body is not affected by the type of food that we eat. However, a substantial quantity of cholesterol is also derived from the food we eat and therefore can be managed with proper diet.

Even though healthy diet choices can keep the arteries free of cholesterol, we pay minimal attention to what eat when we are young. The reality check on cholesterol generally occurs after the age of forty when the harm has already been done. By this age, we are so accustomed to a particular diet that it becomes difficult, if not impossible to change over to a diet that is heart-friendly.

Unlike the so-called healthy weight loss plans that are inclined towards slimness with no regard to nutritional needs, the cardiac diet is based on sound medical principles. The diet proposes gradual and natural weight loss with focus on reducing the risk of heart disease or stroke by promoting weight loss. It aims at managing cholesterol levels through dietary modifications and a move towards a more active lifestyle. Though the diet is primarily meant for those who have, unfortunately, experienced cardiac problems, doctors recommend that the diet should also be adopted by those at a higher risk of heart disease (due to hereditary or genetic reasons).

The target of the diet is to lose weight since obesity increases the risk of a heart disease to a large extent. It also aims at maintaining healthy levels of HDL and LDL.

The cardiac diet recommends choosing healthier foods and does not promote the denial of a specific food group. Some of the choices that you can make are:

-   Whole grain breads and low fat rolls over butter rolls and commercial doughnuts.

-   Vegetables, frozen or fresh, over fried vegetables with cream or butter.

-   All types of fruits except coconut or avocado. Fruits in cream or custard are recommended.

-    Lean meat (three ounces of meat is sufficient for daily requirement of proteins) instead of prime and fatty meats.

-    Low fat dairy products in place of whole milk and yoghurt.

-    Home made low fat soups in place of cream soups.

-    Home made deserts with recommended oils rather than high sugar foods like candies, chocolates and brownies.

-    Adoption of cooking mediums like canola, olive and soybean oils as against solid fats, butter and gravy with meat fat.

-    All beverages, including alcohol are allowed in moderation except for those containing fats, salts and egg yolks.

The cardiac diet is about a balanced diet with recommended ratios of carbohydrates, fats and proteins. There is an equal emphasis on exercise depending upon tolerance levels. A 10-15 minute walk before breakfast and dinner is recommended even for those who already have a cardiac condition.

Modern day lifestyles that are more inclined towards materialistic gains have led to a situation where spirituality, diet and health are ignored at the cost of making it ‘big’ in life. What we fail to realize at times is that comforts and facilities are relevant and pleasurable only if we are in good health and are able to enjoy them.

Any unbiased dietitian will tell you that our diet today is more inclined towards being acidic. It is no surprise, then, that the increase in incidence of diseases like cancer, cardiovascular problems and diabetes is highly correlated with the intake of acid forming foods; foods that are part of our daily fast-food diet. These foods contain high levels of sugars and saturated fats. The human body is naturally alkaline and therefore high levels of acid-producing foods upset the acid-alkaline balance.

However, just because the human body is alkaline, it does not mean that all foods that we intake should be alkaline in nature. Good health basically depends upon striking a healthy balance between the acidity and alkalinity produced in our body.

The human body performs best in an internal environment that as a pH level of 7.39. pH refers to power of hydrogen, which is arrived at by calculating the concentration of hydrogen ions in a solution. It is measured on a scale of 0 to 14.

Pure water has a neutral pH of 7. A pH between 7 and 14 indicates an alkaline environment while a pH between 0 and 7 indicates an acidic one. Since the human body should have a pH level of 7.39, it means that the internal biochemical environment, as a whole, should be slightly alkaline. The range between which the body can function efficiently is also very small.

To maintain the ideal pH levels, it is essential that we understand the acidity or alkalinity of various foods to be able to balance the overall effect that our diet has on our internal flora. All foods are classified as acidic or alkaline. This is done on the basis of the ash that they leave behind after they go through a metamorphosis during the process of metabolism.

Since one of the causes of specific diseases is understood to be based on the level of acidity or alkalinity of the human body, many ‘so called’ healthy weight loss plans recommend all acidic or all alkaline foods to treat the specific disease. However, eating optimally to achieve the ideal pH level is a more recommended option.

Generally speaking dairy products, meat, seeds, legumes and nuts leave behind an acidic ash. On the other hand, most fruits and vegetables have an alkaline residue. Citrus fruits are generally understood to be acidic in their natural state but turn alkaline once they have been metabolized. Moreover, cranberries, plums and prunes fall under acidic fruits as the acids they contain cannot be metabolized by the human body.

If you want to lose weight and feel that you want to opt in for those ‘quick weight loss’ diets, make sure that you know the overall pH levels of the diet plan. It is also necessary to learn how supplements touted as healthy weight loss supplements affect your internal biochemistry.

Candida is a type of fungus (also called yeast), and is only one of a huge number of micro-organisms that exist in a human body. Normally, in a healthy body, Candida does not cause any problem. However, when the bio-balance is upset by factors such as unhealthy lifestyle, stress, excessive consumption of sugar and refined carbohydrate, chronic use of medications such as anti-biotics, cortisone, the pill, etc, then one finds an overgrowth of Candida in the body.

This can result in toxins being released into the bloodstream and can have many adverse effects on the functioning of the body. The immune system is unable to cope with the continuous release of toxins into the body, leading to dis-ease. Symptoms can include depression, mood swings, sinusitis, headaches, chronic fatigue, joint pain, stomach pain, indigestion, vaginal thrush and other fungal infections, skin rashes and eczema, etc.

Fortunately, Candida can be controlled by means of a balanced diet and by the elimination of certain foods in order to create an internal environment in which the yeast cannot survive. An initial detox diet will ensure, along with our Candidate formula will ensure that the levels of systemic Candida are significantly reduced. Thereafter, a maintenance program should be followed to keep Candida permanently at bay. Remember that Candida thrives on all sugars and refined carbohydrates and it is only by controlling your intake of these foods that you will beat systemic Candida. By following this diet, you will not only be able to control Candida levels in your body, but you will also be amazed at the amount of energy you have. Your skin will clear, your eyes will sparkle and you will even lose weight, despite the fact that you need never go hungry! Many people find that the Candida diet helps to clear joint and back pain, balance sugar levels and blood pressure, control cholesterol and relieve symptoms of depression – all without medication! This is because by reducing Candida overgrowth in the body, the immune system is able to function properly for the first time in years, allowing the body to heal itself!

Some Important Points

When following the Candida diet, you must make sure that your blood sugar levels are kept at an acceptable level by eating a substantial breakfast, lunch and supper. If you find that your energy level is low or you are experiencing dizziness while on the diet, it is probably due to low blood sugar. If this happens, simply add a mid-morning and mid afternoon snack. Please remember to drink lots of water in order to assist the elimination of toxins from your body. After a few days of detoxing, some of your symptoms may become worse and you could also experience headaches. This is quite normal and part of the detoxification process. It will improve after a few days and you will begin to feel healthier than you have felt for years! The Candida diet should be followed for 4 weeks, followed by a maintenance program as outlined.

You may not use sugar in any form – this includes sucrose (cane sugar), gluscose and fructose (fruit sugar). Lactose (milk sugar) to be kept to a minimum.

Candida diet

Foods Allowed

* Rye Vita (contains no yeast)
* Rye Bread (no yeast or wheat)
* Rice Cakes
* Rice, Potato or Rye Flour
* Corn or Soy Flour
* Oats, Corn Meal, Maltabella
* Milk (125ml per day)
* Plain Bulgarian Yogurt (125ml, no sugar)
* Low-fat Cottage Cheese (no sugar)
* Soy/Rice Milk
* Ricotta Cheese
* Potato Chips (no MSG)
* One Fruit per Day (no melons or grapes, make sure fruit is not bruised)
* Herbs
* Chicken, Fish or Meat (preferably grilled, roasted or steamed)
* Sunflower or Olive Oil
* Lemon Juice (30ml per day)
* All vegetables must be fresh or frozen, nothing canned or tinned.
* Avocado
* Sweet Potatoes or Normal Potatoes
* Brown Rice (no white rice)
* Onions
* Garlic
* Walnuts, Cashews, Hazelnuts, Macadamia, Nuts, Pecans, Coconuts
* Plain Popcorn (homemade)
* Hummus
* Herbal Teas (Rooibos, Chamomile, etc.)
* Tomatoes
* Lipton Herbal Teas
* Mineral Water
* Artificial Sweeteners (Advantage, Equal, etc.)

Foods Allowed Weekly

* Whole-Wheat Pasta
* Wheatbix (no sugar)
* Soft Goat Cheeses (Camembert, Feta, Chevre)
* 1 rice cake with carob or yogurt topping
* Tomato Paste

Foods Allowed Twice a Week

* Canned Salmon or Tuna in Spring Water
* Spices (curries, chilies, etc.)

Foods to Avoid

* Anything containing Yeast
* Breads, Marmite, Provita, Bovril, etc.
* White Wheat flour or Pastry flour
* Gluten Flour
* Flake Cereals
* Semolina, Cream of Wheat
* White Pasta
* Fermented or Processed Cheeses (Cheddar, feta from dairy, or hard cheeses)
* Mushrooms
* Peanuts, Peanut Butter, Pistachios
* All Fruit Juices
* Pickled, Smoked or Processed Meats or Fish
* All Vinegars and Vinegar-based Products (dressings, chutney, mayonnaise, etc.)
* All forms of Alcohol
* Honey and other Natural Sweeteners
* Sugar or any product containing Sugar
* All Non-Herbal Teas and Coffees
* Bruised Fruits or Vegetables, Melons or Grapes

Typical Meals (Omit foods to which you are allergic)

Breakfast

* 1 Serving of Fruit
* Porridge (Oats, Maltabella, Corn Meal)
* Rice Cereal (Good for Infants)
* Rye Vita, Yeast-Free Bread, Rice Cakes
* Avocado with Cottage Cheese
* Eggs and Tomato
* Baked Haddock

Lunch

* Salads (add potatoes, greens, rice, beans; the more ingredients, the better.)
* Meat, Fish or Chicken (grilled or steamed)
* Soups or Bakes of Lentils, Pulses, Legumes
* Steamed Vegetables

Dinner

* Meat, Fish or Chicken (grilled, steamed or roasted)
* Pumpkin or Squash
* Brown Rice
* Salads, Stir Fries or Soups (chicken, veggies)
* Yeast-Free Bread, Rye Vita, Rice Cakes
* Avocado, Tomato, Cottage Cheese, Tuna/Cold chicken

Maintenance Program

After the initial four weeks detox, you can slowly re-introduce foods from the ”Foods to avoid list”, but, please remember to use them in moderation. The foods to continue avoiding, or using with caution are: sugars, white flour, fruit juices, dried fruits, prepared breakfast flakes including muesli, alcohol, vinegar and foods containing yeast.

Good luck and be well!

Michele Carelse is a Registered Clinical Psychologist and Licensed Counselor with more than 12 years experience. She runs her own private practice, as well as an online counseling and information service at Native Remedies

Sciatica is actually a symptom of the compression of the sciatic nerve due to an alternation in one or more of the spinal discs. It may also be caused by a pinched or pulled sciatic nerve.

Sciatica pain is excruciating and severe conditions can lead to partial or complete disability. Long term treatment for sciatica requires sciatic nerve treatment that may include surgery. Home remedies are intrinsic to sciatica alternative remedies and can prove to be very helpful in preventing and managing back pain.

* Make juice of celery and potatoes (add beets or carrots for taste). Both potato and celery are considered to alleviate pain. Also drink two cups of celery tea every day.
* Apply a hot poultice made of turmeric powder, butter oil and garlic to the affected area for an hour. This will stimulate the nerve.
* Garlic is a multipurpose herb. Eat raw garlic pods for eliminating gas, which according to Ayurveda, is one of the major causes behind pain. Heat 150ml of any vegetable oil with ten fresh garlic pods. Use for massaging the affected areas as and when required.
* Fomentation of the affected area will relieve pain and inflammation to a great extent.
* Throw out an overused mattress. Sleep on a comfortable, neither too hard nor too soft mattress.
* A hot bath followed by a cold shower will improve circulation and reduce pain. Alternately, apply a cold pack on the affected area after a hot bath.
* Avoid fatty foods and take plenty of salads that include raw vegetables like radish, carrot, lettuce, cucumber, cabbage, potato and tomato.

Exercise the lower back. Some useful exercises recommended by specialists are:

* The Side Stretch.
* The Back Arch.
* The Hamstring Stretch.

* Take proper rest. Get up from your seat, preferably every hour and stretch your muscles.
* Waist cinching elastic back supports push the abdomen and make a natural cushion and protect nerves around the spine.
* If you have a desk job and work on the computer for long hours, make sure that your chair supports the natural curve of your spine and the keyboard is placed in a way that your elbows bend at right angles while typing.

Small things like sitting and standing in a good upright posture and staying clear from lifting heavy objects matter a lot. So do regular exercise and a healthy diet. Make these a part of your daily care and you may be able to keep sciatica at bay.

But that is not the only concern that exists with regards to childhood obesity. Childhood obesity is also the cause behind various diseases that are being reported in children and adolescents. The incidence of such diseases was erstwhile almost nil among children and teens. And therefore, it can almost be concluded that obesity plays a significant role in causing certain so called ‘adult ailments’ in our children.

Although adult diseases in children can also occur due to genetic and environmental reasons, the incremental factor is associated with the increase in population of obese children. In the last two and a half decades there has been a quantum jump of 400% in the number of obese children of 6 years and above.

Obesity is a health risk, which has been accepted by all experts. It exposes children to:

* Hypertension – Research and studies reveal that hypertension is more frequent, nearly nine times more in obese children as compared to children with normal weight.
* Type 2 Diabetes – Obese children especially those with a family history of type 2 diabetes run a significantly greater risk of developing the disease.
* Orthopedic complications – The cartilage in lower limbs and joints in children is at a developmental stage. Obesity can damage the cartilage since it is not geared up as yet to bear more than normal weight.
* Asthma.
* Sleep apnea – Difficulty in breathing and absence of respiration during sleep.
* Depression – The psychological and social stigma that is associated with obesity can be more traumatic during childhood and adolescence. This can lead to mental disorders like depression.

Determining whether your child is obese is a difficult job. This is because you have to first eliminate the weight gain due to the natural growth process of a child. But there are growth charts available with pediatricians that can easily tell you whether your child is obese for his age and height. Beyond that the factors that need to be considered are:

* Body Mass Index (BMI) – A BMI of 30+ should be enough to raise alarms.
* Height and BMI – Tall children normally have a higher BMI
* Family history – Obesity, cigarette smoking, sedentary lifestyle and early cardiovascular diseases, high cholesterol and type 2 diabetes need to be considered.
* Signs of stress of weight on lower limbs and joints.
* Absence of logical thinking – This is a symptom that often accompanies obesity and sleep apnea.

A definite and positive approach path towards weight loss solutions is of utmost importance when it comes to treating childhood obesity. There are many options that you can opt from:

* Consider dietary therapy that could help in obtaining herbal weight loss . This will ensure that your child does not need to take strong weight loss medication that is known to have side effects.
* Treating childhood obesity with the aid of natural weight loss programs is recommended. This involves egging your young ones to participate in physical activities in school and outside. Encourage them to take up some sport.
* A change in behaviors and shifting to healthy lifestyles, nutritional diet and avoiding over dependence on fast foods can help in treating childhood obesity.
* Surgical options like a gastric bypass should be considered only as a last resort when nothing else works for your kid. It will do good to keep in mind that all invasive therapies are replete with dangers.

Childhood obesity can potentially ruin the health of an entire generation. It is incumbent upon parents and teachers to discourage over dependence on computer games and junk foods and motivate children towards sports and healthy diet.

* Osteoarthritis – a degenerative joint disease due to infection or simply due to aging.
* Rheumatoid Arthritis – An autoimmune disease caused by deficient immune system health , which starts attacking the body’s normal cells.
* Septic Arthritis – An infectious condition.
* Gout – Caused by deposition of uric acid crystals.
* Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis – It mostly affects children and the causes are unknown.
* Still’s Disease – Another form of Juvenile idiopathic arthritis.
* Ankylosing Spondylitis – A degenerative inflammatory condition that has genetic undertones.

There is no permanent cure for arthritis and treatment normally involves physical and occupational therapies. Use of steroids to reduce inflammation is temporary in nature and long term use has serious side effects.

A major breakthrough made researchers come across an infectious cause of rheumatic arthritis. Mycoplasma, small parasitic bacteria that lacks a cell wall and can survive without oxygen was isolated from the tissue and exudates of rheumatic patients in 1939.

The discovery presented an antibiotic alternative for treating arthritis, which was traditionally being treated with Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory (NSAID) and Disease Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drugs (DMARD) in conjunction with pain killers and steroids.

Results of research have shown promising results of Tetracycline therapy for treating rheumatoid diseases. Minocycline, a Tetracycline antibiotic is the preferred antibiotic to treat mild to moderate occurrences of arthritis. Doxycycline, another tetracycline antibiotic is considered to enhance the affects of methotrexate, a DMARD and a toxic antimetabolite that limits cellular reproduction.

Some of the antibiotics recommended for treating arthritis have serious side effects that outweigh the benefits expected from them. For example Dapsone, an antibacterial drug, is known to cause hemolytic anemia.

Indiscriminate use of antibiotics not only reduces their efficacy but also causes serious harm to the body’s ability to cure disease on its own. A minute observation will help us realize that we inadvertently invite most of the diseases ourselves.

Improper diet, sedentary lifestyles, unnecessary dependence on commercial fast foods and dependence that borders on foolhardiness, on antibiotics, cause most of the diseases we suffer from.

There are natural and herbal antibiotics like colloidal silver and garlic, which when consumed regularly can help in preventing attacks from bacteria and viruses. In addition to safety from side effects there is no risk of pathogens using them for their own growth. Apart from the degenerative arthritic conditions, arthritis is mostly caused by dysfunction of immune system.

Herbs for immune system , such as Goldenseal, osha, and Tabebuia (pau d’arco) and flavonoids contained in certain fruits, vegetables, teas, wines, nuts, seeds, and roots, not only boost your immune system but also facilitate elimination of wastes and toxins.

Arthritis is a painful condition that may last lifelong. At best you can reconcile with the disorder and manage the ensuing pain. A natural and active lifestyle can actually help in avoiding many diseases including arthritis.