Garlic Not Only to Keep Vampires Away

I read a true story in a magazine about a 25-year-old lady. She was diagnosed with a high cholesterol levels. Doctor warned her that she only have a few months to lower her cholesterol levels naturally or else she needs to be put on medication. At that time her cholesterol level was 280.

Then she found a recipe. She ate one clove of roasted garlic every day for three months and her cholesterol levels dropped very quickly. The truth is, consuming garlic was believe to interfere with the metabolism of cholesterol levels in the liver, and lowers the amount of cholesterol released into the bloodstream. Studies have shown that people who regularly consume relatively large amount of garlic and onions have lower cholesterol levels than people who don't.

Now, the lady's cholesterol levels drop to 170. Cool, huh?

Anyway, the recipe is to take one clove of garlic, one teaspoon of olive oil and one bay leaf. Place them on a sheet of aluminum foil, tossing in salt and pepper to taste. Roast for 30 minutes in a preheated oven at 180º Celsius, then spread on bread or add to any dish that calls for garlic.

Would you striptease?

Jennifer Love Hewitt, Kirsten Dunst and Carmen Electra have one thing in common. They are all practicing a new sexy cardio workout, Cardio Striptease! It's fun and unique exercise practiced with clothes half on or half off and involves a series of circular movements that engage the whole body, putting emphasis on the core and glute areas. All movements are low impact and modelled after actual strip club dance moves. Well, now we know why all those strippers' got gorgeous bodies.

Now, do you have to get naked in cardio striptease? No.. But then, what you do behind closed doors is entirely up to you..*Wink.

Indigestion: Do's and Don'ts

Ever feel discomfort in the upper middle part of the abdomen, sort of feeling bloated, nausea, then the uncontrollable burping came, and heartburn? These kind of feelings are often associated with belching wind. If you do, then you may be experiencing indigestion which usually results from eating too much, eating too quickly, eating high-fat foods, or eating during stressful situations.

During this time, you also feel kind of feverish, in other word, not fun! Trust me, i know. Because i just had one of these yesterday. So, what did i do and didn't do? Allow me to share it with you.

Do's

1. Do work out what foods make the pain worse and avoid them.

2. Do avoid alcohol.

3. Do avoid stress.

4. Do raise the head of your bed or stack up a few pillows under your head.

Don'ts

1. Don't skip your meal.

2. Don't smoke.

3. Don't stoop and bend.

4. Don't take aspirin or any drug containing it because aspirin irritates the stomach.

It may sound simple but it helped me a lot. These are valuable simple guidelines.

Shall we take a walk?

May i ask, how did you go to work today? Did you drive? When was the last time you took the stairs instead of the elevator? You can't recall? How often do you take a stroll around the park? You don't have the time?

Do you realize that walking is one of the easiest activities to fit into a busy day? Especially if you divide it up into three 10-minutes sessions. For example, 10 minutes walk to get to the corner store near where you live. Another 10 minutes walk to get home and another 10 minutes in the evening, enjoying the air and the scenery at the park. Doesn't sound so hard, doesn't it? Then, why not?

Walking could increase your heart rate and burn sky high amount of kilojoule. Besides, study show that walking could fight insomnia and depression. And it's a cheap work out too. All you need is a good pair of walking shoes, properly fitted to get started.

Do you know that in New Zealand, walking is the most popular activity with 59 percent of men and 80 percent of women taking part. They walk for 10 minutes for exercise and enjoyment. Studies also shows that women who starts walking as a work out method will keep it up. On the other hand, those who take up other activities such as swimming and running call it quits within the first week!

It's time to lace up those shoes and take a walk, don't you think?

Dear Ladies.. (Part 2)

Hello, ladies. How are you doing today? Healthy and fit, I hope. Because if not, then I’m afraid I’m not doing a good job here. Anyway, as promised, I would share more tips for women out there in order to maintain your fitness and your health.

Lets start with quit smoking. If you are smoking, I urge you to stop. And I do have to stress out here that it’s a big No-No for pregnant ladies, as it will not only affect you but the health of the baby too. Here’s a fact that you might want to look into; recent studies have shown that women smokers are more prone to disease than men smokers. You are prone to a high risk of getting breast cancer. And ladies, please limit your alcohol intake. Plus, there’s nothing graceful about a drunken lady anyway, am I not right?

It is important for you ladies to also include exercises in your daily routine. If you do not have time for exercise, a short walk to work, choosing to use the stairs instead of the elevator or playing with your kids at home would do wonders. And for those who couldn’t find the time to go to the gym, home exercises could be as effective, such as Yoga and Pilates. Let me tell you that exercise not only ease up stress but it also help in limiting the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Other than diamond, sunscreen is also a women’s best friend. Protect your screen from the harmful rays of the sun. Wear hats if you have to. There’s only so much sun your skin can tolerate. Too much, your skin will be prone to cancer and it could also speeds up the aging process of skin cells, which in other word, wrinkles!

And last but not least, visit your Gynecologist. If you are eighteen and above, it is important to get your Physical Examination annually for the Pap Smear test. And for those who are forty and above, get your mammograms. Breast self-exam should be a done religiously.

And that, ladies, conclude my advice for the day!

Dear Ladies..

I would like to address ladies out there regarding some useful tips in order to keep your body fit and healthy. We girls got to look out for each other, you know : )

For starters, balanced diet is the one of the most important part of staying fit and healthy. You should know the ideal weight for your age group. That way you could monitor yourself whether you are underweight or overweight. And you should always consult your doctor regarding what food you should avoid and what food you should eat more. Follow your eating discipline because diet is all bout discipline.

Now, if you’re trying to lose weight, control your intake of foods with high calories. Consume more food with high fiber and keep your eyes fix on those low fat products.

Drink a lot of water. That, I believe is what we’re thought when we were still in school. Consume at least eight glasses of water everyday in order to clean your body and flush out those impurities.

Do not ignore the wonders of Vitamins and Supplements. And please do not forget your Calcium supplement. Sufficient calcium intake is could be beneficial for women because it is proven to prevent having cramps and Pre-Menstrual Period (PMS) symptoms that I know all women dread. Also, it could keep Mister Osteoporosis from harassing you, especially for menopausal women.

Keep in mind that Vitamin E help boosts strong immune system. For those who undergo menopausal period are encourage to take Vitamin E-400 as it stops night sweats and hot flashes. Plus, it could keep help you looking young as it is said to be best in avoiding wrinkles.

So, that would be all for now. Believe me, there are more where it comes from. But I promise, I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.

Got the Body but Not the Brain?

Talking about fitness and all, we all know that physically fit is also as important as mentally fit. There’s no point having a body like a goddess but you do not have the brain to match with it. So, here I am, thinking of some simple points that we usually neglect in order to keep out mental fit.

• Read, read and read. No matter what it is, a storybook, newspaper or the back of the cereal box. Reading could encourage your mind to work and keep you sharp.

• After a long day of hard work and grueling day, do take some time to enjoy a hot shower, go shopping or watching movies. In other word, anything you might enjoy. Studies shows that depression could dull your mind, and easing up those stresses could help a lot.

• Cut down if not entirely those smoking and drinking. We all know those two is bad for your health and mind you, being healthy not only keep you fit physically but mentally also.

• Challenge yourself to some mind working game. It could get your mind working creatively.

That and among many other. Well, what I’m trying to tell you is, gorgeous body paired with some sharp mind equal to SEXY! You know what i mean..

The Biggest Loser

Ever watch the NBC’s weight-loss reality show, The Biggest Loser? Hosted by a stand-up comedian and former talk-show host Caroline Rhea. It’s about a bunch of overweight contestant trying to lose weight without any kind of surgery. They will be divided into two groups, and each group will be assigned to a trainer. And they will have to go through an extreme boot camp style exercise training and diet. The winner will be who lose the most weight and will walk away with $250,000.

Watching this show, I can’t help but think that not everybody got the privilege to have a trainer to be your supporter and your guardian angel. So, what about those overweight people out there who have the same desire to lose weight too? Obviously they do not have 250,000 grand to motivate them and they will be surrounded with endless temptation without anybody to guide them. All they have is the desire and the desire alone. And if they wonderfully manage to resist all the temptation, they will succeed to losing weight. Tough, huh?

I’m not saying that those contestant in that show isn’t going through a tough time, but it sure helped to have a professional guiding you and some motivation. My point is, no matter how much one wants to lose weight, it still isn’t easy to accomplish that. I guess, get help is the best advice, don’t you think?

Why don't we, folks?

More than often, we ignore our body and take advantage of our health. We pay so little attention toward it needs. Our body serves us dutifully day in and out and most of us forgot that it could refuse one day.

Think about it, if we keep on ignoring our health and fitness, which are two important things that our body need, it could shut down. We all know that it can rebel too. Even worse, no matter how obedient your body is but if the germs and the viruses around you is stronger, it could fail still. So please, my friend. Have mercy. Take care of your body carefully and lovingly. Pay attention to it needs, by all means, healthy diet, exercises, rest.. etc.

Now, I’m no genius. But I do know that taking care of our body can only be beneficial for ourselves, right? So, why don’t we, folks?