Natural Ways to Lower Cholesterol

A report from The National Center for Health Statistics states that over 80 million adults in the U.S. have unhealthy cholesterol levels. That’s 1/3 of the American population. Many kids also have unhealthy cholesterol numbers.

If your cholesterol numbers are not in the healthy range you may be on medication to lower your bad cholesterol and improve your good cholesterol. If you aren't taking meds yet, you may be looking for natural ways to lower your LDL cholesterol and raise your HDL.

Scientific research, including 80 studies over the past ten years, on plant sterols and stanols show that they can help people achieve healthy cholesterol numbers naturally.

We have known for a long time that cholesterol is a big risk factor in developing heart disease. It is important that you know ‘your numbers’ because there’s a lot you can do to impact having healthy total cholesterol.

Cholesterol is a waxy fat-like substance that occurs naturally in your body. It is an essential part of your cell membranes and used to both create and repair cells. Your body makes cholesterol and you get it from the foods you eat as well. You can control the cholesterol you eat if you stay away from foods that have unhealthy cholesterol.

In August, 2010, the Annals of Internal Medicine stated that people who have high cholesterol in their 20’s are more likely to have signs of heart disease by the time they reach their 40’s.

High cholesterol numbers are associated with high blood pressure, vision loss, Alzheimers disease and dementia. People with high cholesterol levels in their 40’s may have a higher risk of developing dementia.

These may be scary statistics but science, research and clinical studies have given us lifestyle choices that can help us build better health.

Diet is one area where you have control over healthy choices: cut down on high cholesterol foods like trans fats and saturated fats and increase lean meat, eat fish more often and consume foods with high fiber content (or at least eat more fiber overall each day. These actions will help your cholesterol levels.

Everyone should be getting some form of daily exercise. It is good for your overall health and even 30 minutes per day can help lower your bad cholesterol and raise your good cholesterol numbers.

Plant sterols and stanols work in the body by preventing absorption of cholesterol that leads to heart disease. It would be hard to consume the amount of sterols and stanols by eating them in fruits, vegetables and grains in your daily diet. You need to take the 2000 mg daily that has been proven to positively impact your cholesterol levels in supplement form. It is a way to reduce cholesterol naturally, and without all of the calories you would be adding to your diet if you tried to get them from food.

2000 mg of sterols and stanols each day is available in a gluten-free supplement form. Results should be expected in 4 ot 6 weeks and you should have your doctor check your cholesterol levels after that time.

There are no significant side effects of supplement sterols and stanols. They are highly effective even if you are already on a heart healthy diet, and safe to use with statin drugs. Your doctor should monitor your blood levels of cholesterol since the dose of meds you take may need adjusted when natural cholesterol reducing sterols and stanols are also lowering your overall cholesterol numbers.

Lowering your cholesterol by 10% reduces your risk for heart disease. Clinical studies show that taking plant sterols as a natural way to lower cholesterol can help lower your overall cholesterol number 5 to 15%.

Click this link to listen to a comprehensive discussion about: CHOLESTEROL.

1000 IU Vitamin D & Your Healthy Heart

In this video Dr. Oz shows you a healthy heart and a diseased heart. Note how he mentions that all a sick heart can do is 'enlarge'. Dr. Oz teaches us ways to build good health and in this case that includes supplementing your daily diet with vitamin D.

If you listen to the end, you will see him recommend 1000 IU of Vitamin D every day for your heart health, and he states how vitamin D helps your calcium be absorbed where it is supposed to be absorbed in your body.

CLICK TO WATCH VIDEO

To learn more about a pharmaceutical grade vitamin D visit: 1000 IU Vitamin D.

Vitamin D3.. Will You Get Enough This Winter?

Here Comes the Sun..


It was a beautiful fall day here in central Pennsylvania today and we enjoyed the sun and some fall sights, and some others got a great sailing day! This year the fall foliage is not expected to be brilliant like we usually enjoy due to the hot, dry summer this year.


Soon we will not see nearly as much of the sun. The long winter months can be challenging to get through. Since we go days, or longer, without seeing the sun or getting outside long enough to get our vitamin D, many of us are looking for alternatives to make sure we are not deficient in this essential nutrient.

Why are you at risk for vitamin D insufficiency? There are several factors that influence the amount of vitamin D in your body each day. Vitamin D is formed in the body when your skin is exposed to sunlight, or it's consumed in vitamin D-rich foods. For many people it is difficult to get enough vitamin D from their daily diet.

Other critical factors that can create a greater need for vitamin D include increasing age, being overweight, lack of exercise, and low intake of fish and other vitamin D-rich foods in your diet. Even people who live in warm climates year round may not get enough vitamin D if their skin is not exposed due to sunscreen use.

Vitamin D is associated with heart health, immune function, bone health and not having enough has been linked to an increased risk of certain cancers. A high-quality dietary supplement of vitamin D3, the most potent form of vitamin D found naturally in the human body, is an option you have to insure your body has enough on a daily basis to help give you the good health you desire.

Vitamin D and Pelvic Strength, Incontinence and Slimming

I read a question in regard to vitamin D and incontinence in a woman's magazine. It was stated that a research study at SUNY Upstate Medical University and the gynecology and urogynecology unit at St. Joseph's Hospital Health Center, both in Syracuse, NY, linked vitamin D intake to improved pelvic-muscle strength, which also helps incontinence. Another vitamin D benefit that would be beneficial to many people trying to lose weight is that it can help speed slimming. The article also stated that doctors are recommending daily servings of 1000 IU vitamin D to patients and that it only takes a week or so to build up adequate healing amounts of this nutrient in your body.

We have our own substantial team of highly regarded doctors and research scientists on staff at Shaklee. It took several years for our brand to develop and introduce a stand alone vitamin D3 supplement - that's not unusual, it's the Shaklee way to provide science, research, a proven need and high quality ingredients. We had between 800IU and 1000IU in the multi-vitamins and Vitalizer servings and many of us get even more when we take our calcium supplements or drink a Cinch Shake. Still, it was determined that the separate supplement is needed for people who need even more daily vitamin D3 or don't take those other products on a daily basis.

To learn more about pharmaceutical grade, high quality supplements, including the very affordable vitamin D3 ($7.95 for a 3 month supply) that are 100% satisfaction, money-back guaranteed, visit Vitamin D3.