PreDisease.com Blog

According to the American Diabetes Association, 54 million people in the United States have prediabetes. Are you at risk for developing this predisease?

In order to understand your risk for developing prediabetes, it’s impotant to know how your body processes blood sugar or glucose.

Your body depends on glucose for energy. As a matter of fact, you must have glucose in order to develop muscles and other tissues. Glucose comes from the food you eat and also from your liver. After a meal, glucose enters your bloodstream. Your pancreas supplies the insulin necessary for the glucose to enter your cells and do its job.

When your pancreas releases insulin, it lowers the glucose level in your blood stream. Once this happens, your pancreas automatically slows down the release of insulin.

Glucose is manufactured and stored in your liver. If it’s been a while between meals and your insulin level is low, your liver releases stored glucose so that your blood sugar level stays in a healthy, normal range.

However, with prediabetes, the above process doesn’t work as smoothly as it should. Glucose doesn’t move into your cells. Instead the sugar stays in your bloodstream. The reason this happens is because for some reason, your pancreas isn’t manufacturing enough insulin or your cells become insulin resistant. This may be due to extra abdominal fat and lack of exercise.

Who is at risk for developing prediabetes?

Here are some risk factors for developing prediabetes. If you have them, you may be a candidate for prediabetes. They include:

Being overweight. The more fat you have — especially belly fat — the more likely your cells are to become resistant to insulin.

Lack of exercise. The more physically active you are the better control you have over your weight. Also exercise uses glucose for energy and also makes your cells more success to success to pull to the effects of insulin.

Family history. If diabetes runs in your family your chance of developing prediabetes rises.

Age. As you get older, especially older than 45, you’re more likely to develop prediabetes. That could be because most people become more sedentary and put on extra pounds as they get older.

Race. Hispanics, blacks, Asian Americans, and American Indians run a higher risk of developing prediabetes.

In addition to the above symptoms, people who have high levels of “bad” cholesterol, low levels of “good” cholesterol, high blood pressure, and high triglycerides, often have a resistance to insulin.

How to substantially lower – or even eliminate – your risk

PreCrea™ is a completely natural supplement specially formulated for people who currently have prediabetes or higher than normal glucose levels. Designed by PreEmptive Meds, a predisease therapeutic company, its formulation is based on the philosophy that fighting disease in its early stages (or prediease stage) is critical to prevent the development of full-blown disease. PreCrea™ gets to the root of the problem before diabetes has a chance to develop fully.

Clinical studies show that using PreCrea™ to treat prediabetes actually lowers blood glucose levels 20-30 points. As an added bonus, a weight loss of 15-20 pounds is entirely possible – which also contributes to getting the predisease state under control.

Don’t gamble with your health – or your life. If you are prediabetic right now, or you are at risk for developing prediabetes, you can find knowledgeable information about PreCrea™ here.

Right now, chronic disease accounts for 7 of the 10 leading causes of death in the United States and affects the quality of life of over 130 million Americans each year. As well, 75 cents of every dollar spent on health care in the US in 2006 was on people with one or more chronic illnesses. That translates to $1.58 trillion of taxpayer’s hard-earned money. And while these numbers are indeed alarming, what is more astounding is that up to 90 percent of chronic diseases are actually preventable.

Many chronic diseases are caused by a simple lack of proper nutrition. Sadly, 3 out of every 4 Americans are now overweight, with 33 percent considered obese. Given these numbers researchers also predict 1 in 3 children born in 2000 will develop diabetes (33 percent of all boys and 39 percent of girls). Add to this a general lack of regular exercise and other poor lifestyle choices we make on a daily basis and it’s not surprising the US ranks only 24th on the list of the world’s healthiest countries. In fact, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), the average life expectancy of a US male born in 1999 is only 67.5 years. Females rank only slightly better, averaging 72.6 years.

This rise in chronic disease accounts for close to 75 percent of the overall increase in health care spending in the last two decades. And statistics show the majority of current spending goes to treat people with one or more chronic conditions. Presently, 96 cents of every Medicare dollar is spent on people with chronic illnesses. As well, 83 percent of every Medicaid dollar goes to treat people with chronic illnesses. As bad as these numbers are, they only begin to touch on the indirect cost chronic disease has on our economy.
Millions of work days are missed every year due to illnesses, which ultimately affects our ability to effectively compete in the global market. According to a 2007 study, chronic diseases such as cancers, diabetes, heart disease and stroke, indirectly cost businesses and the economy, through things like absenteeism, lost productivity and substandard work efforts, a whopping $1 trillion a year.

Chronic illnesses account for 99 percent of all doctor’s visits, 92 percent of all in-patient hospital visits and 79 percent of all home health care visits. As well, 82 percent of all prescriptions are written for chronic illnesses.

If we continue along the same path, this scenario is only expected to get worse. By 2023, researchers predict chronic disease to rise by 42 percent, affecting over 230 people throughout the US. Cancer rates are expected to soar 62 percent; diabetes is predicted to rise 53 percent and cases of heart disease are expected to increase another 41 percent. And by the year 2015 (a mere 6 years from now) an unbelievable 75 percent of all Americans are expected to be obese, a huge risk factor for chronic disease. When all is said and done, researchers predict if nothing is done to halt this trend now, chronic disease will ultimately cost the U.S. economy over $4.1 trillion a year by 2035.

The irony of the situation is that we already know the majority of chronic diseases are indeed preventable. We don’t have to sit back helplessly and watch as our family and friends fall prey to things like diabetes and heart disease. We can take steps now to assure our health. Prevention has never been more important than it is right now.

Nutrition is probably one of the most important factors in whether you will eventually succumb to chronic illness. Proper diet and nutritional support through clinically proven vitamins and supplements are key factors. Studies repeatedly show that simply making these nutritional changes alone can significantly decrease your risk of chronic illness. In fact, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates diabetes rates can be cut by as much as 80 percent when dietary changes and other simple behavioural changes are made. Heart disease rates could drop another 80 percent while cancer rates could drop by as much as 40 percent.

Right now, thousands of doctors across the US are using clinically proven nutritional supplements as an effective preventative measure against chronic illness such as diabetes, heart disease and arthritis. As studies show, when it comes to chronic disease, the best intervention is prevention and considering the grim outlook for today’s Americans, there is no better time than now to assure you remain healthy long into the future.

You go through your day and find yourself making several trips to the water fountain. Not only that, you’re visiting the restroom more frequently. Even though you’re eating the same amount you usually eat, you find you’re extremely hungry. Or perhaps without dieting, you’ve somehow managed to lose weight. You’re more tired than you’ve ever been, your vision is fuzzy, and sometimes you have frequent infections or a sore that is won’t heal.

What’s going on? If you’ve experienced any of the above symptoms for a period of time, you could have a condition known as prediabetes.

If you’re prediabetic that means your blood glucose is higher than it should be. It hasn’t reached the level that classifies you as type 2 diabetic, but still you are at risk. That’s because the dangerous consequences of frank diabetes may have already started. The bad news is that if you don’t do something about it, in as little as 10 years you could find you have full-blown diabetes.

The good news is that full-blown diabetes can be preempted or significantly delayed. While doctors have always known about pre-disease such as prediabetes, today they are definitive guidelines to make the determination. In prediabetes, the fasting glucose level falls within the range of 99-126. Greater than 126 indicates diabetes.

Treating prediabetes

It’s been said that diabetes may be one of the worst diseases you can have. The unsettling fact is that more and more people are developing this disease — as a matter of fact it’s almost an epidemic in America. The dangers associated with full-blown diabetes include heart disease, kidney failure, sexual dysfunction, and blindness. What is so disturbing is that these complications can actually start developing in the prediabetes stage.

Perhaps one of the best modes of treatment is lifestyle modification. That means you should eat healthy foods, exercise more, lose excess weight, and take any necessary medication.

Natural supplements for prediabetes

PreEmptive Meds, a predisease therapeutic company, offers PreCrea™ — an all natural, twice-a-day herbal supplement specifically design for people with prediabetes or higher than normal blood sugar levels. The doctors at PreEmptive Meds realize the importance of fighting disease as early as possible. By integrating lifestyle changes with supportive therapies it is possible to prevent serious disease. Their natural supplements treat predisease – which in turn prevents chronic disease. Most pharmaceutical drugs are indicated for full-blown disease. By that time the disease is usually irreversible.

PreCrea™ is 100% natural, 100% safe, and has been used by hundreds of doctors to treat thousands of patients in the pre-diabetes stage. As a matter of fact, blood sugar is lowered 20-30 points with PreCrea™. Not only that, an added benefit is that many patients report a weight loss of 15-20 pounds.

Now this potent supplement is available to the general public. If you feel you’re at risk for developing diabetes, or you already have some of the symptoms, insightful information about PreCrea™ is available for you right here. Don’t wait until diabetes has had a chance to set in. Find out how you can naturally and effectively treat prediabetes with PreCrea™ now.

There is no doubt natural supplements, vitamins and herbs are less expensive than prescription medications, but even these more natural alternatives can quickly become expensive when you start taking more than one at one time.

One of the reasons people turn to natural medicine is because of its holistic approach to health and wellness. Natural medicine looks to treat the whole body and not simply the symptoms of a specific disease. Proponents of natural health believe the body will naturally seek to restore internal balance, healing itself when faced with illness or disease, a state known as homeostasis. Natural remedies are therefore used more as a means to support this process than an actual cure for symptoms that result from a diseased state. Each remedy serves a specific purpose whether it be to boost immunity or to support the organs for example, so it is common when someone is facing an illness that they are prescribed more than one remedy. The problem however, is that while each of these remedies may in fact be useful and even highly effective, when you must take them each 2-3 times a day, it can become not only overwhelming, but also expensive. It is at this point, that many people simply opt to go back to a medication that is geared to relieving symptoms. Despite the risk and the inevitable side effects most medications come with, they are usually easier to deal with than having to remember to take numerous supplements several times a day.

For those who don’t give up and continue to look to the natural approach, some will opt for combination supplements. These products offer remedies that contain numerous ingredients geared to treating a much broader range of issues. While in theory, these supplements may be easier to take simply because you no longer need to take an array of different pills to achieve the same result, the problem then becomes the efficacy of the product itself.

Clinical studies are typically done to determine not only the actual effectiveness of an herb for example, but also the most effective dosage. The therapeutic properties of each herb will be examined, and the specific medicinal chemicals analyzed to determine the safest manner in which to take (or not take as the case may be) the remedy. So, when you buy a product, hopefully it contains the exact ratio of therapeutic ingredients so the remedy works as it should. While you would think this would be the case of all natural supplements, the truth is, it is still a very unregulated industry so in many cases, there are no real laws that state a product must contain the ideal ratio of medicinal ingredients. This is especially true in the case of “all in one” remedies.

When herbs are combined, they can either help or hinder each other. While each herb may have specific therapeutic properties, when they are combined with other herbs, these same chemical properties can be enhanced or in some cases, cause adverse reactions. It becomes even more important therefore in cases of combined remedies, that the herbs used have not only been tested individually, but that they have also been tested together. Unfortunately, this is not always the case, which is why you will often hear about products that have been suddenly pulled from the shelves because people have had severe reactions.

There is no question the most cost effective way to take natural supplements is in these combined formulas. Taking this type of remedy can significantly reduce the overall cost of treatment. The trick however, is to find a product that has also been clinically tested to work synergistically within the body. Each herb and or nutrient must be tested to determine its effectiveness and safety when used in that specific formula. So, before you purchase a combination product, do a little research yourself to see if the company has also done their research. In the end, it can save you money and ultimately make the difference in whether or not the product will be effective.

For more information about clinically tested and proven all natural supplements, visit: http://www.predisease.com

Hot flashes. Sleepless nights. Ugly mood swings. The “change of life” certainly brings does bring about changes, doesn’t it? The problem is most of them are changes women can do without. As a matter of fact, many times they are so unbearable women will do just about anything to get rid of them, including taking medication. The problem with that is that synthetic hormones, those usually prescribed by doctors, come with their own set of perils.

Synthetic menopause hormone therapy can lead to bloating, blood clots, sexual dysfunction, stroke, and the risk of cancer. Because of this frightening list women who decide to try hormone treatment usually do so for a short period of time and take the lowest dose possible. Once their symptoms disappear or become more manageable, they stop taking the drug.

For some women synthetic hormone therapy isn’t even an option. Women who have had breast or uterine cancer, have a history of blood clots, have liver or heart disease, or problems with vaginal bleeding are not candidates for this type of therapy.

Perimenopause

Even women who have not fully entered menopause have worrisome menopause symptoms and seek relief. Perimenopause is when women began their transition into menopause and lasts 2 to 8 years. Usually menstrual irregularities begin sometime in the 40s, however, some may start noticing changes in their mid-30s.

During this time women experience menstrual irregularities, hot flashes and insomnia, irritability or depression, vaginal and urinary problems, and decrease libido. Even though medication is often prescribed to treat the symptoms, it’s important to understand that menopause is not an illness. It’s a natural stage of life where women’s ovaries stop producing estrogen. This causes her reproductive system to slowly cease functioning.

A natural alternative to synthetic hormone therapy

Natural hormones contain products derived from plants. The body actually recognizes them as being a natural substance and will therefore readily utilize the product. The side effects seen with synthetic hormones do not exist when natural hormones are used. Even better, natural hormones deal with more than hot flashes, water retention, or insomnia. They combat many of the different symptoms menopause can bring about.

Why take a chance, even for a short while, on a synthetic hormone that carries such risks as cancer and heart disease? Luckily, there is an alternative, one that many authorities believe to be superior to synthetic hormones.

Preemptive Meds’ PreMenora™ eases symptoms safely and naturally

PreMenora™ is an all-natural supplement based on a formulation that contains 10 botanicals acting together to relieve the symptoms of perimenopause. Doctors from across the United States and Canada have recommended treatment with PreMenora™ so women can find relief from their symptoms without having to resort to synthetic hormone therapy. That way you can have your symptoms in control before the onset of full-blown menopause.

With PreMenora™ hot flashes, night sweats, bloating, insomnia, vaginal dryness, tiredness, and irritation decrease up to 80%. Libido, attentiveness, memory, and bone and joint health increase.

Now you have a choice. If you’re suffering through the symptoms of perimenopause or you are already in menopause, you don’t have to rely on dangerous synthetic hormones. PreMenora™ is 100% natural and safe with no known side effects. And it’s extremely affordable at only $9 per week, which is less than many prescription co-pays.

You can find out more about PreMenora™ by visiting this website.

Every woman will experience menopause at some point during her lifetime. While it is a very natural phase of a woman’s life cycle, it can also bring with it some uncomfortable and in some cases, serious, symptoms. Right now, it is estimated 6,000 women reach menopause every day in the US, that’s about 2 million women every year.

Menopause is essentially the time when a woman ceases to have a menstrual cycle. As a woman ages, her estrogen levels naturally decrease and her ovaries slowly stop producing eggs. A woman typically reaches this menopausal state between the ages of 35 and 50, although in 10 percent of cases, doctors are now finding women do not experience changes in their menstrual flow.

Prior to menopause, women go through a stage called perimenopause. During this time, a woman’s body begins the transition into menopause. Typically, perimenopause lasts anywhere from two to eight years, plus another year following her final period. Estrogen levels rise and fall at irregular intervals during perimenopause. A woman’s menstrual cycles may increase or shorten, and she could begin to have menstrual cycles in which she doesn’t ovulate, so she would be unable to become pregnant during this time. For the most part, a woman will start to notice signs of impending menopause sometime during her 40s, although in some cases, a woman may actually enter this cycle during her early or mid-30s. According to the North American Menopause Society, the average age for perimenopause is actually 47.5 years.

As a woman goes through this natural change, her body also undergoes a myriad of changes brought on by the gradual loss of ovarian function. This action triggers dramatic shifts in four hormones that regulate the menstrual cycle: estrogen, progesterone, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and luteinizing hormone (LH). These hormonal changes can bring about numerous symptoms, which include a slowing of her metabolism, often resulting in weight gain, a loss in bone mass and strength, mood swings, fatigue, insomnia, forgetfulness, irritability, headaches, hot flashes accompanied by heart palpitations and dizziness, increased sweating, muscles aches and pains, water retention, vaginal dryness, a loss of muscle tone and changes to her breast size, shape and firmness and even depression. Not all women will experience every symptom and some women may experience more intense changes than others depending on a combination of her genetic makeup and lifestyle.

Post menopause typically brings some relief to symptoms. Once the body has completed the menopausal cycle and a woman has not had a period in over one year, symptoms tend to subside, although there are serious health risks linked to decreased estrogen levels. Post menopausal women are at higher risk for heart disease, osteoporosis, breast cancer and ovarian cancer for example. In 2000, there were 45.6 million postmenopausal women in the US, 39.9 million of which were over 51. According to the International Menopause Society, over half of all women over 50 will experience a bone fracture caused by osteoporosis. As well, menopausal women are 33 percent more likely to develop Alzheimer’s, a condition in women researchers are now linking to menopause.

By 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates 1.1 billion women will be over the age of 50. This being the case, it is currently suggested a woman will actually spend 33 – 50 percent of her life in post menopause, so it becomes increasingly important she starts to take care of her body now, especially during the time leading up to post menopause.

Conventional medicine tends to look to hormone replacement therapy (HRT) as a way to treat menopause. Synthetic estrogen and progesterone are typically used in an attempt to even out declining hormone levels. In many cases this therapy may reduce climacteric symptoms such as flushing, insomnia and sweating and osteoporosis but many women on synthetic estrogens may suffer from irregular vaginal bleeding and studies now show there is an increased risk of breast cancer and/or endometrial cancer when using HRT.[1] Other studies suggest HRT also dramatically increases a woman’s risk of heart disease and thrombosis especially in women who start the therapy years after menopause.[2]

As studies continue to uncover the risks of HRT, many women are now turning to natural HRT and menopause relief. Studies repeatedly show there are many herbs, vitamins and supplements that can help provide natural relief from vaginal dryness, hot flashes and other bothersome symptoms of menopause without the risks associated with synthetic HRT.

Saraca indica, for example, is a herbal menopause treatment shown to decrease symptoms of menopause through its natural steroidal properties. Shatavari, also known as asparagus racemosus, is a widely used herbal treatment for menopause. It is essentially considered an aphrodisiac or fertility enhancer in women and has beneficial effects on the female reproductive system during menopause. This natural herbal remedy also has considerable cooling effects on the body, which makes it an effective natural treatment for hot flashes.

Another helpful herbal treatment for menopause is actea racemosa or black cohosh. This natural treatment is widely used in Germany as a natural treatment for hot flashes, depression and sleep disturbances often experienced during menopause. Ashwagandha (withania somnifera) is a very popular herbal remedy for menopausal symptoms such as insomnia and mood swings. It is also known as Indian Ginseng. Other helpful herbs include bacoppa monnier (brahmi), Celastrus paniculata (jyotismati), Cyperus rotundus (Xiang fu), Centella asiatica (Gotu Kola) and aloe vera. There is also increasing evidence that nutrients such as calcium, vitamin D and wheat germ are effective natural treatments for menopause, especially for bone loss associated with decreased estrogen levels.

Today, women have more choices than ever when it comes to treating menopause symptoms. Evidence clearly shows synthetic HRT is increasingly dangerous and any benefits are far outweighed by the risk associated with this type of treatment. Natural remedies are just as effective for most symptoms and are clinically proven safe. When looking for a natural herbal treatment for menopause, look for a supplement that incorporates a variety of herbs and nutrients that will treat a wide range of symptoms. It is also important to find a supplement that uses the proper ratio of therapeutic properties of each specific herb so that it can be effectively assimilated by the body.

For more information about natural herbal treatments for menopause, visit: www.premenora.com.

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[1] Koukoulis GN. Hormone Replacement Therapy and Breast Cancer Risk. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2000;900:422-8.

[2] British Medical Journal, 2007; 335: 239-44

At one time or another, we have all experienced some form of joint and or muscle pain. Imagine now, feeling that same pain every day for the rest of your life. Well, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 69.9 million Americans do. In fact 1 in every 3 people is now diagnosed with arthritis. It is further estimated that by 2030, this number will rise by another 40 percent with 25 percent of the population being so afflicted with the disease, they will be forced to limit their regular daily activities.[1]

Arthritis is the general name for over 100 different diseases that affect the joints, the surrounding tissues and other connective tissues. The three most common forms of the disease are osteoarthritis (OA), rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and fibromyalgia. People suffering from OA and RA typically show signs of degeneration in the joints of the hands, knee, foot, wrist, hip and/or spine. As well, as of 2005, an estimated 5 million people were diagnosed with fibromyalgia, a disease that is still not well understood.[2] People who suffer from this very debilitating condition also tend to exhibit symptoms such as insomnia, headaches, morning stiffness and problems focusing and remembering, often referred to as “fibro fog.”

Other types of arthritis include such things as gout, lupus, bursitis/tendonitis and even Lyme disease. Right now, arthritis is the most widespread cause of disability among Americans over 15. According to the CDC, almost 41 percent of people diagnosed with arthritis also report limited ability to participate in normal activities such as walking, climbing stairs and bending or kneeling.[3] Further, over 30 percent also have limited work ability.[4] Studies show people with arthritis have over 50 percent more sick days than otherwise healthy people and 33 percent more days in which they experience limited ability to function both at home and in the workplace.[5]

Almost 50 percent of all cases of arthritis are in people under the age of 65, 70 percent of which tend to be women.[6] Sadly, an estimated 294,000 children under 18 also currently suffer from some form of arthritis.[7] This puts considerable strain on not only these individuals but also caregivers, employers and ultimately, the economy. In 2003 alone, arthritis cost the US economy over $128 billion, a jump of almost 33 percent since 1997 and a number that is only expected to rise over the next few decades.[8]

Fortunately, arthritis does not simply appear without warning. People who eventually develop diagnosable arthritis have likely shown symptoms such as fatigue, unexplained weight loss, persistent pain, swelling, stiffness and difficulty moving one or more of their joints for some time. Often in the early stages, these symptoms can come and go so people tend to dismiss cautionary signs once they subside, which is unfortunate because this is the time when preventive care is most critical. Once arthritis sets in, there is no cure for the disease. Symptoms such as inflammation and pain can be treated with medications but the majority of these drugs also cause side effects including kidney disease, heart attack and even death.

Fortunately, there are many natural treatments, vitamins and supplements for arthritis that offer many of the same healing properties of medications, without the damaging side effects.

Rosemary, for instance, is well known for its anti-inflammatory properties, which is why it is often used in natural arthritis remedies. Tumeric is another clinically proven natural remedy for such things as osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia as it is shown to work directly on the neurotransmitters that cause pain.[9] Tumeric is further shown to lower histamine levels, which can prevent the overproduction of COX-2, an enzyme responsible for inflammation and pain.[10] Other studies show ginger is also an effective natural remedy for fibromyalgia since it can help reduce the inflammation that causes pain.

Other less recognizable herbs such as eriobotrya japonica are also proven to be a natural herbal remedy for rheumatoid arthritis.[11] Polygonum cuspidatum, or Hu Zhang, is an excellent anti-inflammatory, shown in some studies to be more effective than several medications.

Further beneficial supplements for arthritis include Chinese goldthread, oregano, skullcap and green tea. Clinical studies demonstrate that when combined in the correct proportions, all of these natural herbal remedies can effectively treat and help prevent the onset of arthritis. The key however, is to recognize the warning signs of the disease and act quickly. Ignoring symptoms such as pain, swelling and joint stiffness can ultimately lead to serious chronic disease.

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[1] Centre of Disease Control and Prevention, USA(2006)

[2] Arthritis Rheum 2008;58(1):26–35.

[3] MMWR 2006;55(40):1089-1092.

[4] MMWR 2005;54(5):119–123.

[5] J Rheumatology 2003;30(1):160–6.

[6] MMWR 2006;55(40):1089-1092

[7] Arthritis Care Res 2007;57:1439-1445

[8] MMWR 2007;56(01):4-7.

[9] J Ethnopharmacol. 1991 May-Jun;33(1-2):91-5.

[10] Deodhar SD, Sethi R, Srimal RC. Preliminary studies on antirheumatic activity of curcumin (diferuloyl methane). Ind J Med Res 1980;71:632-4.

[11] Mix, K. S., Mengshol, J. A., Benbow, U., Vincenti, M. P., Sporn, M. B. and Brinckerhoff, C. E. 200. A synthetic triterpenoid selectively inhibits the induction of matrix metalloproteinases 1 and 13 by inflammatory cytokines. Arthritis Rheum. 44: 1096-1104.

Do you know your numbers?

The first step in getting your cholesterol under control is to know what the normal ranges are. That way you can know when you are in or out of the danger zone. Total cholesterol levels should be less than 200. HDL cholesterol should be greater than 50. LDL cholesterol should be less than 70. Those are the optimal numbers. And while it’s important to lower your bad cholesterol, doctors are now telling us we need to really concentrate on raising good cholesterol or HDL, too.

Here are five tips for boosting your good cholesterol level.

1. If you smoke, quit. Everyone knows smoking is bad for you in so many ways. But what you may not know is that smoking also decreases your HDL cholesterol. Not only that, it actually changes the chemical composition of HDL which entirely wipes out the beneficial effects of it anyway. It’s been shown that quitting smoking can raise your good cholesterol by 10%.

2. Shed the pounds. Extra weight is detrimental to good cholesterol. Just losing a few pounds can turn this around. There are so many reasons to take off excess weight — knowing you can increase your HDL and take better care of your heart should be even more motivation.

3. Get moving. If you are a couch potato here’s a good reason to get up and start moving. Within just a couple months consistent aerobic exercise can raise your HDL cholesterol as much as 5%. The best way to do that is to engage in some kind of brisk exercise five days a week in 30-minute sessions. Try walking, swimming, playing basketball, dancing, running  — whatever will get your heart pumping.

4. Pay attention to the fats you eat. Fat is essential for a healthy but body but that doesn’t mean you can go overboard. You should concentrate on monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Where can you find those? Olive oil, canola oils, and peanut oil all contain monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats. These fats are important because they actually increase HDL’s ability to reduce inflammation. Also, make sure you include foods high in Omega-3 fatty acids.

5. If you drink, use moderation. Even though research shows that occasional use of alcohol may actually raise HDL cholesterol levels, the benefits aren’t substantial enough to suggest you start drinking if you don’t already. The ruler of thumb is to drink only in moderation. Moderation means no more than two drinks a day for men and no more than one a day for women.

Natural supplements to lower your total cholesterol

There are many prescription drugs on the market today that help lower cholesterol levels. However, they been proven to sometimes have negative side effects and in some cases can even be dangerous to your health. That’s why the best defense against high total cholesterol is a natural supplement.

In the best-case scenario, a natural supplement is designed to treat cholesterol before it has a chance to reach the higher levels. In other words, the supplement treats the pre-disease state. Pre-lipid™ and Pre-lipid+™ do exactly that.

The pre-disease level for cholesterol is 200- 239. The pre-disease number for HDL cholesterol is less than 50. Prelipid™ effectively lowers your total cholesterol so that all cholesterol components fall within a healthy range.

PreEmptive Meds

Intervention within the pre-disease state is the pillar of the PreEmptive Med philosophy.  As a matter of fact, it’s the only pre-disease therapeutics company that focuses on the pre-disease condition.  And with America’s health care crisis, taking care of problems before they reach full-blown disease is a timely issue indeed.

The cost of Prelipid™ is only $9 per week.  You’ll save approximately 70% the cost of prescription meds.  It’s 100% safe, 100% natural and hundreds of doctors across America and Canada have successfully treated thousands of patients with it.

If you’re concerned about your cholesterol level but aren’t willing to risk your health on dangerous prescription drugs, you really need to check out this powerful cholesterol supplement.  You can find out more information at website.  Go ahead and check it out here - it could actually help prolong your life.

As of 2007, the International Diabetes Federation estimated over 246 million people worldwide were diagnosed with diabetes. Sadly, like most chronic diseases, diabetes rates are only expected to rise in the next few decades, reaching 380 million by 2025.  Right now, approximately 10 percent of all women and 11 percent of all men over 20 in the US are diagnosed each year with diabetes. As well, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), diabetes was the fifth leading cause of death from disease, costing taxpayers $174 billion in direct and indirect costs in 2007 alone. Unfortunately, this is only the beginning since statistics further show another 57 million Americans are currently suffering from prediabetes, a condition that is dangerously close to becoming full-blown diabetes.

People with diabetes can no longer effectively metabolize sugar. Instead, sugar normally used to feed the cells and provide energy to the body, builds up in the blood where it eventually causes irreversible damage to the kidneys, nerves, eyes and heart.  Diabetes is also the most recurrent cause of non-traumatic lower limb amputations. Research further shows people who are diagnosed with the disease essentially have an average life expectancy of 15 years less than those without diabetes

Currently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates about 33 percent of all people with diabetes are not even aware they have the disease. At this point, there is no cure for diabetes and the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates it could take until at least 2030 before such a discovery is made.  Apart from daily insulin injections, which translates to approximately 1,460 needles a year (based on four per day) and 2,190 finger pokes yearly to test blood sugar levels, the most permanent medical treatment for diabetes is a pancreas transplant, which doctors can only hope will eliminate, if not, reduce the need for insulin injections and help lower blood sugar levels.

In cases of pre diabetes, blood glucose levels are abnormally high, but still not high enough to cause full-blown diabetes, yet, if the condition is left unchecked, statistics show over half of people with pre-diabetes will develop type 2 diabetes within 8-10 years.

Essentially, there is no medical treatment for pre-diabetes. And in all likelihood, most people who suffer from this condition are not even aware they have it or are at risk for developing such things as Type 2 Diabetes, heart disease and or stroke as a result of their chronically elevated blood sugar levels. In fact, if we continue down the same road, making no changes to our current lifestyles and health regimes, by the year 2050, it is estimated 1.46 million U.S. adults will be unable to work, another 597,000 will be considered work disabled and 780,000 will have work limitations, all attributed to diabetes.[1]

Research shows the best intervention at this point is simple lifestyle changes, which some studies show can actually reduce the risk of developing diabetes by up to as much as 71 percent in some cases. Things like exercise, diet and proper nutrition are key factors in whether someone will ultimately develop diabetes. In order to prevent prediabetes and eventually diabetes, we need to become more aware and proactive in our healthcare. Regular checkups to test glucose levels are essential, especially if you are to determine if you are at risk or currently suffer from prediabetes.

Once you determine your blood glucose levels, you will be able to establish whether you fall into the prediabetes range and are at risk for developing diabetes or even other conditions such as metabolic symdrome, a group of metabolic risk factors that essentially predispose someone to heart disease and diabetes. Typically, someone who is at risk for metabolic syndrome will have high blood pressure, elevated blood sugar levels, excess stomach fat, low HDL (good) cholesterol, and high triglycerides (another type of fat). So, if you suffer from any of these, it is even more important to have your blood sugar tested routinely.

Fortunately, there are ways to help lower your blood sugar levels naturally. Many studies show various herbs and nutrients are an effective way to treat rising blood sugar. For example, cinnamon has been shown in numerous studies to increase glucose metabolism, prevent free radical formation and it may also be useful in cases of insulin resistance.

Another well documented herb is gurmar, commonly referred to as the sugar killer. This well known plant has been used worldwide to lower blood sugar naturally by essentially supporting the vital cells in the pancreas. Bitter melon is another plant clinically shown to help naturally lower blood glucose levels and in some cases, it is even proven as effective as prescription medications without the side effects these drugs often cause.[2]

Pterocarpus marsupium (also known as Indian Kino) is another clinically proven natural remedy that can not only help protect, but also facilitate regeneration of the important insulin producing beta cells found in the pancreas. In fact, to date, no other drug or even natural remedy has been shown to do this.

When choosing a natural remedy, it is extremely important to find one that is clinically tested and synergistically proportioned to contain the proper ratio of active ingredients. There are countless all natural products on the market today, but sadly the majority have not been widely tested.  Always look for a reputable company that can provide you with supporting evidence. This will assure you not only get a highly effective and safe product, but also that you are not throwing your money away on something that simply doesn’t work.

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[1] Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice Volume 83, Issue 1, January 2009, Pages e23-e25

[2] http://www.gmanews.tv/story/35962/Ampalaya-tablets-out-soon-for-diabetics

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), chronic disease now accounts for 70 percent of all deaths in the United States. In fact, statistics show as many as 133 million, or an astounding 45 percent of all Americans, currently suffer from at least one chronic disease such as heart disease, Alzheimer’s, cancer or diabetes, with 53 percent of those suffering from two or more these illnesses. While these statistics are staggering, what is even more alarming is that we now know up to 90 percent of these illnesses are actually preventable.

The question then is why, if the majority of these diseases are indeed preventable, are so many people still developing chronic illnesses? The answer is simply that traditional medicine alone has no way of treating something that has not yet happened. Traditional or conventional medicine as it is often termed is based on removing and treating symptoms. If there are no real and treatable symptoms, modern medicine is at a loss. There are no drugs or surgical remedies for something like pre-diabetes for example. When a patient comes to their doctor with a general complaint of “just not feeling well”, without a specific diagnosis, in all likelihood and based on their training, the doctor will either order a whole battery of often unnecessary and costly tests in order to identify a disease that can then be treated, or simply tell the patient to go home and come back in a few weeks if things don’t improve. The bottom line is that modern medicine is not equipped to deal with a patient who is in a “pre-disease” state (somewhere between optimal health and diseased) and it isn’t until they have actually reached a diseased state, when they are beyond the prevention stage, that they are finally treated.

For this and many other reasons, people are now turning to alternative or complimentary medicine. Practitioners such as naturopaths, chiropractors and herbalists for example can suggest a variety of holistic and less invasive approaches to treat illness. And while many people will find improved health with these natural approaches, there are still those who aren’t 100 percent comfortable with the lack of clinical evidence many of these approaches provide. Fortunately, a third option now exists.

Integrative medicine, an incorporation of both traditional and alternative medicines, offers all the benefits of a more natural approach that so many Americans are now turning to, backed up by substantiated evidence based on clinical trials and ongoing research. In essence, it provides people with the best of both worlds.

Like alternative approaches to healthcare, integrative medicine promotes prevention and healing of the whole individual. Conventional medicine on the other hand, typically seeks to treat specific symptoms. As well, integrative medicine looks more to the body itself as a mechanism for healing whereas conventional medicine tends to look outside the body at such things as medications and surgery as a way to heal the individual. Interestingly, the key tenet of integrative medicine stems from the beliefs of such ancient healers as Hippocrates, known today as the Father of Medicine. As a medical visionary, Hippocrates and other physicians of his time, taught that given the proper tools (things like optimal nutrition and exercise), the human body has the innate ability to heal and balance itself. Integrative medicine promotes this natural equilibrium known as homoeostasis and strives to support the body in the best way possible so it can use its own resources to induce healing.

One of the key resources in integrative medicine is the use of standardized nutritional supplements. While the body is indeed designed to heal itself, when it is in a weakened and unbalanced state, natural plant-based formulations are often the best way to enhance the body’s ability to restore balance. These formulations are also effective when used in concert with prescription medications in cases of progressive disease. Integrative medicine further promotes supplementation as a preventative. Simply living in today’s fast-paced world with its various stresses, pollutants and toxins can eventually drain the body’s immune system. Scientific evidence has shown various plants contain healing compounds that help reduce such things as inflammation and oxidative damage, both of which lead to many chronic illnesses. And while they are also shown in many cases to significantly bolster the immune system, many people make the mistake of waiting until they feel fatigued or sick before they turn to supplements. The truth is, by the time your body shows symptoms of illness, it is already overwhelmed.  If you continue to ignore these often minor warning signs, as most of us do, they eventually result in chronic disease.

The best way to assure your health in the future is to become proactive now. This often entails making lifestyle changes and includes such things as drinking plenty of water, getting regular exercise and sleep, eating properly and when necessary, taking clinically based and standardized nutritional formulations before symptoms become critical.