Healthy Life

by Irene Parks

Research shows that there's a possible link between birth control pills and high cholesterol (LDL). But that doesn't mean that if you've got a cholesterol problem that you can't use birth control. You just need to know how to choose the right birth control for you.

Most birth control pills contain estrogen and progestin-they're called combined pills because of this combo. The estrogen in the pill actually helps increase "good" cholesterol (high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol), and a decrease in "bad cholesterol" (low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol).

Sounds perfect, right? But there's a downside too: The progestin in the pill does the opposite. It can raise LDL cholesterol levels and lower HDL levels. If you have low HDL and high LDL levels to begin with and take a high progestin birth control pill, then you may see a jump in your "bad" cholesterol levels. For many people the increase is insignificant, but if you have a cholesterol problem to begin with, then even an insignificant increase could put your LDL levels too high.

If you have a cholesterol problem or find that your regular combined pill is increasing your cholesterol too much, then you may want to consider switching to a low-dose birth control pill. These pills are just as effective as regular combined pills but contain much less progestin.

An added benefit of switching to a low dose pill (besides for lowering high cholesterol) is that it can increase libido. While there's no known connection between high cholesterol and low libido, if you happen to suffer from both these conditions, then reducing progestin is definitely the best thing you can do for your body, your heart, and your sex life!

by sarie fatul

Pregnancy is probably one of the most exciting moments in a woman's life. There are many wonderful things will happen in the next nine months, that you can really enjoy. However, in some women, there is a condition that can turn your pregnancy into quite a difficult time: nausea and vomiting, or people used to call morning sickness. Although morning sickness is becoming common in the pregnancy first stages, it does not mean that you cannot do anything to reduce it. Anyway, this is your precious moment, so don't let anything ruin your excitement!
Morning sickness usually occurs in the pregnancy first stages, which starts in the 4th week, get worse around 6th and 8th week, and then decreasing when you enter the 12th week of pregnancy. The rapid increase of hormone level in the blood is the culprit of morning sickness you had. The hormone change is needed for your body to prepare your womb and your body for developing the pregnancy. It might takes a while for your body to adjust with the hormonal changes, which will trigger morning sickness.
Morning sickness is basically not dangerous for you nor for the baby. However, in some cases the vomiting could gone so bad that the mother can lack of food and fluids in her body. And when this continue over several days, it can cause dehydration and malnourishment, which may lead you to the hospital for intensive care and diagnosis.
So, before all of those problems come and ruin your pregnancy, you can try these natural diet as well as medicational methods to ease and reduce nausea and vomiting during pregnancy,
Avoid the trigger
What causes vomiting could be vary between one woman to another. Cooking smell often causes nausea. That's why it is recommended for women in pregnancy first stages to avoid strong smelling cooked food (especially Asian dishes which is rich of onion and garlic). In a severe nausea condition, some women might have nausea just because they eat their regular food. In this case, you can eat anything that you can take, ignoring the nutrition level in it. The most important thing is that you still have some food entering your body.
Water or other fluid is also important to avoid dehydration. If you cannot take water, try to add few drops of lemon in it. Drink as plenty of fluids as you can in regular sips during the day.
Snack upon waking-up
Having tea and biscuits or crackers early in the morning is believed to reduce morning sickness. If you have severe nausea, take peppermint tea or ginger tea with some ginger biscuits or cakes. Ginger is an ancient method of using natural herbs to reduce nausea.
Small frequent meals
Pregnant women are recommended to have small but frequent meals to relieve nausea symptoms. You can have healthy foods every 2 hours from these choices,
Toast and jam (without butter) Crackers or plain biscuits Fruit salads (apple, tomato, banana) Yogurt Soup with toast Cereal with low fat milk and banana Sandwich with low fat spread Hard boild eggs
Besides heathy diet, pregnant women should take vitamins to ensure both mother and baby's health.
Taking 10-25 mgs of Vitamin B6 can ease the morning sickness, while Vitamin K and C can relieve some symptoms while taken together. If you have severe morning sickness but do not fond of gingery taste, you can substitute ginger tea with 1 gram encapsulated ginger powder per day.
Last but not least, remember that positive attitude can always help you in any conditions, including the uncomfortable period during your pregnancy first stages. So, always think positively, of your pregnancy and of your baby.