Green Tea and Cholesterol

The health benefits of green tea are known for centuries, but only in recent years its medicinal properties have been researched scientifically. Studies show that drinking 4 to 6 cups of tea can help get rid of several cancers, help lose weight, cardiovascular disease, infection and many other things.

Research indicates, drinking green tea lowers total cholesterol levels, and improves the ratio of good (HDL) cholesterol to bad (LDL) cholesterol.

Tea's health benefits are largely due to its high content of antioxidants. It is rich in catechin polyphenols, particularly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG is a powerful anti-oxidant.

The antioxidants in green tea can help block the oxidation of LDL (bad) cholesterol, increase HDL (good) cholesterol and improve artery function.

The only negative side effect from drinking green tea is insomnia as it contains caffeine. However, caffeine content of green tea is less than coffee.

Heart Attack Symptoms

Heart attack is a leading killer of both men and women all over the world. Chances of recovery improve following a heart attack if treatment begins within one hour. But nearly half of the patients with a history of heart disease have poor knowledge about the symptoms of a heart attack and most patients are admitted to the hospital 2.5 to three hours after symptoms begin, according to an article in science daily.

Let's see some of the most common characteristics of heart attack. Heart attack symptoms vary widely but most attacks include mild chest pain, discomfort, nausea or anxiety. The body likely sends one or more of these warning signals of a heart attack, according to the American Heart Association and other medical experts:

Chest discomfort: Discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.

Discomfort in other areas of the upper body: Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.

Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.

Other signs may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or vomiting, dizziness or fainting, unexplained weakness or fatigue, rapid or irregular pulse .

The symptoms of a heart attack may resemble other medical conditions. Even if you're not sure it's a heart attack, talk to your doctor, have it checked out.

Mindfulness Meditation / Lotus Therapy

The patient sat with his eyes closed, submerged in the rhythm of his own breathing, and after a while noticed that he was thinking about his troubled relationship with his father.

“I was able to be there, present for the pain,” he said, when the meditation session ended.

Here's a wonderful article where New York Times reporter Ben Carey discusses the use of mindfulness meditation in therapy.

Based on the teachings of Gautama Buddha, mindfulness is awareness of one's thoughts. It is about focusing on your mind at the present moment. By staying in the present moment, practitioners begin to see both inner and outer aspects of reality.

While some guidance is required to begin the practice, mindfulness is an activity that can be done at any time; it does not require sitting, or even focusing on some object, but rather is done by bringing the mind to focus on what is happening in the present moment.

Mindfulness meditation can help relieve stress. In recent years, it has been incorporated into the treatment for a variety of psychiatric disorders, including depression, addictive cravings, anxiety.

Breast-fed children are smarter: Study Says

Breast-feeding can make children smarter, according to a study. The research by scientists in Canada and Belarus showed that babies whose mothers breast-fed them longer—and never used formula—scored about 5 percent higher on IQ tests several years later and did better academically than other kids. (Reuters)

Breast milk is the most complete form of nutrition for infants. A mother's milk has just the right nutrition that is needed for a baby's growth and development. As a result, breastfed infants grow exactly the way they should.

Several other studies over the years also suggest breastfeeding strengthen immune system, discourage allergies and it may also prevent some forms of breast cancer in the mother.