GREAT SCHOLAR BLOG

If you’re like most people, you probably think it’s high-cholesterol foods like eggs or shrimp that are the worst for your cholesterol levels . But that’s not really the case. Because it’s not actually the cholesterol in food that’s the problem. Most of the cholesterol that circulates inside our bodies is made inside our bodies, and not absorbed from the diet. So, it’s not about avoiding foods that naturally contain cholesterol, it’s about avoiding foods that prompt our bodies to create cholesterol. The most powerful driver of cholesterol production? Believe it or not, it’s sugar! When I say sugar , I mean added sugars and simple carbohydrates that can be rapidly turned into sugar within our bodies. Think not only sweets (like cakes and cookies, candies and other desserts), but other foods containing or made from refined grains – like white rice, breads, bagels and pasta. All carbohydrates are absorbed as sugar. And when blood sugar levels go up (like after eating a ba...

If you’re trying to lower your cholesterol, one of the key things you need to do is focus on the fat in your diet. I’m not talking about following a low-fat diet – I’m talking about avoiding bad fats and favoring good fats. What are the good fats? Fats that are naturally liquid at room temperature. Think olive oil, the oils in nuts and seeds, the fats in avocados, and the oils in fish. What are the bad fats? They’re the saturated and trans fats. Saturated fats are naturally-occurring fats that are solid at room temperature. Think butter, the fat in cream, the marbling in beef, the fat in chicken, coconut oil. This type of fat can play a part in raising LDL (bad cholesterol). But worse than saturated fat is trans fat. Trans fat does occur in nature, but only in minuscule amounts.  We’re exposed to it primarily through processed and packaged foods. Trans fats are fats that used to be liquid at room temperature, but have been transformed into solids though a chemi...

Little Health Changes, Big Rewards Exercising. Eating right. Avoiding sunlight. Curbing your carbs. Getting enough sleep. Taking care of your health can seem like a lengthy list of  “to-dos.” Wouldn’t it be easier if you could boost your health with some little—and easy—steps? You can! We’ve found some surefire ways to improve your health—and none of them takes more than a minute or two. That’s what good health is really about—a collection of small efforts that yield big payoffs. Here’s what we’ve found: 1. Eat Red Grapes A study in the journal Cancer Prevention Research showed that red grapes can block the formation of tumors that lead to breast cancer. That’s not to say that grapes are like a cancer vaccine, but this study offered some proof that consuming the reservatrol found in grapes can be good for your health. So why not eat a handful every day. And in case you’re thinking that red wine might be just as effective, the study indicated that red wine did not offer the same be...

A scientific study has shown that three popular vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin E, and folic acid (vitamin B9) do not reduce lung cancer risk. Furthermore, researchers found a small but significant increase in lung cancer risk amongst smokers taking vitamin E supplements. The research, which is reported in the March 2008 issue of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine , followed 77,126 American men and women from the state of Washington aged between 50 and 76. The study participants were asked to fill out surveys asking about their past and present vitamin supplement use, smoking habits, medical history and family history of lung cancer. .  During the four year study period 512 participants developed lung cancer. After adjusting for other factors the researchers found no reduction in lung cancer due to vitamin E, vitamin C, or folic acid supplementation. The researchers did however find that the risk of developing lung cancer increased by 5 percent fo...

Health insurance fraud represents one of America’s largest taxpayer rip-offs ever, costing Americans literally billions of dollars every year. Due to rampant deception, scams and abuse in the health care system, consumers are forced to pay the price–literally–through escalating medical costs and rising health insurance premiums.   And government programs like Medicare and Medicaid, designed to help the low-income and elderly, represent two of the biggest losers of all. Health Insurance Scams According to the Insurance Information Institute, health providers and facilities such as doctors, hospitals, nursing homes, diagnostic labs and attorneys routinely attempt to defraud the health insurance system…with devastating results. How do they do it? In a number of ways, including: Billing health insurance companies for expensive treatments, tests or equipment patients never had or never received Double- or triple-billing health insurers for the same treatments Giving health ...

When you are looking for healthcare quotes it helps to get unbiased information from a reputable company which aims to always find the best deals for insurance, for all of its customers. Cheapest can be best, but usually the best medical coverage quotes take into account a fuller range of circumstances than just the cost, although low-cost is a factor. When seeking private health cover for medical costs you can get the best online deals by shopping around with several different suppliers and comparison sites. There are special deals which companies offer, not all of which are available directly from the insurance companies, and there are other providers who will provide their best prices direct on-line and they don’t work through comparison sites at all, but they may advertise on our site, through Google, because we are independent website who do not get commission from the insurance companies. If you have a pre-existing or chronic condition this does not automaticall...

It’s an established fact that smoking causes an adverse effect on your health. You must have seen the warning message on all cigarette boxes – ‘Smoking is injurious to health’. Smoking tobacco is a root cause of 30% of all cancer deaths and causes 16 times higher risk of heart attack. There are almost 120 million smokers in India. As per World Health Organization, India accommodates around 12% of the world’s smoking population. The number of men smoking tobacco has increased from 78 million in year 1998 to 108 million in the year 2015. Tobacco consumption is accountable for the death of 6 million people each year. Direct tobacco consumption accounts for over 5 million deaths and 0.6 million deaths are due to exposure to second-hand smoke. Considering serious public health risks, the Government has banned smoking in public places from 2nd October, 2008. Not only your health, it also causes you to pay higher premiums for a health insurance policy, due to increased health ris...