Lower Your Cholesterol
Studies have shown that lowering cholesterol can reduce the risk of heart attacks and other complications of heart disease in both men and women. So what is cholesterol and what does it have to do with heart disease?

Cholesterol is a waxy substance that occurs naturally in all parts of the body and that your body needs to function normally. It is present in cell walls or membranes everywhere in your body, including your brain, nerves, muscles, skin, liver, intestines and heart.

Your body uses cholesterol to produce many hormones, vitamin D, and the bile acids that help to digest fat. It takes only a small amount of cholesterol in the blood to meet these needs. However, if you have too much cholesterol in your bloodstream, it can lead to atherosclerosis, a condition in which fat and cholesterol are deposited in the walls of the arteries in many parts of your body, including the coronary arteries feeding the heart. In time, narrowing of the coronary arteries by atherosclerosis can produce the signs and symptoms of heart disease, including angina and heart attack.

There are four steps you can take to lower your blood cholesterol:

• Follow a low saturated fat, low cholesterol diet.
• Be more physically active.
• Lose weight if you are overweight.
• Take cholesterol-lowering medication as prescribed by your doctor.

Six Ways to Ensure a Night of Restful Sleep

1. Sleep on a bed that gives you adequate support. Sleeping on a bed that is not appropriate in firmness will result in waking up weary and with a backache.
2. Use earplugs if the surroundings are noisy. Another idea to block out noise is to use a fan or vaporizer. It creates a "white noise" that may provoke relaxation. A white noise is a soothing sound that blocks out distractions.
3. Focus your mind on pleasant thoughts as you drift off to sleep. Count sheep or count backwards.
4. Change the room temperature so it is somewhat cooler than daytime hour settings. Rooms that are too hot or cold will encourage less sleeping.
5. Drink Chamomile tea an hour and a half before bed. It will help you relax.
6. Take a calcium supplement 45 minutes before bed. Calcium works with the mineral magnesium to help sooth, calm and relax both the body and mind.

Exercise Helps Decrease Pain
Exercise is indispensable for all pain patients. It has a variety of effects on your body that helps block pain.

How does exercise decrease pain? Exercise boosts the output of endorphins. Endorphins are substances you body produces to fight pain.

Exercise increases the brain's supply of serotonin. Serotonin is a very important substance. Serotonin is a substance that aids the flexibility of blood vessels. This is important because when blood vessels are flexible, they are less likely to cause painful irritation. Serotonin also improves your mood. (When you are in a good mood, pain feels better than when you are in a bad mood). Serotonin also fights pain in the brain. It fights pain by blocking the brain’s perception of pain. Serotonin also helps regulate your sleep cycles. If you are in pain, it is important to get enough sleep so your body can properly combat the pain.

Exercise helps stabilize levels of estrogen. Estrogen is a sex hormone that can interfere with serotonin.

If you are interested in the benefits of exercise and how exercise can reduce your pain, consult your doctor about setting up an exercise program that is conducive to your condition.