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For years we heard that a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet would keep us healthy and help us lose weight.

And many of us jumped on the bandwagon, eliminating fat and high-cholesterol foods from our diets. Well, unfortunately, we were doing it all wrong.

Instead of eliminating fat completely, we should have been eliminating the “bad fats,” the fats associated with obesity and heart disease and eating the “good fats”, the fats that actually help improve blood cholesterol levels.

Before we examine the good fats and bad fats, let’s talk about cholesterol.

Cholesterol - It’s been ingrained into our brains that cholesterol causes heart disease and that we should limit our intake of foods that contain it, but dietary cholesterol is different than blood cholesterol.

Cholesterol comes from two placesfirst, from food such as meat, eggs, and seafood, and second, from our body. Our liver makes this waxy substance and links it to carrier proteins called lipoproteins.

These lipoproteins dissolve the cholesterol in blood and carry it to all parts of your body. Our body needs cholesterol to help form cell membranes, some hormones, and Vitamin D.

You may have heard of “good” and “bad” cholesterol.

Well, high-density lipoproteins (HDL) carry cholesterol from the blood to the liver. The liver processes the cholesterol for elimination from the body. If there’s HDL in the blood, then less cholesterol will be deposited in the coronary arteries. That’s why it’s called “good” cholesterol.

Low-density lipoproteins (LDL), carry cholesterol from the liver to the rest of the body. When there is too much in the body, it is deposited in the coronary arteries. This is not good. A build-up of cholesterol in our arteries could prevent blood from getting to parts of our heart.

That means that our heart won’t get the oxygen and nutrients it needs, which could result in heart attack, stroke, or sudden death. So, if your LDL is higher than your HDL, you’re at a greater risk for developing heart disease.

It may come as a surprise, but recent studies have shown that the amount of cholesterol in our food is not strongly linked to our blood cholesterol levels.

It’s the types of fats you eat that affect your blood cholesterol levels.

Bad Fats

There are two fats that you should limit your intake ofsaturated and trans fats.

Saturated Fats

Saturated fats are mostly animal fats. You find them in meat, whole-milk products, poultry skin, and egg yolks. Coconut oil also has a high amount of saturated fat. Saturated fats raise both the good and bad blood cholesterol.

Trans Fats

Trans fats are produced through hydrogenationheating oils in the presence of oxygen. Many products contain trans fats because the fats help them maintain a longer shelf life. Margarine also contains a high amount of trans fats.

Trans fats are especially dangerous because they lower the good cholesterol, HDL and raise the bad cholesterol, LDL. Unfortunately, most products do not tell you how much trans fat it contains, but you can find out if it’s in a product by looking at the ingredient list.

If the ingredients contain hydrogenated or partially-hydrogenated oils, then it contains trans fats. Fortunately in 2006, manufacturers will be required to list the amount of trans fat in their products on the nutrition labels, so it will be easier for you to find.

Good Fats

Some fats actually improve cholesterol levels.

Polyunsaturated Fats

Polyunsaturated fats are found in sunflower, corn, and soybean oils. These oils contain Omega-6, an essential fatty acid. However, most people get enough Omega-6 in their diet and instead need more Omega-3. Omega-3 is a fatty acid found in fish and walnuts.

Monounsaturated Fats

Monounsaturated fats are found in canola, peanut, and olive oils.
Both types of unsaturated fats decrease the bad cholesterol, LDL and increase the good cholesterol, HDL.

Now, just because the unsaturated fats improve your blood cholesterol levels, you don’t have the go-ahead to eat all of the olive oil, butter and nuts you want. Fat of any kind does contain calories, and if you’re trying to lose weight, eat fat in moderation, and stay away from saturated fats.

Who else wants to get rid of those stubborn body fats, lose weight and maintain a healthy body? You’ve done a lot of techniques and diets? But nothing seems to work for you? Visit Rene Graeber’s free website for more information: www.obesity-weight-loss-diet.com

Female facial hair can be embarrassing. It often appears first during puberty and then gets darker and coarser after the age of thirty five, when facial hair removal becomes an important issue.

Most female facial hair appears over the lip and on the chin, but many females have unwanted hair on their jaw, cheeks and neck. Fortunately, there are a number of different ways to finesse female facial hair removal.

First and foremost, a female should determine the underlying cause of her facial hair before deciding on a removal method.

Females who are pregnant or nursing often notice an increase of facial hair. They should speak with their doctor before using any hair removal method that uses energy, chemicals or drugs.

Females who have high levels of androgens, (a steroid hormone, such as testosterone or androsterone, that controls the development and maintenance of masculine characteristics), creating facial hair may obtain prescription oral medications from a medical specialist.

Tweezing is probably the method most often used to remove female facial hair. But while it’s okay to use tweezers for eyebrows, it really isn’t for other female facial hair. It’s painful, time consuming usually needing to be done on a daily basis, and over time, tweezing can damage the skin.

Some females believe they can conceal their facial hair by bleaching it, but then, under make up and in bright light their face looks, “furry”.

Topical creams for female facial hair removal, available only by prescription, inhibit the growth of new hairs for about 50% of the females who have used one.

Shaving with a wet razor is not recommended as a female facial hair removal method because hairs grow back very quickly and the stubble appears thicker and darker.

One can remove unwanted female facial hair with a hair removal cream or lotion known as a depilatory. But don’t be surprised if you get pimples as a reaction to the harsh chemicals.

A facial wax is a clean, fast and easy method for removing female facial hair for up to 6 weeks. But, many experience swelling and redness in reaction to the hairs being literally yanked out.

Electrolysis is an unpleasant form of female facial hair removal because it involves inserting a needle into the follicle, (the skin depression from which the hair emerges), of each individual hair, which can cause swelling, redness, pinpoint scabbing and even scarring. Electrolysis requires anesthesia, is expensive and needs to be done regularly for 1 or 2 years to achieve final results.

Laser treatments for female facial hair removal can provide results within six to eight treatments - If you can afford the hefty cost. Because laser hair removal involves a hot laser light, “zapping”, the hair follicles, these treatments require the use of a topical anesthetic.

One last thing - If you do your own research you’ll discover there is one more hair removal method that will help you finesse your female facial hair.

Bodworx International presents hair removal articles, tips, tricks and resources for removal of hair from the entire body. Visit them at their personal shaver website at www.hair-removal-shaver.com for more information.