It may surprise you to know that cholesterol itself isn’t bad. In fact, cholesterol is just one of the many substances created and used by our bodies to keep us healthy. Some of the cholesterol we need is produced naturally (and can be affected by your family health history), while some of it comes from the food we eat.

There are two types of cholesterol: “good” and “bad.” It’s important to understand the difference, and to know the levels of “good” and “bad” cholesterol in your blood. Too much of one type — or not enough of another — can put you at risk for coronary heart disease, heart attack or stroke.

Cholesterol comes from two sources: your body and food. Your liver and other cells in your body make about 75 percent of blood cholesterol. The other 25 percent comes from the foods you eat. Cholesterol is only found in animal products.

A cholesterol screening measures your level of HDL and LDL. HDL is the “good” cholesterol which helps keep the LDL (bad) cholesterol from getting lodged into your artery walls. A healthy level of HDL may also protect against heart attack and stroke, while low levels of HDL (less than 40 mg/dL for men and less than 50 mg/dL for women) have been shown to increase the risk of heart disease.

If you need to increase your HDL to your reach your goals, studies show that regular physical activity can help your body produce more HDLs. Reducing trans fats and eating a balanced, nutritious diet is another way to increase HDL. If these measures are not enough to increase your HDL to goal, your healthcare practitioner may prescribe a medication specifically to increase your HDLs.

LDL cholesterol is the “bad” cholesterol. When too much of it circulates in the blood, it can clog arteries, increasing your risk of heart attack and stroke.

LDL cholesterol is produced naturally by the body, but many people inherit genes from their mother, father or even grandparents that cause them to make too much. Eating saturated fat, trans fats and dietary cholesterol also increases how much you have. If high blood cholesterol runs in your family, lifestyle modifications may not be enough to help lower your LDL blood cholesterol. Everyone is different, so work with your doctor to find a treatment plan that’s best for you.

Learn more: Visit American Heart Association

By Mayo Clinic staff

This blood pressure chart can help you figure out if your blood pressure is at a healthy level or if you’ll need to take some steps to improve your numbers.

Blood pressure readings fall into four general categories, ranging from normal to stage 2 hypertension (high blood pressure). The level of your blood pressure determines what kind of treatment you may need. To get an accurate blood pressure measurement, your doctor should evaluate your readings based on the average of two or more blood pressure readings on each of two office visits.

Here’s a look at the four blood pressure categories and what they mean for you. If your readings fall into two different categories, your correct blood pressure category is the higher category. For example, if your blood pressure reading is 125/95 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg), you have stage 1 hypertension.

*Ranges may be lower for children and teenagers. Talk to your child’s doctor if you’re concerned your child has high blood pressure.

**Note: These recommendations address high blood pressure as a single health condition. If you also have heart disease, diabetes, chronic kidney disease or certain other conditions, you’ll need to treat your blood pressure more aggressively.

If your blood pressure is normal, maintaining or adopting a healthy lifestyle can prevent or delay the onset of high blood pressure or other health problems. If your blood pressure isn’t normal, a healthy lifestyle — often times along with medication — can help bring it under control and reduce your risk of life-threatening complications.

 I discovered the meaning of summer in the dictionary is the time between spring and fall.  Ok, here I go with a little word play…listen, “spring into the summer, but don’t fall!”  Did you catch that?  This summer, as with any summer, we have time on our hands and a lot of different things we could do.  My suggestion is that we all have a fun, safe, and eventful summer and avoid falling.  Avoid doing those tempting things that will get you in trouble and cause harm to you and others.  Think before you act, make good and wise decisions, and don’t get caught up with a devious group of people.

Here are some fun things to do this summer that you can enjoy: go to the beach, swim (if you can), go to a museum, ride a bike, go camping, fishing, bake a cake, prepare a meal, go to the movies, go to the mall, watch a comedy, read a book, play a sport, spend time with friends, plan a family outing, or paint a picture.  I don’t know it all, but do something new, exciting and fun.  Also remember that Satan wants to destroy you with bad decisions, but Jesus Christ wants us to have an abundant life that is full of His goodness (John 10:10).  So, have a super summer in the blessed spirit of our Savior!

Min. Dewey Allen

Get ready for this… in John 3:3 Jesus said, “you have to be born again to enter God’s kingdom.” What? Born again? What? You can’t get fresher than that. To be born again means to be brought to life by God. There are some people who wear nice clothes but are not alive in God. Some peple wear nice and expensive jewelry but are not alive in God. Some people look great on the outside but they are ruined on the inside because they don’t have God. So, don’t hate me if after I’m born again I act brand new and feel brand new. If you are born again then you would to! Being born again gives you permanent swag because you have the Spirit of God inside of you. When you confess your sin and believe in Jesus to forgive your sins you are then born again! You then also enter into God’s kingdom which is everlasting! Get Jesus and get swag out of this world.

In diabetes, glucose builds up in the bloodstream because it’s having trouble getting into the cells where it belongs. As a result, it may damage blood vessels of your organs such as kidneys and heart. But why is that? Glucose uses insulin to open channels in the cell’s outer membrane so that it can pass through. The problem is that during diabetes insulin is no longer able to open up the cell. Suddenly, you may start experiencing unusual thirst, extreme hunger, fatigue, blurred vision and other symptoms of type 2 diabetes. The following three steps will allow you to control diabetes more effectively:

Improve your diet. Stop eating all refined sugars, processed foods and dairy products. Start consuming fresh whole foods high in fiber. These dietary modifications will help you balance your blood sugar, reduce inflammation and turn on all the right gene messages that are necessary for controlling diabetes.

Keep off the excess weight. Most people with diabetes are overweight or obese. Exercise can help with weight loss and improve insulin sensitivity. It’s simple – regular physical activity is a powerful way to reduce blood sugar and reduce your risk of complications. Talk to your health care provider about what kind of exercise is appropriate for you. Even a 30 minute walk a day can have a huge impact on controlling type 2 diabetes.

Embrace the power of herbs. Diabetes symptoms can be controlled with many herbal remedies. More specifically, scientific research is now shedding more light on healing properties of various plants that either control blood sugar (bilberry, salt bush) or treat the side effects of diabetes (ginkgo biloba).

It’s important to realize that high blood sugar is only a symptom – not the cause of diabetes. The real problem is a diet high in carbohydrates and processed foods together with an unhealthy lifestyle. This is why you won’t find the answer to your condition in a pill bottle.

Over 20 million Americans have diabetes and six million of them don’t even know it. Recent estimates suggest that by the year 2050, almost one third of American adults will be diabetic. Don’t fall prey to this condition and take charge of your own well-being by changing what you eat and increasing your exercise.

by James Schreiber

The mission of the Good Hope M.B.C. youth is to become leaders and witnesses of Jesus Christ through biblical teaching, service, evangelism, and fellowship.  This mission statement is based on the words spoken by Jesus to His disciples in Matthew 28:18-20.  In so many words Jesus told His disciples, “Get to work and work well because I am with you.”  I challenge all youth to devote their life to Jesus Christ through personal faith.  That means believe in Him as the Savior and Lord of the world and you personally.  Believe that He is the Son of God who died on a cross for your sins, and rose from the dead after three days.  Follow Him by being involved in the church and by living your life to please Him.  Get to know Him by praying and reading your Bible.  Here’s a tip: pray before you read your Bible and ask God to help you understand what it means.  And last but not least work for Jesus.  Work for Him by being kind to others, helping others, and loving others. Work in the church by singing in the choir, dancing, stepping, and miming for the Lord.  When you speak for Him, tell others about Him, and encourage others in Him you are working for the Lord Jesus Christ. He is looking for workers who are willing to serve Him today.  Are you ready?

submitted by: Min. Dewey Allen