Liver, being one of the vital organs in the body, should remain healthy. A damaged liver is considered the root cause of various physical problems, and the functioning of the entire body gets toppled.

My sister says you should eat very little fruit if you have diabetes, and that eating too much will raise your blood-sugar level. But many say fruit is a natural source of sugar. What do you think about eating fruit if you have diabetes? 

It is frightening how many people do not know that there is a connection between Diabetes and the Heart. Diabetes alone is a significant risk factor for heart disease. Considering that Heart Disease is Number one killer in the world, and Diabetes is the Second, where does that leave us here in Botswana.

Most often people feel that healthy eating is expensive. Firstly I feel, its important to clarify what is healthy eating.

Well a healthy diet is a balance of all nutrients required in the body for varied life functions provided through a variety of food stuff to avoid boredom in the eating routine. It's not quality alone that qualifies a diet to be nutritive but quantity also.

The liver plays an important role in the production of cholesterol in all animals, including humans. Even vegetarians in the strictest sense get about 800-1,500 milligrams of cholesterol a day, just produced by their liver processing saturated fats and sugars. If the liver did not produce some cholesterol, even low cholesterol levels, strict vegetarians could not survive. That is because the majority of cholesterol in food form comes from animal based foods.

How Important is Cholesterol?

Cholesterol is very necessary stuff. It's converted into Vitamin D by sunlight, and it's the precursor for steroid hormones like the testosterone you need to grow, and the estrogen women need to be feminine.

The liver manufactures something like 1,000 mg of cholesterol per day, even if you consume no cholesterol at all. Of that amount, about 800 mg becomes bile salts, which is necessary for the digestion of fats. That leaves about 200 available for other functions.

    

Swimming is one of the most effective exercises for toning and strengthening the stomach muscles. Not only is it one of the best cardiovascular workouts, but it will help strengthen muscles throughout your body and may improve your posture and endurance level over time. Swimming exercises performed consistently will help you tone your stomach and keep it in good shape throughout the year.

With all this talk about heart disease, you might get confused by some of the terms often used. Here's a handy glossary you can refer to.

 An ever-growing body of research links advanced gum disease and the occurence of heart attacks and strokes.

Walking is one of the easiest ways to be physically active and yet many find it hard to get started. You can walk anytime, anywhere, and the benefits are amazing. 

Cholesterol levels have a direct relationship on the occurrence of coronary heart disease. Lower cholesterol and you reduce your chances for developing this deadly disease that strikes millions of people each year. Lower cholesterol levels also protect the body from numerous other health problems.