There's good (HDL) cholesterol and there's bad (LDL) cholesterol, yet when people say the word cholesterol, most people's minds immediately jump to the negative. However, just as it's important to keep your LDL low, you also want to make sure your HDL is as high as it should be.

Fortunately, many foods that help lower "bad" cholesterol can also help boost your "good" cholesterol. An example can be found in mixed berries. In a recent study, people with high blood pressure (a condition that can sometimes be attributed to cholesterol levels) who ate berries daily saw a seven point drop in their systolic blood pressure after only eight weeks. What's more, not only did their blood pressure go down, but their HDL went up, too.

Regular exercise can also dramatically improve both good and bad cholesterol levels. Doctors recommend getting at least 20 to 30 minutes of exercise three times a week for best results.

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A recent review in the Annals of Internal Medicine shows that many people go for their annual physical not because they feel it is necessary, but to ease their worries of the unknown. Makes sense to me. Still, there are other health checks you should undergo on a fairly regular basis, as they may not always present immediately symptoms.

Cholesterol. After turning 45, it's wise to have your cholesterol checked regularly. Younger people should have it checked if they smoke, have high blood pressure and/or diabetes, or a family of heart disease.

Thyroid test. Starting at around age 35, doctors recommend that patients have a blood test every five years or so to check the status of their thyroid function (unless, of course, symptoms of a thyroid issue occur earlier).

Colorectal cancer screening. Start periodic testing for this type of cancer at age 50, or earlier if you have a family history.

Feel free to add some of your own suggestions for health tests people should regularly have performed.

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A small glass of 100% fruit juice is a good part of a healthful breakfast, right? If you're on certain prescription medications, your fruit juice may be doing more harm than good.

Grapefruit juice, for example, can interfere with blood pressure medication and actually increase its efficacy, subsequently creating a risk of overdose. Conversely, recent research suggests that grapefruit juice may prevent certain anti-allergy medications from absorbing into the bloodstream properly. A component of grapefruit juice called naringin appears to be the culprit.

Researchers state that this finding may be the "tip of the iceberg" as other juices, including orange and apple, also contain naringin-like substances that may have similar effects.

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Unless you're tested for it, you usually won't know that you have high blood pressure. But, if you're overweight, a smoker, stressed out, a heavy drinker, and/or over the age of 35, you should at least have some suspicion.

To get your resting BP in check, it's important to perform a cardio workout at least three days a week, as this will dilate and relax your blood vessels and help your arteries become more flexible (which therefore reduces the amount of work your heart must do in order to pump blood). There are also certain foods you should include in your BP-lowering diet, as well as several you should avoid. Here's a look at a few of them.

Try to Eat ...

• Omega-3-rich oily fish
• Olives, mixed nuts, avocados, and other healthy-fat foods
  
• Potassium rich fruits such as apricots, oranges, bananas

Try to Avoid ...

• Processed meats and other high-salt foods
• Trans-fat-laden foods, such as bakery items and donuts
• Too much alcohol -- yes, a few drinks may benefit your heart, but too much constricts arteries

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I stopped at the farmer's market this morning and several booths had beets for sale. I debated about buying some to make a borscht. (Which I love, but I was quite certain it would be a complete miss with my son.) According to Planet Green, I should have just tried juicing beets.

Researchers have found that drinking 500ml of beet root juice daily can have a positive impact on blood pressure. Not only is beet root high in antioxidants, it also contains dietary nitrates which benefit blood pressure. Researchers found that the blood pressure of study subjects dropped just one hour after drinking beet root juice, with the most benefit showing three to four hours after drinking the juice.

Want another idea on what to do with beets? Debra has some ideas for cooking beets with the greens.

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Recent research shows that people who are newly diagnosed with type II diabetes can gain better control over their health if they lose weight. While that isn't terribly surprising, what is surprising is that the benefits seem to last even if the patient gains back some of the weight. Losing some excess pounds helps people with type II diabetes better control blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol.

In the study, more than 2,000 people recently diagnosed with type II diabetes were followed for four years. 12% of those patients lost a mean of 25 pounds. Other groups either gained weight or their weight remained stable. Within 36 months almost all of the patients who had lost weight had regained it. Surprisingly, those patients continued to have better blood sugar and blood pressure control at the end of the four-year study -- even though their weight had been regained.

Obviously, this isn't an argument for losing and regaining weight. Researchers don't know how long the benefits would last after the four-year mark. The best bet for people with type II diabetes (or anyone for that matter) is to lose their excess weight and keep it off for good.

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In early June, I wrote a post about a study that stated a low-sodium diet didn't have as great of an impact on heart health as previously thought. Now a new study confirms the traditional thought that salt intake effects blood pressure. Color this writer confused.

The more recent study aimed to find a genetic component that made people more susceptible to the effects of salt on blood pressure. Ultimately, the study found no genetic link. The study subjects who took in more salt had higher blood pressure regardless of genetics.

While the previous study doesn't necessarily dispute the link between blood pressure and salt intake, it does state that 80% of people who were on a low-sodium diet (in their study) were at a greater risk for developing heart disease. While they don't believe low-sodium diets are a causative factor for heart disease, they're questioning whether or not a low-sodium diet is effective for heart health management.

So what's a person to do? Personally, I'm going to continue avoiding high-sodium packaged foods, minimizing the salt I use in cooking, and not worrying about it. How about you?

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Approximately 30 percent of Americans suffer from high blood pressure. That's more than 73 million adults. But women -- who represent about half of that number -- face unique challenges in controlling their blood pressure, say doctors from the New York University Medical Center's Women's Heart Program.

MedicineNet reported on this matter in a recent article, highlighting the fact that women with high blood pressure are more likely to be obese and have high cholesterol levels. Women are also less likely than men to meet target goals for their blood pressure. And they're also less likely than men to receive medications such as aspirin, blood pressure-lowering drugs or cholesterol-lowering drugs, compared to men, recent research found.

To take a look at the full MedicineNet article, click here.

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Do you resemble a walking zombie in the mornings? Or maybe you're familiar with the 3 p.m. crash and burn? Well, get ready to charge your batteries with Qigong.

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Being happily married doesn't just mean you and your spouse can go out to dinner without arguing about the most asinine issues you can think of, it also means being the recipients of better health.

Brigham Young University researchers discovered that happily married couples, on average, experience lower blood pressure than singles with supportive social networks. The study involved the 24-hour evaluation of 204 married couples and 99 single adults, all of whom wore portable blood pressure monitors at all times for the duration of the study. Evaluation of the monitors' results revealed that the blood pressure of happily married adults lowered more during sleep than that of single people. And, since high blood pressure at night is a sign of increased risk of cardiovascular problems, this finding was particular important.

The full results of the study were published in the March 2008 edition of the Annals of Behavioral Medicine.

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If you take your coffee black, you're pretty badass. It takes a certain type of person to chug that stuff down without some milk to take the edge off. However, unless you're getting your dairy from other sources, you may want to reconsider this decision and add a splash of milk to your java.

Harvard researchers found that women who consume little or no dairy as part of their daily diet are 11 percent more likely to develop high blood pressure than those who ate at least two daily servings. So, if you're still hellbent on taking your coffee black, try to include a half cup of low-fat cottage cheese or a cup of yogurt to your diet at least twice a day.

The research, published in a 2007 issue of Hypertension from the American Heart Association, is based on data from food questionnaires filled out by 4,797 participants in the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's Family Heart Study, in association with the Harvard Medical School.

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Healthy eating is important for everyone -- it helps you maintain an appropriate weight, provides your body with the right mix of vitamins and minerals, and sustains energy. But healthy eating has another perk ... it helps promote male fertility.

Male infertility is the cause of roughly half of all infertility cases. And erectile dysfunction can affect a couple's sex life and strain a relationship. To maintain or improve sexual function and fertility, a heart-healthy diet is imperative. Healthy blood pressure and unclogged arteries equal an improved blood flow -- and when it comes to men, improved blood flow equals healthier sexual function.

Check out the gallery for seven foods that can help improve male sexual function. And for more on men's sexual health, visit AOL Body.

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The results of a recent study show that an aspirin taken at bedtime lowered the blood pressure of pre-hypertensive patients, whereas an aspirin taken in the morning didn't have the same effect. While the exact reasons are unknown, researchers suggest that nighttime aspirin usage could slow the production of clot-producing hormones and other substances that are typically generated at night.

The three-month study followed 244 adults with blood pressure that hovered just below the 140/90 mark. (Consistent readings greater than 140/90 are considered high blood pressure (HBP). Readings that are just below that threshold are considered pre-hypertension -- a warning that the patient is at risk of HBP. The group was divided into thirds: one group followed a blood pressure reducing diet, the second took a 100 mg aspirin at bedtime, the third took an aspirin in the morning.

The group that took the aspirin before bedtime saw the best results -- an average drop of 5.4 points in systolic pressure and 3.4 points in diastolic pressure.

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If you don't do dairy, then I doubt what I'm about to mention will make you any more inclined to go buy a gallon of milk. However, if you haven't banished dairy from your diet, but simply aren't consuming much of it, then what I'm about to tell you may have you reaching for a glass of milk tonight with your dinner.

A recent study at Harvard University reveals that women who consume little or no lowfat dairy products daily are 11 percent more likely to develop high pressure than women who ate at least two servings a day. While an easy solution may be to pop a few calcium and vitamin D supplements and call it a day, you unfortunately miss out on the protein and magnesium found in dairy products, both of which may also play a role.

If donning a milk mustache really isn't your thing, you can always get your two daily servings from yogurt, cottage cheese, and other lowfat dairy products.

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We frequently hear about making sure that our cholesterol is low, but rarely are we questioned about whether it is high enough. As you may already know, there are two types of cholesterol, LDL (which is considered "bad" cholesterol) and HDL (which is considered "good" cholesterol). Essentially, you want your LDL to be low, but you want to make sure that your HDL is high.

Fortunately, many foods that help lower "bad" cholesterol can also help boost your "good" cholesterol. RealAge.com highly suggests eating mixed berries to do just this. In a recent study, people with high blood pressure (a condition that can sometimes be attributed to cholesterol levels) who ate berries daily saw a seven point drop in their systolic blood pressure after only eight weeks. What's more, not only did their blood pressure go down, but their HDL went up, too.

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