If being healthier is your goal, one of the first things you must do is understand that there are things you cannot control relating to your health, and that there are things that you can control.
The "cannot control" list is pretty short. You have no control over how old you are, whether you are a girl or a boy, your ethnicity and heredity, or family medical history.
The "can control" list is much longer. You do have control over cholesterol, blood pressure, smoking, exercise, stress, alcohol or illegal drugs, weight, and diabetes. Even though controlling some of these factors may require medical help, you have the power to correct others by modifying your lifestyle.
It is important to know what cholesterol is and what it is not. It is not without benefits. In fact cholesterol is a substance found in the blood and is an essential part of our cell membranes as well is being required to manufacture bile acids and some fat-soluble vitamins.
Cholesterol becomes a killer when there is too much of it. When that happens, it builds up in the blood vessels and arteries and restricts the blood flow. If left untreated, it will form clots that completely block an artery. If the blocked artery feeds the heart, it causes a heart attack. If the blocked artery feeds the brain, it causes a stroke.
There are no warning signs of high cholesterol. You must have a blood test to know what your specific risks are.
If you discover that your LDL ("Low Density Lipoprotein, or "bad" cholesterol) levels are too high then you must work on your cholesterol and diet by adopting meals that are low in saturated and trans fats, as well as low cholesterol. Do some research online and make a list of the foods to avoid high cholesterol.
Modifying your diet in this manner will also help you lose weight. If you are heavier than you want to be take the opportunity to deal with both issues at the same time. In addition to changing your diet now is the perfect time to begin to get more exercise which will help with the weight loss as well.
Most experts recommend 30 minutes of moderate activity each day for optimum heart health. This does not have to be in a gym, it can be achieved by adding exercise to your normal daily routines.
You might want to try parking in the back of the lot instead of fighting for the place closest to the door. Or, try taking the stairs instead of the elevator for a trip of just a floor or two. There is no "secret" to this, it is simply exercising your heart and body.
Adding smoothies to your daily diet is a great help in achieving these goals. Smoothies can be made with an almost unlimited variety of fruits, vegetables, yogurt, and other healthy foods like nuts. A quick search on the web will undoubtedly turn up a number of sites offering free smoothie recipes. When made correctly, these recipes will certainly help you maintain a healthy diet and lower your cholesterol.
If you visit bestfruitsmoothies.com Best Fruit Smoothies.com you will find a huge number of free smoothie recipes. We post a new one each week day Monday through Friday so there is always something new. Almost all of our recipes are developed to help maintain a healthy lifestyle. You are certain to find a number of recipes to your liking.
In addition to the basic recipe, a smoothie can be instantly made into a super cholesterol fighter by adding a tablespoon of Mila Chia Seed to the mix. Mila is a super source of omega-3 fatty acids critical to a healthy heart and low cholesterol as well as other nutrients like Iron, Potassium, Manganese and Selenium. Check out milahealthyliving.com Mila HealthyLiving.com and read more about this miracle seed
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