We are constantly hearing from our medical professional and drug providers about how achieving acceptable cholesterol levels is a really good thing. But would you think acceptable was good enough if you were buying a new television. I can see you now saying to the sales person that you really, really, want to buy the television with the fuzzy picture rather than the one with the crystal clear resolution. After all its only television and an acceptable television is good enough for me.
I have a sneaky suspicion that if you paid big bucks for a television and it didn't get a great picture you would be taking it back! So why is it with our bodies we are okay with acceptable. After all we can't return our body once it starts to break down.
Another point about acceptable cholesterol levels is that they simply aren't low enough to reverse the arterial plaque deposits which have formed over the years due to a steady diet of burgers, hot dogs, chicken fried steaks, and full fat dairy (cheese, whole milk). Let's take a moment to scan over what most medical professionals consider to be acceptable cholesterol levels measured by milligrams for each deciliter of blood.
Total cholesterol around 235
LDL or bad cholesterol around 140
HDL or good cholesterol around 50
Triglyceride or early stage blood fats around 180
Next let's take a look at what would be considered optimal, and generally only recommended for those who have coronary heart disease, diabetes, or multiple coronary risk factors.
Total cholesterol less the 200
LDL cholesterol less than 100
HDL cholesterol over 60
Triglycerides of 150 or less
Quite a difference, wouldn't you say? But the truth of the matter is if you are really serious about keeping your arteries free from dangerous plaque and doing your part to avoid dangerous life altering diseases like atherosclerosis, heart attack, and stroke the second group of cholesterol numbers should be what you are striving for.
How to say no to acceptable cholesterol levels and yes to optimal cholesterol levels
The first thing you will need to do is jettison all but 7 percent (or 16 grams) of your daily intake of calories acquired from saturated fat. Having done this myself I can tell you it will initially test your willpower, but over time you will learn to cook smarter and eat healthier. A broad rule of thumb to help you get started is to eat more of a plant based diet with fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, while limiting red meat, full fat dairy products, baked foods, and fried foods.
Additionally, you will need to perfect your label reading skills focusing not on the hype but the facts which state the number of grams of saturated fat per serving.
Another good suggestion to say goodbye to acceptable cholesterol levels is to add 10 grams of soluble fiber a day to your diet. This tip alone could shave between 5 and 14 percent off your total cholesterol level.
What else? There are few extra tips that just might help you achieve those elusive optimal cholesterol readings. They are to become more active, chose products containing plant stanols and sterols when possible, consider olive oil instead of butter and high fat salad dressings, and consider a purchaseremedies.com/Cholesterol.html natural cholesterol reduction supplement to give you that extra edge.
Rob D. Hawkins is an enthusiastic advocate for the use of safe and effective high quality alternative health products and natural living, with over 10 years experience in the field. Learn more about natural remedies and natural health at purchaseremedies.com Purchase Remedies.com
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