Lowering your cholesterol is achievable, it's practical and it's a smart thing to do. Regardless of whether or not you have a problem, it's still smart to understand what it is, how it works and why it can be troublesome.
Cholesterol is defined in essentially four different ways. There is LDL, VLDL, HDL and Triglycerides. LDL stands for low density lipoproteins. It's present in our body naturally and is produced by our liver, but it can also be found in the foods we eat. Foods such as eggs, dairy and meat all have levels of cholesterol.
LDL is the bad boy on the block. It's the one that causes all the trouble. LDL can cause nasty plaque to build up on your arteries walls. This then means you heart can't get as much of that oxygen rich blood where it needs to go. It can actually go so far as to block the arteries.
That can lead to heart attack and stroke. Both are rather disagreeable conditions that will negatively impact your way of life and potentially bring it to a rather abrupt end.
Thats not to say that it's entirely bad. Our body needs it for various different functions but the problem arises when we have too much of it, LDL specifically, in our system. This leads us to the causes.
Some people are prone to the condition due to hereditary factors. Some peoples bodies just produce too much.
Or they may produce too little of the good cholesterol or HDL. HDL stands for High Density Lipoproteins. This kind actually reduces the bad kind by breaking it down into other things. A problem as diagnosed by your doctor can be too little HDL. If there is enough good cholesterol in your system, the bad builds up to excessive levels and you have a problem just the same.
Fortunately there are a couple of different ways to control it. The first is medicine. If you have a problem, your doctor will prescribe something to control it and keep it in check. However, you need to do your part also. The second way to help reduce it, is to adjust your diet and pick the right foods to assist the medicine.
If you haven't been diagnosed with a problem then understanding what to eat will help stave off any future issue. It may also affect how much of a certain drug you have to take. Your doctor will figure out how much to prescribe by looking at your risk factors.
A great way to make sure your levels are not being artificially affected is to stop smoking. If you smoke it will affect your cholesterol negatively. So stop. We all know how bad that habit is anyway.
Get out and get some exercise. Even moderate exercise, walking daily, can be a powerful weapon in the fight against high cholesterol. Exercise has some many benefits more us, it's no surprise it can help with this also. You will feel better and look better. Most people also report that they sleep better with some exercise on a daily basis. Spend time with someone walking if possible. It provides motivation and companionship. Or take your dog. He needs to be walked too.
Reducing your alcohol intake, or eliminate it altogether. This will also yield many positives with regards to your heart health in general. Your liver and your other organs will function much better without it, or with limited amounts.
Making these few simple, but powerful changes in your life can have a far reaching effect on your health and an immediate impact on the LDL in your system. Making your heart happy will make you happy.
Peter Jones is an expert on cholesterol control. For more dietfoodlowercholesterol.com/how-lower-cholesterol how lower cholesterol information visit dietfoodlowercholesterol.com DietFoodLowerCholesterol.com
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