Cholesterol

If you have had a blood test which shows that you have a high level of cholestrol, you will need to make changes to your lifestyle. There are two main changes that you can make:-
1) Exercise regularly – Plan to do aerobic exercise for 20-30 minutes at least 3 times a week. Aerobic or cardiovascular exercise really gets your heart and lungs working. Examples of aerobic exercise are jogging, walking, cycling and aerobics. Check with your doctor before you start an exercise regime.

2) Change your present diet to a healthy, low fat, low cholestrol diet. The benefits of low cholestrol diets are that they not only reduce cholestrol but they also help us to lose weight, have a healthy heart, reduce blood pressure and give us lots more health benefits.

It is important that you make these changes because high cholestrol leads to heart disease.

What is a low cholestrol diet?

To follow a low cholestrol diet you need to:-
– Cut down on your intake of saturated fat, such as fast food, fatty meat and full fat dairy products, and trans fat or hydrogenated fat which is found in processed food. Check food labels.
– Replace saturated fat with mono unsaturated fats or polyunsaturated fats. For example replace butter with a polyunsaturated spread.
– Grill, microwave, steam or poach foods instead of frying. If you need to fry something then use olive oil which is mono unsaturated or fry with a little water.
– Replace some of your usual meat with oily fish like salmon, mackerel, sardines or trout, which are high in Omega 3 fatty acids, or with soya which is known to reduce cholestrol.
– Make eating more fibre part of your plans, especially soluble fibre which is found in oats and fruit and vegetables.
– Replace white bread, pasta and rice with wholemeal or wholegrain versions.
– perhaps add products that are actually designed to lower your cholestrol to your shopping list. You can buy spreads and drinks containing plant sterols and stanols which prevent the absorption of cholestrol in the body.
– Eat 5 a day – eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. They are important for their fibre content and some, like carrots, apples and prunes, contain pectin which lowers cholestrol.
– Eat plenty of garlic. Garlic has many health benefits including lowering blood pressure and cholestrol. If you do not like the taste, or you are worried about your breath smelling, you can purchase garlic tablets.
– Drink wheat grass juice – studies have shown that this super food lowers cholestrol levels.

It is not hard to make these changes and you will easily be able to adapt your favourite recipes to use low cholestrol foods or go and buy some low fat or low cholestrol recipe books. It is worth following a low cholestrol diet as this alone may lower your cholestrol without the need for medication.

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Article source: https://mycholestrol.com/cholestrol/low-cholestrol-diet/

There are a few popular ones that are easy to follow. Depending on the severity of your case, your doctor might prescribe a specific diet plan for you.

The Mediterranean diet got its name based on the location it comes from. The surrounding countries of the Mediterranean Sea all had some common patterns to their diet. People that live in these countries tend to have low cholestrol and blood pressure. The Mediterranean diet has a very high percentage of fat. Most of the percentage comes from their main source of fat which is olive oil. Olive oil is a monosaturated fat which doesn’t raise cholestrol. This diet consists of eating lots of fruits and vegetables, nuts, bean, pastas, cereal, and potatoes, red meat and dairy products are kept to a min amount. My favorite aspect of the Mediterranean diet is drinking, 1-2 glasses of red wine a day.

The TLC-Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes Diet is another popular one, which is backed by the American Heart Association. On the diet the sodium and cholestrol intake is the same for everyone, regardless of weight. Your sodium intake should be no more then 2400mg a day and your cholestrol should be no more then 200mg per day. Other key points on this diet are increasing your soluble fiber intake, and adding foods that help in lowering your cholestrol.

On the internet you can find a plethora of diet plans. Some sites like e-diets, will do a whole profile for you and give you a plan that suit your personal needs. I-village is another good website that has different diet plans, fitness ideas and recipes.

The American Heart Association has a new book called American Heart Association No-Fad Diet: A Personal Plan for Healthy Weight Loss. The idea behind this book is planning out a diet that suits you, without any crazy alternative. By using three key points they call “think smart”, “eat well” and “move more” you can make a no-nonsense approach to weight loss.

If following a structured diet is something you have a hard time doing there are other options. Certain foods will aide you on your quest to lower your cholestrol. You’ll want to stay away from any products that have high saturated fat, which means no more milkshakes or cheese doodles. If you love a big fat juicy steak and can’t say no, limit yourself to red meat only a few times a month.

Stop using butter for everything and switch to a light olive oil. For snack, have some carrots or an apple with peanut butter. Try and eat only whole grain breads and pastas, which have more fiber in them.
Before starting any diet make plans to visit your doctor, who may have some information that will help you, get off to a good start.

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Article source: https://mycholestrol.com/cholestrol/finding-the-perfect-low-cholestrol-diet-might-be-difficult-for-some-people/

Nowadays you can research the internet for recipes to help lower cholestrol. There are books, and websites purely dedicating to providing you with low-fat meals and plans, ranging from quick dinners to appetizing desserts.

The food network has over 50 recipes that they considered to be heart healthy, posted on their site. These recipes include lentil soup, honey roasted sweet potatoes, grilled eggplant pizza, and angel food cake for dessert. A heart healthy diet calls for the elimination of saturated fat, trans fat and dietary cholestrol. You’ll notice that a lot of recipes call for beans as a meat replacement.

Buying a cookbook to help you lower your cholestrol might be a good idea. The American Heart Association has one called the Low-Fat, Low-cholestrol Cookbook, Third Edition. This cookbook has over 200 different recipes that are easy to prepare and yummy to eat. Inside you’ll also find the latest nutritional information and even some ideas on exercise. Some other cookbooks you might enjoy are Low-cholestrol Cookbook for Dummies, Betty Crocker’s Low-Fat Low-cholestrol Cookbook, Aha Low-Fat, and Low-cholestrol Cookbook Second Edition.

As I searched the internet for different low cholestrol recipes, I must admit some of them did not look that tempting. In low cholestrol recipes you’ll find a lot of tofu, in replacement of meat. Tofu is basically soy milk coagulated, then pressed down and cut into blocks. It has very little smell or taste, but for some strange reason is still appetizing, in my opinion. Tofu is a favorite among vegetarians and dieters because it’s a low-fat, low calorie food that is full of protein and has no cholestrol.

Tofu can be cooked and used in many different ways, one way I like it is fried. Eating fried food is not the best option but it certainly tastes good. A lot of Chinese and Japanese restaurants use tofu as an alternative dish. If you love orange chicken, try the orange tofu, it actually isn’t that bad and if you have to eat Chinese its’ much healthier. The most common dish that has tofu in it is miso soup. Miso soup is a Japanese broth soup, which has tofu, seaweed, and sometimes onion and mushroom in it.

Changing the way you cook and what you cook with also can help lower cholestrol. Instead of using vegetable oil, substitute for olive oil which is healthier for you. If you need to make a batter for anything, say for example chicken cutlets use an egg white wash. Normally how I make my batter is two eggs with a bit of milk, which is pretty high in cholestrol. An egg white wash is just egg whites in a bowl, mix it up and dip your chicken into it then bread and bake.

Popular recipe sites like www.bettycrocker.com and www.kraftfoods.com both have sections full of healthy living recipes.

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Article source: https://mycholestrol.com/cholestrol/receipes-to-help-lower-cholestrol/

There are no known symptoms of having high cholestrol and some people don’t find out until after something severe like a heart attack. The only way to know if you suffer from high cholestrol is to have a blood test done.

High cholestrol is when there is too much cholestrol in the blood. cholestrol is a fatty wax like substance that is found in your body and in certain foods that we eat. The body uses cholestrol to produce hormones, and strengthen cells. There are two types of cholestrol LDL which is the bad kind and HDL which is the good kind. These are lipoproteins that move through the blood stream. You can high levels of both, but having to much LDL is hazardous.

LDL is a low density lipoprotein that can cause a buildup of plaque on the arteries wall. This plaque buildup causes blood flow to slow down, and can lead to a heart attack or stroke. It can also cause your blood to clot, which can cause numerous problems to your body.

HDL removes LDL from the blood stream and carries it to the liver where it will be removed as waste. Having high levels of HDL is actually good for you and can help lower your chances of getting heart disease.

High cholestrol can be caused by various factors being overweight and eating foods that are high in saturated fat is the poster boy for high cholestrol. Certain foods are very high in cholestrol like egg yolks and consumption should be limited. Saturated fat can be found in almost all animal products like meat and dairy.

Saturated fat has been linked to raising LDL cholestrol levels. Some foods to avoid that contain high cholestrol are: liver, egg yolks, butter, heavy cream, veal, lamb, beef chuck, crab, duck and salmon. Shrimp also is high in cholestrol but contains omega oils that are healthy for you, which offset the high cholestrol.

It may seem that high cholestrol affects only older people but that is untrue. In today’s day and age where fast food companies like McDonalds’ are on the rise, children as young as 13 can be affected. Over the past years there has been a rise in obesity in children. This rise can be the result of less activity due to video games and eating more foods that are high in saturated fat. A lot of junk food is high in saturated fat, and with parents working more kids are left to fend for themselves.

By getting your cholestrol checked you can find out if your cholestrol is high. By eating a healthy diet and exercising you can keep your cholestrol levels down and under control.

No related posts.

Article source: https://mecholestrol.com/cholestrol/when-asked-what-is-high-cholestrol-many-people-will-not-know-the-answer/

Making lifestyle changes like losing weight, by eating a healthy low-fat calorie controlled diet, and starting an exercise regime can have a dramatic effect on your cholestrol, lowering it within a few weeks in some cases. Buy books of recipes to help lower cholestrol or use the following cholestrol lowering foods in your recipes to help lower cholestrol:-
– Oats – Eat oats as porridge or in homemade muesli with other great sources of fibre like rice bran.
– Wholegrains – Find recipes for wholegrain breads and muffins. Wholegrains are great sources of nutrition.
– Eat more beans and pulses. Add beans and pulses to recipes like casseroles and curries. Try out bean soup recipes to help lower cholestrol.
– Add sources of Omega 3 fatty acids to your recipes – flax seed oil and linseed oil. Add walnuts to yogurts and cereals, they are great for lowering cholestrol. Eat more oily fish like salmon, fresh tuna, sardines and mackerel. Check out the fish section of your recipe books.
– Fruit and vegetables. Try vegetarian recipes and fruit desserts to ensure that you eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables per day.

Replace your usual meat with vegetables. Cook vegetable casseroles, vegetable moussaka, vegetable curry etc. This will also help you cut down on saturated fat (in meats) and will also boost your intake of cholestrol lowering soluble fibre. Try to eat some fruit peel, don’t peel apples and pears as the peel contains vital fibre. Look for recipes for fruit smoothies, they are a great breakfast idea.
– Add garlic to recipes. It is great fried with onions in olive oil in recipes for curry or bolognese. Garlic has been found to help lower cholestrol and to be good for your heart.
– Use products containing cholestrol lowering plant sterols in recipes to help lower cholestrol. You can buy spreads, low-fat milks and yogurts which contain these sterols.
– Avocados – find a recipe for guacamole. You can also use avocado oil in recipes to help lower cholestrol.
– Add spices like cayenne pepper, turmeric and cinnamon to recipes. Research has shown that these may help lower cholestrol levels.
– Eat or drink soya products and use them for recipes. Canadian research has shown that eating a vegetarian diet rich in soya can be as good at lowering cholestrol as some medications. Use soya milk instead of your regular milk.
– Replace butter in recipes with polyunsaturated spreads and replace lard or oils with olive oil which is a mono unsaturated oil and is actually good for your heart and cholestrol levels.

Think of ways to incorporate the above foods into your everyday meals. If you lack inspiration then treat yourself to a cookbook or two full of recipes to help lower cholestrol.

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Article source: https://mycholestrol.com/cholestrol/recipes-to-help-lower-cholestrol/

What is cholestrol?
cholestrol is a lipid, or fat, that is produced in the liver and that is also found in various foods that we eat such as dairy products, meat and eggs. Our body needs cholestrol to be able to function properly and to break down and digest fat. cholestrol is carried around the body in the bloodstream. The body makes about 80% of the cholestrol that it needs, so we do not actually need much cholestrol from our diets.

What is cholestrol to blame for?
Many people have too high an intake of cholestrol and an oversupply of cholestrol is dangerous. High levels of it put us at risk of heart disease. So, what is cholestrol doing to our bodies? Excess cholestrol in the body travels around in the blood and is deposited on the walls of the arteries. Over time, these deposits narrow the arteries and reduce blood flow to vital organs such as the heart. This narrowing of the arteries is called atherosclerosis.

Types of cholestrol
cholestrol can actually be split into two different types. There is good cholestrol, known as HDL or High Density Lipoprotein, and there is bad cholestrol, known as Low Density Lipoprotein. HDL good cholestrol’s job is to help the body get bad cholestrol out of the blood and into the liver to be excreted as waste. LDL bad cholestrol carries cholestrol from the liver in the bloodstream giving it more opportunity to deposit in the arteries.

Triglyceride
There is another type of lipid that is carried in the blood, this lipid is called triglyceride. Excess triglycerides are also transported in the blood and have been linked with atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease.

What is cholestrol measured by?
Doctors use a simple blood test to measure your cholestrol levels. A normal healthy cholestrol level is 190-210mg/dl or 4.9-5.4mmol/l.

What if my cholestrol level is too high?
Recommended advice to lower and control cholestrol is:-
– Start exercise – the best is aerobic exercise.
– Lose weight
– Follow a healthy diet low in saturated fats (bad LDL cholestrol) and high in Omega 3 fatty acids (good HDL cholestrol). These fatty acids can be found in seed oils and oily fish.
– Increase your intake of fibre. Soluble fibre can lower cholestrol levels.
– Take supplements – Niacin (Vitamin B3) can help increase good cholestrol levels and Anti-oxidant vitamins like A, C and E are said to help protect the heart.
– Stop smoking – smoking can increase the oxidation of bad cholestrol which then deposits in the arteries.

What is cholestrol doing to our nation?
Countries such as the US and the UK have a high incidence of heart disease and cholestrol is to blame. It is generally symptomless and it is only when a person starts to have ill health, such as heart problems, that high cholestrol is diagnosed.
Get your cholestrol checked.

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Article source: https://mycholestrol.com/cholestrol/what-is-cholestrol/

Before we can answer what good cholestrol is we must define cholestrol. cholestrol is made in the body and can be found in the foods we eat. It is a fatty wax like substance that the body uses for various functions; some of these functions include producing cell membranes and hormones. There are two types of cholestrol the “good” and the “bad”.
The “bad” cholestrol is called LDL which stands for low density lipoproteins. cholestrol moves through the bloodstream by way of lipoproteins. When too much LDL is in your body, plaque can build up on the walls of arteries. Once this happens blood flow slows down and in sever cases can cause a stroke or heart attack. Since there are no known symptoms of having high cholestrol, some people don’t find out until after they have a heart attack.

What is good cholestrol called?

The “good” cholestrol is called HDL which stands for high density lipoproteins. HDL is responsible for removing LDL from the bloodstream. HDL transports LDL to the liver where it is broken down into bile and then finally removed from the body. A normal HDL level is between 40-60mg/dl a high level would be considered anything above 60mg/dl. Having a high cholestrol can lower your risk of heart disease, which can be life threatening.

Certain foods contain cholestrol, such as fish, chicken, meat, eggs and dairy. There are some foods that fall into this group that contain good cholestrol. Shrimp for example is high in cholestrol, but low in fat. Years ago scientists believed that shrimp was not good for someone who had high cholestrol, those facts have now changed. Studies show that shrimp has been known to increase HDL levels. This could be due to the fact shrimp is full of omega oils and other nutrients that are very healthy for you.

Since HDL is important in removing LDL from the system, you want to try and raise your HDL cholestrol levels. You can raise HDL by changing some lifestyle habits such as: exercising more, begin to drink 1 glass of red wine a day, quit smoking, begin to eat the right kind of fats (olive oil, nuts and avocadoes) increase your fiber intake (have a bowl of fiber one cereal in the morning) eat low calorie foods and add some soy protein to your diet (soy milk or tofu).

There are few alternative methods to raising your HDL cholestrol. You can take certain medications, herbal supplements and vitamins. Omega-3 and Niacin have been known to increase HDL, and royal jelly has been known to help maintain your current HDL.

Sometimes having high cholestrol is hereditary, in that case speak with your doctor for more information on the correct treatment for you.

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Article source: https://mycholestrol.com/cholestrol/what-is-good-cholestrol-and-how-does-it-affect-our-bodies/

High cholestrol is a real concern as, if it is left untreated, it can be a major risk for cardio vascular heart disease.

Many of the medications prescribed for high cholestrol have side effects so it is worth considering drug free products that help lower cholestrol as well as starting a low calorie and low fat diet, losing weight and starting an exercise regime.

Drug free products that help lower cholestrol are:-

Plant sterol and Stanol Products

Manufacturers like Flora and Benecol use plant sterols and stenols in their spreads and drinks. This type of product has been found to lower cholestrol by stopping the absorption of cholestrol from food in the intestines.

Herbs, Spices and Super foods

– Garlic helps lower blood pressure and lower cholestrol.
– Flax seed – available as seeds to sprinkle on food, as an oil or as a supplement. Flax seeds contain Alpha Linolenic acid which is an Omega 3 fatty acid. Flax seeds are also a good source of fibre. Both fibre and Omega 3 fatty acids have been proven to have a cholestrol lowering effect.
– Cayenne Pepper, Cinnamon, Turmeric and Caraway seeds have all be shown to reduce cholestrol.
– Wheat grass – This super food lowers blood pressure and studies on rats in Japan found that it lowered cholestrol.
– Gugulipid – myrrh tree gum. This natural herb is believed to lower “bad” cholestrol and triglycerides in the blood.
– Soya – Canadian research has shown that a vegetarian diet with soya can be as effective as taking cholestrol lowering drugs.

Fibre

Oats, psyllium fibre, beans and pectin are all great drug free products that help lower cholestrol, they are good for our overall health and they are found naturally in our food too.

Vitamins and supplements

There have been many studies that show that these are drug free products that help lower cholestrol.
– Niacin or Vitamin B3 increases HDL or “good” cholestrol levels.
– Vitamin E – studies have shown that this prevents cholestrol from sticking to the walls of the arteries.
– Calcium Carbonate – some research has shown that this mineral may be effective in lowering cholestrol.
– Vitamin C – research has shown that a lack of Vitamin C, which helps the body to repair and renew artery cells, can cause the body to repair arteries by using cholestrol – not good!

Homeopathy

Homeopathic medicines are drug free products that help lower cholestrol but you should visit a homeopath to find out which treatment is best for you.
Homeopathic medicines which may be help to treat high cholestrol are cholesterinum and chelidonium.

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Article source: https://thecholestrol.com/cholestrol/drug-free-products-that-help-lower-cholestrol-2/

cholestrol is found naturally in our bodies and is also found in various foods such as meat, butter, milk and eggs. It is a type of lipid or fat that is manufactured by our liver and then transported in the blood around the body to where it is needed. 80% of the cholestrol required by our body to function is made by the liver and we get the other 20% from our diet, the food that we eat. If we consume more cholestrol than our body needs it is harmful because the excess cholestrol is deposited in our arteries which leads to a narrowing of the arteries which puts us at a higher risk of heart disease. There are actually two types of cholestrol found in the blood – good cholestrol and bad cholestrol. It is important that we know what is bad and what is good cholestrol.

What is Good cholestrol?
Good cholestrol is also known as High Density Lipoprotein and consists of a greater amount of protein than fat. Bad cholestrol, also known as Low Density Lipoprotein, is made up of more fat than protein. Bad cholestrol is obviously the harmful cholestrol that builds up in our arteries.
What is good cholestrol used for in our bodies?
Good HDL cholestrol actually enables the body to take excess bad cholestrol out of the arteries to the liver which then deals with the cholestrol and excretes it as a waste product. Good cholestrol therefore protects us from atherosclerosis, narrowing of the arteries, and heart disease caused by atherosclerosis.

Measuring good cholestrol
To get information about your cholestrol level you either need to do a home cholestrol test or visit your doctor. High cholestrol has no symptoms and people only know they have it when they have a blood test. A doctor is able to measure Total cholestrol and your ratio of Total cholestrol to Good HDL cholestrol by doing a simple blood test, some home tests measure both too. To be healthy we need a low Total cholestrol level result and a higher ratio of good cholestrol to total cholestrol. If you find that you have high cholestrol then you will want to reduce your cholestrol level and increase your intake of good cholestrol. Your doctor will be able to advise you on treatment.

What is Good cholestrol found in?
There are many foods which can help raise our good cholestrol levels:-
– Oily fish such as salmon, sardines, mackerel, herrings and fresh tuna. These fish contain Omega 3 fatty acids which increase your HDL levels.
– Seed oils, such as flax seed oil and linseed oils, pumpkin seeds and walnuts (contain Omega 3).
– Foods rich in soluble fibre such as oats, beans and pulses, fruit and vegetables.
– Wheat grass

We should also start a regime of aerobic exercise which research has shown to raise good cholestrol levels and reduce bad cholestrol levels. Losing weight will also help with lowering our cholestrol levels and weight loss is also beneficial in many other ways. Start a low calorie and low fat diet.
It is important for our health to know as much as we can about what is good cholestrol and how we should increase the level in our blood.

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Article source: https://mycholestrol.com/cholestrol/what-is-good-cholestrol/

There are no known symptoms of having high cholestrol and some people don’t find out until after something severe like a heart attack. The only way to know if you suffer from high cholestrol is to have a blood test done.

High cholestrol is when there is too much cholestrol in the blood. cholestrol is a fatty wax like substance that is found in your body and in certain foods that we eat. The body uses cholestrol to produce hormones, and strengthen cells. There are two types of cholestrol LDL which is the bad kind and HDL which is the good kind. These are lipoproteins that move through the blood stream. You can high levels of both, but having to much LDL is hazardous.

LDL is a low density lipoprotein that can cause a buildup of plaque on the arteries wall. This plaque buildup causes blood flow to slow down, and can lead to a heart attack or stroke. It can also cause your blood to clot, which can cause numerous problems to your body.

HDL removes LDL from the blood stream and carries it to the liver where it will be removed as waste. Having high levels of HDL is actually good for you and can help lower your chances of getting heart disease.

High cholestrol can be caused by various factors being overweight and eating foods that are high in saturated fat is the poster boy for high cholestrol. Certain foods are very high in cholestrol like egg yolks and consumption should be limited. Saturated fat can be found in almost all animal products like meat and dairy.

Saturated fat has been linked to raising LDL cholestrol levels. Some foods to avoid that contain high cholestrol are: liver, egg yolks, butter, heavy cream, veal, lamb, beef chuck, crab, duck and salmon. Shrimp also is high in cholestrol but contains omega oils that are healthy for you, which offset the high cholestrol.

It may seem that high cholestrol affects only older people but that is untrue. In today’s day and age where fast food companies like McDonalds’ are on the rise, children as young as 13 can be affected. Over the past years there has been a rise in obesity in children. This rise can be the result of less activity due to video games and eating more foods that are high in saturated fat. A lot of junk food is high in saturated fat, and with parents working more kids are left to fend for themselves.

By getting your cholestrol checked you can find out if your cholestrol is high. By eating a healthy diet and exercising you can keep your cholestrol levels down and under control.

No related posts.

Article source: https://mycholestrol.com/cholestrol/when-asked-what-is-high-cholestrol-many-people-will-not-know-the-answer/