Making A Healthy Lifestyle By Understanding Cholesterol Control

Ready to indulge that mouthwatering meat and take a big slice of chocolate-filled pastry? Stop and read these cholesterol facts first. This information will not only cut back on bad cholesterol in-take but also get more of the good ones.

What is cholesterol?

As explained in the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NIH), cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that's found in all cells of the body. Your body needs some cholesterol to make hormones, vitamin D, and substances that help you digest foods. However, cholesterol also is found in some of the foods you eat.

Based from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stats, there are over 600,000 people die of heart attacks in the US yearly. This can be prevented by lowering your cholesterol and protecting your heart from unhealthy foods. Having a healthy lifestyle can also help maintain normal cholesterol and minimize the risk of heart problems, stroke and peripheral artery disease which are the leading cause of death in US.

Understanding Good And Bad Cholesterol

Most of us know that fats and water do not mix. The main components of blood, cholesterol and lipid family member cannot move around the body on its own. Instead, it hitches a ride with some proteins called lipoproteins. There are two types of cholesterol that could go through your bloodstream; one is called the low density lipoproteins also known as bad cholesterol and the other one is high density lipoproteins also known as good cholesterol. To lower the risk of heart diseases and other related health problems, you should learn the difference between bad and good cholesterol and make a healthy lifestyle change.

Bad Cholesterol

Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is formed in the liver that carries fats to different parts of the body. Once the fat load dropped off, it becomes bad cholesterol that carries the remaining around our system. It can form deposits inside the blood vessels that eventually lead to heart disease and attacks.

Bad Cholesterol Foods

• Egg yolk
• Chicken liver
• Fish oils
• Fast foods
• Butter from animal fats
• Seafood
• Processed meats
• Red Meat
• Cheese
• Pastries made with animals fat

Good Cholesterol

High-density lipoprotein (HDL) acts like a garbage collector that works wonderfully in the body. What it does is it cleans up bad cholesterol away from the arteries to the liver to be broken down and help slow down plague buildup in the arterial wall and help reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. Think of good cholesterol foods and healthy lifestyle to meet your HDL target.

Good Cholesterol Foods

• Soy
• Beans
• Salmon
• Avocado
• Garlic
• Margarine
• Nuts
• Tea
• Dark chocolate

To maintain a normal cholesterol and keep your lipid balance right, medical experts recommend the following;

1. Regular cholesterol screening
2. Eat fewer foods saturated by animal oils
3. Learn how to read labels
4. Be physically fit by doing various physical activities
5. Monitor your diet
6. Seek professional help regarding necessary medications

Healthy lifestyle and quality living is within your reach, start by understanding cholesterol and its importance to your body.