The good cholesterol is called HDL cholesterol which stands for high-density lipoprotein.  HDL’s role is to help keep our body functioning properly and to maintain the cell walls so they are healthy.  When we have high levels in our bodies it helps protect us against a heart attack whereas low levels increase the risk of heart disease.  It is believed by experts that it helps carry bad cholesterol away from the arteries and liver where it is then expelled from the body.

The bad cholesterol is called LDL cholesterol which stands for low-density lipoprotein).  An overabundance of this in your body can cause you to either have a heart attack ora stroke.  It operates by slowly building up on your cell walls over time.  It gradually narrows your arteries and eventually clogs them which results in you having a heart attack or a serious stroke.

This is why it is extremely important to get cholesterol readings.  They typically include three items:  a HDL cholesterol reading, a LDL cholesterol reading, and a total cholesterol reading.  Most people just look for total cholesterol readings, but you need to keep an eye on all three readings.

Knowing the normal cholesterol numbers will help you learn when you need to start taking some action against your cholesterol.  Your total cholesterol reading should be below 200.  If it reaches 140, this can be very dangerous.  Your LDL cholesterol should be below 130.  If it reaches 160, then you need to start adjusting your diet to lower cholesterol.  Your HDL cholesterol readings should be above 45.  You should be concerned if it falls below 40.

To get your cholesterol tested, you should consult your doctor and he will be able to test your cholesterol levels.  If you do wind up having a high cholesterol level, then you can change some things in your diet to lower cholesterol which will help in reducing cholesterol before your next visit.  Make sure your diet has plenty of protein which you can find in dark meat and fish.  Also include 6 servings of fruit and vegetables in your daily means and try to stay away from foods high in fat.

Once you learn the difference between good cholesterol and bad cholesterol it is easier to understand what the doctor is talking about when you go and get a cholesterol reading.  You want more HDL cholesterol and less LDL cholesterol.  Knowing the test results will help you determine if you need to be on medication or if you can just control it with a diet to lower cholesterol.

There is an easier way to keep your cholesterol levels low besides taking drugs that are geared towards reducing cholesterol. The easiest way to stay off cholesterol medication is to not smoke, drink alcohol in moderation, and make sure your get plenty of exercise. If you have any high risk factors for getting high cholesterol levels, like a parent or grandparent who already has it, then you should start implementing these easy tasks into your life right now.

Making sure that your cholesterol levels remain low is very important to your health in the long run because it can help prevent any heart problems that may arise. Along with the three methods mentioned above, there are other steps you can take right now that will also help reduce cholesterol in your body to normal levels.

One way is to start your day off with a healthy breakfast in the morning. You should try to aim for eating a breakfast filled with at least ten grams of fiber because fiber helps reduce your cholesterol levels. The best meal one can eat in the morning is oatmeal.

If the idea of eating oatmeal does not appeal to you then you can try to find a cold cereal that has plenty of fiber in it. Another great way to make the oatmeal or cereal taste better is to add some fruit to it like bananas and apples. My favorite cold cereal that helps lower cholesterol is Kellogg’s Special K Red Berries cereal.

Another way is to switch out your normal oils you use for cooking and start using olive oil. Olive oil is a much healthier option and is widely known as the best vegetable oil on the market. All you need in your daily diet to lower cholesterol is two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil which will help reduce the bad cholesterol while leaving your good cholesterol levels normal.

Another way to lower the bad cholesterol while not destroying the good cholesterol is to start eating some walnuts. It has been said, that if you start eating walnuts daily that you can significantly lower your cholesterol levels in just four weeks. Walnuts also have the added bonus of improving your health by helping to keep your blood vessels in good physical shape.

If you currently suffer from a high cholesterol level or have relatives who have a history of high cholesterol, then you should try to start reducing cholesterol levels now. Lowering your cholesterol can be a simple as making a few changes in your diet to lower cholesterol. You can start eating a breakfast filled with fiber, start using olive oil, and start eating a daily dose of walnuts. Just making these small changes will help keep your cholesterol low and provide you a healthier lifestyle.

The fast food industry does not help anyone and it usually makes things worse for people because most fast food is high in fats and salts which promote high cholesterol levels. Many people give in to eating fast foods because they are lazy and would opt to get fast food rather than cook. Many of us, more often than not, give in to this temptation of living the fast food lifestyle.

Eating fast foods has become a nasty habit that can have some bad consequences for many reasons. One reason that fast food is the leading cause of a higher cholesterol level is because it mostly contains fatty foods. Another reason is that it can have a lot of negative consequences by helping diseases grow in your body which can be fatal to some people. Here are three factors you need to learn to help you understand the causes of high cholesterol.

Watch What Foods You Eat.

The first thing you need to watch out for is the food you eat on a daily basis. One of the leading causes of high cholesterol that people have control over is their eating habits. You must watch the foods you eat on a daily basis to make sure they do not contain too much saturated fat.

Consuming too much saturated fat can send your cholesterol soaring to high levels. You can find saturated fats in foods such as pork, veal, beef, eggs, milk, cheese, butter, coconut oil, vegetable shortening, palm oil, cocoa butter, crackers, cakes, and cookies. This does not mean you have to give up all these items in your diet to lower cholesterol, it just means you need to be aware of them and eat them in moderation.

Watch Your Weight

The second thing you need to watch out for is how much you weigh. If you are overweight you should try to do some exercising activities that will bring your weight down. This does not mean you have to go to the gym as you could either walk or climb stairs. According to the experts, you can burn plenty of calories just by climbing the stairs daily.

Watch Your Family History

The third thing you need to watch is your family health history. Some people will get high cholesterol levels just because they have a predisposition to get it from their family genes. If your mother, father, or grandparents have high cholesterol, you need to keep a close eye on your cholesterol levels, because you will most likely inherit that factor from your family members.

As you can see, there are many causes of high cholesterol that we need to be aware of when it comes to our diet to lower cholesterol. The main culprit is the fast food industry because most of the foods they produce are high in bad cholesterol. You also need to watch the foods you eat on a daily basis, your weight, and your family history. By keeping tabs on these three items, you should be able to lower your cholesterol to normal levels and avoid the bad health consequences that come with high cholesterol.

The first step you should take is to have your doctor test your current cholesterol level by conducting a blood chemistry analysis test. You can often await the results when you visit your doctor if the laboratory is close by and delivers the results quickly. However, you may need to come back as some doctors call you back in for a consultation after the laboratory has delivered the results of your blood chemistry test.

The Importance of a Diet to Lower Cholesterol

Having a high level of cholesterol can be very bad to your health as it can lead to heart disease as well as other diseases. High cholesterol levels can also disable the function of many of our organs and affect your over health. One major risk is that you can die, which is why many health care providers stress the importance of going on a diet to lower cholesterol as well as recommend that you use regular exercise.

Fundamentals to Lower Cholesterol

There are some items which you need to take out of your daily meals as much as possible. The main items you need to get rid of are fatty foods, salt and unnecessary carbohydrates. There are more things you need to avoid in your daily meals, but these are just the main ones that you need to be aware of.

On the flip side, there are some items which you need to implement into your daily meals in order to have a successful diet to lower cholesterol. These foods are those high in fiber and complex carbohydrates which include wholegrain foods, beans, brown rice, fruits and vegetables. By having more of these good cholesterol foods in your daily diet, they will help your body get rid of the bad cholesterol.

Foods that lead to a high level of cholesterol, which is bad cholesterol, are foods that are high in fat and oils. In order to continue to have a proper balance in your body, you will need to eat foods that are high in good cholesterol because they help lower the bad cholesterol levels.

When you start on your diet to lower cholesterol, do not expect immediate results as it will take a few weeks before you see any results. By lowering your cholesterol today, you will avoid any complications that can arise such as heart disease and death. Just remember to increase your consumption of foods high in fiber and decrease fatty foods and salt.

Cholesterol has a vital function in our body because it produces vitamin D, creates bile salts to help in the digestion of unused fat, and it aids in building call walls. So, if cholesterol does all these wonderful things, why would we need to worry about having too much in our body? The answer is simply because anything in excess is bad for our bodies. If we can learn what is cholesterol, then we can avoid having too much in our system.

The Good Cholesterol And The Bad Cholesterol

An easy way to watch whether we eat good or bad cholesterol is understand which foods produce the cholesterol. Bad cholesterol is found in foods that have animal fats such as meats and dairy. However foods such as whole grains, vegetables, and fruits have no cholesterol.

Bad cholesterol can cause much damage to our bodies including hardening of the arteries. This happens because the bad cholesterol builds up plaque which eventually blocks the arteries and shrinks our blood flow.

Good cholesterol on the other hand has a very good job that keeps our body healthy. Its main job is to carry the excess cholesterol back to the liver so bile salts can be created to carry it out of our system.

What Causes High Cholesterol?

When people ask their doctor about their cholesterol level, it usually pertains to a high cholesterol level. There are a number of reasons that we can develop high cholesterol and one most important factor is age. The older we get the more likely we are to develop a high cholesterol level.

There are many possible reasons that we have high cholesterol levels in our body. One reason may be hereditary. If this is the cause then you need to consult your doctor and get tested to determine if you also have high cholesterol. Another reason is physical activity. The more we exercise, the higher the levels of the good cholesterol will get within our system.

When we are determining what is cholesterol, and examining the causes and treatments, we often find that there is a direct link to our cholesterol levels and the food we eat on a daily basis. By eating foods rich in fiber, fruits, vegetables, fish and beans we can help keep the cholesterol in our body low and thus have a healthier life. By trying to avoid eating foods like meat and dairy that make our cholesterol levels high, we can also have a healthier life.