What is Cholesterol?
Before we go into how to reduce your cholesterol, let's take a look at what exactly cholesterol is.
Cholesterol is a fatty substance that is produced by the liver and its job is to:-
? produce bile acids to help with the digestion of fat
? build and repair cells and
? produce estrogens and testosterone hormones
Therefore cholesterol is an important function of the body, but too much cholesterol in the body becomes a risk as it can clog up arteries and this can be the cause of heart attacks and strokes.
Cholesterol Symptoms
It is surprising to learn that there are virtually no symptoms to diagnose if you have high cholesterol. High cholesterol is normally identified by a blood test.
However, if you are having health issues such as coronary disease, vascular disease or stroke, then this could be the end result of high cholesterol levels in your body.
Symptoms of:
Coronary Disease
? Angina
? Chest pains
? Nausea
? Shortness of breath
Vascular Disease
? A tightening sensation in the lower extremities
? Ulcers or open sores on the lower extremities
Stroke
? loss of balance and dizziness
? slurring of speech and difficulty in understanding
? numbing sensation of the face, arm or leg
? this can be a sudden event with little or no warning
People who are overweight and do no exercise at all tend to be the ones with higher cholesterol levels.
Therefore, it is recommended that you have a cholesterol blood test every three years if you are overweight and every 5 years if you are a normal healthy weight.
How to Lower Cholesterol
If your blood test shows that your cholesterol levels are too high, then you should take immediate measures to help lower your cholesterol. Your doctor will advise you on the best course of action, but initially it is the norm for you to follow a low cholesterol diet.
A low cholesterol diet is normally a diet which is low in saturated fat and will include eating:-
? skinless poultry
? lean meats
? fish and shellfish
? low fat dairy products
? fruit
? vegetables
? whole grain foods
Cook your food by either
? grilling
? baking
? steaming
? boiling
? poaching
? microwave
Do not fry your food in lard or oil.
Your doctor also might prescribe you with a cholesterol lowering medication if he/she feels that the low cholesterol diet will not be enough.
Claire Bowes is a successful freelance writer and owner of http://www.lower-your-cholesterol.info website where you can find further information and resources on lowering your cholesterol.
Lockport limo Midway ...Dr. Arthur Agatston, the cardiologist who developed South Beach Diet... Read More
Do we really need a home water filter? Can't we... Read More
Protein is one of the basic building blocks of the... Read More
All of my life I believed the best way to... Read More
People who consume too much alcohol have good chance of... Read More
Vitamins, minerals and other nutrients are essential to the development... Read More
Water is the most abundant substance in the human body.... Read More
Protein must be a part of a healthy diet for... Read More
This is such a busy time of year, isn't it?... Read More
On average 30% of foods in our daily diet are... Read More
I know you've heard this many times - "Drink more... Read More
Nutrition has everything to do with health. This isn't news,... Read More
Information on potassiumWhen you read about potassium and senate document... Read More
Eating out when you are on a restricted diet always... Read More
When it comes to the topic of sports nutrition there... Read More
OK, no more excuses. Here's how to stop making everyone... Read More
I'd like to explain an important concept that most online... Read More
Essential fatty acids are the number one recommendation for anyone... Read More
As a low carb dieter, your diet is undoubtedly high... Read More
Are you worried yet about your health? Are you anxious... Read More
Since the beginning of time, everyday fruits have been known... Read More
Scandinavian fishermen are a healthy bunch. It had long been... Read More
"You are what you eat."Does it sound familiar? You probably... Read More
The benefits from eating healthy are endless. And, according to... Read More
Diets don't work. If they did the U.S. of A.... Read More
Montgomery Hummer H2 SUV rentals ...If you are like most people, you are probably confused... Read More
Chances are you may have had a food product that... Read More
How is it that we can't seem to think that... Read More
Fats have been unfairly lumped together as being all bad... Read More
Fruit calories are very healthy as compared to calories in... Read More
The topic of food additives is not quickly addressed in... Read More
PROTEIN DEFICIENT? CHANCES ARE YOU ARE!Did you know that 9... Read More
Media coverage of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) has incited... Read More
Your magnificent machine is, in fact, a symbiotic collection of... Read More
With the release of the new dietary guidelines, in the... Read More
One of the biggest mistakes many new bodybuilders make is... Read More
I'll preface this article by saying that it will help... Read More
A flood of scientific evidence about fish oil points to... Read More
The American Heart Association recommends that you eat a variety... Read More
The secret of success is knowing how to deal with... Read More
It is amazing to be able to say I am... Read More
The Health and Nutrition Industry has come about as peoples... Read More
The debate regarding Fluoride continues to rage, is it good... Read More
Spring is in the air and ? summer is around... Read More
1. Look for high quality, crystalline, free-form, amino acids (AAs)... Read More
Did you know that the food you eat when you... Read More
If you're suffering from constipation, you are no doubt looking... Read More
In health circles there has been much recent talk about... Read More
Every day we are bombarded with information about food products... Read More
There are a number of common food mistakes that costs... Read More
Nutrition Nutrition |