Low Cholesterol Diet

Adopting a low cholesterol diet can be simple with just a small guidance which can be offered by this article. Blood cholesterol can be a fairly complicated issue and in most cases, people prefer using natural means to lower its levels like a low cholesterol diet. We know that heart disease risk increases when LDL levels are high, especially above 200. There are a few things that people basically agree on when it comes to ways to decrease these numbers. Some useful information is listed below.

High cholesterol causes

High cholesterol can be genetic and this should be one of the things that you should know. People’s livers process cholesterol different from other people, so it is normal for some people to be more sensitive to fast increases in cholesterol levels. Also, conditions such as hypothyroidism and diabetes can exacerbate high cholesterol levels. Diseases we are genetically predisposed to can be influenced by diet. When it comes to this subject, more and more experts agree by the day.

Cholesterol and obesity go hand in hand. To consume a healthy, low cholesterol diet is very important to individuals that have high levels of cholesterol. Individuals can reduce their cholesterol levels through the help of a low fat diet such as a vegetarian diet or a Pritikin diet.

What is a low cholesterol diet?

Well, first of all it might be useful to know what cholesterol is. Cholesterol is a fatty substance that is produced by the liver, but is also present in many foods we eat such as animal products. Your body can be led to producing more cholesterol than is necessary by eating too many foods that are high in saturated fats such as palm oil and eating too many animal based foods. In order to be healthy, everyone needs some cholesterol in his or her body. However, when those cholesterol levels become too high, it can become problematic.

Excess amounts of LDL or low-density lipoprotein ends up as plaque on artery walls. LDL carries cholesterol from the liver to the rest of the body. The risk of heart disease is increased by the formation of plaque. HDL carries the cholesterol away from the arteries. This substance is also known as high density lipoprotein or “good” cholesterol. Next to these two abbreviations, you will see numbers when you have a lipid profile done. When you have this lipid profile done, the results are good if the LDL level is lower than 200 and the HDL levels are higher than 45.

The Essential Facts to Keeping Healthy

Current health studies show that our population is growing bigger and getting fatter each year. More than 50% is overweight! Obesity has now reached pandemic proportions and has become a serious problem to our personal health, making it a burden on our health system.

There are many health problems and diseases associated with being overweight and obese, for example: skeletal problems, heart disease, diabetes, cancer and sleep apnea to name a few. Studies have also shown that a relationship exists between excessive bodyweight and increased mortality. Increasing one's body weight by 10kg will directly affect their lifespan by decreasing their living years. Obesity is a serious problem, however it can be fought and its effects reversed.

There are a variety of ways of combating obesity and preventing / reversing the health complications that arise from it. Obesity prevention can occur through a number of factors including 1.Dieting 2.Lowering Fat and Cholesterol. 3.Exercise.

1.Diet

Dieting can be extremely difficult, as a matter of fact, in the long term, more diets fail than succeed. So what is the secret to a sustainable and successful diet plan? The answer is lifestyle change. Change the way you eat and change the way you live. If you are seriously thinking of dieting, then think about the foods you eat on a daily basis and substitute them with healthier alternatives. Substitute the fast foods you would normally eat with fresh meats, cereals, fruits and vegetables. Keep score of your daily calorie intake and remember to exercise for at least 30 minutes per day.

2. Lowering Fat and Cholesterol

Inactivity, poor diet and lack of exercise lead to an increase in body fat and a rise in cholesterol. Cholesterol is a type of fat that is essential to the human body, however an excessive buildup of cholesterol in the blood and arteries can lead to serious health complications. Cholesterol is a major contributing factor in the cause of coronary artery disease which can lead to heart attacks. There primary cure for lowering the cholesterol levels is through dieting and reducing the amount of fat in your diet. A change of lifestyle and eating habits is also needed to have an overall impact in reducing and sustaining cholesterol. Below is a list of high cholesterol producing foods that should be avoided:

*Dairy intake – Reduce you high fat dairy consumption by substituting high fat cheeses and milks with low fat ones. You will find many 99% fat free dairy products are now on offer in supermarkets.

*Avoid meats that are high in visible fats and substitute them with lean cut meats and skinless chickens.

*Use healthy cooking oils and margarines. Choose oils that are low in saturated fats such as virgin olive oils and margarines that include plant sterols which help the body absorb less cholesterol.

*Minimise your fast food intake such as pizzas, burgers, fish and chips, and deep fried foods in general.

When combating high cholesterol, changing poor eating habits is only part of the solution, you also need to reduce the amount calories you consume on a daily basis, and that can only be solved through proper dieting and exercise. If unsure about your cholesterol level, it is always advisable that you seek the medical attention from your local physician.

3. Exercise

Exercise is a vital and essential part to our wellbeing. Whether riding a bike or walking 30 minutes a day, mobility is the key to a healthy lifestyle. Regular physical exercise is essential in preventing many bodily disorders including coronary heart disease, obesity and type 2 diabetes. Exercise is also vital in the building of healthy bones, muscles and in bolstering the human immune system.

Dieting, exercise and healthy eating plans are essential factors in maintaining strong and healthy bodies. They are all however interrelated and should be practiced in conjunction with one another; reducing a high cholesterol level depends on healthy eating habits and proper dieting. A proper diet should also be supported with regular and frequent exercise in order to achieve weight loss and an overall healthy lifestyle.

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Heart Attack Prevention Tips

While some have to fight the battle of the bulge for mere shallow reasons, there are those who do all the dieting and exercising to reduce their cholesterol levels just to stay alive. And while cholesterol is an important component of the membranes of cells, playing an important part in maintaining brain synapses as well as in the immune system, it is also the largest cause of heart attack and stroke.

While it is great that most people who are suffering from high levels of cholesterol go to their dieticians to have their daily eating habits tweaked by following a strict meal plan in order to help them lower their cholesterol levels (hopefully back to normal levels), some people have really gone overboard, but if you feel compelled to lower your cholestorol, consult with your doctor, most doctors are fine with prescribing cholesterol reducing drugs.

Together with a healthy diet and regular exercise, the drugs can make quite a difference in your cholesterol levels, at least enough that your levels can be considered safe.

There are four kinds of cholesterol reducing drugs:

1. Bile acid

Sequesterants are cholesterol reducing drugs that aim to bind with the bile that is being produced by one's liver. The bile helps out in our digestion as well as in the absorption of fats from the intestine. This cholesterol reducing drug blocks out the digestion of fats from the bile to help prevent the formation of cholesterol. Various cholesterol reducing drugs in this category are the following:

- Colestipol
- Colestid
- Coleseyalam
- Welchol
- Cholestyramine
- Questran

2. Statins

Popularly known as statins, the HMG-CoA inhibitors are cholesterol reducing drugs that prevent the enzyme called 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-conenzyme, a reductase, from converting fat into cholesterol. This cholesterol reducing drug is seen as the most effective one in the market today and does some added good to one's body as 2003 reports claim that people with heart failure but no coronary artery diseases receive great benefits from this in as early as 14 weeks.

Popular drugs from this cholesterol reducing drug group include:

- Simvastatin
- Zocor
- Cerivastatin
- Baycol
- Fluvastatin
- Lescol
- Lovastatin
- Mevacor
- Prevastatin
- Pravachol
- Atorvastatin
- Lipitor

3. Fibric Acid

The cholesterol reducing drug called fibric acid and its derivaties are less effective than the statins when in comes to lowering one's cholesterol level.

Popular drugs under this kind of cholesterol reducing drugs are:

- Clofibrate
- Atormid-S
- Gemfibrozil
- Lopid
- Fenofribrate
- Tricor

4. Niacin

Niacin, or vitamin B-3, also is effective in lowering cholesterol levels. Although the normal vitamin dose of niacin is only set at 20 mg for each day, the dose required to reduce cholesterol levels is at least 500 mg each day. Niacin helps reduce cholesterol by inhibiting very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) secretion in the bloodstream.

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