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.
efficient cleaning crew Northbrook ..It is believed that cane sugar was discovered before the... Read More
Vitamins & Minerals are essential to sustain life. Its what... Read More
How well do you know about vitamin K? This vitamin... Read More
Millions of people around the UK consume dairy products on... Read More
Nutrition is extremely important for any young person, especially an... Read More
Did you know the average American gains 5-7 pounds every... Read More
The wonders of modern science continue to amaze us with... Read More
It's really hard to believe that something could be worse... Read More
For any kid who grew up eating doughy, thick Wonder... Read More
Increasing the fiber in your diet has been shown to:... Read More
East Meets WestAsian cultures have realized the medical benefits of... Read More
Being vegetarian is one of the greatest things in the... Read More
In parts 1-4 of this series of articles titled "Take... Read More
Food addiction isn't a problem. Pretending like you can't live... Read More
The topic of nutrition is one that is always present... Read More
The makers of Bumble Bee Tuna generated some buzz today... Read More
Ambrotose? - the Nutritional Alphabet of the "Sweet Language of... Read More
DeathDeath. Why it happens? Why do we die? Why do... Read More
Many of us, probably even you, want this thing called... Read More
Niacin, also called nicotinic acid, is a member of the... Read More
Almost every woman suffers with premenstrual syndrome at one time... Read More
DIETARY SOURCES OF GLUTATHIONE: Glutathione (GSH) is an antioxidant and... Read More
You can spot a juicer a mile off at the... Read More
They're not only good for you, but they taste good,... Read More
If you have high cholesterol, the American Heart Association's low-cholesterol,... Read More
cleaning lady near Wilmette ..Do you allow pleasure from food? Are your senses throughly... Read More
The adrenal or "stress glands" are small, triangular shaped glands... Read More
The topic of nutrition is one that is always present... Read More
Every day we are bombarded with information about food products... Read More
In health circles there has been much recent talk about... Read More
The subject of health care itself often seems plagued with... Read More
Ionized minerals, colloidal minerals, chelated minerals . . . What... Read More
For most people, the concept of capsulized food? usually conjures... Read More
Some fats are good for you. Your body can't function... Read More
The body is a marvelous creation, a carbon, oxygen combustion... Read More
ABC News has recently focused on the possible anti-aging benefits... Read More
Your magnificent machine is, in fact, a symbiotic collection of... Read More
Our bodies need cholesterol. We use cholesterol to produce vitamin... Read More
The Health and Nutrition Industry has come about as peoples... Read More
The problem with sugar is that it doesn't contain any... Read More
In order to eat fewer calories than you need, you... Read More
Dr. Barry Sears revolutionized nutritional thinking around the world with... Read More
If you have high cholesterol, the American Heart Association's low-cholesterol,... Read More
You can spot a juicer a mile off at the... Read More
Is the thrill gone? Has the thrill gone out of... Read More
Wow! Is it just me or? Wait! Let me start... Read More
Do you know your ph? By getting ph strips at... Read More
A frequent misunderstanding about macrobiotics is that it is a... Read More
How did we cure ourselves of many aches pains and... Read More
Eating healthy is fast becoming a way of life. American's... Read More
Nutrition |