Skip to main content

Blog90: Cholesterol Management

Cholesterol is a fat-like substance that is needed in your body to make hormones, vitamin D, and is found in every cell in your body. It plays a role in the way your cells communicate with each other and maintains the integrity of your cell membranes so your body can function properly. However, when too much cholesterol builds up, these deposits can narrow your arteries and put you at risk for heart disease and stroke.
Types of Cholesterol
There are two types of cholesterol in your body:
  • High-density lipoprotein (HDL) is considered the “good” cholesterol as it has heart healthy benefits. 
  • Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is considered the “bad” cholesterol as this can clog your arteries, thus increasing your risk for heart disease.
Cholesterol Levels & Range
  • Total cholesterol levels less than 200 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) are considered desirable for adults. A reading between 200 and 239 mg/dL is considered borderline high and a reading of 240 mg/dL and above is considered high.
  • LDL cholesterol levels should be less than 100 mg/dL. Levels of 100 to 129 mg/dL are acceptable for people with no health issues but may be of more concern for those with heart disease or heart disease risk factors. A reading of 130 to 159 mg/dL is borderline high and 160 to 189 mg/dL is high. A reading of 190 mg/dL or higher is considered very high.
  • HDL levels should be kept higher. A reading of less than 40 mg/dL is considered a major risk factor for heart disease. A reading from 41 mg/dL to 59 mg/dL is considered borderline low. The optimal reading for HDL levels is of 60 mg/dL or higher. Read Also: 10 Tips to Beat Tiredness.

Risk Factors for High Cholesterol
Your cholesterol levels can depend on several factors such as your family history, age, gender, and lifestyle choices. Lifestyle choices include a diet high in fat and processed foods, smoking, and being sedentary. Age, gender and family history are not modifiable, but lifestyle choices can be modified to lower your risk of high cholesterol. If you choose healthful foods and start to exercise, you can positively affect your cholesterol levels.  Read Also: Cholesterol (in Hindi)

7 Tips To Keep Your Levels In Check
1. Choose more Healthy Fats– Choose monounsaturated fats and omega 3 fatty acids instead of foods that are high in saturated fats. Monounsaturated fats include olive oil, almonds, and avocado. Omega 3 fatty acids are found in fish (salmon, tuna), flax-seeds, and walnuts.  One easy swap to make can be cooking with olive oil instead of butter. Read Also: 7 Seeds you Should Eat.
2. Switch to Spices/Herbs– Enhance your food’s flavor by using herbs and spices instead of butter, which is high in saturated fat. Cumin, turmeric, basil and cilantro can be added to most dishes and will add a lot of flavour. Read Also: Spoon Of Spices & Super Healthy Herbs
3. Increase your Fiber– Fiber plays a big role in lowering your cholesterol levels because of it’s ability to help your body excrete it. It binds with cholesterol in your body and then takes it through the rest of your digestive tract, not allowing your body to absorb it. You can increase your fiber by adding more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains into your diet. Swap any white, refined grains for whole grains for an easy increase in fiber. Read Also: Eat More Fiber.
4. Exercise Regularly– The American Heart Association recommends you get at least 30 minutes of exercise 5 days a week for optimal heart health. Exercise plays a role in decreasing your LDL levels and increasing your HDL levels, and decreasing your overall risk for cardiovascular disease. Read Also: 5 Best Foods that Balance your Hormones.
5. Quit Smoking– Smoking is a major risk for cholesterol, and heart disease. Smoking allows cholesterol to stick more easily to artery walls. Read Also: Pre and Post Workout Foods.
6. Eat More Fruits and Vegetables– Fruits and veggies are rich in soluble fiber, which can help the body eliminate cholesterol.  They also contain antioxidants, which may play a role in keeping your heart healthy and reducing your risk of heart disease. Read Also: Why more Veggies? & Do you Know Best Time to Eat Fruits?
7. Know your Family History– If cholesterol or heart disease runs in your family, you might be at risk. Try to follow a healthy lifestyle to reduce your risk and get routine physicals. Read Also: 10 Healthy Eating Habits for your Child.
You have the ability to positively affect your cholesterol levels; it is all in your power! If you modify the fats in your diet, add fiber and increase exercise, you should see a change in your cholesterol levels. Read Also: Good Carbohydrates vs. Bad Carbohydrates.
Hope you enjoy reading. Don't forget to follow me on Blogger, Facebook and Instagram. Do share the blog with your friends and family. Take Care. Read Also: Mindful Eating.
Thank You!

Comments

  1. ..👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

    ReplyDelete
  2. I believe there are many more pleasurable opportunities ahead for individuals that looked at your site.
    Ethix Products

    ReplyDelete
  3. These are really good and useful tips. To manage cholesterol level then natural heart supplements is good.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I found this blog informative or very useful for me. I suggest everyone, once you should go through this.

    birth control methods

    ReplyDelete
  5. Useful info. Hope to see more good posts in the future.
    breastfeeding drinks

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular Posts

Blog1: My First Blog

Hello Readers !!🌻 My name is Chitra Vishal Gupta and  I’m really excited to have the opportunity to write blogs for you.  Being a dietitian is a wonderful career. I love it. But I don't think it's quite what I expected it to be... Some things were harder than I expected and some things exceeded my expectations. As you all know blogging is the best way to express yourself.  So, here I am to talk about food, health, and nutrition. Hope you people love reading my blogs. Let's get started. Fooducate yourself and t rack what you eat & your activities to see your progress and achieve your goals.  Have a great time. Stay healthy.💪 Thank You.!! 🌻

Blog109: Importance of Sleeping in Darkness

Many children and even some adults see the darkness as something to fear. But when it comes to falling asleep, darkness is one of your most reliable allies. Darkness is essential for the body to fall asleep. In absence of light, the brain sends a signal to the body indicating that it is time to rest. When there is a light source present at the wrong time, the body’s circadian rhythm, a biological mechanism that regulates sleep-wake cycles, can be adversely affected, thereby disrupting both the quantity and quality of sleep.   Our brain produces a hormone called melatonin, which basically sends our body a ‘time to sleep’ signal after which the physiological groundwork for the sleep-cycle to take place. This includes feeling lethargic, muscle relaxation, and a drop in body temperature. When darkness starts to fall after sundown, the levels of melatonin automatically increase and continue to do so throughout most part of the night, peaking around 3:00 am. Howev

Blog89: Why should you start Mindful Eating?

Mindful eating is a practice that develops your awareness of eating habits and allows you to pause between your triggers and your actions. Most emotional eaters feel powerless over their food cravings. When the urge to eat hits, you feel an almost unbearable tension that demands to be fed, right now. Because you’ve tried to resist in the past and failed, you believe that your willpower just isn’t up to snuff. But the truth is that you have more power over your cravings than you think. Benefits of Mindful Eating There are a lot of benefits to eating mindfully. Studies have reported that eating mindfully can reduce physiological distress such as depression, anxiety, stress, and eating behaviors including binge eating.  Mindful eating has also resulted in weight loss in overweight and obese people.   1.  Mindful eating helps you distinguish between emotional and physical hunger. It also increases your awareness of food-related triggers and gives you the freedom to choose your re