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by: Claire Bowes |
Fact:
*
heart disease claims about ½ million lives in America per year
*
high cholesterol levels play a ignificant role in heart disease
* studies show if you lower cholesterol levels, the risk of
heart disease is reduced by up-to 40%
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 estrogen 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.
About the author:
Claire Bowes is a successful freelance
writer and owner of www.lower-your-cholesterol.info website where
you can find further information and resources on lowering your
cholesterol.
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