How To Control Your Cholesterol Levels

Cholesterol is a fatty substance which is found in the blood. It is mainly made in the body. Cholesterol plays an essential role in how every cell in the body works. However, too much cholesterol in the blood can increase your risk of heart problems.

Cholesterol is carried around the body by proteins. These combinations of cholesterol and proteins are called lipoproteins. There are two main types of lipoproteins:

• LDL (low-density lipoprotein) is the harmful type of cholesterol. 
• HDL (high-density lipoprotein) is a protective type of cholesterol.

Having too much harmful cholesterol in your blood can increase your risk of getting cardiovascular disease. The risk is particularly high if you have a high level of LDL cholesterol and a low level of HDL cholesterol.

TIPS FOR LOWERING CHOLESTEROL

The main goal of cholesterol-lowering treatment is to lower your low-density lipoprotein (LDL) level enough to reduce your risk of having a heart attack or diseases caused by hardening of the arteries.

In general, the higher your LDL level and the more risk factors you have, the greater your chances of developing heart disease or having a heart attack. (A risk factor is a condition that increases your chance of getting a disease.)
There are two main ways to lower your cholesterol:

• Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) - includes a cholesterol-lowering diet (called the TLC Diet), physical activity, and weight management. TLC is for anyone whose LDL is above goal.
• Drug Treatment - if cholesterol-lowering drugs are needed, they are used together with TLC treatment to help lower your LDL.

The higher your risk for heart disease, the lower your LDL goal will be. Your doctor will set your LDL goal.

Lowering Cholesterol With TLC

TLC is a set of lifestyle changes you can make to help lower your LDL cholesterol. The main parts of TLC are:

• The TLC Diet, which recommends:
  • Limiting the amount of saturated fat and cholesterol you eat.
  • Eating only enough calories to achieve or maintain a healthy weight.
  • Increasing the soluble fiber in your diet. For example, oatmeal, kidney beans, and apples are good sources of soluble fiber.
  • Adding cholesterol-lowering food, such as margarines that contain plant sterol or stanol esters that lower cholesterol for some people.
• Weight management:
  • Losing weight if you are overweight can help lower LDL. Weight management is especially important for those with a group of risk factors that includes high triglyceride and/or low HDL levels and being overweight with a large waist measurement (more than 40 inches for men and more than 35 inches for women).
• Physical activity:
  • Regular physical activity is recommended for everyone. It can help raise HDL levels and lower LDL levels, and is especially important for those with high triglyceride and/or low HDL levels who are overweight with a large waist measurement.

 **Excerpt taken from Medic8

Colette Morris SAC Dipl. (Diet &Nutrition)   
Herbalife Shop - http://healthyweightloss.herbalcoach.com/

Colette Morris is a qualified Nutritionist and Herbalife Independent Distributor so if you want advice on your diet for weight loss, weight gain or sports nutrition, email LondonFitGirlsClub@gmail.com  or simply click on the tab here  to join our program.