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CHOLESTEROL - STAYING HEALTHY
by Deborah Jenton
http://www.dghealth.com
Although many health risk involve bad cholesterol, not all
cholesterol is bad for you. Cholesterol is a fat like
substance which is what our bodies need to make cell
membranes, hormones and bile salts. Very high levels of bad
cholesterol is associated with the high risk of coronary
artery disease which is a hardening of one's arteries. Most
of the people in this country today have higher levels of
bad cholesterol than good levels and this causes concern
among many of our health care providers today.
The body does not get rid of cholesterol within in the
body, this is why if the cholesterol is too high within our
bodies, clogs can happen, blocking our blood flow to the
heart. Animal fats are the worst and this is why we should
consume things like beef, eggs, and even dairy, such as
cheese in moderation.
There are three forms of cholesterol or "lipoproteins,"
they are...
LDL or low-density lipoproteins. These are bad cholesterol
and too much can lead to build up and blockage of the
arteries. HDL or high-density lipoproteins. This is good
cholesterol and helps transport other cholesterol from
other parts of the body to the liver. This helps remove
fats from the body and prevents the blockage of arteries.
Another kind of lipoproteins which is also low-density
transports triglycerides in the blood. High levels of
triglycerides can also cause the risk of heart disease.
In the U. S. today, high cholesterol effects more than 50%
of adults, this also means this risk of heart attacks
effects thousands of people everyday. This risk can be
lowered by eating healthier foods, better fats, and of
course, getting a fair amount of exercise.
Carrying extra weight on our bodies is not good and we know
that. However, many of us find exercise to be either too
hard, or we think we don't have the time to do it. Exercise
does not have to be hard, and wecan find the time in our
day to get some. Walking is the simplest for of exercise
today and we all know how to do that. We need to walk only
30 minuets a day can help us lower our blood pressure and
our cholesterol levels.
Eating foods low in saturated fats will also help lower
our cholesterol and help take the weight off faster.
Eating foods rich in good fats such as salmon and
other fish high in "good fats" can help. Eating fresh
green vegetables and lots of fruits will help to lower
our weight and our high cholesterol levels. Some of
us though do have trouble getting rid of bad cholesterol
naturally and that's when we need the help of our
doctors to prescribe medicine for us to do what natural
foods and exercise could not do to lower high levels of bad
cholesterol.
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