What is cholesterol?
You need cholesterol in your body and you cannot live without it. Your liver produces about 1,000 milligrams a day of the fat-like waxy substance called cholesterol that is carried through your blood and is found in all cells of your body.
What does Cholesterol do?
Cholesterol helps to keep the membranes of your cells sound and structured while allowing nutrients into the cell, and waste out of the cell. It also aids in the conversion and utilization of vitamin D and other fat-soluble vitamins – A, E and K.
When you take in too much cholesterol through diet, and live a sedentary lifestyle, excess cholesterol is deposited on the walls of your arteries, which along with other substances, hardens and causes problems.
What are the symptoms?
The unfortunate part about having high cholesterol is the lack of clues. Usually there are no warning signs or symptoms. When you have an annual physical, your doctor will order blood tests which will include testing for LDL, HDL total cholesterol and triglycerides. This is the only way you and your doctor will know whether or not you have too much cholesterol in your blood.
What increases my risk for high cholesterol?
Factors for increased blood cholesterol are directly related to your diet, lifestyle and level of physical activity. A diet high in trans and saturated fats, too much refined, processed carbohydrates will increase your likelihood of high cholesterol.
What can I do for borderline or high cholesterol?
Eating a diet high in whole foods is really the key; however, how and when you eat also plays a major role in keeping you healthy. Eating breakfast, incorporating smaller meals and eating more frequently will help. Factor eggs back into your diet. Eggs contain necessary components such as lecithin that will actually help pull excess cholesterol out of your blood.
When diet and exercise are not enough, what else can I do?
Additional effective courses of action are supplementing with fiber and other nutrients.
Incorporating the right foods and eating smaller meals more frequently will improve cholesterol levels. Increase your daily physical activities to include at least 30 minutes of exercise to help keep your weight down, which will decrease cholesterol. When diet and exercise are not enough, think about supporting your health with additional nutritional supplementation which will help you get a better handle on your cholesterol.
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