Importance Of Keeping Cholesterol Level Low

Your cholesterol levels can certainly creep up if you are not paying attention to them. High cholesterol is not something that can be seen or felt. The only way to know what your cholesterol levels are is to get a blood test to find out. Most likely your doctor takes your blood for a cholesterol test every 3 -5 years if your cholesterol is okay. If you have had previous problems with your cholesterol numbers, then chances are that you get your cholesterol tested a lot more often than that!

Cholesterol is an important part of our bodies because it gives cells their structure. However, we can easily build up too much cholesterol, which gets stuck in our blood vessels and contributes to heart disease and stroke. If you have already discovered that your have high cholesterol, you need to start lowering it as soon as possible. If your cholesterol numbers are good right now, then work to maintain this level. The ideal for total cholesterol is less than 200.

There are many medications that can be prescribed to help lower cholesterol levels, but fortunately, there are also many lifestyle changes that can be made to successfully lower cholesterol.

The first and foremost change to implement is beginning an exercise program. If you are not sure how physically fit you are, or if you have been inactive for awhile, you should visit your doctor for a physical exam to determine what level of exercise is safe for you to begin with. The most important thing to remember about an exercise program is that it needs to be consistent. It is better to walk for 20 minutes every single day than to run 3 miles every other month.

The next lifestyle change that can help you to lower your cholesterol is to increase your consumption of fruits, vegetables, and whole grain breads. These foods are naturally very high in fiber. Fiber is an important factor in your goal to reduce your cholesterol. Try to increase your fiber wherever possible.

The third, but by no means least important change that can help you to lower your cholesterol level is to be careful about the kinds of fat that you eat. Fats can be saturated or unsaturated. Saturated fats have a very negative effect on your total cholesterol. If you reduce the amount of saturated fats that you eat and replace it with unsaturated fats, your cholesterol numbers will improve.

Exercising, increasing fiber, and avoiding saturated fats are the three main lifestyle changes that you can make to lower your cholesterol. Start now and clear out those arteries!

Jargons: LDL, triglycerides.

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