Diet and Cholesterol

One way to improve your heart health is to keep your cholesterol level low. The most significant factors impacting cholesterol levels are diet, exercise and genetics. You can’t do much about your genes, but you can make adjustments in both your diet and your exercise program.

Understanding cholesterol

Cholesterol is a fatty, wax like substance your body uses to make hormones and build cell walls. Your body makes all the cholesterol you need. So when you eat a diet high in saturated fat and cholesterol, you can get too much of it in your blood. Over a period of time, this can lead to a blockage in your arteries, which can block the blood flow to your heart and cause a heart attack. When blood flow is cut off to your brain it causes a stroke.

There are two types of cholesterol:
LDL Cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein, or “bad,” cholesterol) carries extra cholesterol and other fats in your blood, where they can build up on the inside walls of your arteries.
HDL Cholesterol (high-density lipoprotein, or “good,” cholesterol) cholesterol) carries cholesterol away from your arteries and can help protect you from a heart attack.

Triglycerides are another type of fat that can be found in the blood. High triglyceride levels in your blood may mean that you are at risk for heart disease. Sugary foods, saturated fats, carbohydrates (starches) and alcohol can raise triglyceride levels.

Know Your Cholesterol Goals

High cholesterol is a risk factor for heart disease and heart attack. So, you should have your levels checked regularly and discus your level goals with your doctor. People with known heart disease and/or diabetes have lower target levels for LDL cholesterol.

The American Heart Association Recommends cholesterol levels as follows:

Desirable Les than 200 mg/dl
Borderline high 200 to 239 mg/dl
High 240 Mg/dl or greater

HD (“Good” cholesterol Levels
At risk Less than 40 mg/dl
Decreased risk Greater than 60 mg/dl

You can help raise your HD level by quitting smoking, losing weight, exercising and becoming more active.

LDL (“Bad” cholesterol Levels
Optimal Less than 100 mg/dl
Near optimal/above 100 to 129 mg/dl
Borderline high 130 to 159 mg/dl
High 160 to 189 mg/dl
Very High Greater than 190 mg/dl

The National Cholesterol Education Program recommends an LDL level of less than 70 mg/dl for people at very high risk of heart disease.

If you have high cholesterol or heart disease, or if heart disease runs in your family, lowering it could present a heart attack.

Diet tips

One key to lowering cholesterol is to pay attention to the type of fats you eat. Some are good for your heart, and some are not. For a heart healthy diet, try to avoid the bad fats and replace them with good fats. Bad –Saturated fats raise your levels. Examples are animal fats such as butter, lard, meat fat and some plant fats, including coconut oil and palm oil. Good—Polyunsaturated fats are found in vegetable oils and fish oils. These tend to lower levels. And Best—Monounsaturated fats are found in olive oil, canola oil and peanut oil.

Choose leaner sources of meat, such as chicken and turkey breast, and avoiding dark meat and chicken skin. Eat only very lean cuts of steak, and stay away from hamburger, which even in lean forms, has considerably more saturated fat than steak. Eat a lot of fish—even fatty fish is good for you and low in saturated fats.

In addition to adding more fatty fish to your diet, be sure to include avocados, olives, nuts and seeds and healthy oils, such as olive and canola. This, too, can also help you keep your numbers down.

Cut back on saturated and trans fats in general. Opt for skim milk, and cut out baked goods and other foods that contain unhealthy trans fats—the chemically altered fats that are most associated with rises in cholesterol. Foods high in trans fats include fried foods, cookies, doughnuts, and crackers.

Fat is not the only macronutrient that can be associated with high cholesterol. Taking in a lot of carbs, particularly in the form of sugar, can send your levels skyrocketing.

Exercise tips

Cardiovascular activity should be performed three or four sessions of at least 30 minutes of cardio a week, in addition to other exercise. You may derive more benefits for your cholesterol levels, by taking it up a notch. Work harder ad cycle intensity levels—push yourself harder for a minute or two, then back off for a minute or two, and repeat.

Hopefully, this information can assist you in maintaining and/or developing good cholesterol levels without requiring more drastic measures, such as medication.