Cholesterol is a topic that is very important to your health. High cholesterol levels can lead to the development of heart disease and other forms of chronic illness. If you are concerned about your cholesterol, talk with your health care provider about getting a cholesterol test and ask him how you can manage your cholesterol levels.
Good and Bad Cholesterol
Cholesterol is a natural substance that your body produces and although high levels are undesirable, you need some cholesterol to function. The two major forms of cholesterol are low-density lipoprotein and high-density lipoprotein. These forms of cholesterol are more commonly known as LDL or bad cholesterol and HDL or good cholesterol. In general, you want to keep your LDL levels low and your HDL levels high, because lower LDL and higher HDL decrease your risk for developing heart disease.
Cholesterol Test
You need to have a cholesterol test to determine the levels of cholesterol in your blood. A cholesterol test checks four different numbers through a blood test. The four numbers include LDL, HDL, triglycerides and total cholesterol. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, LDL levels should be below 100 mg/dL, HDL higher than 40 mg/dL, triglycerides below 150 mg/dL and total cholesterol below 200 mg/dL.
Food and Cholesterol
After you have a blood test and you are now aware of your cholesterol numbers, you can make changes to your diet and your lifestyle to improve these numbers. The foods that you eat are a great place to start if you want to improve your cholesterol. To do this you need to avoid foods that contain high amounts of saturated or trans fat. These types of fat trigger your body to produce cholesterol and they increase your LDL levels. Instead, eat foods that contain healthy forms of fat such as nuts, seeds and fish. These foods contain unsaturated fats that are considered heart healthy. In addition, your diet should include a large variety of fruits, vegetables and whole grains to ensure that you get the appropriate amount of fiber, protein, carbohydrates, fat, vitamins and minerals. Avoid processed and fast foods that can increase your cholesterol and your risk for chronic illness.
Considerations
Cholesterol is managed with dietary changes, exercise and medications. If you want to affect your levels or prevent the development of high cholesterol or heart disease, you need to get your levels checked, talk with your doctor about the results, eat a diet that includes healthy fats, avoid unhealthy fats in processed foods and engage in daily physical activity. These healthy lifestyle habits will help you maintain a healthy body weight, which can also lower your cholesterol levels and your risk for heart disease.
