Most people know that they have a higher risk of heart disease if they have high cholesterol levels in their blood and/or a high total cholesterol/good cholesterol ratio. What many people don't know, though, is that too much cholesterol or not enough good cholesterol also increases their risk of a host of other problems. One of the most crucial is peripheral vascular disease. You might have this condition if you walk several blocks and begin having pain and/or cramps in your legs, particularly your calves. The pain can impair your mobility and energy. High cholesterol also narrows your arteries to the brain and, thus, increases your chances of a stroke and memory loss. The impact of this ongoing condition can also sap your energy. High cholesterol levels often do not cause fatigue, but the exercise and diet required to lower cholesterol does have a positive impact on energy.
Understanding Cholesterol
A total cholesterol level of 240 milligrams per deciliter doubles people's risk of cardiovascular disease and increases their risk of a peripheral vascular disease, stroke and memory loss. If your level is between 200 and 240, you are at moderate risk, but young people should know that the level generally increases with age.
A total cholesterol/good cholesterol ratio of five puts people at a moderate risk. If your total cholesterol is 200 and your good cholesterol--high-density lipoprotein (HDL)--is 50, your ratio of four puts you at less risk than if you had a ratio of five (200/40). Someone with a 5.0 ratio has a moderate risk of cholesterol-related problems.
Doctors recommend having an HDL above 40 and a bad cholesterol--low-density lipoprotein (LDL)--level of below 130.
Exercise
Reducing your cholesterol could have a positive impact on your energy, particularly if this achieved via exercise. The type of exercise matters, according to "Controlling Cholesterol" by Dr. Kenneth H. Cooper. He writes that aerobic exercise such as walking, slow jogging, cycling, swimming and cross-country skiing is best. Anaerobic exercise like sprinting and weightlifting is less recommended.
Cooper wrote that 20 to 30 minutes of aerobic exercise 3 to 4 days a week maximizes the chance you will raise your HDL level. Aerobic exercise "is the best type of exercise to increase your general level of energy, your feelings of well-being and probably your longevity," he wrote.
Diet
Good foods can simultaneously reduce your cholesterol and increase your energy. "Nutritionists recommend that carbohydrates from grains, vegetables and fruits be the principal source of energy, supplying about 60 to 80 percent of total calories consumed," according to "Essentials for Health and Wellness."
Most cereals have low levels of cholesterol and saturated fat, which is converted into cholesterol in the blood, so cereal and an orange for breakfast can give you a nice spurt of energy. Lunches and dinners should emphasize breads and pasta because the U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends six to 11 servings per day of bread, cereal, pasta and rice, but only two to three servings of meat, poultry, fish, beans and eggs. "Protein is generally not recommended as a source of energy," according to "Essentials."
Coffee is good for energy and reducing cholesterol. According to a study by the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, "a daily dose of caffeine blocks the disruptive effects of high cholesterol that scientists have linked to Alzheimer's disease."
References
- "Essentials for Health and Wellness," Gordon Edlin, Eric Golanty, and Kelli McCormack Brown, 2000
- "Dr. Dean Ornish's Program for Reversing Heart Disease," Dean Ornish, 1996
- "Controlling Cholesterol," Dr. Kenneth Cooper, 1989
