The level of cholesterol in our blood has a deep impact on our health. LDL (low density lipoprotein) cholesterol affects our health adversely, whereas HDL (high density lipoprotein) cholesterol is beneficial for us. Maintaining the balance of good and bad cholesterol levels is essential for a good, healthy life, one that is free from heart disease.
Simply put, we should do our best to enhance the level of HDL (good) cholesterol and reduce the level of LDL (bad) cholesterol.
Cholesterol levels can be controlled using chemical intervention in the form of medicines. This is an emergency solution, not a long term solution. Natural, holistic therapies are preferred for cholesterol control. Cardiovascular exercise is the prime example of such therapy. This exercise improves the blood circulation. The improved blood circulation means firstly, more health and secondly, better elimination of harmful wastes like LDL cholesterol.
The American Heart Association recommends a daily dose of thirty minutes of cardiovascular exercise to control bad cholesterol. A very different opinion is voiced by Dr. Joseph Mercola. He says that the dose recommended by the AHA is insufficient to control bad cholesterol. Fundamental to his opinion is the mode of exercise, not its duration. Walking in the park for an hour will not get the heart pumping strongly enough to flush out the bad cholesterol. Exercise must make you ‘exert’ yourself; it must leave you near enough to exhaustion, that you feel breathless. He does issue 3 caveats to go along with this: don’t overdo it, each person has to determine his own exertion point to avoid collapsing and complicating an already bad situation, and this must be done under supervision. He agrees with the AHA that cardiovascular exercise must be done regularly everyday for it to be effective to any significant degree.
Most people think that dietary control means limiting the amount of food you have. Not so. The amount is secondary; the kind of food is primary. Include more of mono-unsaturated fats in the food you have, both as food items and in the form of a cooking medium. Omega-3 fats (found in fish) and virgin olive oil are good for health. Be wary of genetically modified unsaturated fats. Do not have or use saturated fats at all.
Omega-3 fats are instrumental in raising good HDL cholesterol. Salmon and tuna are good natural sources of omega-3 fats, but you can get your dietary requirement through purified omega-3 supplements. Avoid margarine as completely as possible. Pastries and processed food treats which are sugary and fatty are bad for HDL cholesterol. Follow these simple guidelines and watch your HDL cholesterol bounce back to good healthy levels.
Next put your lifestyle under a scanner. Do you smoke? Cigarette smoking is turning out to be a bigger killer than originally thought. Stop it, immediately! Smoking smothers the HDL cholesterol in the blood. Are you obese? Obesity aids and abets the malefic HDL cholesterol. Follow regular workouts specially designed to reduce obesity.
Last but not least, there is one more lifestyle factor that affects your cholesterol balance. This factor is stress, aka tension. So learn to manage stress in your life. If the stress is bound to the work environment consider changing your occupation. If it’s the neighborhood that stresses you out, consider moving. Changing your occupation or your residence is a very big ask, no doubt, but you should consider it seriously for the sake of your health.
Cardiovascular exercise, dietary control, and lifestyle modification: these are the three important ways to a better cholesterol situation. Follow the steps we’ve put together for you and your risk of suffering heart disease will just fade away. Have a healthy, happy life!
To discover ways of lowering cholesterol naturally visit www.Reduce-High-Cholesterol.com. You’ll find out what foods you should eat, and what you should avoid. You’ll also learn how owning a cholesterol monitor can save you costly visits to the physician.
Tags: cholesterol, health, Health & Economy, heart disease, wellness
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