Cholesterol in right quantities is a basic requirement for healthy living. Our liver produces the cholesterol from the fat in our diet. The more saturated fats we consume,the more cholesterol is produced by the liver and circulated through blood. Cholesterol is a blood borne fat compound essential in production of cell membranes,hormones and nerve fibers. Only when the amount of cholesterol in your blood gets high,it becomes harmful.
For healthy living,cholesterol level in our blood should be 5.20 milli moles per liter mmol/L in short. When we consume excess saturated fats,our liver produces excess cholesterol. Over a period of time,this excess cholesterol gets deposited in arteries and hardens. This hardened cholesterol deposit is called ‘atherosclerotic plaque’. This condition might lead to heart problems and stroke. Other cholesterol problems are diabetes and under performing thyroid.
There are two major types of cholesterol,LDL and HDL .Among these, LDL type is harmful to health hence called bad cholesterol. HDL is called good cholesterol since it is not harmful to our health. When LDL levels are high in our blood we are more prone to heart problems. High level of HDL in our blood is in fact good for our health since it carries the cholesterol back to the liver where it is metabolized and removed from our body through excretion. The optimum level of LDL cholesterol should be less than 3.5 mmol/L. For HDL the optimum level should be 1 mmol/L or more. The total cholesterol level should be less than 5.2 mmol/L.
Avoid high fat animal products such as red meat,whole milk dairy products,processed foods that contain saturated vegetable oils and food products that contain hydrogenated oils as these contain harmful trans fats. Consume low fat,high fiber foods and add lots of vegetables to your diet possibly in raw uncooked form such as carrot,beetroot,tomato ..etc..as salads. Add whole grains and fruits to your diet but do not overeat. Diet control and exercise can reduce cholesterol level and if it does not help then there are drugs to control it. Devise a diet and workout plan suitable to your condition with the help of your physician and stick to it fully.
Reduce your stress level by finding a suitable stress reduction technique through yoga,meditation,tai chi etc…since it was found that stress increases the lipid level in the blood. Exercise regularly and maintain a strict workout schedule depending upon your age and condition. Quit smoking. Be positive and surely you will win.
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