Do you know which cholesterol is the BAD CHOLESTEROL & which one is the GOOD CHOLESTEROL? According to the American Heart Association (ADA), majority of people who have had a heart attack or stroke don't know what 'bad' cholesterol is and many people don't know the difference between all the numbers...
The low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is the 'bad" cholesterol as it causes plaque build-up in the arteries that can lead to issues with your brain & heart.
The American Heart Association recommends aiming for an LDL level below 100 mg/dL if you are at high risk of having a heart attack or have had a heart attack, stroke, mini stroke, angina (chest pain with stress) or bypass surgery... you get the idea!
Aim for an LDL level below 130 mg/dL if your risk level is below 20% and you have any of the conditions above or any genetic conditions such as MTHFR and elevated homocysteine. (This is another email topic I plan to discuss later).
Aim for an LDL level below 160 mg/dL if you have zero or only one risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
The high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol in your labs is known as the 'good' cholesterol. It absorbs the bad cholesterol in the blood and carries it to the liver where it gets flushed out. Keep in mind that if you don't have a healthy liver then you might struggle with eliminating the 'bad' cholesterol. (That's another email topic as well...LOL). Stay tuned!!
If you are concerned or you are at risk and need to lower your LDL's... losing weight,
increasing physical activity weekly and changing your diet can benefit you in as little
as 60 minutes. YES 60 minutes!!!
Here are my tips for the week:
1). Reduce or avoid trans fats such as fried foods, full fat dairy, whole milk, fatty red meats and pastries like cookies, cakes and breads.
2). Increase your cardiovascular exercise routine weekly to 4-5 times a week along with 2 days of strength training.
3). Watch your alcohol intake... I know red wine is supposed to raise your HDL's but there are mixed studies so don't start drinking to make changes. Too much alcohol can hinder your weight loss and raise your triglycerides.
4). Focus on losing weight if your BMI is over 30. This is considered obese and we want you out of this category. Right!!
5). STOP SMOKING if you smoke... I'm not judging but this definitely doesn't help if you are struggling with any of the above!!
I hope this is informative and if you haven't had your cholesterol tested in a while, please get it done! I want you healthy!!
As always, stay safe & be well!
You mean the world to me!
Michelle
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