If you have been told by your doctor that you are at risk for developing heart disease, it is very important that you address the need for improved health immediately. The top priority on your list should be lowering your bad cholesterol levels-this will make a very big influence on your health, and your risk for deadly diseases.
There are a few reasons why this is critically important. There are generally two different kinds fat in our body-one is good, and one is very harmful and detrimental to your overall health.
The level that is bad is usually a little too high, and controlling it within your body can take a little effort on your part when it comes to your lifestyle. Cholesterol is a chemical compound that is naturally produced by the body, and is a combination of fat and steroid.
This is a building block for cell membranes, and for hormones like estrogen and testosterone, which our bodies need to function normally. Our liver is responsible for producing about eighty percent of these levels, with the remaining twenty percent coming directly from our diet.
When it comes to getting this specific type of fat from your diet, it generally comes with the consumption of meat such as poultry and fish, as well as dairy products. If you like to eat meat that comes from animal organs, such as liver, these contain especially high amounts.
In general, plants and plant derived products do not contain any at all. The liver in your body regulates the levels that go through your blood stream, and secrete the substance when it is needed.
As mentioned previously, there are two different kinds-HDL, and LDL. LDL is generally considered to be the bad level, and it dramatically increases your risk of coronary heart disease, one of the top reasons for death in the United States.
This bad lipoprotein deposits cholesterol on the artery walls, causing the formation of a hard, thick substance called cholesterol plaque. Over time, this plaque causes thickening of the artery walls and narrowing of the arteries, a process called atherosclerosis-this is very detrimental to your health.
Your top priority should be preventing this from happening. If the process has already begun within your body, it is not too late to take action and do something about it.
Lowering these levels will take some effort on your part, and may require you to alter your lifestyle completely. If you can lower your LDL, you will be able to reduce or stop the formation of new plaques on your artery walls.
You will also be reducing what is already there, while widening the arteries, allowing more healthy blood flow. This will prevent any rupture from taking place, which can cause deadly clots, or blocks in your blood vessels.
Your risk for having a heart attack or a stroke will greatly reduce, allowing you to feel better, and more secure in regards to your future.
To work on creating these positive effects in your body, you will need to learn how to lose weight effectively, through a change in your diet, and an increase in your exercise frequency and duration.
You will want to focus on a diet that is low in saturated fats, and cholesterol. Make sure that you are getting plenty of healthy fruits and vegetables, while lowering your intake of fatty meats and dairy.
When it comes to exercise, make sure that you are getting plenty of cardiovascular work in. The harder you work your body, the better it will perform for you.
This could mean riding your stationary bike for at least thirty minutes a day, at a level that keeps your heart pumping consistently. Taking a daily fast walk or job is another great way to make a positive difference.
If you are in a more extreme case, you can also lower your levels through the use of an approved medication prescribed by your doctor. While medication should not be your first choice over a lifestyle change, it will certainly help get you started in more dangerous and urgent situations.
Talk to your doctor about testing to see what your levels are, and what lifestyle changes they recommend. If you take positive action now, you could prevent painful and deadly heart disease down the road.
Author Resource:-
Terry Daniels is a personal trainer and has authored hundreds of articles relating to physical training and fitness bikes. He has been a health expert and physical trainer for over 15 years.
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://www.massagebyben.com/articles/images/icon_Rss.png "XML Feed For RSS"){kind=icon}
Category Rss Feed
Print This Article
Add To Favorites 