Posted by sallym on 10th February 2010
Our health is often the main concern to each of us, so understanding how our body works and knowing how to maintain it well can sometimes prevent a major crisis before it occurs. Knowledge of cholesterol will help you do this.
Cholesterol is normally present in your body and mainly produced by the liver, though, it is also influenced by some of the food products we use in our daily diet. It is not necessarily weight-based. It is common for slimmer people to have higher levels then those who are overweight.
Preventing High Levels of Cholesterol
Our body naturally needs cholesterol, so we are not looking to eliminate it, but merely to keep the right levels. Men and women have different cholesterol level requirements, which your doctor will be happy to explain you in detail.
Food items that increase cholesterol are red meat, egg yolks, and shellfish. To get a whole list, contact your doctor or check any online site specialized in this field.
There are many cholesterol medicines available on the market, but they should only be taken following your doctor’s advice. Another helpful product is a cholesterol monitor with which you can check your levels from the comfort of your home. You can read more about this in the cholesterol readings explained article.
Anyone can acquire such a device, and the whole family can use it with ease for in between doctor check-ups.
Cholesterol monitors come in different sizes. Some can be easily place it in a handbag or briefcase without attracting much attention. They are easy to use and the results are produced within minutes. This device is a must for those who suffer from high cholesterol and need to keep a regular check on its levels.
It is advised to check your cholesterol levels mainly after meals so you can determine if it has increased or not. This is a great investment for the entire family, everyone from the eldest to the youngest members will enjoy using the cholesterol monitor, and at the same time it will help improve their awareness of the subject and their health. It is never too early or too late to learn how to improve your health.
Taking control of your health is what we must all try to achieve, but it is up to us to improve and/or maintain our overall good health. Sometimes just exercising and eating well is not enough; take the time to listen, understand, and work with your body.
Tags: cholesterol monitor
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Posted by bunches on 19th October 2007
How To Lower Your cholesterol - Your Choices
There are many choices when it comes to knowing how to lower your cholesterol levels. These include lifestyle changes such as improvements to your diet and more exercise, medication and natural remedies. Depending upon how high your cholesterol levels are and your specific circumstances you may need to ask your doctor's opinion on how to lower your cholesterol level most efectively.
Before you make any decisions about treatment, however, you need to know exactly what your cholesterol level is. You can find this out with a home cholesterol test such, if you have a family history of high cholesterol or you are showing symptoms of heart problems you will need to have a blood sample sent to a professional lab. If the results come back at an unhealty level you will need to decide upon how to lower your cholesterol to a normal level and will, most likely, need to be tested at least once a year going forward.
However, even though high cholesterol can lead to atherosclerosis, which in turn can cause heart disease it does not mean that you will end up with heart disease. You can control your cholesterol and can live a long and healthy life by doing so.
Your body produces cholesterol naturally and absorbs additional cholesterol from the foods that you eat. This is why changes in diet are often recommended in order to improve your health. If you are prescribed cholesterol medication your doctor will most likely recommend that you also exercise regularly and eat healthier food alongside taking the drugs.
One way to improve your diet is to cut out white breads and replace them with wheat, rye and other types of whole grain breads. Also eat less red meat and meats generally that are high in satuated fat. It is not a healthy choice to eat food with lots of saturated fats or cooked in grease and oil. Purchase meats that have the fat trimmed or the skinned removed in order to lower cholesterol levels in your body. Oatmeal for breakfast is always a good choice.
When it comes to snacks eat foods that are high in fiber, and low in fat. Try frozen yogurt bars, dry wholegrain cereals, cereal bars, fruit bars and juice bars or skim milk ice cream. Look for popcorn that is light, or unbuttered, rice cakes and low fat pretzels. And, of course, don't forget to ear plenty of fruit. Some people swear by grapaefruit juice as a good choice in how to lower your cholesterol.
So, when you need to decide how to lower your cholestrol, consider diet, exercise and, if necessary, cholesterol medication.
Tags: cholesterol levels, cholesterol monitor, home cholestrol kit, how to lower your cholesterol, low cholesterol diet
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Posted by bunches on 18th October 2007
Cholesterol Monitoring Devices
The importance of knowing your cholesterol levels cannot be overestimated. For someone with normal levels and no additional predictive factors pointing to a danger of high cholesterol, the few tests recommened by doctors should be sufficient. For someone 20 years or older, a test every 5 years is the suggested frequency, until the results start showing high cholesterol.
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If you have high levels and a condition that adds to the problem like diabetes or the need to take medication that raises cholesterol, more frequent tests are advised. If your cholesterol cannot be controlled by diet and exercise you are taking medication, you might want a more personal kind of cholesterol monitor.
Cholesterol Testing at Home
With the success of diabetes home monitoring, medical science has been developing cholesterol tests that can be administered at home to keep track of progress using a special monitor. Cholesterol levels can fluctuate on a daily basis. For those within the normal range, this isn’t a problem.
When your cholesterol levels are regularly at levels that can be dangerous, it can be important to monitor changes so that you can see what is working and what isn’t in your treatment regimen.
For several years instruments like the home cholesterol monitor have been delivering reliable results using a drop of blood. The test takes just a few minutes and many of the devices will keep track of the time and date of the test and store the results. Such a tool can be helpful when a patient is trying a new regimen.
Improvements can be measured as exercise is increased or diet improved. As results become better, a patient may find encouragement between doctor’s visits and keep up the good work. This alone can be very important since beginning a diet and exercise program is demanding and high cholesterol can cause depression.
Several types of cholesterol monitor are miniature computers. This allows different kinds of information to be available. A device may be able to assess current readings in conjunction with other risk factors such as smoking. While the FDA accepts the accuracy of the new types of home cholesterol monitor, some insurance companies don’t accept the need for frequent testing and don’t cover the cost of the devices and their test strips.
The need for such tests can be determined by doctors on a case by case basis. If nothing else, they help a patient participate more fully in controlling the situation.
Tags: cholesterol home kit, cholesterol monitor, cholesterol test, home cholesterol test
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