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Normal Cholesterol

September 18th, 2007    Subscribe To Our Feed

Normal Cholesterol Levels Are Linked To a Healthy DietThere is a lot of information about cholesterol levels and the foods that increase it if eaten in unhealthy amounts. However, not all foods are guilty of this. Fresh fruits and vegetables, for example, don’t increase cholesterol. But did you know that there are a few foods that actually lower your cholesterol? If your cholesterol level is a bit high you can try and lower it by eating more of these foods.

Oatmeal

It is pretty common knowledge that oatmeal and oat bran can help to lower cholesterol. Bad cholesterol levels are lowered by soluble fiber. Experts think it’s because fiber can stop the absorption of cholesterol. A good amount of soluble fiber is five to ten grams a day. A cup and a half of oatmeal contains three grams.

Besides breakfast, oatmeal can be eaten at other meals by adding it to baked goods. Ireland offers many traditional recipes containing oatmeal for any time of the day. Other types of soluble fiber will also help maintain normal cholesterol when oatmeal becomes a bit boring.

Omega-3 fatty acids Found in Nuts and Fish

Omega-3 has been found to lower levels of triglycerides. Some nuts are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids and are tasty additions to a diet for maintaining normal cholesterol. Only about one to one and a half ounces a day is necessary. They are high in protein and fiber, making them filling. Walnuts and almonds are good for lowering cholesterol. The FDA also recommends peanuts, hazelnuts, pecans and pistachios.

Nuts with higher amounts of fat are not recommended for a normal cholesterol diet. They include Brazil nuts, macadamia nuts, cashews and some pine nuts. Of course, Omega-3 fatty acids are also found in fatty fish. They make a testy addition to the quest for normal cholesterol. Fatty fish include salmon, tuna, sardines, mackerel, herring and trout. Most fatty fish are cold-water fish.

Four ounces of salmon contains 83% of the daily requirement of omega-3. The same amount of halibut has 25% and cod has 15%. Two four ounce servings of fatty fish a week are enough to bring you close to normal cholesterol. Flaxseed, canola oil and omega-3 enriched eggs help too.

Plant sterols and stanols

Plant sterols and stanols can lower cholesterol, possibly because their similarity to cholesterol confuse the digestive tract and keep it from being absorbed. They are found in many vegetables, fruits, legumes, grains, nuts and seeds. They can also be found in some types of oil, salad dressing, milk, yogurt, juices and in additives to some foods like snack bars. Two grams of stanols or sterols daily can help make bring your cholesterol level back to normal.

Following a diet designed to reduce cholesterol or eating one rich in the above foods will help to achieve and maintain a normal cholesterol level for life.

Healthy Cholesterol Level

September 12th, 2007    Subscribe To Our Feed

How to Achieve and Maintain a Healthy Cholesterol Level

Cholesterol is something that most of us encounter and battle with at one point or the other in our lives. So, what is cholesterol and why do we look to increase one level and decrease the other. What role does it play in your body?

The answers to the above questions and more can be found in the following:

What is Cholesterol and What is a Healthy Cholesterol Level?

Cholesterol is an essential substance that exists in our cells and flows through our blood stream. It has a waxy texture and the good cholesterol or HDL helps build cell membranes as well as various hormones. Bad cholesterol or LDL in high levels will clog the arteries which can lead to heart attacks in due course.

A healthy cholesterol level is of a minimum of 40 mg/dL of HDL and a maximum of 200mg/dL of LDL. Any alteration from these numbers and we need to take immediate action in order to bring it back to a healthy cholesterol level.

How to Maintain a Healthy Cholesterol Level

The first step to take in order to maintain a healthy cholesterol level is to regularly check it. The best way to know to do this is through a blood test.

Watch your weight. While cholesterol is not measured by weight, obesity will often come with high levels of bad cholesterol but at the same time it does not mean that someone who is slim or even under weight has good levels of cholesterol.

Bad cholesterol is found in trans fat and saturated fats so read all food labels and ensure you don’t eat too much food which contains high levels of these. There are many other types of food, which contain cholesterol, and such as eggs, milk, butter and poultry. The fact is you cannot remove all the food that contains cholesterol from your diet but you can and should control the portions.

If you are not sure what to eat then consult your doctor or dietician in order to obtain a custom made diet plan for you containing the right amount of cholesterol.

Awareness and understanding of your body will always help to keep you out of trouble especially if it helps to diagnose a diseases in its early stages. So take action to ensure you maintain a healthy cholesterol level while. Don’t leave it until its too late and you end up in an emergency or worse.

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