Cholesterol Level Chart

How To Maintain Normal Cholesterol Levels

Matt Holt — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 18:18:56 +0000

Most of us know that an essential part of having a healthy cardiovascular system and heart is having optimal cholesterol levels. However, keeping those levels where they should be can be challenging, especially if you are genetically predisposed to high cholesterol. While medication for some has to be taken in order to achieve normal cholesterol levels, others can make changes to their lifestyle to get these results. The following will discuss how you can keep normal cholesterol levels without having to be on any prescriptions.

Diet

The number one factor for maintaining normal cholesterol levels is probably a healthy diet. Our bodies produce a certain amount of cholesterol that is needed, but many have diets that continue to add unnecessary cholesterol. The body is not capable of removing all the excess cholesterol, so the result is the formation of plaque, clogged arteries, and making the heart work that much harder. Therefore, normal cholesterol levels can be obtained and maintained by not eating foods high in cholesterol and saturated fats.

Exercise

As important as a healthy diet is, it can be argued that exercising each day for at least 30 minutes is just as important. Exercising will raise HDL (good cholesterol) and lower LDL (bad cholesterol) effectively. Taking a walk around the block, swimming a few laps, or going on a bike ride 5-6 days a week will allow you to meet the recommended amount of physical activity. Try to find an exercise that you enjoy and possibly a partner if desired to help you stay on track.

Weight

Staying at a healthy weight will also go a long way toward keeping normal cholesterol levels. Of all the health problems in America, obesity ranks right at the top. Obesity has caused other health conditions to become more prevalent as well, such as high cholesterol. If you currently aren’t at a healthy weight, consult your doctor about going on a weight loss program that is safe. If you are currently at a healthy weight, then continue consuming a healthy diet and exercise regularly. Establishing these good habits will ensure that your cholesterol levels and weight will be normal for a long time.

Smoking

Bad cholesterol levels have shown to decrease when people have stopped smoking, in addition to gaining a number of other benefits health wise. For example, once a person has stopped smoking, within 20 minutes their blood pressure will bounce back to normal levels. Within a day, the risk of getting a heart attack goes down significantly. Therefore, just by dropping this habit alone you can be on your way to getting normal cholesterol levels and living a much healthier life.

How to Interpret a Cholesterol Level Chart

Matt Holt — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 18:55:07 +0000

Doctors nowadays use multiple screenings, such as cholesterol, to evaluate a patient’s health. A patient with high levels of cholesterol can be at a much greater risk of having a heart attack or developing cardiovascular disease down the road. Doctors can get a great deal of information from cholesterol screenings concerning the heart and cardiovascular system. On the other hand, patients may not completely understand the comprehensive results they get back. The following will provide information on interpreting a cholesterol level chart so that patients know what their health situation is.

Ranges

When you read a cholesterol level chart, you will notice that the categories and levels are presented in ranges. This is because no one number is perfect when it comes to cholesterol. As a result, ranges are used to describe whether a patient’s level of cholesterol is good or too high. These ranges include high, borderline high, near optimal, and normal. Based on what category your cholesterol levels falls in, you will either have to begin trying to lower them or not be concerned at all. Medication may be prescribed by your doctor to quickly lower your levels and prevent any further health risks.

Types of Cholesterol

Various types of cholesterol are included in a cholesterol level chart. One type is high density lipoproteins (HDL), the good cholesterol that can be rid of from the body effectively. You actually want HDL levels to be higher. On the other hand, the “bad” cholesterol are low density lipoproteins (LDL), that don’t leave the body and clog your arteries. Therefore, LDL numbers should be low as possible. Both HDL and LDL are factored in when calculating total cholesterol. A low number on a cholesterol level chart for total cholesterol is what you should shoot for.

Numbers

Finally, a cholesterol level chart will have numbers that will show exactly where your cholesterol levels are. HDL levels are optimal when they are 60 or greater. Levels below 40 indicate a higher risk for cardiovascular disease. An ideal LDL reading is 100 or below, and anything between 100-129 is near optimal. A borderline high reading is in the range of 130-159. A person is at greater risk for cardiovascular disease and heart attacks with LDL levels over 160.

A very important collection of information on a cholesterol level chart are the total cholesterol numbers. Any cholesterol number below 200 is considered ideal. A borderline high level is one in the range of 200-239. A person is at risk with a number over 240.

By being able to interpret a cholesterol level chart properly, you will know exactly what you need to do with your health and prevent serious conditions from occuring.

Good Cholesterol Foods That Should Be a Part of Your Diet

Matt Holt — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 22:02:11 +0000

Our cholesterol levels are a reflection of the foods that we eat. Each food in itself comes with a certain type of cholesterol, so knowing which foods will promote health and those that will hurt it is important to know. This article will cover several good cholesterol foods that can help you be healthy. What these foods do is lower your low density lipoprotein (LDL) levels, which of course are the bad cholesterol. LDL is the cholesterol that builds plaque in your arteries. Consuming good cholesterol foods is a way to stay healthy and enjoy your life more.

What Should You Be Eating?

Oatmeal is one of the better good cholesterol foods on the list. Soluble fiber is present in oat brand and oatmeal, which will effectively reduce the LDL levels in your body. Consuming soluble fiber is critical in terms of wining the battle against bad cholesterol and being as healthy as possible. Prunes, barley, pears, kidney, apples, and others are examples of foods that contain soluble fibers. You will be pleased with the results should you choose to consume these delicious and nutritious foods.

A certain amount of good cholesterol foods should be consumed daily so that you can achieve the best results. Almonds and walnuts are two additional good cholesterol foods. You actually have your choice of several other foods as well that will improve your health, so you should be able to find ones that you can enjoy too. Your blood vessels will maintain their elasticity and health by eating the right foods.

The Food and Drug Administration claims that you can also lower your chances of getting heart disease by consuming nuts such as hazelnuts, peanuts, walnuts, and others on a daily basis. Use these to your advantage, especially since they can be found easily and don’t cost very much.

Omega 3 fatty acids and fish are additional good cholesterol foods. What they do is supply the right types of fat to the bloodstream. Heart attacks can be avoided for those who consume these foods consistently. They prevent blood clots and lower blood pressure. The amount of good cholesterol foods is plentiful, so benefit from them so that you can live a full life and avoid serious illnesses.

Creating A Low Cholesterol Diet Plan

Matt Holt — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 21:51:00 +0000

Heart diseases develop primarily because of an excess amount of bad cholesterol present in a person’s body. One of the challenges dealing with high cholesterol levels is the fact that no symptoms of it are visible until the arteries are completely clogged. Therefore, most people don’t know they have a problem until it’s too late. Americans in particular have a fascination with prepackaged foods and fast foods that lead to high cholesterol. As a result, answers are needed now more than ever, such as a low cholesterol diet plan, that can help slow down the growing cholesterol problem in America.

Low Fat Content Meats

When putting together a low cholesterol diet plan, begin by selecting low fat meats. You want to target the ones that don’t have as much marbling and are 85% lean at a minimum. Substitute ground chicken breasts and turkeys in for ground meats as well.

Consuming a low cholesterol diet plan also means utilizing healthy cooking oils. Cooking sprays, soy oils, virgin olive oils, and margarines are the preferred choices since they will help lower cholesterol levels. Smart Balance light buttery spreads and Smart Balance Omega are examples of margarines available.

Another element to include in a low cholesterol diet plan is additional fiber. Broccoli, legumes, apples, and oranges are several natural sources of fiber. Also recommended is oatmeal, since it works to reduce levels of cholesterol. The General Mills Fiber One is one to take a look at.

While having the right low cholesterol diet plan is critical to one’s health, establishing a exercise routine is just as important. Studies have shown that just by exercising for 20-30 minutes per day will not only lower cholesterol levels, but will also improve your overall physical and mental health.

Of course, not smoking, limiting consumption of alcohol, and avoiding fast foods will have positive effects on your health.

Implementing a low cholesterol diet plan is one of the best actions you can take to improve your health. Those who consume high levels of fat are the ones who have trouble with their weight, which of course means an increased risk for high cholesterol and heart disease down the road.

What is Good Cholesterol?

Matt Holt — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 21:43:10 +0000

All people should learn about the role cholesterol plays in our overall health. Much can be learned about what foods we can consume in order to live healthier and longer lives. You have to ability to consume only foods that will be beneficial for your body. Diseases and heart attacks can be prevented by having the right amounts of good cholesterol. The body consists of two types of cholesterol, and the following will discuss these more in depth. Always remember that your body needs good cholesterol to keep the bad cholesterol down.

The Two Kinds Of Cholesterol

Your body has both good and bad cholesterol. The good cholesterol is high density lipoprotein (HDL). Your body naturally produces HDL, so if you were to never again have an intake of cholesterol, your body would do just fine. Though, both good and bad cholesterol is contained in many foods. Therefore, understanding what cholesterol does and taking action to better your health is critical.

Cholesterol is essentially a waxy substance that produces cell membranes and sex hormones. It can be found in lipids flowing through the bloodstream. Always keep in mind that cholesterol does not deteriorate in the blood and is typically transported by lipoproteins to all the body’s cells.

As opposed to bad cholesterol, good cholesterol doesn’t result in artery walls being hardened or thick. Good cholesterol will help improve your health and reduce the risk of heart disease by keeping LDL levels down. Only a blood test however can tell for absolute certain the good and bad cholesterol levels in your body. The condition doesn’t come with any symptoms, of course until you suffer the consequences. Getting tests done over time is a good idea so you know where you stand and avoid experiencing the downfall of excess bad cholesterol.

Bad cholesterol comes with higher levels of fat rather than proteins. Good cholesterol, or high density lipoproteins, provides the necessary protein to create the proper surroundings for cells to thrive.

If you want to learn more about good and bad cholesterol, there are many additional sources on the matter including books and websites. You can never learn too much about cholesterol levels!

Finding The Right Diet To Lower Cholesterol For You

Matt Holt — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 21:30:17 +0000

Often times doctors claim that within the first two weeks of being on a diet to lower cholesterol, a person can gain maximum benefits from it. Doctors also say that the proper diet to lower cholesterol can by itself reduce bad cholesterol levels. Unfortunately, no one diet has been identified as one that can be effective for everyone. Each person will have to find out what works best for them. Doing can involve working with dietitian, who will use a person’s medical history, lifestyle, prior eating patterns, and individual dislikes and likes to develop a suitable diet to lower cholesterol.

Commitment

The process of putting together the ideal diet to lower cholesterol involves the patient’s commitment to it. If the patient isn’t on board with what the dietitian presents, then it doesn’t matter how well it’s put together because he or she isn’t likely to stick with it. This is why it’s important for the patient to work with the dietitian closely. Before a dietitian can provide a specific diet to lower cholesterol, he or she must factor in a number of considerations first.

Even when the dietitian officially provides the patient with the diet to lower cholesterol, that is not the end of the process. The diet must be evaluated periodically to see what type of results the patient is getting from it and determine whether or not any changes need to be made. While any diet to lower cholesterol will be tailored specifically to the patient in some ways, it must also include some basic principles that are common among all diets.

For instance, any diet must minimize the amount of saturated fat. This kind of fat is included in animal foods, such as meats and dairy. A good rule to follow is to limit total fat intake to less than 30% of a person’s total caloric intake.

Soluble fiber foods are another element that is a must for a diet to lower cholesterol. Examples include oatmeal, beans, and lentils. A person should consume these foods multiple times every week. Always drink the recommended amount of water and of course fruits and vegetables. Cholesterol levels can also be reduced with a meal plan based on soy.

Heart disease has it’s way of presenting itself in people with cholesterol levels that are elevated. Implementing a diet to lower cholesterol in your life in addition to being active will produce excellent results. Always be careful about the foods that are included; make sure that all of them are safe to consume and find out which ones aren’t. You will then know which foods to cut back on and which ones to consume more in order to lower your cholesterol.

Cholesterol Diet Introduction

Matt Holt — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 21:20:13 +0000

Cholesterol is needed by the human body in order to digest fats, build cell walls, and produce hormones. Problems occur however when the bloodstream has too much bad cholesterol in it. This results in high blood pressure and possible cardiovascular diseases. Managing your diet properly is necessary in order to avoid health complications. Your cholesterol diet will therefore have to limit consumption of saturated fats, which can be found in red meats, poultry, dairy, and egg yolks.

No Fast Food?

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that fast food restaurants have food that isn’t particularly healthy. A cholesterol diet then will either have to completely avoid fast food or at least minimize it. High levels of cholesterol are contained in the oils used to cook foods at fast food restaurants. Consuming it can lead to serious health problems. Fat free products can be included in a good cholesterol diet. Whole grain foods, skinless poultry, fish, and lean meat are also very good additions to a diet.

Other important elements to a cholesterol diet include sufficient vitamin intake while also eating fruits and vegetables to meet all of your nutritional needs. You can combine this with monosaturates and olive oil to get even better results.

How you cook your foods should not be an overlooked part of your cholesterol diet. Cooking your foods the right way means roasting, steaming, boiling, or grilling food instead of frying. Avoid using cooking oils that consist of a high amount of fat. If you consume sodas, wines, and alcohol frequently then you will have to cut back on each of those as well.

There is nothing wrong with having a drink every now and then. However, this is about being healthy, and the best way to achieve this is by drinking water and fruit juices that are freshly prepared.

As important as the right cholesterol diet is in order to be healthy, it’s impact won’t be as great unless an exercise regimen is also incorporated. This only means walking, jogging, or running for 20-30 minutes per day.

A variety of cholesterol diets are available to choose from. You can choose a diet that doesn’t include butter, or another than only has foods with little or no cholesterol.

What Should A Diet For High Cholesterol Consist Of?

Matt Holt — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 20:40:57 +0000

Those who have high levels of cholesterol are likely not consuming a healthy diet. HDL and LDL are the two cholesterol types found in the human body. The bad cholesterol is LDL. In order to prevent heart conditions and ultimately be healthy, you have to keep your LDL levels low. HDL of course is the good cholesterol, and you want achieve a ratio of 0.3 between HDL and LDL.

Consuming a healthy diet is critical to achieving and maintaining the ideal levels of cholesterol. Some diets are designed specifically to lower cholesterol. When the blood stream has too much LDL cholesterol, it translates into arteries being hardened and plaque building up. A diet to lower cholesterol will help reduce the cholesterol that is found the in the bloodstream.

High cholesterol doesn’t come with any visible symptoms throughout, so getting tests done every so often that will evaluate your levels is best. By the time a person does begin to notice symptoms, plaque has already begun to form on the walls of the arteries, resulting in blockage. This can lead to heart attacks and other serious conditions, so you want to find out about your cholesterol before it’s too late.

Minimizing Saturated Fats

Cholesterol and saturated fats are the two areas to limit in a diet for high cholesterol. A sufficient amount of cholesterol is already produced by the human body as it is, so our diets don’t need to include very much of it. Cholesterol and saturated fats can be limited in a variety of ways to contribute to a diet for high cholesterol.

A diet for high cholesterol should also involve not consuming very little or no fried foods at all. If do fry, instead of using solid fats such as lard, use liquid oil. Deep frying should not be done very often if you want to truly lower your cholesterol. Red meat should be avoided, though it’s probably safe to eat cuts that are very lean in most cases. A great deal of cholesterol and fat can be found in chicken skin and egg yolks, so avoiding these is probably best. In addition to adhering to a diet for high cholesterol, you should also exercise on a regular basis to also help lower excess fat.

The Risks Of High Cholesterol

Matt Holt — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 18:28:11 +0000

The human body produces the substance known as cholesterol. The levels of cholesterol a person has is determined by the amount found in the blood. While a person who is overweight may not necessarily have high levels of cholesterol, a correlation between the two does exist naturally. Elevated levels of cholesterol are the result of eating high cholesterol foods, and a blood chemistry test can show this.

Genetics are believed by some doctors to be a factor in terms of cholesterol levels as well. The evidence to support this theory is based on individuals who fall in the normal weight range but still suffer from this condition. Another factor is a person’s metabolic rate, which tells the rate at which your burn calories.

Living a sedentary lifestyle, eating high cholesterol foods, and being overweight are factors that can result in serious consequences, possibly death, for people who already are affected by cholesterol. Exercising consistently helps rid of fats and maintain uninterrupted blood flow throughout the body, so this is a critical element in terms of lowering cholesterol.

The Arteries

The blood stream shows an accurate portrayal of the consequences of high cholesterol. Blood samples are used to determine levels of HDL and LDL. Arteries become hardened and fatty substances are deposited when an excess of bad cholesterol is present in the blood. In addition to the fatty deposits gathering, other elements and calcium also accumulate in the blood that contribute to blockage. Heart problems and stroke can result from deposits forming since it constricts, and eventually stops blood flow completely.

Heightened blood pressure is a byproduct of increased deposits in arteries since it slows down blood flow. Of course, high blood pressure can then lead to further complications involving the heart if nothing is done to treat it. High cholesterol mixed in with diabetes can also create havoc in the blood stream. Anyone who has high cholesterol and any other underlying conditions should see a doctor about further complications that may occur.

While having high cholesterol can be a problem, the positive is that something can be done to lower it. Dietary and lifestyle changes will go a long way toward being healthy.

A Guide to Cholesterol Levels

Matt Holt — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 18:20:13 +0000

Watching cholesterol levels is not a concept unknown to most people. Though, the exact meaning of this is not known by everyone. A cholesterol screening involves various ranges of numbers as well as the different cholesterol types. The following will discuss cholesterol levels in depth so you can have a better understanding of the results you receive after a screening.

Cholesterol latches on to a special protein in order to travel to parts of the body. Low density and high density are the two combinations of cholesterol-protein referred to as lipoproteins. One places cholesterol in the bloodstream, while the other eliminates it. Differentiating the two is important when learning about cholesterol levels. The reason being is that one should be lower and other higher in order to have a healthy cardiovascular system.

HDL

High density lipoprotein (HDL) is the cholesterol that is responsible for eliminating the bad cholesterol (LDL) from the bloodstream. Of course, since HDL is the good cholesterol, you want these numbers to be higher. Lower numbers of HDL will mean a greater risk of getting cardiovascular disease. 60 is a good number to shoot for, as anything higher than this will decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease. You will be a high risk with any number below 40.

LDL

Low density lipoprotein (LDL) is what sends cholesterol to the bloodstream. While cholesterol is needed by the body to construct cell membranes, most of the time it gets more than what’s required. As a result, arteries are left with the excess cholesterol and plaque begins to form, which causes blood flow to be restricted.

The lower your LDL levels are, the better. The range between 100-129 on a cholesterol level chart is considered the normal level for LDL, and any number below is optimal. The borderline high range is between 130-159, and numbers above this will place you into the category of high risk.

Total Cholesterol

A total cholesterol number will be gathered from HDL and LDL numbers. Any figure below 200 indicates a healthy cardiovascular system. Borderline high is 200-239, and a figure in this range means that you should get checked often. Any number above 240 means that you have an increased risk for getting cardiovascular disease.

Learning about cholesterol levels is a step in the right direction when it comes to getting healthier. By closely monitoring your condition consistently, you will be on your way to lowering cholesterol and maintaining it and an optimal level.