What’s good cholesterol level

In this post, you will learn more about the optimal cholesterol numbers and what your cholesterol numbers mean. Before I explain in detail what’s good cholesterol level, let’s start briefly about what is cholesterol. Cholesterol is a waxy-like substance and a type of fat (lipid) that exists all over our cells. Your liver produces cholesterol and it is a vital substance for proper hormonal and cell function in its moderate amount.  However, higher than normal levels of lipids in your bloodstream can lead to serious health complications. For example, higher risks of heart attack and stroke are directly linked to high levels of cholesterol. There are two main types of cholesterol:

•         HDL – high density lipoprotein also called the good type of cholesterol
•         LDL – low density lipoprotein also called the bad type of cholesterol

If you want to know how to lower cholesterol levels, it’s important to differentiate between these two types of cholesterol, and that is because you want to have a higher range of HDL or good cholesterol and reduce your LDL or bad cholesterol in order to lower your risk of heart diseases and plaque buildup in your arteries.

How to measure cholesterol levels

Because high cholesterol causes no explicit symptoms in most cases, a complete cholesterol test is done to measure the lipid profile of an individual. The cholesterol ratio is normally a blood test. Expert recommendation suggests men ages 35 and above and women ages 45 and above to have frequent lipid profile screening. The lipid profile screening or cholesterol test measures four significant elements which include total cholesterol, HDL, LDL and triglycerides. 

Cholesterol level chart – what’s good cholesterol level

The below chart shows recommended levels of lipid profile screening or cholesterol levels for adults. Please note that the numbers might vary to some extent based on each laboratory’s measurement scales. 

What factors can impact your cholesterol levels

There are different factors that can affect the level of your total, good and bad cholesterol. The below list outlines some of the most important things that will help you maintain healthy cholesterol levels.

• Daily diet – you should be watchful over what types of fats you consume. Experts suggest a diet which consists mostly of unsaturated fat and only a small amount of saturated fat (processed red meat, dairy products). Saturated fat should consist a maximum ten percent of your total diet. Monosaturated and omega-3 fatty acids are considered the healthiest types of dietary fats and therefore should both be taken in your diet (extra virgin olive oil, almond oil, salmon fish & omega-3 supplements). This guide on what are the worst foods for high cholesterol gives you a more in-depth understanding of a cholesterol lowering diet. If you also want to lower cholesterol efficiently, I highly recommend you to check out this four-week plan which helps you to effectively reduce cholesterol and prevent coronary artery diseases. It's an amazing and highly effective program to understand everything about cholesterol and get the best results following its four-week plan. 

•  Physical activity – a sedentary lifestyle with low physical activity puts you at high risk of heart disease. Being physically active helps you lose weight which directly impacts your levels of good cholesterol and lowering bad or LDL cholesterol. Research suggests that exercising affects your LDL levels and prevents your liver from producing cholesterol for several days while clearing away excess cholesterol from your bloodstream.

•  Smoking – smoking is one of the major risk factors for heart disease. Numerous studies have found out that smoking raises the level of your bad cholesterol and triglycerides. It also negatively affects the level of your HDL or good cholesterol in your body reducing its concentration. So if you have a high cholesterol and are already smoking, you are at high risk of heart diseases and life-threatening complications. Quitting smoking would help you a lot.

Conclusion

If you want to find out what’s good cholesterol level, you need to differentiate between the good and bad type of cholesterol. Adults are recommended to check their cholesterol levels frequently (at least every 6 months) by taking a blood test which measures four different elements of your lipid profile including total cholesterol , your good and bad cholesterol and your triglyceride levels. 

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Herbs to lower cholesterol quickly – discover below

Are you a lover of herbs, spices and home remedies? In this post, I am going to reveal herbs to lower cholesterol quickly . Many of you might be interested to learn more about home remedies for high cholesterol. Herbs and spices can be a great alternative to medications to help you lower your cholesterol fast and naturally without any side effects. High levels of LDL or bad cholesterol in your blood stream heightens chances of heart attack and stroke. There are a variety of cholesterol lowering herbs and spices that we would cover in this article. So stay with me as I will introduce these herbs.

Which herbs reduce cholesterol quickly

In this section, I am going to introduce herbs to lower cholesterol quickly.

• Turmeric – you want to add this magical ingredient into your daily diet right from today if you are not already using it. YES! Turmeric works wonders when it comes to lowering your bad cholesterol levels and raising your HDL (good) cholesterol. The existence of curcumin in turmeric prevents accumulation of fat and cholesterol in the liver. 

• Flaxseeds – the rich fiber content of flaxseeds acts as a great protector against rising cholesterol levels. Flax is loaded with soluble fiber.

• Incorporate 2-3 tablespoons of ground flaxseeds into your daily diet to enjoy optimal benefits. You can also mix it in your smoothie, yogurt and cereals.

• Green tea – flavonoids and antioxidants found in green tea help to lower your bad cholesterol levels. The presence of an antioxidant known as catechin in green tea breaks down excess fat and reduces absorption of cholesterol in the intestine. Apart from this, green tea also detoxifies the body of free radicals which can cause cancer and heart disease.

• Ginseng – ginseng is a traditional Asian herb that has been used for many centuries due to its medicinal benefits. One of the amazing benefits of this Asian herb is its lowering effect on cholesterol levels. Also, some clinical studies suggest that ginseng may help in treatment of high cholesterol

• Hawthorn – hawthorn is a plant and herb which has been used for treatment of heart disease for centuries. Studies suggest that hawthorn lowers LDL or bad cholesterol by preventing accumulation of fat deposits in the liver. Therefore, It is one of the best cholesterol lowering herbs. You should try hawthorn if you are looking for herbs to lower cholesterol quickly and naturally.

• Garlic – studies suggest that garlic can reduce cholesterol . The cholesterol lowering effect of garlic is mostly on total cholesterol levels. There is further evidence that consumption of garlic supplements for people with high cholesterol levels may help reduce total and LDL (bad) cholesterol by up to about 15 percent.

Conclusion

There are certain herbs to lower cholesterol quickly and naturally. The use of these herbs as natural cholesterol lowering alternatives have a great benefit compared to medications. Consuming these herbs do not have any side effects and if used in proper amount can yield great results. Following a healthy diet plan in addition to daily use of the above cholesterol lowering herbs help to reduce LDL cholesterol and raise HDL or good cholesterol significantly.

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What are the worst foods for high cholesterol

Introduction

Would you like to know what are the worst foods for high cholesterol levels? If you are genuinely concerned about elevated levels of cholesterol in your body, then stay with me as I will be revealing the list of foods to avoid with high cholesterol. Before we dig further into the list of these foods, let’s first start by explaining what cholesterol is and what causes it to raise?

What is cholesterol

Cholesterol is a fatty-like substance our liver produces and can be found all over our body cells. Human body needs normal levels of this substance for proper hormonal and cell functions, digestion and vitamin D production. This substance can be both good and bad. In fact, it is vital for our body at its recommended levels. However, if there is too much cholesterol release into your bloodstream , it can lead to plaque buildup in the arteries . This is dangerous and can put you at high risk of coronary disease and heart attack.

Causes of high cholesterol

 There are several significant factors that can cause cholesterol levels to raise in our body.

• An unhealthy diet with high levels of carbohydrates and saturated fat
• Lack of physical activity and exercise
• Being overweight
• Genetic factors
• Other types of diseases ( diabetes , hypothyroidism, etc)

Now that we are familiar with the main causes, here comes the list of top 5 worst foods to avoid if you already have high cholesterol or you want to know what are the worst foods for high cholesterol.

Top 5 worst foods for high cholesterol

Processed Read Meat

Our bodies need a certain level of cholesterol for normal cell and hormonal function. That’s why a diet with lean and unprocessed red meat contributes to heart health. However, excessive consumption of processed red meat is directly linked to higher risks of coronary and chronic heart disease.

Deep Fried Foods

When foods such as potatoes and chicken are deep fried in cooking oil, their amount of fat increases. Because chicken and potatoes already contain saturated fat, you simply add more fat to them by deep frying them in oil.

Egg Yolks

Although moderate consumption of egg yolks give you a highly nutritious boost, necessary vitamins and amino acids, but an overdose of egg yolks can significantly raise the level of your cholesterol.

Butter

Butter should be avoided if you already have high levels of cholesterol. Because it contains high levels of saturated and trans-fats and can raise the level of bad cholesterol ( LDL) in your body.

Fast Food

People who consume fast food frequently tend to have higher levels of cholesterol. Most types of fast foods contain high levels of saturated fat, sodium and trans-fat. That’s why you should avoid eating fast food on a regular basis if you want to maintain a healthy and recommended cholesterol level.

Conclusion

Other than the foods listed above, what are the worst foods for high cholesterol if you are aiming to stay healthy? A low-fat healthy diet in tandem with physical exercise can lower LDL (bad cholesterol) and total cholesterol levels. Therefore, it's always best to aim for foods which are steamed, broiled and grilled as foods cooked this way have the least amount of fat.

If you are wondering what foods to eat to lower cholesterol, I have good news for you. There is a certain ingredient which can help you reduce your cholesterol levels quickly and naturally. In fact, cutting out ONE, single ingredient lowers your cholesterol level below 100 and clears out up to 93% clogged arteries in a very short amount of time.

Now that you learned what are the worst foods for high cholesterol, you can also discover how to remove plaque buildup in your arteries, boost your physical and mental energy to a great extent and bring it down to a normal and healthy level by just cutting out this simple ingredient from your diet.

What is this ONE ingredient you need to cut out? Learn more and try it out for yourself here...

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What reduces cholesterol quickly

Introduction

Many people with high cholesterol levels wonder what reduces cholesterol quickly. If your cholesterol levels are high, then you are at high risk of coronary and heart disease. But the good news is that you can control and save this risk by making some tweaks in your diet and lifestyle. The question of how quickly can you reduce your cholesterol levels is not worrisome at all. In fact, you can reduce these levels in a short amount of time if you implement a proper diet and daily exercise program.

There are certain foods that lower cholesterol fast. You might also want to check out my post on the worst foods for high cholesterol . In this post, I’m going to reveal which foods and lifestyle changes help you lower this substance fast and naturally.  Below comes some natural tips and guidelines on what reduces cholesterol quickly.

What reduces cholesterol fast

• Increase your daily intake of fruits , vegetables and whole grains
• Substitute plant-based sources of protein with animal sources of protein
• Be cautious of fried foods and your daily fat intake levels
• Cut down the amount of simple carbohydrates like white sugar and white flour
• Increase your intake of complex carbohydrates including legumes and whole grains

In addition to these food tips, you might want to consider changing your lifestyle habits and including more physical activities in your daily routine in order to see more benefits. Some people who are worried about their cholesterol levels look for supplements to lower cholesterol fast. But diet and lifestyle changes can have a great and positive impact on these levels if implemented on a consistent basis.

Foods that lower LDL (bad) cholesterol fast

If you still wonder what reduces cholesterol quickly, you do want to consider increasing the intake of the following foods in your diet which will help you lower bad cholesterol and raise your HDL (good) cholesterol instead.

• Increase intake of foods which have soluble fiber. Soluble fiber prevents absorption of cholesterol into your bloodstream. You can find soluble fiber in foods such as oatmeal and apple and legumes.
• Eat more nuts including almonds and walnuts – according to healthline, nuts are rich in phytosterols. These plan-based compounds have a similar structure to cholesterol and therefore help reduce cholesterol by preventing its absorption in your intestines.
• Eat more omega-3 fatty acids. Foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids like salmon fish improve heart health while increasing your levels of HDL (good) cholesterol.
• Eat avocadoes – it is rich in monosaturated fatty acids which has been found to help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels.
• Dark chocolate – moderate consumption of dark chocolate on a daily basis can help improve your HDL and lower LDL levels. The flavonoid antioxidants found in dark chocolate prevent and cell damage.
• Consume at least 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil every day – olive oil is rich in monosaturated fatty acids which helps lower bad cholesterol and raise HDL.
• Coconut – this super healthy ingredient can raise your good cholesterol considerably and lower your LDL.

Conclusion

It’s easy to lower your cholesterol and raise your HDL quickly if you make a few small changes to your diet and lifestyle. In fact, you will be amazed to see how your body can adapt to these changes fast and the results are rewarding. Not only you will benefit your cholesterol through following these diet changes, you will also experience a myriad of other health benefits including heart health and more. 

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