September is Cholesterol Education Awareness Month. There is so much misinformation about cholesterol floating around. The truth is cholesterol has an important role in the body. Cholesterol is needed for three main things in the body. These are:
- Production for of sex hormones. Sex hormones are estrogen and testosterone which helps with development and reproduction.
- Production of bile in the liver. Bile helps with digestion in the body and is produced by the liver. It breaks down the fats in the body so it can be used by the body through the digestive tract.
- And building blocks for the body to build tissues. Building blocks include protein, water, fat, and carbohydrates.
Cholesterol is a waxy fat like substance that is found in all the cells of the body. We hear all the time how we need to illuminate cholesterol. That it is evil and needs to be eradicated. It doesn’t. Yes, we need to eat the foods with cholesterol in moderation, but it doesn’t need to be illuminated.
In order to know what you cholesterol is you doctor will take blood and have it tested. Here are the levels your cholesterol need to be at in order for it not to be a problem for your body:
- Men 20 years of age or older: Non HDL needs to be less than 130MG. LDL: less than 130 mg. HDL: 40 MG or higher. Total cholesterol: 125 to 200.
- Women 20 years of age or older: Non HDL needs to be less than 130 MG. LDL: Less than 100 MG. HDL: 50 MG or more. Total cholesterol: 125 to 200.
HDL, LDL, and VLDL are lipoproteins that are a combination of fat (lipid) and protein. Lipids (fat) needs to be attached to proteins so they can move through the blood and make the things we need for our body to function well.
HDL: High Density Lipoprotein is the good cholesterol. HDL carries cholesterol from other parts of the body to the liver so it can make bile to help you digest your food. The liver removes cholesterol from the body by using it where it is needed.
LDL: Low Density Lipoprotein is the bad cholesterol because this one leads to build up of plaque in the arteries.
Plaque when it is combined with blood sticks to the walls of your arteries. This is known as atherosclerosis. It leads to coronary artery disease.
Arteries are a muscular walled tubes that are formed in the circulation system that blood flows through.
VLDL: Very Low Density Liproproteins are particles that carry the triglycerides through the blood.
Triglycerides are a type of fat that is created with the body’s excess calories that the body doesn’t use.
When you have high cholesterol the reasons why you do have them include:
- Lack of exercise
- Smoking
- Unhealthy eating habits. Eating too many calories, eating too much saturated fat.
Saturated fat: are those that turn solid at room temperature.
The Risks for High Cholesterol are:
- Age. your cholesterol raises are you age.
- Heredity
- Being overweight
- Race: Black people have a higher cholesterol issues more so than Caucasians.
Being mindful of what your cholesterol is important. Like with anything else if we eat too much of something than we can cause issues like:
- Stroke
- Heart Attack
- Carotid Artery Disease
- Peripheral Artery Disease
How to be Mindful with Cholesterol:
- Eat a low salt diet.
- Limit animal fats
- Lose weight if you are overweight.
- Stop smoking. There are some great programs to help you quit.
- Exercise daily
- Drink alcohol in moderation
- Manage the stress in your life
- Eliminate triglycerides
- Eat foods rich in omega three fatty acids
- Increase soluble fiber
- Add whey protein to your eating plan
Wellness Works NW is happy to help you with a meal plan that will help you lower your cholesterol. Karen G Clemenson is an excellent coach and personal trainer if you want exercise ideas to help you keep moving your body. If you have a topic you would the Wellness Works NW Team to research please fill out the form on our Dear Jamie page.
Keep Rocking!
Here are some links I would like to share with you:
- Image Credit: Cholesterol Also called: Hypercholesterolemia, Hylerlipidemia, Hyperlipoproteinemia by MedlinePlus Staff
- Cholesterol & Triglycerides Health Center by WebMD Staff
- High cholesterol by Mayo Clinic Staff
- Living with High Cholesterol by Rachel Barclay for Healthline
- September is National Cholesterol Education Month by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Staff
- What is Cholesterol? by American Heart Association Staff
- Why is Cholesterol Needed by the Body? by Anna Schaefer and medically reviewed by Deborah Weatherspoon, PhD, RN, CRNA
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Jamie Holloway is a co-owner of Wellness Works NW and she is also our Research Manager and writes our Chasing Wellness with Jamie Holloway and Dear Jamie columns. Jamie is also an Independent Wellness Advocate at dōTERRA. She lives in the Portland, Oregon area. Since October 2011 she has been sharing her Journey Toward Health and Wellness with Vasculitis through her blog at JamieChasesButterflies.com. We hope you are as inspired as we are with the raw candor Jamie uses in her writing. If you would like to help support Jamie’s writing efforts please Donate now.
