Jesus Rulz Blog

Cholesterol is a vital element for tissue growth, repair and hence the health of your body. Cholesterol comes in a variety of combinations. For the sake of simplicity, we’ll get to know the basics of the two which are critical for our health. These are HDL cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. HDL stands for “high density lipoprotein” and LDL stands for “low density lipoprotein”. The HDL cholesterol combination is good for the body, whereas the LDL cholesterol has a negative effect on our health. The body has its own mechanism to regulate the quantities of these two cholesterol combinations for optimum health. The balance of these two types of cholesterol is vital for our health, and directly affects our chances of suffering from heart disease. In layman terms, the HDL cholesterol sweeps away the unhealthy LDL cholesterol. Hence we should strive to keep up the level of HDL cholesterol to maintain our health. Pharmacological researchers are busy formulating medications to raise the level of HDL to combat heart disease. These medications apart, there are a number of alternative techniques which do pretty much the same thing in a more natural manner. Cardiovascular exercise is a form of exercise which concentrates on improving the blood circulation, which is vital to maintaining a healthy cholesterol balance. So if you already have heart disease or simply want to avoid getting it, cardiovascular exercise is a powerful way to attain the desired cholesterol balance. The American Heart Association recommends a daily dose of thirty minutes of cardiovascular exercise to control bad cholesterol. A very different opinion is voiced by Dr. Joseph Mercola. He says that the dose recommended by the AHA is insufficient to control bad cholesterol. Fundamental to his opinion is the mode of exercise, not its duration. Walking in the park for an hour will not get the heart pumping strongly enough to flush out the bad cholesterol. Exercise must make you ‘exert’ yourself; it must leave you near enough to exhaustion, that you feel breathless. He does issue 3 caveats to go along with this: don’t overdo it, each person has to determine his own exertion point to avoid collapsing and complicating an already bad situation, and this must be done under supervision. He agrees with the AHA that cardiovascular exercise must be done regularly everyday for it to be effective to any significant degree. Cardiovascular exercise is your most formidable weapon against cardiovascular disease. Diet control is extremely important to reap the full benefits of cardiovascular exercise. Recognize that some types of fat are good for HDL cholesterol: these are mono-unsaturated fats, and omega-3 fats. Virgin olive oil is recommended for your health. Avoid canola oil, because though it is a mono-unsaturated fat it is generally obtained from genetically modified sources. Saturated fats are bad for the HDL cholesterol level. Omega-3 fats are instrumental in raising good HDL cholesterol. Salmon and tuna are good natural sources of omega-3 fats, but you can get your dietary requirement through purified omega-3 supplements. Avoid margarine as completely as possible. Pastries and processed food treats which are sugary and fatty are bad for HDL cholesterol. Follow these simple guidelines and watch your HDL cholesterol bounce back to good healthy levels. Dietary watch apart, the other lifestyle activities that can affect your HDL cholesterol are smoking and obesity. Stop smoking. Smoking decreases the HDL cholesterol in the blood. Obesity raises the LDL cholesterol level in the blood. Obesity due to incorrect dietary habits can be taken care of by following the dietary watch advised above. Obesity due to a sedentary lifestyle can be controlled by regular resistance exercises such as those that you get in a fitness center. Last but not least, there is one more lifestyle factor that affects your cholesterol balance. This factor is stress, aka tension. So learn to manage stress in your life. If the stress is bound to the work environment consider changing your occupation. If it’s the neighborhood that stresses you out, consider moving. Changing your occupation or your residence is a very big ask, no doubt, but you should consider it seriously for the sake of your health. Cardiovascular exercise, dietary control, and lifestyle modification: these are the three important ways to a better cholesterol situation. Follow the steps we’ve put together for you and your risk of suffering heart disease will just fade away. Have a healthy, happy life!