Fight Heart Disease With HDL Cholesterol
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.
Freedom from heart disease depends on maintaining a healthy balance of the two cholesterols in the blood. We should not do anything to harm the HDL cholesterol, and we must do everything to reduce the LDL cholesterol.
Cholesterol levels can be controlled using chemical intervention in the form of medicines. This is an emergency solution, not a long term solution. Natural, holistic therapies are preferred for cholesterol control. Cardiovascular exercise is the prime example of such therapy. This exercise improves the blood circulation. The improved blood circulation means firstly, more health and secondly, better elimination of harmful wastes like LDL cholesterol.
Cardiovascular exercise must be done regularly for it to be effective. The American Heart Association’s recommendation is very simple: just put in 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise every day. You can even do it in stages. There is another opinion, led by Dr. Mercola, who says that one hour of cardiovascular exercise is necessary and that too at one go.
To help your HDL cholesterol to remain at a healthy level, you should not have any food which contains heavy amounts of LDL cholesterol. Saturated fats as food items or as cooking medium are notorious in this regard. Omega-3 and mono-unsaturated oils and fats are good for HDL cholesterol.
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.
What else can you do to improve your HDL cholesterol level? You can change the bad habits that are part of modern life. Cigarette smoking destroys the HDL cholesterol in the blood. Stop smoking to prevent this destruction of beneficial HDL cholesterol. Obesity increases the level of bad HDL cholesterol. Regular workouts can reduce obesity and improve the cholesterol balance.
One more question on the subject of lifestyle: Are you a bundle of nerves? If yes, then you must get a hold of yourself immediately. Stress can trigger your LDL cholesterol to shoot through the roof and that can mean an imminent heart attack or stroke! Implement stress management techniques. It’s very simple really, really! Be prepared for the stress attack before it attacks. When you see Bob walking in, you psyche yourself into playing it cool. After Bob plays himself out, you’ll find that you’re not the one who’s stressed, Bob is!
Your primer for healthy HDL cholesterol levels reads like this: A is for cardiovascular exercise, B is for dietary control, and C is for modifying your lifestyle. With healthy HDL cholesterol coursing through your body you can count on a healthy life free of heart disease.
