Know Your Natural Cholestrol Level
Cholesterol is a natural sterol that is produced in the liver; it is a vital part
of a healthy body as it acts as a structural component of the cell membranes and helps the body to absorb various vitamins. Cholesterol becomes a problem when there is too much in the body.
Sometimes this is due to some hereditary condition but in most cases it is caused by what the person eats. Animals products, especially fat and dairy products have cholesterol in them. Eating too much of these types of foods or not exercising enough can lead to high cholesterol.
Although cholesterol provides a vital role in maintaining the condition of the body's cells it becomes a problem when there is too much of it in our systems. Excess cholesterol leads to thickening of the arteries and cardiovascular disease. By taking readings using home cholesterol testers you can effectively monitor your condition. This article will discuss home test kits including disposable kits and cholesterol monitors.
Cholesterol test kits fall into two categories. The first is a disposable one off tester. This is useful if you are curious about your cholesterol level. It works by taking a sample of your blood from a finger. Place the sample onto a test strip and put it into the diagnostic component. The diagnosis is given by color. For example if the diagnostic component turns red it means your cholesterol is high. If it is green then your level is fine. As you can imagine, this is not the most accurate method of giving a cholesterol reading but indicates if you should take the process further. If you have a red color then you would be advised to see your Doctor for a proper blood test. This will give an accurate reading. You can then formulate an action plan to lower cholesterol in your body.
Cholesterol and the difference between "bad" (LDL) and "good" (HDL) cholesterol has become a source of endless discussion and worry but do you know which foods to avoid if you are on a diet for high cholesterol?
The guidelines set out by the American Heart Association are as follows :
Total cholesterol :
Less than 200 mg/dl is a desirable outcome (mg/dl stands for milligrams of cholesterol per deciliter of blood).
200 mg/dl to 239mg/dl is deemed to be borderline high risk.
240 mg/dl is considered to by at high risk to heart disease and other cardiovascular diseases.
Total cholesterol includes both LDL and HDL cholesterol.
LDL cholesterol is considered to be bad cholesterol because it tends to stick to the wall of the arteries which leads to atherosclerosis and eventually heart disease.
The guideline for LDL cholestrol is :
Less than 100mg/dl is optimal
100mg/dl to 129 mg/dl is near optimal
130mg/dl to 159mg/dl is borderline high
160mg/dl to 189mg/dl is high
190mg/dl is very high
HDL cholesterol is considered to be good cholesterol because it helps transport excess cholesterol back to the liver where it is excreted.
Here is a brief guide of the foods that you want to avoid if you are really serious about achieving and maintaining a normal cholesterol level:
Dairy Products: This includes butter, ice-cream (one of my favorites!), cream cheese, cream, and whole milk. Better choices for lower cholestrol are diary products with reduced cholesterol include 2% and no-fat milk and a number of "low-fat, no-fat" butter and cheese products.
Meats from Organs: Kidney, liver, brain, etc. Also, untrimmed red meat.
Processed Meat: Sausage, bologna, salami, hot dogs.
Poultry: Particularly duck and goose; the skin of both birds is very high in cholesterol. A better choice is chicken or turkey.
Egg Yolks: Egg whites are fine but avoid the yolks.
Fried Food: chicken, etc.
Now is probably a good time to point out that, despite all the bad press cholesterol get, it is critical to good health to get the right amount in your diet. The problem is that our western diet is way too heavy in high cholesterol foods and we do need to pay a lot more attention to what we eat. The obesity facts are pretty clear, we must eat more fruit and more vegetable and much less red meat and processed foods.
by: rickiewright
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