Understanding Cholesterol Levels and Decrease the Risk of Heart Attacks and Strokes

What is Cholesterol?

Before we go into how to reduce your cholesterol, let's take a look at what exactly cholesterol is.

Cholesterol is a fatty substance that is produced by the liver and its job is to:-

? produce bile acids to help with the digestion of fat
? build and repair cells and
? produce estrogens and testosterone hormones

Therefore cholesterol is an important function of the body, but too much cholesterol in the body becomes a risk as it can clog up arteries and this can be the cause of heart attacks and strokes.

Cholesterol Symptoms

It is surprising to learn that there are virtually no symptoms to diagnose if you have high cholesterol. High cholesterol is normally identified by a blood test.

However, if you are having health issues such as coronary disease, vascular disease or stroke, then this could be the end result of high cholesterol levels in your body.

Symptoms of:

Coronary Disease
? Angina
? Chest pains
? Nausea
? Shortness of breath

Vascular Disease
? A tightening sensation in the lower extremities
? Ulcers or open sores on the lower extremities

Stroke
? loss of balance and dizziness
? slurring of speech and difficulty in understanding
? numbing sensation of the face, arm or leg
? this can be a sudden event with little or no warning

People who are overweight and do no exercise at all tend to be the ones with higher cholesterol levels.

Therefore, it is recommended that you have a cholesterol blood test every three years if you are overweight and every 5 years if you are a normal healthy weight.

How to Lower Cholesterol

If your blood test shows that your cholesterol levels are too high, then you should take immediate measures to help lower your cholesterol. Your doctor will advise you on the best course of action, but initially it is the norm for you to follow a low cholesterol diet.

A low cholesterol diet is normally a diet which is low in saturated fat and will include eating:-

? skinless poultry
? lean meats
? fish and shellfish
? low fat dairy products
? fruit
? vegetables
? whole grain foods

Cook your food by either

? grilling
? baking
? steaming
? boiling
? poaching
? microwave

Do not fry your food in lard or oil.

Your doctor also might prescribe you with a cholesterol lowering medication if he/she feels that the low cholesterol diet will not be enough.

Claire Bowes is a successful freelance writer and owner of http://www.lower-your-cholesterol.info website where you can find further information and resources on lowering your cholesterol.

---

Google News Updated : Tue, 07 Oct 2008 20:50:00 GMT Kenya deports anti-Obama author - Christian Science Monitor BBC News Kenya deports anti-Obama author Christian Science Monitor - 4 hours ago Jerome Corsi, author of "Obama Nation: Leftist Politics and the Cult of Personality," tried to launch his new book, but violated immigration rules, Kenyan officials say. Barack Obama's African grandmother Sarah Onyango Obama roots for him Times Online Anti-Barack Obama author detained while promoting his book in Kenya Los Angeles Times AFP - The Associated Press - New York Times - BBC News all 507 news articles Publ.Date : Tue, 07 Oct 2008 16:09:55 GMT Fed Announces Plan to Buy Short-Term Debt - New York Times Telegraph.co.uk Fed Announces Plan to Buy Short-Term Debt New York Times - 58 minutes ago By EDMUND L. ANDREWS and MICHAEL M. GRYNBAUM WASHINGTON - The Federal Reserve announced a radical new plan on Tuesday to jump-start the engine of the financial system. Fed makes boldest move yet Christian Science Monitor Federal Reserve to buy up short-term commercial debt Los Angeles Times Bloomberg - NECN - The Associated Press - Wall Street Journal all 1,716 news articles Publ.Date : Tue, 07 Oct 2008 19:51:44 GMT Axelrod Says Obama Will Counterpunch if McCain Raises Ayres - New York Times Axelrod Says Obama Will Counterpunch if McCain Raises Ayres New York Times - 2 hours ago By Patrick Healy NASHVILLE - Senator Barack Obama is prepared to hit back, including with Keating Five scandal if necessary, if Senator John McCain uses tonight’s presidential debate to attack him over his associations with controversial figures like ... Video: AP Campaign Minute AssociatedPress Palin Adds Fannie Mae Execs to List of Objectionable Obama Associates Washington Post The Associated Press - U.S. News & World Report - FOXNews - Christian Science Monitor all 4,761 news articles Publ.Date : Tue, 07 Oct 2008 18:32:14 GMT Union-Backed Party Opposes Term Limits Plan - New York Times New York Daily News Union-Backed Party Opposes Term Limits Plan New York Times - 1 hour ago By Fernanda Santos The Working Families Party began on Tuesday the labor community’s first major offensive against Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s plan to change term limit laws through legislation that would extend to three, from two, the number of terms ... UPDATE 1-NYC lawmakers to weigh bill raising term limits Reuters Bill to end term limits introduced in City Council New York Daily News New York Times Blogs - WNYC - Campaigns & Elections - Crain's New York Business all 331 news articles Publ.Date : Tue, 07 Oct 2008 19:15:23 GMT Get moving: Guidelines set healthy activity levels - The Associated Press ABC News Get moving: Guidelines set healthy activity levels The Associated Press - 38 minutes ago WASHINGTON (AP) - Get moving: New exercise guidelines released Tuesday set a minimum sweat allotment for good health. For most adults, that's 2 1/2 hours a week. Government tells Americans to take stairs, go out and play Bizjournals.com Get 2 1/2 hours of exercise per week, US says Reuters USA Today - Food Consumer - MarketWatch - MyFox Dallas all 183 news articles Publ.Date : Tue, 07 Oct 2008 20:11:51 GMT Study: Using fan on sleeping baby reduces risk of SIDS - San Jose Mercury News dBTechno Study: Using fan on sleeping baby reduces risk of SIDS San Jose Mercury News - 8 hours ago By Linda Goldston Ayde Gonzales's mother was surprised when she insisted that her newborn son must sleep on his back, not on his side. Fan Use May Save Your Baby’s Life, Reduces SIDS Risk eFluxMedia Fan in Room Seems to Cut Infants’ Risk of Crib Death New York Times Bloomberg - Wall Street Journal - U.S. News & World Report - WebMD all 612 news articles Publ.Date : Tue, 07 Oct 2008 12:46:19 GMT Fitch says AMD factory move has no ratings impact - Forbes Canada.com Fitch says AMD factory move has no ratings impact Forbes - 51 minutes ago AP 10.07.08, 3:48 PM ET Fitch Ratings said Tuesday Advanced Micro Devices Inc.'s ratings are not affected by the chip maker's plans to spin off factories into a new joint venture with investors in the Persian Gulf state of Abu Dhabi. What AMD's fab spinoff means for Intel, industry MarketWatch Who Benefits From AMD’s Financial Engineering? New York Times The Associated Press - BusinessWeek - Motley Fool - Bizjournals.com all 656 news articles Publ.Date : Tue, 07 Oct 2008 19:58:11 GMT Affiliate Data Feeds Amazon RSS

PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts, Websites, and more...

Adsense websites

The coq10 Benefit

Coq10 is also known as Coenzyme Q10.This co q10 is... Read More

9 Tips to Stop Food Cravings and Help You With Your Diet

Most of us are "regular" people. We don't eat the... Read More

The New Food Pyramid: Another Attempt At Providing Easy Answers

The Food Pyramid, first introduced to the US in 1992,... Read More

The Joys of Being Healthy

It is amazing to be able to say I am... Read More

Five Reasons You Should Drink More Water

I know you've heard this many times - "Drink more... Read More

Is Chocolate A New Health Food?

Could it be possible that our beloved chocolate may actually... Read More

Beginning an Alkaline Diet: The Basic Principles - Start Alkalizing Today!

Each and every person living in the UK is... Read More

Hypertension -Twelve Simple Things You Can Do To Lower Your Blood Pressure

Headlines:Nearly a quarter of American adults just got diagnosed with... Read More

You Are What You Eat, Do You Dig Your Grave With Your Tongue? Boost Your Immune System

I know that the headline is a oldie, but it... Read More

Its Not That Bad - The Biggest Lie We Tell Ourselves

Some people say to themselves, junk food is not that... Read More

Simple Easy Health and Home Fixes From The Days Gone By

How did we cure ourselves of many aches pains and... Read More

Essential Tips For Proper Food Combining:

As any student of chemistry will assure you, acids and... Read More

Turning an Addictive Snack into a Complete Meal

The proliferation of fast food restaurants, convenience stores, and vending... Read More

The New Biology of Health ? the Way to Perpetual Youth?

Just what is the "New Biology of Health?" And who's... Read More

Fluoride Damages Childrens Bones, Study Says

White-spotted or yellow splotched teeth may reveal more than needed... Read More

Macrobiotics: Diet and Lifestyle for Long-term Health

A frequent misunderstanding about macrobiotics is that it is a... Read More

Post Nasal Drip

Post nasal drip is a sensation of mucous build up... Read More

Stay Healty, Eat more Fish and Seafood

There are a lot of very good reasons to eat... Read More

Startling New Evidence: You Can Slow the Aging Process, Scientists Say

What if you could actually slow your rate of aging,... Read More

Alkalize Your Way to Better Health

Today we're shifting our focus from wealth to health. First... Read More

Is Vitamin E Beneficial Or Harmful? Cutting Through The Clutter Of Different Scientific Opinions

Numerous reports have recently appeared in both the lay and... Read More

Good Fats Prevent Chronic Disease

Essential fatty acids are the number one recommendation for anyone... Read More

Copping Out the Positive Effects of Copper

One must always keep in mind that copper is not... Read More

Understanding Glyconutrients

You say you don't know what glyconutrients are? You are... Read More

Death, Aging, Rejuvenation (Part 2)

DeathDeath. Why it happens? Why do we die? Why do... Read More