Maybe You Should Just Concentrate on Your Cholesterol

Many people who lose to weight also need to lower their cholesterol. Losing weight would of course make them look good and improve health. Concentrating on lowering cholesterol first would prolong their life.

What is high cholesterol anyway?

High cholesterol is caused by an overabundance of a waxy, fat like substance in the body. Your body needs cholesterol to work properly, as it protects your nerves, makes cell tissues and produces certain hormones. In fact, your liver makes all the cholesterol your body needs. We do not need to ingest extra cholesterol. When we take in too much cholesterol, it gets in your blood and can cause a build up (plaque) on your arteries. This plaque can narrow your arteries or block them causing a heart attack or a stroke.

How to know when you have too much cholesterol in your body?

Many people with high cholesterol levels have no idea there is a problem until it is too late. For this reason, doctors like to do blood tests to check. This should be done yearly. A normal cholesterol level would be less than a reading of 200. A borderline high cholesterol level would be a reading of 200-239. A high cholesterol reading would be 240 or more. Doctors also check for LDL and HDL Cholesterol levels, which are also called good or bad cholesterol. Good cholesterol (HDL) should be 60 or higher, and bad cholesterol (LDL) should be less than 100.

How to lower your cholesterol

There are several steps you can take to lower your cholesterol. First, you need to increase your exercise level. If you smoke, you need to stop immediately. You need to eat a low fat diet with fruits, vegetable, grains and fish. You also need to limit your alcoholic intake. If these steps do not work, there are cholesterol-lowering medicines.

Lowering your cholesterol level will also lower weight