Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Getting To Know Your Health Guardian, HDL Cholesterol

By Ned Dagostino

A healthy level of HDL cholesterol guarantees protection against heart disease. HDL cholesterol is instrumental in controlling its bad cousin, LDL cholesterol. Let's learn how to maintain a healthy HDL cholesterol level.

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.

Modern allopathy has a number of medicines in its armory which can combat heart disease. These must be taken under medical guidance because their incorrect use may endanger your very life. Here are some alternative therapies which can reduce your risk of heart disease safely, simply. The first is cardiovascular exercise which improves the health of the circulatory system. Cardiovascular exercise is a proven therapeutic activity to bring your cholesterol to a healthy level.

The generally held medical opinion is that thirty minutes of cardiovascular exercise every day is sufficient to control bad cholesterol levels. Dr. Mercola thinks otherwise. He stresses the importance of exercise being exercise, not a form of relaxation. Exercise is beneficial to health only when we feel exerted. This can be done in two ways: either increase the stress level of the exercise, or increase its duration. He feels that the second option is the safer of the two. Simply jogging in the park for the stipulated thirty minutes is not going to do an iota of good for our cholesterol level, says Dr. Mercola. Extend the jog to an hour, and then you'll experience an appreciable reduction of bad cholesterol. Whatever form of exercise you choose, just make sure you exercise regularly.

Most people think that dietary control means limiting the amount of food you have. Not so. The amount is secondary; the kind of food is primary. Include more of mono-unsaturated fats in the food you have, both as food items and in the form of a cooking medium. Omega-3 fats (found in fish) and virgin olive oil are good for health. Be wary of genetically modified unsaturated fats. Do not have or use saturated fats at all.

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.

Next put your lifestyle under a scanner. Do you smoke? Cigarette smoking is turning out to be a bigger killer than originally thought. Stop it, immediately! Smoking smothers the HDL cholesterol in the blood. Are you obese? Obesity aids and abets the malefic HDL cholesterol. Follow regular workouts specially designed to reduce obesity.

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. - 14915

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