It seems like everyday we are told that we need to watch our cholesterol. What can we do to actually watch it? There are a lot of different things that people talk about concerning cholesterol. Are they talking about the cholesterol inside your food and does that convert straight to cholesterol in my body? Cholesterol can affect your heart and blood but through this guide you can learn more about what cholesterol actually does and where it goes.
What Is Cholesterol?
Cholesterol are fats found in your blood. Your liver also makes cholesterol. Cholesterol is found in animal products like milk, cheese, eggs, and yogurt. Cholesterol is super important, it is used for building cells and creating bile, which aids in digestion. What most doctors and people are talking about is having too much cholesterol in your blood. Too much can lead to a stroke and or a heart attack.
How Do I Get My Cholesterol Numbers?
There are different ways to measure your cholesterol. One is known as a lipid profile. Your doctor can order this test. It consists of 4 main measurements: Total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, and Triglycerides. These are not definite tests that prove you are going to have problems, rather these tests show that something could be wrong. It is a great thing to have done if you think you have a high cholesterol count.
What Do My Cholesterol Numbers Mean?
LDL + HDL= total cholesterol, this gives you a very basic idea of your cholesterol. The total cholesterol is a representation of your health, not necessarily the best representation of your overall health.
LDL or low density lipoprotein cholesterol is a bad type of protein. LDL protein is responsible for the clogging of your veins and arteries. A normal measurement for LDL is 100-129 mg/dL. If you are at high risk for heart disease, you will want to aim for numbers lower than 70 mg/dL. If your LDL number is over 190 mg/dL, it is considered very high. If you are in the 190s your doctor should take immediate action.
HDL (high density lipoprotein cholesterol): This is a good one. It gets rid of LDL proteins in your blood. So when the LDL starts clotting and blocking the HDL starts scraping and transforming. With HDL, a higher number is better. If your number is under 40 mg/dL, your number is poor, while over 60 mg/dL is best.
Triglycerides: These are the most common fat. It’s a very large gap. Since there are so many you are “allowed” to have more in your system. Less than 150 mg/dL is normal and over 500 mg/dL is considered very high.
How Can I Lower My Cholesterol?
Make sure to consult your doctor first on how to fix your cholesterol. Sometimes you think your number is going to be way better than it is. Make sure to plan it out week by week so that you can do the best for yourself. Here are some things you can do to lower your LDL cholesterol:
- Quit smoking
- Switch to a heart healthy diet
- Limit your saturated fats and avoid trans fats
- Aim for a healthy BMI and develop a weight loss plan to achieve it
- Increase your exercise
- Reduce stress
Senior Care with Assisting Hands
A lot of the time older people have problems with cholesterol. Usually this is because of long old bad habits. Making a plan with your doctor is the best thing that you can do. For in home assistance you can always rely on assisting hands. We have employees trained specifically for your needs. For more info visit us at Assistinghands.com!
