Abundant Health Wellness Center is a non-profit organization with a mission to apply Biblical principles for the well-being of the whole person and cooperate with the Creator in His compassionate work in the restoration of your health. Our goal is to help you achieve your best health by helping you put knowledge into action, embrace health, and conquer disease.
Make tomorrow, Independence Day (Fourth of July) the beginning of a new chapter in your life! A day to be an independent thinker when it comes to fueling and nourishing your body, lowering Inflammation and Lousy Cholesterol, Making Your Cholesterol Happy Again!
Did you know your body needs cholesterol?
Did you know your body makes all the cholesterol it needs?
Why does our body make cholesterol?
We will answer these questions in this blog.
We need cholesterol to live a long, healthy life. Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that plays a role in forming sex hormones, such as estrogen and testosterone, as well as adrenal hormones. Cholesterol also helps regulate blood pressure, metabolism, and plays an important role in the formation of Vitamin D.
Cholesterol has gotten a bad reputation because of the low-density-lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. When LDL cholesterol is exposed to oxygen, it become sticky and can build up in our blood vessels causing plaques to form in our arterial walls (arteries are blood vessels that carry oxygen to the entire body), increasing the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Since the body makes all the cholesterol it needs, we do not need any dietary cholesterol. Dietary cholesterol is found only in animal products. Therefore, to lower total cholesterol or LDL-cholesterol, the number one, best way to do that is to simply decrease or, better yet, omit animal products from your diet including meat, poultry, fish, milk, eggs and cheese, etc.
LDL Cholesterol is not the only cholesterol in your blood. You also have high-density-lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. Both LDL and HDL cholesterol carry cholesterol to and from your cells. A healthy level of LDL-cholesterol is considered less than 100 mg/dl. Low-density-lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol helps with cell stability and function. High-density-lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol acts as your body’s garbage truck and hunts down excess cholesterol and carries it to your liver. Once in the liver the cholesterol is broken down and removed from the body, therefore we call HDL cholesterol “Happy” cholesterol.
You can remember the difference between the types of cholesterol by their letter abbreviations: for LDL, L is for low – we want LDL low (<100 mg/dl). For HDL, H is for high - we want HDL high. A good level for HDL is above 40 mg/dl for men, and above 50 mg/dl for women. HDL-cholesterol has a powerful preventive action against heart disease and stroke.
How can HDL levels be increased?
Thankfully there is a large amount of research that gives us some hints on how to increase HDL levels and improve heart health! We will consider five:
Move more! Cardiovascular exercise can help normalize your weight and increase your HDL levels! According to the Journal of Sports Sciences, cardio exercise performed for 60 minutes a day, five days a week for 12 weeks, resulted in a significant decrease in body fat, insulin resistance, blood pressure and LDL-cholesterol levels, while increasing the HDL-cholesterol. According to the Archives of Internal Medicine aerobic or cardio exercise (aerobics, walking, jogging, swimming, cycling, etc.) consistently increased HDL levels. You can know you are doing “cardio” exercise if you can carry on a conversation while you are exercising but are not able to sing a whole line of a song without taking extra breaths. If you can sing a whole line, it is time to speed up. If you cannot carry on a conversation, it is time to slow down.
Be Tobacco Free! Smoking reduces the body’s concentration of HDL-cholesterol. Just by quitting smoking, HDL-cholesterol can increase as much as 30% in three weeks of quitting, according to Biomarker Research. As long as you are still breathing it is never too late to quit smoking. Quitting isn’t easy, but it is possible! Cold turkey is still the most effective method. Those who cold-turkey quit are more likely to be smoke-free at four weeks, than those who gradually cut back. (Are you ready to quit? We offer a Smoking Cessation Program. Ask us about it!).
Go Nuts! Eating 8-20 nuts daily is enough to raise HDL levels by as much as 16 percent after 12 weeks, according to research published in the Journal of Nutrition. The type of fat in nuts seems to limit the absorption of LDL-cholesterol and increases the amount sent to the liver to be eliminated. Include a small handful of nuts in the morning at breakfast but remember more is not better; one-ounce or ¼-cup is all that is needed for most individuals.
Eat More Whole Plant Foods and Decrease Processed and Flesh Foods! The standard American diet is loaded with fast food and processed food, containing high amounts of trans (also calls hydrogenated fats) and saturated-fats and cholesterol. Trans-fats lower HDL levels. Sugary and rich desserts, packaged snack foods, fried foods, and meats all decrease HDL and increase LDL. In place of these, choose naturally colorful whole plant foods like fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes (beans, peas, and lentils), nuts and seeds. Whole Plant Foods contain fiber that will help eliminate unneeded cholesterol. We need a minimum of 30-40 grams of fiber a day, but the average American eats only 10-15 grams per day. Some great sources of fiber are beans and other legumes, berries, flaxseed, whole grains such as oatmeal, barley, quinoa, etc. apples and any vegetable, fruit, or nuts.
Drink water! Water is our body’s preferred liquid for hydration. If we stay hydrated our blood will be thinner and can more efficiently clean up and clear out unwanted materials. As you increase fiber, increase water intake. Fiber loves water like a sponge soaks up water. Without extra water intake, you can feel bloated and constipated when fiber intake is increased. Keep your blood and gut happy by drinking enough water (for most adults that is 60-80 ounces a day is a typical recommendation, but more may be needed with exercise).
You can do it! You can make your cholesterol happy again, increasing HDL levels, and lowering the lousy inflammatory cholesterol by moving more, eating more plants and nuts in place of animal products and processed foods, being tobacco-free, and drinking more water! Give it a try and let us know how you do! If you need some coaching, we have more tips to share. Give us a call today so you can lower cholesterol naturally, be independent of cholesterol-lowering medication, and Start a New YOU!® on this Independence Day!
“I don’t understand why asking people to eat a well-balanced vegetarian diet is considered drastic, while it is medically conservative to cut people open and put them on cholesterol-lowering drugs for the rest of their lives.” Dean Ornish, MD.
“A high-fat, animal-based diet is the single most significant cause of death from heart disease.” Roger R. Williams, MD.
Blue Skies,
Dana West, RDN, LD, DIPACLM
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