One of the biggest misconceptions is that a cholesterol level 6.2 or above is some kind of death sentence which is a misguided belief that can get in the way of proper treatment. Make sure to keep regular consultations with your physician to come up with a guided approach for better health.

Quite often people go too far in one direction when trying to tackle cholesterol through diets. More specifically, they may take every perceived high risk element out of their everyday routine overnight. While it’s definitely a good thing to stay away from high cholesterol foods in general, you have to make sure to balance for the long-term as well. You might not be doing yourself any favors if you’re creating incredible cravings for some elements.

It’s important to remember that cholesterol happens naturally in your system and it’s produced by your liver. It’s only a health concern when your levels are elevated due to excessive consumption of things like trans fats or saturated fats. Despite what many people think, high cholesterol foods don’t actually contain cholesterol themselves. Rather, they load up your body with this type of fast that goes through your liver to promote cholesterol production.

There is also such a thing as good cholesterol which can serve to balance out your overall internal chemistry. Sources such as salmon and almonds can help you to boost good levels while also serving as foods that lower cholesterol. Rather than going for so-called “fat-free” items at your local health store, it’s far better to come up with a more natural approach to cooking that involves more home recipes. Having more control is absolutely essential so layoff of fast food and takeout as best as you can.

A lot of people think that medication also have to be part of the plan, but elements like Statins which are commonly prescribed for cholesterol can have negative side effects as well. In many cases, you can actually benefit from healthier living products that focus on good diet and exercise. Many people have also found that juicing to lower cholesterol can help too.

Of course there are situations where medication is a necessity, but you should talk carefully with your physician to see if there are alternatives. By the end of it all if you follow a solid plan, you might just discover that finding out about high cholesterol levels was actually a good thing. Many people have gone on to reform their relationship with food and live a much healthier and satisfying lifestyle than before.

Studies show that stress and anxiety can affect and increase the production of cholesterol. Going through family problems, work concerns, financial problems and the like puts a person under a serious stress condition. Being consistently and excessively exposed to stress can make a person develop anxiety disorders which worsen the situation considerably. A sudden increase in cholesterol levels can then lead to a number of other problem such as heart attacks, high blood pressures and strokes.

Dealing with stress, anxiety and cholesterol levels is never an easy task. You cannot decrease your cholesterol level without getting rid of stress and treating anxiety first. A person who is going through stress and anxiety should be aware of anxiety treatments to prevent other complications that may be developed. There are countless of programs, articles and videos and eBooks available online for stress and anxiety management. Make use of these resources -  be resourceful!

Eating healthy food and exercising regularly can greatly help in lowering cholesterol levels, stress and anxiety. Also, always remember that eating small meals frequently is much better than eating heavy meals two to three times a day. Eating fruits, vegetables and low-fat yogurt can help a person deal with stress positively. Most of the people enjoy eating and find pleasure on eating thus improves the feeling and mood of a person under stress.

However those who consistently have a cholesterol level of 6.2 and above and are obliged to monitor their cholesterol levels, find eating stressful because what and how much they eat are limited. They cannot eat all they want to eat. The answer to this is discipline. One just needs self discipline to be able to follow any meal plan. In addition, as time passes, a person would just get used to limiting their food intakes. So a disciplined person can enjoy his low-fat diet which can help reduce stress, anxiety and cholesterol level.

Strive hard to become a stress and anxiety-free person so you can be high blood pressure and heart attack-free person as well. Then if you must worry, at least you can worry about nothing.

If cholesterol serves such important purposes then why are so many people so concerned about having too much of it? Unfortunately the adage “more is better” is not true when it comes to cholesterol. Having too much of it can cause a plethora of cardiac symptoms diseases and conditions. It has been linked to chest pains heart attacks strokes atherosclerosis peripheral vascular diseases and many more. It is important that cholesterol is properly controlled and maintained at normal levels. There are various ways to keep your cholesterol levels under control such as dietary modification exercise smoking cessation etc.

Excessive consumption of fatty foods can greatly affect the body’s cholesterol levels. It is important that you read and check labels before buying food items. Labels detail how much fat triglycerides etc. are contained in a serving of a particular food. Trans-fat is an insoluble type of fat that clogs the arteries veins and capillaries over time. Foods containing fat or fat-related substances equal to or more than four milligrams are generally considered harmful to the body and should not be consumed on a daily basis.

Exercise is as important as diet modification. You burn excess fats when there is continuous physical activity for at least 30 minutes each day. Intense cardiovascular workouts like aerobics and running should be done two to three times a week for at least one hour. This builds endurance promotes smooth blood flow strengthens the blood vessels and it burn excess calories and stored fats.

This article was written by Cindy – a professional health blogger who does hcg diet reviews and answers interesting questions such as what is hcg?

Furthermore what are the normal levels to start with? If you know what’s normal then at least you can set goals to work towards if your numbers are on the high side. If this sounds like a situation you are in, not to worry. You’re not the only one. As a medical student, this used to be a big question my patients would ask me soon as the   attending doctor left the room.

Sometimes doctors tend to be so busy they forget that taking the time to talk and  explain to their patients what exactly they are dealing with goes along way on the road to recovery or at least getting people to realize why they are on a medication and what are their goals.

What cholesterol number are you trying to achieve to lower you health risks. Before we look at what the different lipid profile numbers are lets first understand what high cholesterol does to your body and the health implications.

In order to understand how Cholesterol plaques form to cause atherosclerosis we need to understand what LDL and HDL are. LDL stands for Low Density Lipoprotein which is the “Bad cholesterol” and HDL is High Density Lipoprotein which is the “Good Cholesterol” (VLDL is simply Very Low Density Lipoprotein). This is where people usually get confused and say “hey wait, shouldn’t the low density LDL be the good and HDL which is high density be bad?”

One would think that, but one very important thing to realize is that HDL takes cholesterol from the circulation back to the liver to be metabolized and processed while LDL does the opposite, that is to say it stays in the circulation which allows for the deposition of cholesterol into the wall of your blood vessels causing atherosclerosis.

The word Atherosclerosis when broken down to its latin meaning, translates into Athero- meaning atery and sclerosis- means hardening. That is exactly what happens; your blood vessels start to harden, a plaque forms causing occlusion,  hence you have a decrease in the flow to blood which in turn means there is a decrease in oxygen coming to that organ or area of a body and that is what leads to cell and tissue injury in the heart and is how you get a heart attack.

In some instances the plaque that  is forming in the vessels tends to get dislodged and travels to smaller vessels and blocks them, stopping blood flow (known as an embolism). So you can see that it may seem like your doctor is constantly raving and persistently nagging you about your cholesterol level being high and you need to get those number down, but know you know why!

Now that we understand what happens, lets take a look at what our Cholesterol goals should be. The NHLBI (National Heart Lung and Blood Institute) has developed the ATP III (Adult Treatment Panel III) which  they revise and modify every few years as new clinical research evidence and newer drugs come to the market or if they have new studies which show evidence of benefits in increasing an existing drugs dose or if it need to be taken of the market and so on.

The test done for cholesterol levels is called the Lipid Panel it must be conducted after fasting for 9-12 hours (hint get an appointment with your doctor as early in the morning as you can so you don’t have to go hungry all through the day). It measures Total Cholesterol, LDL, HDL and Triglycerides in mg/dl (milligrams per deciliter)

Total Cholesterol

<200  Desirable
200-239   Borderline high
>240   High

LDL

<100   Optimal
100-129   Near optimal/above optimal
130-159    Borderline high
160-189    High
>190    Very high

HDL

<40 Low
>60 High

Now that the implications are end results of high cholesterol are clear you are able to appreciate why we need to watch those number and keep them in line. Usually before a doctor prescribes drugs such as statins, fibrates or niacin they will encourage you to try and get those numbers back in line with diet and exercise and if that fails then the drugs can be added to help you lower you cholesterol.

When fat gets broken down by your liver, cholesterol is sometimes a product of the process. Cholesterol is divided into a few distinct sorts. High-density lipoprotein (HDL), Low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and Triglycerides. HDL cholesterol carries cholesterol towards your liver, where it is digested into different substances.

Therefore HDL is known as “good cholesterol”. So HDL helps to keep cholesterol levels low. LDL cholesterol (“Bad cholesterol”) takes cholesterol out of the liver to the cells and is associated with higher risk of heart attack, stroke, and diabetes. Triglycerides are another variety of “bad cholesterol” since they have been found to lead to “hardening of the arteries”. Triglycerides are found mostly in animal fats.

Contrary to many misconceptions, cholesterol has a vital set of roles in keeping people in good health. Cholesterol serves a few indispensablejobs in the human body. They are the making of hormones, the construction of cell walls, and insulation of nerve fibers.

The problem is, it is all too easy to have too much cholesterol in our blood, especially if we are consuming a lot of fatty food like junk food or snacks. If people have too much cholesterol, we are at risk of having heart disease and at a much higher risk of having a stroke. The greatest danger to a person’s health and wellbeing is if he or she has high LDL and triglyceride levels, but low low HDL levels.

Doctors are concerned that the 21st century might witness a huge number of deaths from diseases which are preventable caused by poor diet or lifestyle. reduce our risks by undertaking simple alterations to the way in which we live day to day.

Lowering your cholesterol levels is an important step to take. Try and steer clear of turning to medicine to reduce your levels of cholesterol. Why? It is because in a great many users, cholesterol medicines are actually just 2% effective in reducing risk of heart disease. If possible, try and find out about the best ways to lower cholesterol naturally and only use drugs as a final resort.

Good cholesterol levels can be yours thanks to these highly practical tips:

- Eat plenty of healthy food. Fish products and olive oil are excellent foods to eat regularly.

- If possible, lose a bit of fat. If you lose weight you can reach far lower cholesterol by 45%.

- Pile your plate high with tasty fruit and vegetables!

- Caffeine and alcohol intake should be reduced. Caffeine and alcohol can increase your cholesterol levels.

- Don’t let yourself end up too stressed out. Some gentle stress here and there is nothing for anybody to worry about. Although, should you be stressed every single day, you will probably have high blood pressure which results in many serious problems.

Even if you are in good condition, applying these tips can improve your health in a big way. A healthier body often makes you look and feel a lot better.

But it’s important to remember that cholesterol problems develop over the course of many years, and it is not something you’re going to be able to eliminate overnight. However, what you can do immediately is to come up with a list of high cholesterol foods to avoid and then do your best to make adaptations to your diet. There is no need to become a full-fledged vegetarian or use fruits and vegetables in all of your recipes, but you’re definitely going to have to take an honest look at the eating patterns that got you into trouble in the first place.

Most people fall into one of two trouble areas when it comes to high cholesterol: snacks and fast food. Take a moment to think about what you ate the last time that you had a snack. Was it something in the realm of potato chips or cookies? Saturated fats and trans fats are two of the things you need to watch out for on a regular basis, and they have a nasty way of finding their way into some of the most popular snack foods.

So the next time you pick up a bag of your favorite snacks, take the time to look on the side and read the label. It’s important to understand that snacks can actually help to boost your metabolism throughout the day, but you aren’t going to get much benefit if you are also artificially raising your fat and calorie intake.

More people eat fast food these days than ever before, even though most folk know full well that it’s not actually good for them. Sometimes this is due to practical reasons and the fact they don’t have time to cook for themselves. But if cholesterol has developed into a problem then you’re definitely going to have to alter your life habits, and some people will have to take a concentrated look at their overall schedules.

When you are able to cook your own food you have so much more control over what goes into your system, and there are plenty of foods that lower cholesterol that you can use in absolutely delicious recipes. You can also find nutrition with foods high in iron, good sources of protein, and all of the vital minerals and vitamins you need every day. When you are able to cook food for yourself then you can take cholesterol into account in addition to making sure your other dietary needs are met as well.

There are so many different weight loss supplements on the market and so many inflated claims about their effectiveness that it can be difficult to decide which ones are worth taking and which ones to avoid. Some, such as fish oil, are not effective at all (although fish oil benefits do in fact include improved cardiovascular systems), whereas some (like Alli) actually do work. And then some have unknown or serious side effects, and should obviously therefore be avoided.

Green tea is often hyped as a weight loss supplement by manufacturers, and is often included in various multi-supplement weight loss aids. While probably a safe addition to the diet, and a proven way to reduce cholesterol and improve blood pressure and other cardiovascular health problems, green tea can also increase the metabolism safely. An increased metabolism will tend to burn fat more than a lower metabolism. However, green tea’s effects are probably too weak to result in a noticeable weight-loss effect.

Bitter orange is a stimulant that has become one of the standard replacements for ephedra in recent years. Ephedra was an effective weight loss aid that was banned in the US by the FDA because of potential side effects that included stroke and even death! After the ban, other stimulants were used in multi-supplements. However, bitter orange has some of the same potential side effects as ephedra, and as a result may not be safe to take. Also, it is again not generally very effective.

Hoodia has become popular recently. An appetite suppressant, hoodia is a plant that has gained the interest of supplement manufacturers as they have tried to extract and synthesize the main active chemical in it (known as P57). Success has not been forthcoming, and some extracts have included potentially negative by products that may decrease its effectiveness. Safety and effectiveness are unknown at this point and are not supported by strong scientific evidence. So we’ll count that as another dead end.

Caffeine, like bitter orange and ephedra, is a stimulant and thus may help to suppress appetite and increase metabolism, thus improving weight loss. However, there is no evidence at this time to suggest that it can make a noticeable difference to dieting.

Alli is an over-the-counter drug with an active ingredient called orlistat. There is evidence from scientific studies that orlistat may actually help increase weight loss by up to 10% in some individuals. The only caveats are that side effects include greasy poop, as well as a potential for liver damage in some very rare cases, although the jury is still out on the latter.

It also has to be said though that if you choose to keep the weight and treat your high cholesterol with statins and drugs that suppress cholesterol absorption then these exact same side effects are also a significant factor. On balance then, at the moment it would seem that Alli is probably the best diet pill as far as actual effectiveness goes, and it is available over the counter in the US.

1. Eat a diet low in saturated fat. Eating a diet high in fatty foods will only help those cholesterol levels continue to rise. It is so important to stop feeding your body the fatty foods that will raise your cholesterol levels and replace them with low fat, healthy options.

2. Exercise regularly. Make regular exercise a habit. While exercise alone isn’t the answer to lowering that cholesterol it is a great help in doing so, and a great practice to lower all sorts of other health risks. This doesn’t mean that you need to start training for a marathon tomorrow.

Start small and build on each day. When you build up a little bit at at time you’ll find it a lot easier to maintain your routine and avoid getting super sore from over doing it. Physical activity will lower the LDL or “bad cholesterol” and raise the HDL or  “good cholesterol”

3. Make your diet a low cholesterol one. This means cutting out the high fat cuts of meat, bacon, butter, full fat dairy products, cream, and foods that contain a lot of saturated fats and trans fats. Replace those foods with lean cuts of meat, low fat dairy products, whole grains, and fruits and vegetables.

4. Increase your fiber intake. Eating a diet high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains will help you to increase your fiber intake and will boost your intake of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants while you do so. These are all great parts of a fat burning diet.

5. Consider medication. While this is not the ideal situation, some people might not be able to get their cholesterol down any other way. Consult with your doctor on this to see if you are a likely candidate that will benefit from being on a medication.

These five methods are a great way to work at getting that cholesterol down to a healthy level, where it should be. To read more on this topic and for more health ideas visit howtolosebellyfat.com

Home Cholesterol Tests Kits

First things first; why use a home cholesterol test kit anyway? For some people, they simply want to find out what their cholesterol level is so as to know whether or not they need to do anything about it or seek further medical advice. For others, they might already be aware that they have raised cholesterol levels and thus wish to monitor their condition without the effort and delay involved in booking an appointment to see a doctor. Then there are those who simply like to monitor their health on a regular basis and obtaining frequent cholesterol tests through their doctor would be frankly impractical as well as unnecessarily expensive.

How Cholesterol Testing Kits Work

So what’s available? Well, all home cholesterol test kits work by analyzing a blood sample, but beyond the initial business of extracting some blood (usually by pricking your finger – an Auto-Lancet which is a push-button pen device can help if you find this difficult) the main difference is how much analysis you get. Simple test kits provide an overall cholesterol level, which while useful and commonly used as a shorthand summary as to whether action might be required, doesn’t tell the whole story.

More sophisticated kits provide figures for not only total cholesterol but also LDL (Low Density Lipids, or “bad” cholesterol), HDL (High Density Lipids, or “good” cholesterol) and triglycerides and possibly glucose levels. The way that these typically work is by supplying separate types of test strips; you thus require a separate blood sample for each strip. Note that LDL is often inferred using the following calculation: LDL = total cholesterol – HDL – triglycerides/5.

Be aware that the actual test strips are sold separately and you may not be supplied with a full set of different test types. Also, you will eventually use up all the originally supplied strips and will have to purchase more so be sure you can obtain these at a reasonable price.

The testing process itself very often uses “reflective photometry” to analyze the light transparency (discernible as a change in color intensity) of the blood sample which means it can be sensitive to interference from strong light sources and changes in room temperature.

Interpreting Cholesterol Test Results

This is all very interesting, but the fact is that unless you also understand how to interpret for example the LDL/HDL ratio or account for your own personal factors such as age, gender, size, medical history, lifestyle and so on then these numbers won’t mean very much to you. Also, if you’re already being treated with statins then the blood test that your doctor performs may examine other indicators such as your serum creatine kinase level in order to check for possibly side effects (statins in high doses can in rare cases cause muscle and liver damage which can be detected in this way).

In short, the test itself and the range of values available are an important component, but the crucial part is the ability to understand and evaluate this data in order to determine for example the risk of heart disease. But assuming that you’re comfortable with interpreting your results well enough to monitor your condition, the next best thing to do is calibrate your home test kit with the results obtained by medical professionals. In other words, shortly before or after you go for a full blood test use your home kit and compare the two results in order to gauge the margin of difference (if any). Most modern kits are pretty accurate but you do want to be certain that when you home kit assures you that your cholesterol levels are fine that you are not being misled.

Common Problems Using Home Cholesterol Tests

Where a home test kit can all go wrong is in the upfront part of obtaining a blood sample. You need a clean, fresh sample which is not always easy to arrange. Obviously an absolutely key start point is ensuring that you have clean hands so as not to contaminate the sample. This can also be advantageous because dipping your hands in warm water will ensure that it is easier to extract blood. Blood retreats from your extremities when they are cold making extraction that much harder and more painful.

If you’re not familiar with deliberately making your finger bleed or you take too long or squeeze too hard to get the blood out then you can again inadvertently affect the result. As noted above an auto lancet can save a lot of time (and discomfort). You also don’t need to use a finger – some people prefer a toe as they find these on the whole less sensitive.

The other commonest cause of inaccurate results is failure to read the instructions carefully, in particular not noticing that you must not eat or drink anything other than plain water for about 12 hours prior to conducting the test.

Cholesterol production is triggered by ingesting food of any description – so even sipping a drink that contains sugar (as do all alcoholic drinks for instance) or milk will be enough to raise your cholesterol levels and give a false reading. You should also not perform a test if you are pregnant or have been subject to extreme physical stress such as a major accident or after an operation.

Other “user errors” are not placing enough blood onto the test strip collection well, or taking too long about it, so it is no longer a fresh sample when the test is performed (both usually connected with difficulties extracting blood in the first place – see above). Also some test kits are particularly sensitive to light and should be kept away from direct light sources while they perform the test process otherwise the results will not be accurate.

Your cholesterol, like your blood pressure (something else you can monitor at home if you want), varies normally throughout the day and over time depending on what you’ve eaten and what activities you engage in. Monitoring it frequently really is unnecessary and counterproductive. Depending on your pre-existing condition you should only need to test between a handful of times a year at most and once every 5 years. The most important element in using a home cholesterol test kit effectively is not the frequency of use but acting upon the information appropriately.

What To Do With A Troubling Result

Regardless of the type of kit you use, if the data suggests there is potentially an issue with your cholesterol then it is time to book an appointment with your doctor (who will promptly run another test just to be sure). These kits are intended to act as a heads up to a possible problem, not to replace qualified medical guidance. In many cases the initial way to lower cholesterol is simply to change your diet and take more exercise, but in other cases it will mean prescribing drugs, invariably one of the various types of statin in some particular dosage to suit your own particular situation.

In summary, home cholesterol test kits can be quite accurate and an effective means of monitoring your own levels if you study and follow the directions carefully, understand what it is you’re actually monitoring and how to diagnose good cholesterol levels, and respond to any troubling results by following up with a medical professional.

1. Before starting on your plan of action, you need to set realistic goals and be flexible for changes that you might make. These changes need to be done one at a time.

2. Get support from your friends and loved ones. Support groups are very important during this time. They are the ones who motivate you and help you carry out your goals.

3. You need to have a diary to take note of the changes you’ve made, their effects, and other observations you’ve noticed.

4. Lose weight. Having excessive weight usually contributes to you having high cholesterol levels. It doesn’t matter if it’s just a few pounds; if it’s an extra pound then you need to lose it. Losing about 5 to 10 pounds of your excess weight can significantly reduce your cholesterol levels.

5. Eat foods that are good for your heart. Changing your diet despite years of eating unhealthy foods makes a big impact on your health and would significantly help in lowering your cholesterol levels.

Avoiding or minimizing saturated fats which are usually found in red meat and dairy products can greatly affect your cholesterol levels. Saturated fats elevate your total cholesterol and LDL or low-density lipoprotein. 10 percent is the recommended amount of saturated fat you should get daily. Lean meats, low fat dairy products, and foods which have high monounsaturated fat contents like peanut, canola oil, and olive are healthier choices for you.

Trans fats found in fried foods and commercially baked goods like crackers and cookies should be removed from your diet. Trans fats are usually found in products labeled “with partially hydrogenated oil”.

Cholesterol consumption should be limited to 300 mg per day and less than 200 mg if you suffer from a heart condition. Foods rich in cholesterol are the following: milk products, organ meats, and egg yolks.

Whole grains contain a variety of nutrients that are good for your health. Whole- wheat pasta, whole- wheat flour, whole- grain breads, and brown rice are recommended.

Increasing your intake of fruits and vegetables can be beneficial in lowering your cholesterol levels. Fruits and vegetables contain large quantities of dietary fiber that help control your cholesterol.

6. Daily exercise. Exercise is a good way of losing those extra fats and increases your HDL levels. An exercise lasting for about 30 to 60 minutes can do great wonders for your body.

7. Stop smoking. Smoking is one of the main factors for increased levels of cholesterol. Studies have shown that after 20 minutes of not smoking, your blood pressure would decrease. In a span of 24 hours, you will have a lower risk of developing heart attacks.

8. Drinking alcohol moderately. One glass of alcohol a day has shown that it helps in your blood circulation but more than one may lead to complications. Moderate consumption of alcohol helps in increasing your HDL levels.