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.

Cholesterol is carried through the bloodstream by molecules called lipoproteins. Low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is characterized as “bad” cholesterol and high density lipoprotein (HDL) is called the “good” cholesterol. LDL transports the cholesterol from liver to the cells and if the cells have enough cholesterol, these cells refuse the transported cholesterol causing the building up of cholesterol in the blood vessels walls and narrowing the arteries thus reducing the blood supply to vital organs. This phenomenon causes atherosclerosis.

HDL is responsible for the return journey and acts like a vacuum cleaner that picks up excess cholesterol and carries this back to the liver which converts it to bile. Too much intake of cholesterol causes atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis reduces the diameter of blood vessels thus increasing the pressure on the blood vessels to pump blood.

The major source of cholesterol is saturated fats that come from animal sources. These enter the human body in the form of food like meat, egg yolks, fish, poultry, cheese, butter, liver and other dairy products. Reducing saturated fats intake helps on preventing atherosclerosis. The way one body handles and controls cholesterol is determined by genetics and diet. The liver of a healthy person would reduce its production of cholesterol when this person eats high cholesterol food to keep it at a healthy level, in contrast to cholesterol-sensitive individuals where their livers cannot easily regulate the production of cholesterol.

Listed below are the few tips on how to lower down the cholesterol in the body to prevent high blood pressure, heart attacks and strokes from occurring:

• As recommended by doctors, all 20-year old adults and above should have their cholesterol level  checked at least once every five years.
• Obese people are more prone to high blood pressure because of unmonitored cholesterol intake. Losing weight and regular exercise are highly advised and are often enough by themselves to keep cholesterol under control .
• Awareness of what food to eat should be developed. Drinking green tea, eating food rich in omega-3 fatty acids, and eating plenty of green vegetables and juicing fruits to lower cholesterol.
• Monitor cholesterol level. There are plenty of home cholesterol test kits out on the market these days, which save people from time consuming and costly appointments with doctors. Some test kits measure the overall cholesterol level, while other more advanced test kits can provide LDL and HDL cholesterol level breakdowns.

Many people who have suffered from high blood pressure and heart attacks because of cholesterol level are prone to developing anxiety. They tend to worry too much about their cholesterol intakes and cholesterol level fearing such complications might happen again. This development of anxiety can make things worse, therefore it is highly advisable to regularly monitor the cholesterol level of the body as well as the development of anxiety to prevent the occurrence of heart attacks, high blood pressures and strokes. Taking anxiety tests online and buying home cholesterol tests kits is far more affordable than paying for hospital bills.

Fat is an essential food class that provides vital benefits to the body. It deserves a place in the food group, and removing it entirely from the diet is most emphatically not a good idea. Of course, this does not mean that we should eat all types of fat. Fat sources that contribute to high cholesterol are best avoided.

It’s important to know that there are a lot of alternative fat sources containing lesser bad cholesterol. Many of these good fat sources are listed below.

Olive oil

Olive oil is rich in unsaturated fats. It uses as ordinary cooking oil or as a regular side dish oil. Olive oils add well in your vegetable salads. They are great substitute to use for butter in cooking. If one can’t find olive oil in the grocery then go for canola oils.

Avocados, olives and coconuts

Certain fruits are good sources of unsaturated fat. Avocados, olives and coconuts are part of the list. One doesn’t have to worry about weight gain with these foods.

Fish

Fish are rich in unsaturated fats and are great sources of protein. It helps decrease your cholesterol level when one takes more fish than regular meat and poultry. More importantly, fish oils are rich in omega– 3 fatty acids, which supports a healthy heart and cardiac function.

Nuts

Nuts contain high amounts of monounsaturated fats that protect one against cardiovascular diseases. It is a better food choice for snacks and not eating potato chips or doughnuts. Peanut butter also has healthy fats, just watch for the added ingredients.

Notice that saturated, unsaturated, mono unsaturated, good cholesterol or bad cholesterol shows up a lot in this topic. To give you an idea of what these are, you simply categorize them as good and bad (read this to find out what is cholesterol exactly).

“Good kinds of fat” include high-density lipoprotein (HDL), unsaturated fat, and mono-unsaturated fat. While the not so healthy kinds of fat are the ones with low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and saturated fat – these are commonly found in mayonnaise, butter, meat fat and oils, chicken skin, etc. It’s best to also lookout for these bad types of fat as they are the ones basically responsible for weight gain (which in turn leads to higher cholesterol).

A simple understanding of fats, its types, and the different fat sources, helps one meet fast weight loss – this along with the fat nutrients received.

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.

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.

In the case of big fish such as mackerel or salmon, they become rich in this acid after eating the small fish like herring. Oil is extracted from the body of such a big fish or little fish like herring. For the past 30 years, medical experts worldwide have been conducting many types of clinical trials about this oil.

One proven fish oil benefit is that of cardiovascular health. The oil plays a vital role in reducing the total cholesterol and LDL levels. LDL is considered bad cholesterol and can lead to various forms of heart disease. At the same time, the oil increases the level of HDL, which happens to be good cholesterol. In other words, the oil promotes cardiovascular health and decrease certain risks associated with heart disease.

Omega 3 fish oil is reputed to reduce the level of triglycerides, a type of blood fat. Consuming this type of oil creates a reduced risk of getting a stroke. Not surprisingly, the American Heart Association recommends consumption of at least two servings of fish every week to maintain good heart health and prevent heart disease.

Instead of frying a fish using saturated oils like canola oil or corn oil, the association advises people to bake or grill the fish for maximum benefit. Another good alternative to eating fish is taking oil supplements, which are made from the body of a fish.

In short, there are many benefits to taking oil extracted from fish like preventing heart ailment and improving cardiovascular health of a person. The oil also helps to prevent stroke.

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.

So if we all know that plaque build up in the arteries is such a bad thing why then do so many people seem to get it? Why is it so common? The answer to this lies in the fact that the common signs of clogged arteries are not easily apparent to people at first and the actions we take that lead to its accumulation are difficult to reverse or change.

First of all, cholesterol builds up in the arteries on a typical basis because of minor abrasions or damage to the inner layer of the blood vessels, the endothelium. These abrasions are often caused by friction due to the effects of high blood pressure. When tiny tears occur, circulating LDL cholesterol can easily accumulate in the tear and then as the blood vessel heals the cholesterol is thus trapped inside the wall of the blood vessel.

This is a classic example of how cholesterol turns into artery plaques and it illustrates how the process can go unnoticed. We typically don’t have any sign that our blood pressure is high or that the cholesterol levels in our blood are not healthy. We periodically get these levels checked but over time the effects can lead to plaque build up and time, in this case, is our biggest enemy.

Ideally we need to avoid high blood pressure and high levels of LDL cholesterol to mitigate the risk of over accumulation of cholesterol which can build up on the artery walls. If we can successfully bring our HDL cholesterol levels up this will help since HDL cholesterol soaks up excess LDL, returning it to the liver. Similarly, if we can lower our average blood pressure levels this will also help.

The point is however that the most common serious medical conditions that now afflict most people in the developed world, and Americans in particular, are a direct result of cholesterol and plaque in the arteries. Take the initiative to get healthy and you will not regret it later on in life.