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.

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.

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.

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.

So what is it in fruits and vegetables that lowers cholesterol? Fruits and vegetables contain a variety of vitamins and minerals that are needed to build, maintain and repair our bodies. Vitamin C for example is needed to create collagen, the sticky substance that keeps your arteries walls strong and elasticated and reduces the risk of atherosclerosis forming. Potassium is essential for carrying nerve signals to your muscles such as the heart. So low potassium levels can result in an irregular heartbeat or even a heart attack.

In the case of specifically lowering cholesterol the two most important components in fruits and vegetables are antioxidants and fiber. Studies show that people who switch to high fiber diets almost always display an accompanied lowering of overall cholesterol levels. Researchers explain that when you eat more fiber it improves your transit time. This has a positive effect on cholesterol levels by removing cholesterol that reaches the colon (through the food you eat) out of the body before it has a chance to be absorbed into the blood stream.

So be sure to eat plenty of whole fruits and vegetables (rather than rely too much on juicing recipes) to be sure to get plenty of fiber in your diet. Juicing sacrifices fiber content but in return provides an exceptional amount of antioxidants, though do make sure you invest in a quality juice extractor such as the hugely popular Jack Lalanne Juicer. These antioxidants are extremely beneficial in keeping your heart healthy and so a balanced combination of juicing and eating whole fruits can really help lower cholesterol.

There are quite literally thousands, if not tens of thousands, of different kinds of antioxidants. As far as lowering cholesterol levels go, the antioxidants vitamin C, bio-flavonoids and carotenoids are among the most effective. They all have the ability to protect cholesterol cells from becoming damaged by free radicals. This damage would otherwise cause the cholesterol cells to harden and attach to the artery walls creating atherosclerosis. To find a variety of juice recipes that will supply you with an abundance of these antioxidants a good place to visit is green juice recipes.

However, not everyone is too crazy about taking medications and most are willing to look at any possible route that might help them lower their cholesterol without taking medications. One possible solution is to try out natural supplements such as Centrum Cardio to improve their cholesterol.

How does a supplement like Centrum Cardio work? Most natural supplements use the following ingredients: phytosterols, antioxidants, folic acid, and several B vitamins that all improve heart health. The main ingredient however is phytosterols which have been proven in clinical studies to absorb cholesterol.

Phytosterols do occur naturally in plants, but it takes a hefty amount of vegetables in your diet to match the dosage that produces the desired cholesterol lowering effect – about 20 lbs. if my arithmetic is correct. The good news is that you can simply take a supplement that provides the recommended 800mg of Corowise phytosterols.

Now you may be wondering exactly how do these plant sterols lower your cholesterol? The answer is pretty simple. Your body is fooled into believing that plant sterols are really cholesterol which causes your body to actually absorb less of the “real” cholesterol that you intake. Pretty clever eh?

The average performance seen in clinical studies has been ab 8% to 15% drop in LDL cholesterol levels over the short term. However, there have not been studies to determine the effects over the long term. You will definitely want to weigh your options with you doctor and let them know exactly what you are planning on taking on your own. This will help you receive the best diagnosis and care from your doctor.

The first step is to examine your lifestyle and make changes that are known to be beneficial in lowering cholesterol levels. None of this is rocket science: it is well known that being overweight, eating fatty foods, drinking, smoking and not taking enough exercise are significant contributory factors in causing high cholesterol. So the obvious recommendation is to stop doing these things and see if that alone is sufficient to bring about the necessary reduction in cholesterol levels.

This is something you can do on your own initiative – you certainly don’t need medical advice or supervision, but do begin slowly; if you have become unfit and/or overweight then suddenly going out for a long run for example could make you seriously ill (or even cause a heart attack).

When adopting self-help measures to lower cholesterol it’s helpful to understand that there are broadly 2 types of cholesterol – HDL which is considered “good” and LDL cholesterol which is considered “bad”.

LDL is most affected by what you ingest, so a healthier diet and cutting down on the fags and booze will help lower LDL cholesterol levels. HDL on the other hand is influenced by exercise and can be increased by being more active; higher levels of HDL cholesterol are in turn likely to bring down LDL levels. So as you can see, both watching what you eat and doing more physical exercise can be highly effective in lowering cholesterol levels.

But what should you look out for in your diet? Put simply, saturated fat. This is most commonly found in butter, hard cheese, red meat, cakes/biscuits/pastries and the like. Some types of food actually contain cholesterol (known as “dietary cholesterol”) but these don’t affect the cholesterol in your bloodstream to anything like the degree that saturated fats do. Examples include shellfish, liver, kidneys and eggs.

As well as reducing saturated fat content, there are foods that can actively help to lower cholesterol. Soluble fibre, which is present in most vegetables, fruit, oats (but not wheat) and beans, as well as plant sterols (commonly found in cholesterol lowering spreads), can help reduce LDL cholesterol levels.

Indeed, before you decide (or are compelled) to go down the route of prescription medication you might want to consider adding natural supplements based on plant sterols to your daily intake. The relationship between the acai berry and cholesterol provides an interesting example of how what you eat can quite significantly affect your cholesterol levels.

In addition to keeping an eye on what you eat, you may also need to monitor how much you eat. Shedding excess weight can also lower LDL and boost HDL cholesterol levels.

If the “self-help” route outlined above doesn’t appear to lower your cholesterol levels sufficiently after a couple of months you should consult a doctor as the cause of your high cholesterol may be due to other factors (such as genetically inherited familial hypercholesterolemia – FH for short), or it may be that your body needs a helping hand.

You can be sure though that any medical professional will still expect you to play your part and modify your lifestyle in conjunction with any drug treatment they may prescribe and since they get to periodically check your blood test results and take your weight they can easily tell who’s not sticking to the rules.

The standard medical treatment for hypercholesterolemia (high cholesterol) is a class of drugs called statins. These work by depressing production of LDL cholesterol in the liver and are available in a range of potency. The most commonly prescribed (together with their brand names) are listed from weakest to strongest below:

• pravastatin (Lipostat)
• simvastatin (Zocor)
• atorvastatin (Lipitor)
• rosuvastatin (Crestor)

Generally there are few side-effects from taking statins (which incidentally are supplied in pill form) but they can cause damage to muscle tissue and the liver, particularly at high doses.

Getting the right type and dose of statin can be more of an art than a science since there is no reliable way to determine how effective they might be in any given individual. If your doctor decides to prescribe statins for you it is likely that they will request further blood tests to monitor their effectiveness and to also check for signs of any side-effects.

You might also be asked to take other drugs such as the cholesterol-absorption inhibitor ezetimibe (Ezetrol) in combination with statins and if your hypercholesterolemia has gone undetected for some time it is also likely you may be prescribed fibrates, nicotinic acid, aspirin and/or medication to lower your blood pressure.