Taking care of our physical health is really not that complicated. If we pay attention to what we eat and make the time to do moderate physical activity on a consistent daily basis, we are able to increase our overall health and fitness well beyond the amount of effort that is needed to achieve the better and healthy levels.
Why do we make it so hard for ourselves?
The truth is, we are faced with an enormous amount of information on a daily basis. Not only that, but it seems that the things we were told to do yesterday quickly become irrelevant or even harmful when new info becomes available today.
Information regarding health and wellness is one of the primary examples of this phenomenon. With different medical “experts” demanding that you only eat this type of way or perform this specific exercise, it can all become quite overwhelming.
The purpose of this discussion is to analyze one of the more frequently mentioned topics regarding your health, specifically your cardiovascular health. This topic happens to be cholesterol. We have all heard this word before and while some of us may possess a basic knowledge of exactly what this substance is, others don’t even bother.
However, with so many claims being made about cholesterol and a large amount of information being put out there debating if, when and how you should manage this substance to optimize your heart health, a little more understanding of what cholesterol entails is beneficial.
What Is Cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a waxy substance inside the body that is responsible for, among other things, the production of certain hormones. Much like anything else inside the body, this substance is best maintained at certain levels.
There are two varieties of cholesterol, one is high-density lipoproteins (HDL) and the other is low-density lipoproteins (LDL). HDL is is the healthy variety often called good cholesterol, as it functions to transport the body’s excess cholesterol to the liver where it can be processed and excreted.
On the other hand, LDL causes this cholesterol to be sent to the arteries, resulting in the buildup of plaque around arterial walls. This increases a person’s risk for serious cardiovascular issues such as heart disease, heart attack and stroke.
Now that we have established these two forms of cholesterol, another important topic to discuss is how you can lower the unwanted form of this substance, LDL, in your body. Listed below are several lifestyle factors that can affect the amount of LDL present in your body. While none of these factors are groundbreaking or innovative, they are sure-fire ways to accomplish this goal and maintain a healthy heart.
1) Dietary Habits
It is no secret that the eating habits that we follow on a routine basis are strongly correlated with overall health. Given that the things we eat and drink are literally what we use to fuel the body, it would follow that fueling the body with, for lack of a better word, garbage, is bound to negatively impact our overall health.
With regards to lowering your LDL, this remains true. There are several things to keep in mind in terms of your diet that can minimize LDL. Avoiding trans fats and saturated fats is one such factor. Without getting too detailed, these things increase your overall level of cholesterol and your levels of LDL disproportionately.
Another simple dietary practice to decrease your levels of LDL is to ensure you are getting enough fiber in your diet. While you may be more familiar with fiber as an asset to digestive health, it also reduces the amount of cholesterol that is actually absorbed into the bloodstream.
For More Information About Maintaining A Good And Well-Balanced Diet
You can download a report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services:
Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025. 9th Edition. December 2020.
Available at: https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/
2) Weight Management
Being overweight or obese predisposes an individual to a long list of health conditions, cardiovascular disease being one such example. When it comes to managing cholesterol, maintaining a healthy body weight is a factor that cannot be ignored.
Regardless of whether you rely on dietary changes, exercise, medication or even bariatric surgery, the research has shown time and time again that even a small decrease in body weight in those individuals who are obese yields significant decreases in LDL.
While the latter two methods of achieving a healthy body weight are effective and are certainly a viable option for some individuals, the majority of people can accomplish this goal through diet and exercise alone.
Conclusion
We have the power to maintain our body health. The choice is ours to make and to do something about it. To keep in check the medical issues associated with the “Bad” cholesterol there are steps that we can take that do make a difference.
The question becomes: Why would you not take them? It is not at all that hard for each and ever one of us to eat better foods for a more healthy diet and to partake in some moderate physical activity on a daily basis.
Simply Put, You Are A Damn Fool If You Do Not:
- Eat Right.
- Move More.
Be A Man – Do The Right Thing. It’s Your Life. It’s Your Choice. Take Care Of Yourself. Eat Right And Exercise.
BAM!!! Be A Man! Do The Right Thing.
Be the DtRTy Guy!
Sources:
https://www.webmd.com/cholesterol-management/features/11-tips-to-cut-your-cholesterol-fast
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-to-lower-cholesterol