What Do These Cholesterol Numbers Mean?
When your doctor decides that it is time to check your cholesterol, he or she will send you for a blood test, and then wait for the cholesterol results and numbers to be reported. Plan to spend a little discussing these results with your doctor, asking about how you can improve them if that is in fact needed, and find out what your risk is for heart disease.
If your cholesterol numbers are not acceptable, your doctor may suggest that you take prescription drugs to help get your cholesterol levels under control as soon as possible. Not doing this could lead to heart disease, so consider carefully the medical advice you are given.
Now, if your numbers are acceptable, your medical practitioner may just encourage you to improve your diet, switching to one that is low cholesterol, and hardly contains high cholesterol foods regularly.
Once you become of the foods that you should and should not be eating, then switching to good foods should be no difficulty, especially as you know that once you have changed, your heart health will be improving, and your risk of heart problems will be decreasing.
This is precisely what you want, a strong heart. But along with the low cholesterol diet, you should also be exercising, may be four days a week going for a brisk 30 minute walk, as this will help your fitness level, and your overall health.
So, if you are to consume foods low in cholesterol , what does that mean you will be eating, and what foods should you not eat? It is necessary to avoid an excess of animal products, this means red meats should be eaten in moderation, with only the leanest cuts of meat being considered. Egg yolks are also of high cholesterol, but the egg whites are fine, so think about moving over to egg white products rather than complete eggs.
On the list of not recommended is butter, as it is derived from an animal, so if you still want to in oil, think about using olive oil, especially virgin olive oil. This is less processed than light olive oil which is called that just because it is lighter in color, not lighter in calories.
Oat bran and oatmeal is good for you to eat, and is a great breakfast food. It provides you with soluble fibre, which is also found in barley, pears and apples.
Pulses, or legumes, or dried peas, dried beans and lentils are good for you, because not only do they provide you with soluble fibre, but they also contain non-animal protein, which is good for the growth of muscles and tendons, as well as good for healthy blood, bones, hair and internal organs too.
There are obviously many more foods that contribute to a diet low in cholesterol, but there is limited space here. What is important is to start bringing down your cholesterol now, so that you are not at risk of heart attacks or strokes. But of course, the choice is yours, lower your cholesterol now, or be at risk for strokes and heart attacks in your future.
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