Know your Cholesterol

Bad food habits
Are you and your family, mostly, living off French fries and hamburgers? If you could reduce the number of times you visit a fast food restaurant by one time in a week, then you will go a long way to reduce the rapidly escalating rate of bad cholesterol in your bloodstream. In our junk food society and sugar-loving mindset we are on the brink of complete disaster because of unhealthy eating. These days more children are considered obese because of the wrong eating habits taught to them at an early age. Even the youth are victims of high bad cholesterol rates. Little surprise then that we are seeing cases of coronary heart disease in people in their early thirties. This must be because the foods we are eating today have high levels of LDL-cholesterol and saturated fat.

Understand your cholesterol
Cholesterol is a substance that is produced from the liver and found in certain foods. It is required in our body but to a certain level. Too much or too little of it can create many diseases. To understand the normal cholesterol level in human body, we must know the different types of it present in our body. The first type is LDL or low-density lipoprotein which is bad cholesterol. It can block the arteries affecting normal supply of oxygen and blood in body. The second type is HDL or high density lipoprotein, which is good as it removes unhealthy stuff from bloodstream. Another type is triglycerides which can create problem if it's too high. Normal level for HDL is 60 or above. If it is below 40, then it is prone to vessel damage, stroke or heart-attack. If HDL or good cholesterol is high, it is beneficial for health. Remember, it helps to get rid of the bad cholesterol. The normal triglyceride level is 150 and below.

The cure mantra
So what is the mantra for preventing the build up of bad cholesterol in your body? Change your diet, and exercise daily.

Foods high in antioxidants and fiber are good for lowering cholesterol levels in the blood including fruit and vegetables, and whole grains. Remember to eat mono- and polyunsaturated fats if you eat fat at all. Consume fat-free dairy products, sour-creams, cottage-cheese along with skinless poultry, fish and shellfish. Oil used for cooking must be high in unsaturated fats like corn, canola, sunflower, sesame and soybean. Best is to avoid meals cooked in oil even if they taste great. Walnuts and almonds are great foods that reduce your bad cholesterol levels and garlic contains a substance called allicin, which prevents the retention of LDL-cholesterol by the body. Take control of your activity level. Do moderate physical activity, like brisk walking, for at least 30 minutes on most, and preferably all, days of the week. If you are short of time do three, 10-minute segments on as many days as you can. When one exercises sufficiently, triglycerides and bad or LDL-cholesterol levels substantially reduce and the good or HDL-cholesterol levels increase.

Yoga and cholesterol
All yoga practices help improve the flow of blood and oxygen in the body which, in turn, helps in getting rid of toxins and other waste. But, for your yoga practices to be really beneficial in lowering your unwanted cholesterol you will have to practice it on a regular basis.

The following yoga poses are beneficial in improving blood circulation and elimination ofthe cholesterol build-up in your body.

• Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation)
• Sarvangasana (Shoulder Stand)
• Ardha Matsyendrasana (Half-Seated Twist)
• Shalabhasana (Locust Pose)
• Vajrasana (Thunderbolt Pose)

Meditation further helps reduce stress hormones that, in turn helps bring down cholesterol levels.

Go natural
You do not always need to take medication to lower cholesterol. There are several natural, heart-friendly foods that are good for controlling cholesterol without any medication. Good eating habits, stress-free life and some exercise can control your cholesterol and triglycerides naturally!