To recap, a normal total cholesterol level would be less than 200 milligrams per decilitre (mg/dl) of blood. This will be made up of LDL or "bad" cholesterol which should be maintained at between 100 - 130 mg/dl and "good" cholesterol which should be more than 40 or 50 mg/dl.
There is now medication available to control cholesterol levels but the good news is that one doesn't have to resort to drugs to improve the lipoid profile (levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood). This advice will help you:
- Include aerobic exercise in your daily routine. Walking at a rapid pace, running, riding a bicycle and swimming are all good options, which should always be practised for between a half and one hour, a minimum of four times a week.
- Give up smoking.
- Observe an authentic Mediterranean diet, rich in fruit and vegetables, fish, pulses and olive oil.
- Eat little refined flour and processed food.
Contrary to what people think, a diet low in fat doesn't help to increase the levels of "good" cholesterol (HDL) and can even reduce them if you account for the calories saved by eating refined carbohydrates.
The best fats for the heart and the arteries are monounsaturated fats (present in olive oil, nuts, oily fish such as mackerel and salmon, and avocados) which increase the "good" cholesterol but not the "bad".
It is extremely important to eliminate "trans" fats (present in vegetable oils, which are subjected to a process of hydrogenisation to convert them to solids, which are much easier for the industry to manipulate, used especially in deep frying, biscuits and savoury snacks).
Another change which is healthy for the heart is to increase the quantity of soluble fibre (present in fruit, vegetables, pulses and oats) in the diet.
Alcohol consumed in moderation helps to increase HDL. It is known that one or two glasses of wine a day significantly increase these levels. More than this quantity can have harmful effects on cardiovascular health and increase the risk of cancer and disease.
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Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Cholesterol
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Written By: Michael Russell
