Increasing Heart Health by Lowering Cholesterol

Having high blood cholesterol increases your risk for developing heart disease. But what if you have high cholesterol but none of the other major risk factors for heart disease such as having a family history of heart attack or heart disease, high blood pressure, being overweight, being a smoker, being inactive, and having diabetes? Should you still take steps to lower your cholesterol?

First of all, if you are at a healthy weight, active and otherwise healthy, there is a good chance you are making many lifestyle choices that should help you achieve normal blood cholesterol.

However, take a moment to review your dietary habits. Do you eat lots of saturated fat from high fat meat, cheese and milk? Do you eat foods that contain trans fat like certain margarines, commercial baked products, certain brands of microwave popcorn, some frozen foods, and shortening? If so, replace these foods with heart healthier choices like fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins. Make a point to add high fiber foods and healthy fats from fish and vegetables oils to your every day diet.

If your cholesterol is still too high after taking these steps, your high blood cholesterol may be hereditary and you may wonder whether there is a need to take special steps to lower cholesterol. After all, you are healthy, fit and eat the right foods.

According the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, if you have high cholesterol but no other risk factors you are at a low to moderate risk for heart disease. This is the same category shared by people who have no risk factors. Your risk of developing heart disease may be higher because of your high blood cholesterol, but your actual risk remains very low (less than 1 percent risk of developing heart disease.)

But you still want to be aware of your complete cholesterol profile. Learn your levels of LDL and HDL cholesterol as well as your total cholesterol. If you have high cholesterol and your HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol) is higher than 60 mg/dL, your risk of heart disease goes down slightly. It's even possible to have total cholesterol that meets the definition for high cholesterol, but it is due to high levels of HDL. The danger is when you high levels of LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol.)

Other factors to consider are age and gender. As you get older, your heart disease risk increases dramatically. And men are at a greater risk than women. For example, if you are a 35-year-old female with a total cholesterol level of 250 (considered high) and an HDL level of 50 (normal), your risk of developing heart disease or heart attack over the next ten years is less than one percent. A 60-year-old male with the same cholesterol profile has a risk of ten percent.

If you are diagnosed with high cholesterol, talk with your doctor or health professional about whether treatment is necessary. If you are a young woman or man who is otherwise healthy and free of other risk factors for heart disease, there may be little cause for concern.

More About Cholesterol Levels

According to the American Heart Association, it's desirable to have a total cholesterol level less than 200 mg/dL. Total cholesterol at 200 to 240 mg/dL is borderline high and 240 mg/dL or higher is considered high risk.

If your HDL cholesterol is 60 mg/dL or more, your risk for heart disease goes down. LDL cholesterol is also important. LDL cholesterol at 130 to 159 mg/dL is borderline high, 160-189 mg/dL is high, and 190 mg/dL is very high.

If you have made a conscious decision to change your eating habits, no doubt, you have a tough road ahead of you. Starting out can be extremely hard, but it's not a goal that's unattainable. Once you discover that healthy foods are not necessarily bad foods, you will see that it's not so bad. Here are a few tips to help you kick-start your way to a healthy diet and a healthy heart.

Fats and cholesterol - If you are a lover of fried foods, creamy sauces, and butter it's hard to just give them up cold turkey, and if you cannot do that, start by cutting back until you can eliminate fatty foods completely. It's not the end of the world, but limiting how much saturated and trans fat you eat is one of the most important steps you can take to reduce your blood cholesterol and lower your risk of coronary artery disease. A high blood cholesterol level can lead to a build up of plaque in your arteries (atherosclerosis), and can increase your risk of heart attack and stroke.

If you are committed to reducing saturated and trans fats in your diet, the best way to do this is by limiting the amount of solid fats (butter, margarine, and shortening). Low fat substitutions can be used instead and many of them don't taste as bad as you think. An example of this would be low-fat yogurt on a baked potato instead of butter or fruit on toast instead of butter.

You may want to start checking the food labels when grocery shopping. You will be surprised at how much saturated and trans fats are in your favorite cookies or that bag of chips. If you don't buy it, you can't eat it. One good clue that a food has some trans fat in it, which is often seen on chips is "partially hydrogenated," listed in the ingredients.

When you absolutely have to use oils or butter, choose monounsaturated fats, such as olive oil or canola oil. Another good choice is polyunsaturated fats, found in nuts and seeds. When used in place of saturated fat, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats may help lower your total blood cholesterol. All types of fat are high in calories so remember if you must use oils or butter, use them in moderation.

If you must, choose: Olive Oil - Canola Oil - "Fat-Free" Margarine - "Cholesterol-lowering margarine" such or Smart Balance.

Avoid: Butter - lard - bacon - gravy - cream sauce - nondairy creamers - hydrogenated margarine and shortening.

You can do it!

Yes, it will be hard at first, but you can do it. The end result will be a healthier heart and a healthier body. Before long, you will wonder why you ever included so much fat in your diet to begin with.

Related: Promote Heart Health by Eliminating Unhealthy Fats From Your Diet

As you know, high blood pressure, smoking, and being overweight are risks for heart disease, but did you know that physical inactivity is another serious risk? A healthy excerise plan just a few minutes a day can help you maintain a healthy heart.

Over time, fat and cholesterol can build up in your blood vessels. When the arteries that supply the heart and brain with blood become blocked, a heart attack can occur. Frequent exercise can assist in keeping the blood vessels open and helping to prevent heart disease.

Benefits of Exercise

If you have been inactive for a period of time, you may think that you just don't have it in you - that you just can't get started with an exercise routine. What is a better motivator than knowing that with exercise you can:

- Reduce your risk of developing heart disease.
- Lower your blood pressure.
- Raise your HDL "good" cholesterol level.
- Lower your LDL "bad" cholesterol level.
- Lose weight, which can put an added strain on your heart by forcing it to work harder.
- Help your heart and lungs work more effectively.

I'm Not a Physical Person

Exercising doesn't have to be strenuous. You don't have to lift weights or run marathons; you simply have to get your heart rate up. In fact, you can exercise without exercising. What I mean by this is simple gardening, doing housework, or even dancing can be considered heart health exercises. It is recommended that you do 30 to 60 minutes of exercises daily.
Although there are many aerobic activities to choose from, walking is one of the best. It requires no special skills and it costs no money. Walking is easy on the body, and nearly anyone can do it.

Tips for Getting Started

- Start out slow and build your endurance. This gives your muscles a chance to warm up. Overdoing it often results in aches and pains - followed by, procrastination.
- Choose activities you like. This makes reaching your goal a little easier.
- Find a friend to exercise with.
- Bring your headphones and listen to your favorite tunes while exercising.
- Drink plenty of water when exercising, especially in hot or humid conditions.
- Most importantly. Talk with your doctor before starting an exercise regimen.
This is extremely important if you have been inactive for a period of time.

Changing your lifestyle

There are a few things that you can do to incorporate exercise into your daily life.
Walk instead of driving whenever possible. Take a walk during lunchtime. Walk the mall before going into your favorite store. Surround yourself with positive people. Reward yourself for doing good.

If you combine a daily exercise regimen with healthy eating habits, the benefits will be priceless. Not only will you maintain a healthy heart, but a healthier you. The feeling of knowing that you are in control is like no other.

Related: Dietary Supplements Help the Cardiovascular System