Those who have not exercised before should first consult with a physician to find out which is suitable for your situation. Those who have a heart condition may not do something rigorous and will have to rely on something that is low impact such as walking, weight lifting or stretching.

Should the physician say the patient can participate in high impact exercises; there is running, swimming, aerobics and bicycling. The kind of exercise will depend on some factors and not only medical history. This will also depend on gender, age and weight.

The doctor can make a plan then the person should relay this to the fitness instructor as to what is safe or not. From there, an exercise program can be made and all the patient has to do is follow it.

After a week or two, there will be improvements in the levels of good and bad cholesterol in the body as well as decrease in the current weight of the person.

Exercising is also considered to be the best way because the use of drugs has known to cause side effects when the person takes this.

If the individual does not have time to participate in a gym, there are other ways to pump those muscles and increase the heart rate. For starters, men and women can go brisk walking early in the morning or before going to work.

Some offices and hospitals encourage people to walk up one or two flights of stairs instead of using the elevator to go up or down a few floors. If the company where one works in has a big parking lot, the individual can try walking a few yards more instead of taking the space near the door.

During any exercise, it is best to drink lots of water. This will prevent the body from dehydration that often leads to exhaustion. Instead of going to the fountain every few minutes, it is best to bring a water bottle.

This will save a lot of time and keep the person at pace with the group activity or the work being done on the machine.

With proper exercise, one will be able to lower the bad cholesterol in the body and achieve good health.

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There are several medications available in the market today that aim to lower cholesterol levels. They are grouped in different classes most notable of which are HMG-CoA Inhibitors or otherwise known as “statins”. The drugs belonging in this group try to block the enzyme HMG-CoA, which functions as one of the steps required to convert fat into cholesterol. Statins are known to be the most effective cholesterol lowering agent to date and have become a great help to people requiring drastic reduction of their cholesterol levels.

There are also cholesterol lowering drugs called bile acid sequestrants that work by binding itself with the bile produced by the human liver. Bile is the substance that aids in the digestion system and in the absorption of fats in the intestine. Bile acid sequestrants prevent the formation of cholesterol by preventing bile acid from digesting fats.

There are also vitamins that help lower cholesterol levels. Most prominent among them is Vitamin B3 or niacin. Niacin is one of the eight water-soluble B vitamins that help the body convert carbohydrates into glucose which is used in the body for energy. The B vitamins are also important in the breakdown of body fat and protein as well as in the aid in making the nervous system, skin, eyes, hair, mouth, and liver healthy. Niacin also helps the body in getting rid of toxic and harmful chemicals.

Niacin has also been found to improve the effects of other cholesterol reducing drugs. But such an effect would only be possible if niacin is taken in large doses. But people are also warned to be careful of trying to lower their cholesterol levels by taking in large doses of Niacin. Large amounts of this B vitamin can cause flushing of the skin due to dilating blood vessels as well as other side effects such as itching, headaches, nausea and muscle cramps.

Other vitamins that can lower cholesterol levels is Lecithin and vitamins C and E. Lecithin works by allowing fats and cholesterol to be dispersed from the body and help prevent fatty buildup in the arteries. Vitamins C and E have also shown to help in trying to help prevent heart disease by protecting LDL cholesterol from damage. Although LDL cholesterol is also known as the “bad” cholesterol, most cardiologists believe that only damaged LDL contributes to the increasing risk of heart disease.

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There are numerous dugs now available that is being used to treat unhealthy cholesterol levels in people. Most popular of these is the HMG-CoA Reductase Inhibitor or what is more simply known as Statins. This group of cholesterol lowering drugs come in different name drugs and is increasingly being used in order to help high risk patients greatly lower their cholesterol levels. Statins can also increase the levels of HDL or “good” cholesterol.

Though statins and other known drugs being used to lower cholesterol levels have been proven to be very effective, there are also other ways available for people to lower their cholesterol levels without the use of such drugs. One of these is to live a more active lifestyle. Physical activity and exercise is an essential part of several low cholesterol therapies that aim to decrease bad cholesterol levels. Regular exercise can also help in reducing blood pressure, excess weight as well as reduce the diabetes risk.

Following a low cholesterol diet can also help a lot in trying to reduce high cholesterol levels. Scientists have found that a low cholesterol diet can help decrease cholesterol levels by as much as 29 percent in one month. This suggests that a combination diet can also be as effective as drugs like statins used to treat people with high cholesterol levels. It has also been established that eating low cholesterol and high fiber foods can cut individual cholesterol level by seven percent.

A good diet that can help people lower cholesterol include consuming non-hydrogenated or unprocessed fats, eating a rich diet of soy protein, nuts and fiber rich foods such as oats and barley. Increased consumption of Omega-3 fats from fish and other plant sources can also have a positive effect in any low cholesterol diet as well as a healthy amount of fruits and vegetables.

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Generally, lowering one’s cholesterol level can be done by decreasing the saturated fat and cholesterol intake, engaging in physical activities, and losing weight for overweight persons.

The National Cholesterol Education Program as well as the American Heart Association has recommended the Therapeutic Lifestyle Change (TLC) as a means to lower one’s cholesterol levels. The TLC encompasses the following guidelines: saturated fat intake should be less than 7% of the total calories per day; fat should comprise less than 25-35 percent of the day’s total calories; daily dietary cholesterol should be less than 200 milligrams; daily sodium consumption should not go beyond 2400 milligrams; and calorie intake should just be according to what is right for your needs. The TLC diet may make radical changes to your diet. A registered dietitian may be advised by your doctor to help plan the foods that will work best for you. The registered dietitian will also be monitoring your cholesterol levels and make sure that progress is at hand. While this is a very effective cholesterol management program, exercise should be practiced along with the diet change. Your new diet plan may reduce the bad cholesterol level, but it is actually the physical activities that are responsible in increasing your good cholesterol level.

Some patients may be asked to be under some cholesterol lowering medications on top of the lifestyle changes which includes the TLC diet. This may be the case if a patient, despite the change in diet, engaging in physical activity and after losing weight, still hasn’t succeeded in lowering down his cholesterol levels after about three months.

Consulting your doctor is recommended in order to deal with high cholesterol levels.

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It may also lead to fatigue and sore muscles because there is not enough nutrients in the body. Exercising, on the other hand, exercise without the correct diet is useless because you will only be maintaining your usual weight.You will not be gaining of course, because you are burning whatever you need; but you will not be losing any pound either.

Besides, exercising too much will strain the muscles and might even lead to a possible heart attack because of too much strain to the heart.

So what do you have to eat in order to lower those cholesterol levels in the body and ultimately prevent the occurrence of hypertension?

Eat less meat

The fats from meat hold a lot of cholesterol. If you can avoid eating meat all the frequently, better; but if you can’t stop munching those meat, just remove the fats that hang on the side. Chicken and Turkey meat is a lot healthier so if you can have a choice, opt for these kinds of meat products. Don’t forget to remove the skin though as cholesterol concentrate in white meats can be found on the skin.

Eat less oil

One of the first things that a person dieting should avoid is to eat foods that are deep-fried or those that are cooked using oil. These include potato chips, fries, fried meat, fried seafood, fried veggies and a whole lot more.

Oil, when taken into the body translates to cholesterol. What you should be eating are foods that are boiled, steamed, baked and braised. Grilled foods may also be eaten but not so much.

Eat vegetables

Vegetables do not only contain zero cholesterol, it is also a great resource of fibers that help the body in digesting the food that we take in.

As much as possible, steam the vegetables that you eat to maintain the nutrients in it and of course avoid fatty and cholesterol additives like oils.

Eat less period

Try to curb that appetite slowly by taking in less food that you usually take in. If you can lessen the number of times that you eat or of you do want snacks, eat healthy snacks like fruits.

Try to also lessen the carbohydrates that you take in, which can be found in rice, cereals and bread. If you must eat these staple opt for the healthier kind like brown rice and wheat bread.

With the right combination of exercise and diet, you can decrease cholesterol level and get healthy lifestyle.

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HDL Cholesterol

This “good” cholesterol is responsible for removing the bad cholesterol that sticks to the walls of the arteries that is responsible for blood clot which later on results to a stroke. Therefore, the higher the HDL cholesterol numbers, the better it is for your health. HDL cholesterol numbers at 60 and above is the best defense against heart disease; An HDL number of 40 in men and 50 in women is considered low and a risk factor for heart disease.

LDL Cholesterol

Known as the bad cholesterol, LDL builds up on the walls of the arteries which block the blood flow. Over time, increase suppression of the flow will bring about heart disease or stroke. Hence, the lower the LDL cholesterol numbers, the better. A less than 100 LDL would be the best number; 100-129 means good; 130-159 is borderline high; 160-189 means high LDL; 190 and above is a very high LDL number. People with other heart disease risk factors are encouraged to lower down their LDL cholesterol numbers to less than a hundred.

Triglycerides

These are considered to be the fats that we get from our foods. They are considered to contribute to the risk factor of heart disease. Therefore, a very high Triglyceride number is from 500 and higher; a high number and a great risk factor as well is from 200-499; borderline high is at 150-199; and the normal Triglyceride number is less than 150.

Total Cholesterol

Total cholesterol numbers are composed of the LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and other lipid components, and are recommended at a level below 200, the most desirable number. Numbers at 200-239 is considered borderline high, while a high total blood cholesterol level is 240 and above.

Understanding the meaning of your cholesterol numbers will help you manage your health better.

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Another thing a patient should be aware of in cholesterol management is where to get his cholesterol tested. Your doctor’s clinic is a good place to have the test. This test involves taking a blood sample. Your doctor will be most reliable in terms of interpreting the test’s results. Other places to consider are health care centers, screenings held in the malls or community, and even right at your home using a home testing device.

It’s also important for you to understand what your numbers mean. While some patients’ numbers scare them, these must be taken as foundation for your reasons to undergo lifestyle changes. Make sure you know which numbers make you critical, safe and basically on the borderline. These should not be explained to you to scare you but to motivate you to adhere to a cholesterol management program.

Cholesterol management also takes into account using diet as your best defense. A lifestyle change which includes a change in your eating habits plus constant physical activity may just spare you from taking in those medications. These medications may be available but are definitely not a substitute for a healthy diet and some exercise. A lot of diet plans are available for different needs. Check with your doctor what diet plans are best for you.

Regular exercise at least 30 minutes daily is highly recommended to raise one’s (HDL) “good” cholesterol and to prevent high blood pressure. The more exercise you do, the better it is for your heart and blood pressure.

There are numerous programs being implemented in cholesterol management but they all have one major goal. It is to help patients monitor and control their cholesterol levels.

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There are two kinds of cholesterol. HDL cholesterol or known as “good” cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (“bad” cholesterol). LDL (low density lipoprotein) cholesterol is the type of cholesterol that builds up in the arteries. HDL (high density lipoprotein) cholesterol carries the fatty deposits in the body to the liver for excretion. Therefore, the higher the HDL cholesterol you have, the better.

Cholesterol is measure by milligrams of cholesterol per deciliter of blood (mg/dL). Most of the time when your tested for cholesterol level, the total amount of total cholesterol is only given and sometime you are given with the HDL cholesterol and the total cholesterol results. The desirable total cholesterol level is 200mg/dL and the beneficial amount of HDL is more than 40mg/dL.

Triglycerides are another type of fat that flows in the blood stream. They comprise the 95% fat in the body. Triglycerides are carried by a special lipoprotein called “chylomicon”. Having high levels of triglycerides and low density lipoproteins signifies a high risk of having a coronary heart disease. The triglycerides attach themselves on the walls of the arteries and veins, very much like LDL cholesterol, developing a thick plaque that is called as the atherosclerosis.

There are two main cholesterol ratios. These cholesterol ratios are “LDL/HDL” cholesterol ratios and “total cholesterol/HDL” cholesterol ratios. In the latter cholesterol ratios, your cholesterol result is given by the total cholesterol divided by the HDL cholesterol. According to the American Heart Association, the desirable amount should be 5:1 below with the optimal amount of 3.5:1 or 3.5 to 1. The LDL/HDL is done by dividing LDL cholesterol by the HDL cholesterol. The desirable amount in this ratio should be 3.5 below. The American Heart Association suggested that physicians must use complete numbers for “total cholesterol/HDL cholesterol” in determining the correct treatment.

A normal cholesterol level as recommended by the National Institute of Health:
* total cholesterol – 200mg/dL
* LDL : 100mg/dL
* HDL (man) : 40mg/dL above
* HDL (woman) : 50mg/dL above
* Triglycerides : 150mg/dL

Regular exercise and healthy diet will help you control cholesterol levels.

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The LDL cholesterol test is advised to let you know your LDL numbers. The test is done using a blood sample usually collected from a vein in the arm. This is a process which called venipuncture. LDL and other lipid profile measurements done at home using home cholesterol test kits requires only about a drop or two of blood samples taken from the fingertip.

The result, regardless where the test was done, is used to determine your risk of having heart disease. While these tests give you the numbers of other kinds of cholesterol in the blood, the LDL cholesterol level is mostly used by health practitioners as basis for treatment options.

LDL cholesterol level can be found out by undergoing a lipoprotein profile. It is basically a cholesterol test that will give results not only regarding your LDL cholesterol level but also the total blood cholesterol level, HDL cholesterol level, and triglyceride level. The profile is highly recommended to individuals above 20 years old or those who have been previously screened and found out to have high cholesterol level.

A high LDL cholesterol level would mean a high risk factor for heart disease. For people with heart disease or diabetes, LDL should be less than 100 mg/dL; for persons with 2 or more other risk factors, LDL should be less than 130 mg/dL; and for individuals with 0 or 1 other risk factor, LDL should be less than 160 mg/dL.

A low HDL (good) cholesterol level, hypertension, family history of heart disease, and smoking makes a person prone to developing heart disease as well. Males who are 45 years or older and females beyond 54 years old are also more prone to developing heart problems.

Knowing your LDL cholesterol level is just a first step. What is more critical is your cholesterol management tactic.

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The HDL molecule is made up of protein, lipids and cholesterol which sweeps the walls of the arteries to remove cholesterol build up and transports it back to the liver for elimination through the gastrointestinal tract.

Low HDL cholesterol levels still pose great risks for patients, however, some doctors concentrate on letting the patients bring down their total blood cholesterol and bad cholesterol levels, not giving so much attention on the HDL cholesterol level.

So who needs to increase their HDL cholesterol levels? Males whose HDL cholesterol levels are below 40 mg/dL and women whose levels do not reach 50 mg/dL should exert effort in increasing their HDL cholesterol levels regardless if their total blood cholesterol and bad cholesterol levels are within the normal range.

How to increase HDL level

* Losing weight does not only increase your HDL cholesterol levels, it also reduces you bad cholesterol level.
* Exercising is one of the best methods to increase your HDL cholesterol level. Physical activities like walking, jogging, biking, or anything that will increase your heart rate for at least 30 minutes at one time will help raise your HDL level.
* Changing one’s eating routine – It merely advises you to do away with food choices that have high cholesterol content. Substitutes that are as delectable as the foods we are accustomed to are also available.
* Quitting smoking can actually increase your HDL cholesterol levels up to 15% to 20%.

Those are just some examples of how to increase your HDL cholesterol levels. If you still have cholesterol problems, consult your doctor.

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