Setting Fitness Goals Posted By : Jonathon Hardcastle
Written by Editor on March 2nd, 2007 in fitness.
Many people make the mistake of setting their fitness goals too high when they embark on an exercise program. This leads them to abandon their plans out of frustration and impatience. Setting manageable goals is key to maintaining a fitness program over time.
High Cholesterol Level: Risk Factors, Treatment Options
What is cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a type of fat (lipid) made by the body. About 80% of cholesterol is made by the body, the other 20% comes from the diet. Cholesterol is a building block for cell membranes. Our body uses cholesterol to produce many hormones (e.g., progesterone, estrogen, testosterone), vitamin D, and the bile acids that help to digest fat.
Many foods contain cholesterol and high intake of these foods can increase the level of cholesterol in the blood. Having too much cholesterol in the blood is not a disease in itself, but high cholesterol (hypercholesterolemia) can cause the formation and accumulation of plaque deposits in the arteries. Plaque is composed of cholesterol, other fatty substances, fibrous tissue, and calcium. When it builds up in the arteries, it results in the hardening and narrowing of the arteries (atherosclerosis) in the major vascular systems.
Narrowing of the arteries around the heart (coronary heart disease) can prevent the heart from getting as much oxygen-rich blood as it needs, increasing the risk of a heart attack. Decreased blood flow to the brain can cause a stroke, and less blood flowing to the lower limbs may result in exercise-related pain or even gangrene.
Having a high cholesterol level does not cause symptoms and does not make you feel sick. If there is a huge excess, some people develop soft, yellowish skin growths called xanthomas, usually in the area near the eyes. Most people find out they have high cholesterol when they have their blood cholesterol measured as part of a medical check-up.
Read more about High Cholesterol Treatment Options
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Ten Cholesterol Lowering Food Tips
Cholesterol lowering food in combination with a healthy fit lifestyle has been proven over and over again to be one of the most effective ways of lowering cholesterol naturally.
More people than ever before have high cholesterol even with millions of dollars being spent each year to try and educate people on this problem.
Unfortunately, instead of focusing on such things as cholesterol lowering food the emphasis for dealing with this health problem has been on ’statin’ drugs. Drugs are never a good idea and when it comes to the ’statins’ it’s even worse.
So, how can you lower cholesterol naturally without taking risky prescription medication?
As mentioned above using your diet to lower cholesterol with the help of cholesterol lowering food is a very good place to start.
There are of course other ways of lowering cholesterol naturally such as adding cholesterol lowering vitamins to your health regime, making exercise an important part of your life, etc. but in this article we’ll stick with cholesterol lowering food and food additives.
Before going any further it’s important that you understand the difference between LDL cholesterol and HDL cholesterol. You always hear these terms repeated on the news but what’s the difference between them?
In simplest terms HDL cholesterol is healthy for you. You body needs it. On the other hand LDL cholesterol is the bad guy. LDL helps to cause heart disease by allowing cholesterol to build up in your arteries.
Read the 10 Cholesterol Lowering Food Tips
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