The TRUTH About Cholesterol
We hear it quite often that if we have high levels of LDL cholesterol it could raise our risk for developing heart disease and other chronic conditions. 

LDL cholesterol is known as the “bad” cholesterol. It can be affected by many things including diet, exercise habits and also genetics. 

There unfortunately isn’t just one thing that will solve this issue, but on the flip side the multi-faceted approach I layout below is simple and easy to follow.  

The Truth About Cholesterol

 Thanks to the help of the liver and insulin your body produces all the cholesterol it needs.  

YES, your body does need cholesterol and there is a good reason for it. It just doesn’t need as much cholesterol as we provide it through food.  

Cholesterol is critical to hormone production and the creation of bile acids. It also helps with vitamin D production. There are also many cells within the body that require cholesterol such as the liver cells, nervous system and is assists in the forming of cell walls. 

There are two types of cholesterol though…
LDL cholesterol which is the main form of cholesterol found in your blood moves through the body to the various cells in your body. 

HDL cholesterol is the other type and this is the “good” cholesterol. One of its important jobs is to trap the LDL (bad) cholesterol and transport it to your liver for removal. 

The reason we want to remove the excess “bad” cholesterol is because it is prone to getting trapped in the arteries which can lead to hardening of the arteries and blockage that then can trigger a heart attack or also a blood clot that then leads to other health issues.

Here are some simple strategies to lowering the LDL “bad” cholesterol.
1. Eat Cleaner Foods
Eliminating excess sugar and excess unhealthy fat from your diet such as trans-fats is a great start to lowering the LDL cholesterol levels.  

Also, increase fiber intake lowers LDL cholesterol. It helps to act as a scrub brush in your body and it grabs on to the LDL circulating in your blood to then remove it from the body.  

An ideal fiber intake should be around 25 grams per day to be effective at lowering LDL cholesterol levels.

Don’t cut out all fats though. There are healthy fats when eaten in moderation that have been shown to help lower LDL cholesterol. Both mono- and poly-unsaturated fats have been shown to lower LDL cholesterol and more importantly increase levels of the “good” cholesterol HDL.  

Another healthy fat is Omega-3 fats.  

There are thousands of studies published now that shows the powerful benefit from this type of fat including benefits on heart health such as lowering cholesterol, triglycerides and increasing the “good” HDL cholesterol. 

You should attempt to consume cold water fish such as salmon 3x or more per week or consume an omega-3 supplement such as Krill Oil. 
2. Exercise
Exercise for a long time now has been shown to lower LDL cholesterol levels and also increase HDL “good” cholesterol.  

A bonus side effect is weight loss which some studies have also shown to improve HDL cholesterol levels after weight loss. 

The goal here is to exercise for at least 30/min a day at a moderate activity level to see improvements in your cholesterol levels. You should be working hard enough to where you could say a few words to a friend, but then have to stop to catch your breath before speaking more. If you can carry on a continuous conversation without needing to catch your breath then you are not at a moderate activity level. 
Take Home Message:
Cholesterol is vital to our body and we need it to thrive in life. We just don’t need to increase our levels because of poor diet habits.  

Lifestyle changes are required to be able to not only lower harmful cholesterol levels and raise helpful levels, but also to maintain those optimal levels. 

If you follow these simple strategies and most importantly be consistent with them you can expect healthy cholesterol levels and a lower risk for heart disease. 

The meal planning and eating clean strategy many times can be the most challenging part. In my 20+ years of being a Registered Dietitian I have seen the most success when you have a consistent meal plan to follow.  

There are many different types of meal plans, but the best meal plans are what is going to work for you and that means customizing to fit your taste preferences.  

Another thing I have also experienced is the meal plan needs to be accessible and convenient.  You can find a lot of programs online, but one I particularly like is this app that is accessible from your phone.  

It is worth checking it out and seeing if you like the app and customized meal plans as much as I do.  
Join the F. A. S. T CLUB for the latest articles, recipes, and more!
Simply enter your name and email address below:
What Interests You?
Interest #1: Ketogenic Living
Interest #2: Paleo Lifestyle
Interest #3: Detox: Cleaning Out The Junk Inside Us
Interest #4: Intermittent Fasting
Interest #5: Maintaining A Healthy Heart
FOLLOW MY JOURNEY:
How I Finally Achieved A Healthy Body Weight That I Was Proud Of...
I have struggled with my bodyweight most of my adult life.  I have tried diet after diet, different exercise program and any other fad that has come along. 

To make it worse I was diagnosed with malfunctioning Thyroid and have been on medication for many years.  This only made my struggle with achieving a healthy body even worse. 

Oh, I forgot about my chronic foot injury that prevents me from running or even walking for cardiovascular benefit. 

Here is my story on how I finally took control of my body and started achieving my ideal body. 
Our Top Articles:
7 Egg Muffin- Low Carb, Keto Friendly Recipes

Paleo- Chicken Tacos
What Is Intermittent Fasting?
Ketogenic Basics:  What You Need To Know For Success
Copyright © 2018 - Just Meal Plans | Terms and Conditions | Privacy Policy | Legal Disclaimer | Medical DisclaimerContact Us
182 Greystone Lane Sunrise Beach, MO 65079
Powered By ClickFunnels.com