Five Steps For Reversing Cholesterol Buildup in the Arteries

Five Steps For Reversing Cholesterol Buildup in the Arteries Muscle Milk Ingredients :

When a person has cholesterol buildup in the arteries it is a lot like driving your car with the parking brake on. You will not be able to go as fast and eventually either your brakes or your engine will stop working. While maybe not the best analogy, the bottom line is that when there is a cholesterol buildup in the arteries your heart must pump harder to accomplish the same amount of work.

Five Steps For Reversing Cholesterol Buildup in the Arteries

On a average day your heart must beats an astounding 100,000 times sending 1,800 of blood racing through 60,000 miles of blood vessels. Not an easy task even on a good day. But when cholesterol buildup in the arteries occurs all of the sudden the natural balance of things is upset causing your heart muscle to be put under constant duress.

If we knew for sure the cholesterol buildup in the arteries would not get worse it is possible the body could find a way to offset the heart blood flow imbalance. Nevertheless, without some action on your part the chances are pretty good that a minor cholesterol buildup in arteries will continue to grow until it starts to impact almost every facet of everyday life.

A cholesterol buildup in arteries is know a plaque. Plaque consists of cholesterol, fibrous tissue, dead cells, and calcium. As arterial plaque grows, and matures, it hardens. The ensuing condition is known as atherosclerosis. This dangerous condition accounts for nearly three out of every four deaths from heart disease.

Five steps for reversing cholesterol buildup in arteries

Cholesterol buildup in the arteries can start as early as the age of 3 which likely means most (if not all) or us have at least some cholesterol lodged on the interior lining of our arteries. So in order to scrub our arteries clean we will need to take steps to both reduce cholesterol and saturated fat in our diets and do our best to prevent future deposits from forming. Here are a few ideas starting with the one that is most often overlooked.

*Neutralize blood homocysteine levels: Homocysteines are hostile amino acids produced by the body during the digestion of the proteins. The current theory is homocysteine amino acids chew up cells in the lining of the blood vessels, trigger blood clots, or produce debris that that blocks the arteries. A diet rich in folic acid, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 is suggested to minimize cholesterol buildup in the arteries as a result of homocysteine amino acids.

*Reduce saturated fat intake to less than 16 milligrams per day: Saturated fat raises blood cholesterol faster than any other type of fat and is primarily found in meat and full fat dairy products. A simple solution is to reduce the amount of meat and full fat dairy products (butter, milk, cheese) substituting fruits and vegetables instead.

*Don't slip in inactivity: Exercise increases good cholesterol (HDL), decreases bad cholesterol (LDL), and keeps our heart strong. The AMA suggests thirty minutes of doctor approved exercise daily, though even ten minutes will help.

*Eat more soluble fiber: Soluble fiber foods (oatmeal, oat bran, whole grain, apples, orange pulp) bind with cholesterol in the intestines and gets rid of it before it has a chance to cause cholesterol buildup in arteries.

*A natural cholesterol reduction supplement could help: Sometimes you may need that little bit of extra protection to keep cholesterol buildup in arteries from occurring, especially when you simply can't say no to burgers, fries, cheese, and dogs over the holiday weekend. Most natural cholesterol reduction supplements are considered to be affordable and very safe, containing natural ingredients such as plant sterols and policosanol.

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How to Lower Your Cholesterol

How to Lower Your Cholesterol Muscle Milk Ingredients :

So the doctor says you need to lower your cholesterol. If it is creeping up, but not yet ready for cholesterol lowering medication there are some life style changes you can make to start decreasing the LDL reading and increase the HDL. Even if you are ready for the medication, it doesn't relieve you of the task of making life changes to better your heart health.

How to Lower Your Cholesterol

Regular physical activity can help. The kind and intensity is dependent upon your overall health and condition. Drastic change in activity should be discussed with your doctor. Many of us, even though we may not want to admit it, have settled into a quite sedentary life and have to consciously work to build our endurance. Just because you can't go run a marathon, doesn't mean you can't take a walk daily. Just because you can't walk a mile doesn't mean you can't walk down the block today and two next weekend! Soon you will be doing that mile. Then there are benefits of regular exercise beyond improved blood cholesterol levels--weight control, endurance, improved blood pressure, improved muscle tone, even improved sleep.

Another change to make is dietary, of course. You need to select foods that are lower in saturated fats, trans fats and cholesterol. Rather than simply cutting out some of your favorite foods and feeling deprived, you can learn how to make substitutions that will decrease your intake of saturated fats and cholesterol. For instance, you can replace hamburger with ground turkey, fried chicken with skin-off baked chicken, fatty meat with chicken, turkey or fish, whole milk with skim milk, sour cream with low fat yogurt, cheese with low fat cheese, cheese or sauce-covered vegetable with raw or lightly steamed vegetables, chips or high fat crackers with rice cakes or low fat pretzels, birthday cake with angle food cake. One egg yolk contains about 2/3 of your daily cholesterol intake. You may want to substitute two egg whites in recipes. Trim fat from meat. Read labels on processed meats. Avoid organic meats, such as liver.

You should keep your intake of saturated fats to 7-10% or less of your daily caloric intake. Most saturated fats come from foods from animals and some plants, like coconut oil and palm oil. A reduction in carbohydrates and alcohol helps some people also. (By the way, thin people can have high cholesterol and should stay aware of their LDL and HDL levels and follow good dietary habits.)

Read food labels; low cholesterol does not mean low saturated fat or trans fats. Check the serving size. Often what we may think of as one serving is actually two. And what does "Lower fat" mean? Lower than what? Lower than lard doesn't mean it is good! :) Look carefully at the ingredient label.

Look for un-hydrogenated oil, such as canola oil or olive oil. Check labels to be sure prepared foods use un-hydrogenated oil. Use soft margarine with no more than 2 grams of saturated fat per tablespoon and is trans-fat free. Avoid commercially deep fat fried food.

Then there is one more change to make, which for some may be the most difficult. That is, if you are a smoker, you should quit. There is some evidence that this will help raise HDL, the good cholesterol.

These life changes are not only for adults. The basis for cholesterol issues can start in childhood. Developing good eating and exercise habits in your children is a priceless lifetime gift.

Be sure to bring up the topic of cholesterol with your doctor; don't wait for her to bring it up. Ask for an explanation of the numbers that are reported at the screening. Discuss a plan for keeping it in a healthy range. You want to be able to prevent problems, not simply react to problems.

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