Know Your Cholesterol Numbers

When you embark on any health or fitness regime, it is important to ask your doctor for a total lipoprotein profile so that you are aware not only of your total cholesterol but of each component as well. You may have a total cholesterol level that is desirable, but that doesn’t mean your HDL (high-density lipoprotein or “good” cholesterol) and LDL (low-density lipoprotein or “bad” cholesterol) levels are in line. Cholesterol levels are measured by milligrams per deciliter or mg/dL, which basically tells you how much cholesterol (in mg) is present in each deciliter (dL) of blood sample. Your total cholesterol level will fall into one of three categories:

Desirable: less than 200 mg/dL
Borderline high risk: 200 – 239 mg/dL
High risk: 240 mg/dL and over

If you fall within the high-risk range, you have at least twice the risk of heart disease as someone in the desirable range.

If you have a cholesterol reading over 240 mg/dL or you have risk factors such as heart disease along with cholesterol readings over 200 mg/dL, your doctor will probably prescribe a cholesterol-lowering medication in combination with a healthy low-fat diet and exercise. Diet and exercise are two important ways to both cut your cholesterol numbers and enhance your metabolism. Your doctor should periodically test your blood cholesterol levels to check on your progress.

If your numbers are high, take measures to lower them, using this as motivation to improve your nutrition, ramp up your exercise, increase your metabolism, lose weight and take daily nutritional supplements.

Eat Your Oatmeal

Oatmeal is marvelous choice for healthy fiber, both soluble and insoluble. Insoluble fiber found in oatmeal is good for people with diabetes because the fibers slow down the digestion of starch, preventing a sharp rise in blood glucose levels after a meal. Soluble fiber aids in the processing and elimination of food, moving it quickly and efficiently through the bowels. Studies have shown that eating foods that are high in soluble fiber may help to lower LDL cholesterol(bad cholesterol) without lowering HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol). Whether you choose steel-cut oats (the most roughly cut and least processed), rolled or “old-fashioned” oats, quick oats, or instant, all types of oats are effective at reducing cholesterol. To get the daily 3 grams of soluble fiber recommended for lowering cholesterol levels, you’ll need to eat 2 ounces of oat bran (2/3 cup dry or about ½ cups cooked) or 3 ounces of oatmeal (1 cup dry or 2 cups cooked).