Cholesterol and Diabetes

 Cholesterol seems to always get a bad rap. We only hear about the terrible things it capable of doing like clogging the blood vessels causing heart attacks. But did you know cholesterol is needed in all cells of the body? Cholesterol is also needed for hormones, bile acid which is needed for digestion, and vitamin D. Vitamin D is essential for calcium absorption into the bones.

We know cholesterol can cause problems when it gets to high.   

 There is also "good" and "Bad" cholesterol out there. It can all be very confusing. Hopefully this article can make sense.

First, cholesterol is effected by many factors. Some things we have control over and some we don't. 

Family history and the food you eat have the biggest impact. And since you can't change who your parents are you will need to focus your attention on your diet as well as the following. Other factors include lack of exercise, smoking, obesity, and diabetes.

Second, there are two main types of cholesterol you need to know about. HDL is also known as the "good cholesterol". This is because it works to prevent plaque build up or "clogging in the arteries". LDL on the other hand is known as the "bad" cholesterol. It is known for continuously causing plaque build up until the artery is completely closed off resulting in heart attacks.

Next, you will need to get cholesterol checked by the doctor if you already haven't done so.
 The recommendation by the American Heart Association is every 5 years  for those 20 years of age or older. The doctor will run a lipid panel. This tells you the total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, and triglycerides.

The recommended levels are:

Total Cholesterol      <200

HDL                         >45

LDL                         <100

Triglycerides            <150

Foods high in saturated fats increases your bad cholesterol. Saturated fat is the fat found in animal products like meats , milk, and butter. 

Ways to increase good cholesterol;

Exercise, lose weight , eat a heart healthy diet that includes oils like olive, peanut, or canola.