What Is A Healthy And Normal Cholesterol Level?
By Cindy

Cholesterol is a medical problem that most of us encounter and have to battle with at one point in our lives. So what actually is and what role does it play in our body? is a medical problem that most of us encounter and have to battle with at one point in our lives. So what actually is and what role does it play in our body?

Cholesterol is a substance that exists in our cell which our body needs. It flows through our blood stream and has a waxy texture. It is common knowledge nowadays that is not always a bad thing. There is actually good or the high-density lipoprotein known as HDL which helps in carrying away from the arteries to the liver. It is then processed into harmless particles.

The good HDL helps to build cell membrane and various hormones while the bad LDL when present in high levels in our body will clog the arteries and may cause a heart attack in due course.

Healthy Levels And How To Achieve It

A healthy HDL level should be a minimum of 40 mg/dL and a healthy LDL level should be a maximum of 200mg/dL.

The first thing you need to achieve a healthy level and to maintain it is to first get it tested regularly. The only way to know your level is through a blood test. Once you get the results of your tests, you can start making changes in your lifestyle to achieve or maintain a healthy level.

The first thing you must do is to watch your weight. Although levels are not measured by weight, obesity is often a sign of high levels of bad cholesterol. At the same time, it does not mean that a person with an ideal weight or even under weight will have normal levels.

How To Achieve A Healthy Level With Your Diet

A lot of information about and the foods that will make your level higher are easily available. However, it's easier to simply list the foods that will not increase your level such as fresh fruits and vegetables especially. You should also know that there are some types of foods that can actually lower your cholesterol. If you have high levels you can try to achieve normal levels by consuming these foods.

Oatmeal and oat bran are some types of foods that can help to lower level. This is because bad levels can be lowered by soluble fiber. Experts think the reason is because fiber can help stop the absorption of cholesterol. A good amount of soluble fiber should be five to ten grams a day.

Oatmeal need not only be taken at breakfast. It can be eaten at other meals for your lunch and dinner by adding it to baked foods. Other types of soluble fiber can also help you maintain normal level if you do not like the taste of oatmeal.

Another type of food you should include in your diet is food that contains Omega-3 fatty acids. This is because it has been found to lower the levels of triglycerides. Some types of foods that are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids include nuts, and they are tasty additions to a healthy diet. Nuts are high in protein and fiber, which make them filling. Walnuts and almonds are also types of nuts that are good for lowering cholesterol, besides peanuts, hazelnuts, pecans and pistachios.

However, it is not recommended to consume nuts with higher amounts of fat are when trying to achieve a normal level through your diet. These high fat nuts include Brazil nuts, cashews, macadamia nuts and some pine nuts.

As most of us know, Omega-3 fatty acids can also be found in fatty fish. Some examples of fatty fish are sardines, mackerel, salmon, tuna, herring and trout. Most of these fatty fish are cold-water fish.

Besides knowing the foods you should eat to achieve a healthy and normal level, you should also know the foods you should avoid. These foods are mostly foods that contain high cholesterol, including saturated fats and trans fats.

Bad can found in trans fat and saturated fats and make your LDL levels very high. That is why you should read all food labels and make sure you do not purchase and consume food that contains them. There are many types of food which contain such as poultry, meat, eggs, milk and butter. As you cannot remove all the food with from your diet, you should try minimizing the amount or portion of these foods.

If you are still not sure of what to eat to achieve and maintain a healthy and normal level, you can consult your doctor or a dietician to help you make a diet plan. They can help you make a diet plan which consists of foods that have just the right amount of for you.