{"id":4215,"date":"2015-03-18T07:00:29","date_gmt":"2015-03-18T12:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.senioradvisor.com\/blog\/?p=4215"},"modified":"2016-09-07T10:09:05","modified_gmt":"2016-09-07T15:09:05","slug":"what-is-good-cholesterol","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/d30braiqprupoq.cloudfront.net\/blog\/2015\/03\/what-is-good-cholesterol\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Good Cholesterol?"},"content":{"rendered":"

What is Good Cholesterol?\"What<\/h1>\n

Cholesterol is an intimidating word. We hear our health care providers talk about it. We know we should watch it. But what is it? And is it all that important? Cholesterol is part of the food we eat and it is naturally found in the cells of your bodies. Your liver <\/span>creates<\/span> all the cholesterol the body needs to function well. <\/span><\/p>\n

Cholesterol is a substance similar to fat, but waxy. It travels through your body in your bloodstream but doesn\u2019t mix with the watery blood, <\/span>in the same way<\/span>\u00a0that oil and water don\u2019t mix. T<\/span>here are t<\/span>wo <\/span>different <\/span>kinds of lipoproteins <\/span>that bring<\/span> cholesterol through your bloodstream. Healthy <\/span>rates<\/span> of <\/span>these lipoproteins <\/span>are important. Lipoproteins<\/em> are the \u201cL\u201d in HDL and LDL.<\/span><\/p>\n

Good vs. Bad Cholesterol<\/h2>\n

There are two different types of cholesterol. High-density lipoproteins<\/em> (HDL) <\/span>is<\/span> often called \u201cgood cholesterol.\u201d It carries cholesterol away from your cells to the <\/span>liver which<\/span> removes it from the body. HDL actually helps remove cholesterol from your artery walls where it can build up as plaque. So, you want high-density lipoprotein levels (HDL) to be fairly high.<\/span><\/p>\n

Low-density lipoproteins<\/em> (LDL) <\/span>are tasked with bringing<\/span> cholesterol to the cells, including the <\/span>arteries which<\/span> <\/span>delivers<\/span> blood to the heart. <\/span> Because <\/span>LDL cholesterol <\/span>may cause plaque build up on the walls of your arteries it <\/span>is often called \u201cbad cholesterol<\/span>.<\/span>\u201d This is what makes cholesterol dangerous to your health. It can cause you to be at risk for such serious health problems as heart attack and stroke. So, you want low-density lipoproteins (HDL) to be low.<\/span><\/p>\n

High blood cholesterol results from the interaction betw<\/span>een how we eat, live and how our bodies respond to those choices. Atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease and angina are possible if high blood cholesterol goes unchecked.<\/span><\/p>\n

What can you do to have a healthy cholesterol reading?<\/span><\/h2>\n

First, look at <\/span>the foods that<\/span> you<\/span> are<\/span> eat<\/span>ing<\/span>. There is LDL cholesterol in foods that come from animal sources: cheese, egg yolks, butter, <\/span>meat<\/span>. Read labels before you buy, looking for trans fats or saturated fats (processed meat such as sausages, burgers and salami, pastry, fatty or fried foods among others). Cut back on these because you want LDL to be low.<\/span><\/p>\n

Add foods high in HDL to your daily diet: olives; nuts; seeds; canola, sunflower or safflower oil; oily fish; lean meats and lean poultry. Ask your healthcare provider for diet suggestions.<\/span><\/p>\n

Next, go check your weight. Although not always the case, if you are<\/span> overweight <\/span>you may see an increase in <\/span>your LDL level<\/span>. <\/span>Add more fruits and vegetables to your diet and cut back on <\/span>processed <\/span>bakery goods. <\/span><\/p>\n

Finally, get active. Lack of regular exercise can cause weight gain, which in turn raises your LDL cholesterol level. Regular<\/a><\/span> and on-going<\/span> exercise<\/span>s<\/span><\/a> can help you<\/span> get back on track to healthy weight levels and enable you to<\/span> lower your LDL level. Also, it helps raise your HDL level. <\/span><\/p>\n

It is hard to detect h<\/span>igh blood cholesterol <\/span>because it does not show any causes or symptoms which can be misleading to <\/span>many people <\/span>may not even be aware of <\/span>it. Only a blood test can identify your cholesterol levels. Discuss it with your doctor if <\/span>t<\/span>he<\/span>y need <\/span>to prescribe medicine for your<\/span> high cholesterol and follow their<\/span> advice.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What is Good Cholesterol? Cholesterol is an intimidating word. We hear our health care providers talk about it. We know we should watch it. But what is it? And is it all that important? Cholesterol is part of the food we eat and it is naturally found in the cells of your bodies. Your liver creates all the cholesterol the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2267,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[200,35],"tags":[79,44,45],"class_list":{"0":"post-4215","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-families-caregivers","7":"category-senior-health-fitness","8":"tag-healthy-eating","9":"tag-senior-fitness","10":"tag-senior-health"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhat is Good Cholesterol?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"What's the difference between good and bad cholesterol, and what can you do to have healthier cholesterol levels?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What is Good Cholesterol?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"What's the difference 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