Cholesterol High..what and why?

     Good evening...  How is that CARDIO CHALLENGE going, Fam?  We are into week three.  Remember, 240 minutes of cardio activity per week is our goal.  Are you tracking it?  Well, I am.  Let me tell how important keeping track is to this activity.  I track everything in my cellphone.  The first week, I met and exceeded my cardio activity goal.  This past week, I thought I was on track and guess what?  I was short 15 minutes!  I could have done 15 minutes with my eyes closed!  Now I know to keep a closer tab on my tracking so I can be on top of the CHALLENGE.  To my girl, Ronnie, Keep Walking!!!
     Now, I have a friend who recently had some blood work done and found out their cholesterol is "high".   Having a blood sample drawn and tested is how you can find out your cholesterol level.  Physicians usually order a cholesterol level when you have blood drawn for your annual check-up (I hope you are keeping up with your annual check-ups).  Children are usually screened if they have a family history of high cholesterol.  High cholesterol means you can develop fat deposits in your blood vessels.  After a while those fat deposits will cause blood flow through those vessels to decrease.  If that happens, your heart may not receive enough oxygen-rich blood and you have the chance of having a heart attack.  If the blood flow to your brain slows down, you could have a stroke. 

     There are various reasons or risk factors that can cause our cholesterol to be high.  It could be genetics, smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, a poor diet, or lack of exercise.  So, what can we do to fix it?  Believe it or not, change some of our habits, watch what we eat and exercise.  Seems like that's the answer to a lot of our health issues.
     There is LDL cholesterol, which is the "the bad seed".  That is the cholesterol that builds up in the walls of your arteries, making them hard and narrow.  You have heard the term "plaque".  That's it!  There is the VLDL cholesterol, which is the "cohort in crime".  It makes the LDL cholesterol larger in size, causing your blood vessels to narrow.  This is the "triglyceride" that you probably have heard about.   Then there is the HDL, "the good" cholesterol.  This cholesterol picks up excess cholesterol and carries it back to your liver. 
 
     How can we work on this problem?  Lifestyle changes...Lose those extra pounds we don't need.  I know, you don't want to hear it again, but it is what it is.  We HAVE to get regular exercise in our schedules.  If you are a smoker, STOP, or at least cut back.  Eat a diet that is high in fiber.  Yes, more veggies, fruits, and whole grains like brown or wild rice, or whole wheat pasta.  Start eating more "heart-healthy" fish like tuna, halibut, cod.  Eat more lean protein like chicken and fish (BAKED not FRIED).  Slow down with the foods that contain trans fats.  Trans fats can be found in commercial baked foods like crackers, cookies and cakes, and many fried foods, such as doughnuts and french fries.  Yes, all the good tasting stuff.  Shortenings and some margarines can also be high in trans fat.   If all else fails, your doctor may need to have you start taking medication. 
     This is one more step to getting healthier family and friends...Let's work it out!!!  SMOOCHES

(Special thanks to Mayoclinic.com,WebMD.com)