How to Stay Calm When You Get High or Borderline Cholesterol Test Results

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By dorigillman
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High cholestrol foods, www.freedigitalphotos.net

You have just received cholesterol test results from your doctor and the numbers are not good. The target numbers for "safe" cholesterol levels are under 200. What if yours is 205, 220 or 235? Well, you are considered borderline risk for high cholesterol. Anything over 240 is a flashing signal that things are not right in Denmark, oh I mean, your body. But stay calm.

What do you do? Well,

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Step 1

Understand what cholesterol is before you can treat and deal with it. Cholesterol is a fat or lipid that helps the body produce new cells. You do need some in your body. However, too much lipid would clog the system and create health problems just as a pipe drain could get clogged and mess up the sink. You would need a plumber and that plumber would tell you to stop throwing goopy items down the drain. Just contemplate this fact and stay calm.
Step 2

Know the difference between the kinds of cholesterol. There is a type called "good" cholesterol or HDL cholesterol and that kind can save your arteries from becoming too clogged. You want that level to be 40 and up. The "bad" cholesterol or LDL cholesterol, is mostly the fat in your blood. You want that low and doctors suggest levels there to be in between 40 and 160. Together, these levels should stay below 200 for you to remain healthy. Knowing what you are up against should keep you calm.
Step 3

Know your family history of stroke and heart disease

Know your risk level. If your family history includes heart disease and stroke, you should probably have your cholesterol levels tested annually. If you have a thyroid problem, diabetes, you smoke, you have a fast food diet, you are a woman past menopause-all these things indicate that you should be tested for cholesterol at least once or twice a year. Consult with your doctor on this calmly.

Oh, the way to test for cholesterol is through a simple fasting blood test. You can have tests without fasting, but the fasting test is the most accurate and comprehensive.
Step 4

Eat fruits and vegetables

Select a cholesterol diet. That means eat a low fat and low salt diet. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables. Eat lots of fiber, get fatty omega 3 acids in your diet, and well, in other words, eat a healthy diet. A healthy diet can bring serenity.

If you are overweight, sometimes even a 5 pound loss will reduce your cholesterol level by 5-10 points. That's a lot. Remember that skinny people are at risk for high cholesterol, too. High cholesterol does not depend solely on weight factors. Remember, stay calm.
Step 5

Do pilates

Exercise daily. Walk, run, do yoga, pilates, lift weights, play squash-just do something. Exercise reduces cholesterol risk, too. Exercise relieves stress and keeps you calm.
Step 6

Consult your doctor, www.freedigitalphoto.net

When all else fails, consult with a doctor about taking medications. Doctors usually prescribe statins for the really high cholesterol problem. The most common one is Lipitor. There are also all sorts of natural remedies for cholesterol. Talk to your doctor about these before trying them yourself. Many doctors are very knowledgeable about holistic approaches to cholesterol control. No need to stress about this.

Comments

omghow said

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on 9/11/2009 Great suggestions. Very important to be aware of your heart health. Thanks for sharing. Cheers!

chevalita said

on 9/10/2009 You might consider changing your title to replace "Bad Cholesterol" with "High or Boarderline Cholesterol". Those words are more likely to be searched on a search engine.