Women At Risk For Heart Disease With High Cholesterol
By Chef K.T. Murphy
A lot of people are confused as to what cholesterol actually is, what purpose it serves, and why it can be unhealthy. What many don’t know is that your body needs cholesterol in order to function properly.
What Is Cholesterol
Cholesterol is a fatty substance found in the blood and in the cell’s of the body. It is when it builds-up within the inner walls of the heart arteries and hardens, turning into plaque that problems begin. This plaque causes a narrowing of the artery walls, that reduces blood flow to the heart, which can lead to heart attack, strokes and blood clots.
It’s important to mention that there are three types of substances to consider in the cholesterol profile:
- LDL (bad cholesterol)
- HDL (good cholesterol)
- Triglycerides are a type of fat that resides within the body that raises LDL and lowers HDL. Typically high triglycerides are associated with lifestyle choices and their result, including smoking. Obesity is eating a diet high in carbs and drinking too much alcohol.
Cholesterol By The Numbers
When someone tells you to watch your cholesterol levels, they have the LDL cholesterol in mind, as it is responsible for clogging up your arteries, thus raising your risk of suffering a stroke or heart attack. At the same time, having healthy HDL cholesterol levels will improve your heart health profile as it remotes excess plaque from the arteries.
High LDL has no symptoms and only a blood test can determine its standing. This is why it’s imperative that you regularly check your blood cholesterol levels.
Total cholesterol:
- Less than 200 mg/dL of LDL is optimal, and lowers risk for heart disease
- 200 to 239 mg/dL is borderline high
- 240 mg/dL and above is considered high, and results in twice the risk for heart disease
Once your cholesterol levels are slightly higher than average, you won’t experience any symptoms. You’ll most likely experience symptoms when your cholesterol is significantly higher. One of the most notable symptoms of elevated cholesterol levels is chest pain.
Once your cholesterol levels are higher than normal, you will need to put in a lot of effort in order to bring them down. Here are some things to improve your eating:
- You will need to drastically lower your saturated fats intake. Basically, you will need to start substituting good fats for bad fats.
- Eating healthy means adding more fresh vegetables and fruits into your diet, as well as low-fat dairy products, and whole grains, such as cereals, and barley.
- You will need to avoid or limit foods that are high in fat, such as dairy products made with whole milk, fatty red meats, and eggs yolks.
Your doctor will prescribe the proper diet for your needs. Changing your diet is always the initial treatment for anyone with high cholesterol levels.
If you’re faced with this health problem, then going on a vegetarian diet would probably be the best course of action for you. However, becoming a vegetarian is not something a lot of people can do. That’s why many women prefer going on a Mediterranean style diet.
Although there is no strict definition for what a Mediterranean style diet should look like, it basically means that you limit processed foods, start consuming fish more often, eat heart healthy olive oil, increase your intake of plant-based foods, and start eating low-fat dairy products.
Apart from making sure that your eating habits are in order, you will also need to start exercising more often.
Regular exercise is linked to increased levels of HDL cholesterol and lower levels of LDL cholesterol.
Prevention
Although you most likely won’t have to worry about your cholesterol levels when you’re young, it’s still a good idea to improve your eating habits as soon as possible in order to avoid any problems associated with high cholesterol in the future.
If you’re a woman with premature menopause or older than 55, then you will have an increased risk of health problems associated with high cholesterol levels.
Additionally, if you’re overweight, then you should definitely make sure to start eating healthier and begin exercising as soon as you can. Being overweight is directly linked to high levels of LDL cholesterol.
If changing your diet doesn’t help you with your cholesterol problems, then your doctor might prescribe some cholesterol-lowering medications.
There are five different types of these medications – fibrates, statins, niacin, bile acid-binding resins, and ezetimibe.
These medications are usually taken only if dietary changes have no effect on your cholesterol levels. Consult your doctor in order to determine if you should be taking any of these medications.
All the best, Good Food makes For Better Decisions.
Chef Murph
