Many people think that cholesterol is bad for you… period. But that is inaccurate. The truth is that you need this substance and it is produced in your body. What is a problem is that age and cholesterol both tend to go up.
That means that as you age, you naturally tend to see your cholesterol levels go up. That trend is especially true with women.
Age and cholesterol can be a problem for men and women but post menopausal women might be at higher risk.
Prior to menopause, women tend to have lower LDL, or bad cholesterol levels then men of the same age, but after menopause women's LDL levels often go higher.
You have both good, HDL, and bad, LDL, cholesterol in your body. The trick is to keep the good cholesterol at high levels and the bad cholesterol at low levels.
HDL tends to act as a cleaner and will keep your arteries flushed out. That is why it is so important to keep your levels balanced.
No matter what your age, or gender, there are many things you can do to make sure you keep your cholesterol levels in balance and at a healthy level.
It isn't rocket science and it isn't new but it is important. You also need to talk to your doctor.
You need to find out what your current levels are so you know what the appropriate course of action will be.
Once you've talked to your doctor, you can also start implementing some of these tips:
1. Eat better. All you need to do is stop eating so many foods that are high fat. Things like beef, dairy and fried foods.
Now, don't think that means you have to give up every food you love, in many cases you may not need to. Sometimes, just cutting back a little bit can make a big difference.
Instead, start eating fewer servings of those bad for you things. You can cut back on the amount of times per week that you eat meat, for example.
Also, it isn't all just about cutting back on some foods, but also about adding others. There are some foods that will help you lower your bad and raise your good cholesterol levels.
Things like nuts, brown rice, fresh fruits and vegetables and fish are some of the most common things you can substitute in your diet and start seeing results.
2. If you aren't currently getting some regular exercise, now is the time to start. Every time you move your body it can be good for you.
You don't need to go extreme or hardcore, and you should always check with your doctor first, but just get moving.
As you get stronger you should, and probably will want to, add more varied exercises to your routine.
Hey, we can't do anything about getting older. And as we age, we all know that some things will change. But, we aren't totally at the mercy of those extra years.
We do have things we can do to mitigate the effects on age and cholesterol levels and you can start right now…as soon as you see your doctor, of course.
