cholesterol diets
At many fish shops, you can get planks of cedar that are perfect for baking or grilling fish - simply place the fish on the cedar, cover with lemon juice and possibly herbs and grill or bake until done. More serious complications from statins include the risks of muscle problems and liver problems. Some of these suggestions will have to do with diet and lifestyle changes. This means that one serving size of the food will give 30% of the fiber you need all day.

reduce cholesterol
If you want to lower your cholesterol over the next 30 days, avoid all fast-food, convenience, and prepackaged meals. Get your body to a healthy body weight. Replace your foods with lower-fat or healthier alternatives. Most convenience stores have higher prices and lots of high-fat and processed foods that are prominently displayed. Many doctors will encourage you to try these diet and lifestyle changes first because they have been proven most effective in controlling cholesterol and because cholesterol-lowering medications are strong drugs that may have side effects.

Understanding the Types of Cholesterol

While most people talk about cholesterol levels there is in fact more than one type of cholesterol. In fact, there are several different body functions and several different substances that make up our understanding of cholesterol.

As with some fats, cholesterol cannot be dissolved in the blood. Instead, molecules called lipoproteins carry cholesterol to and from cells. Molecules are made from an outer layer of protein and an inner core of both cholesterol and triglycerides, which is another form of fat.

Lipoproteins equip the cholesterol to move around the body. The two main types of lipoproteins are:

1) High Density Lipoproteins (HDL.)

HDL transports cholesterol from cells back to the liver.

HDL is either reused or converts to bile acids and disposed. This is known as "good" cholesterol. You want to ensure that your levels of this cholesterol remain high for optimum heart health, since having too low levels of HDL - even when other cholesterol levels are normal - may lead to heart problems. As you work to lower your bad cholesterol it is important to also take steps and to keep your HDL levels normal.

HDL aids to ensure protection from the risk of heart attack and/or stroke. HDL consists of more protein than triglycerides or cholesterol, and aids to remove LDL from your artery walls.

2) Low Density Lipoproteins (LDL.)

LDL carries approximately 60_70% of cholesterol around the body and are known as bad" cholesterol.

Studies show conclusively that high cholesterol leads to much higher risk of heart attack and/or stroke. Other factors involved in this risk are age, gender, smoking, family history of heart disease, and diabetes mellitus.

Obviously, when we speak of having cholesterol levels we mean more than one number. To maintain optimum health, you will need to know your levels of both LDL and HDL and will need to work hard to keep both levels in healthy ranges.

6) Cafeterias, cafes and restaurants. These handy guides are sold at many bookstores and can tell you exactly how much cholesterol, sodium, fat, and other elements are contained in each food. If you have very high cholesterol and traditional methods of lowering your cholesterol and risk for heart disease do not work, you may be referred to a lipid specialist for specialized treatment.