National cholesterol month is here to raise awareness about your cholesterol levels and how you can decrease your chances of getting high cholesterol.
We've all heard of the dangers of cholesterol and how bad it is for us. Many companies boast about how their foods are good for your cholesterol levels, but do you actually know what cholesterol is and what it does for your body? National Cholesterol Awareness Month hopes to bring these questions into light.
What is cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a large molecule that your liver produces. It's a waxy, fat-like substance that your body actually needs to survive - despite all the bad press this molecule receives; it's something that our bodies need in order to regular all the hormones in our bodies. Cholesterol is actually too big to move around on its own, so it depends on these fatty proteins (lipoproteins) to carry them to wherever they need to be.
These lipoproteins are actually the culprits behind why cholesterol is given a bad name. High-density lipoproteins (HDL) are the proteins that can easily transport cholesterol. Low-density lipoproteins (LDL) are the chunky proteins that get stuck on your arterial walls and can cause heart disease.
71 million Americans have high cholesterol, but only one-third of them have their condition under control.
How can you prevent high cholesterol?
- Eating a healthy diet in which you avoid saturated and trans fats, which tend to raise cholesterol.
- Exercising regularly also helps reduce your chances and even lower your cholesterol levels. 2 hours and 30 minutes a week is recommended by the Surgeon General.
- Maintaining a healthy body weight can keep your risk low as obesity is highly linked with cholesterol levels.
- No smoking! Apart from the terrible things it can do to your lungs and brain, it can also raise your cholesterol levels.
The proper
health insurance should financially cover you in case an accident involving cholesterol should happen. For help finding the right health insurance policy in Banning, Beaumont, Calimesa, Redlands, or one of the surrounding California cities,
contact the insurance professionals at Little & Sons Insurance Services.
