What is Cholesterol?

Cholesterol is fat-like material that is found in the tissue of human beings and other animals. It plays a very important role in cell membrane structure, certain hormones, and manufacturing vitamin D. Our livers produce enough cholesterol that we need for these vital functions. Excessive amounts can lead to atherosclerosis or clogging of the arteries.
Why keep your Cholesterol level low?
Keeping your cholesterol level low is something that many people struggle with. While some people may have no choice but to refer to a physician's advice to take prescription medication to deal with high cholesterol as the result of a genetic abnormality, for most of us, our cholesterol is simply controlled by our diet and lifestyle choices.

High cholesterol level places you at higher risk for strokes and heart attacks because cholesterol can build up in the arteries and clog them. If your cholesterol is above 240, it's considered high enough to be a risk. Anything below 200 is probably fairly safe. You should also be aware that high-lipid cholesterol is good for you because it helps to remove low-lipid cholesterol (which are mostly fatty and increase your risk of heart disease significantly) out of your system.

How to keep your Cholesterol level low? 

There are four smart tips for getting there. You can choose to work on any or all of these things, but if you are at risks, do not get overwhelmed and do nothing. It is a process, but it's one that will be helpful.

1. Exercise 

Daily Exercise is necessary because it helps the body to produce good cholesterol and get rid of excess cholesterol. A healthy diet alone decreases your cholesterol, but limiting fats significantly will also lower the good cholesterol in your body. By reducing your fat intake and exercising, you can remain at an optimal level of cholesterol for both kinds.

2. Diet 

To keep your cholesterol low, you should limit your fat intake, so that is not more than 25-35 percent of your total intake. That may sound a lot, but the other caution is that it mostly be healthy fats - mono- and polyunsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids. These are the types of fats found in vegetables and fish rather than the fat contained in eggs, meats, and dairy. By restricting your intake of fats in general and focusing on good fats rather than saturated and trans fats, you can reduce your cholesterol significantly.

3. Weight Loss 

Having a lot of weight tends to give you a higher level of cholesterol, so losing weight will help you to lower your high cholesterol (especially if you lose the weight by doing workouts and eating healthy foods.

4. Medications 

Though cholesterol-lowering medications are not necessary for everyone, for people who are unable to lower their cholesterol through healthy living, they can be a big help. It shouldn't be used as a substitute for healthy living, however, and it may not be as effective if you are not also limiting your intake of unsaturated fats and exercising.

Keeping your cholesterol low decreases your risk of stroke and heart disease, and keeping it low will help you to create healthy habits the will improve your quality of life anyway. Perhaps we should all pretend we have high cholesterol even when we do not so that we'll eat and exercise ourselves to a healthy lifestyle.