What is cholesterol and is it all bad? The differences between high cholesterol, healthy cholesterol levels and the steps for naturally lowering cholesterol can get confusing.

For example, high cholesterol puts you at risk for heart disease and a heart attack. But there’s both “good” and “bad” cholesterol and a high cholesterol level could also be a positive sign.

Understand cholesterol and knowing how to naturally manage it is very important.

What is Cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a soft, waxy material found in the cells and bloodstream along with lipids (fats).

The confusion begins with the fact that cholesterol performs many vital and important functions in a healthy body. This includes making cell membranes and manufacturing essential hormones. However, too much of a “good” thing can turn out to be a “bad” thing.

Fat and blood, like oil and water, don’t mix. Consequently, to prevent clogging arteries and keep essential fats moving through the blood to the cells, tiny protein covered fat globules called lipoproteins are formed. For stability, these lipoproteins contain a small amount of cholesterol.

Of the several different kinds of lipoproteins, here are the most important to understand:

• Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL) is “bad” cholesterol. It’s name means that LDL contains more fat than protein and is less dense.

• High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL) is “good” cholesterol. HDL has less fat and more protein and is a heavier, denser molecule.

If you have too much LDL flowing through your blood, you have a greater risk of atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries. Clogging of the arteries leading to the heart can cause a heart attack. And clogging of the arteries that lead to the brain can cause a stroke.

So a greater amount of LDL in the blood means a greater risk of both heart attack and stroke.

How Does Cholesterol Work?

HDL works like a roto-rooter. It scrubs cholesterol off artery walls and moves it out through the liver. High levels of HDL in the blood means better protection against heart attack and stroke.

And since too little HDL can increase your risk of heart disease, it’s also best to have LDL/HDL ratios of 3 to 1 or less. An HDL count lower than 40 mg/dl is considered to be a risk factor. This is particularly true for women, since women normally have higher HDL counts than men.

An HDL count over 60 mg/dl is known to be protective against heart disease.

Triglycerides are also a very important part of your blood lipid profile. Even though triglycerides are the most common fats found in the bloodstream, a high triglyceride count over 150 mg/dl is considered to be another risk factor for heart disease .

Self administered tests, available from pharmacies and on the internet, can give you some indication of your total cholesterol count, but they’re neither complete nor always accurate. They don’t, for example, show a breakdown of the LDL/HDL ratio or a triglyceride count.

Lifestyle and Diet for Lowering Cholesterol

Naturally lowering high cholesterol is not difficult for most people. Begin by gradually and persistently making the following basic lifestyle and dietary changes:

• Exercise for at least 30 minutes a day. Exercise works better than any drug available, without side effects. It lowers overall cholesterol, increases HDL and reduces LDL.

• Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables. Colorful antioxidant rich fruits and vegetables have been shown to help lower cholesterol and protect against heart disease.

• Greatly increase your high fiber foods. Besides fruits and vegetables, increase your intake of other fiber food, such as whole grains and beans.

• Eat more good fat and reduce bad fats. Saturated animal fat, such as full fat dairy and red meat, raise cholesterol. Stick with olive oil and omega 3 fish for your main sources of fats.

• Include heart healthy supplements. Omega 3 fish oil can not only improve cholesterol, it also helps to lower blood pressure and reduce your overall risk of heart disease and stroke.

One day you are wearing your winter coat and the next day it’s sweltering hot. It comes so unexpectedly that everyone goes from their protective jackets to shorts and tank tops overnight. So much for easing in to summer attire!

We start panicking when we realize that over the long winter, we may have let ourselves go a little bit. On top of exercise and eating healthy meals there is always something more you can do to lose weight. Eat less. Using a few tricks you can still feel like you ate a hearty winter meal but in smaller summer-sized portions.

Five Tricks To Eat Less

1. Chew thoroughly and take breaks

Remember being told as a child, “Don’t play with your food!” Well maybe you should! It takes 20 minutes for your brain to be sent signals to indicate that you’re full. Taking your time to eat is beneficial in two ways. For one thing, you actually enjoy the meal instead of inhaling it like a vacuum to lint! The other reason for savoring your dinner, is that you will get full after having ate less food. So take a minute to talk to your partner and actually swallow before loading up another fork-full. Your weight loss goals will thank you!

2. Smaller Plates

“Trick” yourself in to eating less by serving supper on a small plate. If the plate is full it looks like more. If you decide to cut back on portions and still use your big plates, you will be constantly reminded that you are eating less. You don’t want any reason to justify seconds!

3. Don’t watch TV

I really burn myself on this one and I think many people would agree. Television is a distraction. Even eating throughout a 30 minute program is too long of a time to be chowing down. While watching TV you are not concentrating on your food. It’s almost like, you are not eating at all. It takes longer to feel full and you will overeat without realizing by just how much!

4. Eat Protein

Protein is filling and it keeps you satisfied for longer. I can eat a plate of brown rice and be hungry again in a couple of hours. If I throw some tofu in to the mix, I’ll be full all night. Make sure your meals are balanced with protein, carbohydrates and healthy fats.

5. Paint the kitchen blue

Here’s an interesting fact. The colour blue is an appetite suppressant. Why? Well because we are not programmed to want to eat anything blue. Our appetite response to the colour is almost non-existent. Blue food is rare in nature. No blue leafy vegetables, no blue meat. Not only that, but many things in nature that are coloured blue, are poisonous. Serve food on blue plates, paint the kitchen blue, dye food with food colouring or install a blue light in the fridge and see just how true it is!

Sometimes you have to fool yourself a little bit to change eating habits. Nobody likes to know they are getting less than what they’re used to. Use these tips to enjoy your food and not feel like you are missing out on anything! Of course, buying blue plates won’t make you lose 50lbs, but it’s all a part of the bigger process to change your lifestyle and to live a more fit and happy life.

Eat Well, Live Well!

Kaleena Lawless
Personal Training Specialist

There’s a lot more to foods than just the nutrition they contain. Some can act as medicines, helping to tame inflammation in the body, or protect cells from DNA damage. Others can act as aphrodisiacs (see number 2 below). Still others can protect your memory.

Superfoods are “super” precisely because they offer more benefits than what you can find on the “nutrition facts” label. Every one on this list qualifies!

1.Blueberries

These amazing berries are on anyone’s list of superfoods. Recent research shows that they’re brain food– feeding blueberries to rats actually slows their age-related mental decline. Blueberries contain pterostilbene, a plant compound recently shown to have cholesterol-lowering properties. Their ORAC value (antioxidant rating) is the highest of any fruit. And blueberries are rich in fiber. Tip: try them frozen. They taste like sherbet!

2.Maca

Based on a long history of traditional use in Peru, maca has recently become known as a “natural Viagra”, and is popular as an aphrodisiac, and for increasing fertility and stamina. (I talked about it in my book ‘The Most Effective Natural Cures on Earth” as part of a natural treatment for restoring sexual potency.) But maca’s also a superfood from a nutrition point of view. It’s an important staple for the Andean Indians, has been around since 3800 BC and is rich in sugars, protein, starches and essential minerals, especially iron and iodine. You can buy it as a supplement, or, even better, as a powder which you can add to shakes.

3.Cherries

Cherries are absolutely loaded with anti-inflammatory, antiaging, anticancer compounds that don’t show up on your average nutrition facts label. These include quercetin, a member of the flavonoid family which has powerful anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. Cherries also contain anthocyanains which act like natural COX-2 inhibitors, reducing pain and inflammation. That’s one reason why they’re so great for gout. My favorite “healthy” desert- frozen cherries mixed with full fat yogurt. Tastes like Cherry Garcia only way better for you.

4.Guava

Among the superfoods of the world, guava is a sleeper. With a taste that’s been described as “part strawberry part pear”, one low-calorie cup of this vitamin rich fruit contains a whopping 8 grams of fiber. And in one widely used nutrition lab test for antioxidant power, guava scored second only to blueberries, and right behind kale. Guava also contains cancer fighting lycopene.

5.Kale

Kale is a member of the brassica family, vegetable royalty that boasts cabbage and broccoli among it’s relatives. It’s simply loaded with nutrition. It’s rich in potent cancer fighting substances called indoles, and loaded with bone-building vitamin K. Kale also contains sulforaphane, a powerful nutrient that helps the liver detoxify carcinogens and other toxins. Kale has the highest antioxidant rating of any vegetable and is ridiculously low in calories. Try it tossed with olive oil, a few dried cranberries and some pine nuts.

6.Sardines

These are the best kept nutrition secret in the world when it comes to health foods and the secret weapon of travelers looking for a cheap, portable, easily available source of protein. Sardines are rich in omega-3 fats, and one of the least contaminated of any seafood since it’s so low on the food chain. Eat them out of the can or throw them on some salad.

7.Coconut oil

This superb oil has been long neglected as a healthy oil because it contains saturated fat. But not to worry: the saturated fat in coconut is a very healthy kind called MCT (medium chain triglyecerides) which is easily burned by the body for energy. Coconut oil also contains lauric acid, a natural anti-viral and anti-microbal. And today’s excellent virgin coconut oil- unlike the inferior products of a few decades ago- doesn’t contain trans fats. Note to skeptics: The Puka Puka islanders consumed 80 % of their diet from coconut products and had virtually no heart disease.

8.Green tea

Here’s a superstar beverage if there ever was one. Green tea helps with weight loss and helps fight against cancer. It contains EGCG, a catechin (plant compound) which stimulates metabolism and has anti-cancer properties to boot. Green tea also contains theanine, a natural relaxant which helps explain why the caffeine in green tea doesn’t make you nearly as jittery as coffee.

9.Flaxseeds

Flaxseed oil is one of the only plant sources of omega-3 fats, but the flaxseeds themselves provide the added nutrition benefit of fiber along with the omega-3’s. Flaxseeds can be thrown on salads, tossed into smoothies, or sprinkled on vegetables. They also contain lignans, a group of plant nutrtients that have been studied by the National Cancer Institute for their cancer preventive properties.

10.Eggs

The protein source against which all others are judged. And for goodness sake, stop with the egg white omlettes. The yolk is loaded with good stuff! Half of the measly 4.5 grams of fat are actually monounsaturated fat, the same heart-healthy fat that’s in olive oil. The yolks are also one of the best sources of lutein, the superstar of eye nutrition. Plus they contain choline, which helps support brain function and help keep harmful homocysteine levels down. Look for the new designer eggs with increased omega-3 content.

11.Pomegranate juice

If you’re wondering if all the hype about pomegranate juice is for real, stop wondering: it is. Animal studies suggest that pomegranate juice combats artherogenesis (hardening of the arteries) as well as other cardiovascular diseases such as strokes and heart attacks. It’s rich in antioxidants and has a higher amount of polyphenols- heart healthy plant compounds– than even red wine. Look for the pure pomegranate juice (not the watered down cocktail). You can always dilute it with water or mix it with other juices.

In the long run, the rules for healthy eating are a lot simpler than you might think: Eat food that your ancestors could have hunted, fished for, gathered or plucked.

If it’s food your grandmother would have recognized as food, it’s probably good for you.

And if it doesn’t have a bar code, so much the better.