Health

Are You Worried About Your Cholesterol?

Oct 18, 2021Health

When many people hear the word “cholesterol” alarm bells start going off. But cholesterol isn’t the enemy—in fact, it plays an important role in your body’s ability to function. The problem is when you have too much “bad” cholesterol.

The “bad cholesterol,” LDL, is what can clog your arteries and increase your chance of developing heart disease and other chronic health conditions. However, there is also “good cholesterol,” HDL which helps get rid of bad cholesterol.

If your cholesterol levels are teetering on the higher side, you may be wondering what you should do to lower them—and there’s no time like the present to get started.

How does cholesterol work?

Cholesterol is a waxy substance that can clog arteries if there’s too much of it in the body. Your body makes cholesterol naturally, but when you eat too many foods that also contain cholesterol, these can combine to create an excess of cholesterol in your body. And that’s when things can turn bad.

overweight man weighting himself liver diagram

Is your abdominal girth is a good indicator of your cholesterol level?

According to a leading study published in the journal Obesity, a significant correlation was found between an individual’s abdominal girth and their cholesterol levels. This might indicate that you could also have a fatty liver So if you carry a significant weight around your middle part, this could be a valuable piece of information for you.

Reference:
Truncal and Abdominal Fat as Determinants of High Triglycerides and Low HDL-cholesterol in Adolescents Beatriz Tresaco et al
Obesity 2012 https://doi.org/10.1038/oby.2008.626

Which foods are the best to lower cholesterol?

There’s a long list of foods you can eat in order to help your cholesterol levels. While no single food may be responsible for dramatic decreases, incorporating several heart-healthy foods can definitely get your levels to more acceptable levels.

Fresh fruits and vegetables are rich in soluble fibre are very beneficial for cholesterol levels. Soluble fibre dissolves in water and turns into a gel-like substance. Other good choices are monounsaturated fats and foods that contain natural plant sterols such as nuts and seeds.

If you are finding this topic of interest you might want to watch my latest YouTube video on

“How to Fix Your Fatty Liver”

If you’re keen to know more about Gut Health, then I am sure you would love to join me for my forthcoming online Radical Wellness Workshop from 5th – 7th Nov.

Dates: 5th – 7th Nov