Know Your Numbers
Knowing your numbers, in part, pertains to knowing your cholesterol. Surprisingly, cholesterol isn’t all bad. In fact, our bodies make all the cholesterol we need to keep us healthy. Cholesterol is also found in the food we eat, specifically animal sources. If we have too much cholesterol in our body, plaque will form within our arteries, making it harder for blood to circulate. Plaque can break open and form blood clots, too. If this happens in the brain, it is called a stroke. If this occurs in the heart, it is called a heart attack.
Understanding your cholesterol numbers can be quite confusing. Total cholesterol is the sum of your high density lipoproteins (HDL), low density lipoproteins (LDL) and triglycerides. Total cholesterol should be 200 mg/dl or lower. The HDLs are often referred to as the “good” cholesterol, because they can decrease your risk of heart attack and stroke. So generally speaking, the higher this number, the better! For women, doctors like this number to be 50-60 mg/dl or higher. The LDLs are called “bad” cholesterol. The higher this number is, the higher your risk for a heart attack or stroke. Ideally, this number should be below 100mg/dl and even lower if you already have heart disease or diabetes. Triglycerides are the most common type of fat in our body. Ideally, this number should be below 150 mg/dl.
How do I lower my cholesterol?
- Diet: Eat more plants and fewer animal products. Make sure you are eating at least 9-13 servings of fruits and vegetables each day.
- Drink plenty of water, at least half your weight in ounces per day.
- Move your body. Current recommendations are to walk at least 30 minutes daily, with aerobic exercise 3-5 times per week. One easy way to document your movement is to purchase a pedometer to calculate your steps daily. Your goal is 10,000 steps per day.
- Start checking cholesterol early—even in childhood. Cholesterol buildup begins as early as age 2.
- Decrease or eliminate alcohol from your diet.
- Take cholesterol lowering medications when needed.
- Monitor closely if you have other risk factors, including diabetes or high blood pressure.
Melanie Yunger is a wife, mom and nurse practitioner encouraging you to eat a heart healthy diet!
As always, if you have questions or concerns, please visit with your health care provider.