Prevent Heart Attacks and Strokes!! Don’t be caught slipping!

When Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL) Cholesterol- The Bad Kind is too high, it starts to build up in the arteries. “Think of it like a lane-merge during rush hour.” It’s harder for your blood to get by in that narrow space. If the build-up gets too big, it’ll actually block off your blood vessel completely. If this clot is blocking blood flow to the heart, the end of the road is the heart attack; if it’s blocking flow to the brain, it leads to a stroke.

You may be surprised to learn that high-cholesterol foods don’t raise your cholesterol: ” your LDL goes up when you eat food that are high in saturated fats and trans fat. When you eat them, they are converted in the liver into artery-clogging LDL cholesterol. Look for leaner cuts of meat with less visible fat.

Lower Your Cholesterol Naturally

It is important to commit to a lifestyle change if you want to improve your health and cholesterol level, you need to be aware that you need to lose excess weight, since it contributes to high cholesterol, try for a healthier diet, remember that what you eat impacts directly on your cholesterol level, choose healthier fats and eliminate trans fat hidden in baked cookies, crackers and snack cakes, and, finally, increase your physical activity, work out up to 30 to 60 minutes a day, it can be anything that keeps you moving, take a walk, ride a bike, anything you want. Most important, if you smoke, stop. Quitting can improve your HDL cholesterol level.

Cholesterol: Top 5 foods to lower your numbers

Diet can play an important role in lowering your cholesterol. Here are five foods that can lower your cholesterol and protect your heart.

Can a bowl of oatmeal help lower your cholesterol? How about a handful of walnuts or even a baked potato topped with some heart-healthy margarine? A few simple tweaks to your diet — like these, along with exercise and other heart-healthy habits — may be helpful in lowering your cholesterol.

1. Oatmeal, oat bran and high-fiber foods

Oatmeal contains soluble fiber, which reduces your low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the “bad,” cholesterol. Soluble fiber is also found in such foods as kidney beans, apples, pears, barley and prunes.

Soluble fiber can reduce the absorption of cholesterol into your bloodstream. Five to 10 grams or more of soluble fiber a day decreases your total and LDL cholesterol. Eating 1 1/2 cups of cooked oatmeal provides 6 grams of fiber. If you add fruit, such as bananas, you’ll add about 4 more grams of fiber. To mix it up a little, try steel-cut oatmeal or cold cereal made with oatmeal or oat bran.

2. Fish and omega-3 fatty acids

Eating fatty fish can be heart healthy because of its high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, which can reduce your blood pressure and risk of developing blood clots. In people who have already had heart attacks, fish oil — or omega-3 fatty acids — reduces the risk of sudden death.The American Heart Association recommends eating at least two servings of fish a week. The highest levels of omega-3 fatty acids are in:

Mackerel
Lake trout
Herring
Sardines
Albacore tuna
Salmon
Halibut

You should bake or grill the fish to avoid adding unhealthy fats. If you don’t like fish, you can also get small amounts of omega-3 fatty acids from foods like ground flaxseed or canola oil.

You can take an omega-3 or fish oil supplement to get some of the benefits, but you won’t get other nutrients in fish, such as selenium. If you decide to take a supplement, just remember to watch your diet and eat lean meat or vegetables in place of fish.

3. Walnuts, almonds and other nuts

Walnuts, almonds and other nuts can reduce blood cholesterol. Rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, walnuts also help keep blood vessels healthy.

Eating about a handful (1.5 ounces, or 42.5 grams) a day of most nuts, such as almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, pecans, some pine nuts, pistachio nuts and walnuts, may reduce your risk of heart disease. Just make sure the nuts you eat aren’t salted or coated with sugar.

All nuts are high in calories, so a handful will do. To avoid eating too many nuts and gaining weight, replace foods high in saturated fat with nuts. For example, instead of using cheese, meat or croutons in your salad, add a handful of walnuts or almonds.

Cant give up the Bacon??

Try baking rather than frying it; then drain off the fat and use a paper towel to blot the excess. Better yet, switch to turkey bacon: It may have the thick, fatty texture of the pork bacon you crave, but it’s much leaner and is tasty in its own right.

This blog was brought to you by Kristie Krimmer. Follow us on fackebook and twitter on more tips for staying fit. And Check out this video below