By Guest Columnist Stephanie Duguid
In a world filled with a wealth of conflicting evidence and various opinions from health professionals (or not professionals), it can be difficult to determine which diet will be best for your goals. National Cholesterol Education Month focuses on helpful information that can make your choices a bit easier on one area of diet.
Although there is conflicting science on specific foods and how they may or may not have an impact on your health, we can agree high cholesterol levels are correlated to atherosclerosis and heart disease. Cholesterol itself is not a bad thing. However, too much cholesterol in the body has strong correlations to chronic diseases.
The body creates two types of cholesterol - these are HDL’s and LDL’s:
High-density lipoproteins (HDLs) are created naturally by the body to heal arterial walls. Commonly called “good cholesterol,” these guys take cholesterol away from the heart and arteries.
Low-density lipoproteins (LDLs), on the other hand (commonly referred to as “bad cholesterol”) carries its contents to the arteries.
For this reason, many people consider LDLs bad, although they are just doing their jobs. Problems arise when our diet contains an excessive amount of foods which promote LDL production, or contain high amounts of cholesterol in general. If the body does not have enough HDLs to recycle cholesterol and remove the plaque from the arterial walls, gunk builds up in the arteries that can raise blood pressure and lead to other chronic diseases.
The bottom line: Eat foods that are rich in HDL and low in LDL. In most cases, this means eating a diet that is rich in plant foods like beans, nuts, seeds, leafy greens, and fruit. Try your best to limit fatty meats like pork, beef, and chicken. Whole plant foods will generally contain a much lower source of cholesterol and will contain many more vitamins and minerals to help balance other systems in the body.
So cholesterol is not the problem. Rather, it is unbalanced cholesterol in your body that can cause challenges. Eating plenty of whole foods helps the “good” cholesterol to handle the “bad.” Consult with your healthcare professional about your diet.
Here’s to improved cholesterol numbers!
EDITOR'S NOTE: Stephanie Duguid is owner of Do Good ProHealth (CPR Classes) and Do Good Leadership (motivational speaking, and leadership and success coaching).