What Causes High Cholesterol Levels?
Cholesterol is found everywhere in your body and has essential natural functions when it comes to producing hormones, digesting foods, and producing vitamin D. It is generated by the body and can also be taken in from food.
Cholesterol is fat-like and waxy in appearance. It is both good and bad. There are 2 types of cholesterol. HDL (good cholesterol or high-density lipoproteins) and LDL (bad cholesterol or low-density lipoproteins). At normal levels, it is an important substance for the body, but if concentrations in the blood get too high, it turns into a silent danger that causes risk of heart attack.
Here are some facts on cholesterol:
- Cholesterol is a fundamental substance, produced by the body. It is also ingested from animal-derived foods
- Having high levels of cholesterol doesn’t usually produce any symptoms
- The most serious risk factors for high cholesterol are lifestyle choices – exercise and diet
- If lifestyle changes are unsuccessful or cholesterol levels are extremely high, lipid-lowering drugs such as statins may be recommended.
Find out some of the causes of high cholesterol and change your lifestyle to keep it at normal levels.
Food
Eating too much trans fat and saturated fat can raise your cholesterol levels. A diet rich in vegetables and fruits, beans, whole grains, and good fats can help lower the “bad cholesterol”.
In general, avoid the food if any of these things appear high on the product label’s ingredient list:
Trans fats: These are harmful to you! They can be found in packaged snacks such as cookies, pastries, crackers, breakfast sandwiches, microwave popcorn, cream-filled candy, doughnuts, fried fast foods, frozen pizza and some types of margarine. Read the nutrition facts to be aware of all the fats in the product.
Salt: Too much sodium can raise your pulse. You probably already know not to have too much salty snack foods and canned soup. But did you know it can also be hidden in rolls and breads, cold cuts and cured meats, some chicken, pizza, and some fast-food products?
You might be surprised how frequently it’s also found in frozen foods. Read labels and try not to get more than 2,400 milligrams daily.
Sugar: Sugar might cause problems such as heart disease, weight gain, and diabetes as well as cholesterol. It is essential to limit the the sugar in what you drink and eat.
Sport
Make movement a part of your cholesterol-lowering plan to avoid heart disease. Research proves that a combination of aerobic (cardio) and resistance training is the best thing to do for reducing the risk of heart attack. In a study of obese and overweight participants, researchers found out that engaging in both types of activity gave more benefits for fat and weight loss rather than practicing either of the mentioned.
Lifestyle
If you want to keep your cholesterol levels in normal range, you should not only exercise regularly and eat a heart-healthy diet.
You should…
… quit smoking…
Smoking brings down your HDL (good) cholesterol levels. It makes all heart health markers bad: smoking causes inflammation, which can contribute to blood clots, atherosclerosis, and risk of heart attack. Consult with your doctor and build up a plan to help you quit smoking.
… and drink alcohol only in moderation
Moderate use of alcohol has been connected with higher levels of HDL cholesterol, yet the benefits are not strong enough to recommend alcohol for anyone who does not already drink. If you drink alcohol, do so with some restrain. For healthy grownups, that means up to one drink per day for ladies of all ages and men older than age 65, and up to 2 drinks per day for men age 65 and younger.
Drinking a lot of alcohol prompt dangerous health problems, including heart failure, high blood pressure and stroke.
How hard is it to deal with prostate issues?
Prostate health easily gets sidelined by other health subjects. Men are usually hesitant to talk about their prostate concerns, even with their GP. The easiest screening option – a blood testing your PSA levels indicates expansion in cases of prostate growth, which causes a lot of anxiety related to the anticipation of results and is very often skipped.
Why does a prostate issue have to be difficult when the problem could be dealt with ease when addressed early on? Why not concentrate on prevention by keeping a healthy prostate?
Fortunately, there are natural approaches to keep a healthy prostate.
Eat Healthy Food
Including a balanced amount of fresh, organic fruits and vegetables to your daily snacks and meals would be a perfect way to guarantee that your prostate stays healthy, particularly those rich in zinc and vitamin C. Other example of foods that boost prostate health is nuts, avocados and healthy oils (for example – the organic olive oil).
Do The Pelvic Floor Exercise
Exercises help your bladder empty at a normal rate. The pelvic floor practice works the muscles by contracting and relaxing them regularly. While relaxing the muscles, all you should do is simply leave them. Repeat this routine several times daily. It is important to keep the muscles tight, as hard as possible, and enabling the muscles to relax completely afterwards.
Manage Hormones
Dealing with your hormone production is an essential step in managing your aging prostate health. As you age, your hormone production changes. An enzyme and hormone called 5-alpha-reductase turns testosterone to dihydrotestosterone or DHT. This can cause the testosterone levels to drop down and create imbalance between your testosterone and estrogen. This leads to an enlarged prostate. You can naturally manage your hormones through maintaining a healthy weight and by using supplements.
Your lifestyle significantly affects your prostate health – from the exercises you do to the food you eat to the supplements you take. Following all of the above easy ways to shrink your prostate can help you in preventing BPH symptoms from getting worse. Taking steps to improve your prostate health through these efforts can help you to naturally manage your prostate health.
Depression Treatment Without Medication
Fighting the effects of depressive disorder is hard enough, and being disappointed in the lack of treatment response can result in a deep sense of despair. Pile on top of these various side effects from the drugs and antidepressant, treatment can become unbearable. Some of the side effects include:
- Nausea and diarrhea
- Increased appetite and weight gain
- Insomnia
- Dry mouth
- Anxiety
- Constipation
- Blurred vision
- Dizziness
- Fatigue and drowsiness
- Sexual dysfunction and loss of libido
- Irritability
The latest studies have also debunked the claims of pharmaceutical companies’ efficacy of antidepressants in treating depression. That’s why you can try some alternative options in depression treatment, such as:
- Brain stimulation therapy can play a role in treating depression. Deep transcranial magnetic stimulation (dTMS) is an effective and safe method for fighting depression symptoms that uses the ability of magnets to activate nerve cells in the brain.
- Some foods can boost levels of serotonin, a mood-enhancing brain chemical. Such foods are fish (high in omega-3 and proteins), nuts and seed products.
- Physical exercise and daily workout have a powerful impact on mood by the release of certain brain hormones called endorphins.
- Mind-body activities can promote overall centeredness and relaxation, which can positively impact mood. Some of them are mindfulness exercises, yoga, prayer or meditation, guided imagery, journaling and massage therapy.
- Exposure to sunlight increases vitamin D levels, which boost mood. You can try a therapeutic light box can help in areas that have little sunlight.
- Get help when you need it. Reaching out for support from family, friends and professionals is part of self-help because discussing makes you feel better.
- Avoid alcohol, which is a depressant and coffee, which reduces serotonin levels.
And remember, even if you’re doing all of the above, nothing will boost your mood like having a sense of purpose. Find your passion in life and follow it!