Are you watching your cholesterol levels?  Concerned about heart disease?

Read any article about high cholesterol these days and you’re likely to find horror stories of how such things will doom you to a future of strokes, heart attacks and other heart disease. But did you know some experts claim the data indicates cholesterol may not be an important factor in the development of heart problems? Experts are in fact torn between these two opposing views about the dangers of high cholesterol.

The Framingham Heart Study claims to show a cause-and-effect relationship between high cholesterol levels and coronary heart disease. This study indicates those with higher levels of blood cholesterol are more likely to develop coronary heart disease (CHD) than those with lower levels.

It shows coronary heart disease is unusual at low cholesterol levels, and therefore claims proof that low cholesterol levels are the key to overall heart health. Another recent series of trials studied the effects of statin drugs (a type of cholesterol-lowering medication) and claimed lowering the total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol reduces the risk of heart attack, angioplasty (a bypass that requires surgery) and death from coronary disease.

But other experts disagree with the findings of the cholesterol-equals-death crowd. Some experts do not see a cause-and-effect relationship between too much cholesterol and heart disease in these studies. These experts go as far as arguing there is no such thing as “bad” cholesterol or “good” cholesterol.

They have observed that mental stress, physical activity and a change of body weight may all influence blood cholesterol levels and conclude that a high cholesterol level is only the reflection of an already unhealthy condition. Cholesterol is seen like a fever: if you remove the flu, then the fever will go away too. Instead of, “Which came first, the chicken or the egg?”  these experts ask, “Which came first, the high cholesterol levels or the poor health?”

Whichever view seems correct to you, it is undisputed these conditions are often present when heart disease is identified:

•    High total cholesterol levels
•    Low HDL (good) cholesterol and high LDL (bad) cholesterol levels
•    Smoking
•    High blood pressure
•    Diabetes
•    Physical inactivity
•    Obesity or excess body fat

Since so much disagreement exists among experts and their interpretation of cholesterol-related studies, the best answer could very well be to stay on the safe side.

If conditions such as hypertension, obesity, high cholesterol and smoking are in fact present in many people with heart disease, it might be wise to remove as many of these factors as possible. Take steps to lower your blood pressure, lose weight, reduce stress and quit smoking, and you’re likely to experience a better life whether high cholesterol has anything to do with it or not.

It could be argued exercise, proper diet, and healthy lifestyle habits all carry their own reward so continue on with your healthy lifestyle –you’ll feel better.

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When most people find out that they have high cholesterol levels, they panic. They think about all the changes that they need to make and it gives them a negative outlook when they think of whats to come.

Instead of freaking out and trying to do everything all at once, break it down into sections and attack each section one by one. Making your changes slowly will give you a better chance of sticking to your changes and you will also see them in a favorable light instead of resenting what you need to accomplish.

Here are a few tips on how to start off slowly and by making small changes once by one will make the journey to lowering your cholesterol levels that much easier.

• Adding fiber to your diet. Fiber soaks up cholesterol like sponge and dispels it out of the body. Increasing the fiber intake will lower your cholesterol levels as well as prevent the development of colon related problems (this includes colon cancer). Fruits and vegetables contain a high fiber content and also having a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast or even as a dinner meal will help you on your way to lower your levels.

• Take steps toward a more active lifestyle. Daily exercise has proven to lower cholesterol levels. You don’t have to go out and run the marathon, just become involved in activities you enjoy. Anything that gets you off your rear end is considered “activity”, and if you enjoy it you’re more likely to continue with it. Even if you get up and walk around during every commercial while your watching TV can be a start. Once you start feeling better and more energetic you’ll eagerly want to increase your exercise even more.

• A few changes in the way you prepare food can lower their cholesterol content. Cook with monounsaturated fats like canola, peanuts and olive oil. Minimize the use of hydrogenated and vegetable oils (shortening or lard and margarine). Bake, broil, roast or grill meat instead of frying. Fish is recommended for its omega-3 fatty acids which lower blood lipid levels. Salmon is a wonderful example.

• Reduce your intake of processed foods and saturated fats (organ meats, egg yolks, whole milk and dairy products). Opt for low-fat dairy products and cut down on sugar, salt and alcohol. There are more and more companies that are adding a “natural” product line to their line up of food products . If you avoided more natural foods because of the additional expense you’ll be happy to know that prices are now comparable and the foods that are less processed are now about the same cost as junk food.

• As much as possible, avoid fast food restaurants. Most of their menu items contain high sodium and fat content. If you do like to frequent fast food restaurants get a copy of their nutrition facts or Google it online. This way you’ll know in advance which foods are the ones that you should stay away from. All major fast food restaurants have online menus that you can check out.

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