A proper diet, EXERCISE AND QUITTING SMOKING ARE KEY TO COMBAT THE CHOLESTEROL
THE INCREASE OF CHOLESTEROL DOES NOT NORMALLY signs or symptoms but can be detected WITH A SIMPLE Blood test
Cholesterol is a substance natural fat that is present in all the cells of the body and is needed to form tissues cellular, produce certain hormones and facilitate digestion of fats. Despite the fact that the cholesterol is necessary for our agency, too much in the blood increases the risk of suffering a heart attack or a stroke.
The increase of cholesterol does not normally signs or symptoms, tends to grow with age and is more likely in patients with family background, overweight or abusing foods rich in fat, which a simple analytical blood is the key to detect cholesterol levels and set a proper treatment.
With the aim to raise awareness of all of the importance of preventing the high cholesterol levels, the Spanish Society of Community Pharmacy (SEFAC) has developed a set of recommendations based mainly on changes in the style of life, as a proper diet, exercise and quitting smoking are the most effective measures to lower cholesterol.
Recommendations
» Follow a varied diet, with plenty of cereals, fruits and vegetables.
» Reduces the overweight. It has been demonstrated that the obese people have increased risk of strokes and arterial blockages that the population not obese.
» Decrease consumption of eggs (maximum two three per week), whole milk and derivatives (ice cream, cream, butter, yogurt, whole fatty cheese).
» Adjust the consumption of red meat to two days a week and chicken, turkey without skin or rabbit to two or three days a week, and never in excess of the 200 grams.
» Enter in your diet the white fish and, in particular, the blue (sardines, trout, tuna, mackerel, salmon, etc. )
» Avoid in possible fried and stews and cook preferably to the plate or coals, removing the visible fat from meat before cooking.
» Use salt with restraint. The excess sodium is very damaging to the heart and arteries.
» Avoid the consumption of products of cakes, fried and precooked, rich in saturated fatty acids that harm health.
» Controlling the consumption of alcohol. In adults is acceptable to two glasses of wine a day, but alcohol in general is discouraged in overweight people, pregnant women and patients with high levels of triglycerides.
» Seek to make physical exercise aerobic (walking, running soft, cycling, swimming) to moderate intensity (65-70 percent of Frequency heart maxim) from three to five times a week. This habit increases HDL (good cholesterol) and reduces LDL (bad cholesterol) and the levels of triglycerides.