HOW TO LOWER HIGH CHOLESTEROL

It’s becoming increasingly common, and we are hearing more each day of high cholesterol, heart disease and stroke, especially amongst those in the early 50’s and above.

From my findings when working with my clients and when I was working on my nutrition system, I found that it wasn’t necessarily that people were oblivious to high cholesterol; it comes from a lack of understanding what cholesterol is – the good and the bad.

I have had a lot of clients come to me thinking that cholesterol itself is bad however cholesterol plays a vital part in the body’s chemistry as it is used to produce steroid hormones for normal development and functioning. The hormones it is used to produce include:

-         Oestrogen and Progesterone in women and testosterone in men. These hormones trigger development of the physical traits characteristic of adult women and men; they also play a role in reproduction.

-         Cortisol, which is involved in regulating blood-sugar levels and defending the body against infection, and aldosterone, which is important for retaining salt and water in the body.

-         Vitamin D, the vitamin responsible for strong bones and teeth, when the skin is exposed to sunlight.

Cholesterol itself is not bad, it is a normal part of the body, however what is bad is lifestyle and lifestyle choices. We have a choice to naturally control our cholesterol levels for overall health and wellbeing.

So what is bad cholesterol?
Cholesterol itself is a fat and is insoluble in water; therefore it is transported in the blood plasma within protein particles also known as Lipoproteins. The Lipoproteins are categorized into different classes ranging from very low density to high density. High density Lipoproteins are protective and can prevent heart disease however low density lipoproteins are associated with an increase in heart disease.

Although high cholesterol can be hereditary a majority of high cholesterol is associated to diet and lifestyle choices such as:

-          Smoking

-          Excessive drinking

-          Eating processed and fatty foods

-          Not exercising

Steps to lower high cholesterol

1)      See my blog on juicing – it’s important to do a detox to help your body eliminate toxins and clear the liver, as cholesterol is produced in the liver. Giving the liver a good clean out by doing a detox will help your body eliminate waste and regulate your lymphatic system and how your liver detoxes itself

2)      Start a regular exercise program. You should exercise for one hour per day.

3)      Nutrition plays an important role in anything, this goes for weight loss, lowering cholesterol, preventing heart disease and other health ailments – go to www.crosstrainingsystems.com.au/subscribe to subscribe and get step one to my CTS5N nutrition program which will help you to better identify your metabolic typing and a diet that is right for you

4)      Start taking super foods such as Maca powder, bee pollen, coconut oil, cacao nibs and cut out coffee. See my blog healthy coffee alternative that works wonders (you can even request your free sample)  

Yours in health and fitness,

Aaron Buchan