Where Do You Fall on the Cholesterol Level Scale?

What they mean by this is what are their overall cholesterol levels, as well as the levels of their HDL and LDL cholesterol.

In addition, they may wonder what their triglyceride level is.

First let’s take a look at cholesterol so we can understand how it impacts the cholesterol scale.

Cholesterol gets a bad rap, but your body does need it to function.

Cholesterol is made in the liver, and your body uses it to process vitamin D, maintain cell membranes, as well as produce bile acid (for digestion) and hormones.

Your body carries cholesterol through your blood to the areas where it is needed.

Your body makes all the cholesterol it needs for good body function, though, so it is important to be sure you don’t add additional cholesterol into your body through your diet.

People are concerned about the cholesterol scale because they have heard that too much cholesterol is bad.

This is absolutely true!

The most serious risk when your cholesterol is too high is to your heart.

Cholesterol can clog arteries and cause problems that make your heart less efficient and leave you at risk for heart disease.

When looking at overall cholesterol levels, the recommendation is to have less than 200 mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter of blood).

The National Cholesterol Education Program (part of the National Institutes for Health) states:

• Less than 200 mg/dL is desirable
• 200-239 mg/dL is borderline high and
• Above 240 is considered high on the cholesterol level scale.

While overall cholesterol levels are a common measure, it is important to look at each of the two components of that number individually.

Your overall cholesterol scale measure is made up of your LDL (low density lipoprotein) number and your HDL (high density lipoprotein) number.

Your LDL cholesterol level is considered bad cholesterol, so you want this number to be low.

Too much LDL means that fat is floating around in your blood and beginning to build on artery walls.

This will lead to heart disease because blood cannot effectively circulate through your body and to your heart.

On the cholesterol level scale your LDL level should not exceed 100 mg/dL.

Your HDL cholesterol level on the cholesterol level scale is the good stuff; HDL protects against heart attack.

HDL is believed to help protect you from a heart attack, and also may actually carry cholesterol back to the liver where your body manufactures it.

On the cholesterol level scale your HDL level should be at least 40 mg/dL.

So what do all these numbers mean?

The bottom line is that your body creates all the cholesterol you need, and too much cholesterol can lead to heart disease.

This means that you need to monitor you diet to make sure you are not eating a lot of foods high in cholesterol.

You also need to follow steps that will guide you toward your weight loss goals.

• Incorporate a proven, complete nutritional program into your daily life.
• Enhance your nutritional program with a complete mutivitamin supplement because no nutritional program is perfect.
• Use a behavior modification and motivational program that will help you stay on track with your nutritional plan.
• Exercise at home with your own:
  Treadmill

  Stairstepper

  Exercise bike

  Elliptical trainer

  Hand weights or

  An aerobic video.

• See what kinds of weight loss aids your health insurance covers such as:
  Hypnotism

  Gym membership discounts

  Nutritional counseling.

Read through the section on this site on cholesterol and you’ll understand how diet can affect your cholesterol level scale results.

Fortunately, following a cholesterol-healthy diet means you’re also following a heart-healthy diet, and also on your way to overcoming obesity.