Cholesterol Champ: Mastering the Art of Heart-Healthy Living.
Cholesterol is good for you! We need cholesterol for many reasons: it makes vitamin D and our sex steroid hormones, and it maintains the integrity of our cell membrane. A cell membrane is the thin layer that holds the whole cell in place.
Cholesterol is not a bad word, and to go a step further, I don’t like using the words “good cholesterol for HDL and “bad” cholesterol”l for LDL. HDL and LDL are proteins that carry the cholesterol to and from the heart respectively. Let’s take the judgment out of our body for a second and focus on the important part. It’s cholesterol that matters.
Exercise is the most potent longevity drug. This is a data driven, evidence based 100% honest fact. I stand by the statement very firmly. Many studies show regular exercise increases HDL levels. I’ve been running on a treadmill since medical school in 2004. Exercise! It’s good for your heart, body, and bowels. It’s good for your soul, sleep and everything in between.
Next is food and nutrition. I love junk food. It’s so psychological and it’s totally the American culture! I recommend to psych yourself out on this one. Junk food and processed foods are ridiculously high in saturated and trans fats. Just don’t do it. If your excuse is time, choose m a healthier option, get a sandwich, a chicken burrito bowl, or do something less detrimental than McDonald’s and In-N-Out, and Pizza.
Not all diets are created equally. I love reading the data, especially on nutritionfacts.org. Studies show a diet rich in fruit and vegetables, a plant-based diet, avoiding animal fats, is the best diet for you. If you can’t do that, I don’t blame you; try picking up a Mediterranean diet. You can still eat chicken, beef, and fish and have a normal lifestyle. I think portion control is also worth discussing here. While you might catch me with a jar of Nutella and a spoon it’s rare! Portion control and water intake before eating is key!
Let’s get to the drugs!Correction: I love things that work the way they’re supposed to and it frustrates me as much as you when they don’t work. Of course, side effects exist. So does the risk of being unhealthy when you eat that burger, but let’s talk about drugs.
To make an educated and informed decision regarding medications it’s imperative to get a comprehensive evaluation that may include checking a NMR lipid profile, coronary calcium scan, lipoprotein a levels and apoB protein levels.
If you want to check your general inflammation level, a high sensitivity CRP may help in gathering data. It’s really nonspecific to anything but may give peace of mind and make an educated decisions. I hope this video helps you on your cholesterol and heart health journey. See you soon, book an appointment with me!
