Cholesterol.

I love a brisk, walk out in the country as I am sure many others do. On a walk I can take in the fresh air, I appreciate the beauty in the environment and sometimes I do notice the odd bits of left over lunch packaging strewn on the ground, occasionally there are bags floating out on to the otherwise inviting green. When I look in the mirror although I can not see it, inside of me there is another environment where rubbish is not just an inconvenience but a life altering factor. Inside of my arteries there is a constant flow of blood which circulates in my body but small particles of fat can be trapped in there and this can turn rancid. White blood cells can cover the fat but unfortunately this detritus can grows larger and harden. To be more precise the particles of fat are collectively called cholesterol. There is a popular but perhaps misleading way of describing cholesterol as good and bad. The major part of cholesterol is low density lipoprotein which is distinct because you may have often heard of it as a labelled bad cholesterol. The important fact is cholesterol can be divided by particle size. Large particles pose no threat but small particles can be a potential problem because they can become trapped inside the artery wall and there by over time grow into a condition called atheroscleroses. This is where unwanted plaque sticks to the lining of the inside walls of the artery and in time will narrow and could completely block it.

The liver produces a unique cleaning, tiny agent, something like a dust cart by the name of HDL. It travels through the body looking for detritus cells and once it is full it is then named HDL2b. These biological super agents are our secret weapons if you like, they act in our interest cleansing our bodies and then pass back to the liver to be emptied and return once again to the task of cleaning. One of the plus points of HDL2b is that it is small enough to pass through the membrane of the artery and get to do the job we need it to do. Sometimes HDL is called good cholesterol. If there is a significant number of HDL2b then we should have enough working agents in our bodies and that is important as it is truly the number of these agents and not the over all cholesterol number that is vital to our health. For years a high cholesterol level has been the target for negative labels. People have generally been told to reduce their cholesterol but often important information is not known, for example it is the size of the particles of cholesterol that is critical to reduce cardiac heart disease. The truth is the body needs cholesterol and often stabilises the correct amount for its requirements. A reduction in cholesterol simply will be replaced naturally by the body unless unnecessary interference stops it, and this leads me to ask why are there so many myths involving good fat and bad fat? There is a whole industry based on the idea that one has to buy into a specific regime to control the supposed bad fat. While there are most definitively actions that can be taken to ensure one remains healthy, the majority of these should be made after one has separated the fact from the false statements.

An important question one may like to ask refers to how one can improve their own heart health. What can I do to reduce the number of small particles of cholesterol and boost my HDL? There is a general answer to this and it involves one taking action to reduce the intake of sugar, starch and alcohol. These are all areas of intake that can negatively impact on HDL. A specific type of exercise can influence how food is broken down into our blood stream. This will then have a positive impact on the HDL in our bodies. In a recent intriguing study there were two groups of people that had been given the same type of lunch, it contained a specific amount of sugar, starch and fats. After lunch one group was told to sit down and watch TV, but the other group were told to go for a gentle walk. On returning all the participants gave a blood sample. The group that went for a walk about thirty minutes after lunch had completely clear blood samples that could be looked through where as the others who had sat and watched TV gave blood samples that were thick and full of particles. This was an interesting instance that provided evidence of how a little exercise can go a long way towards beneficially breaking down the food in our bodies. It should be said that it is of course imperative that anyone who would like to take up significant exercise that has not been done by them before or is resumed after a lengthy time consults with a doctor before starting exercise.

There are two significant factors to keep arteries clear. One is cutting out or lowering the intake of carbohydrate based foods and the second is to do the correct type of exercise at the right time. Food is a major component and reducing the intake of carbs can influence one's cholesterol, reducing the portion size of food can be very beneficial as often one is not aware of how much more one is putting into a meal that what should be a recommended daily allowance. Walking is a good exercise and done at about a half an hour after a meal can be highly beneficial. Often gentle exercise is good because it is not excessive and will not be problematic for the body but if at the last part of the walk one can ever so lightly increase the energy effort then it will get the heart pumping. Exercises that are explosive, compress and relax the muscles are good to clear the arteries but it is very important to keep within one's own capability. The majority of people never need to be extreme as gentle, calm exercise generally gives one all the benefit that they require.

We have two environments that impact on how we live. What is important to both, whether it is external or inside my body and in my blood circulation is that if I do nothing about its upkeep, I will be the one to suffer. Many positives can be found in the individual actions that one can take, be it in the type of exercise to the amount, the lifestyle that one has can be one of the most important areas that one can influence in life.