Cholesterol is a white, waxy substance.  Much of the food that we eat already contains cholesterol, and it is also manufactured by the liver cells.  You need a certain amount of cholesterol for your body to function at its best.  Not only is cholesterol an important component of cell walls.  It is also a key factor in the manufacture of many key hormones within our bodies.  For the bulk of people about 20 to 25 percent of their cholesterol comes from the food they eat, and the remaining 70 to 75 percent is made in their liver.  And the message is clear, that you CAN reduce high cholesterol with the right strategies.

So, considering that, there are a variety of different reasons why a person might have elevated cholesterol levels.

Here are a number of different reasons:

* Because of some genetic differences, or abnormalities, it is possible that some individuals could have higher cholesterol production from their livers, or else, their body has a decreased ability to get rid of cholesterol from their systems.

* Another key consideration is that particular diseases or other medical conditions make it more likely that you will have raised cholesterol levels. These might include kidney, liver, thyroid disease and diabetes.

* There can also be the side-effect from some medications and medicines of raising someones cholesterol levels.

* One of the main reasons is peoples over-consumption of meat and dairy products that are high in cholesterol.

Cholesterol combines in the liver with proteins and fats into particles that move through the blood.

These particles are called ‘Lipoproteins’, and it is these which carry the cholesterol from its production site in the liver to the other parts of the body. And then, when the body has made use of what it can, these cholesterol carriers in turn repeat their heavy lifting job and transport cholesterol out of the body as best they can. So that your aim to reduce high cholesterol is greatly aided by your bodies natural processes.

Let’s make it clear at this stage the differences between two certain types of lipoproteins that you need to be aware of: the first of these being ‘Low Density Liporoteins’ (LDL Cholesterol) Whilst reflecting on a quick overview, that LDL Cholesterol is most usually considered as the type of cholesterol that you want to be lowering. With the other type being HDL or High Denity-Lipoproteins. HDL Cholesterol is actually beneficial for your body, and you would want to UP the levels in your body.

Handily, it is feasible to evaulate and measure the two types individually so that you know where you stand. So, that when the two figures for HDL and LDL are united, they form a figure for your total cholesterol level.

The message I hope you are now realising from this is that reducing high cholesterol is not only easy,but very achievable.

Have you ever heard the saying you are what you eat? In some sense, this is true, because if you eat unhealthy foods you are prone to be an unhealthy person. The foods we ingest are extremely important to our ability to grow, maintain function, and prevent illness. Therefore, if you value your health, you should learn as much about healthy eating as possible.

Healthy eating is important from the day we are born. As a child, we grow quite rapidly and this is due in part to the foods we eat. Foods all contain nutrients that provide us not only with fuel to live our daily lives, but also with the very substances that build our bones, muscles, and organ tissues. Not getting enough of one nutrient or another can cause a variety of problems, including stunting our growth. For mothers who are nursing, nutrition is important because breast milk contains the nutrients a child needs to grow and develop properly. Upon growing older, these nutrients are then found in food, but don’t think that healthy eating isn’t important for growth after you’ve gone through puberty. Cells continuous break down and rebuild, so healthy eating for growth continues to be important until the day we die.

Maintaining function is also not important without healthy eating. In out daily lives, we use energy to think, walk, talk, breathe, and perform any other action. The energy it takes our body to do these things comes from two places: fat reserves in the body or our daily food intake. If you don’t eat healthy foods, you will find that you are storing more fat that necessary or that you aren’t getting enough and you feel sluggish or weak. Along with energy-providing nutrients, like fats and carbohydrates, we also need the right nutrients to allow our organs to do their jobs. Hormones and other substances in the body make sure that everything is working properly. If you don’t eat the right nutrients, your body cannot produce these hormones and, as a result, cannot function properly.

Lastly, healthy eating is important in order to prevent illness. When we do not get the right nutrients, or body’s natural defense system against diseases weakens, allowing viruses and bacteria to attack the body. It’s like a well-trained army-if the army doesn’t have enough to eat, it will not do well in battle. Without healthy foods and plenty of water, our bodies simply could not operate on a day-to-day basis. Learning how to eat healthy foods is therefore and important lesson, and one which we should begin learning as children.

John Estes,  Loose weight and Gain Muscle