Common sense cholesterol

Cholesterol and our childrens' health is constantly in the news. But even the experts can't agree on how we should tackle the subject.  So rather than tell you what is good or bad for you, here are some straight forward facts about cholesterol:

Your body creates it's own cholesterol - 1,000 milligrams a day Your body produces cholesterol for cell building and development Your body would not function normally without the presence of cholesterol Any extra cholesterol that you consume, is EXCESS cholesterol, for example egg yolks and red meat Food from plants does not contain cholesterol People who are over what would be considered as their normal body weight, usually have higher levels of cholesterol in their bodies To ensure you have a healthy heart and arteries, your body needs a low level of bad cholesterol and a high level of good cholesterol.

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We will be bringing you our collection of low cholesterol menus soon to help you improve your lifestyle choices and health. But for the time being get a grip on the common sense of cholesterol.  Generally if you eat a balanced diet your body makes enough for you all by itself this is because your body is an extremely well designed piece of equipment.

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When we were cavemen we didn't know where the next meal was going to come from, so our bodies were programmed to eat until they we were completely full, so the food would last as long as necessary. These days, we usually know when we're next going to eat so we should ignore the urge to eat until we're completely full and instead we should try to organise the day around three or four regular mealtimes which consist of ingredients that our bodies will take time to digest.

LDL and HDL - what does it all mean?

Cholesterol, a waxy substance produced by the liver from fatty foods, is vital for the normal functioning of the body. Cholesterol travels around the body encased in proteins. There are two types:

• high density lipoprotein (HDL) is the so-called good cholesterol, and
• low density lipoprotein (LDL), known as bad cholesterol.

Cholesterol is deposited in the arteries where it is needed and the good cholesterol takes the excess bad cholesterol back to the liver, where it is either broken down or flushed out of the body.  Therefore, in order to maintain a healthy balance of cholesterol, a balanced diet and regular exercise is recommended.

In England, cholesterol levels are above the recommended level of 5mmol/litre. Men have an average cholesterol level of 5.5mmol/l, and women have a level of 5.6mmol/l.  "The most common cause of high cholesterol in the UK is eating too much fatty foods," says Denise Armstrong of Heart Research UK.

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1. Our stomachs expand and will continue to demand more and more food making it difficult to be full
2. Carrying more fat than our bodies need makes it hard for the heart to cope putting us at risk from heart disease
3. Excess food inside our bodies will turn to fat until we burn it off
4. Excess sugar inside our bodies will be stored as fat too and this can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes or heart disease

1. Cereal bowls can be much bigger these days, and we may fill them to the top without thinking
2. It can take a while for our brains to tell us that we are full, so eating more slowly will help us avoid over-eating
3. It can take a while for our brains to decide that we like the taste of something so be patient

Cholesterol lowering food are readily available and therefore easily included in everyone's diet but especially in a diet to lower cholesterol if your cholesterol is already high to avoid the now well understood health issues.  A low cholesterol and balanced diet will also help control your weight and provide your body with more energy.