Cholesterol is essential to life and the functioning of our body. There are two types of cholesterol: good: HDL and bad: LDL. An LDL level is considered normal if it is higher than 0.9g/l and lower than 1.58g/l. As long as the HDL/LDL ratio is high, our body is well protected. Physical activity and the consumption of healthy fats help to increase HDL. Sometimes our excess bad cholesterol can be genetic. It is naturally produced by the body.

The good cholesterol (HDL)

Good cholesterol is made up of particles that collect cholesterol from organs that have too much of it and bring it to the liver, where it is eliminated.

Bad cholesterol (LDL)

An excess of bad cholesterol (LDL) represents a risk for our health. A deposit of fatty plaques on the walls of our vessels will accumulate and eventually hinder blood circulation and cause the formation of clots, which can lead to thrombosis or cardiovascular accidents (stroke, heart attack ...) Unfortunately, one in five people is affected and the phenomenon is increasing.

Change some habits

In order to fight the enemy of our arteries, it is necessary to rebalance your diet by changing some of your habits:

  • Stock up on healthy foods so you don't end up with industrial dishes, pizzas, fast food, lots of cold cuts, too much salt, too much sugar and too much fat.
  • Don't forget to eat 2-3 times a week oily fish (salmon, tuna, sardines, mackerel), cold-pressed flaxseed or flaxseed oil, soybeans, rampon, almonds, cashews or pecans, whose omega-3 content will increase your good cholesterol.
  • As for cheeses, to benefit from their calcium and protein content, choose fresh cheeses with less fat than soft or hard cheeses.
  • Really avoid fried foods, the nutrients of these oil-soaked foods have been destroyed by the too high temperature of the oil baths rich in saturated or trans fatty acids, unfavorable to the health of our arteries.
  • Instead, opt for wok or steam cooking, keeping the vegetables crunchy. Fish and poultry can also be cooked without fat, and a large part of the vitamins and minerals will be preserved.

Top 5 anti-cholesterol foods

Nuts and almonds / carrots / garlic / apples / eggplant

Move

Move every day, it is known that physical activity prevents the clogging of the arteries by increasing the amount of good cholesterol.

Every day 30 minutes would be ideal, otherwise 1 to 3 times/week, practice fast walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, aerobic classes more or less intense at the fitness.

These activities allow you to really protect your cardiovascular health, maintain a healthy weight, improve sleep, reduce your food cravings by lowering your cortisol (stress hormone) and produce endorphins, the feel-good hormone.

When do you start?