Have you been diagnosed with elevated blood lipid levels? Too high a cholesterol level poses a health risk because it promotes vascular deposits and damages your heart. In order not to further increase your blood lipid levels, you should discard old behavioral patterns and avoid certain mistakes.
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What is cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a lipid molecule that serves as a component of our cell membrane or as the basic building block of many hormones. Cholesterol is divided into high density lipoproteins (HDL) and low density lipoproteins (LDL). The latter is considered “bad” cholesterol because it builds up as plaque in the arterial walls. The result is vasoconstriction, which impairs blood circulation. The oxygen and nutrient transport is no longer guaranteed as usual. The risk of cardiovascular diseases such as high blood pressure increases. In severe cases, it can even lead to a heart attack. Since the brain can also be affected by vasoconstriction, a stroke can occuralso be possible. HDL cholesterol, on the other hand, is considered a “good” opponent. It transports cholesterol to the liver, where it travels to the bile for excretion.
Elevated cholesterol levels are caused by a variety of reasons. An unhealthy diet rich in trans fats, lack of exercise, diseases such as hypothyroidism or diabetes, obesity and smoking are considered to be the greatest risk factors that cause our cholesterol to rise. Unfortunately, this happens quietly and at the beginning we don’t notice any discomfort. Symptoms only become apparent when, for example, arteriosclerosis has progressed and you have high blood pressure or signs of a circulatory disorderto have. Doctors therefore recommend preventive care. Healthy people over the age of 35 are recommended to have their cholesterol levels checked regularly every five years.
High Cholesterol: Beware of These 4 Mistakes
When your cholesterol levels are high, old habits need to be reconsidered and discarded. Our lifestyle has a major impact on our blood lipid levels. Our diet and exercise can lower or raise our cholesterol levels. People with high cholesterol should therefore avoid the following bad behavior in the future so as not to provoke a further increase in blood lipid levels:
1. Unbalanced and high trans fat diet
Do you often end up with ready meals, fast food such as chips or pizza, or processed meat and sausage products? These are foods that contain a lot of saturated fat. These unhealthy fatty acids raise your cholesterol levels and are therefore best consumed in moderation, or ideally eliminated from your diet altogether. Instead, go for foods rich in unsaturated fats that lower the LDL cholesterol in your blood. These healthy fats are found in fish and mostly in plant-based foods like vegetable oils, nuts, and seeds.
2. No movement
Get off the couch and put on your jogging shoes – people with high cholesterol should exercise and exercise regularly. Because thanks to physical activity, you lower your LDL cholesterol in a completely natural way, while the “good” HDL increases. Moderate endurance sports such as jogging, walking, swimming or cycling are particularly good for your cholesterol level. Ideally, on the advice of the German Heart Foundation, you should be active for at least 30 minutes about five times a week. If you find it difficult to fulfill this quota, you should try to incorporate more exercise into your everyday life. For example, take the stairs instead of the elevator, ride a bike instead of a car, and try to walk as much as possible.
3. Smoking
Everyone knows smoking is unhealthy. But even if quitting is difficult, you should do everything in your power to quit smoking, especially if your cholesterol is high. Why? You put double strain on your blood vessels. Pollutants like nicotine build up as plaque in your blood vessels and also increase your LDL cholesterol levels. The consequences are serious: circulatory disorders through to vascular occlusions in the arms and legs, a smoker ‘s leg and infarctions in the heart and brain can threaten.
4. Not taking preventive care
The insidious thing about elevated cholesterol levels? You don’t cause any symptoms at the beginning and our health is “silently” damaged. For this reason, people over the age of 35 should have a check-up at least every five years and have their blood lipids checked – especially if they have already been diagnosed with elevated values or if they have previous illnesses such as high blood pressure or thrombosis.
