Cholesterol

We often hear about cholesterol and how dangerous it can be and how we need to be eating things that don’t raise cholesterol. But is what we are hearing all true?

I read this article on cholesterol deceptions and thought I would share some of the main points with you. I know I learned something new!

• Cholesterol is actually an essential part of your body, used to produce cell membranes, steroid hormones, vitamin D and the bile acids your body needs to digest fat. Your brain needs cholesterol to function properly, as does your immune system, and if a cell becomes damaged, it needs cholesterol in order to be repaired.
• Making excess cholesterol is actually your body’s response to inflammation, which it does to help heal and repair your cells. So if you have high cholesterol you probably have high inflammation levels too
• The talk that eating foods high in cholesterol drive up cholesterol? Think again. And start eating more eggs! According to the Harvard Heart Letter, it’s a myth that all the cholesterol in eggs goes into your bloodstream and your arteries.

So what’s the best way to keep cholesterol at a good level?

Remember the inflammation connection? Your body tends to make more cholesterol when it’s in a chronically inflamed state. What causes the underlying inflammation?

Inflammation is often due to poor diet and the consumption of processed foods or lack of live healthy raw foods. For instance, if you eat a lot of fast food, you probably have increased inflammation levels, as pro-inflammatory foods include sugar, soda, alcohol, bread, trans fats and red meat.

Inflammation is a problem because when your body is in a chronic state of inflammation, the inflammation can lodge in your muscles, joints and tissues. In fact, chronic inflammation is a leading cause of many diseases, both physical and neurological, including heart disease.

~As with most things, the conclusion drawn is that we could all do a little better to eat things closer to the ground and spend more time on our feet. The benefits are endless!