the why - CHOLESTEROL

Cholesterol is crucial for every cell of your body, especially the brain. Let's discuss why....

There are two types of cholesterol: Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL) and High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL). LDL has been named as “bad cholesterol”, which is the excess cholesterol in the bloodstream. Whereas, HDL, is the “good cholesterol,” that is removed from the cells and returned to the liver. Clever marketing strategies have left us to misunderstand the purpose of cholesterol and it's vital part of our body's chemistry.

Triglycerides are also important to understand when discussing cholesterol. Excess dietary fat that if not used up by the body gets stored as a trigyceride as a source of energy. You need some triglycerides for good health. But high triglycerides might raise your risk of heart disease and may be a sign of  metabolic syndrome.

Metabolic syndrome is the combination of high blood pressure, high blood sugar, too much belly fat, low HDL, plus high triglycerides. This puts you at risk for heart disease, diabetes, and stroke.

To lower high trigyceride's you can make diet and lifestyle changes such as:

• Lose weight and stay at a healthy weight
• Limit animal fats and sugars in your diet
• Be more active
• Quit smoking
• Limit alcohol

Source - The Epicurean Digest