Why And How Cholesterol And Your Arteries Have An Uneasy Alliance!

Moving things around and in effect pumping and circulating blood is the task of the heart and arteries.

Here is why arteries and cholesterol have an uneasy partnership at best:

§ It is an intricate network of circulatory genius, from the dorsal aorta (main artery) and/or its branching out into many other and smaller arteries to transport blood and oxygen throughout the body.

§ This is a necessary bodily function that keeps us in good health and tip-top shape.

§ It is never a good thing to have too much cholesterol in the blood - especially bad cholesterol for it does effectively prevent these arteries from working like they should and/or optimally.

§ Cholesterol is an arterial wall enemy! It may clog, block, stop and damage them, keeping them from doing what they should.

§ Cholesterol puts your health at serious risk and can even threaten your life.

§ Most physicians will advise you that the diagnosis is dire. These blockages, build-up on the arterial walls are disastrous and kill you. It is that simple and intervention is required with urgency and immediacy to preserve your life.

§ From a patients perspective it is important to understand that keeping these arteries free of bad cholesterol for optimal health is paramount.

§ Arteries are constructed of a tough exterior and a soft, smooth interior and when cholesterol is a problem it is like a thickening of this fatty substance on the arterial walls, like plaque build up that restrict the flow of blood and interferes with the functioning of the heart and circulatory system.

CHOLESTEROL: THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY!!

Here is how your arteries work and function – THE GOOD

§ Each layer of these arteries is made up of epithelial cells.

§ The middle layer is elastic and very strong.

§ It helps pump the body's blood.

§ The inner layer is smooth and allows the blood to flow easily.

§ As the heart beats, the arteries expand and are filled with blood.

§ The heart relaxes and produces enough force to push the blood through.

§ If you are healthy, this whole intricate circulatory system works well with the oxygen-rich blood moving and transporting essentials throughout the body successfully so and unhindered.

Why cholesterol is not good for your arteries per se – THE BAD AND THE UGLY!

§ Any fatty deposits that causes blockages and obstacles that interfere puts you at risk for disease (heart attack and stroke)

§ These thick substances WILL prevent your body from working well.

§ Your heart will eventually become starved of the required blood – you are and will be at great risk. You might even die because of it.

When this build up and thickening occurs due to high levels of bad cholesterol, you need to deal with the problem and ‘unclog’ your arteries, getting rid of the residue and fatty deposits. For those of us with an early catch of this condition and a good prognosis, even clear arteries (for now), ALWAYS REMEMBER prevention is better than cure! There are medications, lifestyle changes and even invasive procedures to deal with this problem in order to hand you back your quality of life and deal effectively with lowering your cholesterol.

Yesterdays top standards quickly becomes today/tomorrow’s entry-requirements. This is also true for cholesterol. Even borderline or acceptable levels of cholesterol will not be enough! Exercise and healthy eating is critical regardless! CHANGE YOUR LIFESTYLE, CHANGE YOUR LIFE AND YOUR FUTURE FOR THE BETTER! It will make a world of difference in the long run. Keeping your levels well within, even far below the accepted is to be highly recommended.

There are some very simple steps all of us can take, deemed necessary to lower cholesterol and enjoy a better and possibly longer life. We will briefly look at some of them.

Lifestyle and food choices for Lower Cholesterol

Food choice, nutrition, diet, preparation, portion and types of food, regularity of meals, fats and salt, a variety of fresh foods are all part of this equation and dynamic.

YOU CAN CONTROL WHAT MAKES IT WAY INTO YOUR MOUTH! It is as simple as that. Willpower and discipline, informed, empowering and life-enabling choices are what this is all about.

Controlling your diet, is one of the things you can use to quickly get your cholesterol levels down and in check. IT IS ANOTHER GREAT FIRST STEP!

Pauline Gwhen Ferrera