It’s National Cholesterol Month So Let’s Eat Right and Get Moving!
Every one of us consumes cholesterol with daily food intake. It is a normal thing. Certain nutrients transform into a fat-like substance found in our blood when digested. In a case of high cholesterol, this fat clogs arteries and finally hardens creating a blockage, cutting off blood flow, and consequently oxygen transport to the heart.
Diet, weight, physical activity, age and gender + heredity affect cholesterol. Influences like cigarette smoking intensify the possibility of getting sick. The risk for illness of the heart or stroke because of cholesterol is categorized in four risk levels that are defined by measurements of LDL (bad Cholesterol) and HDL (good Cholesterol) levels.
The good news is there are ways of keeping cholesterol values in check! An active way is a combination of maintaining a healthy diet and weight management with physical activity. A passive, but also a very important way is medication. Drug treatment usually is only necessary for higher risk classes, but is still combined with the change of habits and lifestyle. Keep in mind that physical exercise, even walking around the house or outdoors is important to both caregivers and our homecare patients. Think of the steps, Caring Hearts and Hands staff and those of you we serve, you will make when you both get moving!