To know your healthy cholesterol level, you must know what is HDL Cholesterol?  HDL cholesterol is known as “good cholesterol or Healthy Cholesterol” because HDL cholesterol tends to collect the bad cholesterol from the arteries and takes it back to the liver, where it’s passed from the body.   Some experts believe that HDL removes excess cholesterol from plaque in arteries, thus slowing the buildup.  So high level HDL cholesterol seems to protect against atherosclerosis /heart attack that’s why HDL is known as “good cholesterol.” So that’s means healthy cholesterol level is if your HDL Cholesterol level is higher and LDL cholesterol lever is lower.

HDL cholesterol good range levels:

Higher is better for HDL.  For HDL, the numbers are lower because there is less HDL in the blood.
Lower than 35 milligrams/dl means you’re at higher risk for heart disease.
60 milligrams/dl or higher, your risk of heart disease is reduced
Normal Range of Cholesterol Levels for LDL cholesterol levels
100 mg/dL is the optimal level
Less than 130 mg/dL is best (near optimal for most people).
Between 130 to 159 mg/dL is borderline high.
160 mg/dL or more means you’re at higher risk for heart disease.

Read more:

-  How to Lower Cholesterol?

- Symptoms of High Cholesterol?

Tags: Cholesterol, Lowering Cholesterol Tips

Everyone knows the foods to eat that improve health,
although how we cook the food can be just as important.
With there being so many oils and butter products
claiming to be the best, it can be quite difficult
to know which ones to use and which ones to avoid.

1.  Canola oil
Canola oil is a popular oil, with many physicians
claiming that it has the ability to lower the risk
of heart disease.  The oil is low in saturated fat,
high in monounsaturated fat, and offers the best
fatty acid composition when compared to other oils.

You can use canola oil in sauting, as a marinade
and even in low temperature stir frying.  It has
a bland flavor, which makes it a great oil for foods
that contain many spices.  Unlike other oils, this
one won’t interfere with the taste of your meal.

2.  Olive oil
olive oil offers a very distinct flavor with plenty
of heart healthy ingedients.  The oil is rich in
monounsaturated fat, helps to lower cholesterol
levels and reduce risk of cancer.  It’s also rich
in antioxidants and has a very long storage life.

Even though it can be used in cooking, it’s the
healthiest when uncooked, such as with a salad or
dipping sauce.  When you use it with cooking, you
should heat it on low to medium temperatures, making
sure to avoid high heat.

3.  Butter
Butter is one food that has been around for many,
many years.  Butter tastes good, and offers sources
of Vitamin A and other fat soluble vitamins such as
E, K, and even D.  Butter is also made from natural
ingredients and not chemically or artificially
processed.

You can use butter with cooking, baking, or even as
a spread.  You can also pair it with creamy sauces,
marinades, baked dishes, or even bread.

4.  Margarine
Margarine was first introduced as an alternative to
high fat butter.  When it was first created however,
it was loaded with trans fat, a substance that we
now know raises bad cholesterol.

As a cooking oil, margarine tastes good, it’s lower
in fat than most oils and butter, and it’s quite
easy to spread.  It’s available in a variety of
different products and a good source of vitamin E.

When it comes to cooking with oils, there are
several at your disposal.  There are many more than
what is mentioned here, although the ones above are
the most popular.  Eating healthy involves cooking
healthy food - which is where your cooking oil really
takes center stage.

Read more:

- Lowering Cholesterol Naturally

- Normal Range of Cholesterol Levels

Tags: Cholesterol, Lowering Cholesterol Tips, Low Cholesterol Diet, Low Fat Cholesterol Recipes

This information is aimed at helping you to
reduce your fat intake.  The average individual
eats too much fat, a factor that’s linked to
a variety of health problems, including cancer.
Diets that are high in fat are associated with
breast and colon cancer, with some studies
linking high fat to prostate cancer as well.

A majority of people can bring their fat intakes
down to a healthy range by making a few adjustments
in the way they shop, cook, and prepare the foods
they eat.

Now days, it’s getting easier and easier to control
the amount of fat you consume.  The fat content of
foods are now available through the nutrition label
and through brochures distributed by food companies
and even fast food restaurants.

You can use this information on nutrition to choose
lower fat foods by comparing products and food
brands.  Once you have a rough idea of what a healthy
intake of fat is, you’ll know what you can and what
you can’t have.

From day to day, the amount of fat you eat will
vary.  Some meals and some days will be higher in
fat than others.  Even high fat meals can be kept
in line with healthy eating as long as you balance
those days accordingly.  The average fat intake over
the course of weeks and months is important, not the
fat intake of every meal and food you consume.

Younger adults and high active adults who have
higher calorie needs can probably eat a little more
fat.  Older adults and those that aren’t very active
should aim for a lower fat intake.  This way, you
can control your fat intake and avoid the many
problems that fat is associated with.

Read more:

- Lowering Cholesterol Naturally

- Lowering Cholesterol Tips - Healthy Food Choices

Tags: Cholesterol, Lowering Cholesterol Tips, Low Cholesterol Diet, Natural Remedies for High Cholesterol, Low Fat Cholesterol Recipes

Eating healthy is something we all would like to do,
although it can be hard.  In order to eat healthy, you
must first make the right food choices.  Eating healthy
is all about what you eat, which makes the choices very
crucial to your results.

Grains
You should consume 6 ounces of grains per day.  To do this,
you can eat 3 ounces of whole grain cereals, breads, rice,
crackers, or pasta.  You can get an ounce of grains in
a single slice of bread, or 1 cut of cereal.

Vegetables
These should be varied, as you should eat 2 1/2 cups of
them each day.  You should start eating more of the dark
vegetables, such as broccili and spinach.  Carrots and
sweet potatoes are good as well.  You should also eat
more dry beans such as peas, pinto beans, and even kidney
beans.

Fruits
Fruits are very important.  You should try to eat 2 cups
of them each day.  Focus on eating a variety, such as
fresh, frozen, canned, or even dried fruit.  You can
drink fruit juices as well, although you should use
moderation when doing so.

Milk
Milk is your calcium rich friend.  For adults, 3 cups
is the ideal goal.  For kids 2 - 8, 2 cups is where you
want to be.  When choosing milk products or yogurt, you
should go for fat-free or low-fat.  Those of you who
don’t like milk or can’t have it, should go for lactose
free products or other sources of calcium such as fortified
foods and beverages.

Meat and beans
Eating 5 ounces a day is the ideal goal, as you should go
lean with your protein.  When eating meat, always bake it,
grill it, or broil it, as this will prevent grease from
adding to the equation.  You should vary your protein
as well, with more fish, beans, peas, and nuts.

When cooking your food, you should also limit solid fats
such as butter, margarine, shortening, and lard.  These
foods may add flavor to your dishes, although they can
also help raise your cholesterol as well.  Therefore, you
should try to add these foods and any foods that happen
to contain them.

To help keep your saturated fat, trans fat, and sodium low,
you can check the nutrition facts label.  This label can
be found on the food package and will tell you all the
information you need to know about the food item.

By picking your foods wisely and watching what you eat,
you’ll help control your lifestyle.  Exercise is great as
well, as it goes along perfect with a healthy eating
lifestyle.  No matter what your age may be, eating healthy
will help you keep your active lifestyle for years and
years - even help you and your health in the long run
as well.

Read more:

- Guide to Lowering Your Cholesterol WITHOUT Medication