Cholesterol is a fatty substance found in the blood and in the cells in your body. Its primary function in the body is hormone production, and it helps with digestion. Interestingly though, we don’t need to consume it as the liver can make enough for what the body needs.
We concern ourselves so much because an Australian dies every 12 minutes from heart disease and cholesterol levels are a leading risk factor for heart disease. The way I think of it is a bit like a family that lived down the road when I grew up, the Hubbards. The Hubbards had 2 twin boys, Harry and Lenny, around my age. Harry was a delightful kid, polite, always happy to help and never did any harm. On the other hand, Lenny was always in trouble for something and not a very friendly kid to play with. Harry would end up implicated somehow, taking the blame or fixing the problem before anyone knew about it. Cholesterol is the same, the family name is Cholesterol, and there are actually 2 main types of Cholesterol. We mostly think about Cholesterol being a bad thing when in reality, it’s essential to human life. We just need a little more Harry than Lenny, and we’re fine! The first High-Density Lipoprotein, or HDL for short, in my mind the Harry kind that we need for hormone production and to clean up after Lenny. The second Low-Density Lipoprotein, LDL for short, is like Lenny, the naughty kind of Cholesterol. LDL causes heart attacks by hanging around in the arteries and blocking the passage of blood. HDL breaks down LCL and absorbs it along the way through the bloodstream clearing the arteries for healthy cardiovascular function. As long as Lenny has enough of Harry around, their parents were pretty happy. Once Harry isn’t in the picture, Lenny causes all sorts of drama, and that’s when we end up in an emergency room.
In many ways, I find this ironic as one of the drivers for becoming a Dietitian was that both my grandfathers had triple bypasses in their 60’s. Who would have thought all these years later I’d be writing in an attempt to prevent them using my neighbours up the road as tools for an explanation.
So, if you want some more Harry in your life (HDL), eat some more oily fish like salmon and mackerel. Nuts like almonds and unsalted nut butter are also handy sources. Seeds like chia and pumpkin seeds are also great substitutions. To avoid Lenny moments, we need to ditch the highly processed foods. Fried chips, nuggets or doughnuts are off the Christmas card list. Ice creams and the kinds of margarine that don’t promote Cholesterol-lowering benefits can also get the flick.
In real terms, at the fish and chip shop, order grilled salmon instead of a flake.
Opt for a handful of almonds as a snack rather than a pack of Doritos.
Ditch margarine or butter if you can, or keep them to a minimum.
The other thing that I tend to have a bias towards is a positive spin, if you are someone whose been told by their doctor they have high cholesterol well it turns out you have an abundance of hormone making material! What stimulates hormone creation? Strength training. Yes in time we can attempt more cardiovascular conditioning but right now that can wait, let's get you strong first and get that hormone creating pathway fired up with some resistance training exercise.
These simple adjustments can make a huge difference, but if you’re really stuck and unsure where to go from here, get in touch. We’ve put together a 6-week Cholesterol King/Queen program to drive Lenny out and welcome Harry back; get in touch to learn more.
Yours in Health,
Sean Cornish
