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Measuring Cholesterol
When you get your cholesterol checked, your health care provider will tell you how high your cholesterol is:If your total cholesterol is
- 200 or below, that is healthy.
- 200 to 239, it is a little too high.
- 240 or above, it is too high.
- HDL helps prevent heart disease. It helps your body get rid of cholesterol.
- LDL leaves fat on the inside of the blood vessels. When you have too much LDL, you have a higher chance of heart disease.
If your HDL is
- 45 or above, that is healthy.
- 35 to 44, it is a little too low.
- 35 or below, that is not healthy.
- 130 or below, that is healthy.
- 130 to 159, that is a little too high.
- 160 or above, that is not healthy.
Keeping Your Cholesterol Low
Most of the time, you can take care of your cholesterol by eating right and getting the exercise you need.It’s important to eat healthy foods to keep a healthy weight.
- Eat fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains every day.
- Eat less fat. Stay away from saturated fat, like that in butter and meat.
- Use oils like sunflower, safflower, canola, olive, or corn. Stay away from palm or coconut oil.
- Eat chicken, turkey, and fish instead of red meat.
- Check food labels for fat and cholesterol.
- Take the skin off before you eat chicken or turkey.
- Use egg whites instead of whole eggs.
- Drink skim milk instead of whole milk.
- Use low–fat yogurt or cottage cheese instead of sour cream.
- You may want to swim, jog, walk, or bicycle.
- You should exercise at least 20 minutes every other day.
Remember, to take care of your cholesterol
- Eat healthy.
- Exercise often.
- Check your cholesterol every year.
