None of us wants to hear that we have high cholesterol — yet 86 million Americans do.
This is troubling because high cholesterol puts you at risk for serious health conditions, including heart disease and high blood pressure.
Your cholesterol levels aren’t set in stone, however. With the help of a caring and knowledgeable internal medicine specialist like Dr. Gurprit Sekhon, you can take charge of your cholesterol. At Nu Wave Medical Center, she works closely with patients to address their unique conditions and establish healthy living goals.
Most of us have heard about “good cholesterol” and “bad cholesterol,” but making sense out of just what it all means can be challenging.
Cholesterol is a waxy fat that your liver produces. It plays an important role in hormone and vitamin D production, and your body needs cholesterol to produce substances that assist with digestion.
The cholesterol your body produces meets all your needs. The problem comes with the cholesterol found in foods that are high in saturated and trans fats, which cause your body to manufacture more cholesterol than it needs.
There are three types of cholesterol levels Dr. Sekhon discusses with you:
Cholesterol is measured in milligrams of cholesterol per deciliter of blood. The abbreviation for this is mg/dL.
For a patient’s good health, Dr. Sekhon wants to see:
But what if Dr. Sekhon informs you that your cholesterol levels are in the unhealthy range?
The good news is it’s not a “done deal.” She works with you to take steps to lower your cholesterol. If you heed them, you can turn things around in an impressively short amount of time — within just six months.
In order to adjust your cholesterol levels so they fall within the range that’s considered healthy, there are several powerful lifestyle changes you can make.
What you put in your mouth strongly impacts your cholesterol. Avoiding high cholesterol foods like animal products — think meats like beef, lamb, pork, and poultry with the skin on; full-fat dairy foods like whole milk, butter, and cheese; and fried foods. Baked goods are also high in cholesterol, and anything that contains certain oils like palm oil.
To lower your cholesterol, you want to concentrate on eating a wide variety of fruits and veggies, whole grains, nuts, seeds, lean proteins such as soy, fish, and beans, and avoiding highly processed foods that contain excessive amounts of salt and sugar. Upping your fiber intake is good, too.
And remember, this doesn’t have to mean that your days of enjoying eating are over. On the contrary, you can make meals tasty by getting creative with recipes using the preferred, healthier foods and relying on herbs and spices to add flavor as opposed to butter and salt.
It’s critical to incorporate exercises into your daily schedule. This means fitting in at least 30 minutes of exercise five days per week, and shooting to strength train twice a week.
If you choose activities you enjoy, they’ll be easier to stick to. If you like to ride your bicycle, go for it; if you love walking, take your dog with you; and if swimming laps in the pool or enjoying a dance class are things you enjoy, commit to them.
Remember, too, that activities like cleaning house and gardening also count as exercise.
The magic combination of eating well and being physically active will also help you lose weight if you need to. In addition, Dr. Sekhon offers medically supervised weight loss if you need that guidance and support. She’s here to cheer you on every step of the way.
With guidance and stick-tuitiveness, it’s possible to lower your LDL and increase your HDL in not much time at all.
Contact our Panama City Beach office at 850-493-6948 to schedule an appointment, or reach out to us through our website.
