How Cholesterol And Fat Affect Your Health And Fitness?

Many of them assume that cholesterol is fat. Cholesterol is not a fat but it is related with fat.

Your body contains both cholesterol and fat and if there is a deficiency or increase of one or the other, or even both it can affect your fitness.

Cholesterol is a soft, waxy substance found among the lipids (fats) in the blood stream and in all your body cells.

Cholesterol is used to form hormones, cell membranes and needed for other functions of the body; therefore it is an important part of the healthy body.

Cholesterol is produced by the liver in larger quantity. Bile acids are produced by the cholesterol which aid in the digestion of fat. If there is too much cholesterol in the body, health problems arises.cholesterol

Thus aerobics with the cardiovascular muscles is important since increased levels or decreased levels of cholesterol can lead to heart problems known as coronary artery disease.

Too much cholesterol will enlarge prostates and affect the heart by hardening the arteries or narrowing the arteries path line to the blood.

Excessive use of cholesterol narrows the arties, and only trickles of blood flow through the veins and other areas of the body, which flows to the heart. This is why people have major heart attacks in some instances.

That’s why aerobic exercises are important with adequate diet plans to keep you fit [Diet and exercise].

Cholesterol and other fats can’t dissolve in the blood. They have to be transported to and from the cells by special carriers called lipoproteins. There are several kinds, but the ones to focus on are low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL).

LDL cholesterol:

Low-density lipoprotein is the major cholesterol carrier in the blood. If the circulation of LDL cholesterol is too much in the blood, it can slowly build up in the walls of the arteries feeding the heart and brain.

A thick, hard deposit called plaque is formed with other substances which can clog those arteries. This condition is known as atherosclerosis. Heart disease increases if there are high level deposits of cholesterol. That’s why LDL cholesterol is referred to as bad cholesterol.

HDL cholesterol:

About one-third to one-fourth of blood cholesterol is carried by HDL. As high HDL level seems to protect against heart diseases, it is also called as good cholesterol and a low HDL cholesterol level also raises the risk of stroke.

If you are still thinking what cholesterol and fat has to do with exercise and fitness, consider your body’s requirements for staying healthy and fit.

Insulin plays an important role in fitness. When you exercise and eat healthy diet, your body’s insulin levels remains constant. If your body has higher levels of particular nutrients or it is lacking with certain nutrients, such as cholesterol and fat, your body’s insulin is affected.

The common foods which have high cholesterol are dairy products, egg and meat. The food that does not contain cholesterol are fruits, grains and vegetables.

The factors that lead to high cholesterol (LDL) are

  • If you are overweight
  • If you take foods that are high in cholesterol, saturated fat and trans fat
  • If you are not exercising regularly

How to lower your cholesterol levels?

Try to eat less saturated fat, limit the amount of trans fat, and limit the cholesterol intake. Maintain a healthy weight. A low fat high fiber diet includes legumes such as peas, beans and soy products, fruits and vegetables, non-fat or skimmed milk products, whole grains etc.

Cut out your intake of saturated fats, meat, eggs, fried foods, fatty foods, caffeine, smoking, fatty desserts, whole milk products, hydrogenated fats

Regular aerobic exercise such as swimming, walking, biking strengthens your heart, lowers cholesterol, and helps you to lose excess weight.

Know what your body needs and what exercises are best for your body in reaching health and fitness.