Inner Health

Inner health
Your inner health is just as important as the way you look on the outside. So many people look great but have high cholesterol levels and a low immune system and these things are just as important as losing weight.

Cholesterol levels

What makes your cholesterol high or low?
Your blood cholesterol level is affected not only by what you eat but also by how quickly your body makes LDL cholesterol and disposes of it. In fact, your body makes all the cholesterol it needs, and it is not necessary to take in any additional cholesterol from the foods you eat.
Many factors help determine whether your LDL-cholesterol level is high or low. The following factors are the most important:
What you eat
Weight
Physical activity/exercise
Age and sex
Alcohol
Stress

What you eat
Two main nutrients in the foods you eat make your LDL (bad) cholesterol level go up: saturated fat, a type of fat found mostly in foods that come from animals; and cholesterol, which comes only from animal products. Saturated fat raises your LDL-cholesterol level more than anything else in the diet. Eating too much saturated fat and cholesterol is the main reason for high levels of cholesterol and a high rate of heart attacks in the United States. Reducing the amount of saturated fat and cholesterol you eat is a very important step in reducing your blood cholesterol levels.

Weight
Excess weight tends to increase your LDL (bad) cholesterol level. If you are overweight and have a high LDL-cholesterol level, losing weight may help you lower it. Weight loss also helps to lower triglycerides and raise HDL (good) cholesterol levels.
Physical activity/exercise
Regular physical activity may lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and raise HDL (good) cholesterol levels.
Age and gender
Before the age of menopause, women usually have total cholesterol levels that are lower than those of men the same age. As women and men get older, their blood cholesterol levels rise until about 60-65 years of age. After the age of about 50, women often have higher total cholesterol levels than men of the same age.
Alcohol
Alcohol intake increases HDL (good) cholesterol but does not lower LDL (bad) cholesterol. But drinking too much alcohol can damage the liver and heart muscle, lead to high blood pressure, and raise triglycerides. Because of the risks, alcoholic beverages should not be used as a way to increase good cholesterol levels.
Stress
Stress over the long term has been shown in several studies to raise blood cholesterol levels. One way that stress may do this is by affecting your habits. For example, when some people are under stress, they console themselves by eating fatty foods. The saturated fat and cholesterol in these foods contribute to higher levels of blood cholesterol.

Information provided by National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute