Ask the random person what they need to do to avoid heart disease and they will probably tell you to lower your cholesterol by avoiding saturated fat.
This is a bad advice. Total cholesterol is not a strong predictor of heart disease. Other markers such as insulin, triglycerides or the number of VLDL particles you have are much better predictors of heart disease than total cholesterol.
Additionally, cholesterol is an important molecule necessary for hormone synthesis and brain function. Studies show that higher cholesterol levels are associated with lower risk of dying from any cause and lower risk of dementia, especially in the elderly.
A much better approach for preventing heart disease and protecting your health is to focus on managing your blood sugar and insulin.
What can you do about it?
- First step is to collect your data to know where you are starting from. Get a blood sugar monitor.
- Maintain your blood glucose between 70-90mg/dl with a goal of 85mg/dl to be on the safe side.
- Maintain Triglycerids below 150mg/dl by RDA but functional medicine practitioner recommends maintaining them below 100mg/dl for optimal health.
- Eat whole foods and plan meals around high quality protein, healthy fat and leafy green vegetables.
- Workout with weights and perform regular conditioning sessions, either doing intervals or aerobic cardio.
- Consider ways to improve lifestyle factors such as sleep, physical activity and stress.
About The Author
Puneet Sharma is a Performance and Strength Coach based in Sydney Australia. He mentors trainers so that they prepare athletes for competitions and shows.
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