Cholesterol is getting a bad press these days and so a lot of women are worrying about their levels. Although many of us think it can increase our risk of heart disease and even death not many of us know that you’d have a hard job living without it. This is because cholesterol does have a friendly side which plays a vital part in keeping us healthy – for starters it helps to make vitamin D which is essential for healthy bones, especially around the menopause when our risk of osteoporosis increases.

Our bodies make cholesterol, which is a waxy and soft substance, from the fat in the food we eat. The problem is not that most of the food we eat these days is packed with cholesterol. The problem is that if you eat a diet full of saturated fat and make too much cholesterol this will increase your chances of heart disease.

 

Getting your cholesterol levels checked if you’re over the age of 35, or approaching  the menopause when the risk of raised cholesterol and heart disease increases for many women, is a good idea but do be aware that just knowing your cholesterol level isn’t always enough. There are things called lipoproteins that carry cholesterol around your body. Unhealthy cholesterol often known as LDL (low density lipoproteins ) can cause a build-up of cholesterol in your arteries whereas healthy cholesterol called HDL (high density lipoproteins) carries it all back to the liver where it will be got rid of safely.

If you have a lot of bad LDL in your blood swimming alongside unhealthy fats called triglycerides and not enough of the helpful HDL cholesterol you are in trouble. There are other risk factors too that affect your risk of heart problems such as your age, family history, smoking, being overweight, high blood pressure and diabetes but whether or not you have any of these risk factors if your levels of LDL are too high you must get them down. You also need to take action if your levels of HDL aren’t high enough.

There are cholesterol lowering medicines but the best and most effective way to lower or improve your cholesterol is with simple lifestyle changes including changing diet, managing weight and increasing exercise. Studies have shown that healthy eating combined with regular, moderate intensity exercise can successfully reduce cholesterol.

A cholesterol lowering diet should be low in saturated fats in particular, and low in fat overall. Biscuits, cakes, pastries, red meat, hard cheese, butter and processed foods all tend to be high in saturated fats, so cut down on these foods. Large amounts of cholesterol are found in a few foods, including offal such as liver and kidneys, and prawns.

It’s also important to eat plenty of whole grains and fibre, especially soluble fibre, which helps to lower cholesterol. It’s found in fruits and vegetables, beans and oats. Aim to eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables each day. One at breakfast, one veggie (e.g. carrot sticks, tomato slices) and one fruit (e.g. orange sections, apple) at lunch, and one salad and one cooked vegetable at dinner…that makes an easy five. Legumes can also help lower cholesterol. Try bean soup, cold bean salad, hummus sandwiches and black bean dip as snacks. Soy protein is especially effective, so be sure to include plenty contained naturally in foods like tofu. Cooked or raw garlic both contain compounds that help lower your liver’s production of cholesterol. Other good foods include raw onion, salmon, olive oil, almonds, walnuts and avocados. And eat plenty of foods that contain cholesterol lowering vitamins C and E, such as red and green peppers, sunflower seeds, walnuts, strawberries, papaya, almonds, peanuts, broccoli, brussel sprouts and soybean oil.

Also plant sterols may play in part in helping to maintain normal cholesterol levels.  These are the substances found in cholesterol-lowering margarines and drink.  Plant sterols naturally exist in plants but are destroyed when food is processed (it is possible to take sterols in supplement and the one I would suggest is Lestrin – see the Resources Page).

Finally, don’t forget that rregular physical activity is recommended for everyone. It can help raise HDL levels and lower LDL levels, and is especially important for those with high triglycerides and/or low HDL levels who are overweight with a large waist measurement.

(You can take garlic in supplement form to help lower cholesterol, the one I use in the clinic is called Aged Garlic and is in liquid or capsules – see the Resources Page)

Research shows that up to 40 percent of people in the UK are seriously stressed every day of the week. Stress is a major cause of weight gain and poor health so take a break from your busy schedule to chill out. Curl up with a great book, have a soak in a relaxing aromatherapy bath and sip a warm mug of chamomile tea before bed.

Q: I’m confused. I recently heard experts saying that drinking 8 glasses of water a day isn’t essential for good health but I always thought it was. Do I need to be drinking so much?

A: According to Dan Negouianu and Dr Stanley Goldfarb from the University of Pennsylvania who recently published their research in the Journal of the American Society of Nephronology there is no solid evidence that drinking plenty of pure water is good for your skin, wards off weight gain or helps rid the body of toxins.

 

I beg to differ and so does the British Dietetic Association which says that the typical woman needs around two litres (6-8 glasses) of water a day. Numerous studies back up the undoubted health benefits of drinking plenty of water and time and time again in my clinic I’ve seen the health, weight and mood of my patients improve when they increase their water intake. Most of us simply do not drink enough and rely on nutrient depleting and dehydrating teas, coffees, soft fizzy drinks and even alcohol for our fluid intake. Up to 75 per cent of your body weight is made up of water and water is needed to keep every organ in your body functioning at optimum levels. It’s also essential for hormone balance and for keeping bloating at bay. Drinking plenty of water therefore makes perfect sense and although I don’t recommend drinking water all day long I do recommend drinking at least 6 glasses of water a day for optimum health and well being. Remember, waiting until you are thirsty to drink isn’t good enough because thirst is a sign that dehydration has already set in so carrying a water bottle with you at all times is advised.