Cholesterol made simple!

Transcription

1 Cholesterol made simple! Cholesterol is the biggest risk factor for heart disease and also increases your risk of stroke and circulatory disease - Heart UK The Cholesterol Charity What is Cholesterol and why do we need it? Cholesterol is a waxy substance which is made in the body and also found in some foods. Why the body needs some cholesterol? It helps keep cells healthy It is essential for the production of hormones, such as androgens and estrogens Building blocks to hormones that regulate blood sugar and blood pressure It aids in the production of bile It converts sunshine to Vitamin D It is important for the metabolism of fat soluble vitamins, including vits A, D, E & K However, too much cholesterol in the blood can increase your risk of getting heart and circulatory disease.

2 Where does cholesterol come from? The liver manufactures cholesterol from foods which contain fats. Eating a diet with moderate amounts of fat and avoiding saturated fat will help to keep our cholesterol levels down. Cholesterol = Fat produced by the Liver Cholesterol is often referred to as LDL cholesterol and HDL cholesterol. Both together are known as the Total cholesterol. So what are LDL and HDL cholesterol? And what do they do? LDL cholesterol also known as BAD CHOLESTEROL - carry most of the cholesterol from the liver, around the blood stream. HDL cholesterol also known as GOOD CHOLESTEROL - return the extra cholesterol back to the liver which helps to prevent cholesterol from being deposited in the arteries. What are Triglycerides? Your Doctor or nurse may also measure your triglycerides level. Triglycerides are also a type of fat and are used as energy by the body. Your body will make some triglycerides but they also come from food you eat. Leftover calories are turned into triglycerides and stored in fatty tissue in the body ready to be used later. If you eat more calories than your body needs, your triglyceride level may be high. Excess triglycerides in the blood also increase heart problems. Why is having high cholesterol a problem? Too much cholesterol in your blood can lead to cholesterol deposits building up on the walls of the arteries in your heart, these deposits are called atheroma. Over a period of time the arteries become narrowed. This process is called atherosclerosis and is what causes Coronary Heart Disease. This is why we should limit the amount of foods we eat that are high in saturated fats! Below is a diagram of fatty deposits in the artery.

3 What should my cholesterol level be? The lower your cholesterol the lower your risk of heart disease! Cholesterol is often measured in millimoles per litre and often written as mmol/l. Guidelines for cholesterol levels have been set for healthy people and for those at high risk. High risk means someone with existing heart disease high blood pressure, diabetes family history of early heart disease. Group Task 1 with the help from the exercise instructor, fill in the boxes. GENERAL MEANING Ideal LDL CHOLESTEROL LEVEL HDL CHOLESTEROL LEVEL TOTAL CHOLESTEROL LEVEL (healthy adults) Borderline High High TOTAL CHOLESTEROL LEVELS FOR HIGH RISK ADULTS Key Cholesterol numbers! KEEP TOTAL CHOLESTEROL BELOW KEEP BAD (LDL) CHOLESTEROL UNDER KEEP GOOD (HDL) CHOLESTEROL OVER

4 What can I do to maintain a healthy cholesterol level? Group Task 2 fill in the missing words, not all the words are needed!! Exercise a healthy diet week 10 saturated chips fruit vegetables salt eating a poor diet 1 hour physically active 30 5 smoking weight which can help cholesterol money oats, nuts, beans, peas and lentils. There is a lot you can do to reduce your own cholesterol level or reduce the risk of developing high cholesterol. This includes: 1- Eating low in fat and rich in and and wholegrain cereals low in. 2- Being - try to do minutes a day days a. 3- Stop. 4- Keeping an eye on, it will creep up on you!!! 5- Eating foods lower blood, such as. Which foods contain saturated fats and cholesterol? Group Task 3 - write the different foods in the space provided! Foods high in saturated fats include: We also get some of our cholesterol from animal foods such as: NOTE - Most of us don t need to limit these because they are low in saturated fats. Plant foods such as do not contain cholesterol.

5 How healthy eating and exercise help to maintain healthy cholesterol levels. Group Task 4 state for each of the following statements!! 1- A good diet rich in fruit, vegetables and wholegrain cereals and low in saturated fat is a key part of managing raised cholesterol. 2- Porridge oats contain a form of fibre called beta-glucan which plays a role in reducing cholesterol by forming a gel inside the intestines. This stops cholesterol from being absorbed in the body. TRUE orfalse 3- LDL cholesterol is the good cholesterol. 4- Avoid or reduce the amount of saturated fat you eat, it will help control your cholesterol levels. 5- Exercise lowers bad cholesterol (LDL). 6- Exercise boosts good cholesterol (HDL) 7- Try to eat at least 5 portions of vegetables and fruit a day. 8- Saturated fats increase total cholesterol levels. 9- Poly unsaturated fats found in sunflower oil, corn oil and fish oil lower LDL but can also lower HDL.

6 10- Mono unsaturated fats found in olive oil, walnut oil, rapeseed oil and avocado lower LDL without lowering HDL. 11- Make starchy foods like wholegrain cereals, pasta, rice, chapattis, bread and potatoes the basis of most meals because they are high in fibre. 12- From the list below write AGREE or DISAGREE in the space provided! a) A healthy diet is a central part of reducing cholesterol. b) Losing weight can help keep cholesterol levels down. c) Being physically active helps lower you bad cholesterol. d) Stopping smoking can help keep cholesterol levels down. e) Reducing salt intake can help keep cholesterol levels down. f) A lack of exercise will reduce your total cholesterol. g) Eating lots of fried food will reduce cholesterol levels. h) Always read the label- a lot of saturated fat is 5g or more per100g. i) A lot of fat is 20g or more per 100g. CHOLESTEROL AND MEDICATION For some people it maybe necessary to use medication to further reduce cholesterol to an acceptable level. NAME Lipid-regulating drugs Statins DESIRED EFFECT Increase the clearance of LDL Reduce the livers production of cholesterol