Cholesterol: Exercise & Diet

Exercise: has been shown to LOWER your LDL values and INCREASE your HDL values

Diet:  our bodies produce cholesterol and it can be found in our diet and saturated and trans fats increase our body's production of cholesterol.

• Saturated Fat is found in red meat, poultry, butter, whole milk and dairy products made from whole milk, eggs, and some vegetable oils like coconut and palm oil.  This type of fat is solid at room temperature 
• Trans Fat is a fat that has been chemically altered to act like saturated fats, so they are also solid at room temperature.  These are found in products that say either "partially hydrogenated oil" or "hydrogenated oil" under the ingredients list

Beneficial Foods

• Monounsaturated and Polyunsaturated Fats are unsaturated fats found in plant foods like olive, canola,safflower, and sunflower oils as well as avocados, nuts, and seeds. 
• Stanol Esters are foundin many fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, cereals, legumes, vegetable oils, and other plant sources.
• Soluble Fiber has been lower LDL (bad) and increase HDL (good).  It can be found in fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, and legumes
• Whole grains like whole grain bread, oats, oatmeal, brown rice, and whole grain pasta
• 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day
• 1 serving of fruit = i small peice of fruit that can fit in the palm of your hand and your fingers can cover about 75% of the fruit
• 1 serving of vegetables = 1/2 cup cooked or 1 cup raw

Nelms, M., Sucher, K., & Long, S. (2007). Nutrition Therapy and Pathophysiology. United States: Thomson Wadsworth.“Keep your heart healthy.  Control your cholesterol.”  Retrieved on January 21, 2009, From Jefferson County Department of Health & Environment

Website:  http://jeffco.us/health/health_T111_R145.htm. http://www.ific.org/publications/factsheets/sterolfs.cfm

Streja, D. and Mymin.  (1979). Moderate Exercise and High-Density Lipoprotein-Cholesterol. Observations During a Cardiac Rehabilitation Program.The Journal of the American Medical Association. Vol. 242, 20. 

Tran, Z.V. and Weltman. (1985).  Differential Effects of Exercise in Serum Lipid and Lipoprotein Levels Seen With Changes in Body Weight.  A Meta-Analysis.  The Journal of the American Medical Association.  Vol. 254, 7                                                               © Kimberly Ward 2/2011.