Take charge of your cholesterol with the right nutrition

Many illnesses such as cardiovascular diseases, arteriosclerosis, strokes, and heart attacks are caused by elevated cholesterol levels and the underlying bad nutritional habits, along with not sufficient exercise.

The food industry tries repeatedly to entice us to buy processed foods with various products that were apparently created to lower cholesterol levels. Please don’t buy into this marketing scam; the high amount of preservatives and chemical additives are harmful for your fat metabolism.

In reality, cholesterol may be managed with the right nutritional approach. But, what is cholesterol anyway and how can I fight it?

Cholesterol isn’t always bad or wrong – on the contrary – actually, it is vital. Cholesterol is produced in the liver, and we have to ingest the daily requirement of 0.5-1g with our food. It is a substance similar to fat, and in order to be transported in the blood stream, it has to connect to proteins. This connection is called lipoprotein, which is divided into two sub-groups: HDL (High Density Lipoproteins) and LDL (Low Density Lipoproteins).

LDL is the bad one, and it clogs and narrows the arteries and builds fat cells. HDL is the opponent to the “bad” LDL. HDL collects the LDL cholesterol’s deposits from the arteries and brings it back to the liver. So, the right ratio between “good” and “bad” is important to keep the body healthy.

The most important tasks of cholesterol in the body are:

• Production of bile acid
• Production of vitamin D
• Development of cell membranes
• Activation of metabolism and thus fat digestion
• Balance of entire hormonal system

Cholesterol Levels:

• Total cholesterol: Desired value up to 200 mg/dl
• Triglycerides: Desired value up to 150 mg/dl
• LDL: Desired value up to 100 mg/dl
• HDL: Desired value at least 40 mg/dl

Source: Recommendation of National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) and the German Lipidliga

And now the long explanation of what to do… it is easier than you think and each one of us holds it in their own hands:

• Maintain normal weight or reduce weight: The LDL portion in the blood will be lowered automatically as well as the HLD portion increased.
• Sport & exercise: Sport is the magic cure. Especially, endurance sports such as jogging or swimming and biking are advantageous for your blood lipid levels.
• Don’t smoke: Cigarettes lower the “good” HDL cholesterol and increase the “bad” one.
• Reduce stress: Stress affects the mind and thus the cardio-vascular system. This may lead to a disturbed fat metabolism. Relaxation techniques are helpful; even 10 minutes per day suffice.
• Correct and conscious nutrition.

The right nutrition – but what does it look like?

• Instead of meat choose fatty fish with a high ratio of unsaturated fatty acids, such as herring, mackerel, salmon, or tuna
• If you are more a fan of the vegan philosophy, integrate flax seeds, hulled hemp seeds, and high-quality oils such as linseed oil or Wellville’s Omega 3-6-9 capsules or the Wellville Hemp Protein. You can purchase both in our shop at wellville.eu starting 8.8.
• Avoid wheat and processed flour products.
• Avoid milk products and use nut milk and grain milk; if possible unsweetened. There are many excellent varieties available in organic stores if you don’t want to prepare these yourself. But with the Wellville Nut Milk Pouch it is not a big deal any longer, and you can create your very own nut milk in 5 minutes.
• Reduce alcohol and drink rather wine (red) than beer.
• Delete processed foods and junk food from your plate, such as chips, chocolate bars, and other snacks. Instead, prepare some veggies with dips for yourself.
• Exchange sugar loaded soft drinks or highly sugared fruit juices with unsweetened herbal teas, water or fresh juices and smoothies.
• Include cholesterol reducing superfoods in your smoothies. Ideal is our Wellville Superfood Mix “Insulin Control.”
• Introduce a couple of spoonful of Sauerkraut twice a day. I have a great recipe for you that convinces everyone, even people who don’t like Sauerkraut too much. Here is the recipe.

Detoxing is also excellent, e.g. with metabolism bars. More information at www.stoffwechselriegel.com or join a detox week, which I offer again this fall: http://www.carolaschoch.com/events-workshops/

I look forward to your feedback and am available for any of your questions.

Have fun trying the Sauerkraut Salad recipe as well!