Sunday, November 30, 2008

Why Cholesterol Blood Test Is Important

By Andy Austim

If your doctor doesn't offer you a cholesterol blood test the next time you go, be sure to ask for one. That way you will know how your cholesterol level is going and you will be able to make adjustments if necessary. Most of the time you don't have to ask the doctor to give you a cholesterol blood test. This test is just one of several that are done on a regular basis. There is a battery of tests that is done regularly on every patient once he or she reaches a certain age.

After analyzing your cholesterol blood test results, the doctor can advise you whether your cholesterol levels need to be lowered, or if your present lifestyle is enough to keep the cholesterol down. If it is needed to reduce your cholesterol then the doctor may prescribe some medicine but usually the first step to be done is diet control.

You can have tremendous control over your cholesterol levels by controlling your diet. You can get your cholesterol levels right where they need to be by choosing to take the important step of monitoring your diet and kinds of food you consume. You can team up with a good nutritionist to create a heart healthy, low cholesterol diet plan that you can easily follow and will enjoy.

Lowering your cholesterol level doesn't mean that you are condemned to a lifetime of bland and boring foods. With many delicious food choices available, it can be an adventure in healthy eating. Look for new, cholesterol and heart-friendly foods that you will enjoy and you will have a happy, healthy dieting experience.

You will be amazed at the vast array of cookbooks, online recipe columns, informative magazines, and much more available to you to help you prepare healthy, low cholesterol foods. Good, cholesterol friendly cookbooks will give you extensive lists of foods you will welcome and they will teach you how to prepare them. Learning how to plan and prepare heart healthy, low cholesterol meals can be challenging and fun, and learning this new skill will help you incorporate these good habits into your lifestyle.

Getting support from your family members for the new diet changes will make it easier for you to follow it. If you can avoid all unhealthy food from your house with the support of your family, you will not feel tempted to eat such food to ruin your diet. Another plus is that the rest of your family can reap the benefits of eating healthier foods as well.

You may need to do another cholesterol blood test to check your levels to confirm whether your changed lifestyle is working. The only way you can make sure that you are improving is by checking the cholesterol in between and making changes if required to keep the level going in the right way. You will also being to notice the positive changes to your health by the way you start to feel and look healthier.

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