A cholesterol test is an important laboratory examination that tests a blood sample and provides a measurement of the patient’s cholesterol level. It is recommended that individuals over the age of 20 years old receive a cholesterol test every five years. As a patient grows older the frequency of testing may increase.

In understanding more about a cholesterol test, it is important to know what a cholesterol test is, what the test results mean and methods of treatment.

What Is A Cholesterol Test?

A cholesterol test is known as a lipid profile and generally measures the HDL and LDL cholesterol levels as well as the triglycerides. The test is conducted on the blood sample that is drawn by laboratory personnel through a doctor’s order.

The test is fairly painless with the only possibility of discomfort due to the insertion of a needle into the patients arm. The opposite end of the needle is inserted into a blood collection tube and the cholesterol test is performed on the blood sample.

In addition, the patient is asked to fast prior to the exam. This simply means that the patient should not eat any food 12 hours before the blood sample is to be collected.

What The Results Mean?

When the lab results come back from the medical laboratory there will be two figures that the doctor will be especially interested in. Those numbers will correspond to HDL and LDL cholesterol levels.

A good LDL cholesterol level should fall in the range of 200 mg or less. This is an optimal level and indicates that the patient is at a lower risk for coronary heart disease. If the LDL cholesterol level ranges from 200 to 239 mg this is considered as borderline. Unfortunately, if the LDL level is 240 mg or higher this indicates a high blood cholesterol level and puts the person at great risk for coronary heart disease.

In regards to the HDL level of cholesterol, less is not better. This means that for a man who has an HDL cholesterol level of 40 mg or less puts that individual at a greater risk for heart disease. This level for women corresponds to a level of 50 mg or less. An optimal HDL level reflected on the cholesterol test should be in the range of 60 mg. or above.

Treatment

There are three basic treatments that a doctor can take in regards to abnormal cholesterol test results. Those three responses can include ordering a low-fat diet, suggesting an exercise regimen and medication.

Often, when a cholesterol test indicates that the HDL and LDL levels of cholesterol are abnormal, the easiest treatment method of normalizing those levels of cholesterol is through diet. Often a doctor will prescribe a low-fat diet which means that the patient will need to eat less animal products. This diet will limit their use of eggs, cheeses, cream cheese, butter, etc. In addition the patient’s intake of red meat and lamb should be limited as well. It is also important that the patient does not eat large amounts of processed food which can contain high levels of saturated fatty foods.

In addition, another treatment method of normalizing cholesterol levels is through exercise. This exercise should be in the form of a highly stimulating cardiovascular exercise routine.

Finally, the doctor may be forced to prescribe medications. These medications can help to reduce or absorb high levels of cholesterol within the blood stream.

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The glycemic ind

ex diet and low glycemic index diet are more than diet books. The glycemic index is a nutritional index that’s used to rank carbohydrate based foods. It is a system of ranking carbohydrate foods according to how much a certain amount of each food raises individual’s blood sugar levels. To get abs it is advised to take foods with low glycemic index because the higher the glycemic index the faster the food raises your blood sugar and in process affects your metabolism. Originally GI was used as tool to help diabetic patients to control their blood sugar level but now a day’s glycemic index diet has become more popular diet to get six pack abs.

Switching to low glycemic index diet has a lot of benefits for people who carries lot of fat around their belly. It has been proved that low GI diet control diabetes and at the same time helps people to control and lose weight. Such foods reduce the risk of heart disease and reduce blood cholesterol levels. Low GI foods acts as an appetite suppressant and keep you feel fuller for long time. If you’re performing some intense abs workout to get abs then glycemic index diet foods plays a vital role as it helps to re-fuel carbohydrate stores after exercises. All carbohydrates are not bad and remember you body needs carbohydrates to perform certain activities, hence it’s important to choose between bad and good carbohydrates to get abs.

To find a low glycemic index diet to get abs may be little confusing at times. You cannot always search for labels stating GI of that particular food. Hence just make a habit of eating cereals based on oats, barley, and bran. You can eat breads prepared from whole grains, ground flour. Make a habit of eating plenty of fruits and vegetables. You can even try vegetable salads with a vinaigrette dressing. If you like to eat rice choose basmati and don’t forget to eat lean proteins and healthy fats. You need to avoid unsaturated fats and eating pizza, burgers, fries, and cookies to get ripped abs.

You must be eager to know how glycemic index diet can be useful in getting ripped abs. When you consume carbohydrates it gets converted into blood sugar. Blood sugar is used by the body to manufacture ATP molecule which is important to power up all functions. It’s important to keep check on blood sugar levels as high blood sugar levels can affect the insulin levels. If the insulin levels are high it may affect the process of losing body fat. Insulin is one of the most important hormones that affect weight loss. Hence it’s important to eat low glycemic index diet to maintain steady insulin level. It not only helps to control diabetes but very effective in losing stomach fat to get six pack abs.

It is clear that low glycemic index diet plays an important role in losing body fat. It’s important to understand the effects of foods on your blood sugar and it’s true that low glycemic index diet keeps you full all the day. The energy level is kept maintained and if you’re looking for those ripped abs low glycemic index diet must be your first choice.

Tony Leong is giving away a secret MP3 recording that he did with fat loss expert Rob Poulos and in this recording; Rob reveals some fascinating diet tips that will fire up your metabolism. You can download the free MP3 here.

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There’s a common misconception that a low fat diet means no fat. In reality, fat is needed to transport nutrients and other valuable materials through the body. Therefore, it’s good to ingest some fat, but most overweight people wind up taking in double the amount of fat they need. As a general rule, your total fat intake should not exceed 20% of your daily calories. To break it down, less than 7% should come from saturated fat, 1% or less from trans fat and cholesterol should not be more than 300mg.

Let’s discuss “good fats” to include in your otherwise low fat diet. In addition to transporting vitamins, protecting the body and filling us with energy, some of these fats are deemed so essential because they deliver omega-6 and omega-3, which the body cannot make on its own but relies very heavily upon. These essential fatty acids help the body to regulate hormones, stimulate the metabolism and boost the immune system, thereby fighting off cancer, preventing blood clots, controlling cell growth and regulating all intracellular processes.

“Bad fats” are trans fats: fries and fast foods, baked goods, margarines, hydrogenated vegetable fat. The reason they have such a bad wrap is that they’re known for lowering HDL cholesterol, which is the kind your body needs to function, as well as increasing triglycerides and LDL cholesterol, which is the bad cholesterol that leads to heart disease and diabetes. Saturated fats found in whole milk, butter, cheese, ice cream, red meat, coconuts and chocolate should also be limited for the same reasons. Fat from these sources should be 16 grams or less for a 2,000 calorie low diet. For those looking for a weight loss cure, the saturated fats should be less than 12 grams.

Switching to a low fat diet can reduce one’s risk of heart disease considerably. Doctors recommend the DASH program, which calls for: 8 grain servings, 5 vegetable servings, 2-3 1% dairy servings, 1-2 servings of meat, poultry or fish and 5 servings per week of nuts, seeds or beans. Limit your intake of saturated fats, sugars and processed foods. Also, be aware of portion sizes, which should be ½ cup for cooked foods, 1 cup raw veggies and 2 tbsp of nuts and seeds. For many people, enlisting the help of a dietician or adhering to a meal plan program is invaluable in breaking old habits and beginning their odyssey toward healthy living.

Always choose a recognized diet plan rather than just the latest fad. A good place to find a quality low fat diet is at the Top 10 Diets chart where the diet plans have already proved that they work and ranked in the order customers rated them.

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