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Heidenreich, Jack
Raceland, LA
Family Physician - A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Dr. Jack Heidenreich relocated to Louisiana...
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Your guide to:
Cholesterol
 what is cholesterol? what do HDL & LDL mean?
Cholesterol is a fat-like substance that your body needs to function properly. Your body produces all of the cholesterol it needs. When your diet contains large amounts of saturated fat, this raises your blood cholesterol level. Too much cholesterol can build up in the walls of your arteries, restricting blood flow.
Since cholesterol is insoluble in the blood, it attaches to lipoproteins to be transported throughout the bloodstream.
The term HDL cholesterol (high-density lipoprotein) refers to the GOOD cholesterol that carries cholesterol to the liver for elimination and prevents the build up of cholesterol in the arteries.
The term LDL cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein) refers to the BAD cholesterol. The body uses only a certain amount of LDL and the rest circulates in the bloodstream and builds up in the walls of the arteries.
It is important for you to get not only a general cholesterol screening, but one that gives a breakdown of your HDL and LDL levels.
total cholesterol ranges
HDL cholesterol ranges
LDL cholesterol ranges
how can I reduce the fat in my diet?
Dietary intake of cholesterol and saturated fat can have an effect on the level of cholesterol in the blood. The following information may help you to understand more about saturated fat and cholesterol.
calories from fat
Your goal should be to obtain less than 30 percent of the calories that you consume in a day from fat. To achieve this goal, read the nutrition facts on food labels. Check the listing for fats, saturated fat and cholesterol. Choose foods with a low percentage daily value. If the percentage daily value is 5 percent or less, the food is typically low in fat.
saturated fat
Saturated fat raises blood cholesterol levels more than anything else in the diet. Eating less saturated fat is the best way to lower your blood cholesterol level. Significant amounts are found in animal foods (meat, poultry, and dairy products) and also in vegetable foods (coconut, palm, and palm kernel oils). Saturated fat is also found in hydrogenated vegetable oils.
polyunsaturated fat
Polyunsaturated fat helps to lower blood cholesterol. Significant amounts are found in liquid vegetable oils such as corn, safflower, sunflower, soybean and cottonseed.
monounsaturated fat
Monounsaturated fat helps to lower blood cholesterol. This fat is found in olives, olive oil, peanuts, peanut oil and canola (rapeseed) oil.
restaurant dining
It’s sometimes difficult to find hidden fat on the menu of a restaurant or cafeteria. Learn which terms and phrases signal the fat content.
terms that mean low-fat preparation
terms that mean high-fat preparation
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buttery, buttered, in butter sauce
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sauteed, fried, pan fried
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crispy, braised, creamed
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in cream sauce
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it its own gravy, hollandaise
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au gratin, parmesan, in cheese sauce
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marinated in oil
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potpie
low-fat cooking tips
- use nonstick pots and pans or nonstick vegetable spray instead of adding a chunk of margarine or butter
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substitute nonfat liquids such as chicken or beef broth for cooking fat whenever possible
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trim fat from meat before cooking
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bake or broil instead of frying
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skim fats from cooled foods before reheating
Please note that this Web site cannot replace regular discussions with your doctor or healthcare professional.
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