Originally published January 12 2006
Health writer answers questions about high cholesterol
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Health and Fitness editor Amy Bertrand takes questions on high cholesterol, back pain and exercises for the elderly.
A: Despite what you may have seen on commercials, cholesterol readings are so much more than just a number pinned to your chest.
In fact, cholesterol readings are a bunch of numbers: your overall cholesterol, your LDL (bad cholesterol), your HDL (good cholesterol), your triglycerides and the all-important ratio of good-to-bad cholesterol.
Doctors look at all of these numbers as well as other risk factors (whether you're diabetic, family history, age, gender) before deciding to put you on medication.
"Looking at all these things, your doctor will come up with an ideal cholesterol treatment for you," says Dr. Srinivasan Raghavan, a specialist in geriatric medicine at St. Anthony's Medical Center.
First, do regular aerobic exercise - 30 to 45 minutes most days of the week.
Make sure less than 30 percent of your calories come from fat and less than 10 percent come from saturated fat (found in butter).
Eat two servings of omega-3-rich fish per week.
In the last few years, when I run or play soccer, my lower back hurts afterward.
In a couple of days it goes away, especially when I stretch my lower back.
A: Your lower-back muscles may not be the ones you should be concentrating on.
Rather, strong abdominals help support that core area and can keep your back from ailing, says Dr. Robert Barrack, chief of staff of orthopedics at Barnes-Jewish Hospital.
To that end, Barrack suggests doing abdominal strengthening moves such as sit-ups and crunches.
This move strengthens your transverse abdominus, the muscle that wraps around your abs.
He sometimes tells patients to take anti-inflammatory medication before strenuous activity.
And he suggests using heat on the back before exercise to loosen up and ice afterward to prevent inflammation.
All content posted on this site is commentary or opinion and is protected under Free Speech. Truth Publishing LLC takes sole responsibility for all content. Truth Publishing sells no hard products and earns no money from the recommendation of products. NaturalNews.com is presented for educational and commentary purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice from any licensed practitioner. Truth Publishing assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material. For the full terms of usage of this material, visit www.NaturalNews.com/terms.shtml