Mrs Jackson held her chest with her right hand and held the wall with her left palm. She leaned by the wall to steady herself and waited for the pain to subside. After few minutes, the pain subsided. She took a deep breath and sat on the pavement by the entrance. She brought out her phone and scrolled through her contact list. She dialed her husband's number. He didn't pick the call. She tried it two more times, yet he didn't pick. She sighed, stood up, brought out the house keys from her bag and opened the door. She dropped her bag on the center table and slumped on the three-seater sofa. She could not understand what was going on in her body. She felt excruciating pain in her chest whenever she engaged in any activity, no matter how many minutes it was. She could not walk for hours without holding her chest and gasping for breath. Other times, she felt an unexplainable headache. She slept off thinking of what was happening to her body.
Her husband came in few hours' later and met her sleeping which was unusual of her. He tapped her shoulders gently but she didn't budge. He shook her gently. She opened her eyes slightly, turned her body and resumed sleeping. Her husband went to the bedroom, changed his clothes and came back to the sitting room. He went over to her, shook her gently. She stood up and went into the room robotically. He followed her into the room.
'I am sorry. I missed your calls. I was in a meeting' he said.
'Alright. No problem. I called to ask you to buy bread on your way home. I forgot to buy it on my way. I experienced the chest pain today again. I think it's worsening' She winced in pain.
Her husband stood up and went to her side 'Oh. I'm so sorry. I should have been by your side. How is it now?'
'I don't know. I'm tired right now. I think I should go to the hospital.'
'Yes, we should. By tomorrow morning, we would go to the hospital. In the meantime, please take your bath and rest. I will prepare dinner' Her husband said as he went out of the room.
'Mrs Jackson, from the results I have here, the cholesterol level in your blood is quite high. It is beyond the normal level. That is the reason for the symptoms you experience' The doctor said looking from the husband to the wife.
'Alright. Thank you, doc. Is there anything we can do to reverse this or bring the cholesterol back to normal?' Her husband asked.
'Yes. In fact, with the right lifestyle and dietary changes, the cholesterol level will return to normal within few months provided she adheres to all instructions. I will give you the business card of a trusted health and lifestyle coach that will guide you through the process.'
'Alright..thank you doctor. We are grateful' Her husband shook hands with the doctor.
According to American Heart Association, cholesterol is a waxy substance that is used by the body to build cells and make vitamins and other hormones. However, too much cholesterol can pose danger to the human health.
Cholesterol is gotten from two sources: the liver makes all the cholesterol the body needs, and the remainder comes from the food we eat such as meat, dairy products etc. The liver makes about 75% of the cholesterol needed while the remaining 25% is gotten from food. There are three kinds of cholesterol: the good, bad and triglycerides.
The good cholesterol is also known as high density lipoprotein (HDL). They are the healthy fats. The good cholesterol reduces the risk of heart disease and other diseases related to cholesterol. Good cholesterol can be found in avocado, seeds, nuts, olives, cooking oils made from plants or seeds.
The bad cholesterol is also known as low density lipoprotein (LDL). They are the unhealthy fats. This type of fats increases the risk of heart diseases and stroke. They are gotten from fatty meats, butter, ice creams, coconut oil, palm oil, most deep-fried takeaway foods, commercially baked pastries like biscuits, pies etc.
The third kind of cholesterol, the triglycerides, just like the LDL increases the risk of heart diseases and stroke.
When foods high in LDL and triglycerides are consumed frequently and regularly, it causes the liver to make more cholesterol than normal. This makes the cholesterol level in the body move from normal level to a higher level which is unhealthy for the human body. High cholesterol level is often as a result of unhealthy lifestyle and dietary choices.
High level of cholesterol especially the bad ones cause a lot of health danger to the human body. However, they do not cause any major symptoms in most people until it starts to cause other diseases like heart disease. The excess cholesterol slowly builds up in the inner walls of arteries that carry blood to the brain and heart leading to blockage of blood flow to the brain and heart. This can result in health conditions such as stroke. The blockage of free blood flow to the heart causes chest pain and heart attack. Also, the excess cholesterol in the blood causes its buildup in the gall bladder leading to gall stones. These gall stones can in turn cause abdominal pain. However, the healthy fat picks up the excess cholesterol in the arteries and carries it back to the liver for removal. This helps to reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood.
How to maintain a healthy level of cholesterol and reduce the high level of cholesterol.
The American heart foundation recommends a heart-healthy eating pattern. This helps to reduce levels of bad cholesterol and triglycerides in the body. The heart healthy eating pattern involves eating food high in whole grains, fibres, vitamins, minerals and healthy fats.
1. Reduce intake of foods containing unhealthy fats such as fatty meats, butter, ice cream etc
2. Eat food that contain healthy fats such as avocado, nuts, seeds etc
3. Eat food that contain high amount of fibre such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes. This helps to reduce the amount of bad cholesterol in the body
4. Engage in regular physical activity
5. Maintain a normal healthy weight. To lose excess weight, refer to our post on how to lose weight in a healthy manner.
6. Quit smoking tobacco
7. Reduce alcohol consumption.
NB:We are bio individuals which is to say not all size fits all.prioritizing yourself and your journey with the support and guidance of a health coach will further help in your progress and such a person would be able to get detailed information about themselves that could facilitate results.
