September is National Cholesterol Education Month

September is National Cholesterol Education Month, an ideal time to have your blood cholesterol checked and take action to lower it if it is high. High blood cholesterol affects more than 65 million Americans and is a major risk factor for heart disease, the No. 1 killer of women and men in the U.S.

Here in the South, we love our cholesterol. Many of us eat like our grandparents who pulled goodies out of the smokehouse daily and lived to be 90. However, unlike our rural grandparents, mostly we haven’t touched a hoe or shovel recently or don’t regularly walk to town, school and church.

So how do we keep the farmer’s diet without the farmer’s activity? We can’t but we can focus on moderation to keep our total cholesterol number below 200 milligrams (mg) per deciliter (dL) of blood. Cholesterol is a waxy substance that our body needs to function normally. It is found in all animal fat and the body makes enough on its own. The best foods like butter, bacon and sausage contain cholesterol since they are animal products. When we eat these foods, we are adding extra cholesterol to our blood. Too much of a good thing can build up on the walls of your arteries, causing them to narrow and slow blood flow to the heart and brain resulting in a heart attack or stroke.

Lowering cholesterol numbers and maintaining that level requires finding a place of moderation. This can start with making better meat choices and reducing portion size. Making wholesale substitutions of meat-like products for the real thing goes against my Southern nature but two slices of bacon instead of four is doable. Many low-fat cheeses taste like paper but a burger with one slice of the good stuff instead of two is a reduction in cholesterol dietary intake. When it comes to burgers, try moving to a slightly leaner ground beef and add salt-free herbs to kick up the flavor.

The changes that work and can be maintained for a long period of time need to be gradual and only slightly painful. Have regular check-ups and monitor your health with your doctor. When you start to see small changes, it will encourage you to do more. Here are some additional suggestions for lowering your cholesterol number with gradual lifestyle changes:

• Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains, which are low in fat and high in fiber.
• Maintain a healthy weight.
• Be physically active for 30 minutes on most, if not all, days.
• Don’t smoke or quit if you smoke.