Turning 50 with a Focus on Vitality Not Disease Prevention

I turned 50 this past June. I am told that 50 is not old. I am told that 50 is the new 40, or perhaps 35. I am a believer. I do not think like I am old. I remain eager to learn anew.

Yet, I have acquired a gnawing sense that time is bracketed, not limitless. The weekly mailings from the AARP provide the reminder. The challenges faced by my 85 year old parents sharpen the feelings. Neither is ravaged by a particular disease. Time, slowly but with increasing speed, erodes their vitality.

With an eye not only looking to disease prevention, but also towards extending my years of vitality, I approach a health consciousness. Overall, I believe that maintaining a healthy cardiovascular system is a key to extending vitality.

I exercise, but perhaps not with the intensity to optimize my cardiovascular health. The hip pains and lower back aches serve as a bit of an obstacle.

I watch my weight, but it still falls somewhere above the ideal range, although I am not defined as overweight.

I am perhaps most successful with assuring that I eat the right foods---balanced, high in fruits, vegetables, good fats (monounsaturated fats) and good carbs (whole grains and fibers), and enhanced with certain cholesterol-managing nutrients, notably plant sterols, viscous fibers, omega-3s and selected types of niacin. No doubt, my success here lies with the pleasure I derive from food shopping, gourmet cooking and social eating.

Natural Cholesterol Management: Looking Beyond Heart Disease Prevention

The guidelines of the National Cholesterol Education Program define LDL cholesterol below 100mg/dl as optimal for otherwise healthy people. Yet, as a matter of disease prevention, these same guidelines suggest that substantially higher levels of LDL cholesterol may be acceptable. These standards are used as a baseline for determining the appropriateness of cholesterol-lowering medications.

Many doctors also are well aware that the non-optimal LDL standards are only a baseline. These doctors are apt to prescribe a cholesterol-lowering medication to achieve the more optimal level.

Here at Kardea, we look to natural cholesterol management to achieve the more optimal levels. Yes, medications may be needed by some, but a nutritional approach has proven as potent as many pharmaceutical therapies. And we recognize that cholesterol management extends well beyond simply lowering LDLs. Our prior blog posts and the numerous links and articles found on our resources page explore this more comprehensive approach.

The important point: cholesterol management is consistent with good health, not simply disease prevention. Whatever your currents levels ---- even if you believe that your cholesterol is not at risky levels ---- consider the benefits of pursuing a more integrated and comprehensive approach.