Resolution New You #11 - Know your cholesterol

Do you know your cholesterol levels?  Do you know how cholesterol affects your health?  Take this brief 10-question quiz provided by the American Red Cross and see how much you know. I learned I didn't know much.  Products that come from animals, including fatty red meat, egg yolks, butter, cheese, and whole milk, are foods that are high in cholesterol. There are also foods that are high in saturated fats and trans fat, which can also raise your level of LDL (bad) cholesterol such as muffins, and other processed baked goods. 

In a way, they have a similar effect on your body as eating things that are high in cholesterol.  What happens to our arteries is simulated in the image to the left which is known as atherosclerosis. When too much LDL (bad) cholesterol circulates in the blood, it can slowly build up in the inner walls of the arteries that feed the heart and brain. Together with other substances, it can form plaque, a thick, hard deposit that can narrow the arteries and

 make them less flexible.  If a clot forms and blocks a narrowed artery, a heart attack or stroke can result. 

If the above picture doesn't make you want to give up the meat, baked goods and dairy in your diet, then watch this hysterical video to see how the eggs feel about you eating them.