Health tip: say no to cholesterol

(Inside Aotea, April 2010)

One of our more common blood tests is for lipids - or fats - in your blood. Cholesterol is one such lipid in your blood and too much of it can cause serious health and heart problems.

A lipids test measures the amount of high-density lipoprotein (good cholesterol) and low-density lipoprotein (bad cholesterol), as well as other fats.

You can take some easy steps to lower cholesterol to a healthy level. A key one is to eat cholesterol-lowering food.

Two good food types are soluble fibre (found in, for example, oatmeal, kidney beans, apples, barley and prunes) and fatty fish (such as herrings, sardines, albacore tuna and salmon), which contains Omega 3 fatty acids. The healthiest way to cook fish is to bake it or grill it.

Before your test

If you’re coming to see us for a blood test that requires fasting beforehand, you will usually be instructed not to eat or drink anything (except for water) for 12 hours before the blood is drawn.

o ensure you are in the best shape for the test, it is best to be well-hydrated (have a glass or two of water) and warm. A short walk before the test will be enough to get your blood flowing and warm you up.

Once the test has been done, you can start eating again - healthily, though, of course!