The heart is a great gadget, working tirelessly to keep you going, whether you're hiking through snow or enjoying the beach.  In the next few posts, we're going to give you ideas of what you can do to help your heart carry out its vital job.

First, let's look at cholesterol.  A simple test can measure the amount of "good" cholesterol (HDL) and "bad" cholesterol (LDL) in your blood.  What happens with too much LDL?  It can cause hardening of the arteries.  Plaque made from cholesterol, calcium and fat builds up in the arteries surrounding the heart. That increases the possibility of heart attack or stroke.  People with high total cholesterol (over 200 mg/dL) have almost double the risk of heart attack or stroke than those with desirable levels.

To control your cholesterol, let's try these steps:
1)  Lifestyle:  Have your cholesterol checked regularly.  Eat a healthy diet, including lots of fruits, vegetables.  Watch out for packaged, fried and fast food.  Lose weight if need be.  Don't smoke.  Exercise!

2)  Sterols:  Taking in plant sterols and stanols of about 2,000 mg per day has been tested in multiple studies.  As part of a diet low in fat and cholesterol, they help to lower cholesterol levels.  They appear to block the absorption of cholesterol in the diet.

3)  Fiber:  Many studies have shown fiber to lower cholesterol levels in high risk subjects.

4.)  Soy:  Soy supplements have been shown to help lower cholesterol.  Soy contains isoflavones, which are believed to be why soy is so effective as in reducing cholesterol.  Look for non-GMO soy.

Can Shaklee help?  Yes!  There's Cholesterol Reduction Complex (which contains 2,000 sterols and stanols per serving).  You can also get fiber products like Fiber Tabs and Fiber Plan - not to mention the 6 grams of fiber in the Shaklee 180 Smoothees (aside from the Whey version, which has 5 grams).  You can get soy protein in Energizing Soy Protein  (14 grams), Instant Protein Soy Mix (16 grams) and Shaklee 180 Smoothees (16 grams).    Questions?  Let me know!