Cholesterol, Emotions Count Too
If you maintain a healthy lifestyle but still have high LDL cholesterol, you may need to pay attention to your emotions
When we perceive that the demands of the environment ( family responsibilities, illnesses, professional obligations. ..) exceed our ability to cope with them, the body generates a physiological response – stress – in which different defense mechanisms participate.
This automatic manifestation does not come alone: the levels of physiological and psychological activation increase in such a remarkable way that they can cause various effects such as anxiety, joy, satisfaction, anger or sadness.
From cortisol to cholesterol
Faced with these disturbances in our emotional balance, the body (to protect itself) reacts by secreting cortisol, known as the stress hormone. And this, in turn, promotes the release of triglycerides and fatty acids, responsible for raising cholesterol.
As the clinical psychologist Carlos Catalina Romero explains, there is a consistent association between our emotions and blood lipid levels.
According to the data obtained by the MIDUS study, published in July 2014 in the journal Psychological Science , people who maintain stable levels of well-being for an approximate period of ten years present, once the follow-up phase is over, higher amounts of cholesterol HDL or good cholesterol, and lower triglycerides.
Results like these suggest, in terms of Catalina Romero, that lipid metabolism is emerging as one of the mechanisms involved in the relationship between emotions and health.
Keep the balance
Although the response in the form of stress can be useful, since it prepares the body to act quickly and effectively in the face of the demands of the situation, when the state of alert becomes chronic and becomes a constant, it can cause considerable wear and tear on the person, decrease their performance, trigger physical health problems such as hypertension and heart disease and even psychological disorders such as depression.
Maintaining good emotional management is, therefore, essential to prevent negative feelings from being encapsulated and translated into physical symptoms (somatization). To do this, you have to learn to set limits, make decisions, communicate well and have a positive attitude towards life.
The self – knowledge is, according to Laura Solana, head of Clinical Psychology of the Integral Center for the treatment of anxiety and stress, key to a fulfilling life: if we are aware of how we relate to life, avoid this exceeds us.
Likewise, people who experience the circumstances they face in terms of opportunity rather than threat are able to handle stress more effectively.
4 habits to control cholesterol
To keep cholesterol in check you need to eat a healthy diet. But we must also pay attention to other aspects of our life.
- Spend time on all facets of your life: family, work, leisure, friends. Do not neglect them. And increase the social contact and activities that please you.
- Take maximum care of your sleep habits: it is essential to sleep eight hours each day to achieve an adequate recovery of the body and put a stop to stress.
- It is not advisable to leave pending situations or problems unresolved. For this, it is essential that you establish a good organization and planning of your time.
- Eat a balanced diet, chew slowly and consciously, keep regular schedules, avoid stimulants, and do aerobic exercise and life in nature.
