What Is Serum Cholesterol?

Often there exists some confusion about cholesterol, especially since you find some in your body and others in food. There are two types of cholesterol, dietary cholesterol which comes from food, and serum or blood cholesterol which is found in the bloodstream. It is a fatlike substance, but has a different structure from fat and performs different functions in the body. Cholesterol cannot be broken down so the body does not derive any energy from it. Cholesterol does not mix with water, so to be carried in the bloodstream it needs to be combined with fats and proteins, also known as lipoproteins. Lipoproteins carry cholesterol to and from your cells.
Despite its commonly associated bad image, cholesterol performs many essential duties in the body and is a part of every cell in your body. It is a part of some hormones, including sex hormones like estrogen. It is also needed to make bile, which assists the body in absorbing and digesting fat. It even plays a role in bone building by combining with sunlight in your skin to change to vitamin D.
The cholesterol found in your body is produced primarily by your liver, although all cells in your body are capable of making it. If your body makes too much cholesterol, the risk for heart disease and related complications increases. Your body produces enough cholesterol that you do not need to consume additional amounts.

Dietary cholesterol is primarily found in foods and beverages of animal origin. Dairy, meat, fish, eggs and poultry all contain cholesterol. Plants do not produce cholesterol, only animals. Dietary cholesterol is a contributing factor to elevated blood cholesterol levels if too much is consumed. Not all dietary cholesterol becomes blood cholesterol. Furthermore, trans fats and saturated fats are show to have a more significant effect on blood cholesterol levels than dietary cholesterol does alone.

When the terms "good" and "bad" cholesterol are discussed, you are really talking about the two types of lipoproteins carrying cholesterol in your blood, not cholesterol found in food. These terms are associated with risk factors for heart disease. High-Density Lipoproteins (HDL), are considered "good" and linked to lower risk of heart disease. HDL works by removing the "bad" cholesterol from your blood. Low-Density Lipoproteins (LDL) is considered "bad" cholesterol and is associated with a higher risk of heart disease and increased plaque formation in your blood vessels and arteries. Total Blood/Serum Cholesterol is a combination of both HDL and LDL cholesterol. Your food choices do affect LDL levels -- the lower the saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol in your diet, the lower your LDL blood cholesterol levels will typically be. Triglycerides are a type of fat found in the body that is a result of excess calories consumed. A high triglyceride level combined with low HDL cholesterol or high LDL cholesterol is associated with atherosclerosis, the buildup of fatty deposits in artery walls that increases the risk for heart attack and/or stroke.

The best ways to lower your serum cholesterol, lower LDL cholesterol and raise your HDL cholesterol is through being physically active and consuming a balanced healthy diet. For optimal heart health, make sure your diet includes lots of fiber, omega-3's, polyunsaturated fats, potassium and fruits and vegetables.

To check your Serum Cholesterol levels, ask your doctor to complete a fasting lipoprotein profile. Your Total Serum Cholesterol is calculated by HDL+LDL+20% of your triglyceride level. A score of less than 180mg/dl is considered optimal.

The National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) has set the following guidelines for lipids (total cholesterol, triglycerides, high density lipoprotein [HDL], and low density lipoprotein [LDL] cholesterol) in adults ages 18 and up:
TOTAL CHOLESTEROL

Desirable:

Borderline high: 200-239 mg/dL

High: > or =240 mg/dL

The National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) and National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) has set the following guidelines for lipids (total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL, and LDL cholesterol) in children ages 2-17:

TOTAL CHOLESTEROL

Desirable:

Borderline high: 170-199 mg/dL

High: > or =200 mg/dL

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My Butt Is Doing What? Squats and Butt Wink

As with any other dysfunctional movement pattern we see, there are many factors that contribute to this compensation. I’ll just state for the record that not everyoneshould be squatting to full depth from the start.

It is far more important to groove proper motor patterns and develop joint mobility and stability in a progressive manner than to be able to brag that you squat to full depth.  I like to quote Senior Strong First Instructor Franz Snideman when I say to my patients,

“You have to earn the right to do the next progression of the movement.”

1. Lack of hip flexion due to bony articulation or abnormal growth of the femoroacetabular joint, commonly called Femoroacetabular Impingement (FAI).

In the healthy hip, the ball (femoral head) fits perfectly into the socket (the acetabulum):

Bone overgrowth can lead to three types of FAI: Cam, Picher, and Combined:

Many people have this condition and don’t know it; but, in very active people who lift heavy weights, the condition may become painful over time as the bony overgrowth can cause cartilage degeneration and labral tears.

FAI can be problematic when the lifter attempts to go to full depth in the squat and the bony anatomy of the joint prevents full hip flexion. This leads to lumbar spine flexion as a compensation, and we see the butt wink.

One way to test hip range of motion (ROM) is the quadruped rock back test, as described by Tony Gentilcore.

“I’ll have someone start in the quadruped position with a neutral spine.  Slowly, I have him or her sit back towards their heels to see if or when their spine hinges. As you’ll notice, as I sit back, my spine stays relatively neutral the entire time. As such, it’s safe to assume that squatting “deep” probably won’t be an issue.”

See a demonstration here.

Conversely, if you notice the client going into thoracic and lumbar spine flexion as they rock back, it may indicate issues with hip mobility. As Tony says, “if it’s this bad with no spinal loading, can you imagine how much of a ‘walking ball of fail’ they’d be if I placed a barbell on their back?”

2. Lack of ankle dorsiflexion.

In order to perform a full depth squat with good form, the lifter must not only have full hip ROM, but also full knee and ankle ROM.

If you lack the necessary 10-20 degrees of dorsiflexion at the ankle, you will not be able to squat to depth without compensations, one of which is thoracic and lumbar spine flexion.

Using plates or a block under the heels is one way that people get around this; but, like everything else, that only works until it doesn’t.

Many people favor Olympic Lifting shoes because the raised heel compensates for some loss of ankle dorsiflexion, but when it comes down to it, t’s much better to address the cause of issue.

Mike Reinold, PT has some great information about assessing and addressing ankle mobility in this article.

3. Lack of motor coordination.

Even though the squat may look simple, it requires a high level of motor coordination to execute with good form. The glutes, quads, hamstrings, adductors, and deep central stabilizers must all work together to keep the ball centered in the socket (see here for more info), the spine in an upright position, and to balance the body to prevent falling.

Certainly strengthening the glutes is an important part of this equation; but, equally important is developing proper coordination of the deep central stabilizing muscles: the diaphragm, the transversus abdominus, the multifidus, and the pelvic floor. (You knew I had to mention the pelvic floor, right?)

I wrote an article here recently about the importance of pelvic floor and deep central stability, with a video on how to begin to coordinate your breath with your activation of the pelvic floor (this is important for both men and women, and even for those lifters who do not experience incontinence).

If you do not have hip pain or signs of FAI, then working on hip and ankle mobility drills may benefit you.

Starting to groove proper squat mechanics with box squats, basic TRX assisted squats or goblet squats can help clean up your issues with butt wink. If you have hip pain or any issues with incontinence, your first step should be an appointment with a physical therapist for a  full assessment and treatment of these issues, and referral to a physician if necessary.

Have you struggled with butt wink in your squats? How did you improve your form?

© 2015 Girls Gone Strong

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Secrets to Mastering the Squat:

1. Check your stance!  Most average women (i.e. women who aren’t powerlifters wearing gear) don’t need to be squatting much wider than just beyond shoulder width, with their toes pointed out between ~15-30 degrees. Squatting very wide is harder on the hips, and once you get extremely wide, it can be even harder to drive your knees out, which, as you’ll see below, is very important.
 
 
2. Brace your core!  Again, most women don’t know how to brace their core effectively. Even if you think your abs are strong, you might not be bracing correctly. You actually have to learn how to create pressure in your low back when you squat, not just in your anterior core (i.e. abs).  Here is a fantastic video that teaches you how to breathe, and create pressure in your core.
 
 
3. Keep a neutral head!  It’s really popular in the powerlifting world to throw your head back when you squat. This is completely understandable as it can help you “drive out of the hole” (i.e. stand up from the bottom of a squat) and it’s common knowledge in the training world that the body will go where the eyes go.
 That can be fine for competitive powerlifters, but most since women are lifting simply because they want to look good and feel good, they need to keep a neutral head.  Throwing your head back causes you to go into lumbar hyperextension, effectively putting all of the pressure on your lower back, and not allowing you to use your entire core, or your glutes, as effectively as you could. Think neutral head, eyes up.

This little cutie has the right idea when it comes to keeping her head neutral!

4. Use your hips!  As you’ll see in the video, it’s very common for women to use their spine to “catapult” themselves off of the box, instead of using their hips and their entire core.  Once you learn how to effectively brace your core, you will allow your hips and your entire core to start taking the load, and you’ll get much stronger, and stay much safer.


5. Drive your knees out!  Using your glutes to drive your knees out, allows you to open up your hips so you can sink down into the proper squat position.  If you don’t drive your knees out, you’ll not only run into your hips, but you won’t have a comfortable (or safe) hip, knee, and ankle angle.  This also ties into tip number 1.  If your stance is too wide, you often won’t be able to drive your knees out effectively, so bring your stance in, and think about driving your knees OUT to open up your hips.  Using a light mini-band right below the knees here as a reminder to drive them out, can be very helpful.

6. Sit back!  Women tend to be very quad dominant creatures, and we typically either want to shoot our knees forward on a squat, or almost “plié” down into the squat.  Neither of these are correct when you’re trying to do a true squat.  This is why we have women learn how to squat onto a box first.  It teaches them to sit back into their hips safely, and allows them to learn this pattern without feeling like they are going to fall backward.

7. Use an appropriate range of motion!  When first learning to squat, many women won’t be able to hit depth, which is typically defined as parallel or slightly below parallel.  If they can hit depth, they often can’t control their pelvis in that position, and they will experience “butt wink” where their butt tucks under at the bottom.  Only squat as low as you can maintain good form, and over time, with practice and the correct mobility and stability work, most women should be able to squat to depth.
 If you are squatting onto a bench or box, and can’t control your squat, throw a plate or two onto the box until you get strong in the range of motion, and then slowly but surely increase your range of motion by removing plates until you can squat the your desired depth.

Well, there you have it!  7 awesome secrets to help you master the squat.  Keep your eyes peeled, because we will be back with several more parts to this series, including learning how to squat with a kettlebell, and a barbell.

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The Best Wii Games For Weight Loss

                            

Using the Wii is a good way to exercise - it's fun weight games, it's effective, no excuse when it rains and you do not need to have a working computer sensational because no embarrassing gym risk . But what do you do with your Wii to make the most of it, except the last Wii Fit and Wii Fit Plus, there are many other games that can help you lose weight while having fun

OK fair enough the Wii cost money - a deposit and certainly once you've bought the Wii will soon want the Wii Fit - but I bet it costs less weight games than a gym, people who subscribe to the E inevitably try to avoid the use of - at least the Wii is in your own home so you can get it when you want, wear what you want and one of the exercises in the privacy of your own home or invite some friends over for a fun evening of games weight games, laughter and fun - is entirely up to you!

What games weight loss most effective on the Wii? Well, fortunately, with the purchase of the Wii, which comes standard with Wii Sports, including baseball weight games , tennis, bowling, golf and boxing. Do something requiring a virtual Wii Mimi and skillfully that little can also climb in other games you play on your Wii console. If you opt for weight loss, then you should use the tennis and boxing more. Both games can be played individually or with others.

Boxing is the most active Wii Sports game disco weight games, and may be better not to get carried away by it at weight lifting games first, at least until you get used to it anyway. Then the beauty of the Wii really is - it tends to get carried away and instead of weight lifting games watching the clock in the gym, before you know it, you've done you're 30 minutes. Boxing is weight games, in fact, the perfect game to lose weight, and in 15 minutes you can easily burn 120 calories. weight games It's pretty good for relieving stress too - you can even make a Mimi of someone who does not like and used weight games as his opponent.

Tennis is the weight lifting games second best game to help lose weight. weight games No need to run around the room, but gives an effective weight lifting games workout.weight games You can even use some tricks to make it more of an exercise than usual. For weight games example, to configure the game, you can also choose to play one of the opponents as well as you, yes, again, it is best to master before letting go.

weight games

Once you have mastered this, it is not long before you want weight lifting games more - weight games is simply addictive I guess in circles exercise is a good thing - as long as it does not go a extreme to the other, and to more.

The next step would be weight games to get the weight lifting games Wii Fit on your Christmas list and Santa Claus can expect to find one before all sold .... Again!

weight lifting games

By buying your board Wii Fit, which comes with a Wii Fit program designed to help keep track of your progress in the management of weight loss.weight games You can set goals and monitor graphs on how you do it weight lifting games.

The original Wii Fit is a good starting point, but it is probably better to go to Wii Fit Plus often as possible - it has everything the original weight loss games has more. There are more games, which is the most fun part. You still have personal trainers, but now you can integrate two different training sessions. It also adds weight lifting games to the fun you decide to weight loss games mix everything so you weight lifting games never know what you'll release the other.

Besides the obvious Wii Fit programs, other programs such as weight loss games gym style Olds Gym Cardio Workout, My Fitness ANDEAN Sports Active. weight games  They even have a weight lifting games version of The Biggest Loser that gets more than 88 weight lifting games different exercises to help you achieve your ideal weight.

There are also many weight loss games games they can play, they can also help you lose weight. Sometimes the training, but in a much more entertaining way, weight games as weight loss games We Cheer 2, in which the virtual Wii pompons double remotes you get to the open air as a leader. Wherever Samba De Amigo's remote replication and Munch like a pair of maracas as samba your way to fitness

If more than one style of play you prefer regular game,weight games there are many games that you can play assets that can help you lose weight. Party Wii Sports is a game related to the sport with a little difference. The games are oriented beach, the kind that you find when you're on vacation,weight games includes things like volleyball, badminton, weight games croquet, mini golf and more, and if you want something a little more there - what about Guinness World Records Wii, Now this is where the game really starts crazy. weight games Traveling virtually the entire world compete in the folder stunts for the fastest time to cut a sheep, and the best time to crush watermelons. I remember a recording of the bicycle make me sweat too. Even crazier and more style fitness board game is Raman Raving Rabbis TV Party - now these guys have invaded your TV and includes a large number of different weight games games that are inherently more active.

Sonic and Mario are always there with Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games in which you can participate in real Olympic Winter events.weight games

I tried to include a selection of games covering both the severe weight loss, weight control and weight loss more enjoyable. No doubt, the Wii has revolutionized the way we work on. This makes it easier to understand, easy to manage, easy to follow.

If you have a Wii, you should definitely get the Wii Fit, which not weight games only give you access to many more games for weight loss and a little easy game, but you get a little virtual Wii Fit board to race naughty inside your TV encouraging, weight games fitness tips and even a rebuff - all to help you stay on track. Oh, and best of all - you get a virtual party on his birthday - maybe that day you can eat a little cupcake!

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