My total Cholestrol is 194 My HDL is 69 My LDL is 108 is this a good level?

Depends on your other risk factors. In some cases, medication would be prescribed, but *frequently* the levels you mention are first treated with diet and exercise. My levels currently are close to yours and I am not on medications but am working on exercising regularly and eating a good diet. A main component of a good diet is one that will keep you at a healthy weight.

Wow, I am 46 and my cholestrol is 182. I don't smoke or drink alcohol. HDL 54 and LDL 114. I am still healthy but obese. My heart is fine. My stress is bad. I would just follow your doctors recommedation. Seek a nutritional guide for the proper foods to eat. It's really your doctor who advise you which food will benefit you.

LDL should be below 100, the HDL is good.

No, it's not a ploy. The people determining standard values aren't the same people hawking meds. A Dr doesn't make anything for writing you a script.

Yes, it is a good cholesterol level. Some doctors are now saying to get the LDL below 100 for those with a history of heart disease in the family. I question this, as I think its just a ploy to get more people on cholesterol meds.

HDL is good, LDL slightly over the norm, if it comes down ot below 100 or even 80 its ideal

Backwards hdl is suposed to be higher than ldl.

The healthiest diet on earth: A brand-new food pyramid reveals what to eat to lose weight, increase your energy and lower your cancer and heart-disease risk. Try these six delicious meals - Weight-Loss Special

Bradley J. Willcox

There exists a place on our planet where 100-year-olds live in their own homes and tend their own gardens. It's a place where breast cancer is so rare that screening mammography is not needed and where the three leading killers in our culture - heart disease, stroke and cancer -- occur with the lowest frequency in the world. Where people maintain a healthy weight -- without dieting --throughout life (the average Body Mass Index o the senior citizens is 21!). Where women live to be 86 years old - on average - and when they do pass on, the cause of death is generally classified as "old age" since autopsies reveal no discernible cause.

This place is the Japanese island-state of Okinawa, home to the healthiest people on Earth. A 25-year research project, the Okinawan Centenarian Study, found that there are more than 400 people aged 100 or older in a population of 1.3 million. Here in the United States there are only 65-130 centenarians in a comparably sized sample, most of whom can no longer live alone -- unlike their robust Okinawan brethren.

How have the Okinawans managed to do all this? Simple: their lifestyle habits are supremely healthful. First, they eat a plant-based diet high in unrefined carbohydrates, which gives them protection against heart disease (Okinawans have 80 percent fewer heart attacks than Americans do), cancer (they have 80 percent less breast cancer and half the amount of ovarian cancer), stroke and weight gain. In addition to eating healthfully, Okinawans feel exercise is a way of life. They take up martial arts and traditional dance when young and continue to perform them throughout their lives; most also garden and walk Another habit that contributes to their vitality is stress-reducing spirituality: Okinawans have a deep respect for nature and believe they have an obligation to help others. These relationships with nature and neighbors are powerful: Research shows that they help extend life and lower disease risk.

OK, you're not an Okinawan and you don't live anywhere near a peaceful tropical island. But here's what you can do: Adopt some of the Okinawans' habits, especially their dietary habits. The evidence presented in the Okinawa Centenarian Study reveals that what you eat -- and how you live and think -- has a huge impact on your health, your weight, your energy, your stress level and your life expectancy. You, too, can stay slim, healthy and happy throughout your life. Here's how to eat and live like an Okinawan.

the okinawa food pyramid: a new way to eat for weight loss and energy

The nutrition research has never been more consistent: A high-carbohydrate, plant-based diet is best for long-term health and weight maintenance (anything under a BMI of 23 is considered lean). The plant-based Okinawa Food Pyramid shown here divides foods into daily and weekly categories so that you can easily judge whether you are eating certain foods too often or not often enough. The USDA pyramid -- the one recommended by our government -- on the other hand, fails to point out the important differences in types of fats; does not emphasize low-fat dairy or whole grains; lumps meat in the same serving group as fish and beans; and does not offer enough vegetables and fruits. Here's how to incorporate the Okinawa Food Pyramid's principles into your daily diet, starting at the bottom.

Whole grains: 7-13 servings daily Aim for eight to 10 servings. (One serving is: 1/2 cup of cooked cereal, rice or pasta; 1 ounce of ready-to-eat cereal; one slice of bread; or half a bagel.) Americans eat mostly refined grains: bleached flour products such as white bread, cookies and cakes, and white rice, which have little or no fiber. Whole grains, like brown rice and whole-wheat bread, are unrefined carbohydrates, which have lots of fiber and important phytochemicals. With all the bad press carbs have received lately, let's set the record straight here: You must eat unrefined carbohydrates. They are not at the root of obesity. Instead, they provide essential fuel for your brain, central nervous system and muscles, and they provide nutrients that decrease risk for heart disease, diabetes and cancer. Plus, because their fiber content helps you feel full (and carries waste products through your digestive tract more quickly) whole grains can help you to /lose weight.

Most whole grains are oval-shaped and range in color from light brown to dark brown. If a grain is white or has fewer than 2 grams of fiber per 1-ounce serving, chances are it's refined and no longer a "whole" grain. A few whole grains you should add to your diet include brown and wild rice, barley, oats, kasha, quinoa, bulgur and buckwheat.

Vegetables: 7-13 servings daily

Fruits: 2-4 servings daily Aim for at least 10 servings combined. (A serving is: 1 cup of raw leafy vegetables; 1/2 cup of other cooked or raw vegetables; one medium banana, apple or orange, or half a grapefruit; 1/2 cup canned fruit; 6 ounces of fruit juice.) A diet full of vegetables and fruit will not only decrease your risk for obesity, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, cataracts, stroke and hypertension, but also keep you looking younger (and living longer). Vegetables are a major source of antioxidants, which to your body means less cell damage from free radicals (the basic biochemical mechanism implicated in the aging process), less damage to collagen (i.e., fewer wrinkles) and less damage to the internal organs (meaning they wear out more slowly). A majority of plants contain antioxidants in abundance, but some contain more compounds than others do. The elder Okinawans eat a lot of carrots, cabbage, onions, sweet potatoes, sweet peppers and bean sprouts -- more vegetables than fruits. But it doesn't ma tter which 10 you choose here; just make sure you eat a variety of vegetables and fruits.

Flavonoid foods: 2-4 servings daily Here's where the USDA and Okinawa pyramids diverge most significantly. Most Americans don't even know what a flavonoid is, let alone aim to eat three servings every day. Flavonoids are plant compounds found in soy products, flaxseed, legumes and tea -- to name a few sources -- and they are powerful antioxidants. Theoretically, they provide a weak form of estrogen where the body needs it and block the body's own estrogen in locations where estrogen may feed a cancer.

The importance of flavonoids is only beginning to take hold in the medical research community, and it could be years before your doctor recommends them. The evidence is so overwhelming for soy's role in cardiovascular disease reduction that food manufacturers are now allowed to talk about the benefits of heart-healthy soy on labels. Eat soy or other flavonoid foods daily and you will maintain a high blood level of flavonoids. Studies have shown that a once-a-day serving of a soy food (3 ounces of tofu, 2 tablespoons of soy nuts or 1 cup of soy milk) is adequate for physiological benefits. Twice a day would be even better, as proved by the Okinawans, who are at least twice-a-day soy consumers and who have amazingly low rates of hormone-sensitive cancers such as most types of breast and prostate cancer.

Besides soy products, many flavonoid-rich foods are available at your corner grocery store: flaxseed (serving size: 1 tablespoon), chopped onion (1/4 cup), cranberry juice (3/4 cup), garbanzo beans (1/2 cup), black or green teas (1 cup), snow peas (1/2 cup), green beans (1/2 cup), applesauce (1/2 cup) and arrowroot (1 tablespoon), a powdered plant product used as a thickener for soups and baked goods that's one of the top three foods in terms of its concentration of flavonoids.

Calcium foods: 2-4 servings Why aim for three servings of calcium-rich foods daily? Calcium strengthens bones, prevents osteoporosis, and may even help prevent colon cancer, high blood pressure and premenstrual syndrome. Good vegetarian sources are green leafy vegetables (serving size: 1 cup of broccoli, kale or spinach), calcium-fortified soy (3 ounces of fortified tofu) and calcium-fortified orange juice (3/4 cup). Dairy products are also excellent sources of calcium, but consume them in moderation. Surprisingly, osteoporosis rates are lower in societies where people eat few, if any, dairy products. The type of saturated fat in whole-fat dairy products is one of the worst offenders for making cholesterol in the body. So, go for the nonfat or low-fat varieties, and consider eating no more than two dairy servings a day (for adults); then try one of the vegetarian sources as your third calcium serving.

Omega-3 foods: 1-3 servings daily Aim for two servings. Unless you're eating fish or flax several times a week, you're probably not getting enough omega-3 fatty acids, which are critical for maintaining optimal performance of your brain, cardiovascular system and immune system. You can get adequate amounts by eating one serving of fish (3 ounces) rich in omega-3 fatty acids several times a week. These are generally the darker-fleshed fish like salmon, tuna and mackerel. If you're a vegetarian, you can get your omega-3s from walnuts (serving size: 2 tablespoons, chopped). If you're a meat eater, you should try to make the switch to fish -- it will keep your arteries cleaner: The omega-3s in fish can help prevent clots from forming in your coronary arteries and elsewhere.

Monounsaturated vegetable oils: 1-2 tablespoons daily It's not how much fat you eat, but what kind that counts. The highly touted Mediterranean diet is high in fat but low in health risks because the fat in that diet is monounsaturated, the heart-healthy, good-for-you fat. Americans eat more of the "bad" fats, the kind that clog arteries and raise "bad" cholesterol: saturated fat, derived mostly from animal sources like red meat and dairy; and trans fats, formed from the partial hydrogenation of vegetable oils and found in margarine, french fries and packaged foods like chips and cookies.

Olive, canola and flaxseed oil are all high in monounsaturated fats (as are avocados and almonds), which reduce your LDL cholesterol (the bad kind) and boost your HDL cholesterol. Canola is the Okinawans' oil of choice. Canola oil is very low in saturated fat (even lower than olive oil) and very high in monounsaturates; it also offers some omega-3 fatty acids (which olive oil doesn't).

Water and tea: daily Drink enough water so that your urine is clear -- whether it takes eight glasses a day or 12. If you're physically active, you'll need even more.

Enjoying tea involves far more than just boiling water, adding a tea bag and gulping. Okinawans believe that to truly enjoy tea, you must feel its effect on the senses: the visual appeal of the tea, its pleasant aroma, its stimulating taste, the smooth touch of the cup and, most important, the healing power of communicating and sharing tea time with friends and family. Black (including jasmine and oolong) and green teas will provide you with 12-16 milligrams of flavonoids a cup. Studies have shown that tea flavonoids may help prevent cancer, heart disease and stroke.

optional foods

Meat, poultry and eggs: 0-7 servings weekly Sweets: 0-3 servings weekly Alcohol: in moderation

The more we learn about food and health, the clearer it becomes that we should try to eat as low on the food chain as possible. The Okinawa Food Pyramid offers you limitless options. The only thing that's limited is quantity, so you won't overdo unhealthy foods. Up to seven servings a week of high-protein meats, poultry and eggs are fine (serving size: 3 ounces of cooked poultry or lean meat; one omega-3 egg, from chickens fed omega-3 diets). Your Sunday barbecue can still be a steak occasion -- just don't eat red meat every day of the week; three times is plenty. And choose lean cuts: Red meat can have a lot of saturated fat.

Eating sweets is fine too; just keep them to about three servings a week. And try some low-cal sweet-tooth indulgences: angel food cake with low-fat yogurt, low-fat ice cream with strawberries, a banana sliced into low-fat pudding, or trans-fat-free low-fat cookies (like those made by Health Valley).

Remember, if you drink, women should have no more than one glass (4-6 ounces) of red wine (which contains isoflavone phytoestrogens, a type of flavonoid that may protect against heart disease and osteoporosis) or other alcoholic beverage a days.

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RELATED ARTICLE: to cut excess calories: try "hara hachi bu"

Okinawans do not go hungry: They fill up on foods that are high in unrefined carbohydrates and fiber, and in fact, they eat more food by weight than North Americans. But they tend to stop eating before they are full. They call their secret hara hachi bu, which loosely translates to "eat until you are eight parts full [out of 10]." Simply put, leave a little room at the end of each meal. Here's why: It takes the stretch receptors in the stomach about 20 minutes to tell the brain how full you really are, and you will actually feel fuller 20 minutes after you put down your fork. If you eat until you are 100 percent full, you will go about 20 percent over capacity with every meal.