The incidence of Coronary heart disease in women is rising and at the time of hormonal change it is of great importance to maintain and protect your heart. Our female hormones, Oestrogen and progesterone have protected us through our fertile lives, now with falling levels, women are as much at risk of heart disease as men.

Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) is a narrowing and hardening of the arteries, anywhere in the body by deposits of fatty tissue known as plaques.

Arteriosclerosis is different in that it is the name given to the disease that causes the arteries to thicken. The fatty deposits are related to the amount of fat and cholesterol taken in the diet, and lack of exercise, which would expend the fat for energy. Not every fat causes arteriosclerosis.

Cholesterol is a waxy, milky white fat made mainly in the liver, but present in animal foods, seafood and offal. Excess can build up and damage the linings of the arteries

Cholesterol is not all bad, a small amount daily is:

• Required in the manufacture of sex hormones, oestrogen and progesterone
• used in the synthesis of Vitamin D, which controls calcium levels in the body and bone-marrow, vital for strong healthy bones and the prevention of Osteoporosis
• used in the formation of cell membranes vital to protect the heart kidneys and liver.

There are two types of cholesterol carriers and the balance of these is the key to healthy cholesterol levels:

Low-density lipoproteins (LDL) or bad cholesterol, these tend to deposit within the walls and contributing to clogging the artery
High density lipoproteins (HDL) are known to remove cholesterol and return it to the liver to be excreted from the body.

Saturated fats are solid at room temperature, found in full fat dairy produce including butter, cheese high fat meats biscuits coconut and fish oils.

Unsaturated fats are much healthier and usually liquid in form from vegetable sources –olive oil, ground nut oil, sunflower oil, corn oil.