Elizabeth Gambel, a nutrition agent with the LSU AgCenter – Southeast Region, will present a cholesterol workshop at 6 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 20, at the Jane O’Brien Chatelain West Bank Regional Library, 2751 Manhattan Blvd., Harvey.

This event is free of charge and is open to the public.

Gambel says that whether one has already experienced heart disease or wants to prevent it, the risk of having a heart attack can be minimized by lowering blood cholesterol levels. She recommends following National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute guidelines to reduce one’s risk of heart disease:

• Get a fasting lipoprotein profile to determine cholesterol numbers. Desirable numbers are those less than 200 mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter – one tenth of a liter); the borderline high risk range is 200–239 mg/dL; and high risk figures are 240 mg/dL and higher. In general, people who have a total cholesterol level of 240 mg/dL have twice the risk of heart attack as people whose cholesterol level is 200 mg/dL.
• Learn how to read a food label. Choose foods that are low in saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol. Eating too many foods high in saturated fat may increase blood levels of LDL ("bad" cholesterol) and total cholesterol. High blood levels of LDL and total cholesterol are risk factors for heart disease.
• See how your weight measures up by learning what your body mass index is. The NHLBI website has a BMI calculator that can be used to calculate your BMI.
• Participate in physical activity of moderate intensity, like brisk walking, for at least 30 minutes on most and, preferably, all days of the week. Break the 30 minutes into three, 10-minute segments during the day, if you can’t do it all at one time.
• Include physical activity in everyday life by using stairs – both up and down – instead of elevators. Start with one flight of stairs and gradually build up to more. Park a few blocks from the office or store and walk the rest of the way. Take frequent activity breaks while working. Get up and stretch, walk around and give your muscles and mind a change of pace. Take a brisk stroll around the neighborhood or your office building instead of eating that extra snack. Do housework, gardening or yardwork at a more vigorous pace.
• Don't smoke. If you do smoke, contact your healthcare provider to discuss ways in which they can help you quit.
• Use MyPyramid as a guide for healthy eating. Look for it at MyPyramid.gov.

For more information regarding this event, contact Chris Smith, Manager of Adult Programming for the library, at 504-889-8143 or wcsmith@jefferson.lib.la.us.