Most people have suffered occasional heartburn. A severe case can send you to the ER thinking you are having a heart attack. I can’t imagine, though, what a heart attack must feel like; your entire chest cramping and hurting, and your heart and all other systems so completely stressed.

Something you’ll never know without a check-up is your cholesterol level. Knowing the facts about cholesterol can reduce your risk for a heart attack or stroke, so it is extremely important that you know what it is and how it affects your heart-health.

What is cholesterol?

The Bad: Cholesterol travels in the blood via lipoproteins, which consist of cholesterol (fat) and protein. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is bad cholesterol, and too much can lead to a buildup and blockage in the arteries. LDL cholesterol is most of the cholesterol in the blood. An LDL cholesterol level of less than 100 mg/dL is considered optimal.

If LDL is high, it builds up in the form of plaque on the walls of arteries (atherosclerotic process), narrowing them and eventually blocking and reducing the flow of blood to the heart. This increases the risk of a heart attack.

The Good: Another type of cholesterol is high-density lipoprotein (HDL), the good cholesterol. HDL transports cholesterol to the liver, which removes it from the body, preventing buildup in the arteries.

Saturated and trans fats increase blood cholesterol levels more than anything else in your diet. The leading food sources of these two fats include chips, margarines, fried foods, salad dressings, crackers, candies and most commercially prepared foods. Studies estimate most Americans consume between 2.6 and 12 grams of trans fatty acids each day. Read the labels folks! Saturated fats are found in foods like meat and dairy products that come from animals, while trans fats lurk in baked goods and fast foods.

Triglyceride is the most common type of fat in the body. Many people with heart disease or diabetes have high triglyceride levels. A high triglyceride level combined with low HDL cholesterol or high LDL cholesterol seems to speed up atherosclerosis.

Now for the ugly. Evidence shows the atherosclerotic process begins during childhood. Despite accomplishments in the past two decades, coronary artery disease is responsible for nearly half a million deaths annually. About 42 percent of people discharged from hospitals for CAD are under age 65. Many of these have children who might have risk factors that need attention.

Suggestions for lowering cholesterol:

• Eat a fiber-rich breakfast.

• Whole grains: Choose whole grains instead of regular.

• Increase bean intake: Try bean soups, salad, hummus, dips and soybeans as snacks. Soy protein is especially effective.

• Eat five servings of fruits and vegetables daily. This need not be rocket science! A banana at breakfast, one veggie (carrot sticks, tomato slices) and one fruit (orange sections, apple) at lunch, and one salad and one cooked vegetable at dinner – how easy is that?

• Other good foods include garlic, raw onion, salmon, olive oil, nuts, avocados (the latter five are all high in fat but most of it is monounsaturated fat which helps to improve cholesterol).

Here’s a recipe for a cholesterol-healthy, fantastic-tasting grilled chicken dinner.

Grilled Chicken with Beans and Pasta

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts,

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1 cup white beans, cooked

2 tablespoons chopped garlic

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

12 ounces uncooked rotelle pasta

Parmesan cheese

Ground black pepper, to taste

Prepare hot fire on grill. Grill chicken; transfer to cutting board; slice into strips. Fill pot with water and bring to a boil.

Add pasta, cook and drain thoroughly. Heat oil in frying pan.

Sauté onions and mushrooms. Stir in beans, garlic, basil and chicken. Add to pasta. Garnish each serving plate with one-tablespoon cheese and black pepper.