Easy Ways To Reduce Cholesterol Levels
Simple Lifestyle Changes That will Lower High Cholesterol
Jul 9, 2009
While being told by your doctor that your cholesterol level is high is not exactly what you want to hear, it is not something that should cause immediate panic. Cholesterol is a fatty, wax like substance that is found in cells of the body, and although the body does require some cholesterol to function properly, too much is definitely not a good thing.
Doctors generally like to see that total cholesterol levels be kept under 200 mg/dl ( milligrams per deciliter of blood) , but advise patients that 150 - 160mg/dl is a healthy goal worth reaching. There are many small lifestyle changes that can be made in order to bring down high cholesterol levels.
Increase Your Fiber Intake
Even though fiber is very effective in lowering cholesterol, most of us eat only about 10grams of fiber each day. Increasing daily fiber intake to 20 - 35 grams may help to reduce cholesterol levels. Foods such as apples, citrus fruits, whole grains, legumes, berries and brown rice are all good sources of dietary fiber, and the soluble fiber in oats and psyllium are particularly effective in reducing cholesterol.
Limit Intake of Meat and Fats
Most people get about 15% of their total daily calories from saturated fats, and animal foods are the only foods that naturally contain saturated fat. Reducing the amount of meat and animal products like eggs, whole dairy products and poultry skin in one's diet can dramatically lower cholesterol.
- If meat must be part of meals, try limiting portion sizes to about 3oz and eating them only three times per week. As for the other four days of the week , try to choose vegetarian dishes or meals that include white fleshed fish as they tend to be low in saturated fats.
- Limit the intake of high fat condiments such as bottled salad dressings and mayonnaise. Instead use horseradish, salsa and mustard.
Choose Good Oils and Fats
When choosing oils, always be sure that it is monounsaturated or polyunsaturated. These oils come from nuts, seeds and grains rather from animal sources. Although olive oil is the very best choice when it comes to oils, sunflower, corn, safflower and canola oils are all healthy choices.
Omega 3s are fats whose chemical makeup keeps them in a liquid state in almost all temperatures and are found in many cold water fish such as sea bass, pollack and snapper. Adding Omega 3s to your diet helps to lower cholesterol and prevent blood clots from forming and restricting the necessary flow of blood to the heart.
Quit Smoking
Smoking not only raises levels of LDL (bad cholesterol) and increases the formation of cholesterol plaque, it can also drastically reduces levels of HDLs (good cholesterol). If you smoke and have high cholesterol, there is a 50% higher chance of having a heart attack or stroke.
Exercise More
One of the best things that can be done to raise LDLs (good cholesterol) is to exercise regularly. There is no need to go overboard in order to raise these levels either. A brisk 20 minute walk each day is enough to greatly improve LDL levels. Doing other low impact aerobic exercises like playing golf, tennis, swimming or riding a bike for 30 minutes three days each week will also help do the trick.
Cholesterol and Estrogen
Estrogen works well to help control cholesterol, so levels can escalate after menopause when estrogen levels decrease. Hormone replacements therapy containing estrogen can help by putting levels back to a more premenopausal state. This therapy is not for everyone, so your doctor is the best judge of whether you could benefit from it or not.
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