How to Reduce cholestrol
If you have been diagnosed with high cholestrol then you need to take action, you need to know how to reduce cholestrol. If you do nothing then you are putting yourself at risk of developing coronary heart disease.
The best way to lower your cholestrol level is to make simple changes to your daily lifestyle:-
- Change your diet. Eat healthier food which is low in saturated fats and higher in fibre.
- Start exercising – cardiovascular or aerobic exercise can be effective in lowering your cholestrol level. Aerobic exercise is exercise which exercises the large muscle groups and really gets the heart and lungs working.
- Stop smoking – smoking causes many health problems and can cause cholestrol to deposit in the arteries leading to heart disease. Visit your doctor who can advise you on the best ways of stopping smoking.
- Lose weight – Weight loss reduces your risk to many health problems including high cholestrol and heart disease.
- Start taking supplements – Take anti-oxidant supplements (Vitamins A, C and E) to combat the damage caused to our bodies by pollution and other free radicals. Take Omega 3 Fatty Acid supplements to reduce your cholestrol and to increase good cholestrol (HDL cholestrol) levels in the blood.
Making these lifestyle changes can significantly reduce your cholestrol and avoid the need for further treatment or medication which can have side effects.
Dietary Changes
This section will give you information on how to reduce cholestrol by changing your diet.
Many people suffer with high cholestrol because of the type of diet they follow. Eating foods which are high in saturated fat can cause high cholestrol. Our bodies need a certain amount of fat to function properly but we need to be careful what kind of fat we consume. The saturated fats that are found in meat products, whole fat milk, cheese and butter are the bad fats, as are trans fats or hydrogenated fats which are found in commercially produced cakes, cookies, pastries, fast food, coconut oil and palm oil.
It is good to know how to reduce cholestrol by simply changing the type of fat that you consume. Cut down on foods containing saturated fat or replace them with foods containing good fats like mono-unsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.
Mono-unsaturated fats are found in oils like rapeseed oil and olive oil and some nuts. Polyunsaturated fats are found in oily fish such as salmon, sardines, herrings and mackerel, and also some spreads. These types of fats are actually good for our hearts and cholestrol levels.
Ways of reducing saturated fats and increasing good fats
How to reduce cholestrol by changing your habits:-
- Stop using butter on your bread or in baking and instead use polyunsaturated spreads or olive oil.
- Fry foods with olive oil or avoid frying and grill, microwave or steam foods.
- Trim fat off meat or use lean cuts.
- Replace meat with soya products or cook more vegetarian meals.
- Buy low fat versions of your normal foods.
- Replace snacks like cakes and cookies with fruit and vegetable based snacks.
- Eat oily fish two or three times a week.
Other ideas on how to reduce cholestrol
Increase your intake of soluble fibre which can be found in wholegrain breads and cereals, beans and pulses, and fruit and vegetables.
- Add beans or pulses to soups and casseroles.
- Buy a vegetarian recipe book for ideas on incorporating more vegetables into your diet.
- Replace white bread with a wholegrain bread.
- Make fruit salads for desserts, make smoothies and add fruit to breakfast cereals and yogurt.
The above information should give you plenty of ideas on how to reduce cholestrol and to live a healthier life.