Discover The Best Ways To Lower Cholesterol Naturally

A change in diet and regular exercise is very important to lower cholesterol naturally. Adding the proper foods to the diet and removing the appropriate foods from the diet is the hardest part of lowering cholesterol naturally. Finding the time to keep an exercise routine is also sometimes challenging. There are also supplements on the market that can make it easier to lower cholesterol naturally. The main downfall of natural supplements is finding the right one for the job.

Benefits

There are many benefits of lowering cholesterol naturally as opposed to using prescription drugs. The prescription drugs have a range of side effects, some of which can be potentially more dangerous than the high cholesterol that they are being used to treat. Among these side effects, the most common are muscle and tissue damage, memory dysfunction, depletion of the anti-oxidant CQ10, which in turn causes muscle problems with possible heart failure, liver damage, diarrhea, nausea, and constipa tion.

Change in Diet

The first step to lower cholesterol naturally is a change in diet. Eating a diet high in foods such as fruits, vegetables, oatmeal, fiber, fish, extra virgin olive oil, and green tea helps to raise HDL cholesterol, which is “good” cholesterol, and helps lower LDL cholesterol, which is “bad” cholesterol. Along with adding those healthy foods, eliminating certain foods is a necessity. Some of the foods that need to be eliminated include: foods with coconut or palm oils and hydrogenated fats, whole milk, cheese, margarine, fatty meats, sandwich spread, fried foods, and chocolate.

Physical Activity

The next important step to lower cholesterol naturally is exercise, whether it is every day activity or an actual exercise routine. Physical activity raises HDL cholesterol and lowers LDL cholesterol. Exercise burns fat in the body which includes cholesterol; also it keeps the circulation going, which in turn helps the blood stream carry cholesterol back to the liver to be excreted. The best form of exercise is walking as walking has been shown to burn the most fat and is the easiest exercise to do, therefore most likely to be done.

To boost HDL cholesterol levels significantly, exercise must be regular and use enough energy to burn at least 800 to 1,200 calories per week. Aerobic exercise like walking, running, swimming and cycling are believed to be the best exercises as opposed to a workout in a gym. Everyday housework like vacuuming, sweeping, and chasing and picking up after small children are also good forms of exercise.