8 Easy Lifestyle Tips to Lower Cholesterol
Has your doctor said you have high cholesterol? Don’t lose hope. And don’t ever think medication is the only answer. You must know that even simple lifestyle tweaks can lower your cholesterol levels and reduce your risk of heart disease.
Here are some simple things you can do today to keep your cholesterol levels in check:
Observe proper food portion.
Many people nowadays are fond of supersized meals which are twice even three or many times more than the recommended serving (not to mention the fact that most of the foods we eat today are processed meals rich in sugar and unhealthy ingredients). Going beyond the recommended food portion can lead to weight gain and high cholesterol. An easy way to keep track of your food portion is to ensure that the serving is just about the size of your fist. That may sound a little but it’s just what your body needs.
Serve for your heart.
If you can’t avoid it completely, then simply reduce your intake of processed foods and load your plate with whole foods, especially fruits and vegetables. This way, you are not only lowering your cholesterol levels, you are also reducing your blood pressure and keeping your weight in check.
Get fishy.
A pro-heart diet has fish in the menu at least twice a week. Fish is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids that help lower levels of triglycerides, a type of fat in the blood. Go for fatty fish, such as salmon, tuna, trout, and sardines. Just make sure you prepare them the healthy way. Yes, ditch the fryer.
Go nuts.
Need a snack? Ditch that big bag of crisps and go with a handful of nuts. Nuts are high in monounsaturated fats which lower LDL "bad" cholesterol while leaving HDL "good" cholesterol intact. Several studies show that people who eat about an ounce of nuts a day are less likely to get heart disease.
Get more beans and whole grains
Beans and whole grains, including brown rice, quinoa, and whole wheat, are high in heat-friendly fibre and low in sugar. Meanwhile, plain carbs like those found in white bread and pastries, boost blood sugar levels more quickly, which makes you feel hungry faster and trigger you to overeat.
Get moving.
Just 30 minutes of physical activity, 5 times a week, is enough to lower your LDL cholesterol and increase your HDL cholesterol levels. Being active also helps you reach and maintain a healthy weight, which reduces your risk of developing clogged arteries. You don’t have to exercise for 30 minutes straight. You can break it up into 10-minute sessions. You need not exercise in the gym. You can perform physical activity anywhere. Gardening, dancing, or walking your dog counts.
Be a picky customer.
When dining out, be a little more cautious. Restaurant food can be loaded with saturated fat, calories, and sodium. Even those they consider as ‘healthy’ choices may come in supersized portions, and could come with unhealthy, fatty stuff. So choose broiled, baked, steamed, and grilled foods – not fried. Get less amount of sauce. And don’t forget to practise portion control.
Don’t stress yourself out.
Stress is always there. But you must not let yourself get carried away. Chronic stress can raise blood pressure, adding to your risk of atherosclerosis, which in turn raises your cholesterol levels. Learn some stress-busting strategies, like meditation, yoga and deep breathing exercises. These are handy stress busters you can do anywhere.
Managing your cholesterol is a lifelong process. See your doctor regularly and follow his or her recommendations about your health and fitness. Through the guidance of your doctor, and by incorporating these lifestyle tweaks, you can maintain healthy levels of cholesterol.
©Copyright 2013 by http://www.naturaltherapyforall.com Counselling Sunderland All Rights Reserved.