If you are interested in learning about how you can lower your total cholesterol levels naturally, this article will go over some of the ways to do that over the long term. The following will cover the primary ways to lower your total cholesterol levels naturally.
Find Out Cholesterol Levels
First, if you haven’t already done so, you should visit a doctor to see where your cholesterol levels are currently. Without knowledge of where you levels are currently, there is no way to know how far you need to go in terms of reducing your cholesterol. Hearing from a doctor that you have high total cholesterol levels can be difficult, not knowing will have far worse consequences over time. Who knows, you may find out that you have normal cholesterol levels after all.
Exercise Regularly
Once you discover your cholesterol levels, then you can begin the process of getting them lowered to where they should be. Exercising consistenly is a excellent first step to take. While you may feel resistance toward this if you have lived a sedentary lifestyle for a long time, exercising is critical in terms of lowering bad cholesterol and elevating good cholesterol.
Experts recommend adults get atleast 30 minutes of exercise five days per week.. The most important point is that you stay committed to whatever routine you establish. Over time, you will be begin to see your total cholesterol levels go down. If you can, find a partner to work out with who may also be in a similar situation to keep each other motivated.
Healthy Diet
The next big step in terms of lower total cholesterol levels naturally is by implementing a diet to lower cholesterol plan. This means substituting healthier foods for the high cholesterol ones that are currently a part of your diet. If you eat fast food frequently, then cutting back in this area is a good place to start. If you tend to get fast food while on your lunch break at work, bring a healthier lunch from home instead. Just by reducing the bad foods in your diet, you will lower cholesterol levels and lose weight as well.
Lifestyle is an aspect that could need some attention as well. High cholesterol levels can be caused indirectly by stress. So if you feel stressed out quite a bit, then finding ways to reduce it is important. Stress can cause a person to develop bad lifestyle habits, such as not being active and eating out frequently. Also, blood flow can be restricted to parts of the body because of stress. Over time, high stress levels can eventually lead to a heart attack.
See Also: What Does A Cholesterol Level Chart Tell You?
These are my simple cardioprotective food choices for those at risk of cardiovascular disease.
Increase consumption of:
Garlic
Porridge Oats
Oily fish – mackerel, salmon, herring
Unsalted nuts, seeds
Olive Oil
Onions
Tea, especially green tea
Blueberries, prunes, strawberries
Fruit and vegetables
Beans and pulses
Wholegrains
Reduce/Avoid consumption of:
Coffee
Fried foods
White bread, pasta
Nicotine
Biscuits, soft drinks
Excess alcohol/spirits
Excess saturated/hydrogenated fats
High sodium foods – e.g. bacon, tinned soup, pickles
Table sugar – FOS (Fructo-oligosaccharrides) powder is an ideal substitute sweetener and valuable fibre source