How to lower cholesterol is becoming a global concern given how adversely it affects health. High cholesterol can cut down your lifespan due to various conditions like heart attack, high blood pressure etc.
Hence, whether you were recently diagnosed with high cholesterol or have been living with it for a while, your main goal for healthy living is to control it. The good news is that you don't have to completely rely on medicines and numerous prescriptions to lower your cholesterol; you can lower your cholesterol level just by adopting a few changes in your lifestyle. Follow these simple and effective techniques laid down by Dr. Sharukh Golwala, Cardiologist at Breach Candy Hospital, Mumbai, to lower your cholesterol levels
Techniques to Lower Cholesterol # 1: Set a goal
Before adopting the goal of lowering your cholesterol, check with your doctor as to how much cholesterol level you need to get down. Lowering of the cholesterol can depend on various factors like obesity, heart disease, your current cholesterol level and smoking habits. Hence, voluntarily don't take up goals, as this can lead to serious life-threatening complications.
Techniques to Lower Cholesterol # 2: Increase physical activity
Include at least 30 minutes of exercise in your life daily - says Dr. Shahrukh. Exercise is one of the best techniques to lower cholesterol. It also helps to kick out stress, shed some kilos, boosts metabolism, kills some calories, reduces the level of triglycerides, helps to achieve a healthy weight and cuts down your risk for heart disease and diabetes.
Techniques to Lower Cholesterol # 3: Shed those extra pounds
Check if you're obese or overweight using a BMI calculator. Obesity or being overweight is very dangerous, as it stores fat in your body. Slimming down is the best way to combat this problem if you are overweight. Don't get fooled with quick weight loss or crash-diet program as it has several health harming effects. Follow a decent healthy program laid down by your dietician or your doctor to lower cholesterol by losing some extra weight.
Techniques to Lower Cholesterol # 4: Fight cholesterol with beans
Include these nutritious and healthy beans in your diet at least 3-4 times a week. Beans are the best weapons to fight cholesterol due to the presence of water soluble fibre called pectin. This fibre binds onto cholesterol and kicks it out of the body before causing any havoc in your body.
Techniques to Lower Cholesterol # 5: Walking is good for your heart
If you fail to match up time to go to a gym due to your hectic schedule, then worry not. Dr. Sharukh says - walking is one the best form of physical activity available-which is cheap and convenient. Skip your vehicles and go walking to your near-by destination. Brisk walking even for 20-40 minutes will help you drop your cholesterol level by 8.3 percent and also lower you're your heart disease risk.
Techniques to Lower Cholesterol # 6: Limit your egg intake
Eggs have always being considered as an enemy, when it comes to cholesterol or heart diseases. You can include eggs in your diet, but make sure you don't overdo it, and use very little oil. Or else, if you are having an egg in the morning reduce the consumption of cholesterol from other eating sources by skimping heavy food for lunch or indulging in salad for dinner.
Techniques to Lower Cholesterol # 7: Include lean meat
Cut down the consumption of meat from your diet, as red-meat is full of fat and trans fat. Prefer lean meats instead of opting in for fatty cuts of meat pieces. Dr. Shahrukh says - even if you are having lean meat, choose a smaller portion of meat.
Techniques to Lower Cholesterol # 8: Opt for a vegan diet
Jumping into a vegetarian diet is one of the best techniques to lower cholesterol. Including a balanced vegetarian diet will boost your good health by supplying range of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to your body.
Techniques to Lower Cholesterol # 9: Get enough sleep
Getting at least 8 hours of sleep is very essential to lower your cholesterol and heart disease risk. A good night sleep helps to heal your body, maintains the blood sugar level and improves your overall health and mental health.
Techniques to Lower Cholesterol # 10: Drink green tea
Green tea is filled with cholesterol reducing compounds like tannins and catechins. Both these compounds are very effective in reducing the bad cholesterol, help in reducing weight and decreases cholesterol absorption in the gut. Hence, drink green tea every morning as it is loaded with various health promoting factors.
Techniques to Lower Cholesterol # 11: Eat fish
Include fish like salmon and tuna in your diet at least 2-3 times a week, as they are loaded with omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids helps in lowering cholesterol and various health risks associated with cholesterol. Even fish oil capsules are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, but consult your doctor before trying out these supplements.
Techniques to Lower Cholesterol # 12: Drink alcohol moderately
Drink no more than two glasses of alcohol, if you want to protect your heart from cholesterol problems. Alcohol is very dangerous as it raises the high cholesterol level. Hence, drink sensibly and occasionally to ward off cholesterol problems from your life.
Techniques to Lower Cholesterol # 13: Say No to a stressful life
Stress is very hazardous to you as well as to your body. When you are stressed, your body releases chemicals into your body, which raises your blood pressure and ultimately reduces the blood flow to your heart. Hence, whenever you are stressed, adopt various techniques and kick stress out of your life at that very instant to reduce the effect of stress on your heart.
Techniques to Lower Cholesterol # 14: Add psyllium seeds
Psyllium seeds are a storehouse of healthy fibre. Dr. Sharukh says - take 1 teaspoon of pysllium powder in water at least 3 times daily. This is a very effective treatment which helps in lowering elevated cholesterol.
Techniques to Lower Cholesterol # 15: Eat a healthy breakfast
Start your day with a healthy breakfast, like cereals and oats. A healthy breakfast will help you to lower your cholesterol and over hogging in some unhealthy foodstuffs during the rest of the day.
Techniques to Lower Cholesterol # 16: Watch your snacks
It is natural for that evening stomach growling. When your stomachs roars add in low-fat snacks like carrots, dried fruits or fresh fruits. Completely avoid fried chips and candies as they are high in saturated fats and trans fats.
Techniques to Lower Cholesterol # 17: Kick caffeine
There is big connection between fluctuation in the cholesterol level and consumption of coffee. If you want to lower your cholesterol level, include not more than one cup of coffee if you are a coffee addict. But for best results in your health, avoid coffee from your diet altogether.
Techniques to Lower Cholesterol # 18: Say no to smoke
Smoking even one cigarette a day makes you closer to endless ailments including heart disease and lowering good cholesterol. Hence, quit smoking to avoid major heart problems.
Techniques to Lower Cholesterol # 19: Eat garlic
Garlic contains organo-sulphur. This component helps in reducing the level of bad fats in the blood, increases the excretion of total fat, helps in transporting cholesterol in the liver and reduces the adhesiveness of human blood platelets. Due, to so many health promoting factors, don't consume more than 2-3 cloves of garlic per day.
Techniques to Lower Cholesterol # 20: Follow what you have planned
Chase all the resolution you have in your mind to lead a healthy life. Follow whatever you and doctor planned to lower the cholesterol level. If you want to live a healthy life, you need to commit yourself to the plan, because to lower cholesterol you need to take better care of yourself.
Hence, whether you were recently diagnosed with high cholesterol or have been living with it for a while, your main goal for healthy living is to control it. The good news is that you don't have to completely rely on medicines and numerous prescriptions to lower your cholesterol; you can lower your cholesterol level just by adopting a few changes in your lifestyle. Follow these simple and effective techniques laid down by Dr. Sharukh Golwala, Cardiologist at Breach Candy Hospital, Mumbai, to lower your cholesterol levels
Techniques to Lower Cholesterol # 1: Set a goal
Before adopting the goal of lowering your cholesterol, check with your doctor as to how much cholesterol level you need to get down. Lowering of the cholesterol can depend on various factors like obesity, heart disease, your current cholesterol level and smoking habits. Hence, voluntarily don't take up goals, as this can lead to serious life-threatening complications.
Techniques to Lower Cholesterol # 2: Increase physical activity
Include at least 30 minutes of exercise in your life daily - says Dr. Shahrukh. Exercise is one of the best techniques to lower cholesterol. It also helps to kick out stress, shed some kilos, boosts metabolism, kills some calories, reduces the level of triglycerides, helps to achieve a healthy weight and cuts down your risk for heart disease and diabetes.
Techniques to Lower Cholesterol # 3: Shed those extra pounds
Check if you're obese or overweight using a BMI calculator. Obesity or being overweight is very dangerous, as it stores fat in your body. Slimming down is the best way to combat this problem if you are overweight. Don't get fooled with quick weight loss or crash-diet program as it has several health harming effects. Follow a decent healthy program laid down by your dietician or your doctor to lower cholesterol by losing some extra weight.
Techniques to Lower Cholesterol # 4: Fight cholesterol with beans
Include these nutritious and healthy beans in your diet at least 3-4 times a week. Beans are the best weapons to fight cholesterol due to the presence of water soluble fibre called pectin. This fibre binds onto cholesterol and kicks it out of the body before causing any havoc in your body.
Techniques to Lower Cholesterol # 5: Walking is good for your heart
If you fail to match up time to go to a gym due to your hectic schedule, then worry not. Dr. Sharukh says - walking is one the best form of physical activity available-which is cheap and convenient. Skip your vehicles and go walking to your near-by destination. Brisk walking even for 20-40 minutes will help you drop your cholesterol level by 8.3 percent and also lower you're your heart disease risk.
Techniques to Lower Cholesterol # 6: Limit your egg intake
Eggs have always being considered as an enemy, when it comes to cholesterol or heart diseases. You can include eggs in your diet, but make sure you don't overdo it, and use very little oil. Or else, if you are having an egg in the morning reduce the consumption of cholesterol from other eating sources by skimping heavy food for lunch or indulging in salad for dinner.
Techniques to Lower Cholesterol # 7: Include lean meat
Cut down the consumption of meat from your diet, as red-meat is full of fat and trans fat. Prefer lean meats instead of opting in for fatty cuts of meat pieces. Dr. Shahrukh says - even if you are having lean meat, choose a smaller portion of meat.
Techniques to Lower Cholesterol # 8: Opt for a vegan diet
Jumping into a vegetarian diet is one of the best techniques to lower cholesterol. Including a balanced vegetarian diet will boost your good health by supplying range of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to your body.
Techniques to Lower Cholesterol # 9: Get enough sleep
Getting at least 8 hours of sleep is very essential to lower your cholesterol and heart disease risk. A good night sleep helps to heal your body, maintains the blood sugar level and improves your overall health and mental health.
Techniques to Lower Cholesterol # 10: Drink green tea
Green tea is filled with cholesterol reducing compounds like tannins and catechins. Both these compounds are very effective in reducing the bad cholesterol, help in reducing weight and decreases cholesterol absorption in the gut. Hence, drink green tea every morning as it is loaded with various health promoting factors.
Techniques to Lower Cholesterol # 11: Eat fish
Include fish like salmon and tuna in your diet at least 2-3 times a week, as they are loaded with omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids helps in lowering cholesterol and various health risks associated with cholesterol. Even fish oil capsules are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, but consult your doctor before trying out these supplements.
Techniques to Lower Cholesterol # 12: Drink alcohol moderately
Drink no more than two glasses of alcohol, if you want to protect your heart from cholesterol problems. Alcohol is very dangerous as it raises the high cholesterol level. Hence, drink sensibly and occasionally to ward off cholesterol problems from your life.
Techniques to Lower Cholesterol # 13: Say No to a stressful life
Stress is very hazardous to you as well as to your body. When you are stressed, your body releases chemicals into your body, which raises your blood pressure and ultimately reduces the blood flow to your heart. Hence, whenever you are stressed, adopt various techniques and kick stress out of your life at that very instant to reduce the effect of stress on your heart.
Techniques to Lower Cholesterol # 14: Add psyllium seeds
Psyllium seeds are a storehouse of healthy fibre. Dr. Sharukh says - take 1 teaspoon of pysllium powder in water at least 3 times daily. This is a very effective treatment which helps in lowering elevated cholesterol.
Techniques to Lower Cholesterol # 15: Eat a healthy breakfast
Start your day with a healthy breakfast, like cereals and oats. A healthy breakfast will help you to lower your cholesterol and over hogging in some unhealthy foodstuffs during the rest of the day.
Techniques to Lower Cholesterol # 16: Watch your snacks
It is natural for that evening stomach growling. When your stomachs roars add in low-fat snacks like carrots, dried fruits or fresh fruits. Completely avoid fried chips and candies as they are high in saturated fats and trans fats.
Techniques to Lower Cholesterol # 17: Kick caffeine
There is big connection between fluctuation in the cholesterol level and consumption of coffee. If you want to lower your cholesterol level, include not more than one cup of coffee if you are a coffee addict. But for best results in your health, avoid coffee from your diet altogether.
Techniques to Lower Cholesterol # 18: Say no to smoke
Smoking even one cigarette a day makes you closer to endless ailments including heart disease and lowering good cholesterol. Hence, quit smoking to avoid major heart problems.
Techniques to Lower Cholesterol # 19: Eat garlic
Garlic contains organo-sulphur. This component helps in reducing the level of bad fats in the blood, increases the excretion of total fat, helps in transporting cholesterol in the liver and reduces the adhesiveness of human blood platelets. Due, to so many health promoting factors, don't consume more than 2-3 cloves of garlic per day.
Techniques to Lower Cholesterol # 20: Follow what you have planned
Chase all the resolution you have in your mind to lead a healthy life. Follow whatever you and doctor planned to lower the cholesterol level. If you want to live a healthy life, you need to commit yourself to the plan, because to lower cholesterol you need to take better care of yourself.
Source : Times of India
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