Maintaining recommended cholesterol levels is essential to health. Here are some things you can do.
1. Add plant sterols/stanols to your diet
Sterols/stanols are found naturally in plants and are a good source to lower cholesterol. These compounds are found in some OJ's, margarine, soy milk, and veggie burgers-- check the label.
2. Say "No" to French Fries
We've heard this before-- fried foods are high in saturated fats and cholesterol and
are terrible for the human body. Bake or Grill your food, you'd be surprised to how
delicious grilled foods are.
3. Reduce red meat intake
Red meat is high saturated fats. If a hamburger is what you crave-- try a turkey patty (or a veggie burger). The taste of the ground turkey is so similar to the red beef, and you'll be saving the calories and cholesterol.
4. Choose low fat dairy
Dairy products are naturally high in fat, which can increase cholesterol levels. Don't divorce them altogether, look for a healthier option: reduced fat milk, cheese, and yogurt will lower your cholesterol levels.
5. Cook with olive oil
If you need to cook something in butter or oil, always opt for olive oil or similar oil that is high in monounsaturated fat. These fats are good for your body and actually increase your levels of HDL cholesterol. (These are your good cholesterol)
Drizzling olive oil on salad or using is instead of butter on toast can also be good ideas.
6. Eat fish twice a week
Most medical experts recommend eating fish at least twice a week, especially fish that are rich in omega 3 fatty acids, such as salmon and some types of tuna. Remember that the fish should ALWAYS be baked or grilled. Adding a little garlic and lemon juice are a god idea, since they also lower cholesterol levels.
7. Watch cholesterol consumption
If you’re on a low cholesterol diet, you’ve got to pay attention to the food labels and make sure you keep your intake below 200 mg per day. (Keep an eye out for serving sizes, too!)
8. Increase soluble fiber intake
By increasing your intake of soluble fiber to 10 grams per day, you can lower your cholesterol levels a great deal, according to some recent studies. The best sources of fiber include certain types of fruits, bran and oat products, and many kinds of vegetables.
9. Lose weight
Once you’ve started implementing some of the ways to lower cholesterol naturally from above, you’ll probably also start to see some weight loss. That’s good because one of the fastest ways to drop those LDL (BAD cholesterol) numbers is by dropping pounds.
10. Increase cardiovascular exercise
Exercise can have a big impact on your cholesterol numbers. By doing some type of cardiovascular exercise 30 minutes a day for five days every week, you’ll start increasing your HDL cholesterol numbers. Plus, your LDL and triglyceride numbers should start dropping as well. Walk, Swim, Dance-- rejoice!
Even if you can't do all 10 of these at once, take it slow. Start down the list, one by one then when you get to the 10th one, celebrate! By the time you get there, you can proudly go see your doctor to have your cholesterol levels checked.
Note: If you have a hard time remembering which are the bad cholesterol and the good, Remember this:
LDL= LOUSY cholesterol HDL= Happy cholesterol!