5 Ways To Keep Cholesterol Low
People who have high cholesterol have an increased risk of heart disease and heart attack. If you need to lower your cholesterol, it’s important to make certain lifestyle changes. By following the following five tips, you may even be able to stop taking cholesterol medication or find that your medication works better than before.
5. Eat Foods That Are Good For Your Heart
Even if you’ve been eating unhealthy for years, making certain changes to your diet can lower your cholesterol and improve the health of your heart. Getting rid of trans fats and eating more healthy fats is a good start. Saturated fats, like the ones you find in red meat and dairy products, will raise your cholesterol. However, lean cuts of meat, low-fat dairy and olive oil have healthy fat that improve heart health.
It’s also good to eat foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which do not affect LDL cholesterol. These foods are good for your heart and increase HDL, which is your good cholesterol. Salmon, herring and mackerel are all packed with omega-3 fatty acids, as are flaxseeds, walnuts and almonds. People with high cholesterol should also eat more soluble fiber, which is found in oats, oat bran, fruits, lentils, beans and vegetables.
4. Exercise Daily
Whether or not you’re currently exercising, you should increase the amount that you exercise and workout most days per week. Exercise has been known to improve cholesterol, even if you just workout at a moderate intensity. Physical activity raises HDL cholesterol and it’s recommended that you workout for at least 30 minutes every day. If you don’t want to workout for a full 30 minutes, add three sets of ten minutes each.
If you’re not used to working out, it’s important to find an exercise that you enjoy. Take a walk during your lunch break, ride your bike to work in the morning or play your favorite sport with friends. If you’re having trouble staying motivated, join an exercise group or find a friend to workout with. Remember, even something as simple as taking the stairs instead of the elevator is beneficial.
