Cholesterol-Fighting Tricks That Take Less Than 60 Seconds a Day

45. Practice Alternate Nostril Breathing (Nadi Shodhana)

Spend 60 seconds practicing alternate nostril breathing, or Nadi Shodhana, a traditional yogic technique. This is more than just relaxation; research suggests this specific controlled breathing practice can gently influence the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS), which regulates many involuntary functions, including metabolism. The slow, focused breathing—especially when emphasizing the left nostril—is linked to increased parasympathetic activity (the "rest and digest" state). A quieter nervous system reduces the stress hormone cortisol, a major metabolic signal that tells the liver to produce more cholesterol. By taking a minute to balance your nervous system, you're indirectly sending a metabolic signal to your liver to slow down its production of LDL.

46. Take a 20-Second Cold Water Wrist Rinse

Your wrists are major pulse points where blood vessels run close to the surface, making them highly responsive to temperature change. Quickly running cold water over the inside of your wrists for about 20 seconds provides an instant, gentle shock to your autonomic nervous system. This action subtly stimulates the vagus nerve , which regulates heart rate and, critically, initiates the parasympathetic ("rest and digest") state. The immediate calming signal sent to the brain reduces the flow of cortisol (the stress hormone). Since cortisol is a major metabolic signal that promotes the liver's production of cholesterol, this quick sensory hack provides an immediate, non-dietary way to quiet the stress-driven synthesis of LDL, offering a simple tool to manage internal chemistry.