Are you feeling pretty confident that you know everything there is to know about cholesterol? Are you less worried now about your 5-steak-per-day diet, knowing that dietary cholesterol intake isn't as scary as"they" would have you believe?
You came back from your doctor and he said that your have "high cholesterol"?
Its okay!! Don't Worry : there are some more natural, less pharmaceutical ways to fight off heart disease. (If you incorporate these action items into your daily life)
A low-fat diet used to be what was recommended for lowering cholesterol and preventing heart disease. Diet recommendations have now changed and are focused on making sure you are getting enough omega-3 fats, which can raise your good cholesterol, avoiding trans fats and limiting saturated fats, which can increase your bad cholesterol.
Besides medication, there are some all-natural ways you can lower your cholesterol:
I wrote them in that order so they wouldn't have the acronym "SAD" By fighting cholesterol on all three fronts you may have a better chance of lowering it, and thus lowering your risk of heart disease.
So how does exercise lower your cholesterol? Exercise raises the level of your lipoprotein lipase (LPL) enzymes which in turn attach to triglycerides to essentially remove them from the bloodstream, thus lowering your triglyceride levels too.
Exercise also increases the size of both LDL and HDL cholesterol, which means that the LDL can't nestle into the tiny nooks & crannies of your heart and blood vessels.
In addition to exercise, certain foods are known to help lower cholesterol.
Oatmeal : Oats contain a substance called beta-glucan which absorbs LDL cholesterol and removes it from your body.
Fish : Especially those high in omega-3 fatty acids, like salmon, herring, sardines, and tuna, can lower your cholesterol.
Chia Seeds and Flax seeds : You know those novelty terra cotta Chia Pets that grow little greens? Eating the seeds rather than planting them may help reduce your LDL.
Walnuts : Also high in omega-3 fatty acids (unlike most other nuts), which can help slow down the growth of plaque in your arteries. Other nuts, like almonds, pecans, pistachios, and peanuts also help to lower cholesterol.
Okay, let's take a break. Breath in and out.!!
I hope that this blog will help you make more informed decisions about what you put into your body and what you do with it.