A healthy body is very necessary for survival these days. But our sedentary living and improper diet has made us susceptible to diseases. Our immunity has dropped and our body has been a host to many life threatening problems. High cholesterol level is one such problem that we invite by eating unhealthy fats and not indulging in physical activity. High cholesterol levels aren’t suitable for body. They can increase the risk of heart diseases and problems with pancreas.
There are some easy-to-follow tips which can drop down your cholesterol levels. These tips have the added benefit of improving our lifestyle because of their positive effects on both, outsides and insides.
1. Keep Exercising
Working out on regular basis is as important as eating healthy. Exercise daily but don’t overexert yourself because it will lead to more intake of calories to cover the pounds that you lost while working out. You can begin by going for a small walk or practising yoga. To bring down cholesterol levels you just have to reduce 1to 2 pounds in a week. So prepare a schedule accordingly.
2. Eat Your Veggies and Fruits
Eating your greens can bring down cholesterol because of their protein rich content. Fruits are replete with natural sugar and nutrients that don’t harm us. Focusing on cherries, beans, potatoes, peas, lentils, soybeans, soymilk, tofu etc. is a way to increase fibres in your body. Including a food salad and a vegetable meal in your everyday diet can stop you from munching on unhealthy snacks.
3. Quit Smoking
Smoking is injurious to health. The tobacco tar makes it impossible for the cells to control cholesterol levels. This increases the risk of choking arteries. Also, smoking reduces the amount of HDL (good cholesterol) and increases the amount of total cholesterol. Quitting smoking can give a newly found peace to the body from hazardous nicotine and fatal tobacco tar.
4. Wave Your Good Byes to Trans Fats
Trans fat are partially hydrogenated fats used by companies to stabilise their food products. This fat is extremely dangerous to health as it can increase the level of LDL (bad cholesterol) and decrease the level of good cholesterol by almost 20%. Be careful while picking up food items which have the words “trans- fat” or “partially hydrogenated” in the nutrients list. Avoid them as much as possible.
5. Dietary Changes
Introducing some minor changes in the type of food you eat is a smart way to handle most of your health problems and not only cholesterol levels. You can inculcate the underlying suggestions as per your convenience to battle your cholesterol issues:
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Fishes
Replace red meat which is rich in saturated fats with omega-3 fishes. These fishes don’t have fats and are also beneficial for heart. Wild salmon, sardines and Bluefin tuna are recommended over sharks, sword fish, king mackerel as they are rich in mercury and not good for cholesterol patients.
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Fibres
Fibres are the key to low cholesterol. Steadily increase your intake of oatmeal, apples, beans, prunes, whole grains products, wild rice in your diet. Stay away from white grains like white bread, white rice, white pasta, muffins, pretzels, chips etc. as they have very limited amount of fibre and don’t prove beneficial to the body.
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Spices
Spices like garlic, curcumin, ginger, black pepper, coriander, and cinnamon are supposed to add flavours to our food. But apart from that, they also improve cholesterol problems. They reduce our appetite as well. So increase the intake of spices as seasonings on your foods.
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Nuts
Nuts contain a compound called sterol, that prevents the body from absorbing cholesterol, mostly like fibers. Though too much of nuts can increase your calories, appropriate amount of nuts can bring down your cholesterol level by 8%.
To keep a track of your cholesterol levels, get your cholesterol tests done regularly. Cholesterol blood test profile is provided by many diagnostic centers and laboratories. Don’t fret about your high cholesterol levels. Just introduce some dietary changes and fitness regime and try to stick to them. You will notice changes in your cholesterol levels. Stay happy, keep laughing as laughter is the best medicine..
Sources:
High cholesterol: Lowering cholesterol without tablets
Effect of a diet high in vegetables, fruit, and nuts on serum lipids
Author’s Bio
Jhanvi Gupta is a content creator at Socko and interned with Teach for India, Bikamp adventures, Jewellery Planet in the past. She loves getting tangled with content, though in the right way. When she is not writing, you’ll find her lost in her fantasy world, reading.
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