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High Cholesterol? Make These Lifestyle Changes Today

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High Cholesterol? Make These Lifestyle Changes Today
21 February 2021, 15:44

High cholesterol increases your chances of heart disease and heart attacks. While medications will help to control this, it’s imperative you make healthy lifestyle changes. Cholesterol is actually made in the liver, but when levels become too high, this becomes a problem.

Factors that contribute to high cholesterol are a poor diet, smoking, lack of exercise and underlying conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure. Let’s take a look how you can improve your cholesterol through simple lifestyle changes.

Heart Healthy Diet

Improving your diet should be the first change to reduce cholesterol levels. Eating healthily allows your body to function properly, increases energy levels, elevates mood and helps you lose weight. Start with these changes;

  • Minimse saturated fats. Found in full fat dairy and red meat, these foods may contribute to raised cholesterol. Eat red meat only occasionally and opt for healthier dairy options like skimmed, semi-skimmed or plant based milks
  • Ditch the trans fats. These are usually disguised on food labels as ‘partially hydrogenated vegetable oil’. Often found in cakes, cookies, crackers and margarines, try to eliminate these from your diet
  • Eat foods rich in fibre. Found in foods like kidney beans, oatmeal, pears, apples and brussel sprouts, soluble fibre helps to reduce the absorption of cholesterol in the blood
  • Increase omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3s are found in foods such as walnuts, flaxseeds, mackerel, herring and salmon and have heart healthy benefits

Herbs and Supplements

Niacin (vitamin B3) is used in conjunction with other medications to lower cholesterol. Experts say it raises good cholesterol and lowers bad cholesterol and triglycerides. Available as a health supplement and in prescription form, talk to your doctor to see whether niacin would be suitable for you.

Increase Exercise levels

Adding exercise into your routine helps to lower the bad cholesterol and decrease body fat. Get the go ahead from your doctor and start with mild aerobic activities like walking, bike riding or playing a sport. Once you build up fitness, increase the intensity slightly to keep your body challenged. Exercise doesn’t have to be boring, mix things up with different activities each day of the week if that suits you.

Lower Alcohol Consumption

Alcohol use is linked to increased levels of cholesterol. If you can’t give up alcohol completely, aim to reduce consumption and drink in moderation. The rule of thumb is one drink a day for women and men over 65 and two drinks daily for men 65 and under.

Stop Smoking

Giving up smoking isn’t easy, but smoking is linked to raised levels of LDL (bad cholesterol). Aim to cut down in the beginning and talk to your doctor about help to quit completely. Your risk of heart disease is cut by half, a year after giving up smoking.