We’ve all heard about the dangers of high cholesterol from our doctors, but most of us have no idea how to lower your cholesterol level when it gets too high. High cholesterol can increase your risk of numerous complex problems, including heart attack, stroke, and heart disease.
While it’s possible to reduce your bad cholesterol level with the help of medication, most doctors recommend making a few careful lifestyle changes first. By changing your lifestyle, you reduce your risk that your cholesterol issues will return in the future. Here are some advice on how to lower your cholesterol.
Eat Healthier Foods:
Even if you’ve been eating unhealthy foods for years now, it’s worth noting that making just a couple of changes in your diet can be enough to improve your heart health and get your cholesterol level back on track. Start by making sure that you avoid saturated and trans fats wherever possible. These substances can increase the amount of bad or “LDL” cholesterol in your system, and lower the good cholesterol. Stick to omega 3 fats instead, and eat plenty of fruits and vegetables
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Exercise More Often:
Not only will exercise allow you to get rid of excess weight, which can help you to overcome problems with your cholesterol, but it can also boost your levels of good cholesterol too. When you’re looking for advice on how to lower your cholesterol your doctor will often inform you that even moderate amounts of physical activity can help to raise your HDL cholesterol – or the good cholesterol that helps to clear out bad cholesterol from your system.
Adding around 10 minutes of physical activity to your day can be enough to help you start making a real difference to your cholesterol levels. Eventually, you should work your way up to around 30 minutes of exercise each day.
Stop Smoking:
If you’re a smoker, then you should definitely make an effort to quit the habit. Reducing your exposure to smoke and nicotine can improve your HDL cholesterol level, but the benefits of giving up smoking don’t stop with cholesterol. As soon as you stop smoking, your blood pressure level starts to drop, which means that you end up bringing down your heart disease risk significantly.
Look for Ways to Lose Weight:
Remember, carrying extra weight can contribute to high levels of bad or LDL cholesterol. Even losing a small amount of your weight could be enough to enhance your cholesterol levels. Remember to evaluate your eating habits carefully and make small, manageable changes to enhance your long-term habits.
It’s also worth cutting down on alcohol wherever you can. Not only will this help you to lose weight, but drinking alcohol has been connected with higher levels of LDL cholesterol. Ultimately, if you already drink alcohol, you should be doing so in moderation. Make sure that you consume no more than one drink a day if you’re a woman, or two drinks a day if you’re a man. Too much alcohol can contribute to serious health problems, so make sure you speak to someone if you have a problem with quitting.
