High cholesterol is a problem for many adults, and can lead to complications like high blood pressure, heart disease, and even death. If you have high cholesterol, it is essential that you work to get it down right away.
The easiest way to do this is through your diet. Foods that are high in saturated fats can greatly contribute to the amount of cholesterol that you have. This includes fried foods, fattier cuts of meats, different cheeses, and processed foods like cookies, cakes, and cold cuts.
Cutting back on these foods may be all that it takes for some people to lower their cholesterol. Others may have to go on a more stringent diet. A stricter diet plan often calls for lower saturated fat and cholesterol. This will usually require that fewer than 7% of the calories that you eat come from saturated fat (approximately 140 in the average 2000 calorie diet). It also requires you to eat fewer than 300 mg of cholesterol a day. The plan may also require you to limit the amount of calories that you eat in a day, since being overweight can influence your cholesterol levels.
If diet alone does not change your cholesterol enough to bring it back down to normal ranges, your doctor may advise you to start taking a medication to help you with bringing it down. Exercise is also a common part of cholesterol-lowering routines.
When you are considering controlling your cholesterol with a diet plan, there are two “super foods” that you should consider adding to your diet. One is fish, and the other is fiber.
Fish is a good choice for anyone that is looking for a healthier diet. High in protein, it can be used as a substitute for fattier red meats as one of your protein choices. Fatty and cold water fish also contain omega 3 fatty acids. Omega 3s have a variety of health boosting benefits. One of these is the fact that Omega 3s ca help with your cholesterol problems. Omega 3s naturally boost your HDL cholesterol level. HDL cholesterol is the cholesterol that is carried away from your heart to the liver where it can be used, which in turn helps and prevents heart disease. This can help you naturally lower the levels of bad cholesterol, bring down your blood pressure, and reduce your risk of clots that could cause heart attacks or strokes.
Fiber is good for a healthy diet as well. Found in fruits, grains, and vegetables, it helps to keep your digestive system regular, fill you up, and provides nutrition. Increasing the amount of fresh foods that you eat and decreasing the amounts of fatty meats can go a long way to lowering your cholesterol. Fresh fruits and veggies also contain high levels of the nutrients needed to boost good cholesterol levels so that your body can fight off high cholesterol problems naturally. Some grains, like oatmeal, have even been shown to have cholesterol-reducing effects when eaten on a regular basis.
A few simple changes may be all that you need to help bring your cholesterol to a healthy level.
