Heart disease is one of the top causes of death in many countries. One of the main reasons is having too much cholesterol in the blood. Cholesterol can be either bad or good. LDL or low density lipoprotein is the bad cholesterol and the HDL or the high density lipoprotein is the good cholesterol.
Both of these circulate in the body. Besides HDL and LDL, you also have the triglycerides. In simple words, triglycerides are referred to as fats. Fat is what you body burns in order to give you energy. If fats are not used, they will be stored for use in the future.
The three main essential factors that you need to follow in lowering cholesterol are: A healthy diet Weight management and Physical activity – 30 minutes every day to protect yourself. A common question is Can Cholesterol problems be prevented? Yes, to an extent the same heart-healthy lifestyle changes that can lower your cholesterol can help prevent you from having high cholesterol.
Few steps to follow that help prevent high cholesterol are:
What risk factors contribute to elevated cholesterol? Some of the factors that contribute to elevated cholesterol are Obesity, Lack of exercise, Cigarette smoking, poor diet and diabetes. The Cholesterol in our body has four main functions to perform which includes: Allowing the body to product vitamin D Enables the body to make certain hormones.
Contributes to the structure of cell walls Makes up digestive bile acids in the intestine Few key facts about cholesterol that you must understand are: Cholesterol is an vital substance that is produced by the body and also available from the foods that we eat, The greatest risk factors for high cholesterol are poor diet and lack of proper exercise, having high cholesterol does not show any symptoms, cholesterol levels should be blood tested once every year.
High cholesterol is one of the main causes of heart problems in people around the world. Hence it is very important that you change your lifestyle, stop smoking, lose excess weight, eat lots of fresh fruits , vegetables and whole grains, drink alcohol in moderation, eliminate trans-fat, limit your dietary cholesterol and do regular exercise.
Some of the super foods that actively lower cholesterol levels are: Nuts: A handful of nuts to be taken daily. Nuts are excellent foods to lower cholesterol as they are rich in polyunsaturated fats, for example, almonds and walnuts are top cholesterol lowering foods.
Oats: Oats are rich in fiber which helps in reducing the LDL levels in your body. They also contain beta-glucol that helps to absorb the LDL cholesterol, process it and expel it from the body in you excrement.
Fish: Fish that includes mackerel, tuna, halibut, salmon, sardines, herring and lake trout are best foods to lower cholesterol as they contain Omega-3 fatty acids which is instrumental in improving your overall heart health. Omega 3 fatty acids also increase the levels of HDL in the body thus helping to combat the LDL more effectively.
Beans: Black beans, Kidney beans, French beans are best foods that help lower cholesterol. They are excellent for heart as they are high in fiber and contain a lot of protein which is low in fat. Beans help slow down the body’s absorption of cholesterol.
Fruits: Fruits such as citrus fruits, strawberries, pears, apples, grapes and grapefruit contain soluble fibre that helps lower cholesterol.
Garlic: Garlic is an brilliant food with amazing benefits. It helps lower cholesterol and fights the plaque that would clog your arteries by preventing the cholesterol particles from clinging to the arterial wall.
Olive oil: This is fantastic oil rich in monounsaturated fats that fight high LDL cholesterol levels.
Spinach: Spinach contains lutein which helps lower cholesterol. Lutein is regarded as one of the best nutrients to protect the walls of the arteries against the cholesterol that would cling to them and form blockages. If you are having high cholesterol, do avoid such foods and immediately try changing your lifestyle, eating habits and do regular exercise.
Do try incorporating and practicing these amazing nutrition tips in your daily routine which will surely help you stay healthy and fit. Apart from developing healthy eating habits, you should also understand that working on any type of physical activity or regular exercising will keep you fit and strong.
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