My extended family is from one of the most ridiculously high cholesterol-ed states in the country... Wisconsin. Cheese, brats and beer is the basic Wisconsin meal theme. We love our cheese; we love to grill those brats and oh my God, don't mess with our beer! So how does a Wisconsinite, or any other food loving individual, lower their cholesterol?
If your cholesterol level totals over 200 after fasting (which is over the preferred level), or if your "bad" cholesterol (low-density) is over 100, getting it lowered to a healthier level could be simpler than you probably thought. With easy changes, and possibly drug therapy, patients frequently see lowered cholesterol in a matter of six weeks. So get going!
These are some helpful hints from experts at WebMD and the American Heart Association to help you to cut high cholesterol quickly:
• Consider medication. Lifestyle modifications make sense for anyone with elevated cholesterol. But if your cardiovascular risk is high, you may also need to take a cholesterol-lowering drug.
• Eat more fiber. Whole grains, vegetables and fruits are good sources not only of cholesterol-lowering dietary fiber but antioxidants which are heart-healthy. Soluble fiber, in particular, can help lower cholesterol. Barley, oats, and dried beans, as well as fiber products, are good ways of introducing soluble fiber into your diet.
• Set a target. How much lower do you need to get? You have to look at several things for this; your personal and family history of heart disease, diabetes, and whether or not you have cardiovascular risk factors such as obesity, smoking and high blood pressure.
• Start moving around more. Benefits come with even little to moderate exercise; a brisk walk for instance. No matter what form you choose for your exercise, the important thing is to stick to it on a regular basis.
• Stay away from saturated fat. The old school doctors thought that the key to lessening high cholesterol was to stop eating eggs and other foods that were cholesterol-rich. Today however, it has been discovered that dietary cholesterol isn't the singular offender. The first step once you have decided that you're trying to lessen your cholesterol level is to take saturated fat down a few notches; the next thing to do is get used to eating more 'smart' fats by replacing olive oil or canola oil in the place of butter, vegetable oil, lard, stick margarine, or shortening while eating more fish and cutting back on meat.
• Drink green. Green teas are a healthier alternative to sodas and sugary beverages.
• Go fish. Sources of omega-3s found in plants include flaxseeds, walnuts, soybeans, canola, and their oils; but as far as omega-3s are concerned they don't supply the same as fish. The biggest heart benefits have been linked to omega-3s found in fish.
• Eat more nuts. They can bring about a moderate decline in your cholesterol. Almonds and walnuts are especially effective. But nuts are high in calories, so limit yourself to a handful a day.
• Don't smoke. Smoking lowers levels of HDL (good) cholesterol and is a major risk factor for heart diseases.
• Switch spreads. Lately, your grocery stores have seen the induction of foods which have been fortified with plant compounds known to lower cholesterol and also the introduction of faux-margarine spreads.
Well, that's the long and short of it. Mostly short. Going all natural takes a lot longer, but we'll explore that another day.
To learn more about reduce-high-cholesterol.com/How_To_Lower_Your_Cholesterol.html how to lower your cholesterol and find places to get a home reduce-high-cholesterol.com/Cholesterol_Test.html cholesterol test to keep on top of your levels, be sure to visit our website at Reduce-High-Cholesterol.com.
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