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We hear it all the time on radio and TV ads, see it mentioned
in health brochures and now your doctor is saying it to you. You
have high cholesterol. What does
that mean and how can you fix it? Read on and learn how a diet rich
in certain foods and
supplements can bring your cholesterol back within a normal range.
What is High Cholesterol?
High cholesterol means your blood flows through your veins
carrying a lot of a mushy, yellow fat substance. When this excess fat
builds up on your artery walls it restricts blood flow, which can cause
a variety of health problems including angina, heart attack or stroke.
It’s Not All Bad.
Your body produces cholesterol naturally and uses it to
insulate nerves, produce hormones and build new cells. However, too
much bad cholesterol can cause problems.
There is a certain level of dietary cholesterol in most
foods. For example, one egg has 275 milligrams. One apple has none.
Your daily cholesterol should be about 300 milligrams. Your doctor reads
Serum cholesterol when he tests the cholesterol in your blood and the
recommended reading for this is 200.
Types of Cholesterol
The Good
HDL
It cleans your arteries and high levels of HDL seem to
protect against heart attack. HDL cholesterol is a subdivision of serum
cholesterol.
The Bad
LDL
Too much LDL cholesterol circulating in the blood can cause
build up along the artery walls that feed the heart and brain.
How You Can Lower Your Cholesterol
Drop Cholesterol by Dropping Pounds
Every 2.2 pounds of excess weight you carry raises your
cholesterol level by 2 points. Losing weight can lower your bad LDL cholesterol
and even help raise your good HDL cholesterol. A healthy diet includes
2/3 cereal, fruits, vegetables and whole grains; and 1/3 meat and dairy,
which are higher in fat and calories.
Enjoy the Fruit of Life
Especially two cups of grapefruit, which can lower your
cholesterol level as much as 7%. Many fruits contain the water-based
fiber pectin, which works at lowering cholesterol. Pectin surrounds
cholesterol and escort it out of the body before health problems start.
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Two Carrots A Day
Two raw carrots daily can lower cholesterol as much as
20% and may bring cholesterol into the safe range quickly. Broccoli,
cabbage and onions are good for this as well. Spice
it Up with Garlic
Raw garlic can work dramatically to reduce cholesterol
but don’t cancel you’re social week just yet. Kyolic, a new garlic extract
from Japan, also helps lower cholesterol.
Beans, Anything but Boring
Inexpensive. Nutritious. High in Fiber with pectin included,
Beans are enjoyable in a variety of ways. From a Latin dish to an Italian
Minestrone soup, there are plenty of ways to use them. Navy, kidney,
lima, soy, pinto and white beans as well as black-eyed peas and lentils
can all help you on your way to lower cholesterol.
Oats, Works like a Pectin
…And just half a cup of oatmeal adds 6 grams of soluble
fiber to your diet.
Switch it out for Olive Oil
Olive oil is high in monosaturated fats and can lower LDL
bad cholesterol and raise HDL good cholesterol. It works as a great
substitute for other oils like vegetable oil that don’t offer this health
benefit. You’ll also find monosatuates in peanut oil, canola oil, avocados
and nuts.
Just a Teaspoon of Psyllium
Rich in fiber, psyllium seeds like in the fiber supplement
Metamucil can help reduce cholesterol levels. One teaspoon of Metamucil
in water three times a day and you’re 8 weeks away from lower cholesterol.
Cut the Coffee
They know it’s not the caffeine, but researchers found
that coffee can increase the LDL bad cholesterol. Those who drink two
or more cups a day have higher cholesterol levels.
Fat
Fat effects cholesterol in three ways:
The dietary cholesterol in fat contributes slightly
to high cholesterol
Saturated fat raises cholesterol levels and is three times worse than
dietary cholesterol.
Polyunsaturated fats lower cholesterol and help keep it in a normal
range
The body does need fat to survive, but it craves the good kind found
in chicken and fish, low fat dairy products and polyunsaturated fats
like safflower, soybean and corn oils.
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Eggs, Over Easy
At one point, doctors thought eggs raised cholesterol.
Today research says they have no bearing on cholesterol levels. Enjoy
eggs in moderation. Two to four a week keeps you in the safe range.
When baking just use egg whites as they have no cholesterol.
Red Meat – Not Bad to the Bone
If it’s lean and you remove the fat, red meat can be part
of a healthy diet. But again, enjoy it in moderation.
Skim Milk, Good for you.
Bad for Cholesterol.
Two to three glasses a day may help lower LDL bad Cholesterol
Smokin’! Not so Much
With just 20 cigarettes a week you can increase your cholesterol
levels. But in this case, less is more. And less bad cholesterol is
more of what we want to see. Smokers lack sufficient levels of HDL good
cholesterol.
Exercise – Raises the Good, Lowers the
Bad
It clears fat from the blood and the less fat the lower
the cholesterol levels. Plus it increases HDL cholesterol and lowers
LDL cholesterol.
Relax
Stress raises LDL cholesterol. So take it easy. Set aside
some time each day to forget the world around you and enjoy a moment
of peace.
These may also help lower your blood cholesterol
levels:
Tea
Rice Bran
Barley
Supplements
Niacin
Activated Charcoal – can grab cholesterol molecules and guide them
out of the body
Vitamin C – It increases HDL levels
Spirulina – a rich protein in algae
Leomongrass Oil – a flavor in Oriental cooking
Calcium – Good for your bones, heart and lowering cholesterol
*Always discuss diet and exercise plans
with your Doctor first. |
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