Six ways to lower cholesterol in your body
Six ways to lower cholesterol in your body
Cholesterol is one of the components that your body needs, in order to function properly. It is a fat-like, waxy substance that passes through the blood on lipoproteins, responsible for keeping the walls of your cells flexible, essential to produce certain hormones, and enhance digestion. However, high levels of cholesterol can lead to diabetes, blood pressure problems, and cardiovascular diseases, like coronary heart disease, peripheral vascular disease, or stroke.
So, in order to live a healthy and happy life, it is incredibly vital for you to check your cholesterol level and maintain at specific level, by opting for healthy lifestyle changes and good eating habits. Here are the ways you can do this:
1. Consume soluble fibers
Consume foods with soluble fibers, such as whole-grain cereals, apples, bananas, prunes, kidney beans, chickpeas, and lima beans, since they dissolve in water and can be digested very easily. It prevents your digestive system from taking up any excess cholesterol that’s present in your body.
2. Eat monounsaturated fats
Monounsaturated fats present in olive oil, tree nuts, and avocados, are responsible for decreasing the bad cholesterol, i.e. low-density lipoproteins, and increasing the good cholesterol, i.e. high-density lipoproteins. They also protect your arteries from getting clogged.
3. Avoid foods that increase bad cholesterol
Avoiding foods that increase bad cholesterol is the most obvious step that you must take, to reduce the cholesterol level in your body. Some such foods are processed foods, junk foods, dairy products like cheese, cream, and butter. You can consider replacing them with healthy butter alternatives, like zero cholesterol, omega-rich, and no trans fat table spreads.
4. Eat plenty of nuts, fruits and vegetables
Eat plenty of nuts, fruits, and vegetables that contain plant stanols or sterols because these compounds can lower your cholesterol; for instance, eat more oranges, apples, cauliflowers, dried peas, peanuts, walnuts, sunflower seeds, etc.
5. Cut down on alcohol
It is always healthy to cut down on your alcohol consumption, since alcohol gives your body extra calories, which in turn, causes weight gain. Obesity can raise your bad cholesterol level and increase the risk of heart problems. So, even if you like to drink a little at times, do so in moderation.
6. Exercise regularly
Exercising regularly is always an effective way of ensuring your well-being. It will keep you physically and mentally fit. Aerobic and resistance exercises can lead to a decreased amount of bad cholesterol. You can also try less intense exercises, like walking and jogging.
A healthy body and a healthy mind go hand-in-hand with one another. You can’t have a healthy mind without a healthy body; so if you want to live a lifestyle that does not lead to health issues in the future, make all possible and sincere efforts to lower the cholesterol in your body.
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