High cholesterol is associated with many health problems and raises your chances of having a heart attack or stroke. That’s why, in the article, we’re going to look at ways to lower your cholesterol by managing your diet, exercising and making lifestyle changes.
What is Cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a yellow, waxy, fatty substance that your body uses for all sorts of processes, from building cell membranes to making vitamin D. Sounds fantastic, right? The problem is that it’s all too easy to have too much cholesterol, which can start causing your body problems.
When you have too much cholesterol in your blood, it starts to build up in your arteries, which decreases blood flow and puts more strain on your heart, which has to work harder to pump the blood around your body. So, if you have high cholesterol levels, it’s time to do something about it.
Tips to Lower Your Cholesterol
Let’s look at some practical ways you can make changes to lower your cholesterol to lower your chances of having a stroke or heart attack and reduce your risk of other diseases, such as peripheral arterial disease.
1. Eat Less Fatty Food
One of the main reasons we suffer from high cholesterol levels today is the amount of fatty foods available to us. Reducing these fatty foods is the best way to lower your cholesterol levels. Not all fat is bad for you; instead, you want to cut down on saturated fats.
You can find out how much saturated fat is contained in something by looking at the nutritional information on food packets. As a rule of thumb, below 3% saturated fat is considered good, and over 17% is considered high. Many supermarkets today also use a traffic light system to indicate when foods contain higher levels of fats, sugars and salts.
Here are some foods that typically have high levels of saturated fats:
- Fatty cuts of meat and meat products like sausages and pies
- Butter, ghee and lard
- Cheese, especially hard cheeses
- Cream and ice cream
- Crisps
- Chocolate
- Biscuits and cakes and pastries
- Coconut oil and cream
2. Eat Healthy Foods
Don’t worry, you don’t have to starve. Instead of unhealthy fatty foods, replace them with healthier alternatives. Foods that are great for lowing your cholesterol are:
- Fruit and vegetables
- Wholemeal bread and pasta
- Brown rice
- Nuts and seeds
- Oily fish, such as mackerel and salmon
3. Get Plenty of Exercise
Another great way to lower your cholesterol is to exercise more. Not only does this help your body reduce the amount of bad cholesterol in your blood, but it also strengthens your heart, so you’re helping your body in two ways at once.
Ideally, you should aim for 150 minutes of exercise per week. That’s about 20 minutes per day. Of course, if you want to do more, that’s great! However, if you’re not used to exercising, starting slowly and building up to the recommended amount is okay.
So, what exercise should you do? Well, there’s no such thing as bad exercise – anything you do is excellent – but ideally, your exercise should get your heart rate up and leave you a bit out of breath. Still, remember, the best exercise is in the one you do – a brisk walk around the block will do you much more good than a membership to a gym you never visit.
Great exercises to get you started are:
- Brisk walks or jogging
- Swimming
- Cycling
- Yoga or Pilates
If you struggle to find the time to get exercise, remember that even everyday activities such as gardening or walking to the shop count. As long as it gets your heart going, it counts.
4. Stop Smoking
Every cigarette you smoke contains thousands of chemicals that damage your blood vessels. This can make it harder for your body to remove that cholesterol from your blood, meaning it builds up in your arteries instead.
Smoking also makes it harder for your body to get oxygen to your blood, meaning your heart has to work even harder to pump the blood around your body, putting more strain on it.
In short, if you’re a smoker, quitting is a great way to lower your cholesterol and one of the best things you can do for your health.
Speak to a Doctor
If you have high cholesterol or think that you may, don’t hesitate to contact a health professional by booking an appointment with your local GP or by getting a GP appointment online. Doctors can offer advice on any of the issues mentioned here or prescribe you medicines, such as statins to help control your cholesterol if needed.
