When it comes to your cholesterol, high levels can enhance your risk of heart disease and heart attacks. We all want to be heart-healthy, and the first step to achieve this is ensuring you have healthy levels of cholesterol.
There are lots of lifestyle changes you can make which can lower your cholesterol, including the following.
Eat Heart-Healthy Food
What you put on your plate can make a difference in lowering your cholesterol. Simple changes to your diet can yield promising results to your cholesterol level and boost your heart health. To start, you should reduce your saturated fats intake. This means it’s time to avoid full-fat dairy products and red meat.
Instead, opt for more foods full of omega-3 fatty acids. Foods like salmon, walnuts, and flaxseeds have heart-healthy benefits. You should increase your soluble fiber intake too as this can lower the absorption of cholesterol in the bloodstream. These foods include kidney beans and oatmeal.
Exercise More
Regular physical activity can be great for lowering your cholesterol levels. We’re all aware of how great exercise is for losing weight and building muscle, but when it comes to your heart health, incorporating 30 minutes of activity into your day can make a difference. If you’re not a fitness fanatic, you don’t have to head to the gym to see results. Simply taking a brisk daily walk or playing your favorite sport can be a great way to get your heart pumping and most importantly, lower your cholesterol.
If you find exercise a chore and are struggling to find the motivation to get started, why not team up with an exercise buddy or join a group? Doing so can spur you on to reach your fitness goals and lower your cholesterol.
Quit Smoking
There are no health benefits attached to smoking, so you won’t be surprised to learn that the habit can boost cholesterol levels. Whether you’ve recently picked up cigarettes, or you’re a long-term smoker, quitting the habit for good can do wonders for your cholesterol. In fact, within 20 minutes of stopping smoking, your heart rate and blood pressure will improve significantly.
After three months of quitting smoking, your lung function and blood circulation will start to improve. And after a year of saying goodbye to cigarettes, your risk of heart disease is halved!
Try Supplements
There is an array of supplements you may want to consider taking on your quest to lower cholesterol. Research indicates that ecdysterone compounds may help in lowering cholesterol levels. Other cholesterol-improving supplements you can try out include fish oil and garlic.
Because there are so many options to choose from, you may struggle with what supplements are best to take. If in doubt, it’s wise to speak to your doctor who can advise you further on which supplements can lower cholesterol.
Lose Weight
Maintaining a healthy weight is key for your physical and mental wellbeing. If you have high cholesterol and are adamant to make changes, dropping a few pounds can make significant improvements. Of course, losing weight is easier said than done, so look for ways to incorporate more exercise into your routine without even realizing it.
For instance, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or parking further away from the office can spur you on to exercise more. Make sure to drink lots of water too and eat regular meals. As you lose weight, this should help in lowering your cholesterol.
Making any of the lifestyle changes above can help in lowering your cholesterol. If you don’t notice any differences, make sure to speak to your doctor as you may need medication as a last resort.
