Did you know in the United States, one in every four adults has high cholesterol? This is a serious problem because high cholesterol can lead to other health problems like heart disease and stroke. The good news is that you don’t have to live with it – there are plenty of ways for you to lower your cholesterol level if your physician discovers you have high levels. For starters, ensuring you’re living a healthy lifestyle by eating nutritious foods and exercising regularly. If these changes haven’t helped enough, talk to your doctor about medication or dietary supplements that may help you reach your goals. Certain medications can lower blood lipids (fats) in the body which can be helpful for people who need more assistance when managing their cholesterol levels. Here are some ways you can try to lower your cholesterol levels naturally.
Exercise
40 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity is recommended, three to four times each week. Regular exercise isn’t just a way to burn calories and tone your body, it also helps reduce cholesterol levels in the blood while lowering triglycerides. When you start exercising regularly:
- Your overall cholesterol level goes down by breaking up fat cells which contain high amounts of bad LDLs.
- HDL (good) is increased through regular exercise as well!
Quit smoking
Smoking has been linked to lower levels of good cholesterol in the bloodstream. This causes a decline in HDL, which hinders your body’s ability to process and expel excess cholesterol from the body.
Eliminate trans fats
Cut out trans fats to lower your cholesterol without medication. Trans fats have no nutritional benefit and should be avoided where possible for optimal health. They are dangerous because they increase bad (LDL) cholesterol levels, which can cause heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure and many other problems that you don’t want.
Consider losing weight
Losing weight is one of the best things you can do to lower your cholesterol. Not only does it help with lowering and maintaining levels but losing a few pounds also helps decrease stress, which in turn lowers blood pressure- another factor that contributes to high cholesterol!
Eat healthy proteins daily
Eating more protein is not only an effective way to lower your cholesterol without medication, but has also been shown to be a double-edged sword in improving other aspects of one’s health. Eating higher amounts of some types of proteins can reduce the unhealthy fats that are associated with certain protein sources and leave you feeling fuller for longer, which helps on those days where it feels impossible to resist pizza or ice cream! Here are some examples of foods you might want to consider.
- Salmon
- Tuna
- Beans
- Lentils
- Legumes
- Walnuts
- Cashews
- Pecans
- Peanuts
- Skinless turkey
- Skinless chicken
- Whey protein
- Low fat milk and yogurt
Eat more fruits and vegetables
Incorporating more fruit and vegetables into the diet can increase the amount of plant sterols and stanols in your blood. This will decrease cholesterol naturally, allowing for a healthier life without complications from high levels of this fat-like substance found in different animal products like beef.
Lowering your cholesterol levels is possible and doesn’t have to be a difficult process. It just takes some lifestyle changes. The physicians and staff at Bay Area Family Physicians understand how hard this can be for patients who need the help of medications in order to lower their cholesterol levels. The physicians and staff at Bay Area Family Physicians appreciate the opportunity to provide your medical services. We want to strengthen communication between our office and you, our patients. As specialists in Family Medicine, we focus on primary care needs for patients of all ages – from newborns to the elderly. We diagnose and treat almost all medical conditions. Ideally, your entire family will see the same doctor, allowing both you and your doctor to establish a close, trusting relationship. Contact us today for more information!
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