Dieting to Lower Cholesterol
Avoid Future Dependence On Medications By Following These Simple Tips
Dieting to lower your cholesterol is probably more critical than you focusing solely on losing weight. Losing weight is one of the most significant benefits of dieting, and it’s what fuels most people. That makes sense. Most people want to make themselves look better for the opposite sex. Not only this, they want to feel better about themselves overall. But cholesterol control is probably more important in the long run. Yes, the two are correlated. If you lose weight, chances are you’ll lower your cholesterol. But your cholesterol going down can happen well before you see the visible benefits of a diet.
Cholesterol control is so important because if you don’t get it down to a healthy level, there is a strong chance you’ll end up dependent on cholesterol-lowering medications in the future. Do you think these medications are going to be cheap?
In this article, we will discuss two things you can do as a part of a diet to get your cholesterol under control.
Make sure you’re getting the proper exercise
If your goal is to control your cholesterol, then you must make sure you’re exercising regularly. Too many people take exercise for granted and are usually put off by the level of effort it requires. You can’t afford to think this way. A simple exercise routine is all that’s needed. By following it consistently, you’ll be surprised at the positive effect it will have on your cholesterol level. Just make sure you follow a program that is well-suited for your particular age and circumstances. For instance, if you are an older person, you will require an exercise program that doesn’t tax you too much. Check with your doctor for advice.
Stay away from foods high in cholesterol
So many of the foods we eat contain high cholesterol levels, and it can be challenging to get away from them. High cholesterol foods are usually those that are very convenient and fast. These foods also contain high amounts of fats and sugars. You want to stay away from these as best as you can. Not only because they are high in cholesterol, but because the fat and sugars in these foods can be very addictive.
Some of the foods you should avoid would include junk foods, fast foods, foods high in saturated fat, red meats, deep-fried foods, dairy products, and egg yolks.
Busy schedule? make sure you have healthy snacks already prepared
When you have a busy schedule, it’s undoubtedly going to be tough for you to eat as healthy as you should be. Even if you’re able to eat healthy most of the time, there will be instances when you won’t have the time to put together a healthy meal. The solution is for you to have healthy food options ready to go. You can do this by preparing healthy sandwiches, slicing up fruits and vegetables to store away, and making a healthy meal that will last for several days.
By having healthy meals ready to go, you will never give into your busy schedule and eat something less healthy just to put something in your body. You will be able to grab a quick healthy snack and satisfy your hunger.
No matter how busy your schedule is, as long as you’re willing to take some time and give it some thought, you can find ways to stick to a diet. Sticking to a diet would make it much easier for you to have the required energy to get through all those busy days you have. It works the same way in reverse. Having a bad diet and neglecting exercise is going to make getting through those busy days challenging.
Make sure you consume plenty of high HDL foods
HDL foods are those that are going to increase your good cholesterol levels. These tend to be completely natural foods. Here is a simple list of some foods to lower bad cholesterol that you can start eating and have many HDL rich chemicals in them: fruits and vegetables, olive oil, nuts, oily fish, oatmeal, and soy. By eating high HDL foods, it will go a long way in helping you keep your cholesterol at a healthy level.
Once you get to the point where you’re dependent on cholesterol-lowering medications, it’s going to be very tough for you to depend solely on a diet. Dietary changes will come as part of using such drugs; otherwise, they won’t work as well. You can take control now and start doing simple things to keep your cholesterol checked if your family has a history of heart problems or high cholesterol. In that case, you can follow the information given in this article and seek out more personalized advice from a doctor.