8 ways to lower your cholesterol
1. Think fibre, fibre,
fibre!
This important food component is a great help when it comes to lowering cholesterol.
Some fibres are better than others – such as water-soluble options like oat bran, psyllium seeds, guar gum or pectin. These form a gel that binds bile and cholesterol in the gut to allow for excretion as part of your bowel motions. They have also been found to decrease the bad (LDL) cholesterol and improve the levels of good (HDL) cholesterol.
2. Go
vego
| Vegetarian diets have been found to
be effective in lowering cholesterol. Consider going
vego as a short-term plan (say for 3-6 months) when you
need to be intensive about lowering cholesterol
levels.
Increasing the amount of
fresh vegetables you consume will support your general
health by supplying the body with a range of important
vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Remember to firstly
get advice or do some research on how to eat a balanced
vegetarian diet. |
 |
3. No, sweetie
Few people realise
that eating sugar promotes the production of cholesterol in
the body. Sugar intake is out of control in the average
person’s diet to the point that many people are no longer able
to identify more subtle degrees of sweetness. Sugar is also
addictive.
If you eliminate sugar from your
diet for a while, you’ll find that simple foods such as
carrots and grains actually taste sweet. If you then try to
introduce highly-sweet foods or drinks such as soft drink into
your diet , you will often find that you can no longer stand
how sweet they are.
4. Kick
caffeine
 |
|
Sadly
for caffeine addicts, there’s a link between cholesterol
levels and the consumption of coffee – particularly if
you’re hardcore and drink around six cups per day. For
good health, coffee should be kept out of the diet
altogether or at levels of one to two per
day.
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5. The happy hour
hazard
Alcohol is known to elevate cholesterol
levels so it’s best to steer clear.
6. Get
moving
There’s a direct correlation between a
person’s level of physical activity and their cholesterol
levels. Exercise has been shown to decrease total cholesterol
while improving good HDL cholesterol.
7. Eat more
garlic
Garlic may have a mild cholesterol lowering
effect. Include garlic in your diet wherever possible. Raw
chopped or crushed garlic can be taken daily on a spoon. It
can help to mix it with honey to help take the edge off.
8. Stomp out
stress
The link between stress and the production of
cholesterol is well-established, so take time to relax.
Regular relaxation will help to keep your stress levels under
control. Some suggestions include meditation, relaxation CDs,
exercise, yoga, reading or getting your worries down on
paper.
Source: Blackmores News,
6 August
2008
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