Lowering your cholesterol levels certainly isn’t a fun or exciting topic–I’ll try my best here!–but it is an important one. The reason you hear about cholesterol levels so much is that having high levels of these fat-like substances in your body is a real risk factor for heart disease, which is a leading killer in the US every year. To avoid becoming another statistic, here are some quick tips for lowering that all-important number.
Stay clear of trans and saturated fats
Your risk of developing high cholesterol goes right up when you have a lot of trans or saturated fats in your diet. You’ll find saturated fat mainly in animal products such as cheese, butter and meat, and trans fat in baked, fried and processed foods. A healthy diet with whole grains, veggies and fruit and without a ton of meat, fast food and processed foods will help you avoid these types of fats. Check the labels of the foods you regularly eat to get an idea of how much trans and saturated fat you typically consume, and make adjustments from there.
Get into the workout habit
Working out is shown to lower your LDL, or “bad” cholesterol levels, and boost your HDL, or “good”, levels. Aim to exercise for at least 30 minutes each day for four to five days each week. The key to maintaining a successful exercise routine is turning it into a habit, so carve out set days and times for your exercise and stick to that schedule. If you have not really been exercising regularly or have a health concern that could interfere with your ability to work out, speak to your doctor for help with creating a routine.
Kick the smokes to the curb
This is easier said than done but still necessary as smoking does impact your cholesterol levels. It affects the blood vessel walls in your body and can lower your good cholesterol levels, which boosts your risk of heart disease. Smoking can make plaque build up in the arteries, and this plaque can rupture and spark a major heart attack. Once you quit, your heart disease risk drops by around 50 percent within just a year.
Quitting smoking can be very tough, and research has shown that cold turkey doesn’t work for many people. Talk to your doctor to explore all of the smoking cessation options that may be available to you.
