Introduction
High cholesterol is a major health concern for many people, and it can lead to serious health problems if left unchecked. Fortunately, there are some simple steps you can take to reduce your cholesterol levels and improve your overall health. Eating the right foods and avoiding unhealthy ones is one of the best ways to lower your cholesterol. In this article, we’ll discuss some of the best high cholesterol busting secrets that really work, including what to eat and what to avoid. We’ll also provide some tips on how to make healthier food choices and how to incorporate these changes into your lifestyle. By following these tips, you can reduce your cholesterol levels and improve your overall health.
High Cholesterol Busting Secrets That Really Work — Eat This Not That
High cholesterol can be a serious health concern, but there are ways to reduce it naturally. Here are some of the best secrets for busting high cholesterol that really work.
1. Eat More Fiber
Fiber is essential for reducing cholesterol levels. Eating foods high in fiber, such as oatmeal, beans, and whole grains, can help lower cholesterol levels. Eating at least 25-30 grams of fiber per day is recommended.
2. Eat Healthy Fats
Eating healthy fats, such as olive oil, avocados, and nuts, can help reduce cholesterol levels. These healthy fats are also beneficial for overall health and can help reduce the risk of heart disease.
3. Avoid Trans Fats
Trans fats are found in processed foods and can increase cholesterol levels. Avoiding trans fats is essential for reducing cholesterol levels. Look for foods labeled “trans fat-free” or “no trans fat” when shopping.
4. Exercise Regularly
Exercising regularly can help reduce cholesterol levels. Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise, such as walking, jogging, or swimming, five days a week. This can help reduce cholesterol levels and improve overall health.
5. Eat More Plant-Based Foods
Eating more plant-based foods, such as fruits, vegetables, and legumes, can help reduce cholesterol levels. These foods are also high in fiber and other nutrients that can help reduce cholesterol levels.
6. Limit Alcohol Intake
Limiting alcohol intake can help reduce cholesterol levels. Drinking too much alcohol can raise cholesterol levels, so it’s important to limit alcohol intake to no more than one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men.
7. Quit Smoking
Smoking can increase cholesterol levels, so quitting smoking is essential for reducing cholesterol levels. Quitting smoking can also reduce the risk of heart disease and other health problems.
These high cholesterol busting secrets can help reduce cholesterol levels and improve overall health. Eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, and avoiding unhealthy habits, such as smoking, can help reduce cholesterol levels and improve overall health.
High cholesterol is a national health concern that isn’t talked about as much as it should be. “Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that is found in all the cells in the body. It is a necessary substance needed to make certain hormones and build cells in the body. Having too much cholesterol, known as hyperlipidemia, can begin to stick to the walls of the blood vessels causing atherosclerosis and cholesterol plaques. This causes potential slowing and blocking of blood flow, or breaking off of the plaques, in organs like the heart and brain which may lead to heart attacks and strokes,” Dr. Theodore Strange, Chair of Medicine at Staten Island University Hospital, tells Eat This, Not That! Health. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Nearly 94 million U.S. adults age 20 or older have total cholesterol levels higher than 200 mg/dL. Twenty-eight million adults in the United States have total cholesterol levels higher than 240 mg/dL.” Eat This, Not That! Health spoke with experts who explain how to lower cholesterol. Read on—and to ensure your health and the health of others, don’t miss these Sure Signs You’ve Already Had COVID.
Dana Ellis Hunnes PhD, MPH, RD, senior dietitian at UCLA Medical Center, assistant professor at UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, and author, with Cambridge University Press, of the new book, Recipe for Survival says, “The fibers in” a plant-based “diet along with the healthy fats from nuts and seeds go a long way towards lowering cholesterol levels. Part of the reason is that they are anti-inflammatory, and part of the reason is that they are monounsaturated fats, and some, from walnuts or chia seeds, are omega-3s.”
Hunnes says this might “seem unrelated to diet, but when we exercise we actually increase our HDL cholesterol, which is high-density lipoprotein, which is the healthier/safer cholesterol level. So, combining a healthy diet and exercise can lower LDL cholesterol and raise HDL cholesterol, these are good things.”
“Limit/avoid your intake of processed foods, white breads, sugary foods, soda, many things out of a package as they have the healthy nutrients taken out of them and are not much more than high-calorie cardboard that are inflammatory and increase LDL levels owing to their usually high levels of sugar, saturated or trans fats, and lack of healthy nutrients such as fiber,” Hunnes states.
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Rachel Fine, a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist with To The Pointe Nutrition says, “Stop weight cycling (also known as yo-yo dieting). Specifically, weight cycling and chronic dieting has been associated with lower HDL (the “good” cholesterol) and higher LDL (the “bad” cholesterol). It should be considered that any extreme methods to lose weight might be more detrimental for cholesterol than actually staying at a weight that is higher (and perhaps) more comfortable for any one’s body. What can we do instead? Combat systemic weight stigma and discourage restrictive dieting.”
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Abdullah Shubayr, Founder at WeightLossCounsellingOnline.com, explains, “Smoking increases your risk of heart disease and stroke, both of which can be caused by high cholesterol. quitting smoking can help reduce your risk. Quitting smoking not only lowers your risk of heart disease and stroke, but it can also help reduce your risk of high cholesterol. Smoking increases your risk of heart disease and stroke, both of which can be caused by high cholesterol. quitting smoking can help reduce your risk.”
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According to Dr. Strange, “The causes of high cholesterol include that it may be inherited/ familial; but it is often due to poor diets with unhealthy foods and lifestyle choices high in fats. Also exceeds alcohol intake, obesity and aging can be causes. Other medical conditions can also raise cholesterol like diabetes, hypothyroidism , Lupus, HIV and chronic kidney disease. There are also medications that can elevate cholesterol levels like steroids. Exercise also plays an important role in helping to keep cholesterol low, especially to increase HDL cholesterol and decrease LDL cholesterol.” And to protect your life and the lives of others, don’t visit any of these 35 Places You’re Most Likely to Catch COVID.