Introduction
High cholesterol is a major health concern for many people, and it can lead to serious health problems if left unchecked. While genetics and lifestyle choices can play a role in your cholesterol levels, there are some surprising habits that can also contribute to high cholesterol. Eating certain foods, not getting enough exercise, and even stress can all have an impact on your cholesterol levels. In this article, we’ll explore some of the surprising habits that are raising your cholesterol and provide tips on how to make healthier choices. We’ll also provide some delicious alternatives to help you lower your cholesterol levels and improve your overall health.
Surprising Habits That Are Raising Your Cholesterol — Eat This Not That
High cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease, stroke, and other serious health conditions. While genetics and age can play a role in your cholesterol levels, there are also certain lifestyle habits that can have an impact. Here are some surprising habits that can raise your cholesterol and what you can do to lower it.
Eating Too Much Red Meat
Red meat is high in saturated fat, which can raise your cholesterol levels. Eating too much red meat can also lead to weight gain, which can further increase your cholesterol levels. To lower your cholesterol, try to limit your red meat consumption to no more than two servings per week. Instead, opt for leaner proteins like fish, poultry, and plant-based proteins.
Drinking Too Much Alcohol
Drinking too much alcohol can raise your cholesterol levels. The American Heart Association recommends limiting your alcohol consumption to no more than two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women. If you’re trying to lower your cholesterol, it’s best to avoid alcohol altogether.
Eating Too Much Processed Food
Processed foods are often high in saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol, all of which can raise your cholesterol levels. To lower your cholesterol, try to limit your consumption of processed foods and opt for whole, unprocessed foods instead. This includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats.
Not Getting Enough Exercise
Regular physical activity can help lower your cholesterol levels. Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise most days of the week. This can include walking, jogging, biking, swimming, or any other activity that gets your heart rate up. Exercise can also help you maintain a healthy weight, which can further lower your cholesterol levels.
Not Getting Enough Sleep
Getting enough sleep is important for your overall health, including your cholesterol levels. Studies have shown that people who don’t get enough sleep are more likely to have higher cholesterol levels. Aim for at least seven to eight hours of sleep each night to help keep your cholesterol levels in check.
Conclusion
High cholesterol can be a serious health concern, but there are steps you can take to lower your levels. Eating a healthy diet, getting regular exercise, and getting enough sleep are all important for keeping your cholesterol levels in check. Avoiding red meat, processed foods, and alcohol can also help. If you’re concerned about your cholesterol levels, talk to your doctor for more advice.
“High cholesterol” is rarely spoken of in a positive context but not all cholesterol is created equal. “Overall, cholesterol is important for our bodies. We use cholesterol to do a variety of things,” says Kate Kirley, MD. “Our body creates cholesterol whether we eat it or not and it’s good to have for certain functions within our bodies. But there are some types of cholesterol that are potentially helpful and protective. We usually think of HDL, or high-density lipoprotein, cholesterol as somewhat protective for our hearts and blood vessels because it absorbs cholesterol and carries it back to the liver. We tend to think of LDL cholesterol, or low-density lipoprotein, as the main type of cholesterol that we focus on as a potentially harmful cholesterol for our hearts because it collects in the walls of your blood vessels.” Here are five unexpected habits that might be raising your bad cholesterol levels. Read on—and to ensure your health and the health of others, don’t miss these Sure Signs You’ve Already Had COVID.
Did you know birth control pills could impact LDL cholesterol levels and possibly lead to blood clots? “The main concern is if you have higher plaque levels that you might develop a clot on one of these plaques and have a stroke or a myocardial infarction (heart attack) or sudden cardiac death,” says Dr. Ernst Rietzschel of Ghent University in Belgium. “That’s the main risk with having plaque, with having atherosclerosis.” If in doubt, speak to your doctor about which birth control is right for you.
Research shows coffee is linked to higher LDL cholesterol levels—but it’s a complex situation. “There are certain types of coffee where the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels may be a little higher, like French press coffee, Turkish coffee and espresso,” says cardiologist Dennis Bruemmer, MD, PhD. “Most of the LDL we have in our body is genetically predetermined. We can make it much worse by consuming the wrong foods. But your LDL wouldn’t lower much if you stopped drinking coffee.” The real problem, he says, is the ingredients people are adding to their brew. “Now we’re not talking coffee anymore,” says Dr. Bruemmer. “We’re talking about cream and caramel, things high in sugar. They’re consumed as a full meal and have 50 grams or more of sugar. Once you consider the cream and even the size you’re talking about 600 calories, over a quarter of your daily calories right there. It’s completely out of proportion to what moderation would be considered.”
Cholesterol levels tend to go up as we age (sometimes referred to as the “baby boomer heart”), which is why regular blood panel screenings are so important. “As we get older, cholesterol levels rise,” says Cleveland Clinic. “Before menopause, women tend to have lower total cholesterol levels than men of the same age. After menopause, however, women’s LDL levels tend to rise and HDL can drop.”
Are you sitting at your desk above and beyond what is required for your job? You might want to rethink that. “A large review of studies published in 2015 in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that even after adjusting for physical activity, sitting for long periods was associated with worse health outcomes including heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and cancer,” says Erin Donnelly Michos, M.D., M.H.S. “Sedentary behavior can also increase your risk of dying, either from heart disease or other medical problems. Even if you’re doing 30 minutes per day of physical activity, it matters what you do the other 23 hours of the day.”
Not that you need a reason for quitting smoking outside of “it has zero benefits and is destroying your health,” but smoking has been shown to raise LDL cholesterol levels. “Smoking is so bad for your heart, and smoking really truly is one of the worst things we could do, not just for your heart, but for your brain and your lungs and all sorts of things,” says Dr. Cho. “It’s really bad for your lungs. But these risk factors are additive. So you smoke and you have high cholesterol, you have now doubled your risk. You smoke, you have high blood pressure, and you have cholesterol, it’s additive. It’s really additive. So it’s really important for your children, for yourself, for your longevity, but for your quality of life that you don’t smoke.”
Ferozan Mast