High cholesterol levels are one of the main causes of cardiovascular disease, such as heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, and many other health problems. Therefore, it is important to learn how to lower your cholesterol to help prevent potential health problems.
Easy ways to lower your cholesterol by yourself
Almost 1,000 milligrams of cholesterol are produced in the liver each day. However, the foods we eat each day can also have an impact on our cholesterol levels. Therefore, following these methods may help reduce cholesterol in the body.
Choose to consume healthy fats.
You should avoid foods that contain saturated fat , such as fatty meat, chicken with skin, processed meat, butter, cheese. And full-fat or low-fat dairy products, because these foods will increase cholesterol in the body, especially bad cholesterol or LDL. You should switch to consuming monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fat in foods such as olive oil, canola oil, avocado, almonds, walnuts, peanuts, tofu , salmon, and tuna.
Avoid trans fats
Trans fat is another factor that increases bad cholesterol (LDL) and decreases good cholesterol (HDL). Therefore, you should avoid consuming foods that are rich in trans fat. Such as margarine, as well as bakery products such as cakes, cookies, crackers, and donuts.
Limit cholesterol in your diet
The amount of cholesterol in each meal should be limited by avoiding foods high in cholesterol such as quail eggs, egg yolks, animal organs, animal brains, and seafood.
Choose to consume whole grains
You should eat whole grains such as brown rice, foods made from whole wheat flour such as whole wheat bread, whole wheat pasta, as well as oats and bran.
Eat more vegetables and fruits.
Vegetables and fruits are high in dietary fiber , which can help reduce cholesterol in the body. Therefore, you should eat more vegetables and fruits, especially broccoli, carrots, bananas, sweet corn , apples, guava, and kale.
Consume heart-healthy fish
Consuming fish that contain omega-3 fatty acids instead of meat, especially red meat such as pork and beef, is not only good for heart health but also helps reduce cholesterol levels because fish contain less saturated fat than red meat. Fish that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids include salmon, sardines, mackerel (mackerel), herring, and should reduce the consumption of shark, king mackerel, and swordfish because they contain high levels of mercury, increasing the risk of heart disease.
Drink alcohol in moderation.
Although some research studies indicate that drinking alcohol in moderation may help increase the level of good cholesterol, or HDL, in the body, this information is not confirmed. And drinking alcohol is not suitable for everyone. Healthy adult women should not drink more than one drink of alcohol per day. Adult men under the age of 65 should not drink more than two drinks per day. Men over the age of 65 should not drink more than one drink per day.
But it is best to avoid or reduce alcoholic beverages as much as possible because drinking alcoholic beverages regularly or drinking too much alcohol can cause serious health problems such as high blood pressure, heart failure, and stroke.
Lose weight to a healthy level
Being overweight is one of the main factors that lead to high cholesterol. Therefore, you should consume nutritious foods, avoid sugary drinks, always monitor the calorie content of the food you eat, drink plenty of water, move your body regularly, and do not sit in one place for long periods of time. If you want to know if you are overweight, you can check the BMI that is appropriate for your gender and age with the BMI calculator.
However, if it is necessary to lose weight or gain weight to an appropriate level, it should be done gradually. Do not lose weight too quickly or use methods that pose risks to health, such as taking diet pills, fasting , or if anyone needs to gain weight, they should not choose to gain weight by eating foods that are high in fat or sugar. They should consult a doctor so that the doctor can recommend methods that are good for their health.
Exercise regularly
Exercising regularly at least 5 days a week for 30-60 minutes a day can help increase good cholesterol levels or HDL. It also helps with weight loss and improves overall physical and mental health. If you are not comfortable going to the gym, you can exercise by following clips on the internet. You should exercise or move your body until it becomes a habit. You can start with general activities in your daily life, such as walking briskly after lunch, riding a bicycle to work or to a nearby place. If you are worried that you are not enthusiastic enough, you should find a friend to exercise with.
Quit smoking
Quitting smoking will help increase the level of good cholesterol in the body. The results can be seen quickly, namely:
- 20 minutes after quitting smoking, blood pressure and heart rate levels that were previously high due to nicotine intake begin to drop back to normal.
- 3 months after quitting smoking, your circulatory system and lung function will start to improve.
- One year after quitting, the risk of heart disease is 50 percent lower than that of a smoker.
The above-mentioned healthy lifestyles not only help reduce cholesterol levels in those with high cholesterol, but also help those at risk of developing high cholesterol and the general public to keep their cholesterol levels in check and prevent many other serious diseases.