Tips to keep cholesterol under control
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August 13, 2018
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People with high cholesterol have twice the risk of developing heart disease as compared with healthy people. Following are some lifestyle changes that help to lower the cholesterol levels.
1. Eat heart-healthy foods - Few healthy changes in diet can reduce cholesterol and improve heart health.
- Avoid eating foods with Trans fats. It is bad fat and increases the risk of heart attacks. It is mainly found in fried rice, cookies, snack cakes and crackers.
- Always choose low fat dairy and monounsaturated fats. It is found in olive and canola oils.
- Eat omega-3 fatty acids rich food. They have heart benefits like increasing high-density lipoprotein (HDL, or "good") cholesterol, low triglycerides (bad fats) in blood and decrease blood pressure. Omega-3 fatty acids are found in salmon fish, walnuts, almonds and ground flaxseeds.
- Take more fibre food in diet. They have health benefits and lower the bad cholesterol. Add fibre in diet by eating oats and oat bran, fruits, beans and vegetables.
2. Exercise and increase your physical activity
Every day 30-minutes exercise and physical activities helps to raise high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, the "good" cholesterol. Even adding physical activity every 10-minutes several times a day, can help to control cholesterol.
3.Quit smoking
Smoking is a major risk factor for high cholesterol and heart diseases. It makes the arteries hard and leads to atherosclerosis. Smoking tobacco roughens the walls of the arteries allowing cholesterol to stick more easily and begin to form plaques.
Developed by Scientific Angle brought to you by Health Meter Services
Disclaimer: Don’t follow any suggestions in this article without consulting a qualified doctor
Sources:1. “ Top 5 lifestyle changes to improve your cholesterol” https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-cholesterol/in-depth/reduce-cholesterol/art-20045935
2. “9 Simple Ways to Lower Your Cholesterol” https://www.healthline.com/health/ways-lower-cholesterol.