Anyone is vulnerable to developing the life-threatening condition of high blood cholesterol. The leading cause of death for men and women in the United States is heart disease, worsened by high cholesterol levels. The danger increases with elevated cholesterol levels.
The good news comes now. You may take measures to reduce your cholesterol and safeguard your health if it is too high.
Unavoidable Risk Factors:
The fact is that one’s genetic makeup is immutable. It’s true that you can pick your friends but not your family. Even if you are predisposed to high cholesterol, you can still take steps to reduce your levels.
The passage of time is yet another variable beyond your control. The average adult’s blood cholesterol begins to climb around the age of 20 and continues to rise until 60 or 65.
Modifiable Risk Factors:
You can modify your diet to suit your needs. Always keep that in mind. Three foods raise cholesterol levels in the blood.
Animal products are the primary sources of saturated fat.
French fries, as well as other fried foods, as well as some cooking oils and margarine, contain trans fat.
Reducing saturated fat consumption is an effective strategy for managing cholesterol levels. This has the most significant impact on cholesterol levels of any dietary component.
High cholesterol is one of the numerous adverse health effects of being overweight.
Diabetes Mellitus
Although not technically a disease, this cluster of risk factors raises your chances of developing cardiovascular disease and other chronic illnesses. You can evaluate the potential danger to yourself by considering the following elements. The Metabolic Syndrome is diagnosed when these three conditions are met.
Women with a waist size of 35 inches or more and males with a waist size of 40 inches or more
Higher than 150 mg/dL of triglycerides and less than 50 mg/dL of HDL cholesterol in women and less than 40 mg/dL of HDL cholesterol in men
Medical attention is needed if your BP is over 130 over 85 mm Hg. (The higher of the two figures is relevant.)
Levels of glucose in the blood, measured when you’re fasting that are 100 mg/dL or greater
Shift your mindset to alter your routine. If you believe you cannot transform your current way of life, you have already lost the battle before it even begins. Changing your habits will happen if you think you can. It’s up to you to make that decision.
First, make up your mind to learn. By reading articles and then putting that knowledge into practice, you may make a better life for yourself and your loved ones.
Improve Your Diet and Reduce Your Cholesterol
The things you eat are an excellent starting point. Make a strategy to help you out. You might as well expect to fail if you don’t make any preparations. I apologize for the honesty. These are the facts.
It would be best to start thinking about your new diet plan immediately; you deserve it.
Here are some suggestions that could be useful:
Saturated fat consumption should be less than 7 percent of total daily calories.
Cholesterol intake should not exceed 200 milligrams per day.
Reduce your fat intake to below 35% of your daily calories.
Some healthy additions to a balanced diet are:
Plant stanols and sterols at a daily 2-gram dosage
Ten to twenty-five grams of soluble fiber daily Calories at a level consistent with weight maintenance
Incorporate regular moderate-intensity physical activity of at least 30 minutes every day.
Drugs That Reduce Cholesterol
Many people, including myself, have been taking medication prescribed by a doctor to control their cholesterol levels. Statins are among the most widely prescribed drugs. Statins are drugs used to inhibit a key enzyme responsible for cholesterol synthesis. Some of the most well-known ones are lovastatin, pravastatin, simvastatin, fluvastatin, atorvastatin, and rosuvastatin. They can reduce triglycerides and increase good cholesterol (HDL) while decreasing LDL by 20–55 percent.
Ezetimibe is a medication prescribed for lowering cholesterol absorption. About 18-25 percent of LDL can be reduced. Cholesterol-containing bile acids can be bound to bile acid resins in the intestines and then passed out of the body with the stool. Niacin, or nicotinic acid, is a B vitamin that requires supervision from a medical professional. Triglycerides can be reduced with the use of fibrates.
Methods Without Medication to Reduce Cholesterol
Plant stanols and sterols are the most secure methods for reducing cholesterol levels. Many plants have trace levels of them. Plant stanols and sterols reduce LDL cholesterol without influencing HDL or triglyceride levels because they prevent cholesterol from being absorbed in the digestive tract. LDL cholesterol can be lowered by 5-15 percent with daily consumption of roughly 2 grams of stanols or sterols.
The beneficial sterols and stanols can be obtained through certain excellent natural supplements. This option is much better than prescription drugs, often with unwanted side effects.
Consume More Fibrous Foods
Soluble fiber in the diet has been shown to lower cardiovascular disease risk. It’s excellent for your digestive health and overall wellness.
Fiber-rich meals aid weight loss by making you feel full faster after eating. This results in reduced caloric intake.
Reduce your sodium intake.
Reducing the amount of salt you consume daily is also recommended. Reducing salt intake is an excellent place to start if you’re trying to reduce weight or lower your blood pressure.
Due to the high sodium content of many processed goods, many people find it difficult to break their salty eating habits. It’s a matter of practice, and it all comes down to our decisions.
The simple approach is to raise one’s intake of healthy, plant-based foods. Canned fruits and vegetables are sometimes mistaken for a healthy option. However, they often include a high amount of sodium. The best piece of advice is to learn to read labels.
It’s all relatively easy; you only need to establish your goals.
Regular exercise is essential as well.
The tricky part of the transition is finally here for many. The dreadful daily workout. Working out is a need. Try to settle on an activity that both interests and motivates you. Find someone to work out with so that you both have someone to hold you accountable.
Exercising will give you the extra motivation to stick to your new routine. Your stress levels will decrease, and your motivation to exercise will rise as you notice positive physical changes.
It all boils down to options; you can pick the one that works best for you. Don’t second-guess yourself. That’s precisely why we each possess them, dormant and ready to serve.
In this essay, I offer advice based on my investigation. I’m not a medical professional, so take these recommendations with a grain of salt. In place of conventional pharmaceuticals, I advocate the use of natural supplements. Before making any significant life changes, talking to your doctor’s usually a good idea. If you’re interested in seeing an educational video, you can do so by clicking HERE. That’s all I have for now, so thanks!
Read also: The Ultimate Guide To Finding The Right Dentist For Your Family.
