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Wondering what’s the best way to reduce cholesterol naturally? The answer is simple – just make a few diet and lifestyle changes. It can go a long way in giving your cholesterol treatment some support, and speed up your healing process. Here’s how you can reduce bad cholesterol (LDL) and boost your good cholesterol (HDL) levels.
What Is The Best Way To Reduce Cholesterol Naturally?
1. Eat Better Fats.
One of the most important diet choices to cut down on LDL as well as raise HDL is switching to healthier fats. Trans fat is one of the worst things you could put into your body. It does you absolutely no good, while increasing bad cholesterol levels and contributing to diabetes too. Ditch it completely, and choose monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. They increase good cholesterol while decreasing the bad kind.
Favour:
- Avocados
- Almonds
- Cashews
- Walnuts
- Flaxseeds
- Chia seeds
- Tahini
- Cooking oils made with coconut, olive, and peanuts
Avoid:
- Fried food
- Pastries
- Cookies
- All sorts of baked, processed, and junk food
2. Shed Extra Fat.
Another among the top ways to reduce high cholesterol is simply managing your weight. Plenty of studies prove that being overweight can contribute to high cholesterol, while slimming down can significantly lower cholesterol.
There are many ways to lose weight the healthy way. Exercise is obvious, which we will discuss soon. Apart from that, follow a diet that comprises of light, whole, and Sattvic food. Drink fruit and vegetable juices during the day to avoid snacking on unhealthy foods.
And importantly, sleep well and ensure that you stay as stress free as possible. It’s easy to ignore these two things, but they go a long way in helping you shed those extra pounds.
3. Get More Fibre.
Fibre rich foods do a lot to help you control cholesterol. Soluble fibre is the kind that dissolves in water to create a sort of gel in the digestive system. It’s great to eat since it prevents the absorption of cholesterol. It also helps control blood sugar and body weight. Studies suggest that around 25 grams of soluble fibre a day can lower cholesterol by up to 18%.
But of course, eating soluble fibre alone isn’t enough – you need to combine it with other cholesterol lowering measures.
Good sources of soluble fibre:
- Oatmeal
- Beans
- Lentils
- Apples
- Carrots
- Oranges
4. Tweak Your Lifestyle.
Apart from eating better, tweaking your lifestyle is the best way to reduce cholesterol naturally. Exercise regularly! Research has shown that regular exercise can significantly help control cholesterol. It also helps manage your weight and busts stress – a major contributing factor to cardiovascular diseases. Do whatever you like: jog, swim, ride a bicycle, or learn yoga.
Second, quit smoking and drinking, if you do either of them. Avoiding alcohol can go a long way in improving your cardiovascular system and cutting down on cholesterol. Smoking is one of the most unhealthy habits, and it puts you at risk of not only high cholesterol, but a whole range of other diseases including cancer.
If you have recently quit smoking, try these foods to cleanse your lungs.
Note: This article is solely for the purpose of sharing information. Please do not substitute it for professional medical advice. Before using anything as a medicine, always consult your doctor.
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