How can I reduce cholesterol?
Did you know that heart disease and stroke are the main causes of death in America? Since high cholesterol increases your risk of these conditions, many healthcare workers are afraid that more than half of all American adults have cholesterol levels above 200 mg/dl. Although heredity affects cholesterol levels to some extent, there are still many steps that you can take to reduce cholesterol.
Your diet can have a great impact on the effort to reduce cholesterol. For example, oat oat and oat bran contain a high amount of soluble fiber, which has shown to lower the levels of "bad" LDL cholesterol. Nuts are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids that can reduce cholesterol while maintaining blood vessels healthy and elastic. Foods spiced with garlic can encourage the formation of "good" cholesterol HDL. Eating foods that are said to have the ability to reduce cholesterol but not effective if you do not reduce consumption oncarbonated and trans -tuks. This is achieved by avoiding fried foods, grilling instead of frying your favorite meals and creating your favorite recipes with egg substitutes instead of egg yolks.
If you are overweight, your doctor may recommend a weight loss plan to help reduce cholesterol. Combined with low -calorie diet, regular exercise can help you reduce excess pounds and reduce cholesterol and increase energy levels. If you don't like team sports and you are too embarrassed to join the gym, try to go for regular walks or play with your children in the park. Increasing the level of physical activity throughout the day by the stairs instead of the elevator or parking further from the goal can also be beneficial.
When lifestyle changes are not enough to reduce your cholesterol, your doctor may recommend that you start taking prescription medicationsficked as statin. These drugs are a lifelong commitment and are therefore used as a last option to lower cholesterol. Conventional types of statins include atorvastatin (lipitor), orthopper (right), rosuvastatin (Crestor), Simvastatin (Zocor) and Lovastatin (Mevacor). Statins are generally well tolerated, although drugs can cause liver damage and muscle problems in rare cases.
If you want to watch cholesterol regularly, you can be tempted to buy a home cholesterol test set. Although these sets are relatively accurate, they only measure overall cholesterol and do not provide measurements of HDL, LDL and triglycerides levels. Regular visits to your doctor are therefore the best way to take control of your condition.