Lower your cholesterol in 10 easy steps

So, you realize that you have high cholesterol and are determined to lower it? That's not unheard of, being a lot of people have high cholesterol these days. To responsibly lower your cholesterol, here are 10 tips you can get started with, today.First of all, you should understand the distinction between LDL and HDL cholesterol. Simply think of HDL as "healthy" and LDL as "lousy." HDL can actually help carry bad cholesterol out of your blood vessels, while LDL allows it to deposit inside your artery walls.The good news is that you can discover your cholesterol from LDL to HDL by watching what you eat. This is essential to lowering your cholesterol levels. Here is how to do that:1. Have a nice sandwich on whole wheat bread or a pita with some lean turkey and lots of fresh veggies. Skip the hot dogs, bologna, and salami, and let go the mayo. All of these are highly processed and filled with fat and cholesterol.2. Fish, like salmon, is healthy. Look for wild red salmon varieties, which are very high in Omega-3 fatty acids (good fat.) Also, flax seed is a great source of Omega-3s.3. Reject trans fats! Not only do they promote the lousy LDL cholesterol, they can also lower your HDL levels! Stay away from foods like margarine, shortening, and processed foods containing partially hydrogenated soybean oil.4. Go ahead, go nuts! Look for walnuts mainly, but also try almonds, macadamia nuts, cashews, and pecans. Nuts are high in fat, but it's the healthy kind. (Also, use natural peanut butter instead of the normal kind which have unhealthy trans fats and toxins.)5. Restrict your desserts and try to eat only the healthier ones, like angel food cake, graham crackers, Jell-O, and fat-free frozen yogurt.6. Consume foods that are high in fiber. Examples include whole wheat bread, oatmeal, fruits, vegetables, beans, and some cereals. (Look for the boxes that say "may help lower cholesterol.")7. Use the grill. If you're going to have steak or burgers, roast them at home and use lean meat. This procedure avoids the grease, is fun, and the meat tastes great.8. Find a new salad dressing. Most of the store bought ones, are full of trans fats and cholesterol. Olive oil is helpful, with vinegar or lemon juice. Also, let go the bacon bits, croutons, and egg yolks.9. Go high on fruits and vegetables. They have no cholesterol and they have lots of nutrients like antioxidants.Here are some examples: green peas, broccoli, cauliflower, apples, oranges, mangos, papaya, pineapple, tomato, garlic, onions, spinach, water chestnuts, bananas, apricots, blueberries, and kiwi.10. Ignore fast food like french fries and anything else from the deep fryer. Those foods will raise your cholesterol like crazy, so stay away from the burger joints, if you can.11. Bonus tip: Use spices like pepper and oregano to add spice to your dishes. They are a healthy option to other toppings like mayonnaise.That was easy, wasn't it? Just make some thoughtful adjustment in your life and get plenty of exercise like walking, jogging, swimming, or playing basketball. As with anything health related, diet and exercise are two crucial components, to lower your cholesterol in no time!

Stop Overeating and Lose 10 Pounds

Wellness

Wellness