|
||
Cholesterol is commonly known as the lipid or fatty substance in animal tissue and fat. Some types of cholesterol are actually healthy and good for the body. They help the body perform various vital functions like aiding in fat digestion, building and maintaining cell membranes, hormone synthesis, and manufacturing Vitamin D. Since they are important to the body, we will only have to lower cholesterol naturally, so we do not have too much or too less of it.
Our body has the natural ability to produce dietary cholesterol. However, we also get them from the food we eat such as dairy products, eggs, and meat. The body can manufacture two types of cholesterol-LDL, the bad cholesterol, and HDL, the good cholesterol.
Having too much cholesterol in our body can lead to our veins and arteries being clogged up, and we will be in danger of contracting health problems like obesity and cardiovascular ailments.
- Bring Out the Ashtray
Cigarettes and cigarette smoke are dangerous to one's health, more so to those people who already have high levels of cholesterol. Cigarette and its smoke contain compounds that can oxidize cholesterol, which is dangerous. Smokers will need more antioxidants like B Complex vitamins nicotinic acid and nicotinamide to reduce their cravings for nicotine. It can not only lower cholesterol naturally, but it can also save your lungs from cancer.
- Diet Watch
Needless to say that since we get cholesterol from food, we therefore need to watch our diet and the food we eat.
Most doctors and nutritionists would recommend five servings of fruits and vegetables everyday, or a diet of 2/3 fruits and vegetables and 1/3 of all others. These fat-free alternatives are better for your health than processed snacks are.
Foods that help lower LDL and increase HDL levels at the same time are almonds, avocados, beans, chili peppers, fish, flax seed, garlic, oat bran, olive oil, onions, shiitake mushrooms.
- Exercise
Exercising is like hitting not just two but several birds with one stone. It is a no-cost solution to almost every problem like stress, depression, and obesity. Exercise promotes good health and physical fitness, which contributes a lot to keeping anyone in tune with the events of every day life.
If you exercise daily for even just a few minutes, it can already increase high-density lipoprotein levels (HDL) in your body. HDLs are known as good cholesterol. Along with a raised HDL level, you metabolic rate also increases, which makes you lose weight and shed off all those extra cholesterol.
- Try Red Yeast Rice
Statin drugs can already be made out of red yeast rice. Therefore, why not take it in its natural, chemical-free state. Red yeast rice stops cholesterol reaction from moving forward, slowing it down until it lowers.
If you want to lower cholesterol naturally, you will have to be prepared for a lot of hard work and discipline. Even if you take prescription drugs, you will still need to be proactive to aid the process. You might as well do it the cheap and healthier way as mentioned above. Doctors, physicians, and nutritionists can help you in this area.
Are you worried about your cholesterol levels or do you have a family history of high cholesterol? If so then you should already be paying close attention to your diet and lifestyle. One of the most simple ways that you can keep your cholesterol in check is by changing the way you cook your food. It is not hard to eat a low cholesterol diet, and modifying the way you cook your food can help keep your heart and body healthy and happy.
To start with you should strictly limit the foods you eat which are high in saturated fat in your kitchen (and house), and use alternatives instead. You'll find when cooking that techniques such as grilling, baking and broiling (and microwaving), will help you control the levels of saturated fat in the food you eat. You can use a light stir-fry or perhaps a sauté, as long as you monitor the amount of oil you use, or use the more expensive virgin olive oil, which can be beneficial in small quantities.
Another way you can reduce the amount of cholesterol in your diet is through the way you prepare your meat and poultry. You can easily lower the amount of saturated fat in the meat you eat by trimming or cutting off any fat you can see on the meat, or by buying better quality cuts of meat. Try to avoid frying food, instead roast, bake or broil the meat as mentioned earlier. If you decide to roast or bake the meat, you can use a rack to allow the fat to drain away, so you don't eat it with the meat. Alternatively purchase a George Foreman Lean Mean Grilling Machine, which will allow you to drain the excess fat away with ease.
To keep your meat moist and tasty, use wine, vinegar, lemon juice or a low-fat oil as a marinade. If you like to cook soups or stews, which can be very healthy, tasty and filling when cooked properly, prepare them the day before and put in the fridge overnight. This will allow any fat in the stew or soup to rise to the top and harden, so you can remove it before re-heating and eating.
One of the key components of a diet low in cholesterol is to ensure that you eat a lot of fruit and vegetables, and a wide variety of them. Try and find fresh fruits that you enjoy, so you can eat them as healthy snacks, of prepare and freeze to eat later. A lot of people ruin the benefit of the vegetables they eat, by covering them in excess salt (sodium chloride), which can raise your blood pressure. Instead use herbs and spices to flavour your veg. You can purchase ready made mixed herbal seasoning's from your local grocery shop. For example an Italian herb mix seasoning might contain herbs such as oregano, basil, rosemary and more. Others such as chives and parsley also give your food interesting flavours.
When cooking your veg, try and only use a minimal amount of vegetable oil or spray, or even better use olive oil. Make sure you avoid butter or margarine, as both are sources of high saturated fats and sodium. Which is a doubly bad combination for your health, especially for people worried about cholesterol levels.
These article has identified just a sample of cooking ideas and tips for your diet to help you lower your cholesterol. It might take a little time for you to get used to cooking using different methods, but the benefits for you health and your palette will quickly out weight the little extra time it may take.