Thursday, January 13, 2011

5 Simple Ways To Lower Your Cholesterol Levels

You can lower your cholesterol levels just by following some basic steps that will not only change your cholesterol levels, but also improve your health for a long run. Most people often use a prescription drug and hope that will magically cure whatever our pain. The fact is prescription drugs for lowering cholesterol do work but the problem is that both the short and long-term side effects.

Even more dangerous than the side effects of prescription drugs for lowering cholesterol is not getting cholesterol under control. Over time, high cholesterol can cause heart attack and stroke.

Here are some simple steps you can take to lower your cholesterol without taking drugs.

  1. Eat right
    It may sound simple, but diet has a significant effect on cholesterol reduction that it should be the number one factor you look at in determining if your high cholesterol is genetic or hereditary. Diets low in cholesterol is the first step toward lowering cholesterol.
  2. Exercise
    Improving cardiovascular health is a step to reverse the effects of high cholesterol. Exercise itself does not directly lower cholesterol, but will strengthen the heart and circulatory system as a whole.
  3. Stop smoking
    If you smoke, plaque build up in arteries due to high cholesterol is accelerated. When the plaque blocking blood flow to the heart, muscles must work harder to get oxygen. This can cause heart attacks. If the arteries get completely blocked with plaque from cholesterol is high, then a stroke can occur.
  4. Relax
    Chronic stress can affect cholesterol levels. If you are constantly stressed and eating a low cholesterol diet, you may not notice any improvement in cholesterol readings until you learn to relieve stress.
  5. Talk with your doctor
    Not all doctors are quick to prescribe medication. In fact, the more enlightened doctors will help you form a diet and exercise plan that is suitable for the current overall health and your ability as a first step toward lowering cholesterol. It is always important to ask your doctor if your decision to follow a specific diet or exercise plan that's right for you. Also, do not stop taking medications before consulting with your doctor. You can lower your cholesterol with diet and exercise, and under the care of your doctor, see about removing drugs from the process.
Related articles: 5 ways to lower LDL cholesterol levels