Here’s How to Maintain Your Cholesterol Levels
According to various medical research reports, over 70 million adults in the country suffer from high cholesterol. People who have high cholesterol are more likely to get a heart attack or develop different heart diseases as compared to the people with right or controlled cholesterol level. Different medications are available for high cholesterol treatment. However, according to the healthcare professionals, some healthy lifestyle changes and maintaining a good and healthy diet can help you to keep your cholesterol level within the normal levels. Read on to know the natural ways that help in keeping your heart healthy and fit by controlling the cholesterol levels.
Include heart-healthy foods in your diet
- Eat foods that contain rich omega-3 fatty acids – The foods that contain high omega-3 fatty acids help in reducing the blood pressure along with keeping your heart in good health. The best sources for these omega-3 fatty acids are the wild-caught oily fishes such as mackerel, salmon, sardines, and tuna. The more you add these oily fishes to your diet the better you can maintain your cholesterol level.
- Include more foods having soluble fiber in it – The soluble fiber helps in reducing the cholesterol absorption into the bloodstream. Kidney beans, oatmeal, apples, pears, Brussels sprouts etc.
Quit smoking
According to different medical studies, the habit of smoking increases the risks of high cholesterol along with different heart diseases. Due to smoking, the arteries harden and it may result in atherosclerosis. Also, smoking tobacco roughens the artery walls, thus allowing the cholesterol to stick easily resulting in plaques forming.
Hence, if you are a smoker and have high cholesterol, to get the best results out of the high cholesterol treatment, you need to quit smoking as soon as possible.
Get rid of extra weight
Controlling your weight is another great way of controlling your high cholesterol level. If you are fond of sugary beverages, it is the time to switch to water! If you crave for sweet, you can try candies or sherbet with a little or zero fat like jelly beans. You need to understand that only a few extra pounds can contribute a lot to make your cholesterol level high. Hence, rather than using the elevator, it is time to take the stairs so that you can get rid of those extra pounds.
Exercise daily
Even if you are not overweight, making a habit of exercising on a daily basis will help you to stay fit and healthy. The more you get engaged in physical activities, the more the HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol) level increases. Just dedicate 30 minutes daily to various simple physical activities like walking, swimming, cycling or jogging and you will get effective results in controlling your cholesterol level while undergoing high cholesterol treatment.
Drink moderately
Well, too much alcohol consumption can lead to major health issues including heart failure, strokes, and high blood pressure. However, if you are a heavy drinker, it is time to start with drinking moderately. Otherwise, the high cholesterol treatment will not be much effective.
Even though all these above-mentioned healthy lifestyle changes and a well-maintained diet contribute a lot in controlling the high cholesterol levels in the bloodstream, sometimes these are not enough. It is advisable to take necessary medications only after consulting a doctor along with maintaining these healthy habits.