How to Lower your Cholesterol Naturally
So you’ve been told that your cholesterol is too high and that you should take a statin drug like Lipitor or Crestor, but you’d really rather not. Hopefully, you have been informed that you have options. A statin drug can help you although the most up-to-date studies show that up to 29% of people that use these drugs can get the common side effect of muscle pain & muscle weakness. Other common side effects include higher Type 2 Diabetes risk, Liver Inflammation and Fatigue. So what are your options?
Exercise: Any helps! Aim for moderate exercise 3-5 times per week. Go for a 30 min jog or fast walk; play sports, join a gym; take an aerobic-type class at your local community centre or gym.
Lose Weight: Aim for a BMI under 25 (to calculate search for “BMI Calculator”).
Avoid Sugar and Refined Carbohydrates: Don’t bother with sugar, sweets/pastries, processed carbs (white bread, white pasta, white rice, soft drinks, packaged fruit juices).
Eat your Veggies: Aim for 2 to 2.5 cups of veggies per day.
Replace Saturated Fats with Unsaturated Fats: Replace fatty meats & full fat dairy products with foods like lean meats/fish, avocados, nuts & olive oil. Replace coconut oil with MCT oil.
Avoid all Trans-Fats: Keep clear of doughnuts, margarine, crackers, microwave popcorn, fried fast foods, frozen pizzas, and the processed frosting on sweets like cookies and cakes. The more processed the food, usually the worse for your health.
Alcohol: While mild alcohol use doesn’t seem to be an issue with otherwise healthy adults, heavy use should be avoided (on average, no more than two drinks per day for men or one drink per day for women).
Psyllium: 1 tablespoon a day helps to regulate your cholesterol levels.
Other Supplements: Plant Sterols, Red Yeast Rice, Garlic, Vitamin B3, Fish Oil (omega 3 fatty acids).
If you feel that you are too busy to take on the responsibility of naturally controlling your cholesterol, please consider this: if it’s time that you are concerned about, then time via longevity is exactly what you will gain from this type of investment into yourself. You’re worth it so do it. Since putting in the effort to make these kinds of healthy changes in your life will help you in so many different ways beyond just simply controlling your cholesterol, I encourage you to take on the challenge - being healthy is its own reward.
REFERENCES
http://www.berkeleywellness.com/self-care/preventive-care/article/cholesterol-guidelines-whats-new
http://www.berkeleywellness.com/self-care/preventive-care/article/latest-statins
http://www.berkeleywellness.com/self-care/preventive-care/article/statins-and-muscle-pain
http://www.berkeleywellness.com/supplements/vitamins/article/niacin-and-cholesterol
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/avoid-these-10-foods-full-of-trans-fats/