High cholesterol is one of the major contributors to heart disease, which is the most common cause of death in the United States.
When you improve your cholesterol intake you not only live longer, you are in better overall health.
Luckily, there are many ways to avoid and lower cholesterol naturally without taking long-term medications.
Read on for the top 5 ways to live a healthy lifestyle by balancing your good and bad cholesterol.
1. Choose Food Wisely
You are what you eat, so to improve your cholesterol without medication you must choose your food wisely.
Fatty foods that contain saturated and trans fats raise your cholesterol in your blood. This leads to clogged arteries that lead to a cardiac event.
Avoid red meat, dairy products, and partially hydrogenated vegetable oil to lower the bad cholesterol called low-density lipoprotein (LDL).
Add foods that cleanse your blood and block cholesterol from entering the blood. Soluble fiber absorbs cholesterol in your stomach before it becomes part of your bloodstream. Oats, grains, and beans contain a lot of soluble fiber.
2. Exercise Daily
There is also good cholesterol (high-density lipoprotein) in the body that helps remove plaque from your arteries. You can improve your HDL cholesterol by keeping active.
Exercise several times a week including cardiovascular workouts that get your heart and blood moving.
If you have an injury that prevents you from exercising, then visit K2 Health Center for non-invasive treatment options.
3. Lose Extra Weight
Improve your cholesterol numbers by eliminating the extra weight on your body. The weight is nonessential fat that contributes to high cholesterol.
Even the smallest change in your body mass index (ratio of fat to the weight of your body) can do tremendous things for your health. It will give you more energy and attribute to a better diet void of fats and sugars.
4. Get Enough Sleep
Studies have found that a lack of sleep can lead to an imbalance of good and bad cholesterol.
To improve your cholesterol ratio of LDL and HDL make sure that you do not sacrifice sleep. It can cause an inactive HDL response, leading to an increase in bad cholesterol levels in the blood.
5. Meditate to Reduce Stress
You may underestimate the harm done by stress on your body. When you are stressed your body produces a chemical reaction, releasing the hormone cortisol into your blood.
Cortisol acts as a free radical which destroys and mutates cells. Cholesterol increases in order to repair cells, leading to excess.
Meditation is a great way to reduce stress naturally and improve your cholesterol profile. It increases oxygen in the blood and improves circulation while eliminating the need for cortisol.
Improve Your Cholesterol with a Lifestyle Change
You cannot improve your cholesterol without extreme change. So first, you must have a positive mindset and a desire to alter your lifestyle.
For more ways to enhance your well-being visit the health section of our blog.