How Do You Reduce Your Cholesterol?
When your doctor decides that it is time to test your cholesterol, he or she will send you for a blood test, and then wait for the cholesterol numbers to come back. You would do well to spend a little discussing these results with your doctor, covering how you can optimize them if that is in fact needed, and ask what your risk is for heart disease.
If your cholesterol numbers are not acceptable, your doctor may suggest that you take prescription medications to get your cholesterol numbers in a better range as quickly as possible. Not doing this could lead to strokes, so consider carefully the medical advice you are given.
Now, if your numbers are reasonable, your medical practitioner may just suggest that you improve your diet, switching to one that is low cholesterol, and hardly contains foods of high cholesterol regularly.
Once you are aware of the foods that you should and should not be eating, then switching to good foods should be no difficulty, especially as you know that once you are eating better, your heart health is going to be improving, and your risk of heart problems will be getting lower.
This is exactly what you want, a strong heart. But along with the avoidance of a high cholesterol diet, you need to be exercising, may be every other day going for a brisk walk for about 30 minutes, as this will help your fitness level, and your general health.
So, if you are to consume foods that are low in cholesterol , what does that mean you will be consuming, and what foods should you not eat? It is good to avoid an excess of animal products, this means red meats should be eaten in moderation, with only the leanest cuts of meat being considered. Egg yolks are also high in cholesterol, but the egg whites are good for you, so think about moving over to egg white products rather than whole eggs.
Butter is not recommended, as it is derived from an animal, so if you still want to in oil, think about using olive oil, especially virgin olive oil. This is processed less than light olive oil which is called that just because it is lighter in color, not lighter in calories.
Oat bran and oatmeal is good for you to eat, and is a great breakfast food. It gives your body soluble fibre, which is also found in barley, pears and apples.
Legumes, such as dried peas, dried beans and lentils are good for you, because not only do they provide you with soluble fibre, but they also contain plant protein, which is good for the growth of muscles and tendons, as well as good for healthy blood, bones, hair and internal organs too.
There are obviously many more foods that contribute to a diet of low cholesterol, but there is limited space here. The important thing is to start reducing your cholesterol now, so that you are at lower risk of heart disease or strokes. But of course, this is entirely up to you, reduce your cholesterol now, or run the risk of heart attacks and strokes in your future.