We hear often of cholesterol and the influence it can have on the body. We see people who follow a strict diet and live with the constant care to measure its level. There is good cholesterol called HDL-cholesterol and bad cholesterol called LDL-cholesterol. High cholesterol may be due to an inherited predisposition or an unhealthy diet. The cure to lower LDL-cholesterol level is respecting a strict diet, but also changing the lifestyle and taking medication.
- Diet: The diet is recommended by the doctor and consists mainly in reducing foods that contains cholesterol and these are animal products. But nothing is more important than eating fish regularly (at least 2 pounds per week) to maintain cholesterol at adequate levels. This is because fish contains good cholesterol, which opposes the assimilation of bad cholesterol. In addition, the recommended foods are foods low in saturated fat: vegetable oils, fruits, vegetables, cereals, dairy products low in fat; foods with unsaturated fats: olive oil, soybean oil and sunflower oil; foods with low amounts of cholesterol: any food of vegetable origin.
- Change the lifestyle: To ensure that you maintain cholesterol levels within normal limits, be sure to drink at least 2 liters of water a day, to replace sugar with honey, sweets with fresh fruits and fast-food with vegetable salads. Make regular physical activity, like walking every day every half an hour. Studies show that walking for 20-40 minutes daily can significantly reduce cholesterol level. Walking is the most convenient form of physical activity, but make sure to walk 30 minutes and at least 5 days a week. Reduce the body weight through exercise and a diet low in calories. In addition, control other factors that increase cardiovascular risk, such as smoking.
- Drugs and medication: If you were diagnosed with high LDL-cholesterol, it is important to discuss in detail with your doctor about the conventional and alternative options that the medicine makes available in the fight against high LDL-cholesterol. Some people feel very comfortable using drugs to reduce cholesterol, while others avoid drugs. Viewed as miracle drugs, statins act on LDL-cholesterol, reducing its level.
