How to Lower Cholesterol With TLC
- 1). Change how you think about exercise. Since you're working to lower your cholesterol, you should look at exercise as an integral aspect of your therapeutic lifestyle changes. Exercise should become a top priority in your life and you should see it as a way to optimize your health.
- 2). Exercise aerobically for the greatest benefit to your heart. This means you must exercise enough to raise your heart rate to your target heart rate and keep it at this level for at least 20 minutes. To figure out what your target heart rate is, subtract your age from 220. Your target heart rate will be within 70 to 85 percent of this number. It doesn't matter what kind of exercise you do, as long as you start doing something, reports the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.
- 3). Eat more healthy foods. Oatmeal, oat bran, walnuts, almonds, fish, omega-3 fatty acids, plant sterols and stanols, and olive oil are foods that can lower your cholesterol, according to Mayo Clinic.
- 4). Make fiber an essential element of your diet. Fiber lowers "bad" cholesterol and soluble fiber is important because it reduces the amount of cholesterol your body absorbs. Add fiber to your diet in as many ways as you can. You should aim for 25 grams of fiber daily and this can be a combination of soluble and insoluble fiber.
- 5). Make a conscious effort to monitor and lower fat intake. Eat lean meats and trim away any visible fat before cooking. Make low-fat or fat-free choices when selecting dairy products. Track all types of fats daily and keep total fat intake to 25 to 25 percent of your daily caloric intake. Limit saturated fat to 7 percent or lower of your daily caloric intake.
- 6). Limit cholesterol to 200 mg. or less daily. Check food labels carefully, as cholesterol is in many unexpected foods.
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