Lowering high cholesterol

Lowering high cholesterol can be as easy as making a few changes to your diet and lifestyle. In some cases, lifestyle changes alone are enough. Other people will need to take medications as well for lowering high cholesterol.

You should always maintain a healthy weight. Although you can use a Body Mass Index (BMI) test (found on most health websites) to determine if your weight falls within an ideal range, it is always best to check with your doctor to determine if you are at a healthy weight.

The next step for lowering high cholesterol is to eat a healthy diet low in saturated and trans fats. No more than 30 percent of your total calories should come from fat, only 10 percent from saturated fats. You should also watch your cholesterol intake, which should not exceed 300 mg daily. If you have high cholesterol or are in a high risk factor, your doctor may set a lower limit on your cholesterol intake. Some foods, such as oat bran, fish with Omega-3 fatty acids, and nuts contain properties that can actually help to lower your cholesterol.

Lowering high cholesterol

Another important aspect of lowering high cholesterol is to keep active. Ideally, you should be active for 30 minutes every day. You can break up your exercise sessions if you do not have 30 consecutive minutes to devote to fitness. Walking, jogging, swimming, and gardening are all activities that will help to improve and maintain cholesterol levels.

While taking these steps are beneficial for your health and for lowering high cholesterol, some people will still need to take medication to bring their cholesterol to healthy levels. There are several types of cholesterol medications available. Your doctor will determine which drug or combination of drugs is best for you.

Once you have a plan for lowering high cholesterol, it is important to stick to that plan, as your continued good health may depend on it.